source: By: Steve KylerKobe Isn't Stunned: If you had the LA Lakers losing to the short-handed New Orleans Hornets in LA in Game 1, you are either a huge Hornets fan or you really doubted the Lakers.
Regardless, that's exactly what happened yesterday as Chris Paul led his Hornets team to a huge Game 1 playoff win after kicking in 33 points and 7 rebounds while handing out a whopping 14 assists.
Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant said he wasn't stunned by the loss, but understands New Orleans is not a team his squad can afford to overlook.
"We're not stunned by it," Bryant said to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "We're not shocked by it. We've been here before. Whether you lose Game 1 or Game 2, you still wind up having to split, which is important for us to do."
"We didn't do coverages defensively that we were supposed to do," Bryant said. "We just didn't do them. I don't know if we forgot about them or lack of effort to execute but we didn't stick to our game plan. So, it's not really about us making adjustments, it's about doing what we say we're going to do in the first place."
Lakers forward Pau Gasol had a terrible game going 2-for-9 from the field and dropping in just eight points on the night.
Kobe refused to put the blame of the loss on Pau's shoulders, and believes his teammate will respond in Game 2.
"Pau is our guy," Bryant said. "He's the next in line in terms of responsibility and the pressure that comes along with that. He'll be ready to go next game".
"I think this game here, he's going to use that as motivation coming back in Game 2 and be ready to go. No doubt about it."
Bryant admitted that his Laker team has been too inconsistent and rely too much on "flipping the switch" and in this series that's simply not going to work.
"It's dangerous," Bryant said. "Absolutely, this series can be over quick."
Game 2 for the Lakers is set for Wednesday in Los Angeles with tip off set for 10:30pom EST. The Lakers will then travel to New Orleans for Game 3 and 4 set for Friday the 22nd and Sunday the 24th respectively.
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