Stick a Fork in Kobe and the Lakers, That Steak is Done

First of all let me promise I’m not announcing any parade routes.  But I am pronouncing the Lakers dead in their best-of-seven series with the Mavericks. On a night at American Airlines Center that saw it’s largest Mavs crowd ever (21,156), Dallas took a commanding 3-0 lead on the defending two-time champs.  And no NBA team has ever lost a three game lead in a best-of-seven series – ever.  And it’s not going to happen here.  Mark it down, stick a fork in these Lakers, they are done.  Do I think the Lakers are capable of winning four games in a row?  Yes.  Do I think they are capable of doing it against the Mavs? No way. Bottom line in this series is the Mavs have been the better team, each game.  Dirk better than Kobe.  Dallas bench better than the Lakers. Mavs defense better than the Lakers. That’s it in a nutshell.  Friday night Dirk put up 32 points.  Kobe had 17.  The Dallas reserves, which included tremendous games again by Peja Stojakovic (15 points) and Jet Terry (23 points), outscored the Lakers bench 42-15.  Let that sink in. And the Mavs are proving they know how to close. In the first three games of this series the Mavs have outscored the Lakers by a combined 31 points in the second half.  Expect them to close the series on Sunday as well.