Well. I was not wrong about the Lakers being the favorites, and they were official favorites by 3:1 odds .... me thinks. So, this is a shocker to many. :shocked:
adub2adub wrote:My picks: Lakers over Celtics ... in 5.
Games will be split in Boston with the Lakers sweeping the 3 home games in the middle. At that point, Kobe will finally win a NBA Title without Shaq ... and the Kobe v.s. Jordan debate will officially begin.
Celtics up 3-1! Really now, what the hell?!? I expected game 5 to be the decider only because it would determine who went up 3-2, but now it could really be the last game?
Just when Lamar Odom goes out and makes some shots to try and put the Lakers even, everybody else decides not to show up. At this point, he should be the one getting mad, not Kobe.
And somebody please tell me who the hell gave Ray Allen his knees back.
I think I made the right call going in to work instead of watching Game 4. Now I think I'm close to getting 'sick' again... just in time.
Lakers were up when I checked the score minutes ago, but I'm not watching the game. Last one was a frustrating heartbreaker, so I'm pretty reluctant. Maybe I'll watch the second half, and hopefully the Lakers will actually hold on to a lead.
Even if the Lakers win tonight, it's pretty much delaying the inevitable since no team has come from 3-1 down in the Finals, nor has a team won the last two games on the road. :shakehead:
But honestly folks, the Lakers have had a pretty good season. Last year they ended up going 42-40 (just 2 games ahead of the Clippers :shakehead: ) and Kobe was going off on everybody, demanding a trade, etc. The Lakers big off-season acquistion, , , Derek Fisher! I don't think anybody expected them to win 57 games this year, much less get to the Finals. And as much as I hate to say it, Boston is the better team.
gaijinmark wrote:Kobe was going off on everybody, demanding a trade, etc. The Lakers big off-season acquistion, , , Derek Fisher!
Are you implying Kobe has stopped going off on everybody? He's just toned it down a bit since they've been winning. :shakehead:
Ironically, part of what made getting Fish back so important ... was that he actually provides the leadership to the younger Lakers that Kobe in the past has not.
And as much as I hate to say it, Boston is the better team.
Perhaps, but Lakers still got a great shot for the title ... 2 road wins in Boston is quite realistic. :sweat:
gaijinmark wrote:But honestly folks, the Lakers have had a pretty good season. Last year they ended up going 42-40 (just 2 games ahead of the Clippers :shakehead: ) and Kobe was going off on everybody, demanding a trade, etc. The Lakers big off-season acquistion, , , Derek Fisher! I don't think anybody expected them to win 57 games this year, much less get to the Finals. And as much as I hate to say it, Boston is the better team.
It was great to see D. Fish back in the Laker uniform this year. However, the most important acquisition to the Laker team this year was without a doubt the Gasol trade. If it wasn't for this vital trade I doubt LA would ever have made it into the playoffs yet alone Kobe in a LA uniform! You can beliee dat!
Takoyama wrote: However, the most important acquisition to the Laker team this year was without a doubt the Gasol trade. If it wasn't for this vital trade I doubt LA would ever have made it into the playoffs yet alone Kobe in a LA uniform! You can beliee dat!
But that trade was made AFTER Bynum went down. If the Lakers weren't in 1st place at that time, they were pretty close to it. The point I was trying to make in my previous post was that at the beginning of the year, NOBODY picked the Lakers to win their division, much less get to the finals. All the "experts" were picking either Dallas or San Antonio in the finals from the west. [/list:u]
Didn't watch the game, but from keeping tabs on the score over the 'Net, the Celts seem to have kept it close, all the way up until the final few minutes. There seems to have been some controversial defense, from what I heard.
The Celts have to win the next game, otherwise they won't be able to stand up to a Game 7. With Rondo obviously not at full, and with Perkins out, they don't really have a full lineup if the Lakers decide to grind for both games. As long as probably two other players can give the Big Three some decent points, they can muster up enough for a win.
That said, KG can't carry them. It's already a massive effort for Pierce to keep scoring consistently, but to keep tabs on Kobe as well at the defensive end? That man's a freaking martyr. Maybe he should keep KG in line, since he's come so far already to lose just because their prized acquisition can't take advantage of this matchup, and sometimes looks like a deer in headlights.
gaijinmark wrote:The Lakers big off-season acquistion, , , Derek Fisher!
