While the Rockets and the Jazz are still embroiled in their First Round series, the Lakers continue to prepare for battle against whichever rival emerges.
With four days off already since sweeping the Denver Nuggets, Lamar Odom described the overall mood of the team as “Energetic, upbeat, outgoing. Everybody’s in a good mood,” said Lamar. “We’re in the playoffs, it’s the best time of year.”
The forward added, “This is a good time for us to practice. It’ll be a tough game tonight…I’m looking forward to watching it, seeing who comes out victorious.”
“It’d be fun to play on Sunday, but if not, we’ll wait,” said Odom in regards to a possible Game 1 this weekend against Utah should they defeat Houston tonight. Kobe echoed his teammate’s statement, revealing that “If we play on Sunday, we’ll be ready on Sunday. If it’s Tuesday, we’ll be ready on Tuesday.” Bryant also mused that he hopes the Jazz win so he can stop answering hypothetical questions and start talking about matchup specifics.
In addition to going through practice today, the entire team plans on meeting up tonight to watch the Jazz vs. Rockets game together–providing a chance for team bonding while helping them study up on their next opponent.
“We just kind of get loose, relax, enjoy each others company,” said Odom. “Camaraderie is the most important thing as far as a team goes. Of course, we’re fans of the game as well so we like to be entertained. This time of year, you want to pick up some tendencies of some other players.”
Coach Jackson said that this is not the first time that this year’s team has met to watch games together, revealing that although he believes his team has managed to maintain their sharpness during the prolonged break, it is always difficult to come into Game 1 of a new round against an opponent who is coming off an extended series. According to Jackson, his 2000-2001 Lakers championship team suffered from a 10 day break prior to playing Game 1 against Philadelphia in the finals.
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