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End of an Oxymoron
Crucial winter NBA action is now a reality
With less than a minute to play in the second period of the Los Angeles Lakers' 130-124 Wednesday evening win over the Phoenix Suns, Kobe Bryant dribbled the ball thoughtfully near the top of the key, trying to decide whether to drive, pass, or shoot.
Then he did something remarkable, considering his tendency to dominate the ball at the end of halves: He not only passed to reserve center Ronny Turiaf — filling in for the new but foul-plagued star Pau Gasol — he gave a nod that said for him to go to work. Turiaf hit a quick turnaround in the paint that added to LA's lead, and the Lakers went into the locker room with more than a cushion. They had confidence.
It was a moment that spoke volumes about why the 2007-2008 season ripped credibility from the old saw that the National Basketball Association's regular season is meaningless. In October, league-wide expectation was that Kobe would no longer be a Laker. He wanted the Lakers to trade Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. Through the season's first portion, Bryant has waited and grown, and his team has become something of a juggernaut in the interim.
The Lakers aren't alone in fashioning a thoroughly compelling narrative this season. Last night's opponent (and ongoing nemesis) saw its entire aesthetic undergo a dramatic change. Shaquille O'Neal, rescued from oblivion with an irrelevant Miami franchise, infused run-and-gun Phoenix with a new ruggedness. Expected previously to turn in 20 minutes or so of plodding play in the paint, Shaq instead contributed nearly a third more time, diving headlong for balls and once literally sprinting up the court following a basket.
Then he did something remarkable, considering his tendency to dominate the ball at the end of halves: He not only passed to reserve center Ronny Turiaf — filling in for the new but foul-plagued star Pau Gasol — he gave a nod that said for him to go to work. Turiaf hit a quick turnaround in the paint that added to LA's lead, and the Lakers went into the locker room with more than a cushion. They had confidence.
It was a moment that spoke volumes about why the 2007-2008 season ripped credibility from the old saw that the National Basketball Association's regular season is meaningless. In October, league-wide expectation was that Kobe would no longer be a Laker. He wanted the Lakers to trade Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. Through the season's first portion, Bryant has waited and grown, and his team has become something of a juggernaut in the interim.
The Lakers aren't alone in fashioning a thoroughly compelling narrative this season. Last night's opponent (and ongoing nemesis) saw its entire aesthetic undergo a dramatic change. Shaquille O'Neal, rescued from oblivion with an irrelevant Miami franchise, infused run-and-gun Phoenix with a new ruggedness. Expected previously to turn in 20 minutes or so of plodding play in the paint, Shaq instead contributed nearly a third more time, diving headlong for balls and once literally sprinting up the court following a basket.
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