Below is an in-game update of the game, as it happened. Below the live updates of the game are my rediculous post-game opinions of a great win from the Phoenix Suns! Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Suns 115, Lakers 106 (Series tied 2-2)

Here we go ladies and gents! Taking a page out of the old JB blogbook, I’m going to do a live blog of this game. I’ll update when anything important happens along with solid updates after each quarter. Let’s get to the action!

FIRST QUARTER:

Tip Off (9:04 pm EST)- I hear Andrew Bynum is actually going to start. That seems risky according to my brilliant post. Anyway, both teams are off to a hot start as it’s tied 4-4. With 7:52 left in the quarter, both teams are going back and forth and it’s getting scrappy. Who knew Brook Lopez would be a factor? Halfway through the quarter, Robin Lopez throws a dunk DOWN for the Suns to go up 12 to 8. Future Sixers coach, Doug Collins is spot on in saying that Robin Lopez is the kind of guy you want on a playoff team. He has such a high motor! 2:30 left and Derek Fisher hits yet another near-3 pointer. It was only good for two. But it seems whenever the Lakers strike with a nice punch, in comes the battered and beaten Nash to keep them in it. His basket brings them to within three with the score at 19 to 16, Lakers. With a minute to go, Gasol gets a stupid second foul. Which could be costly with Bynum’s injury. IT’S TIME FOR CONGO CASH AKA DJ Mbenga!!!

End of First Quarter: Tied 23-23

SECOND QUARTER (9:30pm EST)

I like the way this game is going thus far. If I’m the Lakers, I’m watching how Gasol’s early foul trouble affects this game. Just under 10 minutes, and the Suns bench is making great plays on both sides of the ball (32-27, Suns). Goran Dragic can definitely be a game breaker, meanwhile Nash gets to catch his breath. Wow, the Suns take a 10 point lead (44-34; 6:09 left) after back to back threes in transition from Channing Frye and Jared Dudley. The Zen master had to call a timeout. Is it time for Pau to come back in? Kobe needs to get going as well as he only has 4 points. The score is now 60-52 Suns, with 1:34 to go in the half. Kobe must be reading this blog because he reeled off 11 quick points to now give him 15. Too bad the Suns are shooting LIGHTS OUT from downtown (8 of 16).

End of Half: Suns 64, Lakers 55

THIRD QUARTER (10:21 pm EST)

Instead of relying on threes, the Suns are isolating Stoudemire on Gasol and he’s out-quicking his way to the basket. Suns are now up 70-62 with 9 minutes to go in the quarter. I have to be honest, the game is so good that I’m getting distracted from actually typing haha. The Suns are still clinging to a 75-70 lead with about five minutes to go in the quarter. This game is going to come down to whenever the Suns bench comes in, against the Lakers bench. The Lakers are racking up the fouls this quarter so it’ll be interesting to see if that plays a role late in the game. Three minutes to go in the quarter, Kobe will not let the Lakers drop out of this game as he pours in buckets. Still, the Suns are up 79-78. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a ballgame. A must-win game has turned into a must win-quarter for the Suns. It’ll be bench vs. bench to start the fourth. I’d have to stay advantage to the Suns. Only time will tell.

End of Third Quarter: Suns 85, Lakers 84

FOURTH QUARTER (10:55pm EST)

The quarter is starting of slow scoring wise which plays to LA’s favor. Still, the Lakers continue to have stupid fouls. After three 3′s fromt  he Suns bench, PJ calls a timeout with this squad down 98-89, with about seven to go. I predict that Kobe will make this close once he comes back in the game, but the Suns will outlast the Lakers, tying the series at 2 apiece. Prediction aside, it’s now Suns’ bench vs. Lakers’ starters with less than five to go. Nash and Amare are now going to check in with less than four minutes to play and a 103-90 lead. With 2:07 to go, the Suns are up 104-97. Can the Suns hang on? Their zone seems to be clicking, while Amare keeps getting to the line. BIG SUPRISE! The Lakers are over the limit…again. Grant Hill knocks down the baseline dagger jumper to put the Suns up 110-99 with 50 seconds to go. Looks like that’s all she wrote folks.

Final: Suns 115, Lakers 106

—-

Here Are My Thoughts From This Game:

• People gave LeBron a lot of flack about how he put up numbers, but had poor impact on those losses against the Celtics. In my opinion, Kobe achieved a similar role tonight. Sure, he had 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists but it seemed as though the rest of the team was a no show. I blame their no show on Kobe, because that’s exactly what we would do if it was LeBron. Kobe scored all of his points in bunches, only when the Lakers were down. As soon as the game got close, it seemed Derek Fisher was shooting another deep two (WHY!?!?)
• Ron Artest was a non factor tonight. In most instances, I look for Ron to be in an impact on defense. But what I realized in this game is that there’s no special player for Ron Artest to guard. He can’t guard Amare, and he can’t guard Nash. After that, every player on the Suns is pretty much of equal offensive value. Also keep in mind that the transition scores from the Suns take Ron out of his game.
• The Lakers had WAY TOO MANY FOULS. Every quarter it seemed as though they were over the limit.
• The Suns bench is ridiculous. When you can sit Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire out for a majority of the fourth quarter, you have yourself some solid reserves. The Lakers have Adam Morrison.

-G