NBA Playoffs!!!!

[PRIDE OF BOSTON]

Celts will end the series in LA

[RP33]

i vote that the C's D is just stifling

[amat]

My sneaking suspicion that the Lakers bench was entirely overrated has been all but confirmed in these first two games as well as Odom and Gasol. They are both very good players but Odom just doesn't match up well with the Celtics and Gasol isn't great night in and night out like Garnett, Pierce and Kobe.

I'm shocked that the Celtics still haven't learned their lesson and still play like absolute shit in the 4th quarter. Can't believe it.

I think LA is going to win these next two but whaat the hell are they doing defensively? I mean anytime Rajon Rondo is able to go wherever he wants on the floor and dish 16 assist then you have some serious problems. The Lakers have one of the best defensive point guards in the league in Fisher and they just decided not to pressure at all. It's almost unthinkable, I don't want to hear Phil bitch about the refs because he's dropping the ball here. Trying to be to cute for his own good. That's inexcusable. Put some pressure on the perimeter and Rajon Rondo sucks, that's pretty much a fact.

That being said I do think they will win the next two, just got to be more aggressive and Kobe has got to run some guys off the ball like he does so well instead of trying to drive to the basket that's not his strength. I was shocked to see Allen guarding Kobe as much as he did game two, that should be a matchup where Kobe calls for the ball everytime he gets it.

[amat]

Also, very happy for Powe. I remember his Oakland Tech days and his great battles with a young Devon Hardin who went to Newark Memorial where I lived. I went to one of those games and then saw them play together at Cal a bunch. Two great players, I am glad Powe is getting his shot he was a lottery pick if he didn't have those knee problems. Now Hardin is in pretty much the exact same situation and will probably go just where Powe did. Hopefully he can have the same success but if not the guy is absolutely brilliant, never got a grade under a B in his entire life even at Cal he'll be well off regardless.

[CutMeMick]

The Lakers were probably better off loosing by 20 something points then to comeback all the way and almost win.

[PRIDE OF BOSTON]

Lamar Odom has been taken out of the series and Pau Gosol playing as well as he can but looks lost against this defense...

[OumaFan]

Donaghy's now saying that some playoff series were fixed. A 2002 series finale was pushed to 7 games by the officials because of the NBA. I wouldn't usually care and I can see why some would say he's just trying to get himself out of trouble but ESPN reported that the only series pushed to 7 that year was Lakers-Sacramento. I don't know how well people remember this but in game 6 of that series the officials without a doubt STOLE the game from Sacramento. They gave L.A. 27 free throws in the fourth quarter alone, it was the most disgraceful thing I've ever seen in basketball.

[amat]

Donaghy's now saying that some playoff series were fixed. A 2002 series finale was pushed to 7 games by the officials because of the NBA. I wouldn't usually care and I can see why some would say he's just trying to get himself out of trouble but ESPN reported that the only series pushed to 7 that year was Lakers-Sacramento. I don't know how well people remember this but in game 6 of that series the officials without a doubt STOLE the game from Sacramento. They gave L.A. 27 free throws in the fourth quarter alone, it was the most disgraceful thing I've ever seen in basketball.

Oh man....

I do remember that, this could blow up real big.

[CutMeMick]

I read that the calls the other night were something like 10-27 in favor of the Tics...

I believe Donaghys I mean really what the hell does he have to gain from this? Fame, Money, Media Time?

Politics...

Money makes the world go round.

[OumaFan]

I agree Game 2 was questionable reffing no doubt, I've never seen anything like Game 6 of the Lakers-Sacramento series though. 27-10 is one thing, 27 free throws for the Lakers in one quarter is a whole different thing. I just sat there like is this really happening?

Taking the other side of it, Donaghy could have intentionally identified that game knowing how controversial that game was and therefore knowing that some would buy into it. Who knows? But I remember thinking either the refs are incompetent or corrupt, its one of the two. And can you really be that incompetent?

[amat]

That was one of the worst reffed games in NBA history in Sacramento they still think refs screwed them so I can't wait to see the columnist at the Bee just explode in their pants tomorrow. It's funny how much media attention Spygate got which was entirely overblown compared to this.

Celtics offense is just about as stagnant as an offense could be right now but their D has kept them in it. Lakers need to keep them honest and stretch them out to the perimeter while they have this lead.

[CutMeMick]

Lakers got really lucky tonight...

This is all Boston, IMO.

[OumaFan]

Lakers got really lucky tonight...

This is all Boston, IMO.

I'm thinking the same thing, in some ways I'm more convinced that Boston will win the series after that loss than after the two opening wins, if that makes any sense. They went to L.A. to play a team that was absolutely desperate for a win, Pierce and Garnett were horrible and they still almost won.

I owe you some rep, I have to spread some around though.

[ICB]

I thought the Lakers played good first quarter playing aggressively although i think Bryant was a bit selfish at times. Then they seemed to lose to plot and really and truthfully it was more to do with Celtics playing poor than Lakers playing good, and Celtics could have easily won. I don't think Celtics will be too disappointed i mean they played poor and still almost won, Im still hoping the Lakers win but they need to step it up big time.

[RP33]

I thought the Lakers played good first quarter playing aggressively although i think Bryant was a bit selfish at times. Then they seemed to lose to plot and really and truthfully it was more to do with Celtics playing poor than Lakers playing good, and Celtics could have easily won. I don't think Celtics will be too disappointed i mean they played poor and still almost won, Im still hoping the Lakers win but they need to step it up big time.

good call.. at the beginning of that game, the commentators said something like "the celtics made it through the outburst of the Lakers" when really the Celtics just played so terrible.. they should've been winning early.. the Lakers turned the ball over SO many times in the first quarter, the Celt's just couldn't capitalize..