2008/2009 NBA Playoffs

busted flush

Mavs win tonight. Dirk keeps beating the spread and i keep taking the money , i scooped a little over 3k tonight on the german/ dallas mavonian, get in there!

phil

busted flush wrote: »

Hey did any of you guys hear the latest on Dirk, apparently the cops arrested his girlfriend when he was up in Denver during the week . She is a griffter and wanted in 2/3 states on a series of charges. Apperantly Dirk tipped of the cops before he went up to the game as he had a pi do a trace on her when she gave him conflicting sur names! Now she is in custody and has released a statment claiming she is pregnant. Dirk looked like a broken man at his press confrence yesterday. Denver to prevail now for def espically with Howards ankle fooked too! Im putting a healthy size bet on the Nuggets for tomorrows game, even though im a Dallas fan!

Yeh I saw this, this morning and was about to post to hold your money, wouldn't be the first time that a great player has come out and demolished another team through personal turmoil. Then I realised they were playing & checked the score:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=Aral.XoPuGtG2ES7kyZthMq8vLYF?gid=2009051106&prov=ap

It's like a soap opera this year... Mark Cuban after the Mavs / Nuggets game telling Kenyon Martin that her son is a thug & a punk ... haha

Phil.

Sea Devils

I expect an offensive barrage from the Lakers early tonight. Very similar to the one that the Rockets put on them in Game 4. Kobe will be more aggressive than he was in Game 2.

Bynum will be key. If he can stay out of foul trouble and run the floor a bit, he can provide something that the Rockets have yet to see in this series. But if he continues to be a head case, the Lakers need to come off the bench with Mbenga (for a few). If only to create havoc in the lane, hustle, and set picks.

Houston will stick to their up-tempo game & motion offense, along with their collapsing defense on the other end. Until the Laker perimeter guys prove that they can connect on their open looks, Houston will continue to trap, strip, hack, and strongly contest the Laker post men and slashers. Ariza (where has he been?), Fisher (needs to re-focus & re-adjust to the tempo of this series), Farmar (good series, so far), and Vujacic (awful) need to make Houston defenders pay for being so physical in the lane.

busted flush

kobe is carrying an injury and might not play. Not official yet though.

eagle eye

busted flush wrote: »

Mavs win tonight. Dirk keeps beating the spread and i keep taking the money , i scooped a little over 3k tonight on the german/ dallas mavonian, get in there!

I watched both games last night. Cavs could have won by a lot more, an off colour LeBron only had 27 points last night I think, but was a beat on defense. Their free throw shooting was very poor.

As for the late game well all I have to say is way to blow a game. The Nuggets got up by 10 twice and stupidly let the Mavs back in. It was down to silly plays on the floor, I'd imagine Karl was not a happy man with his troops afterwards.

Sea Devils

Wow that was an epic choke by the Magic

Lafortezza

Big Baby Davis isolation posting up on DHoward is just ridiculous. Boston look like they will take the series now, just to be destroyed by the Cavs. So unlucky they couldn't have Garnett healthy to make it slightly interesting.

eagle eye

lafortezza wrote: »

Big Baby Davis isolation posting up on DHoward is just ridiculous. Boston look like they will take the series now, just to be destroyed by the Cavs. So unlucky they couldn't have Garnett healthy to make it slightly interesting.

Yeah I couldn't believe my eyes, Davis was unbelievable last night. I was certain for three and half quarters that we were going to lose last night, we fell behind and everytime we got it back to four points they came back and scored and then we turned the ball right back over to them. Ray Allen was having a nightmare, Rondo couldn't score to save his life, only for Pierce and Davis it could have been all done and dusted by half time.

I just can't believe how Davis has come to life in the last two games, he was even good at the line last night and his jumpers all went. The comeback was unbelievable, we were down by 14 at one stage but 11 late in the game.

I watched three quarters of the Lakers/Rockets, the result was certain at that stage. Kobe was on fire but it was all about the Rockets having no way to protect against Gasol, he posted up on either side and it gave Kobe a free run to the basket, if they went for Kobe the ball went through to Pau and he scored. The interesting thing last night is that the out of form Derek Fisher seems to be losing his spot to Jordan Farmar, he came in early last night and played very well again. Although Fisher did start I feel he will be relegated to the bench now with the way Farmar is playing.

