Thoughts on a great playoff game

Well this was a great one for hoops fans, even if you aren't partial to either team. It seemed like the Lakers were much the better team, but Steve Nash had a great game to keep the Suns in it. Here are some more thoughts on what was a great game and also on the outlook for game 6.

• Derek Fisher is the forgotten man on the Lakers and showed his veteran poise when the Lakers needed it greatly-22 points on a very efficient 12 shots.
• Kobe nearly with a triple double (31, 11 boards and 9 helpers)-what can you say about the guy? You have to watch him every game to appreciate his consistent excellence.
• Lamar very aggressive and active (17 pts, 13 boards, 4 assists in 36 minutes).
• Pau had a quieter game, but the game's ultimate hero, Ron Ron, also played some fantastic defense on the guys he was guarding. That said, the Lakers let the Suns get back into it, losing a very big lead and nearly letting the game slide into overtime.
• Channing Frye is back and Jared Dudley continues his excellent playoff play.
• Dragic was stymied very well by Sasha Vujacic who it was good to see getting some burn.
• Amar'e Stoudamire had 19 points, but only four boards. He should really stay down low more in order to use his athleticism to more effect.
• Robin Lopez seemed tentative after some early misfires. Andrew Bynum played some nice defense against Amar'e but it was cancelled out by Lopez' good D against Pau. Robin Lopez is going to be a very good NBA center. He's only 22 and it's obviously he's starting to feel his oats and recognize he can play in the league. The frontline of he and Amar'e is going to be a nightmare for all teams except perhaps the Celtics and Lakers.

Again, this was a great game and very nerve-racking for this Laker fan, but the Lakers pulled it out. If they can be more aggressive in guarding their men and remain aggressive, I think they should be able to pull out Game 6 in PHX.