(2011)-2012 NBA Season

[1001001]

Good grief....

I'm glad the Lakers won, but to be pushed deep into game 7 by the Nuggets does not bode well.

With Kobe getting better and World Peace back, at least we'll be at full strength against OKC.

Gasol was a monster last night. 5 offensive rebounds on one play. Don't tell me he's soft!

 

[Borgminister]

Be interesting to see which team shows up for OKC.

Also, it'll be interesting to see of OKC's basketball IQ has grown sufficiently to hang with the Mr. Hyde Lakers.

Dr. Jekyll would be dispatched in 5.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Gasol was a monster last night. 5 offensive rebounds on one play. Don't tell me he's soft!

If you have to be publicly embarrassed by your higher profile teammate to care enough to make an effort, you're soft.

Mr. Hyde will be dispatched in six games. Possibly five. If Artest gives another concussion, Mr. Hyde wins. I don't trust him not to do so in the heat of the moment. He's nuts. My Thunder are well rested, healthy, and anxious to play. They'll be fine. The Laker faithful are already spouting on twitter and in the press that the Thunder is doomed because Artest is back in the lineup. All that does is provide extra motivation for the Thunder, and they have Fisher to help give inside info. James' feelings aren't hurt that Metta has declared "he doesn't shake hands with substitutes." God, what a self important tool.

Yes, they have the basketball IQ to hang with the Lakers. They're more talented. They'll hang just fine and then some.

 

[tomalak301]

It more than likely won't happen, but I would love to see the Lakers and Clippers in the WCF, as well as the Kings still in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That scheduling will be fun if that happens.

 

[1001001]

Gasol was a monster last night. 5 offensive rebounds on one play. Don't tell me he's soft!

If you have to be publicly embarrassed by your higher profile teammate to care enough to make an effort, you're soft.

You edited out the smilie. I was not being serious. Gasol had a very good game though. I'd like to see that consistently.

Mr. Hyde will be dispatched in six games. Possibly five. If Artest gives another concussion, Mr. Hyde wins. I don't trust him not to do so in the heat of the moment. He's nuts.

I think (hope) he'll behave. And yes, he's nuts.

My Thunder are well rested, healthy, and anxious to play. They'll be fine.

I think the Lakers can win the series, but probably won't.

The Laker faithful are already spouting on twitter and in the press that the Thunder is doomed because Artest is back in the lineup.

All teams have dumb fans who spout stuff. I'm sure OKC is no exception.

All that does is provide extra motivation for the Thunder...

Do they really need extra motivation going into a second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers? Maybe they're soft?



Best of luck. Although I'm sure we'll need it more than you.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

It's copacetic. You needed two smileys for the Gasol praise, dude. Tis baffling. Seriously, what was up with him and Bynum in game six? I still can't fathom their lack of urgency that game. Why not get it done so you can rest?

Then again, if they take OKC as seriously as they took Denver in that game and make corresponding effort......aaaaahhhh.... Perhaps I shouldn't be so tough on Messieurs Gasol and Bynum.

I'm still gonna bitch at World Peace at my pleasure, though. The dude just chaps my hide to the bone. I hope there isn't a confrontation. You know the crowd is going to be on him mercilessly. I'm sure he was just posturing for Conan and I know the press likes to build things up to start controversy, but still....what it up with that nutty guy? He needs to keep that chemical imbalance in check. If he tries anything else, it could get ugly. I hope that doesn't happen.

I agree, the Lakers can win. I'd never be so dumb as to assume otherwise, but I can't imagine the Thunder not being ready to play.

 

[Thestral]

Gasol was a monster last night. 5 offensive rebounds on one play. Don't tell me he's soft!

Tired of getting shown up by his little brother?

 

[gblews]

Come to us in Oklahoma City Monday night, Lakers. James and company eagerly await your arrival. Most eagerly. Hope you didn't get too tuckered out.

Winning game 1 on the road only two today's after playing an emotional game 7 will be a tall order. If my team were the ones waiting, I'd feel pretty good too. But fortunately, it's only game 1. Game 2 will be the important game between the first 2.

