Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and the Los Angeles Lakers will take their show on the road, and try to deal the San Antonio Spurs a knockout blow in game 3 Sunday night, starting at 8:30 pm EST on TNT. After two games, the Spurs have looked like a carbon copy, of the New Orleans series. In game 1, they surrendered a 3rd quarter 20-point lead, and ultimately lost the game. And in game 2, they were absolutely destroyed by 30 points, in what became a laugher, for LA. The Spurs now, must collect whatever pieces are left of them, and get ready for tonight’s showdown with Kobe and the Lakers. SportsBetting.com has the San Antonio Spurs a -5 point favorite against the Los Angeles Lakers (+5) in my NBA Western Conference Finals Game 3 Prediction, and the O/U set at a combined 192 total points.

Even though the Spurs were in this exact same position last series with the Hornets (when they were able to win in 7), the Los Angeles Lakers are a completely different animal. After taking two road-beatings (in the Big Easy), the Spurs were able to return home, and dish out some punishment of their own. Problem is, these aren’t the Hornets.

The Lakers, regardless of being a young ball club, are very composed, and play with the poise of a veteran championship (caliber) team.

Even short-handed (without starting center Andrew Bynum), they have managed to gel together, making this game look a lot easier, than it really is.

And it all starts with the best closer in the game today... this league’s MVP. By now, everyone knows of Kobe’s greatness. Love him or hate him he is simply, the best in the game.

The game for the Spurs to win is game 3, and they must look at it as that. Tonight’s game for SAS must be played as if it were game 7… yes, it’s that drastic of a time for the champs. It’s almost time to start stomping on the panic button, because this Lakers team is for real.

If the Spurs can’t manage to win tonight, might as well bring out the brooms. The Spurs do have a chance, however against this team, but it’s very slim.

To win, SAS must: jump on them early, to get their rodeo crowd involved (from the start), avoid long scoring droughts, and very important, they must make their free-throws.

Tonight's game might come down to the wire, maybe even overtime. I feel the SAS obviously have the advantage, as they are playing at home. But the Lakers will like nothing more, than to go to the "Lone-Star-State" and take an emotional crowd right out of the game, early.

My NBA Playoffs Prediction: LAL + 5

I will explain why...

If you give me a 5-point spread against the Lakers, I pick the Lakers. Simply because of:

Kobe Bryant’s ability to take over a game (especially in the 4th quarter)

The ability the LAL starters -and bench players- posses to shoot 3-pointers (and close big deficits)

And the Spur’s infamous scoring droughts, which will in-turn give a team like LA (which score lots of points) to get back, in the event a large point-margin occurs.   

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