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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Sports Discussion Boards => Topic started by: Mr Nobody on May 30, 2010, 01:34:03 PM
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So its here who will win? The Lakers cant handle Rondo that is why the Celtics will prevail plus lazy Bynum will hurt them too.
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So its here who will win? The Lakers cant handle Rondo that is why the Celtics will prevail plus lazy Bynum will hurt them too.
would love to see the Celtics pull the upset. But I think the Lakers win the series in 5 or 6 games.
The Lakers are younger, have more depth, and have more size in the post. Unless Rasheed Wallace can average 12-15 points off the bench for every game, then the Lakers win easy.
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would love to see the Celtics pull the upset. But I think the Lakers win the series in 5 or 6 games.
The Lakers are younger, have more depth, and have more size in the post. Unless Rasheed Wallace can average 12-15 points off the bench for every game, then the Lakers win easy.
I tend to agree but dont tell regmac.
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would love to see the Celtics pull the upset. But I think the Lakers win the series in 5 or 6 games.
The Lakers are younger, have more depth, and have more size in the post. Unless Rasheed Wallace can average 12-15 points off the bench for every game, then the Lakers win easy.
Lol. Again, I'd love to bet you on this one.
The Lakers are not going to "win easy".
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Lol. Again, I'd love to bet you on this one.
The Lakers are not going to "win easy".
Hate Kobe and dislike KG even though i worked on his mom's house..... :-\ I guess the Celtics.
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Hate Kobe and dislike KG even though i worked on his mom's house..... :-\ I guess the Celtics.
I'm going with the 4 leaf clovers.
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I'm going with the 4 leaf clovers.
The Lakers have always made me Vomit! >:(
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The Lakers have always made me Vomit! >:(
I just did when you mentioned it :D
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lakers.....why? Paul Peirce was the MVP of the 08 finals. Who guarded him...Vlad Rad...He sucks.
Who is guarding him this year, The Ron Artest...
Lakers in 6
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You know what's crazy? Phil Jackson is coaching in the Finals for the 13th time.
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You know what's crazy? Phil Jackson is coaching in the Finals for the 13th time.
13 is an unlucky number.
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a number is a number.
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lakers.....why? Paul Peirce was the MVP of the 08 finals. Who guarded him...Vlad Rad...He sucks.
Who is guarding him this year, The Ron Artest...
Lakers in 6
I don't think so. Pierce has always played well against Artest. Also, the Lakers played poor D at times vs the suns.
Rondo is arguably the best point guard in the NBA and a much improved player since the first time these two teams met. Kobe couldn't guard him off the dribble two years ago, and Ray has been on fire in the playoffs. The Celtics pose several match up issues for the Lakers.
I also love how people are talking about Bynum (who just had his knee drained). If he does not play well, that means Odem and Pau have to bang in the paint with the dirt dogs like Perk and Baby. Which poses problem when Baby is playing, because he can hit 15 foot jumpers and requires attention at all times, which opens up the floor for KG and so on.
I'm not saying the Celtics will win...but, this talk about Laker's winning easy is insane. The Celtics beat Wade and the heat, James and the Cavs and Superman and the Magic. They can beat Kobe and the Lakers.
Ps, Guts, tell me how the Laker's bench is "deeper? than the Celtics.
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celtics in 7
could go either way, definitely one of the more interesting matchups in a long time
E
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I think it could go either way, but I think the Lakers will win this one. This Celtics team is not as good as the 08 team IMO. LA didn't have Bynum or Ariza in 08. Artest will do a good job on Pierce. I'm hearing Kobe will guard Rondo (I think it should be Fish). I don't think Rondo will be any bigger of a problem than all three point guards the Lakers have faced in the playoffs so far.
Plus Kobe is just on fire. Doesn't hurt to have the best player in basketball on your team. :)
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celtics in 7
could go either way, definitely one of the more interesting matchups in a long time
E
I'm a huge C's fan but this just ain't happening. There is no good scenario where Boston goes to L.A. for game 7 and wins. It's just so improbably. If you're picking the C's, you're picking them in 6. And you'll get VERY good odds in Vegas for that pick, so place your bet.
My prediction? C's in 6 ;) placing my bet tonight!
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I'm a huge C's fan but this just ain't happening. There is no good scenario where Boston goes to L.A. for game 7 and wins. It's just so improbably. !
sure that hollywood crowd is so loud and crazy ;)
BTW games 6 and 7 are in LA
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I don't think so. Pierce has always played well against Artest.
hmm really
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hmmm im gonna go with the guy holding the other guy to 23% and 8 turnovers
BOOM
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hmm really
Good find.
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I thought that Paul did well against Artest the last time they met in a playoff situation. I guess was wrong. I didn't check any stats on that, so I stand corrected. That said, that match up is not the key to the series, imo. It all comes down to Bynum. he has a bum knee, so if he plays poorly, that is going to Force the Lama or Odem to get in the paint with the dirt dogs like Baby and Perk for extended min. Those guys don't play physical and the need for them to put forth defensive effort at all times on KG, Davis and Perk might wear on them over the course of the series and negate their effectiveness on the offensive side of the ball.
Who's going to take Ray Allen? He's had a hot hand thus far.
As mentioned above, the Celtics have a lot of weapons. Last time these two teams played, Allen was not on fire like he has been this post season and Rondo was not the best pg in the NBA. I don't think the Lakers match up well with the Celtics outside their big three vs Bostons big three.
Boston has a superior bench to LA, imo.
"Utilizing what's primarily been a four-man rotation of Davis, Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley, Boston's bench is averaging 23.1 points per game this postseason. The 2008 bench averaged 21.9 points per game in the playoffs." Add in Nate Robinson, Daniels and Toney Allen and you have a more talented bench as a whole.
Not saying the Celtics will win the series...just throwing some points out there for you to chew on.
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hmmm im gonna go with the guy holding the other guy to 23% and 8 turnovers
BOOM
can't you just have a convo without acting like a re-tahd. You made a good point, I was mistaken.
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I thought that Paul did well against Artest the last time they met in a playoff situation. I guess was wrong. I didn't check any stats on that, so I stand corrected. That said, that match up is not the key to the series, imo. It all comes down to Bynum. he has a bum knee, so if he plays poorly, that is going to Force the Lama or Odem to get in the paint with the dirt dogs like Baby and Perk for extended min. Those guys don't play physical and the need for them to put forth defensive effort at all times on KG, Davis and Perk might wear on them over the course of the series and negate their effectiveness on the offensive side of the ball.
Who's going to take Ray Allen? He's had a hot hand thus far.
As mentioned above, the Celtics have a lot of weapons. Last time these two teams played, Allen was not on fire like he has been this post season and Rondo was not the best pg in the NBA. I don't think the Lakers match up well with the Celtics outside their big three vs Bostons big three.
Boston has a superior bench to LA, imo.
"Utilizing what's primarily been a four-man rotation of Davis, Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley, Boston's bench is averaging 23.1 points per game this postseason. The 2008 bench averaged 21.9 points per game in the playoffs." Add in Nate Robinson, Daniels and Toney Allen and you have a more talented bench as a whole.
Not saying the Celtics will win the series...just throwing some points out there for you to chew on.
Ray Allen has been pretty inconsistent. He's averaging 16.8 points in these playoffs. He has been hot in stretches and is a good clutch shooter, but he's not exactly someone the Lakers have to game plan around like Pierce.
Bynum is only going to play about 20 minutes a game.
Who is going to guard Kobe?
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Kobe can get his 30. I hope he tries to do it all again, just like in 08. As long as they don't let him go crazy and they do a good job on the role players, they have a good chance.
Imo, the Celtics can hurt LA more ways than LA can hurt the Celtics. More weapons. More ways to score. A very good defensive team - etc.
It will be a good series no doubt.
