After the Lakers lost the first two games of their NBA Western Conference semifinals at home to the Mavericks, perhaps a trip on the road is just what they need. Down 0-2 in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series, the Lakers begin their quest for an improbable comeback Friday night in Dallas. Here are the relevant details of Game 3:
Who: No. 2 seed Lakers (57-25), No. 3 seed Mavericks (57-25)
What: 2011 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 3; Dallas leads best-of-seven series, 2-0
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
When: 6:30 p.m. PDT
TV: ESPN
So You're Saying There's A Chance: The Lakers dropped the first two games at home in a playoff series for the first time since the 1977 Western Conference Finals to Portland, a span of 60 such playoff series for the Lakers. Of the previous 18 teams in NBA history to drop the first two games of a best-of-seven series at home, only three have won the series: the 1969 Lakers (against San Francisco, division semifinals), 1994 Rockets (vs. Phoenix, conference semifinals), and the 2005 Mavericks (vs. Houston, first round).
Trust Issues: After Game 2, center Andrew Bynum was a frustrated man, and for good reason. Of the Lakers' 78 offensive possessions on Wednesday, Bynum touched the ball on 15 of them. He did manage 18 points and 13 rebounds, but was mad about defense, and said the team had "trust issues." At Thursday's practice, Bynum's comments were downplayed, but coach Phil Jackson noted the importance of execution and defensive responsibilities, saying "Andrew, if his guy get's five dunks in the process of coming over to help, he has to come over and help a sixth time."
Referees: Game 3 referees will be Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, and Tom Washington, per Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
For more news on this second-round matchup, be sure to stay tuned to this story stream at SB Nation Los Angeles. For more NBA playoff coverage, check out SB Nation’s playoff bracket and schedule. For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.