1 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (8-0) vs. ORLANDO MAGIC (8-5) 3 Game 1: Wed. @CLE 8:30PM Game 2: Fri. @CLE 8:30PM Game 3: 5/24 @ORL 8:30PM Game 4: 5/26 @ORL 8:30PM Game 5: 5/28 @CLE 8:30PM * Game 6: 5/30 @ORL 8:30PM * Game 7: 6/1 @CLE 8:30PM *
WESTERN
1 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (8-4) vs. DENVER NUGGETS (8-2) 2 Game 1: Tue. @LAL 9PM Game 2: Thu. @LAL 9PM Game 3: Sat. @DEN 8:30PM Game 4: 5/25 @DEN 9PM Game 5: 5/27 @LAL 9PM * Game 6: 5/29 @DEN 9PM * Game 7: 5/31 @LAL 8:30PM *
* if necessary
I'll say Cleveland in 7 okay, 5 and Denver in 6. Why not?
"As you may have read in Robert Parker's Wine Newsletter, 'Donaghy Estates tastes like the urine of Satan, after a hefty portion of asparagus.'" Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
Bill Simmons has it right. The Lakers display a disgusting amount of championship arrogance for a team that hasn't won a championship. Compare the Lakers' three no-shows against Houston to the Boston Celtics, who fought hard every single game. And you KNOW the Lakers are going to brush off the Nuggets, just because the season series went 3-1 in L.A.'s favor, and they will get burned.
If the Lakers take this series seriously, they shouldn't have a problem sweeping in 4. But they won't. They never do. So they win in 7...but it'll be close. If Denver pulls it off, I won't be shocked in the least.
Meanwhile, people expecting a Cleveland cakewalk have a rude awakening coming. Orlando knows how to play the Cavs. This is another series that goes 7. Cavs win in 7, with LeBron putting up a ridiculous 50-10-10 in Game 7.
"So listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing that happens to you today."
I've got Denver in 7 and Cleveland in 5. I also got this (youtube.com) pretty funny Kobe/Lebron as puppets Nike commerical airing a million times during both series.
So far, an interesting start to both series. All even in the West, and both games appeared pretty evenly matched. I'm hoping the Cavs can even things up tonight and prove the same for the East. Kudos to Orlando for hanging in there on Wednesday and chipping away to come back.
"As you may have read in Robert Parker's Wine Newsletter, 'Donaghy Estates tastes like the urine of Satan, after a hefty portion of asparagus.'" Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
Yep. I was getting too angry when the Nuggets were down by 14, and figuring they were going to lose, switched channels to the Canes/Pens game to cool down. Fortunately I switched it back just in time to watch them rally back to pull within one at halftime (Chauncey's inbound to himself off of Kobe was sick).
I don't know if this is where we are talking about the games but ...
Lebron James should make you want to watch, there's not a more amazing athlete right now. His finishes around the hoop when getting hacked are just nuts and if the NBA hasn't synched up that game winning three with some slow piano music yet I don't know what they are waiting for. Also a great call by Marv Albert.
I'll give Orlando credit, they have way more fight in them than I thought they did going into this series.
LeBron puts up a 3 with 1 second left to avoid being down a dangerous 2-0 hole to the athletic Orlando Magic. LeBron taking the shot was a sign that LeBron is gaining more confidence in being the man to take the last shot instead of passing it to someone else like he has a habit of doing from time to time. The series would probably favor Orlando if the Magic had a healthy Jameer Nelson.
LA takes a 2-1 lead in which Denver pretty much controlled most of the game. K-Mart puts in an ugly pass which ultimately puts the perverbial nail in the coffin for the Nuggets. However, if Denver was concentrated on other shots instead of being dismal from beyond the arc, a better shot selection (and a more productive Carmelo Anthony) could have been the difference maker and potentially having Denver up 2-1 instead of the Lakers. Denver has to win game 4 or be down a very dangerous 3-1 in which only a few teams have come back to win the series. Right now, it's make or break for Denver.
I think the pressure for game 4 is squarely on the Lakers shoulders. If they lose, then we are right back to where we were with Houston and doubt starts creeping back inot their heads and Denver gets all the momentum. LA needs to win game 4. I personally think if they do not, then they are going to lose.
Regardless, playoff basketball has been great and while a Howard/Kobe or Carmelo/LeBron finals would be awesome, Kobe/LeBron goes WAY past that. LA/Cleveland cound be legen...wait for it....dary.
Originally posted by WpobRegardless, playoff basketball has been great and while a Howard/Kobe or Carmelo/LeBron finals would be awesome, Kobe/LeBron goes WAY past that.
Between the Most Valuable Puppet commercials and ESPN airing "Dream Season: 23 & 24" the other night, I'm buying into the hype that this is all about Kobe and LeBron. It just seems that the Magic didn't get the NBA's memo.
You believe me, don't you? Please believe what I just said...
No one should have counted out the Magic to begin with. Considering they went 2-1 against Cleveland (including a 116-87 drumming in April) and 2-0 against the Lakers, there was no reason to overlook Orlando. I had a feeling these guys were for real, but everyone had their Kobe/LeBron goggles on. It seems more and more that Cleveland doesn't have an answer for these guys and are reduced to making meaningless guarantees.
So, Mo. You're sure the Cavaliers will win Game 4 on Tuesday night and rally to win the best-of-seven series. Willing to guarantee it?
"Guarantee we're going to win the series? Yeah, yeah," he said. "We are down 2-1. But there is nobody on this team and definitely not myself that says we are not going to win this series. Yeah, it is going to be tough. We know that. We get this game tomorrow, go home, still got home-court advantage.
Coming from someone who's shooting 32.1% for the series, this is just idiotic.
"So listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing that happens to you today."
The only idiotic thing I see in that quote was the guarantee part, but otherwise how can you fault a guy for having confidence in himself and his team? If they didn't have that, why bother playing the games?
Also to note, that drubbing you mentioned was at Orlando and came the night after the Cavs just lost a hard-fought game at Washington. It was only the second time that they lost back-to-back games this whole season. Last night was the third.
Regardless, congrats to Orlando on a heckuva series. I know they made me nervous coming into the playoffs and their shooters have delivered in spades. Could a miracle occur? Sure, but I'm not holding my breath. A special credit to Rashard Lewis - he has been so clutch this series (save for one free throw last night) that every time he gets the ball I cringe to see how he'll score.
"As you may have read in Robert Parker's Wine Newsletter, 'Donaghy Estates tastes like the urine of Satan, after a hefty portion of asparagus.'" Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
Bill Simmons had a column a while back saying that the greatest motivating factor in modern sports is the 'nobody believed in us!' card. I think we're seeing this in the Magic/Cavs series right now. Going into this series, people would've been surprised to see Orlando win a game --- literally nobody thought they'd have Cleveland on the ropes like this.
Kirk, crackers are a family food. Happy families. Maybe single people eat crackers, we don't know. Frankly, we don't want to know. It's a market we can do without.
Originally posted by Big BadGoing into this series, people would've been surprised to see Orlando win a game --- literally nobody thought they'd have Cleveland on the ropes like this.
Although Orlando did win the regular season series versus Cleveland, you are probably right.
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