HOUSTON — Desperation, and the Lakers needing to play with a sense of it, had been a talking point duringLakers coach JJ Redick’s recent media availability.
Redick knew the Rockets would be desperate to avoid losing the first two games of the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, a deficit fewer than 10% of teams have overcome since 1984.
And afterthe Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 2 on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Redick knew the Rockets’ desperation would only heighten for Game 3, with no team in NBA history coming back after falling behind 0-3.
The Rockets were desperate Friday night. But the Lakers showed, through their words and actions, that they have been just as desperate.
If not more desperate, helping them take a decisive 3-0 lead in the series afterthe 112-108 Game 3 victoryin overtime.
“Love it,” Marcus Smart said. “I’ve been talking to the guys since I got here: You got to leave it all on the court, because you never know. That’s been my motto since I got in this league — just play and leave it all on the court, because you never know. It can be taken away at any moment. And with two of our best players down, we got to play desperate. We got to be the most desperate team. That’s how we have been playing, and that’s how we are winning.”
It was present whenLeBron Jamesbacktapped his late steal against Reed Sheppard to Smart, which set up James’ game-tying corner 3-pointer toward the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
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Or Smart and Rui Hachimura crashing the offensive glass and coming up with crucial boards that set up the Lakers’ crucial points in overtime to help maintain their late lead.
Diving on the floor for loose balls, not wanting to concede anything.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