This Lakers team is different from the one we saw most of the regular season. Jordan Hill has been giving us off the bench what we lacked when Lamar was traded, double doubles and low post defense. I know the Thunder and their fans are going to on fire about Metta and that motivation should manifest itself on court in the form of energy. But the Lakers might also have a psychological card to play; this group has never gone into a semi-finals series as decided underdogs.

Should be an interesting series regardless of the game 1 outcome.

The Clips showed why it is nearly impossible to overcome a 3-1 deficit, it is extremely difficult to beat an NBA team 3 times in a row unless one team is head and shoulders better than the other.

 

[gblews]

If you have to be publicly embarrassed by your higher profile teammate to care enough to make an effort, you're soft.

Well, it's like I tell my buddy from Philly --diehard 6er fan-- when he calls Gasol soft; soft apparentely doesn't mean much. Certainly doesn't stop you from winning championships, does it? So really, who cares of Gasol is soft. Let him be soft, my question will always be; are we hanging a flag this year or not?

James' feelings aren't hurt that Metta has declared "he doesn't shake hands with substitutes." God, what a self important tool.

People have really gone off the deep end with this World-Peace thing. How many NBA games have you seen where the starters shake hands with the subs who enter the game? So funny. The media throws out some irrelevant bait and the less knowledgeable fans start tearing it apart like rabid dogs.

It's copacetic. You needed two smileys for the Gasol praise, dude. Tis baffling. Seriously, what was up with him and Bynum in game six? I still can't fathom their lack of urgency that game. Why not get it done so you can rest?

The Lakers were 12-1 in elimination games going into game 6 against Denver. There isn't a team in the league with a better record than that. I could make an argument that the law of averages simply caught up to the Lakers because all evidence points to them knowing exactly what to do in these types of games.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

The Lakers were 12-1 in elimination games going into game 6 against Denver. There isn't a team in the league with a better record than that

Not this Laker team. Not these particular individuals. Don't get me wrong. I hope the Lakers come to Chesapeake Arena with exactly the same fervor and determination they showed in the Denver series; the Thunder will dismantle them. You're going on the road to start this time; the crowd isn't going to be on Saint World Peace's side tomorrow evening. Perkins is back in practice today. Brooks has made a point of not letting them lay back and rust. He's been working them hard with strenuous workouts every day. They're ready to go. If the Lakers have to hang their hats on World Peace to save this series, not boding well doesn't begin to cover it.

I'd rather be the Thunder and not get to the elimination game. They haven't played 12 elimination games in the playoffs; they haven't existed long enough. Not the Thunder--and the Supersonics are no more relevant to the present than the past Lakers teams are. I'm not carrying a broom. That would be presumptious, but I'm not nervous. Not after the Denver series. Just be mellow there, Gasol and Bynum. Be nice and mellow.

 

[Borgminister]

If LA played LA, I'd miss the "BEAT LA" chants...

 

[Alidar Jarok]

That would be amusing, though.

On a side note, the 1982 Beat LA chant was one of the best moments in sports, imo. It happened during game 7 in a Sixers-Celtics game. The intensity of that rivalry went back to Wilt-Russell. But when it became clear the Celtics were going to lose, the Boston fans put aside old rivalries to deal with the new. Unfortunately, it wasn't entirely storybook since the Lakers did indeed win that year. The Sixers did sweep the Lakers the next year, but we didn't go through Boston to do it.

I think it loses some value when every team starts doing the chants, though. IMO, the Celtics and the Sixers are the only ones allowed to use it.

 

[gblews]

The Lakers were 12-1 in elimination games going into game 6 against Denver. There isn't a team in the league with a better record than that

Not this Laker team. Not these particular individuals.

No, Kobe is the only Laker who has been around for all 12 of the 12-1 record. But the Lakers' core, Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, and World-Peace, were probably 4 or 5 and 1 in eliminaion games going into game 6 against Denver and one of those elimination games was in the NBA Finals.

I'd rather be the Thunder and not get to the elimination game.

You've misunderstood what an "elimination game" is. It is generally defined as the first opportunity to close out an opponent prior to the final game of a playoff series. Game 6 gainst Denver for the Lakers was an "elimination game" -- meaning the first opportunity they had to win the series prior to game 7. A team wants "elimination games".

