Ty Lawson (photo. Nike)

Has there ever been a more Dead Man Walking shot of a player walking in the tunnel? A cut-away from Celtics-Hawks had Kobe Bryant looking as haggard as a guy in a $5,000 suit can be: mouth open, head down. Related question: Have there ever been more mentions of someone possibly throwing up on a bus? Kobe is the no-question leader of the Lakers, and his team emulated his mood to the fullest to start the game by spotting Denver a 13-0 lead. The section of the game where the Lakers were competitive turned out to be the exception, not the rule. Denver detonated the Lakers, going up 26 in the fourth. That’s not hating on Kobe (31 points) for going out with the sickness like that, but it’s clear that early hole sapped any LAL energy. … That end had its roots in the very beginning. Ty Lawson (32 points, 13-of-18 shooting and 5-of-6 on threes) looked like he was leading a Roy Williams secondary break again, drilling his first three shots. By the second quarter Andre Miller hit a three to get Denver up by 10 points. That’s a good barometer when a team is feeling it. … Steve Kerr posited when you’re sick like Kobe, it can actually help in a big game. We’re going to call BS on that. It seemed to give the Lakers an excuse to use going into Game 7. Oh Kobe was sick. Another thing everyone can agree was BS: calling Kobe a game-time decision. Right … The L.A. Police have put Pau Gasol‘s (1-of-10, 3 points) mug on a milk jug (this was a game to barf about). On the other hand, Kenneth Faried, even after getting a right hook to the side of the head courtesy of Kobe, balled all over them in the third. Blocking Gasol, then ripping the ball away from Bynum for a bucket. Everything about this game can be exemplified by that one possession exchange … Round of applause for Corey Brewer taking the torch from Lawson and turning the fourth quarter into a re-enactment of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Eighteen points, eighteen minutes. The once-boring playoffs now have a Game 7 on their hands. … We’re out like Asik’s free throws.

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