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April 30, 2004
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Denver 91 Minnesota 102
GameFlow BoxScore
Minnesota Wins Series 4-1
A wire-to-wire win for the TimeberWolves. A 24-4 run in the 2nd quarter gave them a 26-point lead. The Nuggets didn't give up. They finished the half with a 13-0 run and got as close as 6 points in the 3rd quarter, but no closer. Keving Garnet lead Minnesota with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Sam Cassell scored 10 of 26 points in the last 5½ of the game. Denver played without Camelo Anthony and got 21 points and 15 rebounds from Marcus Camby, and another 21 from Andre Miller.
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New Orleans 83 Miami 87
GameFlow BoxScore
Miami Leads Series 3-2
The Hornets had held the lead for most of the first three periods. But the game became very close in the 4th quarter with 5 lead changes. The Heat went with the same five players for the whole period. They had the last run and it won the game for them. Eddie Jones and Dwyane Wade lead Miami with 25 and 21 points respectively. Baron Davis scored 33 and had 7 assists for New Orleans.
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April 29, 2004
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Dallas 118 Sacramento 119
GameFlow BoxScore
Sacramento Wins Series 4-1
The Kings shot 53% from the field and 55% from 3-point range and won by just 1 point. And they won even though they went scoreless for the last 3:21 of the game. Mainly because Dallas shot just 2 of 7 during those final minutes. Mike Bibby scored 36 points and had 8 assists for Sacramento while Steve Nash had 24 and 14 for Dallas in a losing cause.
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Milwaukee 77 Detroit 91
GameFlow BoxScore
Detroit Wins Series 4-1
The Pistons lead by 7 at the half, then put the game away in the 3rd quarter with a 16-6 run. Tayshaun Prince scored 24 with 9 rebounds and 8 assists for Detroit.
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April 28, 2004
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Houston 78 LA Lakers 97
GameFlow BoxScore
Lakers Win Series 4-1
Defense Is The Fuse
At the 8:07 mark of 3rd quarter the Lakers were down by three and had displayed an offense that at best could be called inconsistent. Then they did something that hadn't really done up to that point. They played defense. In the next 5½ minutes, Devean George made two steals and Shaquille O'Neal blocked three shots. The surge in the defense got the Lakers some easy opportunities to score which kickstarted the offense. They didn't stop until they had a 26-point lead.
Once again, Shaq didn't score a lot. But his defense was critical in getting the offense going. And the rest of the team pitched in too. The Lakers lead in steals 17 to 7, and committed only 11 turnovers to 22 for Houston. Kobe Bryant had 3 steals in addition to his 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists.
1st Quarter: A trade of runs. Cuttino Mobley scored 14 and the Rockets lead by 3. Karl Malone scored 10 and Kobe 6.
2nd Quarter: The Lakers had two small runs to none for Houston, but only lead by 2 at the half. Kobe got rolling with 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting.
3rd Quarter: The Lakers and Rockets came out sleepwalking. Then, as mentioned above, the Lakers turned up the defense and ran away from Houston with a 23-5 run. The Rockets scored just 9 on 12% shooting. Kobe scored another 9 and Devean added 7 with 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
4th Quarter: The Lakers kept going with a 13-2 run and got the biggest lead at 26. Slava was 4 of 4 and scored 9.
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April 27, 2004
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Miami 85 New Orleans 96
GameFlow BoxScore
Series Tied 2-2
The Heat made a big comeback attempt in the 3rd quarter with a 22-6 run behind Lamar Odom's 12 points and 5 rebounds. But they apparently ran out of gas in the 4th as they scored just 14 on 25% shooting. New Orleans got 23 points and 10 assists from Baron Davis.
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Minnesota 84 Denver 82
GameFlow BoxScore
Minnesota Leads Series 3-1
Despite Carmelo Anthony's 1 of 16 shooting, the Denver Nuggets made a game of it tonight in Denver. The Timberwolves' biggest lead was 9 late in the 3rd quarter. Then they traded runs with the Nuggets in the 4th. The last one, a 6-0 run by the Nuggets courtesy of Voshon Lenard's consecutive 3-point baskets, cut the lead to just 1 with 1:23 left to play. The last two hoops were a Latrell Sprewell 3-pointer followed by a Nene Hilario Dunk. The Nuggets had one final chance after Sprewell missed two free throws, but they missed both attempts and Minnesota hung on for the 2-point win. Kevin Garnett had 27 points and 14 rebounds.
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April 26, 2004
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Detroit 109 Milwaukee 92
GameFlow BoxScore
Detroit Leads Series 3-1
The Bucks made a game of it and were down by just 7 with 8:04 left to play. Then the Pistons brought all their starters back and closed the game out with a 14-4 run. Rip Hamilton scored 14 of his 27 in those final 8 minutes.
