We are going to quickly breakdown 3 possessions, and for a change, instead of the offensive end, we are going to look at the defensive end.  There were a few key defensive mistakes made late by both teams.

The Lakers’ Mistake(s)

Poor Double Down

When Shaq gets the ball down low, he is going to have the size advantage over just about every center in the NBA.  This means that you are going to have to double-down on Shaq to keep him from just backing down his defender.

As Shaq makes the catch, everyone freezes.  There is no immediate double-team because most teams like to double on the first dribble.  When you double as a center dribbles, you have a better opportunity to steal the ball.  Plus, it is harder for centers to pass off the dribble rather than passing on the standstill.  So everything is done right so far.

Shaq’s a veteran, so he knows that the double is going to come on the dribble (and he probably knows where it is coming from too).  So he quickly takes one dribble to get in position and spins baseline.  Derek Fisher takes a quick step towards him, but when he turns baseline, he returns to Anthony Parker.  That is where the mistake is made in my opinion.  If you are the double man (and I am pretty sure Fisher is), you need to double hard, the rotations are designed around the double, and your teammates have your back if Shaq does in fact pass it.

Shaq pump fakes and spins inside.  Shaq has a lane for the spin, because Fisher backed out of his double team.  If Derek Fisher was doubling on Shaq, he wouldn’t have the space to spin and get to the basket.

But instead, Shaq is able to get to the rim and finish with the basket.

The Cavs’ Mistake(s)

Late in the game, the Cavs made a bunch of mistakes that could have cost them the game.  They were up by 7 and pulling away, but a few defensive mistakes allowed the Lakers to tie the game up.

Not Boxing Out

The mistake was a lack of box out.  When you watch this play live, it looks like just a lucky bounce for the Lakers, but a poor box out is what allowed for the ball to bounce to Ron Artest:

As Kobe takes the turnaround, the Cavs seem to be in good position to grab the rebound.  They have 4 guys inside the paint, the problem is they are all looking at the basketball and not boxing out.  This allows for Lamar Odom to slip inside and get position.

His inside position is what allows for him to get his hands on the basketball, and the deflection bounces out to Ron Artest.

Artest makes the catch and drills the three, cutting the lead to 4.

Poor Pick And Roll Defense

It is under the two-minute mark so the Hack-A-Shaq tactic can’t be executed, and Shaq returns to the game.  Right after he returns though, the Lakers attack him, going to the pick and roll with Shaq’s man Pau Gasol setting the pick.  Here is Henry Abbott’s take on Shaq and the pick and roll:

Then the Lakers ran a high pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol setting a high screen for Bryant. The brilliant part of this is that the guy guarding Gasol is charged with slowing Bryant so Delonte West could catch up. That guy was … Shaquille O’Neal. There are a lot of things O’Neal can’t do anymore. One of them is slow someone like Bryant on the perimeter.

I totally agree with this, which is why the other Cavs defenders need to help Shaq out by doing things properly.

Here, Delonte West doesn’t.  As Bryant goes around the screen, West goes under it.  Team’s usually go under the screen when they have a mobile big man or a poor shooter using the pick.  None of that is the case here.

Kobe pulls up and with Shaq worried about the drive, he is unable to close-out on a jumper.  This gives Kobe a wide open shot.  If West went over the screen trying to stay attached to Kobe, he would have done two things.  One, he would have forced Kobe to drive, and Shaq is better equipped to handle Kobe on the inside instead of the perimeter.  Also, if West was chasing Kobe over the screen, he would have the opportunity to alter the shot from behind.

Instead, Kobe is able to knock down the jumper and tie the game.