San Antonipwned

[cured]

Anyone watching the NBA playoffs? What a collapse by San Antonio to blow a 20-point lead and in full control of the game. Must have been tired legs but I was still surprised because the Lakers were playing awfully.

I really despise San Antonio so I'm hoping this opens up a wound for them and they go out soon.

[IsiliRunite]

I giggled like a little girl when I read that...

Its good to see them get what has been coming to them for years....

[chuck]

3-1

One game away from finals.

Just need to check on how the Green Machine is doing.

Then I'm going to and dig out my Converse All-Stars that I bought and wore to death, back when Showtime was what it was all about.

[Troy McClure]

That last play in tonight's game should have been called a foul on Derek Fisher. But the Spurs have benefited for years from questionable calls for years. So I guess turnabouts fair play.

I just hate both teams so much, that I'm still rooting for multiple catastrophic, career ending injuries on both sides. But whomever wins the West will not be favored against Boston or Detroit.


-Jason

[IsiliRunite]

I don't think a Shaq-less Kobe can beat a better Pistons team than the Shaq-equipped Lakers lost to. If Ray Allen doesn't get out of his funk, LA might stand a chance against the Celtics, though.

[cured]

Actually, LA would destroy Detroit if they met up in the finals. Look at how they matched up this season, with LA blowing out Detroit in the first game in LA and losing by a point in Detroit without Bynum or Gasol. The Celtics match up better but if they have another 7 game series this time around, I'm not sure they'll have enough left in the tank for the Lakers. The Lakers have to play on the road in the finals but I'd prefer them to play Detroit.

The Spurs weren't going to get that foul call last night. If you're in the playoffs, you're only going to get calls by being aggressive and going to the basket. Bumps like the one Fisher gave Barry are casual for the way the Spurs games usually are; physical, bumping, bruising hackfests. It shouldn't have come down to that anyway. Brain farts all around gave San Antonio their chance but the Spurs in no way deserved to win that game.

[IsiliRunite]

I think the Pistons are playing better defence now than they have all year, which leads me to believe they would stop the Lakers and be able to score on them relatively easy because of the lax defensive euro guys.

[cured]

That doesn't make sense. The playoffs are about matchups and the Pistons don't match up very well. They play very good defense but their offense is incredibly suspect and they won't stay in any game that becomes an uptempo shootout.

Gasol matches up very favorably with Rasheed Wallace. Ditto with Odom and McDyess. Derek Fisher doesn't have to worry about a gimped Chauncey Billups' speed. Kobe will have his way with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun prince has an edge over Radmonovic/Walton.

You don't have to look too far back to see the Pistons aren't playing consistently. They lost games to the lowly, lowly Sixers. They had a good but not great series against a 3-happy Magic team. They've been up and down against Boston. I don't see any mark of consistency here. If you herald their defense so highly, then the only explanation must be they are suffering on offense. This is something that plays to the Lakers strengths, especially considering they're playing the VERY physical San Antonio Spurs right now and hold a 3-1 edge.

If the Pistons and Lakers meet in the finals, which they won't because Boston will end up winning the series, the biggest contributors the Pistons will have will be Maxiell and McDyess. The Lakers have historically had problems with big, high energy guys who like to tussle for rebounds. Not Billups, not 'Sheed, not Hamilton because they'll be too inconsistent. The Lakers defense has been overlooked but they've all but made last year's finals MVP, Tony Parker, a bystander to his team's destruction.

[IsiliRunite]

I don't hold the San Antonio Spurs, so when you beat either of the Eastern Conference teams I will buy into that school of thought. It seems reasonable, but I am not sure I believe it just yet

[cured]

Well there are only 2 good eastern conference teams to begin with, the rest are complete garbage. The western conference was absolutely loaded and the #8 seed, the Denver Nuggets, could be playing in the eastern conference finals right now.

What I want people to look at is Kevin Garnett late in the 4th quarter. The knock on him is that he's been unwilling to take the big shots at the end of games and he missed two or three times at the end that gave Detroit a chance to get back in the game. You'd also see that when the Celtics get hot, they're near impossible to stop. Detroit looked dead in the water in the 3rd quarter but Boston got stagnant, lost their killer instinct, and let a road team get back in the game.

You may not hold the Spurs highly but historically they're one of the best second half and postseason teams in the NBA this decade. Credit the lakers for taking the Spurs players out of their rhythm and forcing them to do things they don't like to do. They did the same thing agaisnt Denver and Utah, which a few thought would eventually win the western conference.

Also, don't discount the Lakers if they get a win tonight. Tonight is Thursday and the NBA finals start next Wednesday. That's a lot of rest for a team that thrives on energy.

[IsiliRunite]

Keep in mind that KG does not need to be clutch if Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, clutch usually, are playing good basketball. I don't think any team is getting swept in the Finals, I think its going to be a good series, but I do think both east conference teams will be able to slow down the pace of the game enough to throw off the Lakers.

All of the big three were alive and well last night, and expect that to be the tone of their performance in the finals. If you think the Lakers can handle the Celtics we saw last night, well there you go...

You better hope Kobe doesn't forget fundamentals like running out the shot clock with seconds left in the game, again :)

[cured]

The Celtics didn't play that great of a game, though. Perkins kept them in it in the first half, along with Detroit lulling themselves to sleep on offense. It was the third quarter that really showed the Celtics at full strength. But then again, up 17, how do you let a team that is so far out of the game they aren't even in the same zip code come all the way back and have a chance to win at the end of the game? Simple reason: they lost focus, got a little tired (they kept the same guys in), and made some mental mistakes.

The clutch moments are important and Ray Allen isn't that guy anymore. If you can stay in front of him, his ability to get to the basket isn't anywhere near what Pierce's is. He becomes very one-dimensional in that sense.

Nobody will get swept in the finals but, judging the playoffs, the Celtics haven't shown the killer instinct that would make them the runaway favorite to win the finals. They got taken to 7 by the freakin' Atlanta Hawks. C'mon, man. They got taken to 7 by the Cavs, which is barely, barely more forgivable. They're probably going 7 against the Pistons and there is no guarantee they'll emerge from that with how they've played in the 4th quarter or the last two games.

[galama]

I hate SA and i was hoping really hard they'll get owned by NO but :(

at this point...go Celtics. They deserve it.

[chuck]

One half of the dream Final series sorted.

I never thought I'd say it - but Kobe is actually realising the value of having 4 other players on the court. I mean - he still sinks 39 in the clinching game - but he's finally grown up a little.