Lakers get one back

Due to work/time constraints - The Daily Hurt is taking on a new format for the NBA Finals only

Notes from Game 3:

1. The Lakers weren't convincing last night, but they did enough to get the win, Phew for them
2. Hopefully, one day, the NBA will admit that fouls get called differently depending on who is being fouled. They say that they have stats that prove otherwise, but everyone knows, your last name affects the call
3. Bennett Salvatore is having a bad playoffs. He was a good ref, but it looks like he is past his best
4. It was good to see KG finally get called for a moving pick. It was late in the fourth when Salvatore finally made the call. Further to my point above, if his name wasn't Garnett, he would have been whistled a lot earlier for the offense.
5. Sasha Vujacic had a very good season and is having an excellent playoffs. His confidence is sky high right now and he is the only real help Kobe is getting at the moment.
6. Derek Fisher's confidence seems to be as high as Vujacic's right now, with vastly different results.
7. Neither team shot particularly well from the free-throw line last night. Ray Allen missed two - in a row ! Kobe missed 7 of his 18 attempts - it's hard to see that happening again.
8. Ray Allen has atleast regained his long-range shooting touch. There isn't anyone in the league with a prettier shot than Ray.
9. Lamar Odom needs to get it together. His early foul troubles have been hurting the Lakers.
10. When Kobe attacks the hoop, good things happen, when he doesn't, the Lakers struggle to offer much offensively.

Some other basketball stuff:

• Of the recent coaching changes, Terry Porter in Phoenix faces the toughest challenge. Aging team, will still be competitive next season but won't seriously contend with the amount of good young teams set to challenge out West
• Vinny Del Negro to Chicago was a surprise. At least it's better than Doug Collins. Doug is a fine analyst, but he's done as a coach.
• Michael Curry to Detroit wasn't a suprise as far as what the reports were as soon as Saunders was chopped, but a surprise in that he's only been an assistant coach for one season. Dumars obviously has a lot of faith in him
• We hear so much about Gilbert Arenas' everyday life, I fear how much he'll have to say if he actually is ever playing this late into the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, I like 'bert's game, but we don't need to hear every single thing that happens in his life.

......more to follow later !