So the Finals matchup that everyone (well not everyone) wanted is going to happen. The Los Angeles Lakers versus The Boston Celtics. I can't imagine how happy David Stern is right now. These two teams are the marquee NBA franchises as they have 30 of the 61 NBA titles - Boston with 16 and Los Angeles with 14. They have had some classic battles in the playoffs and boast some of the greatest players of all-time - Russell, Bird, Chamberlain, Magic, Kareem, West, McHale...the list could go on and on. But none of that history matters now. The only things that matter are how the teams have played so far in the playoffs and how they match up against each other.
Los Angeles Lakers (12-3 in the playoffs, +6.4 differential)
The Lakers have simply been dominant these playoffs. They have only lost 3 games in rolling through what was supposed to be one of the toughest Western Conferences ever. They swept Denver easily, took Utah's best shot and closed them out in 6, and finished off the defending champs in 5. They have won in many different fashions. They have come back from big early deficits, they have led wire-to-wire in solid victories, they have blown teams out, and they have held off teams. They have won the high-scoring up and down games and they have won the slow-down slug fests. Although they are a young team they do have veteran championship leadership and a coach with 9 rings. They also have the best player in basketball. Kobe is on a mission and playing some of the best basketball of his career. The Lakers have had the best and most diverse offense in the playoffs. And their large frontline and overall team length and quickness has allowed them to play solid defense. The only thing the team seems to be lacking is a physical 5 man who's job is to rebound and play defense (and no DJ Mbenga doesn't count).
Boston Celtics (12-8, +4.3)
The Boston Celtics have been an enigma these playoffs. They looked very vulnerable in their first two series - dragged to 7 games by both Atlanta and Cleveland. Then after they lost Game 2 at home to Detroit they looked very vulnerable because their home dominance had ended and they still had yet to win a game on the road. Then they went a played their best game of the playoffs and won Game 3 in Detroit and ended up winning Game 6 there as well to finish the series. They looked a lot better against Detroit than they did the first two series but I still think they have a lot of flaws. Simply put, they are an average offense at best. It is rare when the Big 3 click at the same time and they have some offensive droughts at time. Also, it seems that Doc still doesn't know what his best rotation said. All in all, they only need 4 more wins for a title and they have home-court advantage to try to do it.
Match-Ups
PG - Fisher vs Rondo
I think the old man gets the advantage over the young guy. Fisher has championship experience and is very smart. Rondo has an obvious quickness advantage but if Fish can do a decent job on Tony P I'm sure Rondo won't cause too many problems. Also, Rondo likes to roam on defense sometimes which can be problematic b/c Fisher can and will knock down open jumpers
Solid Edge - Lakers
SG - Kobe vs Ray Ray
Even with Ray Allen starting to come back to life this match-up still isn't close. Kobe is MVP and the best player in the league and Allen hasn't played at an all-star level in these playoffs. Allen is going to need a lot of help to guard him. As long as Kobe doesn't roam too much he should be able to do a decent job on Allen.
Significant Edge - Lakers
SF - Vlad Rad vs Pierce
Another easy match-up to call. Pierce is an all-star and Vlad wouldn't even be starting if the Lakers were healthy. Pierce has gone off at times in the playoffs but Vlad's length (6'10) and decent quickness should allow him to not get abused too badly as long as he has some help. If Pierce loses focus Vlad will knock down open shots.
Significant Edge - Celtics
PF - LO (Dey Know Dey Know) vs The Big Ticket
It's good that KG doesn't like to dominate down low a lot because I'm not sure if Odom could handle him down there consistently. Still KG is a fierce competitor who is a great defender and rebounder and he could cause some problems for Odom.
Significant Edge - Celtics
C - Pauuuu vs Perkins
Perkins has played better recently but it's clear he's no Gasol. This is another match-up that's not close. KG might have to switch onto Gasol because he might be too quick and long for KP. I'm not sure if Perkins is going to be able to handle all the things Gasol can do out of the high post. Perkins should able to have some decent rebounding games as he is more physical than Gasol.