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Sacramento 94 Dallas 92
GameFlow BoxScore
Sacramento Leads Series 3-1
Both teams held the maximum lead of 8 points in this one. First the Mavs, early in the 3rd quarter after gradually building a lead. Then the Kings responded with a 24-11 run and had their 8-point lead with just 3:27 left in the game. But they had to survivie a last charge by the Mavs to eke out the 2-point win. Brad Miller came off the bench to score 10 points and grab 16 rebounds (7 offensive) in just 24 minutes.
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April 25, 2004
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LA Lakers 92 Houston 88
GameFlow BoxScore
Salvaging A Win
Lakers Lead Series 3-1
Things were looking good late in the 3rd quarter after the Lakers had built a 14-point lead. Then, as the chart shows, they came falling down off their mountain under the pressure of a big 4th qaurter surge by the Houston Roickets. This continued into the overtime with a 6-1 run by the Rockets and it looked as if the Lakers had let this one slip away.
Then, behind Kobe Bryant's steal and two hoops, the Lakers closed out the game with a 9-1 run to get the lead back and the win. It was very nice to see them win this one for Karl Malone, who scored 30 and grabbed 13 rebounds and played the game with a torn jersey.
1st Quarter: After a trade of runs, the Rockets lead by 3. Karl scored 9 points and Kobe had 4, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
2nd Quarter: The Lakers played better defense and come away with a 4-point lead. Key point of the period was the Lakers 15-4 run. Karl with 11 more points and 5 rebounds.
3rd Quarter: Devean George returned to the game and scored 8. The Lakers got the biggest lead of the game with a 22-10 run.
4th Quarter: The Rockets dominated the period with a 18-8 run. The Lakers miss a shot for the win at the buzzer and had to settle for OT.
1st Overtime: Kobe scored 6, including the two key hoops late. The Lakers 9-1 run saves the day and gets them the 4-point win.
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Indiana 90 Boston 75
GameFlow BoxScore
Indiana Wins Series 4-0
Two big runs in the middle of the game finished off the Boston Celtics. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters the Pacers got 13 points and 4 steals from Reggie Miller, 13 points from Ron Artest, and 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks from Jermaine O'Neal.
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New Jersey 100 New York 94
GameFlow BoxScore
New Jersey Wins Series 4-0
Ten lead changes and a maximum lead of just 7 points in this very tight game. It came down to the 4th quarter when the Nets matched the Knicks with a 15-4 run to reclaim the lead and get the win. Kenyon Martin (36 points, 13 rebounds) scored 13 in the final period.
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San Antonio 110 Memphis 97
GameFlow BoxScore
Spurs Win Series 4-0
A 26-9 run in the 1st quarter ended the playoffs for the Grizzlies. Tony Parker scored 14 of his 29 points in the period to help the Spurs get off to a fast start.
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April 24, 2004
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Detroit 95 Milwaukee 85
GameFlow BoxScore
Detroit Leads Series 2-1
The Pistons 23-4 run to start the second half turned the game in their favor. The Bucks had controlled the first half and kept fighting in the second, but they never got the lead again. Ben Wallace scored 13 to go along with his 22 rebounds.
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Miami 71 New Orleans 77
GameFlow BoxScore
Miami Leads Series 2-1
After building a 15-point lead in the first half, the Hornets had to fight off several runs by the Heat in the second half to get the win. Good game by Caron Butler goes for naught.
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Minnesota 86 Denver 107
GameFlow BoxScore
Minnesota Leads Series 2-1
The Nuggets started the game with a 23-6 run and never looked back. The TimberWolves made several runs at them the rest of the game, but never got very close.
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Sacramento 79 Dallas 104
GameFlow BoxScore
Sacramento Leads Series 2-1
The Mavs all but put the game away with a 19-4 run in the 3rd quarter. Dallas got good support off the bench from Antawn Jamison and Josh Howard.
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April 23, 2004
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LA Lakers 91 Houston 102
GameFlow BoxScore
9 of 16 For Three
Lakers Lead Series 2-1
Don't know what else to say about this one. If you let the opponent shoot that well from outside, you're probably going to lose. The Lakers will have to make some adjustments, but I don't think the Rockets will shoot like that two games in a row.
Things started off good with the Lakers pounding the ball down low into Shaq. But for some reason they got away from that and started a long distance shooting contest, which they lost miserably.
1st Quarter: The Lakers went on a 11-4 run behing Shaq's 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. But the latter half belonged to the Rokects, who grabbed a 6-point lead.
