Now that the Clippers and Lakers rivalry is legit, we have to start taking every one of their games seriously. Last night, they fought it out, literally, and the Lakers came out on top. At 96-91, the game ended just about the way we all thought it would, close. However, the tension between the two clubs in palpable. I never thought it would get like this because the Clippers have always been so bad, but here it is. They have actually made something of this rivalry. Now, when you battle for LA, you’re really battling.
Pau Gasol stepped up and played like he did when the Lakers won their consecutive titles. He has been up and down for quite some time, but when he was faced with a tough opponent, he stepped up. For the Lakers, this is promising because it has been difficult for them to figure out what to do with Gasol. Should they have been changing their schemes to help him out? Should he have been getting the ball more? Should they have changed their defensive schemes to allow him to have a chance to be matched up with the right person for him? There were so many questions.
I think he found his way back to where he was in 2009 and 2010. If he keeps it up, it will be much easier for him to continue this stretch and become a more feared asset that other teams will consider. He’s been thought of as not-so-tough, and now he has shown that he is still scrappy.
If the Lakers can keep this up, they will be able to keep winning the battle of LA without causing any more problems for themselves. They’ve been troubled by the Clippers because they weren’t playing tough. They found their toughness Wednesday night and now it’s on.