Significant Edge - Lakers
Bench - Farmar, The Machine, Turiaf, Luuuuke vs Posey, PJ Brown, Eddie House, Sam I Am
The Lakers' superior depth is one of the primary reasons a lot of people are picking them over the Celtics. IMO their bench is significantly stronger. They have much better guards coming off the bench and they have comparable big men.
Significant Edge - Lakers
Coach - Phil vs Doc
9 rings versus 1st finals appearance. Calmness and strength vs not having a set playoff rotation. I don't think I need to delve into this match-up much.
Significant Edge - Lakers
Given that the Lakers have edges at 3 out of the 5 positions, the bench, and the coach I would be surprised if they didn't win this series. Given that they have the best player in the league in Kobe I would be surprised if this series went 7. Lakers in 6
Showing posts with label celtics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celtics. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics (4-3 over Cleveland) vs Detroit Pistons (4-1 over Orlando)
This is the Eastern conference final everyone expected at the beginning of the playoffs and although both teams had some bumps on the road (Boston more than Detroit) they both made it for what should be a showdown series. Boston has the Big 2 and Ray Allen's expiring contract and the Pistons still have one of the strongest starting 5's in the league.
The Pistons played around with the Sixers in the 1st round but once they became serious they rolled and won in six. The Pistons knew the Magic were a bigger threat and took them serious from the get-go and won the series in 5 even with Billups missing most of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5. The Pistons are rolling right now and they will thrive in their underdog role against the Celtics.
The Celtics faced a minor scare against the Hawks in round 1. Although they were dragged to 7 games they were never challenged at home and won Game 7 by 34. Against Cleveland they were really tested and could have easily lost Games 1, 5, and 7 at home. They survived LeBron in a classic Game 7 but now look very vulnerable. And they still haven't won a road game.
I believe there a few reasons why the Pistons will win this series.
- Ray Allen is simply terrible and with his decline the Pistons have clear advantages at PG and SG and a decent advantage at C (Maxiell over Perkins).
- Although KG and Paul Pierce are better overall players than Sheed and Tayshaun both of those players have the ability and experience to keep those matchups relatively even
- Boston hasn't shown they can win on the road in the postseason and they were very vulnerable at home against Cleveland
Those 3 points along with my overall disappointment with Boston's performance during these playoffs lead me to believe Pistons in 6
Tonight's Game 7 prediction - My heart says the Hornets (because I hate the Spurs and I think the Hornets are a better matchup for the LakeShow) but my head says the defending champs will find a way to prevail. The Hornets are the better overall team but the Spurs' Big 3 is great and stars win Game 7's. Tonight should be great though.
This is the Eastern conference final everyone expected at the beginning of the playoffs and although both teams had some bumps on the road (Boston more than Detroit) they both made it for what should be a showdown series. Boston has the Big 2 and Ray Allen's expiring contract and the Pistons still have one of the strongest starting 5's in the league.
The Pistons played around with the Sixers in the 1st round but once they became serious they rolled and won in six. The Pistons knew the Magic were a bigger threat and took them serious from the get-go and won the series in 5 even with Billups missing most of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5. The Pistons are rolling right now and they will thrive in their underdog role against the Celtics.
The Celtics faced a minor scare against the Hawks in round 1. Although they were dragged to 7 games they were never challenged at home and won Game 7 by 34. Against Cleveland they were really tested and could have easily lost Games 1, 5, and 7 at home. They survived LeBron in a classic Game 7 but now look very vulnerable. And they still haven't won a road game.
I believe there a few reasons why the Pistons will win this series.
- Ray Allen is simply terrible and with his decline the Pistons have clear advantages at PG and SG and a decent advantage at C (Maxiell over Perkins).
- Although KG and Paul Pierce are better overall players than Sheed and Tayshaun both of those players have the ability and experience to keep those matchups relatively even
- Boston hasn't shown they can win on the road in the postseason and they were very vulnerable at home against Cleveland
Those 3 points along with my overall disappointment with Boston's performance during these playoffs lead me to believe Pistons in 6
Tonight's Game 7 prediction - My heart says the Hornets (because I hate the Spurs and I think the Hornets are a better matchup for the LakeShow) but my head says the defending champs will find a way to prevail. The Hornets are the better overall team but the Spurs' Big 3 is great and stars win Game 7's. Tonight should be great though.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Celtics-Cavs Prediction
1. Boston Celtics (4-3 vs Hawks) vs. 4. Cleveland Cavs (4-2 vs Wizards)
On paper this should be a mismatch. Boston was 66-16 with a +10.3 point differential while Cleveland was 45-37 with a -0.4 point differential. In reality, this series should be competitive. Boston was taken to a Game 7 by Atlanta which no one expected. Cleveland handled a injury-riddled Washington team in 6 games after playing mediocre to end the season.