Sea Devils

Sea Devils wrote: »

Wow that was an epic choke by the Magic

To follow up on this I don't really understand Van Gundy's gameplan at the end. There was too much one on one ball not enough ball movement and you've got to run something. Something to Dwight Howard. At least put him in the position to score some buckets and nothing of the Skip desperation sort. I understand they shoot the 3 well, but they take way too many 3's for a team trying to maintain a lead. Droughts like the one last night are what prevent them from being serious title contenders.

There were no excuses for them blowing that type of lead late on but that Rondo airball call was a major blown call IMO. Horrible call by the Refs.

I also don't know if I can say the Cavs will destroy them . There's just something about this years Celtics that you can never count out.

Sea Devils

No point being surprised by the Rockets anymore. About 5 minutes in I knew they would win. After taking a 40 point beating, most teams would have packed it in, but they came out and dominated this game from the opening tip. Pau took his softness to a whole new level last night. Phil actually outcoached himself. They ran five plays in a row with Brooks and Hayes running a Pick and Roll and there were no adjustments and they never figured it out.

There's now more pressure on the Lakers in game 7 then there is with the Celtics IMO even though Boston probably should have won last night.

jimmay

Wow 2 game sevens coming up, nice one!...I know what I'm doing sunday...and it isn't my project for college!

What Seadevils said about the Rockets coming back was true and great to see but don't forget the Lakers already did that in this series, I think game 5 after being blown out in game 4. I hope they don't do it again and the Rockets progress. It would be great for them considering their two franchise players are out! Is it just me or is Yao Ming boring to watch play?

Gonna be a great Celts v Magic game. Again if what Sea Devils said before was the case about the Celts should of won game 6 (I don't agree, I think when it got late the Celts were never gonna actually win it) then Magic should have won games 5 and I think it was 4 aswell.

Eitherway potentially great games
My heart - Magic and Rockers
My noggin - Home teams

eagle eye

Sea Devils wrote: »

No point being surprised by the Rockets anymore. About 5 minutes in I knew they would win. After taking a 40 point beating, most teams would have packed it in, but they came out and dominated this game from the opening tip. Pau took his softness to a whole new level last night. Phil actually outcoached himself. They ran five plays in a row with Brooks and Hayes running a Pick and Roll and there were no adjustments and they never figured it out.

There's now more pressure on the Lakers in game 7 then there is with the Celtics IMO even though Boston probably should have won last night.

The Celtics did throw it away last night, they had things working fine and the double team on Pierce was being countered by having Rondo just inside him but then they forgot about that and tried different things and gave Pierce the ball in postions where they could even shut down his passing options. I really thought it had as much to do with the Celtics as the improvement on defence of the Magic. I was gutted after it was over.

The Lakers were terrible last night apart from one patch where they got it down to four. Explain to me how you finish a quarter six behind and leave Kobe on the bench at the start of the fourth? That sounds like suicide to me, he was a huge part of getting them back into the game and he should have been on the floor to try and level it up and then you can take him out and give him another breather.

Kinetic^

Ffs, no work till monday and there's no game till Sunday. The joys of the playoffs!

Sea Devils

jimmay wrote: »

Gonna be a great Celts v Magic game. Again if what Sea Devils said before was the case about the Celts should of won game 6 (I don't agree,

Sorry but the Celtics should have won. The Magic weren't knocking down anything from outside and they looked like a team ready to feature on TNTs gone fishing segment especially after Boston had a 10 point lead at one point. However Orlando did a good job defending Pierce & Allen. Ray didn’t get the clean looks or screens he needs. Both should have gone to the rack more in the 2nd half.

I think the problem with the Celtics is the Defense. Obviously it doesn't help that Garnett, Posey and Powe (their three key frontcourt players from last season) are either injured or departed but they knew the scheme and bought hustle in ways that made the Offense score easy baskets. Now even though their is a lot of heart shown by the likes of Perkins, Davis etc it can't apply the lockdown Defense that last years had. Obviously the Ray Allen Shooting slump doesn't help either

I think Boston takes game 7 but like anything Celtics related the last few years it won't be easy.

