Friday, June 8 Sixers' defense disrupted Lakers' flow By Dr. Jack Ramsay Special to ESPN.com LOS ANGELES – In an environment where nobody gave them a chance to win the series -- most people didn't even expect them to win a game -- the Philadelphia 76ers came into Staples Center and played tough defense to take the Los Angeles Lakers out of their game. Kobe Bryant spun and slashed Wednesday, but couldn't shake Eric Snow and the rest of the Sixers defense. After the first five minutes, when I think the Sixers were a little nervous and unsure of themselves, Larry Brown took a timeout and told them to get back to their defense and settle down. He told them that if they made the offense move and made the ball move, they'd be OK. That's what they did from that point on. And they played great team defense. They put pressure on the ball, overplayed the wings, gave great help defense on penetrators and forced Kobe Bryant into 7-for-22 shooting. Brown also made great use of the bench, shuffling guys in and out of the game and getting production from people like Raja Bell and Eric Snow. Aaron McKie, even though he didn't shoot the ball well, had nine assists, and Iverson had six assists to go along with his 48 points. It was just one big play after another by Iverson down the stretch. The Lakers never got to the even flow of their offense that they had been accustomed to getting against Western Conference teams. But they hadn't seen defense like the Sixers' before in the playoffs. They seemed to get frazzled a little bit by the pressure. They were out of sync a lot of times. Shaquille O'Neal was receiving the ball at the 3-point line, but they did get to Shaq inside and he capitalized on his presence in the paint. But other than that, everybody else was kept under control. If it hadn't been for Tyronn Lue, who jump-started them with his good defense on Iverson and his hustle -- at one point he had five steals in nine minutes of play -- the Lakers would not have been able to come from behind. He was terrific, but the Sixers were not to be denied. Even though they fell five points behind at the beginning of overtime, they bounced back, made plays down the stretch on offense and let their defense carry them. The Lakers are usually not bothered by defensive pressure. I think that was Phil Jackson's biggest concern. At one point, halfway through the third period, they had 14 turnovers for 19 points. They did better the rest of the way, but they still gave up 25 points through turnovers. For them, that's a killer. I think it speaks of their inconsistency and lack of certainty in executing their offense. That's unsual for the Lakers. They usually handle pressure with very little problem. They've got to get Kobe more into the flow, but he was defended very well. McKie did a terrific job on him. When Kobe tried to penetrate and then spin into shooting space, there was always a second defender waiting for him. The Lakers must get into a better flow of the game and keep their turnovers down because the Sixers run out off turnovers and get fastbreak opportunities. The Lakers had some great segments of defense themselves. That's what got them back into the game, but you've got to give Philadelphia credit. This is typical of the way they've played all season. They never give up on a game and they stay together and find ways to score points whether it's in transition off turnovers or 3-point shots by Iverson. Somebody always steps to the surface for Philadelphia. That's the way they played all season, and that's the way they've played throughout the playoffs. They have shown that you can't discount them. Everybody expected this to be a rout, but here are the Sixers. They're 1-0 in the series. Hall of Fame coach Dr. Jack Ramsay is a game analyst for ESPN Radio and a regular contributor to ESPN.com. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories

ALSO SEE Iverson-led Sixers stun Lakers in overtime Frozen Moment: Iverson's '3' burns Lakers Dan Patrick: Greatness on hold for Lakers Lue goes from Iverson's imitator to Iverson's nemesis Lakers fans put away their brooms after L.A.'s Game 1 loss AUDIO/VIDEO  NBC's Marv Albert discusses Game 1 and previews the remainder of the NBA Finals. wav: 4296 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6