Key points IMO
- Cleveland is not as nearly as athletic as Atlanta is. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Josh Childress are all good or great athletes and they caused problems for Boston. LeBron is probably the best athlete in the league but the Cavs don't have many other athletes.
- Boston plays great team defense and they are a much better defensive team than Washington. The '07 Cavs (who were a better team then this year) got swept by a great defensive team in the Spurs in the finals.
- Some people are doubting the Celtics because they didn't win a road game against a 37 win team and they had trouble closing games. Since they have home-court advantage they don't have to win a road game especially since they've been untouchable at home. I think Boston will be ready for close games now that they've been woken up by Atlanta.
I have a hard time believing Cleveland can win in Boston and I think Boston can and will win a road game in this series. They were great on the road during the season (31-10). I don't feel great going against LeBron but the Celtics are simply too dominant.Lebron will cause problems in close games but I don't think most of the games will be close. Boston in 6
On paper this should be a mismatch. Boston was 66-16 with a +10.3 point differential while Cleveland was 45-37 with a -0.4 point differential. In reality, this series should be competitive. Boston was taken to a Game 7 by Atlanta which no one expected. Cleveland handled a injury-riddled Washington team in 6 games after playing mediocre to end the season.
Key points IMO
- Cleveland is not as nearly as athletic as Atlanta is. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Josh Childress are all good or great athletes and they caused problems for Boston. LeBron is probably the best athlete in the league but the Cavs don't have many other athletes.
- Boston plays great team defense and they are a much better defensive team than Washington. The '07 Cavs (who were a better team then this year) got swept by a great defensive team in the Spurs in the finals.
- Some people are doubting the Celtics because they didn't win a road game against a 37 win team and they had trouble closing games. Since they have home-court advantage they don't have to win a road game especially since they've been untouchable at home. I think Boston will be ready for close games now that they've been woken up by Atlanta.
I have a hard time believing Cleveland can win in Boston and I think Boston can and will win a road game in this series. They were great on the road during the season (31-10). I don't feel great going against LeBron but the Celtics are simply too dominant.Lebron will cause problems in close games but I don't think most of the games will be close. Boston in 6
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Celtics-Hawks
In the spirit of potentially the greatest upset in NBA history and the only Game 7 of the 1st round and inspired by Bill Simmons I decided to do a running diary of Game 7 of the Celtics vs Hawks.
9:38 AM - I am watching the pre-game show and really hoping for a close game. It would be great if the Hawks win but I also want to see how the Celtics perform under ultimate pressure.
9:40 AM - They showed a quick highlight of Bird vs Dominique in '88. I'm not expecting anything of that nature today but it would be GREAT if anything close to that happened
9:43 AM - ABC brought out the big guns of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson for the game. I'm glad that I won't have to listen to some whack announcers.
9:48 AM - Experience and history are on the Celtics side but once the tip off happens none of that matters.
9:52 AM - None of the analysts want to go out on a limb and pick the Hawks. I wouldn't either because the Celtics are going to win. They are the better team and they are playing at home. I don't think the Hawks will be able to keep it close. They've been blown out in the 3 games up there.
9:56 AM - The intros to NBA games are terrible now. We don't want to hear rock music, we want to great theme songs like the NBA on NBC.
10:00 AM - Why are the Celtics coming out to the instrumental of Ayo Technology? That can't be a good sign
10:04 AM - Tip Off. Let's go Let's go! JJ bangs home a 3 for the first bucket. Good sign for the Hawks
10:06 AM - Mike Bibby is still getting booed for calling Celtics fans bandwagon fans
10:09 AM - 10-5 Boston. The Celtics have come out with a lot of energy and the crowd is hype. Timeout ATL. They need to get better shots (2-8)
10:10 AM - The new LeBron Vitamin Water commercial is stupid and def not as funny as some of the others
10:13 AM - Wild miss by Marvin Williams. I can't tell how injured he is. Josh Childress is going to have to be big off the bench.
