Lakers should beat Spurs, they must

The Lakers used to be my team. But once Magic Johnson retired I lost interest. Showtime was gone and what did we have to look forward to? Sedale Threatt?

Hey I'm not knocking Sedale but he was no Earvin Magic, nor was he Byron Scott for that matter. The Lakers plodded along, Kobe came onto the scene, then Shaq, and basically the wheels fell off if you ask me. Yeh they won a few championships but it never inspired me the way the 1980s Lakers did.

I moved on, sometimes supporting random teams, mostly cheering for good West Coast basketball such as that played by the current Golden State Warriors or the now busted up Phoenix Suns.

To my delight, however, the Lakers are back. They're in the Western Conference Finals and dare I say it, their basketball is attractive - perhaps even inspirational at times. Kobe is finally sharing - big change. The role players are fulfilling expectations and it's almost as if Jack Nicholson's unwavering loyalty is starting to pay off. Good for you Jack.

But unfortunately, the Lakers lost to the Spurs in Game 3 today and I'm starting to wonder whether it's all a sham. It might just be a whole lot of hocus pocus - Kobe style - in which a team that looks positively brilliant could unhinge at any time. I don't know what to think anymore. I'm not back on the L.A. bandwagon by any means, but more than ever we need the purple and gold to knock off the most boring team in basketball. Don't we?

God speed to you Lakers. This is your series...for old times sake.

The Utah Jazz are money

The Utah Jazz are pushing the Western Conference favourites and it's startling. The L.A. Lakers should be winning and winning everything comfortably in my view. They have the game's best player in Kobe Bryant, fantastic backcourt support in Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar, as well as the most versatile big man in the game, Pau Gasol. Throw in one of the NBA's greatest ever coaches (plus the world's most popular pro hoops dance team) and well, what excuse is there to lose?

None. Now it's 2-2 in the series.

The Lakers are stunning to watch when it all works; when they feed Gasol and he then returns the ball to Kobe who drives and kicks it to Fish for a three. As Chick Hearn used to say, "That's Laker - Showtime - basketball."

But there's a feeling one gets, kind of like that unsettling rumble in your stomach after a bad Vindaloo, that perhaps these Lakers can be rattled - that when push comes to shove, the tougher, more bruising Jazz have L.A.'s number. They are just such a well-rounded unit, highly underrated, and their execution is superb.

Carlos Boozer, for instance, rampages through the lane like a grizzly in the Wasatch Mountains. And when he's active on the boards you wonder if the defense can cope with his size. He's swatting loose balls with his giant paws. He's like a big bear man...with fangs. He's so money and he doesn't even know it.

Sure Boozer can fade in and out of games but he's a menace when he wants to be. Teamed with point guard sensation Deron Williams, the Jazz are a force to be reckoned with. Yes, Williams scores masses of points but look at his assists (14 in Game 4). People in Salt Lake are starting to ask John who?

There's every chance this Utah squad can take down the Lakers. It's going to be hard work in L.A. but then whoever said making it in Hollywood was easy? It certainly seems achievable this time.

Bringing back the magic

It's not everyday that you see magic performed in the NBA. Oh sure, they'll tell you the game today is stronger, faster, better but is it really? There are certainly some amazing athletes in the league - Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Carmello Anthony and Lebron James to name a few - but for all their athleticism and showboating, is the basketball inspiring? Is there any genius involved in dunking the crap out of the ball? Or overpowering other players wth brute force alone? Hey, I can appreciate Lebron is an enormous unit. The guy is the only athlete in history who could possibly win at any team sport by himself. Yes, even figure skating.

Seriously though, I'm thankful there are still some NBA pros that can dazzle the way Magic Johnson and Larry Bird once did.