Lakers vs Magic and the 2008-2009 NBA Playoffs/Finals Thread

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

dola: I just remembered the Mets in September these last two seasons so maybe I have seen one other team quit like that.

nice

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

They can push it to 6 you think?

I think they can.

The Lakers tend to get complacent late in games from what I have seen.

With a team like Denver they can get back into a game quick or can go on a 15 point tear in 3 minutes if you aren't careful.

I don't think they can beat the Lakers in 7 games. In the NBA playoffs the best team virtually always wins, but the Nuggets can make it interesting.

[JeeberD]

Funny how the Mavs and Rox are just being dismissed...

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Funny how the Mavs and Rox are just being dismissed...

I don't think they are being dismissed. I'm just saying who can give the Lakers a run, not who is going to win the west.

But it won't be the MAvs or Rockets, but hey, getting to the second round should be a big deal for T-Mac!

[flere-imsaho]

So, I don't follow the NBA much, but watched the 2nd half of the Hawks-Heat game last night while doing my ironing (not an euphemism). Based on this, I have two questions:

1. It looks like Dwayne Wade, even while injured, was effectively carrying his team. Does the rest of the Heat really suck as much as they appeared to (especially in the 4th quarter).

2. I've never seen Jermaine O'Neal play well, which is perhaps mostly a function of not watching the NBA a lot. So, is he really as good as his "reputation"? Because I wasn't seeing it last night. I mean, in the last four minutes he got scored on like 4 times and was never in contention for a rebound.

[JeeberD]

TMac can take a flying leap for all I care. Like I said several months ago, this is a much better team without him. And I like our chances against the Lakers...Battier gives Kobe fits.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

2. I've never seen Jermaine O'Neal play well, which is perhaps mostly a function of not watching the NBA a lot. So, is he really as good as his "reputation"? Because I wasn't seeing it last night. I mean, in the last four minutes he got scored on like 4 times and was never in contention for a rebound.

Jermaine O'Neal is a shadow of his former self, though I don't think he was ever as good as his reputation claimed.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

TMac can take a flying leap for all I care. Like I said several months ago, this is a much better team without him. And I like our chances against the Lakers...Battier gives Kobe fits.

Yeah, but for as much as TMac can be a headache, it's playoff team and we really could use a consistent third scoring threat. That's why I'm afraid we won't make much noise, even if we win the first round series.

SI

[JeeberD]

Scolandry. 'Nuff said...

[sterlingice]

Heck, Brooks even had a pair of nice games in 1/2 but I would definitely like something a little more reliable, if possible.

SI

[whomario]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Heck, Brooks even had a pair of nice games in 1/2 but I would definitely like something a little more reliable, if possible.

SI

yeah well, unless the Lakers move their games into the Rose Garden ... Seriously, i half expect him to go for 30 tonight in Portland as relaxed and at home he seemed returning "home"

What really bugs me about Brooks that there are a couple passes he simply can´t make. Not "doesn´t pass" but "can´t pass". He can´t make an entry pass to save his life, is absolutely unable to do a backward pass in a Pick & Roll/Pop Situation over more than 6 feet and is troubled by kickouts to his right. All pretty basic stuff really, for an NBA PG at least.
That´s also a reason why Artest has the ball that much, who is a much better passer but unfortunately experiences blackouts in his brain every other possession ...

I am going to bed now to catch a quick 4 hours of sleep before tipoff at 4am here ... I´m superstitious. Missed 4 games against the Jazz the previous years with 4 losses, missed game 2 and they lost...

Roy reportedly has "flu-like symptoms", so i guess he´ll put in about 35 tonight. Seriously, has anyone ever scored less than 30 when reported with those ?

Series isn´t over before it´s over really, it´s not like Portland is far off from the Rockets after game 1.

[sterlingice]

We'll have to play "where in the world is whomario"?

If the game starts at 4am there, it makes you guys at +1. According to a list I found online, that includes:

ALBANIA (Tirana dst) ANDORRA (Andorra la Vella dst) ALGERIA (Algiers) ANGOLA (Luanda) AUSTRIA (Vienna dst) BELGIUM (Brussels dst) BENIN (Porto-Novo) BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (Sarajevo dst) CAMEROON (Yaounde) CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (Bangui) CHAD (N'Djamena) CONGO, REPUBLIC of the (Brazzaville) CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of the (Kinshasa) CROATIA (Zagreb dst) CZECH REPUBLIC (Prague dst) DENMARK (Copenhagen dst) EQUATORIAL GUINEA (Malabo) MACEDONIA (Skopje dst) FRANCE (Paris dst) GABON (Libreville) GERMANY (Berlin dst) GIBRALTAR (Gibraltar dst) HUNGARY (Budapest dst) ITALY (Rome dst) LIECHTENSTEIN (Vaduz dst) LUXEMBOURG (Luxembourg dst) MALTA (Valletta dst) MONACO (Monaco dst) NAMIBIA (Windhoek dst) NETHERLANDS (Amsterdam dst) NIGER (Niamey) NIGERIA (Abuja, Lagos) NORWAY (Oslo dst) POLAND (Warsaw dst) SAN MARINO (San Marino dst) SERBIA and MONTENEGRO (Belgrade dst) SLOVAKIA (Bratislava dst) SLOVENIA (Ljubljana dst) SPAIN (Madrid dst) SVALBARD (SPITZBERGEN) AND JAN MAYEN (Longyearbyen dst) SWEDEN (Stockholm dst) SWITZERLAND (Bern dst, Zurich dst) TUNISIA (Tunis dst) VATICAN (Vatican citydst)

Hm... that's a lot of places to make a guess from.

SI

[Lathum]

Italy seems the obvious choice.