10:16 AM - 16-8 Boston. The Celtics look like the hungry young team. They are dominating the boards and getting all the loose balls. Not looking good early for Hotlanta
10:19 AM - Bibby w/ a nice drive to the basket. The Hawks need the old Bibby who used to kill the Lakers to show up today.
10:20 AM - Zaza Pachulia might be the most hated person in Boston outside of Hank Steinbrenner
10:21 AM - 20-10 Boston. Kendrick Perkins is playing like he's Andrew Bynum. This game could be over early.
10:24 AM - Coors Light has so many different gimmicks to get people to drink their beer. Why don't they just make their beer taste good and stop trying to trick people into drinking it?
10:27 AM - JJ is on fire. He's going to have to drop at least 30 for them to have a chance
10:28 AM - End of 1st quarter. 27-16 Boston. Looks like Perkins is trying to be the X-factor. He's all over the place
10:31 AM - Game 7...those two words make me feel OK about drinking beer in the morning
10:32 AM - ABC needs to look into replacing Michelle Tafoya with Stephanie Ready from NBA-TV and TNT
10:35 AM - Atlanta looks bad right now. They need to get it going before this lead gets too big. 30-16 BOS
10:38 AM - Man that IHOP commercial made me hungry. I need a girl to make me some pancakes lol
10:39 AM - I wonder how much money that "Can you hear me now?" guy makes. He's everywhere
10:42 AM - PJ Brown is playing like it's 1999. Very surprising contribution off the bench. If the Hawks can get hot at all they could get back in this game. 34-20 BOS
10:44 AM - The new Adam Sandler movie looks absolutely ridiculous. People are really running out of ideas. Although the parody of the NBA's split screen ads with Sandler and Baron Davis is pretty funny
10:47 AM - JVG just called Mark Jackson laterally challenged. These dudes are hilarious
10:51 AM - This is starting to get ugly. The Hawks can't get anything going offensively while Boston is being very patient on the offensive end. Atlanta looks like a 37 win team. 40-23 BOS
10:54 AM - Josh Smith is playing terrible right now. Just airballed a jumper. The Hawks need Smith and JJ to play well to have any chance. The Celtics are doing a pretty good of trapping and doubling JJ to make him pass. The Hawks can't finish at the rim or make jumpers right now.
10:59 AM - The Hawks need to keep this manageable at halftime. If the lead gets to 20 or more they will be in a lot of trouble.
11:00 AM - As it looks pretty certain that the Celtics are going to win, I have started to think about how they match up with the Cavs. First thoughts are that if they struggle guarding JJ, LeBron is going to have a field day.
11:02 AM - JJ reminds me of Kobe last year against the Suns. No help and the team looks completely overwhelmed.
11:03 AM - Halftime. Boston 44 Atlanta 26. The Hawks are really struggling to score (shooting 26%). This game is just about over. Hopefully some entertaining things happen in the 2nd half
11:06 AM - I wanna go to Beer Heaven....as long as there are better beers there than Miller Lite
11:09 AM - Deep analysis from Jon Barry. "Why isn't Atlanta playing well?" "They're not in Atlanta!"
11:11 AM - These T-mobile commercials with Wade and Barkley have had surprising staying power. They are usually funny. On the topic of Wade, why is he hanging out with Star Jones? Seems very questionable since she is recently divorced. If you're going to kick it with a cougar make it a tight one like Stacy Dash or Vanessa Williams
11:14 AM - Mike Tirico is a midget. And Deron Williams doesn't sound scared of the Lakers but he doesn't sound supremely confident either. Fear the Pauuuuuu
11:18 AM - Insider access on LeBron. Nice interaction between him and Duncan after the '07 Finals. LeBron's girl looks better than what I remembered (not tight or anything but somewhat decent lol). It's good to see LeBron handling his responsibilities as a father unlike people like Shawn Kemp or Karl Malone.