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can't you just have a convo without acting like a re-tahd. You made a good point, I was mistaken.
dont get your panties in a bunch...im just being a fan...dios mio...a bit touchy today arent we
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dont get your panties in a bunch...im just being a fan...dios mio...a bit touchy today arent we
I'm good. I must have been taking your replies to me the wrong way. No problem.
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Kobe can get his 30. I hope he tries to do it all again, just like in 08. As long as they don't let him go crazy and they do a good job on the role players, they have a good chance.
Imo, the Celtics can hurt LA more ways than LA can hurt the Celtics. More weapons. More ways to score. A very good defensive team - etc.
It will be a good series no doubt.
I think the Lakers have the more talented team: Bynum over Perkins, Pau over KG, Pierce over Artest, Kobe over Allen, Rondo over Fish, and Odom over anyone off the Celtics' bench.
But I agree it will be a good series. I'm very happy the Celtics made it instead of the Cavs or Magic.
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Bynum over Perkin (If his knee is ok. He had it drained Monday and just said the fluid is back).
Pau over KG.
Pierce over Artest.
Kobe over Allen.
Rondo over Fish (by a lot).
Odem over Sheed and baby. This is also a problem for the Lakers. Odem can't bang with them both and the Lakers have no big men off the bench that are as good as Sheed or Baby.
Imo, the Celtics have a much better bench.
Should be good.
I dont see the Celtcs winning game one. To much energy. I see them taking game two, then 2 out of three in Boston.
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Bynum over Perkin (If his knee is ok. He had it drained Monday and just said the fluid is back).
Pau over KG.
Pierce over Artest.
Kobe over Allen.
Rondo over Fish (by a lot).
Odem over Sheed and baby. This is also a problem for the Lakers. Odem can't bang with them both and the Lakers have no big men off the bench that are as good as Sheed or Baby.
Imo, the Celtics have a much better bench.
Should be good.
I dont see the Celtcs winning game one. To much energy. I see them taking game two, then 2 out of three in Boston.
This will go 7.
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Bynum over Perkin (If his knee is ok. He had it drained Monday and just said the fluid is back).
Pau over KG.
Pierce over Artest.
Kobe over Allen.
Rondo over Fish (by a lot).
Odem over Sheed and baby. This is also a problem for the Lakers. Odem can't bang with them both and the Lakers have no big men off the bench that are as good as Sheed or Baby.
Imo, the Celtics have a much better bench.
Should be good.
I dont see the Celtcs winning game one. To much energy. I see them taking game two, then 2 out of three in Boston.
It sounds like Bynum's knee will be the same as it has been throughout the playoffs. I suspect he'll play about 20 minutes or so and have about 10 and 8. Thereabouts.
He actually had good games against Perkins this year.
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I don't think so. Pierce has always played well against Artest. Also, the Lakers played poor D at times vs the suns.
Rondo is arguably the best point guard in the NBA and a much improved player since the first time these two teams met. Kobe couldn't guard him off the dribble two years ago, and Ray has been on fire in the playoffs. The Celtics pose several match up issues for the Lakers.
I also love how people are talking about Bynum (who just had his knee drained). If he does not play well, that means Odem and Pau have to bang in the paint with the dirt dogs like Perk and Baby. Which poses problem when Baby is playing, because he can hit 15 foot jumpers and requires attention at all times, which opens up the floor for KG and so on.
I'm not saying the Celtics will win...but, this talk about Laker's winning easy is insane. The Celtics beat Wade and the heat, James and the Cavs and Superman and the Magic. They can beat Kobe and the Lakers.
Ps, Guts, tell me how the Laker's bench is "deeper? than the Celtics.
The Lakers are definitely deeper than the Celtics. Hard to believe you're debating that one. Who do the Celtics have coming of the bench beside broken down Rasheed and Davis? Tony Allen is a good defender but doesn't score enough. Finley is 100 years old and Nate Robinson has had one good game.
The Lakers have the better bench, offensively and athletically. When you have a player as talented as Lamar Odom coming off the bench, you're a deep team. Odom, Farmar, and Brown. The Lakers are 8 or 9 deep while the Celtics are 7 deep, at best.
Just my opinion, Body88. I hope the Celtics win, though. Something just tells me that the Lakers win in 5 games, maybe 6. The Lakers are the best team in the NBA for a reason.
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The Lakers are definitely deeper than the Celtics. Hard to believe you're debating that one. Who do the Celtics have coming of the bench beside broken down Rasheed and Davis? Tony Allen is a good defender but doesn't score enough. Finley is 100 years old and Nate Robinson has had one good game.
The Lakers have the better bench, offensively and athletically. When you have a player as talented as Lamar Odom coming off the bench, you're a deep team. Odom, Farmar, and Brown. The Lakers are 8 or 9 deep while the Celtics are 7 deep, at best.
Just my opinion, Body88. I hope the Celtics win, though. Something just tells me that the Lakers win in 5 games, maybe 6. The Lakers are the best team in the NBA for a reason.
Then why has the Celtics bench played better during the playoffs and also outscored the 08 teams bench (which was supposedly the advntage the Celtics had over the Lakers last time they played)?
Odem is a 30 min player, not really a "bench" guy. After him, there is a massive dropoff. How many minutes have the Lakers bench players averaged throughout the playoffs? They were exposed in the sun series. Farmar and brown are bench players and they have been pretty limited. Look at their minutes. Why so few? Who then, Sasha? That's not a "talented" bench. Factor in the Bynum injury and thats more minutes Odem will need to play as a starter. He's going to bang with Baby and Perk for a whole series if Bynum is limited?
You call Wallace names, but he has played well recently and baby is a good big man who must be defended because he can shoot, too. What big men do the Lakers have off the bench, that can play d, score and has avg 15 ppg like baby? Finley is old, but again, has been part of a bench that had averaged 23 ppg. nate Robinson had a great game vs the magic and you are taking away from him and calling out bench players on the Lakers who play very limited minutes. Tony Allen is a good player and your downplaying his skills. How about Daniels.
The lakers are 6 deep and their starting 6 is very good. Bynum won't be 100.
They Lakers might win in six. They might win in five. My beef was with you saying that they would win easy, that's all : - )
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Game on where is regmac?
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Then why has the Celtics bench played better during the playoffs and also outscored the 08 teams bench (which was supposedly the advntage the Celtics had over the Lakers last time they played)?
Odem is a 30 min player, not really a "bench" guy. After him, there is a massive dropoff. How many minutes have the Lakers bench players averaged throughout the playoffs? They were exposed in the sun series. Farmar and brown are bench players and they have been pretty limited. Look at their minutes. Why so few? Who then, Sasha? That's not a "talented" bench. Factor in the Bynum injury and thats more minutes Odem will need to play as a starter. He's going to bang with Baby and Perk for a whole series if Bynum is limited?
You call Wallace names, but he has played well recently and baby is a good big man who must be defended because he can shoot, too. What big men do the Lakers have off the bench, that can play d, score and has avg 15 ppg like baby? Finley is old, but again, has been part of a bench that had averaged 23 ppg. nate Robinson had a great game vs the magic and you are taking away from him and calling out bench players on the Lakers who play very limited minutes. Tony Allen is a good player and your downplaying his skills. How about Daniels.
The lakers are 6 deep and their starting 6 is very good. Bynum won't be 100.
They Lakers might win in six. They might win in five. My beef was with you saying that they would win easy, that's all : - )
All good points. But I'm sticking to my guns with my prediction. But my heart wants the Celtics to win. :D
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Its over kobe is on lakers win this one.
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Game over.
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Good win. Kobe played a great game again. The two most notable plays of the game to me:
- Kobe blocking Tony Allen's shot at the rim.
- KG missing two put backs in the fourth. He looked tired.
Game 2 will be a battle.