2nd Quarter: Even though the Lakers started off with a 5-0 run, this period belonged to Houston with runs of 12-4 and 15-7. Kobe tried to keep them in it with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. But they still trailed by 13 at the half.
3rd Quarter: Down by 16 mid-way through the period, the Lakers manufactured an 11-1 run to get within 6, but got no closer.
4th Quarter: Again, the Lakers got the lead down to 6 points only to see the Rockets pull away. Finally, at the 2:10 mark, they got the lead down to 4. That's when the Rockets went on a 9-0 run to put the game away.
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Indiana 108 Boston 85
GameFlow BoxScore
Pacers Lead Series 3-0
This was not much of a contest after the Pacers 19-2 run in the 2nd quarter. The Celtics resonded a few times, but never got very close in the second half.
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April 22, 2004
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New Jersey 81 New York 78
GameFlow BoxScore
New Jersey Leads Series 3-0
Even though the Knicks reduced the Nets 14-point 4th quarter lead down to 2 with 20 seconds left, they got no close and lost anyway. Stephan Marbury scored 10 of his 18 points in the final period. The Nets were lead by Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson.
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San Antonio 95 Memphis 93
GameFlow BoxScore
San Antonio Leads Series 3-0
The Spurs needed a late 6-1 run to reclaim the lead and get the win in Memphis. Tim Duncan scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in the final period. Mike Miller missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have given the Grizzlies the win.
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April 21, 2004
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Denver 81 Minnesota 95
GameFlow BoxScore
Minnesota Leads Series 2-0
With just a 1-point lead after one period, the 2nd quarter was basically one big run for the TimberWolves. And they never looked back. The Nuggets managed only two small runs the whole game. Amazing game by Kevin Garnet with 20 points, 22 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks, a steal, and just 2 turnovers. The first combined 20-20 and triple double I can recall.
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Milwaukee 92 Detroit 88
GameFlow BoxScore
Series Tied 1-1
The Bucks 15-7 run in the 4th quarter completed their gradual build up of a 15-point lead. Then, like they had done so many times during the regular season, the Pistons went on a big late game run to try and get the win. Starting at the 2:58 mark, Detroit narrowed the lead to 2 with 0:34 left in the game. From that point on, though, the Bucks made 2 free throws and the Pistons only shot was Mike James missed 3-pointer at the buzzer.
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New Orleans 63 Miami 93
GameFlow BoxScore
Miami Leads Series 2-0
After getting a 9-point halftime lead without too much trouble, the Heat really put this one away by starting the 3rd quarter with a 17-4 run. Defense was the key as the Hornets shot just 24% from the field and 17% from 3-point range.
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April 20, 2004
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Boston 90 Indiana 103
GameFlow BoxScore
Indiana leads Series 2-0
A close game until the Pacers' 20-4 run at the start of the 4th quarter. Their bench lead the comeback as Fred Jones scored 12 and Jonathan Bender 9.
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Dallas 79 Sacramento 83
GameFlow BoxScore
Sacramento leads Series 2-0
This seesaw game was decided by the Kings 17-9 run at the end of the game. Ten points for Mike Bibby in the final period. Chris Webber had a triple-double with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.
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New York 81 New Jersey 99
GameFlow BoxScore
New Jersey leads Series 2-0
The Knicks stayed close for one period, then the Nets pulled away for good with a 24-9 run in the 2nd quarter. A big game by Kenyon Martin with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
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April 19, 2004
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Houston 84 LA Lakers 98
GameFlow BoxScore
Defense
Lakers lead Series 2-0
There are lots of things you could talk about in this game. Kobe Bryant cutting loose with 36 points. Karl Malone's 17 points and 8 rebounds. The bench contributing 32 points. Shaq scoring just 7 points.
But the real story, as it should be, was defense. Defense is the key in the playoffs, and they clamped down on the Rockets tonight. In the second half they denied any runs by Houston and outscored them 54 to 38. Even though Shaq didn't contribute too much to the offense, he was important in keeping Yao Ming in check and intimidating anyone going to the hoop.
1st Quarter: The Lakers were building a run when Shaq got his second foul. Karl, GP, and Kobe lead the team as they fought to hold onto the lead. Yao scored 10 for the Rockets.
2nd Quarter: Shaq returned and the Lakers went on a 10-1 run. But right after Shaq's third foul the Rockets made some runs and had a 2-point lead at the half. Good play by Slava and a pair of 3-pointers by Fish helped the Lakers stay close.
3rd Quarter: The turning point of the game was the Lakers 16-5 run. They picked up their defense and denied the Rockets any runs. Shaq played most of the period even though he picked up his fourth foul after just three minutes . Kobe took over the offense with 17 points. Oddly enough, he only scored 4 of those during the big run.