11:22 AM - Regis Philbin is still alive?
11:23 AM - If the Hawks don't make a run early in this quarter I might have to end the diary early and go make some food.
11:24 AM - 3 pointer by Pierce to open up the half. 21 pt Boston lead
11:27 AM - Boston looks ready to step on Atlanta's throat. They've maintained the energy the had in the 1st half
11:29 AM - WOW! Marvin Williams just tried to decapitate Rondo. Just grabbed his head and neck and threw him to ground. Very dangerous play. He received a flagrant 2 and was ejected. Time for Josh to step it up forreal forreal.
11:32 AM - Ray Allen just hit a 3 to give Boston a 28 pt lead. They have now doubled up the Hawks. GAME OVERRE. I might return after I cook. I'm not getting paid for this so I can leave whenever I want haha
11:58 AM - Nothing like a breakfast bowl with a blowout. End of third quarter. Boston is up 36! 79-43. Countdown to Lakers-Jazz officially begins
12:02 PM - I don't understand why Pierce and Rondo are still in the game. Bust out the human victory cigar Brian Scalabrine
12:05 PM - It would be nice to see Atlanta compete in the 4th. They shocked the world just by getting to Game 7 and they need to build on this experience for next year
12:10 PM - Early thoughts on Celtics-Cavs: The Cavs do not have the overall athleticism of the Hawks but they do have LeBron. The Celtics are going to double LeBron a lot and I don't know if the other Cavs can step up enough. My early prediction is Celtics in 6 but I'll have to think about it
12:13 PM - Man Al Horford is struggling. Good learning experience for the rookie. The NBA playoffs ain't March Madness
12:15 PM - 89-54 Boston. 6 mins left. Can't wait for this game to end
12:18 PM - These new Yukon Denali commercials are bootleg. Get a real NBA player that you can actually show and not some mystery random person
12:19 PM - Everyone should go see Iron Man. Well-done and very entertaining
12:22 PM - The Celtics are clowning. Big Baby Davis is shooting 3's
12:30 PM - Michelle Tafoya is interviewing the Commish. I wish she would have grilled him about the debacle of the Sonics leaving Seattle for Oklahoma City
12:32 PM - Game is final. 99-65 Boston. What a blowout. At least this was a good practice for future Game 7 running diaries.
9:38 AM - I am watching the pre-game show and really hoping for a close game. It would be great if the Hawks win but I also want to see how the Celtics perform under ultimate pressure.
9:40 AM - They showed a quick highlight of Bird vs Dominique in '88. I'm not expecting anything of that nature today but it would be GREAT if anything close to that happened
9:43 AM - ABC brought out the big guns of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson for the game. I'm glad that I won't have to listen to some whack announcers.
9:48 AM - Experience and history are on the Celtics side but once the tip off happens none of that matters.
9:52 AM - None of the analysts want to go out on a limb and pick the Hawks. I wouldn't either because the Celtics are going to win. They are the better team and they are playing at home. I don't think the Hawks will be able to keep it close. They've been blown out in the 3 games up there.
9:56 AM - The intros to NBA games are terrible now. We don't want to hear rock music, we want to great theme songs like the NBA on NBC.
10:00 AM - Why are the Celtics coming out to the instrumental of Ayo Technology? That can't be a good sign
10:04 AM - Tip Off. Let's go Let's go! JJ bangs home a 3 for the first bucket. Good sign for the Hawks
10:06 AM - Mike Bibby is still getting booed for calling Celtics fans bandwagon fans
10:09 AM - 10-5 Boston. The Celtics have come out with a lot of energy and the crowd is hype. Timeout ATL. They need to get better shots (2-8)
10:10 AM - The new LeBron Vitamin Water commercial is stupid and def not as funny as some of the others
10:13 AM - Wild miss by Marvin Williams. I can't tell how injured he is. Josh Childress is going to have to be big off the bench.
10:16 AM - 16-8 Boston. The Celtics look like the hungry young team. They are dominating the boards and getting all the loose balls. Not looking good early for Hotlanta
10:19 AM - Bibby w/ a nice drive to the basket. The Hawks need the old Bibby who used to kill the Lakers to show up today.
