It was if a Ferrari ran into a bulldozer on too narrow a highway. There was just no way of getting around it and too much to overcome. So, the fancy sports car returns to its garage in the Bay Area while the Lakers‘ SUV will be trucking to the Rockies!
Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa
::
Michael, LeBron, Kareem and Magic. All the great ones have one thing in common: When it comes to the biggest of games, they hoist their teammates on their shoulders, and carry them to victory. Witness LeBron’s layup after layup. He knew what it took to win and he kept driving to the hoop — 30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists. Numbers of a champion.
Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates
::
Props to Lakers coach Darvin Ham who masterfully used lineup changes and substitutions to hand coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors their first playoff loss to a Western Conference team in years.
Best regards,
Russell Hosaka
Torrance
::
The Lakers defeating Minnesota in the play-in game for the seventh seed: Good.
The Lakers defeating Memphis in the divisional round: Better.
The Lakers handing a Steve Kerr-coached Golden State team its first loss in a nontitle playoff series ever: Priceless.
Ken Blake
Brea
::
Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss can thank one thing for the Lakers’ surprisingly good playoff performance: Dumb luck. After four years of making all the wrong moves (except signing Austin Reaves as an undrafted free agent) they have stumbled upon a winning combination. The true test will be keeping this group together after the season ends!
Mike Gamboa
Buena Park
::
The coronation of King Charles on May 6 didn’t sway me. LeBron James is the true King.
Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
::
Without going into a long soliloquy on why it is totally preposterous for Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley to receive rings if the Lakers win the title this year, I will merely quote the great William Shakespeare when I say that all this is “Much Ado About Nothing.”
Greg Nersesyan
North Hollywood
::
Lonnie Walker IV. His name tells the whole story: It was the fourth game of the series. He has No. 4 on his jersey. He showed up big in the fourth quarter.
Mark Sherwin
Los Angeles
::
Congrats on the feature article on Lonnie Walker IV. His performance that day in the fourth quarter against Golden State was the spark that carried the Lakers to victory. Now if we could get The Times to stop burying sports news on the back of the California section.
Richard T. Smith
Woodland Hills