4th Quarter: Again no runs for the Rockets. The Lakers virtually put the game away with a 6-0 spurt early in the period. Kareem Rush hit two 3-pointers as part of his 10 points.
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Memphis 70 San Antonio 87
GameFlow BoxScore
San Antonio lead Series 2-0
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April 17, 2004
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Houston 71 LA Lakers 72
GameFlow BoxScore
Just Enough To Win
Lakers Lead Series 1-0
In first half the Lakers got the biggest lead of 8 points several times in the 1st half, but the Rockets did just enough to stay close. The second half was the opposite. Houston made the big push, and the Lakers put forth enough effort to get the 1-point win. Not a thing of beauty, but a win nonetheless. It's not often that you win a game when scoring just 72 points on 33% shooting. You could say the Lakers were fortunate tonight.
1st Quarter: A nice 8-0 run by the Lakers at the start. Big period for Shaq with 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Gary Payton with 7 points. Distributed scoring by the Rockets and they closed to within 2 at the end.
2nd Quarter: Another nice run by the Lakers (13-5), but again they can't get the lead beyond 8. Kobe did a little of everyting with 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
3rd Quarter: The period is dominated by the Rockets 14-5 run. The Lakers scored just 9 on 19% shooting, and now trailed by 2 going into the final period.
4th Quarter: There were seven lead changes. The Lakers 6-0 early in the period gave them a 3-point lead. Then they had to fight off two 5-0 runs by Houston. Shaq's dunk with 17 seconds left in the game, and just 1-second left on the shot clock, gave the Lakers a 1-point lead. There was no further scoring. Five rebounds each by Karl and Shaq. Kobe scored 6, Kareem Rush hit 2 3-pointers, and Derek Fisher added 5-points.
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Boston 88 Indiana 104
GameFlow BoxScore
Indiana Leads Series 1-0
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Memphis 74 San Antonio 98
GameFlow BoxScore
San Antonio Leads Series 1-0
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New York 83 New Jersey 107
GameFlow BoxScore
New Jersey Leads Series 1-0
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April 14, 2004
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LA Lakers 105 Portland 104
GameFlow BoxScore
By The Skin Of Their Teeth
This game was symbolic of the whole season. Like almost every time they've won, the Lakers had to win this one the hard way. Apparently they don't like to win easy. So they put themselves in a position where they needed a 3-pointer from Kobe with 1 second left in regulation just to get a tie, and then another 3-pointer from Kobe as time ran out in double overtime to get the win.
But win they did. Combined with Sacramento's loss in Golden State tonight, the Lakers have claimed first place in the Pacific Division and the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. Again, they did it the hard way. And just barely. I should be used to this by now. Nothing comes easy with this team, and it will probably continue this way.
Kobe had an incredible game with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. But those two shots were art on the basketball court. Guys hope to hit one of those some day. He hit two in one game.
Shaq, with 25 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 4 steals, also had a great game. Slava Medvedenko, playing in place of an injured Karl Malone for most of the second half, came up big tonight with 10 points and 14 rebounds. And Derek Fisher also played well off the bench with 9 points and 6 assists.
1st Quarter: Continuing their habit of starting slow, the Lakers gave up two small runs to none and trailed by 6. Defense again was the problem as the Blazers shot 52%.
2nd Quarter: The teams traded small runs and the Lakers gain only 1 point. Portland again shot well at 53%.
3rd Quarter: The Lakers start to play some defense, but weren't able to score much either. Kobe scored 8 of his teams 14 points.
4th Quarter: A little 5-0 run got the Lakers their first tie since the openning tip. Kobe's miraculous shot #1 accounted for three of his 12 points in the period.
1st Overtime: Shaq scored 6 of the Lakers 8 points. The last 2 tied the game with 30 seconds left. No one could score after that forcing a second OT.
2nd Overtime: Shaq fouled out with 3:06 to play and the Lakers up by two. Brian Cook and Slava, two guys that weren't supposed to be there, were the Lakers big men. Kobe scored 6 including miraculous shot #2.
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Atlanta 132 Boston 137
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Chicago 96 Indiana 101
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Cleveland 100 New York 90
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Dallas 92 Houston 89
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Denver 67 San Antonio 93
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Minnesota 107 Memphis 90
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New Jersey 84 Miami 96
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New Orleans 94 Washington 78
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Philadelphia 89 Orlando 95
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Phoenix 89 Utah 84
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Sacramento 91 Golden State 97
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Seattle 118 LA Clippers 87
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Toronto 89 Milwaukee 87
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April 13, 2004
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Golden State 104 LA Lakers 109
GameFlow BoxScore
A Very Late Start
At 9:37 of the 3rd quarter the Lakers found themselves down by 16 points. Despite Kobe Bryant's 24 points up to that point, they looked like they were sleep walking as a team. Once again an unimpressive showing against a weaker opponent.