[MikeVic]

If he's from Poland or Croatia, then +1 for him.

[Fidatelo]

I'm guessing Vatican City.

[Karlifornia]

I'm gonna say Equitorial Guinea

[JeeberD]

Liechtenstein FTW!

[SirFozzie]

Looks like this could be a bridge too far. When Brian Scalabrine is playing tough minutes in his first game back, your team is too short handed.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

So, I don't follow the NBA much, but watched the 2nd half of the Hawks-Heat game last night while doing my ironing (not an euphemism). Based on this, I have two questions:

1. It looks like Dwayne Wade, even while injured, was effectively carrying his team. Does the rest of the Heat really suck as much as they appeared to (especially in the 4th quarter).

The Heat is a young, inconsistent team. Seven players on the playoff roster have three years of experience or less. Beasley has been average at best this season. Cook is a streaky shooter as is Chalmers. This series is a microcosm of the entire season. Those three are supposed to be Wade's help on the offensive end. When they are on, the Heat play well like they did in games two and three. If not....well you get games one and four.

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

2. I've never seen Jermaine O'Neal play well, which is perhaps mostly a function of not watching the NBA a lot. So, is he really as good as his "reputation"? Because I wasn't seeing it last night. I mean, in the last four minutes he got scored on like 4 times and was never in contention for a rebound.

I am not sure what his reputation is but Jermaine O'Neal looks and plays like a 13 year vet with shot knees. As a fan, if O'neal can grab six boards a night, I am ecstatic. Somehow, someway he is still averaging two blocks per game.

[miami_fan]

How many times on the Philly defenders going to buy that fake jab step by Turkgolu before he shoots the three?

[SirFozzie]

Horrible call by the refs. Wow.

[Groundhog]

Looks like another classic finish coming up in the Celtics-Bulls game...

[miami_fan]

Really? You give up the baseline and a clear look at the basket Stephon? Wow

[SirFozzie]

You have to think Marbury was trying to be "the good teammate".

[SirFozzie]

DOLA: DA TROOF!

[Jas_lov]

lol, Marbury. What is he even doing on the floor? Great, another OT.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

TMac can take a flying leap for all I care. Like I said several months ago, this is a much better team without him. And I like our chances against the Lakers...Battier gives Kobe fits.

Like your chances? To do what? Go past 5 games?

[miami_fan]

wow

[Radii]

This is terrible basketball. Does Chicago really think their best option is to let Ben Gordon jack up highly contested 3's? Every time they give him the ball he just plays 1 on 1 and takes a stupid shot.

[law90026]

Fouling on a 3-pointer?!? Go Bulls and Gordon is clutch.

[DaddyTorgo]

DA TROOF!!!!

[DaddyTorgo]

i might die laughing if he misses one of the FT's here

[DaddyTorgo]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOH

LOL

[DaddyTorgo]

now this sets up the "intentional brick" here

[DaddyTorgo]

oops - they fucked up the intentional-brick

lol

[miami_fan]

He puckered up on those free throws

[DaddyTorgo]

lol - pierce missed his too - whoops!

fortunately it didn't matter

[Coffee Warlord]

Shoulda been a flagrant called on that foul.

God awful reffing today.

[RainMaker]

Good game. We needed that to be a flagrant on Rondo to have a chance there.

[DaddyTorgo]

reffing's been shit all series. but it's the NBA - that's to be expected hmm?

[SirFozzie]

First NBA postseason series to have 3 OT games, apparently (per the radio)

[Big Fo]

Orlando looked better tonight in beating the Sixers. It's a shame Boston won, I'm worried about a possible KG comeback in the conference semis despite what Rivers has been saying.

[RainMaker]

Miller should have taken more time to recover. That shot to the face really seemed to be an issue during the free throw as it looks like he lost a tooth or two.

[whomario]

Scola is the man Too bad he is just that tad bit undersized/athletically challenged on D against Aldridge. But boy is that guy skilled .

What´s the deal with Rondo and the technical ? Haven´t seen it yet, was it that bad ?

Other than that the giuy seriously is on his way to a series TD, 28/8/11 tonight again And that Celtics bench is seriously depleted with their injuries, they get nothing from there at at all.

Howard with 24/24, he´s quietly haviong a terrific series

[sterlingice]

How is it fair that whomario can watch this game in (what country are you in? we were wondering earlier) but we can't in the US unless we pay for NBA TV?

SI

[whomario]

league pass broadband is my friend

[SirFozzie]

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics - Recap - April 28, 2009 - ESPN

The video package is on espn.

And you have to be a Chicago fan or a Boston hater to try to imagine that as a flagrant

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics - Recap - April 28, 2009 - ESPN

The video package is on espn.

And you have to be a Chicago fan or a Boston hater to try to imagine that as a flagrant

I am a Boston hater usually, and I didn't think it was a flagrant. Of course, I have talked to some people who didn't even think it should have been a foul, and I think those people are nuts.

[SirFozzie]

I agree it's a foul, a hard one at that (he had to have stitches in his mouth).. but it's not Flagrant.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I agree it's a foul, a hard one at that (he had to have stitches in his mouth).. but it's not Flagrant.

Agreed. My impression was it was simply a height thing. There's a lot of Miller to climb up, and while he's a heavy white dude and Rondo is a very good athlete, that's a lot of white mountain to jump up. Rondo made a swipe for the ball, and just flat missed and the resulting swiping just smacked Miller on the mouth. Shit happens.

BTW, doesn't the NBA allow someone to check in and take a guy's free throws for him in an injury situation like this? I mean, heck, if there is, why didn't they put in some very good (and ideally pain free) free throw shooter in the game for Miller?