Lakers hold off Suns, take 2-0 West finals lead

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LOS ANGELES | The Los Angeles Lakers are halfway to another NBA finals, and their fans already know who they want their dominant defending champions to play next.

Pau Gasol scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant had 21 points and 13 assists, and the Lakers roared away in the final minutes for a 124-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night to claim a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Ron Artest scored 18 points for the Lakers, who won their eighth straight playoff game and moved within striking distance of a tantalizing NBA finals showdown with the Boston Celtics, who lead Orlando 2-0 in the East. For the second straight game, the chants rained down from the Staples Center crowd in the final minutes: “We want Boston!”

The Lakers remained unbeaten at home in the postseason despite a much-improved effort from the Suns, who lost the opener by 21 points. Phoenix tied it at 90-all heading to the final period of game two, but Gasol and Bryant flawlessly led the Lakers to another high-scoring victory.

Game three is Sunday night in Phoenix.

Unless the Suns figure out a way to stop LA’s offense, which hit better than 57 percent of its shots for the second straight game while racking up 252 total points, Beantown and Hollywood could be headed for another chapter in their storied rivalry.

The Lakers have lost only one best-of-seven playoff series in franchise history after taking a 2-0 lead, winning the other 41. The Lakers haven’t won eight straight games in the same postseason since their famous one-loss run through the 2001 playoffs.

The Staples Center crowd enthusiastically booed Amare Stoudemire, who on Tuesday belittled Lamar Odom’s 19-point, 19-rebound performance in the opener as “a lucky game.” Stoudemire appeared determined to back up his words with aggression, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds while Odom had 17 points and 11 boards off the bench.

Grant Hill scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter while Phoenix erased a 14-point deficit, playing with more efficiency and aggression than in game one. But the Lakers went back ahead by 11 midway through the fourth with a 9-0 run.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/19/1957893/lakers-hold-off-suns-take-2-0.html#ixzz0oRLk2CY6

Fucking LA lol... I knew Phenoix wouldn't stand a chance anyway...I see it going 4-0 or maybe 4-2... idk. Good game though...Gasol was on fire

I don't get it...Amare wanted to back his words with aggression by...putting up worse numbers than Odom?

Suns suck...Rockets would have beat the Lakers. =D

babaganoosh wrote:

I don't get it...Amare wanted to back his words with aggression by...putting up worse numbers than Odom?

Gasol has turned into the best PF in the legaue. Amare doesn't seem to want to do the hard work like rebound and play D. It is also true that Amare is being out played by the Laker's 6 man. Odom had 19 pts and 19 rbs. It looks like we are going to have the Laker's vs. the Celtic's in the Finals again.