No surprise the Spurs won Game 3. Great time for Ginobili to finally have a great game against LA.
The only thing I found curious was with the Lakers up after one quarter, Jackson went to that weird Lamar Odom and four scrubs lineup. Then it became Kobe and four stiffs. Dunno what that was all about but it felt like the Lakers were conceding the game at that point. Weird.
Sunday, May 25 Recap:
Stud of the Night: Tim Duncan. Huge game with 22 points and 21 boards, and The Big Fundamental was on his game tonight as the Spurs close the series to 2-1. How Duncan goes, so do the Spurs.
The Spurs slaughtered us with the Three ball, and we slaughtered ourselves on the charity stripe. Otherwise, I didn’t see anything in the Spurs’ game that worried me for this series(except perhaps the excellent defensive job against Kobe, keeping him off the line the whole game was pretty impressive)
That being said. It was pretty nuts when Kobe blitzed those threes near the end. I think he was trying to send a message. But what, and to who, I do not know.
[quote]Malevolence wrote:
That being said. It was pretty nuts when Kobe blitzed those threes near the end. I think he was trying to send a message. But what, and to who, I do not know. [/quote]
Yeah I was confused as to why he did that also. I think he might have been frustrated, but we’ll wait and see what Game 4 has in store.
I was pretty confident lakers would lose tonight, big layoff and spurs were NOT going to get swept thats fact I expected them to come out strong and get a win. I do think though lakers will play much better in the next game and try to finish it off in la.
Just a thought for LA fans right now:
Do you guys realize that SA has taken a 20+ pt lead on LA in two out of three games? How about that the series is only 2-1 (and could very easily be 1-2 in favor of SA) and is currently on pace to go the distance?
You guys are really acting like the series is over, and the only question is whether it’ll be five or six games. These aren’t the roll-over-and-play-dead Nuggets you’re playing.
If I were you, I’d be hoping that LA’s players don’t have the same attitude as their fans, or the Lakers will be watching the Finals from home.
[quote]tGunslinger wrote:
Just a thought for LA fans right now:
Do you guys realize that SA has taken a 20+ pt lead on LA in two out of three games? How about that the series is only 2-1 (and could very easily be 1-2 in favor of SA) and is currently on pace to go the distance?
You guys are really acting like the series is over, and the only question is whether it’ll be five or six games. These aren’t the roll-over-and-play-dead Nuggets you’re playing.
If I were you, I’d be hoping that LA’s players don’t have the same attitude as their fans, or the Lakers will be watching the Finals from home.[/quote]
Doesn’t matter their up 2-1, lakers played awful in game 1 and 3 yet are 1-1 when that happens. If the lakers play even close to their ability they will win easily.
[quote]shizen wrote:
tGunslinger wrote:
Just a thought for LA fans right now:
Do you guys realize that SA has taken a 20+ pt lead on LA in two out of three games? How about that the series is only 2-1 (and could very easily be 1-2 in favor of SA) and is currently on pace to go the distance?
You guys are really acting like the series is over, and the only question is whether it’ll be five or six games. These aren’t the roll-over-and-play-dead Nuggets you’re playing.
If I were you, I’d be hoping that LA’s players don’t have the same attitude as their fans, or the Lakers will be watching the Finals from home.
Doesn’t matter their up 2-1, lakers played awful in game 1 and 3 yet are 1-1 when that happens. If the lakers play even close to their ability they will win easily. [/quote]
I don’t think the Lakers or their fans are underestimating the Spurs. I do think there is a lot of optimism for the Lakers, given that they haven’t played that well and still lead the series 2-1.
I had no doubt the Spurs would win Game 3. I like the Lakers’ chances to steal one in Game 4, though. But if the series heads back to LA 2-2, I don’t think anyone should be surprised.
Couple of early action shots from tonight’s Celtics-Pistons Game 4.
Tayshaun Prince shoots over Kevin Garnett.
Rajon Rondo fouls Tayshaun Prince as Paul Pierce goes for a steal in the first quarter.
Rasheed Wallace blocks the shot of Glen Davis.
Paul Pierce battles for a bucket.
Let’s try this again… Paul Pierce.
The final score belies the flow of the BOS-DET Game 4.
Boston played about as poorly as they have all post-season long (loads of TO’s, shoddy defense for long stretches, poor shot selection, little off the ball movement, etc.), yet they hung tough until the Pistons exploded in the final ninety seconds.