10:20 AM - Zaza Pachulia might be the most hated person in Boston outside of Hank Steinbrenner
10:21 AM - 20-10 Boston. Kendrick Perkins is playing like he's Andrew Bynum. This game could be over early.
10:24 AM - Coors Light has so many different gimmicks to get people to drink their beer. Why don't they just make their beer taste good and stop trying to trick people into drinking it?
10:27 AM - JJ is on fire. He's going to have to drop at least 30 for them to have a chance
10:28 AM - End of 1st quarter. 27-16 Boston. Looks like Perkins is trying to be the X-factor. He's all over the place
10:31 AM - Game 7...those two words make me feel OK about drinking beer in the morning
10:32 AM - ABC needs to look into replacing Michelle Tafoya with Stephanie Ready from NBA-TV and TNT
10:35 AM - Atlanta looks bad right now. They need to get it going before this lead gets too big. 30-16 BOS
10:38 AM - Man that IHOP commercial made me hungry. I need a girl to make me some pancakes lol
10:39 AM - I wonder how much money that "Can you hear me now?" guy makes. He's everywhere
10:42 AM - PJ Brown is playing like it's 1999. Very surprising contribution off the bench. If the Hawks can get hot at all they could get back in this game. 34-20 BOS
10:44 AM - The new Adam Sandler movie looks absolutely ridiculous. People are really running out of ideas. Although the parody of the NBA's split screen ads with Sandler and Baron Davis is pretty funny
10:47 AM - JVG just called Mark Jackson laterally challenged. These dudes are hilarious
10:51 AM - This is starting to get ugly. The Hawks can't get anything going offensively while Boston is being very patient on the offensive end. Atlanta looks like a 37 win team. 40-23 BOS
10:54 AM - Josh Smith is playing terrible right now. Just airballed a jumper. The Hawks need Smith and JJ to play well to have any chance. The Celtics are doing a pretty good of trapping and doubling JJ to make him pass. The Hawks can't finish at the rim or make jumpers right now.
10:59 AM - The Hawks need to keep this manageable at halftime. If the lead gets to 20 or more they will be in a lot of trouble.
11:00 AM - As it looks pretty certain that the Celtics are going to win, I have started to think about how they match up with the Cavs. First thoughts are that if they struggle guarding JJ, LeBron is going to have a field day.
11:02 AM - JJ reminds me of Kobe last year against the Suns. No help and the team looks completely overwhelmed.
11:03 AM - Halftime. Boston 44 Atlanta 26. The Hawks are really struggling to score (shooting 26%). This game is just about over. Hopefully some entertaining things happen in the 2nd half
11:06 AM - I wanna go to Beer Heaven....as long as there are better beers there than Miller Lite
11:09 AM - Deep analysis from Jon Barry. "Why isn't Atlanta playing well?" "They're not in Atlanta!"
11:11 AM - These T-mobile commercials with Wade and Barkley have had surprising staying power. They are usually funny. On the topic of Wade, why is he hanging out with Star Jones? Seems very questionable since she is recently divorced. If you're going to kick it with a cougar make it a tight one like Stacy Dash or Vanessa Williams
11:14 AM - Mike Tirico is a midget. And Deron Williams doesn't sound scared of the Lakers but he doesn't sound supremely confident either. Fear the Pauuuuuu
11:18 AM - Insider access on LeBron. Nice interaction between him and Duncan after the '07 Finals. LeBron's girl looks better than what I remembered (not tight or anything but somewhat decent lol). It's good to see LeBron handling his responsibilities as a father unlike people like Shawn Kemp or Karl Malone.
11:22 AM - Regis Philbin is still alive?
11:23 AM - If the Hawks don't make a run early in this quarter I might have to end the diary early and go make some food.
11:24 AM - 3 pointer by Pierce to open up the half. 21 pt Boston lead
11:27 AM - Boston looks ready to step on Atlanta's throat. They've maintained the energy the had in the 1st half
11:29 AM - WOW! Marvin Williams just tried to decapitate Rondo. Just grabbed his head and neck and threw him to ground. Very dangerous play. He received a flagrant 2 and was ejected. Time for Josh to step it up forreal forreal.