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As mentioned, the Celtics had little chance to win the first game. The Lakers have been hearing how "soft" they are, and about how they don't play defense like the Celtics, for the last two years. They came out on fire, which is to be expected of a team playing at home (with a chip on their shoulder(s))
A couple points:
Bynum played much better than I thought he would. As I said, I think he is the key to the series, since he gives the Lakers an extra big man with more length. I did notice that he started to fade, and they used him much less as the game wore on. I suspect his knee is pretty swollen today. He might become less and less effective as the series goes on.
The Celtics looked lethargic, were outworked, and looked nothing like the team that played in the Magic series. Part of this was the Lakers awesome play and part was poor effort by the Celtics (that Farmar steal was unacceptable -- not boxing anyone out, etc).
The LA media (like most fans) are overreacting to a single game. Burying the Celtics and thinking the series is over.
Peirce must guard Kobe. Ray getting so many fouls fucked up everything. Without Ray, the floor is not spread as it should be. When Kobe did have offensive trouble last night, Peirce was on him. This is because Peirce has a lot more length and is strong enough to be somewhat effective on Bryant.
The Celtics will adjust and I think things will be different for game 2.
Pau was awesome. Beastly, infact. KG will step it up.
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As mentioned, the Celtics had little chance to win the first game. The Lakers have been hearing how "soft" they are, and about how they don't play defense like the Celtics, for the last two years. They came out on fire, which is to be expected of a team playing at home (with a chip on their shoulder(s))
A couple points:
Bynum played much better than I thought he would. As I said, I think he is the key to the series, since he gives the Lakers an extra big man with more length. I did notice that he started to fade, and they used him much less as the game wore on. I suspect his knee is pretty swollen today. He might become less and less effective as the series goes on.
The Celtics looked lethargic, were outworked, and looked nothing like the team that played in the Magic series. Part of this was the Lakers awesome play and part was poor effort by the Celtics (that Farmar steal was unacceptable -- not boxing anyone out, etc).
The LA media (like most fans) are overreacting to a single game. Burying the Celtics and thinking the series is over.
Peirce must guard Kobe. Ray getting so many fouls fucked up everything. Without Ray, the floor is not spread as it should be. When Kobe did have offensive trouble last night, Peirce was on him. This is because Peirce has a lot more length and is strong enough to be somewhat effective on Bryant.
The Celtics will adjust and I think things will be different for game 2.
Pau was awesome. Beastly, infact. KG will step it up.
Yea game 2 the Celts will come to play it will be close.
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15-Love
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15-Love
;D good call
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KG is looking old and very soft, PG was kicking his ass.
Deffensively KG gives Pau too much space. Sheed/BiG Baby had no impact what so ever in the game. Ron Artest played well against Paul Pierce. I pray to god that LA doesnt win, cant stand them. the 2-3-2 set up favors LA
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I pray to god
Well, that's progress. :D
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KG is looking old and very soft, PG was kicking his ass.
Deffensively KG gives Pau too much space. Sheed/BiG Baby had no impact what so ever in the game. Ron Artest played well against Paul Pierce. I pray to god that LA doesnt win, cant stand them. the 2-3-2 set up favors LA
He did look that way.
He looked like the KG of old in the series before.
It's one game, and based on history, game one outcomes (aside from Phil Jackson coached teams) have meant little. There are many examples of teams being blown out in game one and going on to win the series.
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KG looked the same to me in the last series. He's only averaging about 14 a game in the playoffs. I don't know what he averaged against Orlando, but couldn't have been much more than that. He only scored 10 points in game 6 against Orlando. He was also being guarded by Rashard Lewis.
Came across this blurb and thought it was kinda funny:
Gasol driven to 'embarrass' KG
Pau Gasol is being driven by a long memory. [Gasol] never forgets the way Kevin Garnett belittled and humiliated him, treating the European's arrival to the NBA as an invitation to berate him with sharp words and sharper elbows. Gasol hates Garnett for it, they will tell you. There's a visceral disdain that's stayed with the Los Angeles Lakers star, an obsession that goes beyond beating Garnett, but embarrassing him. When Gasol grabbed a rebound over Garnett late in the Lakers' 102-89 Game 1 victory, missed a shot, grabbed the ball again and laid it into the basket, he couldn't help himself. Out of nowhere, out of character, Gasol flexed his arms and screamed into the Staples Center din. It was an unmistakable mimic of K.G., a sarcastic ode to a bully he vows will never take his lunch money again.
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/nba?eref=sihp
I think there will be at least one flagrant foul in game 2.
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KG played very good in the Orlando series; the Celtics are not a team that depends on a single player to win a game. When playing well, multiple players score, which is why no one has led the team in scoring on consecutive nights.
Gasol has proven that he is a flopping pussy, so I don't really have an opinion on that article. Trash talk is part of the NBA, and Gasol can't embarrass KG, because everyone knows KG s on the back nine of his career, and if the two met while KG was in his prime, Gasol would be the one getting embarrassed. Shit, two years ago KG schooled him and he was pretty much on the back nine then, also.
I love the overaction from Lakers fans (not talking about you). One win and all the sudden its all over (it might be over, but don't be so quick to gloat). "They" said the same thing when the Cavs spanked the Celtics early in that series.
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KG played very good in the Orlando series; the Celtics are not a team that depends on a single player to win a game. When playing well, multiple players score, which is why no one has led the team in scoring on consecutive nights.
Gasol has proven that he is a flopping pussy, so I don't really have an opinion on that article. Trash talk is part of the NBA, and Gasol can't embarrass KG, because everyone knows KG s on the back nine of his career, and if the two met while KG was in his prime, Gasol would be the one getting embarrassed. Shit, two years ago KG schooled him and he was pretty much on the back nine then, also.
I love the overaction from Lakers fans (not talking about you). One win and all the sudden its all over (it might be over, but don't be so quick to gloat). "They" said the same thing when the Cavs spanked the Celtics early in that series.
X2
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KG played very good in the Orlando series; the Celtics are not a team that depends on a single player to win a game. When playing well, multiple players score, which is why no one has led the team in scoring on consecutive nights.
Gasol has proven that he is a flopping pussy, so I don't really have an opinion on that article. Trash talk is part of the NBA, and Gasol can't embarrass KG, because everyone knows KG s on the back nine of his career, and if the two met while KG was in his prime, Gasol would be the one getting embarrassed. Shit, two years ago KG schooled him and he was pretty much on the back nine then, also.
I love the overaction from Lakers fans (not talking about you). One win and all the sudden its all over (it might be over, but don't be so quick to gloat). "They" said the same thing when the Cavs spanked the Celtics early in that series.
I agree a player doesn't have to score a lot of points to play a great game. Bynum is one example. Odom another. Still, I didn't really see "great" from KG and he was guarded by a very weak defender in Lewis.
Gasoft was soft, but "a floping pussy"? I wouldn't go that far. He was one of the most skilled big men in the league before he was traded, which is why probably every GM in the NBA dropped F bombs after the trade.
I don't place much on trash talk, "bulletin board material" and whatnot when professional athletes are involved.
This series is far from over. Anyone who thinks the series is over is crazy.
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This brouhaha is silly. I heard a reporter say the Celtics have watched Pau's comments twice and will watch it again before game 2. ::)
Gasol's assessment of KG on mark
Celtics had better hope Garnett shows more going forward
By Peter May
Special to ESPNBoston.com
LOS ANGELES -- They were utterly benign remarks. They were honest, thoughtful, articulate, measured and, most of all, accurate. Pau Gasol said Kevin Garnett has lost some of his explosiveness. Gasol also said that everyone slows down over time. Gasol also praised Garnett, calling him "a terrific player, a terrific competitor."
That constitutes trash talk/bulletin board material now?
Apparently it does, at least in the small but active brains of some media members who tried to get Garnett to respond to Gasol's supposed "inflammatory" comments on Friday. Garnett said he was "not going to get caught up with Pau talking about whatever. I'm not going to play those games. I'm going to stick to my guns and not take any of this [expletive] that's going on. You know what I mean?"