But as if the 16-point defecit was their queue to get going, that's excactly what the Lakers did with three good runs while finally preventing any by the Warriors.
Kobe finished with 45 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. A vast improvement over last game. Shaq had a better game too with 23 points and 13 rebounds. And while the bench didn't score a lot, Slava, Fish, Luke, and Kareem all made some timely plays. A much better team effort tonight.
Despite the win, though, a defense that allows 104 points by the Golden State Warriors is going to have trouble in the playoffs.
1st Quarter: Even with Kobe's 14 points the Lakers needed a 10-run to stay within 2 points of Golden State.
2nd Quarter: Defensive lapses. The Warriors scored 30 points in the period and 59 in the half. Kobe scored another 10, but the Lakers trailed by 10 at the half.
3rd Quarter: A 6-0 run got the Warriors their biggest lead. Then the Lakers dominated the rest of the period with a 22-10 run. The starters played the whole period. There was a good distributed effort by all except Devean George.
4th Quarter: Kobe caps off his big game with 16 points. Two more good runs and some much needed defense help the Lakers get the 5-point win.
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Detroit 78 Toronto 87
GameFlow BoxScore
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LA Clippers 98 Phoenix 96
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Memphis 103 Dallas 110
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April 11, 2004
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LA Lakers 85 Sacramento 102
GameFlow BoxScore
Lakers Lay An Egg
Another chance for the Lakers to make their own destiny, and again they failed to take it. Where do you start with this game? They looked lost and confused on the court, the Duo combinined for only 18 points, and the team shot only 38% while allowing 102 points.
The old vets Karl Malone and Gary Payton tried to keep them in it early, but didn't get much help. They only thing the Lakers did right as a team was equal the Kings in rebounding at 47. I guess that doesn't matter if you can't score and can't stop the other team from scoring.
1st Quarter: Sacramento started the period with an 8-0 run and ended it with a 9-0 run. The Lakers were down by 16 and never recovered.
2nd Quarter: Although the Lakers finally make a run, the Kings still extend their lead by three at the end of the half.
3rd Quarter: The Lakers make an effort to get back in the game. But their run peters out and they still trailed by 14 after three periods.
4th Quarter: Even with Derek Fisher's 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Luke Walton 7 points, the Lakers couldn't make a dent in the lead.
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Chicago 114 Toronto 108
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Dallas 107 Golden State 108
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Memphis 83 Phoenix 89
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Philadelphia 75 New Jersey 89
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San Antonio 88 LA Clippers 79
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April 9, 2004
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Memphis 95 LA Lakers 103
GameFlow BoxScore
Down From The Mountain
The Lakers started this game like they lost in the wilderness. Very similar to the way they played the last two games. Then, in the middle of the 2nd quarter, something happened that allowed them to find their way home. I think it was that they started playing defense.
The Lakers got good offense tonight. Particularly from The Duo of Shaq and Kobe. They combined for 61 points and did a lot of helping for their teammates. Karl had a nice game with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. GP scored 12 and had 7 assists. And Derek Fisher did a lot o things that don't show up on stat sheets to help his team tonight.
But despite all this, the Lakers did'nt get any runs going until they started to play D. Before they did the Grizzlies were shooting 60%. For the remainder of the game they shot just 37%. You gotta do it at both ends of the court.
1st Quarter: The Grizzlies went on unopposed runs of 6-0 and 23-12 and shoot 58% for the period. The Lakers lose Rick Fox to injury and can't find a rhythm on offense or defense.
2nd Quarter: A 12-1 run by Memphis caps off their fast start. After spotting them a 19-point advantage, the Lakers decide to start playing some defense. The result is a 20-6 run. Kobe scored 12 in the period.
3rd Quarter: After gaining a tie with a 7-0 run at the start, the Lakers once again relax. After the Grizzlies' 12-3 run, the Lakers remembered what worked for them and finished the period 16-5. Karl with 9 points.
4th Quarter: The Lakers kept the comeback going. They had two good runs to one small one for Memphis. Shaq socred 11, Kobe 9, and Fish added a lot of needed energy.