That would be amusing, though.

On a side note, the 1982 Beat LA chant was one of the best moments in sports, imo. It happened during game 7 in a Sixers-Celtics game. The intensity of that rivalry went back to Wilt-Russell. But when it became clear the Celtics were going to lose, the Boston fans put aside old rivalries to deal with the new. Unfortunately, it wasn't entirely storybook since the Lakers did indeed win that year. The Sixers did sweep the Lakers the next year, but we didn't go through Boston to do it.

I think it loses some value when every team starts doing the chants, though. IMO, the Celtics and the Sixers are the only ones allowed to use it.

It really is a Philly-Boston-L.A. thing, isn't it. So you can probably understand my irritation over this past week-end hearing the Memphis fans (Memphis, who has been in the NBA what, 15 minutes or so?) chanting "Beat L.A." at the frigging Clippers.

The Sixer/Celt fans earned their right to exclusivity by inventing it, and the Lakers earned it's right to exclusivity by kicking ass all over the league.

I wanted to lodge an official protest.

BTW, the L.A. response to Boston fans chanting "Beat L.A." is "Boston Sucks". Classy, huh?

 

[Dorian Thompson]

My dog keeps begging to go outside and poop. My doggie baby sitter fed her hot dogs all day. That being said, checking the half time score of the current relevant game--that'll work for me. Not too much rust.

Now keep your damn feet on Kobe's throat.

EDIT--Nooooooo, Perkins.... I hope that's just a minor ache and pain and precaution. It's long term that I worry about. We need that big body of his.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Okay, dispatched the Lakers easily by 29. I can deal with that. Perk didn't damage anything is the word here. It's not his groin; his hip tightened up but no reason to send him back in with the game under control. He'll need some more treatment on that hip tomorrow. Hope he's okay.

 

[1001001]

I hate to say, I'm not surprised at all.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

I am. I thought it would be more competitive. Thabo really messed with Kobe, made him take some bad shots. Still--wow. I wasn't expecting such a beat down. I'll happily take it, but I thought it would be close. It'll be closer Wednesday, especially if Perk is hampered. Brooks said post game that they could have put him back in tonight in a pinch if the score narrowed, so he isn't hurt too badly, but his range of motion is affected because the hip's still tender. Gasol and Bynum combined for a decent amount of points and rebounds tonight.

 

[gblews]

Wow, that was nasty. Reminded me a bit of the Memorial Day massacre some years ago, heh heh. Thunder did what they needed to, push it as much as possible on a team that wasn't ready to play. Good for them, that's what a team should do in these situations.

So, not a surprise. But the Lakers' mission is unchanged despite the margin of victory for OKC, that is, get one win in Oklahoma City. If they do, we're back in it -- but if they lose, 0-2 is a deep deep hole. Not impossible, but very difficult.

 

[Borgminister]

If the Clips don't advance against these Spurs, watch out next year. Great character, minus the flopping...

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Flopping? Paul and Griffin flopping? They never flop. Those are gen-u-ine charging fouls. They knock those poor frail little boys over, they do.

God damn, the Lakers sure snatched defeat from the jaws of victory tonight. They redefined the process. Did everything right except win. Made the Thunder play at the Lakers' pace. Got Harden and Sefalosha called with 3 fouls much earlier than they should have, which hurt the Thunder offense and defense big time. Turned them into whiny, ineffectual turnover prone princesses who couldn't shoot worth a damn. Classic, last two weeks of the season Thunder.

Too bad Kobe couldn't hold on to the basketball for those last 2 possessions late in the fourth. The turnovers weren't exactly his fault, but, more or less.....

Kamenetzky over at espn.com summarized it the best: The Lakers forced the Thunder into multiple turnovers; they established Bynum as a presence inside and they kept a lid on the phenomenal Russell Westbrook....and they still lost.

And still I can't crow too much. I won't tempt fate because the one team that can beat the Thunder resoundingly is still out there, our nemesis San Antonio. Sob. God damn San Antonio and their bench.