I stopped watching the NBA since last seasons 15 on 12 Lakers-Kings debacle. However, My interest was piqued this year when I heard the Lakers cying foul(meaning the games were finally being called down the line) Lo and behold the NBA tries to squeeze at least one 7 game series out of the Fakers. The 15 on 12 champs needed every whistle they got to escape with a victory tonight. I wouldn't be very surprised if this series went 7. In fact, I'd be shocked if it didn't. What a joke the NBA has become.
Yeah, I was only able to stomach a little bit of it. I watched Hack completely run over Malik Rose, who then got called for the defensive foul. I also love Shaq and the LakerNation bitching about out Vlade flops all the time, and then see him take the biggest dive in the world under the basket for David Robinson. There is no way that Robinson could plow through Shaq like that, he outweighs him by like 150 pounds. But who got called for the foul??? Robinson.
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Was that Donald Sutherland sitting next to Jack Nicholson? During one of the 700 cutaways to Jack, I saw what looked like Donald but the announcers didn't say anything.
"Oh my God, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits! It says, 'Oooooo!'" Peter Griffin "Peter, those are Cheerios." Brian
... Lakers have taken just NINE more free throws than the Spurs have over the four games played.
Lakers have had the edge in free throws in the games in L.A. -- Spurs have had the edge in free throws in the games in San Antonio.
Lakers had more free throws yesterday because they WENT TO THE RACK MORE OFTEN than the Spurs did.
Malik Rose's whole "defensive" game against Shaquille O'Neal is to hit the floor at the first hint of contact, then look at the refs. That's ridiculous and pathetic.
Mark Madsen was able to come into the game in the 4th quarter and throw the alleged MVP Tim Duncan out of his offensive rhythm.
Spurs could not execute the simple things down the stretch -- like waiting ten seconds to foul Kobe when they should have fouled him right away, and they horribly botched TWO inbound passes.
But it's all the refs' fault.
I remember saying to my friends one the game ended, "There's going to be some heavy crying over this one." Nice to see that the Laker Haters haven't disappointed.
Not blaming the ref's. A good team should be able to overcome any bad calls. I just get flabbergasted by some things in the game some times, especially when the Lakers get hypocritical. Like I said before, I didn't see much of the game, I was too busy drifting in and out of Dreamland. I've explained where my Laker-hating originated from, I'd be disowned if I liked them.
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This has turned into a disturbing pattern for the Spurs: Throughout the Phoenix series, they either gave away the game, or blew big leads and barely survived. Same happened in Game 1 of the Laker series, when they did everything humanly possible after Shaq fouled out to give the Lakers a cheap win. Then, in Game 4 with a 16 point lead and a chance to cut the Lakers throats, they let it get away. If they could execute down the stretch, I'd consider blaming the officials. However, when they can't in-bound the ball or continually look like the Celtics on offense late in games, its tough to develop sympathy for them.
The Luftwaffe: The Washington Generals of the History Channel.
I don't know about everything Dutch said since I didn't see all of the game, but the Spurs were absolutely PATHETIC in the final few minutes.
On the very last inbound pass that Kobe stole, the announcers bemoaned nobody getting open to take the pass, but one of the guys was about 3 feet away from whoever was inbounding but INSTEAD, the best option was to throw a pass halfway across the court to a guy being guarded by Kobe. Just pitiful.
I really hate this series. The Kings/Mavs series is so much better, and I hope whoever wins that just beats the holy hell out of the Spurs or Lakers.
Even you guys have to admit that this Lakers/Spurs series has been better than the routs of the last few years. As bad as you all say the series is, it's a whole lot more exciting than the Laker domination of the last few years and the Spur sweep of 1999.
And count me in on chomping at the bit for the conference finals. (Assuming the Lakers win) Either we get the LA/Sacramento rematch everyone's been waiting for or Nick Van Exel returns to try and knock out the team that let him go. Either way, it's good TV.
Ok, so maybe all the other guys haven't worked, but will THIS be the man to save WWE???
Did Vince McMahon take over the NBA when I wasn't looking?
Over 1200 posts and still never a Wiener of the Day!
Really, if they told you that SARS was being pumped through the ventilation system into every theatre in which this was being shown, would you be any less likely to go see it?-- review of 'Daddy Day Care' at fametracker.com
Originally posted by J.T. Dutch... Lakers have taken just NINE more free throws than the Spurs have over the four games played.
Lakers have had the edge in free throws in the games in L.A. -- Spurs have had the edge in free throws in the games in San Antonio.
Lakers had more free throws yesterday because they WENT TO THE RACK MORE OFTEN than the Spurs did.
Malik Rose's whole "defensive" game against Shaquille O'Neal is to hit the floor at the first hint of contact, then look at the refs. That's ridiculous and pathetic.
Mark Madsen was able to come into the game in the 4th quarter and throw the alleged MVP Tim Duncan out of his offensive rhythm.
Spurs could not execute the simple things down the stretch -- like waiting ten seconds to foul Kobe when they should have fouled him right away, and they horribly botched TWO inbound passes.
But it's all the refs' fault.
I remember saying to my friends one the game ended, "There's going to be some heavy crying over this one." Nice to see that the Laker Haters haven't disappointed.
Let's all cry.