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Atlanta 116 Chicago 101
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Boston 80 New Orleans 89
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Cleveland 91 Miami 106
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Denver 103 Houston 106
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Minnesota 92 Golden State 74
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New Jersey 80 Indiana 90
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Portland 74 San Antonio 84
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Sacramento 96 Phoenix 101
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Toronto 66 Detroit 74
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Washington 83 Philadelphia 80
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April 8, 2004
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Minnesota 94 Sacramento 86
GameFlow BoxScore
The TimberWolves made the comback from 11 down in the 3rd quarter by dominating the 4th with a 26-11 run. In the final period Sam Cassell scored 11 and Kevin Garnett had 8 points and 7 rebounds.
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Orlando 81 New Jersey 101
GameFlow BoxScore
In what was a very tight game through three periods, the Nets finally broke lose in the 4th quarter with a 21-6 run. Richard Jefferson and Brian Scalabrine scored 11 each in that final period.
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Utah 94 Dallas 117
GameFlow BoxScore
Very easy win by the Mavs. They had a 17-point lead after the 1st quarter.
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April 6, 2004
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Portland 91 LA Lakers 80
GameFlow BoxScore
Doing The Dishes
During the second half of tonight's game, I was so inspried by the Lakers' play that I decieded to unload and load the dishwasher while I watched the game. It's one of those jobs you just have to do. Your heart really isn't into it. I do take some pride finding the most efficient way to load the dishes, but I don't take joy in the activity.
Now that I think about it, it was a fitting thing to do since that was how the Lakers were approaching this game. Just something they had to do; their hearts not really in it; no sense of joy. Going through the motions is another way to put it. I guess after 10 wins in a row they regressed back to the mindset that they don't have to try that hard to win.
We'll just flip that switch on later..I can take this quick jumshot...I can go one on one...I don't have to play defense...I'll learn how to shoot free throws later...after all, this isn't a playoff game.
Kobe hit only 5 of 23 shots, 0 of 6 from beyond the arc. Shaq hit only 3 of 10 free throws and had 5 turnovers. GP shot 4 of 12. Karl had only 2 rebounds. According to my productivity ratings, the most productive Lakers was Rick Fox at .76. For those who don't follow those figures, that is not a very high number. In short, the effort was not there tonight.
1st Quarter: The Lakers showed a brief burst of energy, then watch the Blazers go on a 25-2 run. Shaq scored 8 with 5 rebounds. Damon Stoudamire scored 11 for Portland.
2nd Quarter: Not much of a response. The Lakers gain only 5 points to trail by 11 at the half. Eight points for Kobe.
3rd Quarter: With no one else able to score, Fox scored 11. Zach Randolph countered with 10 for the Blazers.
4th Quarter: Portland rested Randolph and Ratliff for the whole period. The Lakers made no progress in the entire half.
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Houston 90 Golden State 97
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Milwaukee 103 New Jersey 98
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New Orleans 91 Sacramento 105
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New York 86 Indiana 107
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Philadelphia 103 Atlanta 100
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Orlando 86 Detroit 102
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Seattle 108 Dallas 118
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Toronto 87 Cleveland 86
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April 5, 2004
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Memphis 81 Utah 92
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The Jazz held the Grizzlies to just 34 points in the second half to get the win.
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April 4, 2004
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San Antonio 95 LA Lakers 89
GameFlow BoxScore
Out Of Synch
That's the nicest tittle I could think of. They had won 11 in a row. Today they faced a defence better than any of those 11 teams and came up short. It's not the end the world. Just one game.
However, their performance in this one game is as bad as I would have expected. Kobe shooting 3 of 14 as he went one-on-one way too often in the first half. Shaq picking up three quick non-'Phi Beta Kappa' fouls. Rick Fox contributing 5 turnovers and not much else. The old vets Gary Payton and Karl Malone tried to keep them in it, but had their own problems with fouls and defensive lapses.
Normally I don't come down too hard on the guys. But today I expected 'Statement #3' and instead got a 'No comment'. I expected the crisp execution and tight defense I had seen lately, and got neither. Very disappointing. A lost opportunity.
Then again, I guess it is only one game. What they do from here on is what matters now. And there just might be a chance for payback.
1st Quarter: After an exchange of runs the Lakers managed a 1-point lead. Slava came in after Shaq got his second foul and played well. Tony Parker got off to a fast start for the Spurs with 10 points.
2nd Quarter: Looking even more out of synch, the Lakers manage no runs to San Antonio's two. They got 7 points from GP and stayed close despite Shaq's continuing foul trouble. That is, until the Spurs 11-1 run just before the half. Another 8 points for Parker, 7 by Bowen, and 9 for Manu Ginobili off the bench.
3rd Quarter: An encouraging start as the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to tie the game. But the Spurs answer with a 9-2 spurt and never lost the lead again. Kobe scored 9.