Here's what got everyone's blood boiling, figuratively. Gasol was asked how much Garnett's game has changed over the years.
"On Kevin's part, he's lost a little of his explosiveness," Gasol said. "He's more of a jump shooter now, you could say, comes off the lane. Before, he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he is still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he's going to bring everything he's got. You can count on that."
Not quite the same thing as Cedric Maxwell mocking Bernard King in 1984, adding that in no way was "the b---- going to score 40 on me." But in the politically correct era in which we live, an honest assessment of an opponent, warts and all, amounts to calumny or slander.
What made Gasol/Garnett a storyline after Game 1 was the former's total dominance of the latter. Gasol was fluid, active and aggressive, the unquestioned star of the game, with 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Lakers' 102-89 whuppin' of the Celtics on Thursday night.
Garnett? He was Mikki Moore. Through three quarters, the 6-foot-11 Garnett had one rebound. One. He finished with four, but two of those were off his own misses, one of which was an uncontested dunk/layup that he bungled. He looked like the Kevin Garnett we saw a lot of in the regular season, the one who got faked out by Ersan Ilyasova or beaten off the dribble by Andray Blatche. He looked nothing like the Kevin Garnett who averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The big unknown -- and for the Celtics, it is a big unknown -- is whether the Game 1 Garnett is, for whatever reason, the real Garnett. If it is, the Celtics are doomed. He really didn't have a great series in the conference finals against Orlando -- 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Game 4 loss was his high point -- and he was, like many of his teammates, awful in Game 1 against L.A.
More on Celtics-Lakers
But to hear the talk Friday, both sides expect the terrifying, menacing, lane-clogging, constantly talking and more effective Garnett to make his NBA Finals debut in Game 2.
He had better.
There's no question as to the will. The question is what he has left to give.
"I expect him and the whole team to be more aggressive," Gasol said. "And with a sense of urgency, understanding the importance of Game 2. But I expect us to be more aggressive and be ready for the type of intensity they might bring."
Said Garnett, "I've got to be in control, be more aggressive. What I do well is make plays for other guys, bring a sense of making sure guys are communicating defensively, bringing a solid presence to that end, and I did none of those things [in Game 1]."
In the aftermath of the opener, Garnett said he played "like horse-[bleep]." He was not a happy man. When asked if Garnett would even talk to the media after Game 1, a Celtics public relations official said, "I don't know. When he's like that, I don't go near him."
Doc Rivers, the Celtics' head coach, said he thought Garnett was too "hyped up" for the series opener and wasn't able to slow himself down and get any kind of rhythm or tempo. But Rivers also acknowledged the obvious. His most important player stunk.
"He didn't have a great game," Rivers said of Garnett. "But he's fine healthwise and all that. With our team, whenever we don't play well, it always comes down to either health or age. It's usually we just don't play well. I thought it was more of that.
"He had one of those nights," Rivers added. "We all have them. We're just not used to seeing him have them unless there's something wrong. But he's fine. I can guarantee you that."
He just can't do the things he used to do when he was younger, quicker and more agile. That's nature. The Celtics can only hope he is able to do what he did two weeks ago against the Cavaliers. They can live with Kobe Bryant getting 30. They cannot live with Gasol overpowering their best defensive player and turning him into a cipher.
Longtime Celtics reporter Peter May is a contributor to ESPNBoston.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/columns/story?columnist=may_peter&id=5253411
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;D good call
The French Open had me in a big tennis mood!
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This brouhaha is silly. I heard a reporter say the Celtics have watched Pau's comments twice and will watch it again before game 2. ::)
Gasol's assessment of KG on mark
Celtics had better hope Garnett shows more going forward
By Peter May
Special to ESPNBoston.com
LOS ANGELES -- They were utterly benign remarks. They were honest, thoughtful, articulate, measured and, most of all, accurate. Pau Gasol said Kevin Garnett has lost some of his explosiveness. Gasol also said that everyone slows down over time. Gasol also praised Garnett, calling him "a terrific player, a terrific competitor."
That constitutes trash talk/bulletin board material now?
Apparently it does, at least in the small but active brains of some media members who tried to get Garnett to respond to Gasol's supposed "inflammatory" comments on Friday. Garnett said he was "not going to get caught up with Pau talking about whatever. I'm not going to play those games. I'm going to stick to my guns and not take any of this [expletive] that's going on. You know what I mean?"
Here's what got everyone's blood boiling, figuratively. Gasol was asked how much Garnett's game has changed over the years.
"On Kevin's part, he's lost a little of his explosiveness," Gasol said. "He's more of a jump shooter now, you could say, comes off the lane. Before, he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he is still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he's going to bring everything he's got. You can count on that."
Not quite the same thing as Cedric Maxwell mocking Bernard King in 1984, adding that in no way was "the b---- going to score 40 on me." But in the politically correct era in which we live, an honest assessment of an opponent, warts and all, amounts to calumny or slander.
What made Gasol/Garnett a storyline after Game 1 was the former's total dominance of the latter. Gasol was fluid, active and aggressive, the unquestioned star of the game, with 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Lakers' 102-89 whuppin' of the Celtics on Thursday night.
Garnett? He was Mikki Moore. Through three quarters, the 6-foot-11 Garnett had one rebound. One. He finished with four, but two of those were off his own misses, one of which was an uncontested dunk/layup that he bungled. He looked like the Kevin Garnett we saw a lot of in the regular season, the one who got faked out by Ersan Ilyasova or beaten off the dribble by Andray Blatche. He looked nothing like the Kevin Garnett who averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The big unknown -- and for the Celtics, it is a big unknown -- is whether the Game 1 Garnett is, for whatever reason, the real Garnett. If it is, the Celtics are doomed. He really didn't have a great series in the conference finals against Orlando -- 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Game 4 loss was his high point -- and he was, like many of his teammates, awful in Game 1 against L.A.
More on Celtics-Lakers
But to hear the talk Friday, both sides expect the terrifying, menacing, lane-clogging, constantly talking and more effective Garnett to make his NBA Finals debut in Game 2.
He had better.
There's no question as to the will. The question is what he has left to give.
"I expect him and the whole team to be more aggressive," Gasol said. "And with a sense of urgency, understanding the importance of Game 2. But I expect us to be more aggressive and be ready for the type of intensity they might bring."
Said Garnett, "I've got to be in control, be more aggressive. What I do well is make plays for other guys, bring a sense of making sure guys are communicating defensively, bringing a solid presence to that end, and I did none of those things [in Game 1]."
In the aftermath of the opener, Garnett said he played "like horse-[bleep]." He was not a happy man. When asked if Garnett would even talk to the media after Game 1, a Celtics public relations official said, "I don't know. When he's like that, I don't go near him."
Doc Rivers, the Celtics' head coach, said he thought Garnett was too "hyped up" for the series opener and wasn't able to slow himself down and get any kind of rhythm or tempo. But Rivers also acknowledged the obvious. His most important player stunk.
"He didn't have a great game," Rivers said of Garnett. "But he's fine healthwise and all that. With our team, whenever we don't play well, it always comes down to either health or age. It's usually we just don't play well. I thought it was more of that.
"He had one of those nights," Rivers added. "We all have them. We're just not used to seeing him have them unless there's something wrong. But he's fine. I can guarantee you that."
He just can't do the things he used to do when he was younger, quicker and more agile. That's nature. The Celtics can only hope he is able to do what he did two weeks ago against the Cavaliers. They can live with Kobe Bryant getting 30. They cannot live with Gasol overpowering their best defensive player and turning him into a cipher.
Longtime Celtics reporter Peter May is a contributor to ESPNBoston.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/columns/story?columnist=may_peter&id=5253411
Of course they used it as motivation. I heard what Gasol said, and while there is some truth to it, why air it our in the public?
