So the Lakers have been unable to widen the gap, and Kobe hasn't seized the opportunity to completely take control of the game while Roger's firepower was limited, keeping the score around a 6-point difference.
In the second half, Brandon Roy made many excellent passes, but Stoudemire, Stephen Jackson, and others failed to capitalize on them.
Stephen Jackson seemed infected with the "Billups Virus" tonight, completely missing the mark. Stoudemire continued to be restrained by Dwight Howard, and his mid-range shots and drives to the basket lost their effectiveness.
James also delivered several brilliant assists, but Billups, the skier, and Howard equally failed to convert these passes into points. The first two had poor shooting, and the latter was always sent to the free-throw line just when he was about to execute a thrilling slam.
The game gradually turned into a defensive battle.
