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The Los Angeles Lakers are the only undefeated team so far in these 2008 NBA Playoffs. With 6 games in the books, the Lake-Show have just breezed, through: dumping the Denver Nuggets in a 4-game sweep; and after two games (in this Western Conference Semi-final series),the Lakers have done exactly what they’re supposed to do: protected “home court”. The No. 1 seeded Los Angeles Lakers, have taken an impressive 2-0 lead over the Utah Jazz, and have done it in fairly easy fashion. Game 3 Friday night however, will be the toughest test for LA so far in this post-season. Expect this LA road game, to be a completely different animal than what they’ve seen so far. Sportbetting.com has the home team Utah Jazz -4 (-105) points favorites as they host first-time MVP Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers +4 (reduced -105 juice), with O/U set at 215.5 combined total. Even though, the Jazz are the favorites to win game 3, the return to Salt Lake City is a significant one, but more so, for the team in purple-and-gold. This Utah trip revisits suppressed feelings and emotions, -which might have not completely healed- as well as painful (yet) vivid memories. Lakers G Derek Fisher returns (for the first time in the playoffs) to the city where people learned to love him from the moment he arrived in Utah. Nevertheless, this is also the place where 20,000+ fans turned against him, just as fast. About a year ago, Derek Fisher played in the Western Conference Finals with the Utah Jazz, but with a heavy heart. Fish’s 10-month old daughter (Tatum), was diagnosed with cancer in her left eye. Doctors in Utah did not have the adequate expertise to treat Fishers baby’s delicate eye; the only two places in the United States that did, were New York and Los Angeles. Consequently, Derek was forced to make a decision: keep playing in Utah (where he was happy and had found a home), or save his daughter’s eye... Derek chose the ladder, and was once again a Laker, alongside (his good friend) Kobe Bryant. This didn’t set well with the Utah fans, and they expressed their feelings, the first chance they got. When Derek returned to Utah during the regular season, the Jazz were the hottest team in the NBA. Jerry Sloan had his team playing well. The Jazz had an NBA best 19-consecutive-home-game winning streak at the Energy Solutions Arena (the place where they’ll play tonight). When PA announcer introduced Derek Fisher as a Laker, a sea of boos quickly filled the arena walls. The Salt Lake fans, wanted to reminded him, he was no longer welcomed… he was no longer home. Apparently in their eyes, the fact he went with the enemy, meant betrayal… they didn’t care for his reasons for doing it. Well, that didn’t set well with Kobe and his teammates either, as they went on to trash the Jazz in the game, ending their precious 19-game-home winning streak. When asked after the game, Kobe acknowledged that the fans reaction to Derek lighted a fire under them, and had indeed served as an incentive, for their fiery performance. Side Note: the Lakers’ playoff return to Utah also revives memories of Kobe Bryant as a 17-year-old rookie, and the infamous (consecutive) air balls he fired with the game on the line. NBA Playoffs Prediction: LAL +4 (reduced -105 juice) Stick with Sports-Odds.Com for the Most Comprehensive FREE NBA WINNING PICKS! I'm Always Hot: 16-4, Picking Nothing But, NBA WINNERS!!
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