I'm really happy he did it :)
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1-1
Thats more like the Celtics we've been seeing all playoffs : - )
Allen went off to score an NBA record 8 3's, and Rondo played great with a triple double. I think the Lakers will continue to have trouble containing Boston as this series goes on. Allen was not playing like he is now the first time these teams met, and it's only a matter of time until Peirce has a big game. I also think the Celtics bench will become more valuable each game.
As mentioned, 1-1 going to Boston...I think Boston takes 2-3 there and wins it in LA.
Great Game.
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Of course they used it as motivation. I heard what Gasol said, and while there is some truth to it, why air it our in the public?
I'm really happy he did it :)
If they need that kind of nonsense to get motivated they're in a lot of trouble.
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Definitely a great game. Boston needed an NBA record 8 threes to win. They got nothing from anyone else other than Rondo, who played a terrific game.
Pau has been kicking KG's butt. Turned him into the invisible man. So much for the "bulletin board" material firing KG up.
Bynum dominated Perkins. Kobe was hounded by foul trouble.
The refs were horrible, on both sides. Terrible calls.
Artest did another great job containing Pierce.
I think LA wins two out of three in Boston.
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If they need that kind of nonsense to get motivated they're in a lot of trouble.
Who says they need "nonsense" to get motivated? They have plenty of motivation, as evidenced in their impressive playoff run and their 10 point road win tonight.
My point: Why say something like that in public and give a team more motivation? If roles were reversed, the LA media would be running with it. Imagine if Kobe was a little slower and Rondo came out and dissed him (between the lines) in the media?
We all know KG is on the back nine, and we also know that pro athletes don't say things like the Lama did in the media.
I think it's comical, because KG is a hall of famer...he ate Lama's lunch two years ago, and now that KG is not the player he used to be, Lama is talking... In his prime, KG would eat Gasol alive and everyone knows it.
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Definitely a great game. Boston needed an NBA record 8 threes to win. They got nothing from anyone else other than Rondo, who played a terrific game.
Pau has been kicking KG's butt. Turned him into the invisible man. So much for the "bulletin board" material firing KG up.
Bynum dominated Perkins. Kobe was hounded by foul trouble.
The refs were horrible, on both sides. Terrible calls.
Artest did another great job containing Pierce.
I think LA wins two out of three in Boston.
Sheesh, it's amazing the Laker's lost by 10 points considering how all their players dominated Boston's, the refs stink, and the Celtic's needed record setting performances to win.
All year the Celtics have had different players step up each game. Tonight it was Ray, next game it will be someone else. What you fail to realize, is what Ray did tonight (that propelled the Celtics to a win) is what different guys have been doing in their own way over the whole playoffs. Rondo had a triple double tonight, also.
Artest is not going to be able to contain Paul for this whole series and KG will have at least a good game. The Celtics have a lot of ways they can hurt the Lakers. It's not even close to as cut and dry as you're making it seem.
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Who says they need "nonsense" to get motivated? They have plenty of motivation, as evidenced in their impressive playoff run and their 10 point road win tonight.
My point: Why say something like that in public and give a team more motivation? If roles were reversed, the LA media would be running with it. Imagine if Kobe was a little slower and Rondo came out and dissed him (between the lines) in the media?
We all know KG is on the back nine, and we also know that pro athletes don't say things like the Lama did in the media.
I think it's comical, because KG is a hall of famer...he ate Lama's lunch two years ago, and now that KG is not the player he used to be, Lama is talking... In his prime, KG would eat Gasol alive and everyone knows it.
Here is what he said:
On Kevin's part, he's lost a little of his explosiveness," Gasol said. "He's more of a jump shooter now, you could say, comes off the lane. Before, he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he is still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he's going to bring everything he's got. You can count on that."
You call that a dis? Absurd. And he was absolutely correct. How did KG respond? Six points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks. Pau had 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 6 blocks. Kicked his butt.
KG is past his prime, but still a great player. That's all Pau said. And it's true.
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Sheesh, it's amazing the Laker's lost by 10 points considering how all their players dominated Boston's, the refs stink, and the Celtic's needed record setting performances to win.
Tell me about. A fluke if you ask me, because they're not going to win the series by getting once in a lifetime shooting performances.
A ten point loss? lol. Oh c'mon. Anyone who watched the game knows it went down to the wire. No realistic fan on either side was comfortable till less than 2 minutes to play. And I watched the game with a Laker hater who got very quiet till then. :)
And I said the refs stunk on both sides. If you didn't see horrible calls on both sides then we must have watched a different game.
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Tell me about. A fluke if you ask me, because they're not going to win the series by getting once in a lifetime shooting performances.
A ten point loss? lol. Oh c'mon. Anyone who watched the game knows it went down to the wire. No realistic fan on either side was comfortable till less than 2 minutes to play. And I the game with a Laker hater who got very quiet till then. :)
And I said the refs stunk on both sides. If you didn't see horrible calls on both sides then we must have watched a different game.
Which at worst makes it a close game...not this lakers domination you are claiming.
You didn't even mention Rondo having a triple double or comment on his play. Nor did you mention Lakers such are Farmar being exposed.
Kobe was in foul trouble, because he was fouling people.
Did you mention the poor officiating in the Lakers win? You might have..I can't remember.
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Here is what he said:
On Kevin's part, he's lost a little of his explosiveness," Gasol said. "He's more of a jump shooter now, you could say, comes off the lane. Before, he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he is still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he's going to bring everything he's got. You can count on that."
You call that a dis? Absurd. And he was absolutely correct. How did KG respond? Six points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks. Pau had 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 6 blocks. Kicked his butt.
KG is past his prime, but still a great player. That's all Pau said. And it's true.
I listened to it live (it's worse live) and Gasol confirms that KG has lost explosiveness and also confirms that he is not the player that he used to be. Athletes just don't say things like that, true or not. As mentioned, if this was Kobe, and Rondo said something like that, you'd think differently and we all know it.
It's the classic BUT statement. Ex: I'm not calling (insert girls name a slut), BUT she sees a lot of guys and really gets around (you just called her a slut), BUT she is a really good person and I love her to death and she had a great heart (you just tried to smooth over the fact that you called this girl a slut indirectly). Typical of a flopping euro ;)
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Which at worst makes it a close game...not this lakers domination you are claiming.
You didn't even mention Rondo having a triple double or comment on his play. Nor did you mention Lakers such are Farmar being exposed.
Kobe was in foul trouble, because he was fouling people.
Did you mention the poor officiating in the Lakers win? You might have..I can't remember.
Geeze Louise body. Stop being such a homer. I did not say the Lakers dominated the Celtics. I pointed out some match up facts. Go look at the box score.
Here is what I said about Rondo:
They got nothing from anyone else other than Rondo, who played a terrific game.
Kobe fouling people? lol. Or not. I saw phantom calls on both teams. Even the Laker hater watching the game with me agreed.
I complain about horrible refs when I see horrible refs.
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I listened to it live and Gasol confirms that KG has lost explosiveness and also confirms he is not the player he used to be. Athletes just don't say things like that, true or not. As mentioned, if this was Kobe, and Rondo said something like that, you'd think differently and we all know it.
It's the classic BUT statement. Ex: I'm not calling (inset girls name a slut), BUT she sees a lot of guys and really gets around, BUT she is a really good person and I love her to death and she had a great heart. Typical of a flopping euro.
KG's performance is a moot point, because the Celtics one and they are going back to Boston with a lot of confidence.
I disagree. I watched his comments too. Totally innocuous. Classic case of protesting too much.
I only pointed out KG's performance to show that what Pau said is the truth. Even the Celtics beat writer whose article I posted agrees.
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I disagree. I watched his comments too. Totally innocuous. Classic case of protesting too much.
I only pointed out KG's performance to show that what Pau said is the truth. Even the Celtics beat writer whose article I posted agrees.