11:32 AM - Ray Allen just hit a 3 to give Boston a 28 pt lead. They have now doubled up the Hawks. GAME OVERRE. I might return after I cook. I'm not getting paid for this so I can leave whenever I want haha
11:58 AM - Nothing like a breakfast bowl with a blowout. End of third quarter. Boston is up 36! 79-43. Countdown to Lakers-Jazz officially begins
12:02 PM - I don't understand why Pierce and Rondo are still in the game. Bust out the human victory cigar Brian Scalabrine
12:05 PM - It would be nice to see Atlanta compete in the 4th. They shocked the world just by getting to Game 7 and they need to build on this experience for next year
12:10 PM - Early thoughts on Celtics-Cavs: The Cavs do not have the overall athleticism of the Hawks but they do have LeBron. The Celtics are going to double LeBron a lot and I don't know if the other Cavs can step up enough. My early prediction is Celtics in 6 but I'll have to think about it
12:13 PM - Man Al Horford is struggling. Good learning experience for the rookie. The NBA playoffs ain't March Madness
12:15 PM - 89-54 Boston. 6 mins left. Can't wait for this game to end
12:18 PM - These new Yukon Denali commercials are bootleg. Get a real NBA player that you can actually show and not some mystery random person
12:19 PM - Everyone should go see Iron Man. Well-done and very entertaining
12:22 PM - The Celtics are clowning. Big Baby Davis is shooting 3's
12:30 PM - Michelle Tafoya is interviewing the Commish. I wish she would have grilled him about the debacle of the Sonics leaving Seattle for Oklahoma City
12:32 PM - Game is final. 99-65 Boston. What a blowout. At least this was a good practice for future Game 7 running diaries.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
The Celtics Lost?!
That phrase almost started a riot in the bathrooms at BeerFest. While waiting in line I checked my phone and was amazed. I started to taunt my friend who was a Celtics fan and somehow started pandemonium in the bathroom with almost everyone chanting and cheering that the Celtics lost.
Safe to say I was very surprised by the Hawks' victory. I am happy for them and I hope they can make it an interesting series. It would be hilarious if the Suns, who a lot of people saw as a title contender, got swept and the Hawks didn't.
In the other games -
the Jazz handled their business at home and took a 3-1 lead over the Rockets. T-Mac had another good game but another quiet 4th qtr. Hopefully they can stretch the series to 6 or 7 games because...
the LakeShow took a commanding a 3-0 lead over the Nuggets with another relatively easy victory. Kobe had a solid all around game and many of his Laker teammates played solidly as well. Melo and AI were terrible and Denver was undisciplined like usual. Hopefully the Lakers can close it out Monday and get some rest.
in the NBA-TV invitational, the Magic pulled away from the Raptors late and took a 3-1 lead and I suspect that they'll close it out on Monday (on NBA-TV of course). Chris Bosh played well but no one else really showed up for the Raptors. I'm starting to think Andrea Bargnani is Italian for Kwame Brown.
Friday, April 18, 2008
entire playoffs predictions
Who will be holding the trophy like the man above? Detailed analysis will come before these series start. I just want to get my predictions on record.
Conference Semis
EAST
1. Celtics vs 4. Cavs
I expect a highly entertaining series but the Celts are too dominant. Celtics in 6
2. Pistons vs 6. Raptors
The Raptors ain't ready for the big boys. Pistons win easily. Pistons in 5
WEST
1. Lakers vs 4. Jazz
Should be a high scoring well played series. The Lakers are better so they win lol. Lakers in 7
6. Suns vs 7. Mavs
Another great match-up. No way the Mavs can handle Shaq and STAT. Suns in 6
Conference Finals
1. Celtics vs 2. Pistons
The Eastern showdown everyone has been waiting for. This is a tough call for me but Celtics in 6
1. Lakers vs 6. Suns
Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! Kobe vs Shaq! MOST HYPED CONFERENCE FINALS EVER! Kobe vs Shaq! lol Lakers in 7
Finals
1. Celtics vs 1. Lakers
The two most storied NBA franchises face off in the finals for the first time in over 20 years. Does KG finally win a ring? Does Kobe win a ring without Shaq? As much as it pains me to say Celtics in 6
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)