4th Quarter: Lakers edged the by 1 point in the period, which was not nearly enough. Kobe with another 7 points, and Karl with 8. Parker topped his game high 29 off with his final 9 points.
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Atlanta 89 New Jersey 106
GameFlow BoxScore
An easy win for the Hawks after their 13-0 run in the 1st quarter.
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Boston 102 Washington 112
GameFlow BoxScore
The Wizards didn't nail down this win until their 6-0 run late in the 4th quarter. Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes provided over half of Washington's offense.
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Indiana 61 Detroit 79
GameFlow BoxScore
A close game between two of the better teams in the East. As has often been the rule for them this season, the Pistons put this one away with a 4th quarter run. They held the Pacers to just 61 points on 32% shooting.
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Memphis 82 Minnesota 90
GameFlow BoxScore
The 2nd half was a real tug-of-war until the TimberWolves broke loose with a 17-9 run in the 4th quarter. Sam Cassell with 36 points and 10 assists, Kevin Garnett with 14 points and 22 rebounds, and Michael Olowokandi with 12 and 14 off the bench.
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Milwaukee 90 Toronto 83
GameFlow BoxScore
A series of runs in the second half gave the Bucks the win. Six players in double figures for Milwaukee.
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New Orleans 88 Seattle 96
GameFlow BoxScore
The Sonics survived a comeback attempt by the Hornets in the 4th quarter by dominating the first three quarters.
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Sacramento 99 Houston 94
GameFlow BoxScore
A real back-and-forth game. And as happens more often than not, the last run won it. The Kings finished the game 11-3 to get the 5-point win. Peja Stojakovic lead the way for Sacramento with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
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Utah 97 LA Clippers 92
GameFlow BoxScore
The Jazz took control of this game in the second half and survived a late push by the Clippers.
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April 3, 2004
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Golden State 103 Cleveland 100
GameFlow BoxScore
The Cavs got 10 points each from LeBron James and Carlos Boozer in the 4th quarter, but their comeback came up short. The Warriors' Jason Richardson scored 14 of his 35 points in that final period to lead them to the win. The Cavs lose despite big games from James, Boozer, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
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Miami 97 Chicago 83
GameFlow BoxScore
The Heat's quick 7-2 run in the 2nd quarter is what separated them from the Bulls. Then they just kept going in the 3rd when they got 15 points from Caron Butler.
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New Orleans 94 Portland 81
GameFlow BoxScore
The Hornets stole the momentum away from the Blazers with a big 20-8 run before the half. Then New Orleans put the game away with 13-1 run in the 3rd quarter. They were lead by Jamaal Magloire, Darrell Armstrong, and P.J. Brown.
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New York 86 Philadelphia 75
GameFlow BoxScore
A 17-5 run in the 2nd quarter pretty much gave this game to the Knicks. The Sixers tried to come back in the 3rd, but it wasn't nearly enough. Nazr Mohammed returned to the game just before that run and scored 10 of his 16 points.
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Phoenix 103 Dallas 124
GameFlow BoxScore
After one period, a close game became a Mavs rout. Dallas had 6 players in double figures.
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April 2, 2004
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LA Lakers 97 Seattle 86
GameFlow BoxScore
Live By The Three, Die By The Three
The SuperSonics offense 3-point shooting gave the Lakers fits early on. And kept them in the game tonight for 3 quarters. But if failed them when they needed it the most. After hitting 5 of 8 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half, Seattle went 2 for 5 in the 3rd quarter and 0 for 7 in the 4th.
The irony of this game is that the Lakers ended up out shooting the Sonics from long range 64% to 35%. Although it wasn't a pretty game and the Lakers didn't play very good defense til late, it showed that they be a 3-point shooting team and do a few other things too. The moral of the story is that you can't be a one dimensional team and be successful in this league.
Shaq had a very solid game scoring 23 points on 11 of 18 shooting. He also managed to grab 14 rebounds and make 5 assists. Kobe lead the scoring with 25. GP had 17, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Not a bad game by Rick Fox with 10 points and 6 assists. And another very solid game by Karl Malone with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Besides the defensive inconsistencies, the other big problem tonight was rebounding. If they dominated the boards tonight like have been doing recently, they would have eliminated a lot of second chance oppotunities by Seattle and had a much easier time.
1st Quarter: Lakers looked stiff and couldn't put a run together. The Sonics got 11 points from Ray Allend and finished the period with a 10-2 run. Shaq got off to a good start with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
2nd Quarter: Shaq, GP, and 2nd unit guys start the period 14-0. But the Lakers lead is brief as the Sonics answered with a 22-10 run. This time Rashard Lewis scored 11 for Seattle.
