Can Kobe and the Lakers close out what has been a very tough Jazz team on the road tonight? Considering the closeness of the last two games of this series, sure, it's possible. But given the fact that home teams are 20-1 in this round of the playoffs and that they're likely to continue to get more free throw attempts, I would say it's a long shot.

Either way, we'll find out soon enough. Join me right here for all the action, beginning at around 1030PM EST.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Lakers-Jazz Western Conference Semifinals Game 6 this evening. Be sure to stop by later tonight for FanHouse's signature LiveBlog of this game. It'll be Vujacissimo!


1. Over The Back, Against The Wall: Regardless of your feelings on the Pau Gasol put back that clinched the game for the Lakers (and I personally think Okur flopped and am glad the refs didn't call it), the onus comes back on Mehmet Okur. It's not so much a one sided, "Okur has played badly" as it is that he hasn't been able to put it all together. If he scores, he struggles on the glass. If he rebounds, he can't put the ball in the hole. In the one game where he did manage to have a complete game, the Jazz won convincingly. If Utah wants to extend this series back to Staples for a shot to steal what they couldn't in Game 5, Mehmet Okur has to step up tonight.

2. Odom Overdose: Lamar Odom had a simply spectacular Game 5. He's been a joy to watch for the last month and even as Lakers fans have to be wondering when the joyride stops and the old Lamar returns, he's been a major contributor to them winning. He's making smart decisions, being aggressive with openings, playing with confidence, and getting the ball to Gasol and Kobe when he needs to. The Jazz have bad matchups for Odom outside of Andrei Kirilenko. They want to maintain their edge on the boards so they're not willing to switch AK to the 4. But their power forwards are too slow to guard him and Ronnie Brewer has his hands full with that Kobe Bryant fellow you've heard so much about. If Odom keeps playing the way he has? This series ends tonight.

A few common complaints from fans of the team that's playing the Lakers in the playoffs go something like this: The refs screwed us! The NBA is fixed! The league wants the big market team from Los Angeles to advance! This is not something unique to fans of the Jazz, they just happen to be the ones currently facing L.A. in a tight series, and their fans just happen to be the ones making this complaint at the moment.

What's different this time though is that finally, a writer from the team's home town tells the fans exactly how completely ridiculous these sentiments are. Gordon Monson, take it away:

To all the Jazz fans who are crying . . . and crying . . . and crying about the refereeing in the Jazz-Lakers playoff series, how about this idea: Give it a rest. It's old and it's tired and it's predictable and it's embarrassing and it's unfounded. Drop the persecution complex. Nobody's out to get you. David Stern is not a grand puppet-master. He's not Vince McMahon.

Since the end of Game 5 I've received complaints from at least a hundred fans about the Jazz getting jobbed in one form or another, or 30 anothers, by the refs. Most of those protestations blast straight past accusations of ineptitude on the part of a few refs, and claim rather that there's a conspiracy afoot, that the NBA wants the Lakers in the Finals, and the Jazz are an inconvenience that must be dealt with by way of a crooked whistle. C'mon, does anybody really believe that?

Amen, brother. Seriously, there isn't anything more annoying than hearing a team's fans blame the refs for losing. I heard a little of this after the Lakers took Game 5.

Andrei Kirilenko missed practice on Thursday, a day before an elimination game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Utah due to a family trip to France.

Let me explain.

So Kirilenko has had this big trip planned with his family France this summer, right? But in order to make it, he had to secure a travel visa. And as you know, things like travel visas aren't exactly being handed out like annual spouse-allowed infidelities anymore. So Kirilenko scheduled an appointment weeks ago to secure the visa. He informed coaches of it weeks ago, and, presumably, reminded them of it. He was given permission to miss practice today on account of that little trip for what I can only imagine was a lot of standing in line, waiting for paper work to go through, and generally being annoyed at he endless bureaucracies we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.

Jazz fans probably will be initially disheartened and annoyed by this. After all, tomorrow night in Salt Lake City could be the last game in the Jazz's season, they're locked up in a very tough matchup with the tough seed in the West, and Kirilenko kind of, you know, starts for them.

