CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
December 3rd --- Game vs Lakers @Staples Center
....
Beno stood at the line. Once again. I think we did a good job inbounding the ball to him since he's one of our best free throw shooters. Despite his struggle for most of the game he hit the two freethrows. We were still up by five. Phil Jackson called at time out. "What would the old man tell his guys?", I asked myself.
"Okay guys, we gotta watch out. It's obvious that Kobe's gonna get the ball. Don't bother playing the passing lanes. Just stay with your men and don't leave your feet. Okay guys, 1,2,3 defense!"
We definitely looked in shape to bring this one home. I pulled Reke aside: "Tyreke, you gotta guard Kobe. Don't leave your feet. I don't want to risk a foul. Just try to stay with him and when he gets the ball, play him tight. Don't fall on one of his fakes". "That's what I'm gonna do, Coach", he was still breathing very hard, the game was really exhausting him.
The jumbotron had Reke at 46 minutes. Hell, I did my best to give him a rest, but we simply needed him.
Artest inbounded the ball. 7 seconds left on the clock. Kobe grabbed the ball. He dribbled the ball between his legs twice and pumpfaked, but Reke did not leave his feet. Kobe went up and faded away from two feet behind the three point line. Reke looked like frozen as the ball went over his head. Nothing but net. Kobe was yelling at the ref about some contact made but he did not get the call. With two points up and 4 seconds left I felt like we could bring this to an end.
"Timeout!", I shouted and hold my guys together. "Okay, three seconds left, nothing happened, we just need to hit the next free throws and it will be all but over. So we'll go with Thompson, Carl, Omri, Garcia and Beno. "Reke, you stay on the bench. "What?", "The game's on the line Coach, I gotta be in there", he answered heatedly "Stop talking, dude, sit down. You're totally exhausted, we need some safe hands on the line now."
Evans sat down and put a towel over his head trying to hold back his anger.
Garcia inbounded the ball over Fisher's head with a long, risky pass and found Udrih. Artest came over and checked his elbow into Udrih's chest.
"That's a flagrant, man, what the fuck! Get that Psycho out of the game", I took a shot at Artest, but the refs only called a reaching foul. "One more word and you'll be t-ed up", the ref fired back.
"Fuck you", I mumbled. Artest had a smile on his face and went over to the free throw line.
Beno held his chest and was clearly in pain, but the officials did not allow me to sub him out. Bryant went over to Udrih and had some words for him. Things seemed so one-sided as the Champs were getting away with everything.
"He gotta hit those ...", I prayed. Beno took the first shot ... the ball only touched the back of the rim and fell in." Up by three. Not enough against Kobe & the Lakers", I thought.
He took the second shot, the ball bounced on the rim once, twice ... and also fell in.
"Yeaaaaaah!", I shouted. The Lakers did not have a timeout left and Derek Fisher heaved a shot from half court but couldn't hit.
I was running onto the court like a bat out of hell hugging my guys, who were all chanting "Beat LA, Beat LA". Casspi high fived me. "What a game, Coach", "Oh yeah, but we did it", I answered.
The whole team was celebrating like we had won the Championship, but only one guy sat on the bench with a towel over his head.
"He still got a long way to go", I thought ...