I was wrong. I wasn't surprized that the Lakers were able to take game two of their series against the Suns, but I didn't think it would go down the way it did.
Like most of the rest of the world, I was fairly certain that Kobe Bryant would come out firing. I figured he'd be good for at least ten or fifteen points in the opening quarter on his way to forty or so for the game, but the Lakers won this game, not Kobe.
To be fair, Kobe was a huge part of this win, as the offense ran through him the entire night. On almost every Laker possession, Kobe would get the ball early in the clock, earlier than he did during the regular season, and wait patiently for the double team. Sometimes he'd spot Kwame Brown or Lamar Odom in the post, other times he'd fire the ball out to the perimeter where an open Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, or Smush Parker would confidently bury the jumper.
The game plan worked to perfection as the Lakers used a 19-0 run in the second quarter to help grab a fifteen-point halftime lead, then held off several Phoenix runs in the second half to win the game and even the series.
The signature moment of the game -- and of the entire playoffs so far -- came with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. After the Suns had closed the gap to seven points and forced a miss from Walton, the rebound bounced free towards the sideline. Odom dove to the floor to corral the loose ball, then rifled the ball to a streaking Kobe Bryant who elevated immediately and let loose a thunderous dunk in the face of Steve Nash. The Phoenix guard crumpled to the deck while Kobe swung from the rim just long enough for us to wonder why in the world there are reports that Nash will be awarded the MVP instead of Bryant.
Suddenly the Lakers were up by nine again, and although the Suns still made another push and the game wasn't put away until deep inside the final minute, Kobe's posterization of Nash was significant. It gave the Suns a peek behind the curtain, a reminder that although he's been lying in the reeds for most of these two games, the Mamba will still strike when cornered.
So as the Suns get ready to enter the Mamba's lair as the series moves to Los Angeles for games three and four, they find themselves in a rather precarious position. They've lost the home court advantage in a series against the seventh seeded team, and they might soon be dividing their time between the golf course and the fishing hole.
Here's how I see it. The Lakers will defend their home court on Friday and Sunday, lose a close one to a desperate Phoenix team on Tuesday, then wrap it up back home in game six. You can count on it.
Then again, I've been wrong before.
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