Yay, It's the 2010 NBA Playoffs thread!

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

FUCK

I have to go to the Red Sox game with a client tomorrow, so I won't be able to watch the Celtics game. Damnit. At least we should get out before the Celtics game is over out on the West Coast...

Game 6 might be frustrating to watch... unless we can win by 20+ again, I'm guessing most of the calls in the 4th will be going against us.

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Game 6 might be frustrating to watch... unless we can win by 20+ again, I'm guessing most of the calls in the 4th will be going against us.

It's sad that this is the truth.

[MrBug708]

Have some confidence in your team and wait til you get screwed by the calls before you start bitching about the calls

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Have some confidence in your team and wait til you get screwed by the calls before you start bitching about the calls

I was more commenting on the general state of the NBA.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I agree that the rotation changed, but when you watch the second shot, you can see that it was when it hit the backboard. Oh well, need to win the last two

The ball has 3 rotations; 1 when it leaves Ray Allen's hand, 1 when it scrapes the rim, and one more when it bounces off the backboard on its way down. Unless you think it hit the backboard twice, which I don't think is possible from that angle.

[MrBug708]

Who Complains About Fouls More: The Lakers or the Celtics? - WSJ.com

I know most people think Kobe complains more about foul shots then most anyone, but apparently in this series, he's only tied for 4th between the two teams.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I know most people think Kobe complains more about foul shots then most anyone, but apparently in this series, he's only tied for 4th between the two teams.

My issue with Kobe is not his whining after foul calls, its the whining every time he has possession of the ball and there is a defender within 3 feet of him and a foul is not called on his opponent that drives me insane. He's not the only one, but purely anecdotally based on my viewing of the playoffs, he seems the worst. I don't like Boston either, so /shrug. But Kobe complaining after foul calls is a very very small part of what makes him so unlikable to me.

Sheed has been pulling his shit since he was at UNC. I could not have predicted his technical foul record while in college, but I could have told you he would act bewildered by 65% of fouls called on him

[SirFozzie]

Best-Case scenario: Lakers come out flat, Bynum cannot go vertically, Ray-Ray hits a couple key shots, Tony Allen continues to slow Kobe down, Rondo makes the Lakers foolish on the way to a triple double and the Celtics run them out of the game.

Worst-Case Scenario: Celtics come out believing they're going to win without much effort, Lakers crowd get into it early, Kobe remains hot, Bynum pulls out a Willis Reed effort, the Lakers bait Sheed and Perk into Technicals, meaning they will miss Game Seven, Lakers win easy.

What-I-Expect: Kobe remains hot (semi-hot when Tony Allen is on him), Celtics continue to pound the paint, back and forth game, Celtics make a couple more plays (Kobe makes plays but his team can't pull their weight), Celtics win by 6-8.

[MrBug708]

If the Lakers take game 6 and the C's are minus Perkins for game 7, does that tip the scales back to the Lakers?

[sterlingice]

If the Lakers take game 6, barring injury or ejection, I would think the scales tip back to them.

SI

[MrBug708]

I used to like the 2/3/2, but mostly for baseball. It's weird to think that you can be heading home, down in the series 3-2, yet you still have home court advantage.

[sterlingice]

In baseball, home field isn't nearly as big of a deal as in the other major sports so I don't think it matters as much

SI

[Crapshoot]

Eh - its questionable. There's certainly a home field advantage in baseball (home team wins 53-55% of games), but its a reasonable question how much of that is rules (batting 2nd) and how much is "home sauce" (from the field, from the fans, etc etc). Dont know no's for NBA / NHL / NFL regular season off-hand.

[larrymcg421]

The most ludicrous thing about the format is that there's a chance the series can end with the lower seed getting more home games than the higher seed.

[MrBug708]

Im cautiously hopeful at this moment

[kingfc22]

Just got home. What happened with Perkins?

[McSweeny]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Just got home. What happened with Perkins?

Possible torn MCL. He's done.

[SirFozzie]

Nice of them to completely shit the bed so I can stop watching :/

[McSweeny]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Nice of them to completely shit the bed so I can stop watching :/

They were down 24 in the 3rd quarter of Game 4 in 2008 and came back to win that one. And at most there are only 6 quarters of basketball left this year, that's why I'll keep watching.

[SirFozzie]

I get where you're coming from.. but the lackadasical play, and the fact that the Lakers simply want it more, this is better for my blood pressure

[MrBug708]

Holy crap!

[MrBug708]

If the Lakers lose this in 6/7, does Kobe still win the Finals MVP. Pierce has been more vital for the C's, but Rondo has played consistently better?

[Neon_Chaos]

One good Laker quarter away from a Game 7.

War Kobe!

[MrBug708]

Going 7!

[Galaril]

If Perkins is out game 7 from the looks of the game tonight the Celts will have a tough go of it trying to control the ever important rebounding battle.

[DaddyTorgo]

I'm glad I was at the Red Sox game and saved from spending any time on this aborted fetus of an effort by the Celtics.

[Easy Mac]

Well crap, ABC was going to show the last 2 episodes of Better Off Ted on Thursday night if the series didn't go 7. They said they weren't sure if they would show them otherwise.

[MikeVic]

Regardless of outcome, Celtics fans have to be happy. I had them losing in the first round, and I don't think many people would've pegged them for the finals.

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Regardless of outcome, Celtics fans have to be happy. I had them losing in the first round, and I don't think many people would've pegged them for the finals.

I can't speak for others, but this is absolutely how I feel. Granted, I would like nothing better than to win Game 7 and it would take me QUITE a while to get over possibly losing, but in the long run it's been a great playoff run.