True true, this series it has gone both ways. Favorable calls for the Spurs in San Antonio and favorable calls for the Lakers in LA. Overall Lakers have more fouls but LA is driving to the basket while the Spurs are settling for the jump shot and why should the Spurs want more free throws? They suck from the free throw line. And the Spurs did lose this game.
But come on, if you think that the Lakers never get favorable calls for being the Lakers than you are obviously dillusional and biased. Any time they play the Twolves, Mavs or Kings the referees are pathetic. It's one thing when there are a few bad arguable calls but the Lakers get some obvious ones that even Bill Walton, who is the most Lakers biased person there is, points out that the Lakers are getting favorable calls.
The disturbing thing about this series (and the NBA as whole) is that the games and series are manipulated. If you think either the Spurs or the Lakers was going to win this series in less than 6 you were nuts. It is going to 7. I know this because the NBA is mimicking their strategy from last years Kings-Lakers series. They are going to have the refs control the games until the last five minutes or so, and then the best team(with the most left) will win. It looks like they figured out that if they give the Home team the calls every time not only is it guaranteed to go 7, but it looks more like home court bias rather than league wide conspiracy, which is the case. I just wish the NBA would wake up so I can go back to enjoying NBA basketball. They really did lose alot of fans with last years debacle, and there is little interest in seeing the NBA title get further devalued by a second straight paper NBA championship reign. Throw in the fact that Cwebb is out for the season, and you officially have no reason to watch the remainder of the playoffs.
... I know the Lakers get Championship "respect" from the officials. This has been going on, however, since you or I started watching NBA Basketball (I go back as far as '83, others probably go back farther than that). The Sixers, Celtics, Rockets, and Bulls all have benefitted from this. When the Lakers played those teams, I knew that the only way L.A. possibly could win would be from a blowout. If the game was close, they would invariably lose and the difference would come at the foul line.
The only guys who receive favorable calls on the present Lakers are O'Neal and Bryant, because they're considered superstars and big draws. Jordan, Johnson, Erving, Bird, and Olajuwon were all afforded this "respect" in the past. It's nothing new, it's been around for two decades, and I don't see the NBA changing anything. This is a Sports reality. Greg Maddux got strike calls on pitches nearly a foot outside, Jerry Rice got an interference penalty if he happened to fall down on any pass intended for him, and if Wayne Gretzky went down near the boards, roughing penalties were consistently called. This is part of the Sports Industry. It's a business. They know where their bread is buttered. Is it necessarily fair?? No, but it's consistent.
I don't see the point of fans leaving sports because of something that has gone on so long, and will continue to go on long after they have left.
Jim Saccaro ...
... I hated seeing Webber go down, myself. I wanted to have my team face the Kings at their best, if they got that far. While I would like the Mavericks to win the current series (and I do think Dallas is a better team, although I'm in the minority), I respect the impact that Webber has on the game, and I think it sucks that we've lost that impact as fans. Webber's had a hard-luck career, and this is another chapter.
Ubermonkeys ...
... I'm enjoying the Dallas-Sacramento series immensely. Van Exel is one of my favorite players, and he's been incredible. It looks like 80's basketball out there -- shoot first and ask questions later. Very entertaining stuff.
See, I stopped watching the NBA when the Jordan era was going on. And I thought the McMahon/Helmsly era went on forever, they had nothing on Jordan. I still say if the NBA was doing the "repsect", honestly why don't we call it what it is, fixking games. They should have jobbed him out to the Knicks sooner. Even the last Chicago/Indiana game was so fucking biased it wasn't funny. Yes. David people will watch even though Jordan isn't there, it had to take them almost a decade to figure it out. Look at the Wizards and the last three Bulls' title runs, fairly boring and obvious. I thought the best NBA season was when Jordan was out and it was the Knicks/Houston series where everyone had a shot at the title. Damn, OJ and his bronco for fucking that up.
I just think the NBA is working off of too much Shaq and Kobe of late and its getting them into too much trouble. I like my champions with something to prove, now that Jackson is out we can see some heart rather than flash. That said, if they do get past San Antiono expect them to be in the finals now that the Kings are mortal again. Plus, the East is so fucking weak, no one is going to take the Lakers to a test. A Fan- I am a Lakers' fan, but I still see through what the NBA is doing.
J.T. Dutch....you hit the nail right on the head. Trust me I've been watching pro ball since about 1970. The top teams and players always get the calls. The early Celtic dynasty always got them, as did the old Knick teams with Frazier, Reed etc, going right up to the mid eighties with the Bird led Celtics and the Magic led Lakers. Of course we all pretty much saw the Jordan years in Chicago. When those teams earn that "Championship" respect......they'll get it.
"There's no underestimating the predictability of stupidity".....BULLET TOOTHED TONY from the movie SNATCH
Originally posted by DJ FrostyFreezeDamn, so everybody (even the Laker haters) gets a shout-out except ME, the only other blatant Laker fan on the board?
Where's the LOVE!?!?
... Shout out to the DJ.
BTW, if there happens to be a Game 7 in San Antonio, my friends and I are going to Staples to watch it on the big screen -- first time I'll be going there to see a road game. Have you done that before? If you have, how was it?
I TOTALLY forgot all about that, are they doing that again? I havent seen anything about it on TV this year. I've only been to STAPLES once, and that was in 99 to see the Test/Steph/HHH wedding. But if they're showing road games on the big screen, I'm THERE.
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