Lakers vs. Suns - February 20, 2008

It’s pretty rare that a regular season game in any sport has the hype that came with this one. It’s even rarelier….more rare-er…whatever, that the game would live up to that hype. But this one sure did. Boy oh boy, what a freakin’ game! I was all geeked up for this one the minute I tuned in and saw the players going through their pre-game warm-up routine. That nervousness that comes with watching playoff basketball was with me the entire game. I’m surprised I didn’t wake the kids after a couple of the more exciting plays. Kobe’s dunk at the end of the 1st quarter as time was expiring, which from now on shall be known simply as “The Statement Dunk of 2008,” had me rewinding the DVR to show Robin, who, by the way, doesn’t particularly care for basketball and can’t stand Kobe, but still was able to work up an obligatory “wow.” (God love her).

This game was packed with huuuuge plays. Kobe blocking a dunk, Gasol filling the middle to finish a fast break with a time-out inducing slam dunk (only to get mauled by a creepy Sasha Vujavic), Kobe later breaking up a Nash-to-Shaq alley oop attempt, Farmar nailing threes, Odom driving the lane and dunking. You name it. This game had it. The Suns had their share of big time plays too. After all, if they hadn’t, this game would’ve been nothing more than a replay of Tuesday night’s laugher against the Hawks (poor Mike Bibby). Anyway, Nash was his usual self, scoring and passing with relative ease. Grant Hill had a great game. Stoudamire was out of his mind and had himself a game. Even the Big Fella started to crank it up late in the going, which I have to say, made me feel less than comfortable, to put it mildly.

I really, really hope these teams play each other in the playoffs. It could potentially be one of the greatest series EVER. Imagine how much more exciting these battles will be when Shaq is up to speed with his new teammates and with his conditioning and Andrew Bynum is back into the fold for the Lakers. Holy cow – that’ll be a show worth watching. I only hope the knot on Raja Bell’s head has subsided by then. Yikes. The biggest blow in the game for either side was Shaq’s elbow hitting Raja Bell, causing a lump the size of a small child on the back of Bell’s head. When it happened, he looked like he was out cold. Even when he went to the locker and came back to the bench several minutes later he looked like he wasn’t sure who he was, let alone where he was. I think that blow would’ve killed a normal sized man.

Well, this was a statement game to say the least. And a statement the Lakers made, punctuated of course by the Statement Dunk of 2008. Put some ice on that lump, Raja - we’ll see you in the playoffs!