That's ok. I respect your opinion.
Did you listen to it live? To me it sounded a little worse live.
Great game...heading to bed, I'll debate this more with you tommorow!
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That's ok. I respect your opinion.
Did you listen to it live? To me it sounded a little worse live.
Great game...heading to bed, I'll debate this more with you tommorow!
I respect your opinion too.
Yes I listened to it live. All he did was respond to a question. Pau doesn't talk trash. He's a classy player. The media took his comments and asked KG to respond to Pau's "inflammatory" comments. ::)
Definitely a great game. Gotta take my son to the gym to work out his disappointment. He takes this stuff way too seriously. :)
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Refs >:( the only guys who can stop Kobe!
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I was surprised really that Boston won game 2, by the way they were dominated in game 1. That being said, they cant rely on winning games in a similar fashion as they did. Ray isnt going to hit 8 three pointers a game, and you cant count on Rondo averaging a triple double, even if he does if Pierce, KG and the bench dont show up they wont win the seires. Boston needs to win this game on the inside, I hate to say it but I think KG is done. Pierce hasnt shown up in this series yet, he is getting his shots off but their just off the mark, perhaps Artest is in his head?
Baby Davis for all his hustle needs to frickin learn to pump fake and draw the foul! and for crying out loud can Boston rebound with both hands instead of just batting the ball out and praying one of their guys picks it up? the anxiety I get from this series is killing me. I thought Boston would dominate inside but they are not, I knew Pau was good but they are making him look like the best center in the league, perhaps he is. Ray was the man though, I hope they keep him and they better keep Pierce. Would be beautiful to see them win another ring..and get Bosh or that guy from the Knicks. Boston please win. Kobe always scares me.
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Refs >:( the only guys who can stop Kobe!
Its curtains reg rondo crushed the lakers last night at home
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I was surprised really that Boston won game 2, by the way they were dominated in game 1. That being said, they cant rely on winning games in a similar fashion as they did. Ray isnt going to hit 8 three pointers a game, and you cant count on Rondo averaging a triple double, even if he does if Pierce, KG and the bench dont show up they wont win the seires. Boston needs to win this game on the inside, I hate to say it but I think KG is done. Pierce hasnt shown up in this series yet, he is getting his shots off but their just off the mark, perhaps Artest is in his head?
Baby Davis for all his hustle needs to frickin learn to pump fake and draw the foul! and for crying out loud can Boston rebound with both hands instead of just batting the ball out and praying one of their guys picks it up? the anxiety I get from this series is killing me. I thought Boston would dominate inside but they are not, I knew Pau was good but they are making him look like the best center in the league, perhaps he is. Ray was the man though, I hope they keep him and they better keep Pierce. Would be beautiful to see them win another ring..and get Bosh or that guy from the Knicks. Boston please win. Kobe always scares me.
For the most part, this is how I saw the game too.
Just to clarify, Pau is a 4. He plays the 5 when Odom comes in for Bynum, but Bynum played 39 minutes on Sunday. :o
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ah yes i keep forgetting that Pau is a 4. another note to worry me about is after all Ray Allen's 3 pointers in the 1st half, the Celts were only up by 6. Celts cant expect Kobe to be in foul trouble like he was this past game. KG had 4 points? I can see if he was blocking shots and getting boards but he isnt! Celts HAVE to win 2 out of 3 in Boston. Game 3 is on Tues, Celts get back to Boston today, the short rest time favors the younger team..
Beach I get the feeling you like how this series is being played.
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ah yes i keep forgetting that Pau is a 4. another note to worry me about is after all Ray Allen's 3 pointers in the 1st half, the Celts were only up by 6. Celts cant expect Kobe to be in foul trouble like he was this past game. KG had 4 points? I can see if he was blocking shots and getting boards but he isnt! Celts HAVE to win 2 out of 3 in Boston. Game 3 is on Tues, Celts get back to Boston today, the short rest time favors the younger team..
Beach I get the feeling you like how this series is being played.
Good observation about the game. I said the same thing at the half. Ray Allen hit seven threes in the first half. He hit eight for the game and LA still took a three point lead late in the game.
Yes, I do like how the series is being played. :) I like the Lakers to win the series, but they are pretty evenly matched IMO. Boston has a very good team. They can definitely win the series. But if the rest of the series plays out the way we've seen the first two games, I think LA will win 2 out of 3 in Boston and close out Boston in LA.
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The reason Ray was able top hit so many shots was because the of the lakers inability to contain Rondo. Kobe can contain Rondo, but then that allows Allen to do damage, because the Lakers don't have anyone who can shut him down if Kobe is on Rondo. Not to mention the Lakers didn't have to deal with a hot Ray Allen last time these two teams met in the finals. Now they do.
You are both expecting Peirce do continue to have little impact. As good as Artest is on Peirce, it might all be negated by the horrible and stupid shots that he takes. How about that 24 second three pointer he missed last night with about a min left and his team down by 7 points. So yes, Artest can contain Peirce, but he also is a liability when he had the ball and I fully expect Peirce to put together at least a few good games against him.
The Celtics will not have to rely on Ray Allen to win games, because if you watched them play this year, there has never been a guy who lead the team in scoring over two consecutive games. Guys seem to step up, and it's only a matter of time before three of them are on during the same time.
You can argue that a Celtics implosion allowed the Lakers back in that game. You act as if the Celtics were playing incredable and the Lakers bounded back in dramatic fashion. I can name 5 stupid turnovers by bench idiots off the top of my head. There will be games when the Celtics avoid stupid turnovers and have focus start to finish. You could also argue that the Lakers gave the Celtics all t hey had, but still came up short.
If the Lakers cant find an answer for Rondo, they are in big trouble.
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The reason Ray was able top hit so many shots was because the of the lakers inability to contain Rondo. Kobe can contain Rondo, but then that allows Allen to do damage, because the Lakers don't have anyone who can shut him down if Kobe is on Rondo. Not to mention the Lakers didn't have to deal with a hot Ray Allen last time these two teams met in the finals. Now they do.
You are both expecting Peirce do continue to have little impact. As good as Artest is on Peirce, it might all be negated by the horrible and stupid shots that he takes. How about that 24 second three pointer he missed last night with about a min left and his team down by 7 points. So yes, Artest can contain Peirce, but he also is a liability when he had the ball and I fully expect Peirce to put together at least a few good games against him.
The Celtics will not have to really on Ray Allen to win games, because if you watched them play this year, there has never been a guy who lead the team in scoring over two consecutive games. Guys seem to step up, and it's only a matter of time before three of them are on during the same time.
You can argue that a Celtics implosion allowed the Lakers back in that game. You act as if the Celtics were playing incredable and the Lakers bounded back in dramatic fashion. I can name 5 stupid turnovers by bench idiots off the top of my head. There will be games when the Celtics avoid stupid turnovers and have focus start to finish. You could also argue that the Lakers gave the Celtics all t hey had, but still came up short.
If the Lakers cant find an answer for Rondo, they are in big trouble.
That last statement is very true.
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That last statement is very true.
Frankly, they have the answer for Rondo. His name is Kobe Bryant. Problem is, that leaves bench scrubs on Allen, and as showcased last night, Allen starts torching them when he had anyone other than Kobe on him.
Allen had a historic night, and he won't blow up like that again. That said, the shots Allen had were WIDE OPEN EASY looks and he is going to hit a large percentage of those whether he is on fire or not.
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Frankly, they have the answer for Rondo. His name is Kobe Bryant. Problem is, that leaves bench scrubs on Allen, and as showcased last night, Allen starts torching them when he had anyone other than Kobe on him.
Allen had a historic night, and he won't blow up like that again. That said, the shots Allen had were WIDE OPEN EASY looks and he is going to hit a large percentage of those whether he is on fire or not.