I just think that in addition to the way the Bruins were ousted, this would sting that much more and for a while, should they lose.

As for last night, what an epic embarassment. Not taking anything away from the Lakers either, but EVERYONE on the C's was just so ineffective.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Regardless of outcome, Celtics fans have to be happy. I had them losing in the first round, and I don't think many people would've pegged them for the finals.

Originally Posted by Sublime 2

I can't speak for others, but this is absolutely how I feel. Granted, I would like nothing better than to win Game 7 and it would take me QUITE a while to get over possibly losing, but in the long run it's been a great playoff run.

I just think that in addition to the way the Bruins were ousted, this would sting that much more and for a while, should they lose.

As for last night, what an epic embarrassment. Not taking anything away from the Lakers either, but EVERYONE on the C's was just so ineffective.

I agree this is a great season regardless but if they lose as is now expected by all because of a freakish knee injury to Perkins that will be a tough pill to swollen. I truly believe and alot of non C fans also do that with a healthy Perk the Celtics are the better team and likely win game 7. The Lakers definitely got the table set and must be loving the scenario.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

In the long run I will be satisfied based on expectations a few months ago, but I don't think you can ever be happy losing a winnable series for a championship.

[molson]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Regardless of outcome, Celtics fans have to be happy. I had them losing in the first round, and I don't think many people would've pegged them for the finals.

Agreed. I think people are forgetting what a horrible regular season the Celtics had, and are just kind of blending them in with the teams of the two years prior. But this team played .500 basketball for the last 2/3rds of the season.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I agree this is a great season regardless but if they lose as is now expected by all because of a freakish knee injury to Perkins that will be a tough pill to swollen. I truly believe and alot of non C fans also do that with a healthy Perk the Celtics are the better team and likely win game 7. The Lakers definitely got the table set and must be loving the scenario.

I agree.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I agree this is a great season regardless but if they lose as is now expected by all because of a freakish knee injury to Perkins that will be a tough pill to swollen. I truly believe and alot of non C fans also do that with a healthy Perk the Celtics are the better team and likely win game 7. The Lakers definitely got the table set and must be loving the scenario.

Just like 2008. The Lakers were the better team, but Bynum was hurt, so C's won the championship.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Just like 2008. The Lakers were the better team, but Bynum was hurt, so C's won the championship.

Bynum wasn't a member of the team in 2008. He was hurt basically the entire year. Perk will have been hurt for this one game.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Bynum wasn't a member of the team in 2008. He was hurt basically the entire year. Perk will have been hurt for this one game.

Incorrect. Bynum played almost half of the season and in fact was in dominant form when he hurt himself. The Lakers were in first in the Western Conference before they even acquired Gasol that year.

[Chief Rum]

And besides--you're missing the point.

[heybrad]

Trevor Ariza was hurt for the finals as well in 2008, but playing the injury card here is pretty sad. I mean, hello.... Bynum is playing with a torn up knee right now and had to leave the game last night as well.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

It's probably best if both sides try to avoid making excuses for this or other series.

[heybrad]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

It's probably best if both sides try to avoid making excuses for this or other series.

I agree with this. They haven't even played game 7 and excuses are being dropped. Not good.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs2

It's probably best if both sides try to avoid making excuses for this or other series.

I tend to agree. I don't believe the statement I made about the 2008 Lakers. I think the Celtics that year were the better team and they showed it, with or without Bynum (or Ariza) playing for the Lakers.

IMO, that thinking hold true this season as well, just in the opposite direction. Perkins wasn't going to stop what happened last night, and the presence of Perkins all season certainly didn't give Boston a better record in a weaker conference than the Lakers. To suggest that he is the difference between the Celtics being a better team than the Lakers is ridiculous.

The Celtics may indeed be a better team than the Lakers. We'll see on Thursday. I don't know yet for sure.

But until then, if I see a "Celtics are the better team" statement, against all other conclusive evidence, I am going to have to figure its coming from a Boston homer who isn't thinking to remove his green-tinted shades before commenting (I.e. Galaril, who of course already displayed such homerific qualities in this thread just a few days ago).

[Warhammer]

The best statement I heard about this series was from someone after game 5. He said ignore the wins on each opponent's home court. If both sides held serve, at the end of game 5 it would be advantage Cs 3-2. We are where we should be.

[DaddyTorgo]

I always assumed it'd go 7. Just not sure how the C's can gameplan a game 7 win without Perk (regardless of which floor they're on).

[stevew]

I'm hoping they can bring in someone to out-diva Aguilera's game 6 national anthem.

[Groundhog]

Game 7: Where Rasheed Wallace Threes (...attempts...) Happen

[DaddyTorgo]

Perk's officially out. Celtics prolly done. Shame a good series ends up being so affected by an injury right before the deciding game.

[MrBug708]

Lots of talk about Jackson leaving the Lakers after tomorrows game. It's based on a comment he said to the media today, saying this is likely his last time doing this.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Perk's officially out. Celtics prolly done. Shame a good series ends up being so affected by an injury right before the deciding game.

Lakers have had a banged up Bynum all postseason. Tough to blame this on injuries.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Lakers have had a banged up Bynum all postseason. Tough to blame this on injuries.

Not really. Big difference. Bynum has managed to play and be varying levels of effectiveness. Big difference between that and him being out entirely.

[RainMaker]

Bynum hasn't been close to 100% in the series. If he's at 100%, the series is over.

And it's Kendrick Perkins who is hurt, not Tim Duncan. If your championship hopes ride on the back of Kendrick Perkins, you don't deserve to win a championship.