A few themes played prominent Monday afternoon after the Lakers finished practice in El Segundo. Trust was a big theme, looking back at the final minute of Sunday's Game 4 win in Denver. Mike Brown talked about the play of L.A.'s small forwards in the absence of Metta World Peace, as well as the work Andrew Bynum did last night.
More than anything, though, the Lakers talked about ending the series Tuesday night in Game 5. Don't screw around, don't give the Nuggets life, don't add wear to the collective tread. (And should anyone think the Lakers might intentionally look to toss Game 5 so that World Peace might be eligible for Game 1 of the next round, please stop. A) It's a horrible idea. B) Asked about it this afternoon, Brown thought the reporter was joking.)
Here are all the moving pictures from Thursday ...
Kobe Bryant, on showing trust in his teammates late in Sunday's game, adjusting to officiating, and the nature of closeout games:
Bryant, on pick and roll execution, and some interesting comments on why having stars matters late in games. "It's not really about having one guy, it's about having somebody that's going to demand double teams and free everybody up. That's really what it's about. We have three."
Click below for more video from Brown and Bynum...
Mike Brown, on the end of Game 4, trust, and the approach heading into Game 5:
Brown, on how trust has been developed on this year's team. Very interesting to see how excited Brown gets talking about it, and the confidence he shows in his approach and the results. While he's not exactly chest thumping, it's rare to see Brown toot his own horn even this much.
Brown, on Bynum's play in Game 4, and the work of Devin Ebanks and Matt Barnes:
Bynum, on finishing Denver -- he refers to closeout games as "kinda easy"-- and defending JaVale McGee: