In what turned out to be an incredible 2 days worth of basketball, energy-filled and with enough electricity worthy of playoff basketball, the Lakers and Warriors took part in the second half of the Battle of California up in Oakland. The Lakers prevailed in overtime 123-119, as Kobe Bryant finished with 30 and 11 boards, while Lamar Odom followed up his 22 rebound
performance yesterday with 21 boards tonight. Baron Davis led the way for the Warriors with 30 points with Monta Ellis right behind him with 29. However, the contest, which featured numerous lead changes and a dramatic 10-1 Warriors rally to send the game into overtime, was unfortunately decided on a controversial referee decision.Down 2 with 4 ticks left and inbounding the ball, Stephen Jackson looked for his teammates to get open. Baron Davis, guarded at the top of the arc, couldn't separate himself from Kobe Bryant's grip. Second option Monta Ellis attempted to make his way towards the ball to receive the inbounds, but found himself tangled and brought down, along with Derek Fisher, to the floor. In what should have been a Bob Delaney no-call, according to the replays and Fisher himself, an offensive foul was charged to Ellis, much to the dismay of the sold-out Oracle Arena crowd. The Lakers escaped with the dramatic victory with a pair of KB free throws to seal the deal, and Jordan Farmer's steal at the end of overtime.
After the game, Derek Fisher spoke about the fateful call that decided the contest: "I thought it was going to be a no-call, just two guys fall down and the play goes on,” Fisher said. "So when the whistle blew, it caught me off-guard as well. … I don't think anybody was necessarily guilty of anything, but from the angle that Bob had, it looked (Ellis) had his hands to my chest, which he did. But like I said, I wasn't trying to fall down at all in that situation.”
With the victory, the Lakers avoided losing the season series to the Warriors for the first time since the 1994-95 season. If this is indeed a preview for the upcoming postseason, it will be hard to top such an emotional rollercoaster and the flat-out exciting level of play these interstate rivals displayed the last two days. With a healthy Lakers squad with Bynum and Gasol returning, the possibility of an even greater 7 game series is something David Stern needs to figure out how to make a reality.
