It’s impossible to talk about game 5 of the Suns – Lakers series without mentioning Ron Artest. One second he takes an ill advised three, allowing the Suns to get back into the game, and the next second he puts back Kobe Bryant’s air ball to seal the victory. This moment will be the most memorable part of the game, however one key player to remember for the Lakers is Sasha Vujacic.
By the box score, it appears that Vujacic had no impact on the game as he had no rebounds, steals, blocks or assists. In reality, he prevented Dragic from penetrating the lane, causing him to turn the ball over and take off-balance shots. It also seems like Phil Jackson may not value Vujacic’s play as he only played 10 minutes. What the box score is missing, however, is when he played. Vujacic played over six minutes in a close fourth quarter of a pivotal game 5. He played solid defense and hit a big three when the Laker lead was cut to six at 83-77. After game 4 it was clear that the bench would be a crucial aspect of this series, and tonight in game 5, Vujacic was the player that stepped up and helped put the Lakers in a position to close out the series in
Phil Jackson must have read my response to the earlier "Momentum" blog. I told 'em to use Vujacic. Way too go Phil, that was the right move. I suspect that Sasha will play even more in game 6. The playoffs are finally (!!!!) getting interesting. Prediction: Suns blow out the Lakers in game 6 and then the Lakers blow out the Suns in game 7. I hope I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think game 6 will be a tight one. I agree re. Sasha.
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