NBA Playoffs

[Neroon]

The issue was that two Suns players were suspended for leaving the bench, and I think Nash was injured and did not play the next game (Horry was also suspended). So basically the flagrant foul cost Phoenix 3 players, and San Antonio 1.

Okay, after seeing that clip, I remember it well. And yeah, no wonder thought something fishy was going on. But your later recollection of the LA/SAC series was one of the worst I've ever seen. AWESOME series overall, one of the best ever, but that game 7 marred it. Generally, I am not a "the refs are fixing the game" conspiracy theorist, but with game slike those two it' sno wonder folks get that way.

It's easy: LeBron thinks they can win two if he just "turns it on".

Either that or he just doesn't care, and will wait until next year on a different team...

I agree with the former.

As to the latter, mark it down now - WHEN Cleveland loses to Boston in this series, Mike Brown will be fired by next Wednesday, and LeBron will still be with the Cavs next season

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

^I'm especially rooting against them after the 'Los Suns' fiasco.

Nothing to do with the politics of it but does anyone else think that "Los Suns" is painfully stupid. It should be "Los Soles." Come on, if you're gonna go Spanish, go all the way!

The media loves to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan, but MJ never crapped the bed like this. Especially not in the Playoffs.

"But LeBron's shoulder is hurt," some may protest.

Kevin McHale played the 1987 Playoffs with a broken foot, and the Celtics went to the Finals. Isiah Thomas set an NBA Finals record for points in a quarter playing on a sprained ankle in 1988. Larry Bird had his Willis Reed moment in the '91 Playoffs, when he played with an injured back and willed the Celtics to a first-round victory. Jordan played the 1993 Playoffs with an injured wrist and won a 3rd straight championship. And who could forget the Flu Game?

And then you've got Steve Nash carrying the Suns to victory in that last game against the Spurs despite suffering a mid-game injury that made his right eye swell totally shut.

I say bring on the Lakers! They may have talent, but Nash is on fire right now. And when he's not, it looks like Goran Dragic is coming into his own, scoring 20 points in the 4th quarter of game 3 against the Spurs.

The issue was that two Suns players were suspended for leaving the bench, and I think Nash was injured and did not play the next game (Horry was also suspended). So basically the flagrant foul cost Phoenix 3 players, and San Antonio 1.

Exactly. Plus, Nash & Stoudemire were the biggest stars the Suns had, while Horry was basically a scrub player for the Spurs. With one moment of bad sportsmanship, the Spurs were able to cripple the Suns while losing nothing of comparable value. I understand the NBA's desire to keep a firm prohibition of players leaving the bench, but I think the suspensions should have been commuted to the beginning of the following regular season. Otherwise, it's too easy for the Spurs to benefit from inciting an incident like that in order to manipulate the remainder of the series.

 

[Borgminister]

Oh no doubt Brown will be gone, since he's not the greatest coach for that team, but Lebron forgoing the bright city lights?

Not sure about that, given his love of the limelight. Be a shame for Cleveland if he left, that's for sure...

 

[Neroon]

Oh no doubt Brown will be gone, since he's not the greatest coach for that team, but Lebron forgoing the bright city lights?

Not sure about that, given his love of the limelight.

The bright lights where there's going to be a horrendous amount of rebuilding, making it even longer until he wins a championship.
Knicks, Nets, Wizards - the teams I keep hearing mentioned the most - all are in desperate straits.

Then again I can see the Cavs themselves being blown up this off-season.

Be a shame for Cleveland if he left, that's for sure...

No kidding. I am no city of Cleveland fan but many are friends, and man...... a city that has gone so long without any kind of championship..... sheesh.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

I think Mike Brown is one of the worst coaches in the NBA. The only play he ever runs is "Give the ball to LeBron and get out of the way". And it's very obvious that LeBron wears the pants in their relationship.

 

[1001001]

But your later recollection of the LA/SAC series was one of the worst I've ever seen. AWESOME series overall, one of the best ever, but that game 7 marred it. Generally, I am not a "the refs are fixing the game" conspiracy theorist, but with game slike those two it' sno wonder folks get that way.

Do you mean game 6? That was the crazy one where the Lakers caught up by shooting free throws all 4th quarter. That was very suspicious.

But the whole series was amazing. Sacramento trying to poison Kobe before Game 2. Horry's unbelievable shot to win Game 4.

And of course, Game 7 was one of the best playoff games ever. Maybe one of the best basketball games ever.

Considering that the Lakers plowed through the Nets 4-0 in the finals, the Sacramento Series was really the Championship series that year.

What made it all the more sweet was the fact I was living in Sacramento at the time. Boy was I popular!