You cant leave Allen open so it seems there are not enough good Lakers to cover on D.
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You cant leave Allen open so it seems there are not enough good Lakers to cover on D.
Which is the point I was trying to make at the start of the series.
Odem is not a bench player. He's a bench player who plays starter minutes and is very up and down. He can kill you or do nothing. He did nothing last night, and outside Odem, the Lakers bench does not match up well with the Celtics. Outside Odem, the Lakers bench is a liability. Davis is better than any Lakers bench player, and if bench players are forced to play extended minutes because Kobe has to focus on Rondo....ruh ro.
Rondo is the key. If he plays well the Lakers are in trouble. Especially with this thing going back to Boston 1-1.
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Which is the point I was trying to make at the start of the series.
Odem is not a bench player. He's a bench player who plays starter minutes and is very up and down. He can kill you or do nothing. He did nothing last night, and outside Odem, the Lakers bench does not match up well with the Celtics. Outside Odem, the Lakers bench is a liability. Davis is better than any Lakers bench player, and if bench players are forced to play extended minutes because Kobe has to focus on Rondo....ruh ro.
Rondo is the key. If he plays well the Lakers are in trouble. Especially with this thing going back to Boston 1-1.
Rondo is definately the key to this series in my mind if he is on the Lakers could be in trouble.
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The Lakers don't need an answer for Rondo. They didn't have an answer for Nash or Williams from Utah, and Williams is the best point guard in the NBA. The Lakers hardly ever have an answer for an opposing team's point guard.
What the Lakers have to do is pound the ball inside, keep playing good D on Pierce, and stop leaving Allen wide open for threes. They contained Allen in the second half. I doubt we see career nights from Allen. He hasn't been that consistent in the playoffs.
And think about this: Boston won by 9 points (it was actually closer than that), which means they needed pretty much every single one of Ray Allen's threes.
Regarding turnovers, the Lakers made several bone headed turnovers down the stretch that cost them the game.
Great series so far.
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Just a tad overconfident. :)
Another bold comment from Pierce
ESPNBoston.com
Striking a similar tone as he did in Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals, Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce directed a bold prediction at Lakers fans in the final minutes of his team's victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Forsberg: Nothing wrong with confidence
What exactly did Paul Pierce say that was wrong? Should athletes not believe their teams are capable of winning three straight games? Is there not a possibility that the Celtics could actually win three more games in a row and not have to fly back to the West Coast? Chris Forsberg
After Pau Gasol committed a hard foul on Kendrick Perkins with 1:12 remaining in Game 2 and the Celtics leading, 97-90, Pierce, as he helped his teammate off the floor along the baseline near the hoop, was heard on video replays yelling, "We ain't coming back to LA!"
The Celtics evened the NBA Finals at a game apiece with a 103-94 victory on Sunday and can lock up their second NBA title in three years by winning the next three games -- all in Boston. Pierce, who grew up in Los Angeles, seemed to be referring to the possibility of the series not returning to the West Coast in his comment.
After leading the Celtics with 24 points in Game 1, Pierce struggled in Game 2, scoring 10 points on 2-of-11 shooting.
This isn't the first time during these playoffs that Pierce incited anger in an opposing team's fan base with a bold statement. After a Game 2 victory against the Magic in Orlando, which gave the Celtics a 2-0 series lead, Pierce looked into the camera during a postgame interview on ESPN and told Celtics fans "We're coming home to close it out."
A message also appears on Pierce's Twitter account inferring the Celtics were going to sweep the Magic, but Pierce later said the account was hacked and that message did not come from him.
The Celtics lost one of the next two games in Boston and returned to Orlando for Game 5, but eventually closed out the Magic in Game 6 in Boston.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5261222
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The ironic thing about this, is all the Laker fans who were talking smack about the Celts using the Llama's comments as motivation, are know running wild using these comments as motivation.
It's funny how both fan bases are totally ridiculous, ha-ha.
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The Lakers don't need an answer for Rondo. They didn't have an answer for Nash or Williams from Utah, and Williams is the best point guard in the NBA. The Lakers hardly ever have an answer for an opposing team's point guard.
This is wrong. I'm sorry, but if Rondo is allowed to do what he did in game 2, the Lakers will lose the series.
The reason Allen was contained in the second half was because Kobe shut him off, which allowed Rondo to run wild, and if Rondo is running wild, he's running the Celtics the way that leads to multiple scoring threats and ball distribution.
Utah is a totally different team, so I'm not even going to waste time on that argument.
Rondo does things unlike any other pg in the NBA. He's a freakish athlete.
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2010/06/07/20100606_phantom_bos_3.nba/
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The ironic thing about this, is all the Laker fans who were talking smack about the Celts using the Llama's comments as motivation, are know running wild using these comments as motivation.
It's funny how both fan bases are totally ridiculous, ha-ha.
Really? Where?
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Really? Where?
On Bruce Jacobs show. Not you. My friends who live in LA, etc.
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This is wrong. I'm sorry, but if Rondo is allowed to do what he did in game 2, the Lakers will lose the series.
The reason Allen was contained in the second half was because Kobe shut him off, which allowed Rondo to run wild, and if Rondo is running wild, he's running the Celtics the way that leads to multiple scoring threats and ball distribution.
Utah is a totally different team, so I'm not even going to waste time on that argument.
Rondo does things unlike any other pg in the NBA. He's a freakish athlete.
http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2010/06/07/20100606_phantom_bos_3.nba/
Rondo has turned into a great player, but he's not going to carry the Celtics to a championship. He can score his 10 to 18 points, dish, grab some rebounds, etc., and they will lose unless someone else steps up.
He won't do any more damage than Nash, who had better all around shooters than Boston, or Williams, or even Westbrook.
If the Celtics had run the Lakers off the court, led by Rondo, you might have a point.
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On Bruce Jacobs show. Not you. My friends who live in LA, etc.
That's dumb. I'll say the same thing I said about Pau's comments: if the Lakers need comments like this to get motivated they are in serious trouble.
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The Celtics did do that until Sheldon Williams touched the ball :o Yikes.
Rondo scored 19 points, had the first triple double in the finals since 2003, scored over 7 footers, ran the point well and set the tempo which helped the Celtics dominate for a large portion of the game. Rondo has proven he can score more than 19 points and take over games against very good teams in the playoffs.
As mentioned, if Rondo cannot be contained, the Lakers will open themselves up to guys like Allen (who had a historic night) but will continue to do damage if he is getting wide open looks, because bench players are forced to guard him (who can't gaurd him) while Kobe takes care of Rondo.
Peirce will have a good game or two, and frankly, Artest's amazing d is negated by his horrid ball handling, inability to score and general affinity for fucking shit up on the offensive side of the ball.
On a side note, do you know why Kobe and Allen dislike one another? I heard Sir Charles mention that.
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The Celtics did do that until Sheldon Williams touched the ball.
They ran the Lakers off the floor until Sheldon Williams touched the ball? He played for four minutes.
Boston had a six point lead at the half was down by three late in the fourth.
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The Celtics did do that until Sheldon Williams touched the ball.
Yep celts have got to keep Garnett out of foulf trouble he has had a rough series Wallace has stepped up to cover so far.
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They ran the Lakers off the floor until Sheldon Williams touched the ball? He played for four minutes.
Boston had a six point lead at the half was done by three late in the fourth.
Beach, the Celtics dominated a huge portion of that game and before the half stupid mistakes and poor ball handling cost them several possesions. You act as if the Laker's stormed back and kicked ass while the Celtics played their best game. The Celtics let them back in, and in the end, it wasn't enough anyway. Celtics foul trouble forced role players to play extended min which led to poor possesions and such.
I'm not saying that the Celtics are a much better team. Both teams are pretty even, actually.
I'm interested to hear what you think about the second portion of my post, above.