3rd Quarter: Shaq scored 11 and Kobe 8 as the Lakers came to life. Their runs of 16-7 and 7-0 counterd the Sonics lone run and they went into the 4th with a 7-point lead. Another 8 points for Allen.
4th Quarter: The Lakers 10-1 run in the middle of the period sealed the win. Kobe scored 11. The Soncis only socred 16 as a team.
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Atlanta 95 Orlando 87
GameFlow BoxScore
A 15-0 run late in the 4th quarter completed the Hawks comeback from 21 points down. Big game by Bob Sura.
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Cleveland 89 Milwaukee 107
GameFlow BoxScore
The Bucks turned a close game into a route starting in the early 3rd quarter. The Cavs scored only 11 in the 4th.
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Golden State 106 Boston 111
GameFlow BoxScore
A 24-12 4th quarter run by the Warriors tied the game with a minute to play. The Celtics finished the game 5-0 to get the win. Paul Pierce scored 32 and made 16 of 23 free throws.
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Houston 100 Denver 110
GameFlow BoxScore
These two seemed to run out of steam in the 4th quarter as the Nuggets held onto their 10 point lead to get the win.
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LA Clippers 110 Chicago 114
GameFlow BoxScore
The Bulls won it in overtime after Jannero Pargo hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game. The Clippers had lead by 10 after trailing by 13, but ended up on the losing side. Four 20+ scorers for Chicago.
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Miami 84 Detroit 92
GameFlow BoxScore
Trailing by 5 after 3 quarters, the Pistons dominated the final period with a 24-10 run. Chauncey Billups scored 11 of his 31 in the 4th quarter.
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New York 83 New Jersey 108
GameFlow BoxScore
A wire-to-wire win by the Nets over the Knicks.
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Phoenix 99 Memphis 109
GameFlow BoxScore
A good run to start the 4th quarter helped the Grizzlies withstand a final charge by the Suns. Becomming a start for Memphis, James Posey scored 9 of his 32 points in the final period.
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San Antonio 94 Utah 81
GameFlow BoxScore
After a slow start, the Spurs held the lead most of the way at Utah.
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Toronto 64 Indiana 84
GameFlow BoxScore
The Pacers had almost no trouble beating the Raptors at home tonight.
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Washington 73 Minnesota 91
GameFlow BoxScore
Tied after one period, the Timberwolves started the 2nd quarter with a big run and just kept going after that.
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April 1, 2004
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Houston 85 LA Lakers 93
GameFlow BoxScore
Defending Yao
In a game that would give them a tie for best record in the Western Conference, you'd think the Lakers would come out really ready to play. Instead, they repeated their slow start of last game. And then some.
But on a night when the Lakers played inconsistently, the two consistent things were the defense of Yao Ming and rebounding. Shaq held Yao to 6 points on 3 of 15 shooting. And the Lakers outrebounded the Rockets by 23, 58 to 35.
Shaq also managed to score 18 points. Gary Payton had 12 and 13 rebounds. Kobe scored 26 with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. But player of the game once again was Karl Malone. Karl had 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. It was nice to see the Big Four all have really good games.
1st Quarter: Cutino Mobley took advantage of a slow moving Lakers team and scored 15 points. The Rockets dominate the period with a 19-10 run.
2nd Quarter: The Lakers wake up and return the favor with a 19-6 run. Kobe scored 9, while GP, Karl, and Devean George all made good contributions.
3rd Quarter: Once again the Lakers looked unready to start a half, and the Rockets go on a 15-2 run. It was good to see the Lakers immediately respond with 15-4 run. However, the Rockets 7-2 run tightened the game up going into the final period. Lakers start played almost the whole period, and all made good contributions.
4th Quarter: The Lakers started the period with a 5-0 spurt and lead by 6. After the Rockets chipped away at the lead slightly, the Lakers went on an 8-0 run to grab the biggest lead of the game at 11. Houston had one more run in them, but got no close than 6 points. A good period by the Big Four.
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Portland 88 Philadelphia 82
GameFlow BoxScore
Using a couple of good runs in the late 3rd and early 4th quarters, the Sixers came back from 13 points down to gain a tie. The Blazers finally responed by finishing the game with a 12-6 run. Darius Miles had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.
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Sacramento 117 Dallas 127
GameFlow BoxScore
These two swapped runs in an even 1st quarter. Then the Mavs got going with a 17-4 run before the half. They kept going in the 3rd until the lead was 27. The Kings comeback attempt came up short. Steve Nash had 20 points and 19 assists, Dirk Nowitzki had 27 and 10 rebounds, and Michael Finley had 29 and 7 rebounds.
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