 

[Dorian Thompson]

No mystery about LeBron. He wants to leave. He didn't have a bad game. He quit. What a bum.

 

[Borgminister]

He's got zero character.

 

[Neroon]

That's rather premature, don't you think? Based on only one incident, albeit a terribly significant one. A guy with no character wouldn't be carrying the team the way LeBron has the past couple of seasons. He's no bum. What he appears to have done is unconscionable but it's generating some rather nasty overreacting amongst some of the Cavaliers fanbase. I'm not making excuses, but at the same time I'm also not tossing the guy out on his can either.

 

[SmoothieX]

I can't stand most things Boston and can't wait to move from here, but right now, let's go Celtics!!!!

 

[SmoothieX]

YYYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Orlando!

Also, fuck the Jets.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The Curse of Craig Ehlo lives on.

 

[SmoothieX]

Those "New York Knicks" chants in Boston last night were priceless.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Those "New York Knicks" chants in Boston last night were priceless.

Yeah, that was great. When LeGone went to the line, I remember thinking "If I was at that game, I'd be chanting 'New York Knicks' right now. And then they started doing it.

 

[Neroon]

Well, that was anti-climactic. And yeah, the Cavs fired Mike Brown, which probably had to be done.
ETA: Or was he?


This next round will be fascinating to watch. Orlando has had a layoff, but they were playing SO well prior that I don't know how much difference it will make. Boston has been playing their best ball of the entire season. Both teams are veteran enough...... really hard to pick that series.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Well, that was anti-climactic. And yeah, the Cavs fired Mike Brown, which probably had to be done.
ETA: Or was he?

The owner says he's standing pat for now. Probably a good move, they should at least take the time to evaluate things and make a thoughtful decision . . . to fire Mike Brown. Because that guy is the Adam Morrison of coaching! He needs to go be the defensive assistant on the staff of a head coach who's actually good at his job. Also, Bill Simmons speculates that LeGone's camp will insist that Brown and Ferry be fired before they even discuss returning to Cleveland.

This next round will be fascinating to watch. Orlando has had a layoff, but they were playing SO well prior that I don't know how much difference it will make. Boston has been playing their best ball of the entire season. Both teams are veteran enough...... really hard to pick that series.

Definitely. It's going to be a great series, and I can't even begin to guess who will win. You really can't use last year's series as a guide because there's been too much change in personnel. It's going to be a fun ride.

 

[SmoothieX]

Those "New York Knicks" chants in Boston last night were priceless.

Yeah, that was great. When LeGone went to the line, I remember thinking "If I was at that game, I'd be chanting 'New York Knicks' right now. And then they started doing it.

I grew up in NY. When I got into hoops in the early 90's, it was a great time for basketball in NYC. Playoff runs every year, rivalries with the Bulls, Pacers, and Heat, MSG rocking, etc.

I've got a soft spot for them still even though I've stopped watching them because of how messed up they've been the past 10 years. I hope they get LeBron.

That was fun to hear last night.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

I grew up in NY. When I got into hoops in the early 90's, it was a great time for basketball in NYC. Playoff runs every year, rivalries with the Bulls, Pacers, and Heat, MSG rocking, etc.

I've got a soft spot for them still even though I've stopped watching them because of how messed up they've been the past 10 years. I hope they get LeBron.

That was fun to hear last night.

I'm a diehard Bulls fan, so of course I hated those Knick teams, but NY deserves to have a good team. It's absolutely criminal that the greatest arena on Earth is home to a team that's been worse than the Memphis Grizzlies. My gut tells me LeBron won't end up there, because Dwayne Wade is the only other "clutch" player on the free agent market this year and it really looks like he'll stay in Miami. Meaning that only chokers like Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh would be available to come to NYC with LeBron, and the resulting team would be worse than the Cavs are now.

But I hope that Donnie Walsh can build the Knicks into a contender again.

 

[SmoothieX]

Those Bulls teams weren't my favorites either...

Though one of the things on my sports bucket list is to watch the player intro to a Bulls playoff game one day. They do it right.

I'd also rather not see the Bulls mired as the 7th or 8th seed every year.

The NBA is better off when those two marquee teams are good.

 

[gblews]

I'd also rather not see the Bulls mired as the 7th or 8th seed every year.

The NBA is better off when those two marquee teams are good.

The Bulls as a 7th or 8th seed or not in the playoffs at all is more the NBA norm than anything else. The Bulls had a great 6 - 8 season run during the Jordan/Jackson/Pippen years. The Bulls before Jordan/Pippen/Jackson were an also ran. The Bulls since then have been an also ran.

The Jordan years were kind of a fluke for the Bulls' franchise. Things are back to "normal" now.