Yup. :thumbsup:
D-Fish is a great, mature, diplomatic, stabilizing factor for the team... If there's anyone more decent or upstanding on the team, I can't think of him...
I don't think anybody expected them to win 57 games this year, much less get to the Finals. And as much as I hate to say it, Boston is the better team.
Their team D is definitely better... Without Bynum, there isn't any defensive force in the center and Boston is having a field day.
FarOutFreak wrote:Didn't watch the game, but from keeping tabs on the score over the 'Net, the Celts seem to have kept it close, all the way up until the final few minutes. There seems to have been some controversial defense, from what I heard.
Lakers need to be able to put up four solid quarters: in each game they've managed to tank in one of the quarters, the worst being the decisive and momentum-sapping third.
And Kobe need to play all 48 minutes... As the news pointed out, every time he went to the bench to rest, the Celtics made their run.
It's do or die on Tuesday. :sweat: :fingerscrossed:
bmwracer wrote:
Lakers need to be able to put up four solid quarters: in each game they've managed to tank in one of the quarters, the worst being the decisive and momentum-sapping third.
And Kobe need to play all 48 minutes... As the news pointed out, every time he went to the bench to rest, the Celtics made their run.
It's do or die on Tuesday. :sweat: :fingerscrossed:
Maybe the Spurs rubbed off on Kobe, then? :beaten:
And yeah, Fisher seems to be the consummate player. Shame on the Utah fans who booed him when he went back to LA.
gaijinmark wrote:But that trade was made AFTER Bynum went down. If the Lakers weren't in 1st place at that time, they were pretty close to it. The point I was trying to make in my previous post was that at the beginning of the year, NOBODY picked the Lakers to win their division, much less get to the finals. All the "experts" were picking either Dallas or San Antonio in the finals from the west.
True, the Lakers were playing above expectations during the 1st half of the season. But, had Gasol never arrived, did you honestly feel that the Lakers were still going to end the season in 1st place, even with DFish & Bynum?
Most "experts" did not pick LA to win the division prior to the season since Phoenix was still a title contender. The Suns & Spurs seemed to be general picks to represent the West .... although I sensed many seemed to be down on the Mavs.
FarOutFreak wrote:The Celts have to win the next game, otherwise they won't be able to stand up to a Game 7. With Rondo obviously not at full, and with Perkins out, they don't really have a full lineup if the Lakers decide to grind for both games.
Even if the Celtics lose Game 6 ... I think they still have a good shot to win 7 as well. Having 2 of 5 starters banged up (add Pierce as possible 3rd) is recipe for disaster ... but Boston is deep enough to possibly overcome that, IMO. :sweat:
That said, KG can't carry them.
Yup. The "un-clutchness" of Garnett has really shown this series in particular. On the D-end, he still has the greatest impact, but on the O-end ..... he's actually been unreliable, at best.
bmwracer wrote:
Their team D is definitely better... Without Bynum, there isn't any defensive force in the center and Boston is having a field day.
I agree. This is the 1st and only series where Bynum's absence is really being felt by the Lakers. But, with him back healthy next season, LA will be that much more scary. :wow:
Lakers need to be able to put up four solid quarters: in each game they've managed to tank in one of the quarters, the worst being the decisive and momentum-sapping third.
Well, the same could be said about the Celtics as well ... except applied to the 1st Q for Boston. For whatever reason, the Celtics often have dug themselves a huge hole early (20+pts), and manage some way to come back in the 2nd or 3rd. Yeesh! :shakehead:
bmwracer wrote:
Their team D is definitely better... Without Bynum, there isn't any defensive force in the center and Boston is having a field day.
I agree. This is the 1st and only series where Bynum's absence is really being felt by the Lakers. But, with him back healthy next season, LA will be that much more scary. :wow:
Quite possibly.
But Bynum's knee injury is worrying: it hasn't healed like it's supposed to and a second operation on that knee just added to the anxiety... Remind's me of Mitch Kupchak's devastating knee injury back in the Magic Johnson decade... He was never the same and retired early. :sweat:
Lakers need to be able to put up four solid quarters: in each game they've managed to tank in one of the quarters, the worst being the decisive and momentum-sapping third.
Well, the same could be said about the Celtics as well ... except applied to the 1st Q for Boston. For whatever reason, the Celtics often have dug themselves a huge hole early (20+pts), and manage some way to come back in the 2nd or 3rd. Yeesh! :shakehead:
Better the first quarter than the second half... :sweat:
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