There are losses where there’s really nothing you can hang your hat on, and then there are losses like this one. As described above, Boston played a very poor game, while Detroit played, at times, a brilliant game and the game was in Detroit…
yet the C’s were down by five points with three minutes to play.
They got outplayed severely by Detroit on the road, yet were literally this close to stealing that game.
This was a must-win for Detroit, who came in jacked up through the roof, while it would’ve been merely a luxury win for Boston, who came in flat as a week-old beer. Yet Detroit never could quite shake loose of Boston until garbage time in the final minute and a half.
While the final margin was pretty large, I don’t think this game should make Detroit feel very comfortable.
Monday May 26th Recap:
Stud of the Night: Antonio McDyess. Phenomenal job by the Dice Man tonight, finishing with 21 and 16 rebounds, and the Pistons are back in the thick of the race.
[quote]tmoney1 wrote:
Monday May 26th Recap:
Stud of the Night: Antonio McDyess. Phenomenal job by the Dice Man tonight, finishing with 21 and 16 rebounds, and the Pistons are back in the thick of the race.[/quote]
Absolutely right on McDyess. If he doesn’t come up huge, then it’s very conceivable that Detroit suffers a devastating Game 4 home loss.
The old codger willed the Pistons to a W tonight.
Celtics-Pistons: Whoever wins Game 5 will win this series. I think the game will be close and that the Pistons have a real chance of taking it. If so, the series ends in 6. If Boston takes Game 5, they will win…maybe in 6, definitely in 7. I could be wrong but I don’t think the Celtics have ever lost a Game 7 at home. Pretty unbelievable. I don’t think the Pistons are the team to break that streak.
Lakers-Spurs: LA will play much better in Game 4. Gasol will have a much better game and the key lies in how Odom plays. If he reduces his turnovers from Game 3 and hits some of those inside shots he was bricking, the Lakers can pull it off. Should be a close game. The Spurs need Manu to repeat his sparking Game 3 performance. This series could easily go 7. I think the Lakers ultimately advance, but to me, this is the real NBA finals.
[quote]Xeneize wrote:
Celtics-Pistons: Whoever wins Game 5 will win this series. I think the game will be close and that the Pistons have a real chance of taking it. If so, the series ends in 6. If Boston takes Game 5, they will win…maybe in 6, definitely in 7. I could be wrong but I don’t think the Celtics have ever lost a Game 7 at home. Pretty unbelievable. I don’t think the Pistons are the team to break that streak.
Lakers-Spurs: LA will play much better in Game 4. Gasol will have a much better game and the key lies in how Odom plays. If he reduces his turnovers from Game 3 and hits some of those inside shots he was bricking, the Lakers can pull it off. Should be a close game. The Spurs need Manu to repeat his sparking Game 3 performance. This series could easily go 7. I think the Lakers ultimately advance, but to me, this is the real NBA finals.[/quote]
Boston has lost home Game 7’s before, most recently to Indiana in the first round in 2005. Their overall home Game 7 record is incredible, something like 15-3, but it’s not 1.000.
After four games, I’m honestly convinced that Boston is the better basketball team. They’re not a lot better, and it wouldn’t take much of a slip-up to allow the Pistons to take the series. But they’re better, and they’ll win so long as they just take care of business. I think that it’s Detroit that’s got to dig deeper to find a little extra if they want to win this series.
Also, I forgot to mention Jason Maxiell as a guy who put in a very strong performance in Game 4 last night. He had some very tough points and rebounds in addition to the block of Garnett that you and I and everybody who watched that game knows was a foul. But hey, who’s counting?
Sarcasm aside, Maxiell had a great Game 4.
EDIT: Just now saw that last sentence, but I’ve got to disagree. That’s true some years (like in 2002 and 2003, where everybody on the planet knew that the Western Finals winner would easily win the Finals, or the MJ years where the entire Western Conference was just Jordan-fodder), but not this year.
Neither the Spurs nor the Lakers are particularly great teams, and both of the East Finalists are very strong. I think SA would have to pull a rabbit out of their hat to bring home the title this season, but the other three teams are roughly the same caliber.
I think the Lakers would be slight underdogs vs. Boston and slight favorites vs. Detroit. They wouldn’t have home court vs. either team.