The Lakers were terrible last night apart from one patch where they got it down to four. Explain to me how you finish a quarter six behind and leave Kobe on the bench at the start of the fourth? That sounds like suicide to me, he was a huge part of getting them back into the game and he should have been on the floor to try and level it up and then you can take him out and give him another breather.

Don't think it helps either that Gasol is basically getting manhandled by Scola and Landry I knew Landry was a beast and he's outworking their two seven footers. And Brooks... wow. I knew the kid was going to ball despite his size, but who would of thought all it took was getting rid of Alston and handing him the reigns. Even though I think the Lakers will win tommorow, the Rockets have made everyone open their eyes that the Lakers are more vulnerable in the playoffs than in the regular season

applehunter

It's a kind of Magic!!!

D12 to bully Boston again tonight.

eagle eye

Bad first half for the Celtics, Rondo is not up to his usual and they are concentrating defensively on Pierce and it is the way to go, everything goes through him it seems over the last couple of games. I just have a feeling though that Doc Rivers will come up with a way to beat them in the second half. Ray Allen has kept us in it, we were down by 14 at one stage in the first half, seven down now hopefully we con do it.

Sea Devils

Celtics lucky to be down single digits. Pierce/Davis/Rondo have done nothing.

eagle eye

Well a little better there but not enough on the offensive end to make it pay. Eddie House has been very quiet when he has been in, its going to be very close now I'd imagine. Heres hoping they all get scoring in the fourth or we are out.

eagle eye

The Champs are dead, long live the new champs(well until next year).

Very disappointing fourth quarter, Magic opened with a 10-0 run to kill us. We never got back into it. Turkoglu destroyed us in the fourth, he was brilliant.

I predicted at the start that Cleveland would win this and I would be surprised if they had lost two by the time the Eastern Conference finals came round. I think they win the Conference easy now.

I thought the Spurs would beat the Mavericks and then the Nuggets. I said I expected the Lakers to beat anybody but the Nuggets. I'm sticking with that now and I'll go for the Nuggets to beat the Lakers.

Kinetic^

No surprise that the celtics lost tbh. Bit sad to see the rockets go but I reckon the nuggets can take care of them. I can't see anything but cleveland win overall.

Lafortezza

Cavs to sweep Orlando, Lakers over the Nuggets 4-2 imo.

Tim131

Sad that Celtics lost (they're my team, love them, always have, always will) though I am happy that Orlando get a shot a the series!

I'm going to game 6 in Orlando on the 30th *prays there will be a game 6*

It's pretty much King James vs Superman, and lets face it, the only person King James fears is the superman, any other person KJ will run right through em, Howard stops him dead in his tracks. Will be an interesting few games fo sho!

jimmay

Tim131 wrote: »

Sad that Celtics lost (they're my team, love them, always have, always will) though I am happy that Orlando get a shot a the series!

I'm going to game 6 in Orlando on the 30th *prays there will be a game 6*

It's pretty much King James vs Superman, and lets face it, the only person King James fears is the superman, any other person KJ will run right through em, Howard stops him dead in his tracks. Will be an interesting few games fo sho!

Wow so jealous! If this goes 7 games I'll have a stroke - I love these two teams. Gonna be some series!
You'd have to see Cavs winning first 2 at home and then Magic will have to be on top form not to lose game 3 or 4.
Cavs in 5, 6 if your a lucky (ahem lil' bastard);)

eagle eye

Well just watched the first game in the Lakers/Nuggets series and the Lakers get it done right at the end.
Carmello Anthony was superb tonight, that best player on the floor and he did a great job on Kobe defensively for a lot of the game. J R Smith was not his usual self or this one would have been over early. Chauncey was not great either, don't get me wrong he did well but sometimes he makes those headless mistakes when you just know you should be taking time off the clock instead of going for a tough basket. What is clear is that Denver have a lot of playmakers. I think this will get them through this series.

