The LA Lakers are stuck in a 2-0 hole with a daunting road trip to Dallas tonight. The Chicago Bulls have continued to flounder in the post-season, entering their trip to Atlanta tied 1-1 with the Hawks. Al Dannity looks at what Chicago and Los Angeles need to do to get back on track.
Stop Dirk The task for the Lakers entering tonight’s game in Dallas is not different to the one they faced at the start of this series. Containing Dirk Nowitzki is crucial to success against the Mavericks. In Game 1 he had 28 points and 14 rebounds, and followed that up with 24 points and 7 boards in Game 2. The German may not have exploded but he’s been under no pressure throughout this series so far.
Pressure is something that’s clearly getting to the Lakers. Ron Artest has been suspended for Game 3 due to a cheap shot he took last time out. That will sorely hurt Los Angeles on defense. That means somebody other than Kobe is going to have to step up on offense. Black Mamba has once again been to go-to guy for LA yet Andrew Bynum’s Game 2 performance aside, the rest of the Lakers simply aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to scoring. The key problem is the bench, which has been a virtual non-factor for the Lakers in this series. If that keeps up they simply won’t stand a chance in Game 3.
Bulls need to split games in Atlanta Chicago won ugly, I mean really ugly, against the Hawks in Game 2. NBA betting fans will have one request as the series moves to Atlanta; more of the same please. Derrick Rose is an offensive force but this Chicago team is built around a ferocious defense. Holding an opponent to 73 points in a playoff game is exactly what the Bulls need to do. Just read these numbers and drool. Joakim Noah, 14 rebounds; Luol Deng, 12 rebounds; Carlos Boozer 11 rebounds. In a game where Atlanta out-blocked Chicago 10-5, it was the Bulls who came out on top due to their 58-39 advantage in rebounding.
For the Hawks to win this series, they need to sweep the Bulls at home. Boozer and Noah have become scoring factors as well, leaving Chicago well suited to winning at home with their hard-nosed approach. Tonight’s game will mean everything to the momentum in this series. Victory for the Bulls and Atlanta’s good work in Game 1 will be undone.
