Lakers Salvage Game 5

Before my analysis, I want to bitch about every NBA Finals game ending at past midnight in the eastern time zone and every single one was on a school/work night too. BOO David Stern and I hope the ratings suck like your refs.

Twice the NBA has waited from Thursday to Sunday night to play the next game while teams were in the SAME city but when the location changes and teams are forced to travel across country, they play the next game on a Tuesday night after a Sunday night game.

It makes absolutely zero sense for the players, coaches, and fans but we know their interests always are behind those of TV honchos counting up their ad dollars.

After a monumental choke job in Game 4, the Lakers scrapped out a Game 5 victory. I want to publicly eat some crow and be held accountable for my Finals prediction of the Lakers winning in 5. The Celtics simply are a better team and they will easily close this series out at home in one of the two remaining games.

The Lakers have no answer for Paul Pierce and even Kobe is having hard time checking him. The crisp offensive execution and lock down defense that I saw out of the Lakers in series wins over Jazz/Spurs has been non existent.

Shockingly the Zen master is getting out coach by a 500 career coach in Doc Rivers, who seems more like a cheerleader than a coaching tactician. Rivers still puzzles me with his subbing patterns but sitting Rondo for long stretches helped win game 4 and the same decision almost pulled out game 5 too.

Surrounding KG and Pierce with shooters is a key coaching move by Rivers. Posey and House have been instrumental in hitting big shots and making Kobe stay on his man, which prevents him from playing roaming help D that he does while guarding Rondo.

Phil has not found a great subbing mix and Vlad Radmanovic should be ridding pine, not playing matador defense on the Celtics best player. The Lakers seem unwilling to take a charge and that is a direct reflection of coaching.

The Lakers rode their big 3 to save themselves from the brink of elimination. Although the Mamba will not go down without a fight, I see the Celtics big 3 feeding off the energy of their home building to win the championship.

BTW, Crow tastes the same as how Kendrick Perkink's untucked dress shirt looked, awful.


Props to Getty Images/Yahoo Sports for the pictures.

The Mamba Strikes

In game 3 of the NBA finals, Boston's Paul Pierce appeared he was shaving points like the player in the movie "Blue Chips." Maybe the NBA suits got to him to make sure the series went at least 5 games. Where would one get that idea?

Pierce's play was truly awful.

Kobe rattled up the Mamba MVP and finished the game out in his lights out closer fashion. To Be Continued.

Thanks to Getty Images/Yahoo Sports for the pictures

NBA Finals Game 2 Recap/ Game 3 Preview

Aside from the highly questionable officiating, the Lakers have been out played in almost every facet of the game so far in the 2008 NBA finals and deserve to be in a 2-0 hole. The Lakers defense is non existent and the Celtics are attacking the rim at will. The Celtics maligned bench is crushing the highly regarded Lakers bench.

The Celtics half court offense runs through Paul Pierce and he has been the best player on the court in the first 2 games, either drawing fouls or creating offense for teammates.

Vlad Radmanovic, who played like he had money on the Celtics, has had zero chance in stopping PP.Ray Allen's sweet stroke is back and Derek Fisher has been Rajon Rondo's bitch.

The keys to a game 3 victory for the Lakers will be getting to the foul line, stopping the Celtics running game and limiting them to one shot.

I predict the Lakers will win easy at home this evening and make it a series.

38-10!

(This picture was without a doubt a no call)

First off, screw the NBA for having Game 2 of the Finals tip at 9pm est on a Sunday night after game 1 was on a Thursday. Saturday prime time, after the Belmont race would have been perfect but instead it is early Monday morning and I am still up.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was upset with the free throw disparity in Game 2 and the stat of Boston 38 free throws attempts to the Lakers 10 does rise a few red flags. It was a 19 to 2 advantage for Boston in the first half as well.

Paraphrasing Jackson's opening quote at the post game press conference:

"I am more struck by the fact that Leon Powe gets more foul attempts in 14 minutes of play than our whole entire team. That is Ridiculous"

I agree wholeheartedly on the Zen Master's assessment of the officiating. The Lakers could not get an And One EVER and Powe was getting calls in the first quarter like he was the NBA MVP. (Hint, Hint)

The Celtics were more aggressive but not that more aggressive. I could count at least 7-10 no calls when the Lakers were driving to the hoop.

Regardless, the Lakers D was awful and they did not deserve to win this game. I will save more of my thoughts on the series tomorrow. word





Props to Getty Images for the pictures.

NBA Finals Preview

My NBA Finals preview and prediction will be brief because I have Nats/Cards game to attend. It is Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead night baby! He is on the DL like half the sorry ass Nats squad.

Anyway, Lakers in 5. Kobe Dominates, the Zen Master gets his 10th ring, and Doc Rivers shows why he is an average NBA coach.

HT:Bleacher Report for the Picture

Witness a Poor Sport

The Celtics/Cavs game 7 was finally an entertaining brand of ball worth watching and it almost made up for the previous six games of U.G.L.Y. basketball. The Celts made a few more plays at the end and pulled out the series clinching W.

Paul Pierce and Lebron James battled it out with legendary performances and the Celtics role players simply outplayed the Cavs. The Celtics seemed to get more breaks and out scrapped the Cavs for loose balls.

Even though I am bitter towards Lebron as a fan because he has thrashed the Wizards the past 3 years in the playoffs, he is still a helluva baller.

He has proven to make truly inferior teammates around him better, carry a team single handily to playoff series victories, and I have never seen a wing player more powerfully explosive from the free throw line to the rim in the game of basketball ever.

I do have justifiable criticisms of Lebron's game as I think he whines too much after every call or no call, gets away with way too many charges and travels, and his lack of a reliable post game is puzzling for a man his size.

I can add one more to the list by his disrespectful quick exit after the game yesterday.

I understand Lebron is emotionally upset after his team went backwards from last year's NBA final's runner up finish. I imagine it is frustrating for Lebron to put up with an inept GM and offensively challenged head coach.

However, it is customary in the NBA for players give congratulations and condolences to one another after a series concludes. Players always honor the opposing players/coaches in playoff series victory and defeat.

I disagree with those who condone Lebron's behavior and wish other Cavs would have acted like him.

Lebron walking off the court immediately without recognizing the achievement of his opponents tough hard series victory is clearly an act of poor sportsmanship.

I scoured through photos of this year's NBA playoffs, locating pictures of players giving love to one another after a series was decided. As you can see, no player, superstar or role player, was immune to wishing each other well.

















Lebron is the face of the NBA for the next decade plus and I hope he regrets not publicly giving the Celtics their due props.

The Sports Point had the video
The Money Shot's recap
Close to Nothing At All
Thanks to Getty Images and Yahoo Sports for the images.

Mac Gs World