Still the Lakers did get it done with some great work when it mattered. Kobe Bryant would have been over 50 on any other night but Carmello did a very good job on him, he still scored 40. The most important thing tonight though was that Derek Fisher finally got scoring again. He started off badly but at the very end of the first half he drained a buzzer beating 3 pointer, and got another critical 3 pointer when the Lakers were 7 down in the fourth. He also got another a crucial 2 pointer late in the fourth.

One thing I have to say about this one, there were a couple of questionable calls by the officials in favour of the Lakers near the end. One was a loose ball that was gathered clearly by Chris Anderson looking for a timeout but a jump ball was called. That ended up with Odom winning the jump and the Lakers going down the court and scoring. Then there was a foul called on Nene which put him out of the game, now he was fouling before the ball came but he was not called for that and instead called for a shooting foul which didn't happen imo. I know about home court advantage and all that but I think these two calls actually had a huge bearing on the outcome of the game. There were a couple of others as well that I can't think of right now. It annoys me when that happens.

I think its going to be a great series though. Its going to six at least and I still beleive that the Nuggets will do it.

Sea Devils

Just some quick thoughts

Karl JR Smith gets hot...Karl takes him out and plays Anthony Carter for defensive purposes...he gets torched or hacks on every possession down...then he throws an INT into the hands of Ariza...ballgame!. Carter's a good defender, but he's just not big enough to guard Kobe, just as Kobe isn't big enough to guard 'Melo. Can't think what he was doing here

Calls Some of the refs' calls in the first half were atrocious, especially against the Lakers. Things evened out in the second half, and I think they called it more fairly. A lot of Nuggets fans are saying that the refs "rigged the game" for the Lakers, which I find highly amusing given the discrepancy in free throws and the awful calls early on

Toughness. Good toughness and heart shown by the Lakers tonight. Didn't really play well, but still pulled out a win. They were getting physical down low, too, and it was really getting brutal in there - Pau and Nene, Odom and Birdman, Kobe and Melo.

All in all, I feel more confident that the Lakers will win the series after this game. Most of us the experts suggested that the Lakers match up better against Denver than Houston, and I think that's true. Melo and Kenyon Martin were making everything, the Lakers played horribly for much of the game, and they still won. Nuggets fans might point out that Billups missed a lot of shots, but Kobe played excellent D on him and even Fish isn't embarassed as badly by Billups as he is by faster guards like Brooks.

Carcharodon

Celtics losing was no big surprise, no Garnett and Poe also means they were always going to struggle.
I expect the Cavs to beat Orlando, not sure if it will be as easy as their previous games but they have the advantage. Orlando probably have the better team but Cavs have Lebron and he is just playing unreal basketball.
Howard v Lebron, I would be very surprised if Lebron doesn't chew Howard up and spit him out, I just think Howard will probably get in foul trouble early and too easily, he lacks a basketball brain sometimes.
Howard is rated as the best center, I feel he should be producing a lot more to earn this title, he makes some big dunks but doesn't score enough in my opinion.
Yao Ming scores more and is probably only a couple of rebounds behind him, he might not block as much but his presence and height alone make players change shots.

After watching Lakers v Nuggets, I still think the Nuggets will win. I think they have too much firepower and as the series goes on I think they will show more toughness.
Carter on Kobe was a bit baffling as said already, he is just too small to mark him.
Couple of poor calls alright, home court and all i suppose, Anderson jump ball kind of annoyed me but what can you do.

Stab*City

1 zip to Magic!! great game!! im off to bed!

jimmay

Wow WHAT a game it had everything
Great start - Superman bringing down the house,
End of 1st half - Mo Willy with a 3/4 court shot
King James - Career playoff record 49 points!
Then Cavs steal it at the end...no wait a second Orlando steal it back
DAMN!!!

And this was only game 1! Looks like a hell of a series!

eagle eye

I am stunned, the Cavs were all over the Magic in the first half and it was all about preventing them from shooting their 3's but they lost their way in the third quarter after being up by 15 at half time. Fair play to the Magic they got it done but it was a very poor performance from the Cavs offensively with the exception of LeBron who was awesome tonight.

Sea Devils

I still think that Cleveland wins in 7, but it's anything but a sure thing. They're now 1-5 against Orlando & LA