2007-2008 NBA Season

[BigCombo]

I'd like to thank the NBA for killing all momentum in this series and for also driving me crazy with nervous energy.  This game needs to start yesterday.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

This is their way of "promoting" the series.

I remember when NBC did Wednesday-Friday-Sunday-Wednesday games.  Seven and six days of, respectively, aren't enough.

Both teams will be rusty for the first half of the game.

[Sober_times]

The Celtics are finally back in the finals. I was 7 years old when I watched them lose to the lakers the last time they were there. I remember that game because my dad would make me watch every celtics game that came on tv.

After so many years I finally get to break out my old beat la sign. Yes I had one.  And amazingly yes I still got it.  Its exciting to be watching this again...to bad its not in the garden.

BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!!

[Sober_times]

Celtics Beat L.A.!!!! 

Game one goes to the Celtics in an impressive show of defense, especially in the fourth quarter. The Celtics just seemed to be playing with more intensity. You could really tell that these guys wanted this win tonight.  Bring on Game two.

BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!! 

[Eazy E]

How about that KG put-back dunk in the 4th?!

[Sober_times]

How about that KG put-back dunk in the 4th?!

No shit! That was awesome. He misses nine shots in a row but makes that fuckin awesome put-back that just makes you forget he missed 9 in a row. That dunk, and the save from back-court were two great plays that made me forget he was shooting so poorly down the stretch. 

[Eazy E]

... and the fact that they won helps to let the poor shooting slide.   

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Kobe messed up.  This was his worst game in a long time.

He took so many bad shots when he could have passed the ball, and when he DID pass the ball, it was usually to someone in a white jersey.

When he was on the bench during the 4th, the reserves actually cut the lead down to four.  Kobe comes back in, the Celtics pull away.   

And  at Paul Pierce.  The way he acted when he was "injured" was sooooo funny.  It looked like the man was going to die, and then he comes back and kills Los Angeles.

We'll get Game 2.

[Thorned Rose]

regarless of how he acted, he did torch them...

1-0

Love the Celtics in this series...

[faldor]

regarless of how he acted, he did torch them...

1-0

Love the Celtics in this series...

Yeah, in Paul's defense (and obviously I'm biased) who is anyone to say that he wasn't really hurt?  He obviously felt something, it wasn't like he was trying to bait the refs into calling a foul or anything.  He most likely felt initial pain and was worried that it was something serious.  He said he heard something pop.  When he got back to the locker room he realized he wasn't as injured as he thought and thus returned with guns blazing.  We'll see if it hampers him at all the rest of the series.  Sometimes you can play through an injury initially but it worsens over the course of the next couple days and you're not nearly as effective.  We'll see.  As a Celtic fan, I hope he was just acting injured (though I really don't see that as realistic).

And as for Kobe and others saying how bad a shooting night he had.  You could say the exact same thing about Kevin Garnett.  He was missing some very makeable shots as well.  So we're even there.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Mr. Fancy Pants Pau Gasol needs to learn how to rebound and stop being a little 'fraidy-cat.

[russkwtx]

I hate the 3-4 days between each game. It kills momentum and interest. The series should be every 2 days, just like in the regular season.

[faldor]

I hate the 3-4 days between each game. It kills momentum and interest. The series should be every 2 days, just like in the regular season.

Though it does help Paul Pierce's knee.  That is, if you believe it was actually injured in the first place.  He said if game 2 was Friday he wouldn't have been able to play.  Take that for what it's worth.

[Bodhi]

i think his injury was legit....ask yourself this...why in a tight game would he purposely take himself out of it?  that makes no sense...I think he really thought he fucked himself up and then it turned out not to be as bad...he was limping bad into his car I heard after the game

[D]

He was definitely hurt. I think he got more or less Charlie Horsed. u  know pretty much where you are incapacitated and feel like your leg is exploding. the pain goes away after about 10 minutes but remains sore.

It was definitely a huge lift.


what is gonna be the big factor however is the 2-3-2 format.

I fucking hate this format

they do it 2-2-1-1-1 the entire playoff until the final and its ridiculous to change. they do it cause of travel and TV but still.

if LA wins game 2 and I believe they will. they have a huge advantage goin home for 3.

just ask the Dallas Mavericks. They led 2-0 went to Miami and lost 3 games.

that isnt homecourt advantage at all.

cause everyone knows the most pivotal game in a 7 game series is game 5.  the most pivotal game should not be played on the road. its totally unfair.

[Sober_times]

What's up with Pierce hate? The fucker has always attempted to play through injury through most of his career. It was obvious to anybody watching that he was hurting intially. It is possible for you to get a bad bump and feel extreme pain only for it to waiver after a few minutes. It wasn't until they got back to the locker room that he attempted to walk and than even limped a little at different times during the rest of the game.

The series goes back to 1 day between games as I believe its Sunday, tuesday, thursday, than 2 days off again and sunday, tuesday, thurday again if it goes to 7. Stupid NBA wierd schedules. Why the fuck would you need two days off after game one yet only one day off between 2 and 3 when game three takes place on the other side of the country? You would think they would get an extra day off there. They play late sunday than fly cross country and play tuesday night. Suck. 

what is gonna be the big factor however is the 2-3-2 format.