However, this is one of those situations when you need to remember that athletes are still people like the rest of us in a lot of ways.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. NorthJersey.com: The Nets are talking trade for Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets are listening. [via SLAM]

2. Dime: "Hornets Shutting Up the Haters"

3. The Sporting Blog: Deron Williams has a Twitter feed. Sure he does.

4. Third Quarter Collapse: Chauncey Billups sat out Game 5, but somehow got an assist anyway.

5. Deseret News: Could Andrei Kirilenko get deported before Game 6?

6. Channing Frye's Blog: Advice on keeping the ladies happy.

Excellent post from Henry over at TrueHoop regarding the late game put-back from Pau Gasol that clinched the Game 5 victory for the Lakers. Like Henry, while watching it happen live, I thought Gasol pushed off, and was shocked there was no foul called. Not "angry" shocked, mind you, just "relieved" shocked, because I was rooting for the Lakers. But shocked nonetheless, because it appeared that Gasol used his forearm to shove Mehmet Okur in the lower back to be able to get the position to grab the rebound.

A big time Laker fan I know who was at the game texted me immediately with "Gasol pushed off!" That's how it looked live, and I guess that's how it looked in person. I mean, heck, Okur did go flailing under the basket, so he must have been fouled, right? Watch the video a few times though, and I think you'll see that Okur clearly exaggerated the contact, and it looks like the refs made the proper no-call.

The Lakers will need to do a whole lot more than stand around and watch tonight if they want to get Game 5. The Jazz were able to have their way offensively for two games in Utah, so the Lakers defense will need to step up tonight as the series returns to Los Angeles.

Oh yeah, and about Kobe Bryant and his back? He's going to play (of course), but it remains to be seen how much the injury will limit him. Even if he's hurting, as long as Kobe looks to distribute to his teammates a little more than he did in the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 4, the insane trend of home teams winning almost all of their games this round should continue. Join me right here for all the action, we'll get started around 1030PM EST.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Jazz-Lakers Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 this evening.

1. Is The Back Back?: All eyes will be on Kobe Bryant and his back tonight. Kobe's been near indestructible throughout his career, rarely succumbing to injury (remember the pinkie? Yeah, neither did I.). So to see him so shaken up is kind of surprising. What's worse, this is not exactly the team you want to have a back injury against. Bryant's going to need to take defenders off the dribble for jumpers tonight, because if he posts, he's getting a stiff elbow in the back, and if he drives, well, just don't drive, Kobester. No doubt Bryant will play through the pain and he'll most likely be brilliant. He's kind of legendary like that. But if he suffers like he did in Game 4, he needs to trust his teammates. Of course that requires ...

2. Backups To Provide Backups: I don't know what exactly else the Lakers should have done in Game 4. I mean, Pau Gasol had 23, Lamar Odom had 26, and Fisher had 15. So maybe all that talk about how the other Lakers disappeared isn't fai ... oh yeah, it was overtime, and they gave up 123 points. The Lakers have to be able to create a consistent effort behind Kobe, or they have to manage to stop the Jazz for, oh, I don't know, a possession or two. With Kobe a question mark with the back, now would be a great time for the Pau Gasol statement game.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Bleacher Report: The Utah Jazz have "the most disgusting fans in the NBA."

2. The Wages of Wins Journal: Statistically, the All-Rookie second team is better than the first.

3. Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: Is Sam Cassell getting benched?

4. Basketbawful: What it's like to lunch with Larry Bird.

5. Jerry Brown, East Valley Tribune: Mark Jackson is getting an interview with the Destroyer.

6. FreeDarko: ESPN does not know who Rodney Stuckey is.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Need4Sheed: The patented 'Sheed foul reaction, endlessly looping for your enjoyment.

2. Tim Kawakami's Talking Points: Presenting the first annual NBA No-Defense team.

3. Brian Windhorst on the Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James is glad this didn't happen on Mothers' Day.

4. Mitch Lawrence, NY Daily News: Starbury, meet coach D'Antoni. Now pack your bags.

5. Mike Bresnahan, L.A. Times: Ronny Turiaf won't be suspended for that Game 4 flagrant foul.

6. CelticsBlog: I knew Ray Allen was Jesus, but Wally Szczerbiak as Blue Steel?