I fucking hate this format

they do it 2-2-1-1-1 the entire playoff until the final and its ridiculous to change. they do it cause of travel and TV but still.

if LA wins game 2 and I believe they will. they have a huge advantage goin home for 3.

just ask the Dallas Mavericks. They led 2-0 went to Miami and lost 3 games.

that isnt homecourt advantage at all.

cause everyone knows the most pivotal game in a 7 game series is game 5.  the most pivotal game should not be played on the road. its totally unfair.

I'm not worried about the celtics getting swept in L.A. They will win at least one. They played great on the road during the regular season and finally got over the play-off slump against detroit. If the lakers win it, they will win it in Boston. But fuck that. Celtics are poised to sweep baby! 

BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!! BEAT L.A.!!!! 

[faldor]

He was definitely hurt. I think he got more or less Charlie Horsed. u  know pretty much where you are incapacitated and feel like your leg is exploding. the pain goes away after about 10 minutes but remains sore.

It was definitely a huge lift.


what is gonna be the big factor however is the 2-3-2 format.

I fucking hate this format

they do it 2-2-1-1-1 the entire playoff until the final and its ridiculous to change. they do it cause of travel and TV but still.

if LA wins game 2 and I believe they will. they have a huge advantage goin home for 3.

just ask the Dallas Mavericks. They led 2-0 went to Miami and lost 3 games.

that isnt homecourt advantage at all.

cause everyone knows the most pivotal game in a 7 game series is game 5.  the most pivotal game should not be played on the road. its totally unfair.

I was worried about the 2-3-2 format initially but the more I think about it, I just don't see either team ever winning 3 straight games in this series regardless of where the games are played.  Pierce always plays well back home in LA too.  So today is obviously an important game for both teams, but maybe moreso for the Lakers.  If the C's can go up 2-0 all they have to do is steal one game in LA, then they just have to win 1 more at home in game 6 OR 7.

[Bodhi]

He was definitely hurt. I think he got more or less Charlie Horsed. u  know pretty much where you are incapacitated and feel like your leg is exploding. the pain goes away after about 10 minutes but remains sore.

It was definitely a huge lift.


what is gonna be the big factor however is the 2-3-2 format.

I fucking hate this format

they do it 2-2-1-1-1 the entire playoff until the final and its ridiculous to change. they do it cause of travel and TV but still.

if LA wins game 2 and I believe they will. they have a huge advantage goin home for 3.

just ask the Dallas Mavericks. They led 2-0 went to Miami and lost 3 games.

that isnt homecourt advantage at all.

cause everyone knows the most pivotal game in a 7 game series is game 5.  the most pivotal game should not be played on the road. its totally unfair.

I was worried about the 2-3-2 format initially but the more I think about it, I just don't see either team ever winning 3 straight games in this series regardless of where the games are played.  Pierce always plays well back home in LA too.  So today is obviously an important game for both teams, but maybe moreso for the Lakers.  If the C's can go up 2-0 all they have to do is steal one game in LA, then they just have to win 1 more at home in game 6 OR 7.

the 2-3-2 format has always heavily favored the team with home court...imo....think about it....if you have home court in that format all you have to do is win 2 of the first 5 games....if you do that, your opponent has to win the title on YOUR home court...the Celtics only need 1 win now to force the Lakers to have to win the title in Boston.....

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

It's 5 on 8.  The Lakers are playing against the Celtics and the fucking zebras with whistles in their mouths.

Embarrassing for Boston to blow a 24 point lead, the Lakers have an assload of moment heading to Staples.

BUT...they shouldn't have to play like shit the whole game and then come alive at the end.

The Lakers aren't penetrating enough and Phil needs to dump his routine of not taking timeouts when the other team goes on a run.

[pilferk]

It's 5 on 8.  The Lakers are playing against the Celtics and the fucking zebras with whistles in their mouths.

Embarrassing for Boston to blow a 24 point lead, the Lakers have an assload of moment heading to Staples.

BUT...they shouldn't have to play like shit the whole game and then come alive at the end.

The Lakers aren't penetrating enough and Phil needs to dump his routine of not taking timeouts when the other team goes on a run.

It's home court officiating.  Lakers got it in the Western Conference Finals, too.  Everyone gets it.  If it goes on in LA, then bitch all you want.  But you've seen 2 games played in Boston.....I don't think you should be surprised the refs (for right or wrong) swallow the whistles for the Celts in the Garden.   

On giving up the lead: the Celts have had the same problem all year...they have 2 speeds:  Fast and Sluggish.  You saw it earlier in the playoffs too....against both Cleveland and Detroit, where big leads evaporated but they managed to hold on and win.  They just can't "coast", but if they don't at least TRY to "coast" at the end of games when they have big leads, the other teams get pissed off because they're "running up the score".

Eventually, I expect it's gonna bite them in the ass.  Almost did, last night, but not quite.

As for momentum....I'm not sure.  If the Lakers had managed to pull out the win, I'd agree.  Now, the Lakers are flat out desperate.  I'm not sure that's "momentum"....but they have to play like there's no tomorrow because, if they lose the next game, they're pretty much fucked.

The Celts have been, by a fair bit, the better team on the floor the last two games.  I don't think there's ANY question about that.  The Lakers know if they'd managed to win last night, they would've been stealing one......they had the hands in the back pocket, fingers on the wallet, but just couldn't make the lift.  Now they've gotta go home an play better.  Credit the Celts defense for making the Lakers look REALLY uncomfortabe....the matchups just work really well for them...and hope Phil can make some adjustments, and the home crowd can provide them with an energy boost.  Otherwise, the Lakers are in trouble.