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Beach, the Celtics dominated a huge portion of that game and before the half stupid mistakes and poor ball handling cost them several possesions. You act as if the Laker's stormed back and kicked ass while the Celtics played their best game. The Celtics let them back in, and in the end, it wasn't enough anyway. Celtics foul trouble forced role players to play extended min which led to poor possesions and such.
I'm not saying that the Celtics are a much better team. Both teams are pretty even, actually.
I'm interested to hear what you think about the second portion of my post, above.
Body I didn't say any of that. I said if the Celtics had run the Lakers off the court, led by Rondo, then I would agree with you that the Lakers need an "answer" for Rondo to win the series. Didn't say anything about the Lakers kicking anyone's butt, the Celtics playing at the top of their game, etc.
The Celtics haven't been playing their best basketball on offense because the Lakers have been playing good defense.
The Celtics didn't dominate a huge portion of the game. They won the first and fourth quarters and Lakers won the second and third quarters. The only time they had a large lead was when Ray Allen drained his seven threes in the first half. The game was tight the entire second half. The game was a complete toss up till about 2 minutes to play.
Not sure what portion of your post you want me to address? Can you clarify?
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Interesting stats. If history is any guide, game 3 is the series.
1. Top Things To Know For Game 3
Compiled by Peter Newmann
ESPN Stats & Information
• In the 2-3-2 series format (since 1985), when the NBA Finals is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series on all 10 occasions.
• How important is Game 3 of the NBA Finals? In NBA Finals history, the series has been tied 1-1 on 32 occasions. The Game 3 winner has gone on to win 28 of those 32 series (87.5 percent).
• On the defensive end, Boston's magic number to win is 95. The Celtics are 12-0 when allowing 95 or fewer points this postseason. Boston is 1-6 when allowing 96 points or more.
• Many people thought Game 1 of the NBA Finals was a fairly ugly game after a combined 54 fouls were called on the two teams. In Game 2, there were even more fouls called. Referees called a combined 58 fouls in Game 2. There have been 112 fouls called in the first two games of the NBA Finals, the most in the first two games of the NBA Finals since 1996 NBA Finals (113 fouls -- 56 in Game 1, 57 in Game 2.)
• Remember that the Celtics were 3-0 at home against the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, including the 39-point clincher in Game 6. Boston's averaging margin of victory in those three games was 18.3 points. Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played in Boston.
• The Lakers were just 23-18 on the road in the regular season, which was tied for third-best in the Western Conference and tied for sixth in the NBA. Los Angeles is 4-4 on the road in the postseason.
• The Lakers scored 94 points in Game 2's loss to the Celtics. It was the first time that the Lakers had failed to score at least 100 points in 11 straight games. Los Angeles had scored at least 100 points in every game since Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Jazz and were 9-2 during that 11-game streak.
• In Game 2, the Lakers had 14 blocked shots, setting a NBA Finals record. Andrew Bynum had seven blocks and Pau Gasol had six as they became the first teammates in Finals history to each have five or more blocks in a game.
• In this series, Kobe Bryant is a combined 1-6 FG (four total points) in 54 possessions when guarded by Tony Allen or Rajon Rondo. Bryant had 42 touches in those 54 possessions. In 16 possessions when defended by Rondo in this series, Bryant has 14 touches but has not attempted a shot and scored zero points.
• Bynum had 21 points in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tied his postseason career high. He also had 21 points in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Bynum had seven blocks in the conference finals (six games) against the Suns. Bynum had six blocks in Game 2 against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
• The Celtics had zero second-chance points in their Game 1 loss to the Lakers. In Game 2, Boston had 13 second-chance points.
• Ray Allen made an NBA Finals-record eight three-pointers in Game 2. Seven of those were of the catch-and-shoot variety, meaning no dribbles once he caught the ball.
• To put a little perspective on how phenomenal Allen's accomplishment was, our friends at Accuscore.com simulated the game 10,000 times: Allen hit seven consecutive three-pointers 11 times in 10,000 simulations, or 0.11 percent of the time. Allen hit seven in a row in the first half in just two of 10,000 simulations.
• Rondo had a triple-double for the Celtics in Game 2. It was the first triple-double in the Finals for a Boston player since Larry Bird had one in Game 6 in the 1986 NBA Finals. The last player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals was Tim Duncan for the Spurs in 2003 (Game 6).
• Rondo is the barometer for the Celtics. In the 2010 postseason, when Rondo's plus/minus is +2 or better, Boston is 13-0. When it is +1, even or negative, Boston is 0-6.
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100608/daily-dime
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Fisher's response to Paul Pierce's statement that Boston will win the next three. :)
http://cbs2.com/video/?id=136778@kcbs.dayport.com
lol . . . .
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Tough win. I figured Ray Allen would cool off, but didn't see 0-13 coming. :o
Kobe looked gassed in the fourth.
Great game by KG, although he still looked tired late in the game.
I thought the Celtics bench kept them in the game, but when I looked at the box score after the game the bench scoring was about equal. Very surprising, because it didn't look that way during the game.
Artest does another good job on Pierce. That might be the key to the series.
I just love Fish. Little bulldog.
The refs absolutely suck. Just terrible officiating in this series.
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Tough win. I figured Ray Allen would cool off, but didn't see 0-13 coming. :o
Kobe looked gassed in the fourth.
Great game by KG, although he still looked tired late in the game.
I thought the Celtics bench kept them in the game, but when I looked at the box score after the game the bench scoring was about equal. Very surprising, because it didn't look that way during the game.
Artest does another good job on Pierce. That might be the key to the series.
I just love Fish. Little bulldog.
The refs absolutely suck. Just terrible officiating in this series.
There was the difference Ray Allen . This will go 7.
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There was the difference Ray Allen . This will go 7.
He's not going to set another NBA record. He'll hit some, miss most.
They played much better D on Allen. He's really a one dimensional player. He can't consistently create his own shot. He has to catch and shoot. Plus he was probably tired from chasing Kobe.
I'll be surprised if this goes 7.
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I wonder if the tape included the numerous offensive fouls that were not called on Boston and the Rondo foul on Odom on the out-of-bounds play late in the game? :)
Rivers complains about officiating
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
BOSTON -- Doc Rivers spent quite a bit of time Wednesday discussing the state of the officiating in the NBA Finals after sending a videotape to the league office documenting what he said were several uncalled offensive fouls against the Los Angeles Lakers. It may have been an off day Wednesday in the L.A.-Boston series, but Rivers was very much on his game when it came to working the refs.
"I think it was a ton of moving screens they got away with," Rivers said the day after the Celtics' 91-84 loss to the Lakers in Game 3 put the Celtics behind 2-1 in the best-of-7 series. "As far as off-the-ball action ... you are not allowed to hold, you are not allowed to bump, and you are not allowed to impede progress. I read that this morning, and I'm positive of it. So, you know, when that happens it has to be called."
Rivers said he had sent a tape to the league office documenting several instances in which the Lakers were not called for moving screen violations, a type of offensive foul. By his count, the Celtics were called for one such violation and the Lakers none.
Rivers also commented on the general state of officiating in the NBA and how it differs from when he was a player. Although it did not appear as though he had said anything egregious enough to merit a fine from the league office, commissioner David Stern will have the final say on that matter -- and Stern has shown less tolerance than in past years for coaches working the refs in between games.
Rivers also continued to sound incredulous that Lakers coach Phil Jackson had complained about the foul calls against Kobe Bryant in Game 2 (Jackson called them "unusual fouls") when Bryant racked up five personals, noting that foul trouble had impacted his own team much more than it had the Lakers.
"I think he [Phil Jackson] is good, I think we're all pretty good at it," Rivers said. "But listen, if Phil Jackson says something the day before and it happens, I hope that has nothing to do with the officials."
In Game 3, Paul Pierce was limited to 34 minutes because of foul trouble. In Game 2 it was Kevin Garnett who spent more than half the game watching from the bench because of fouls, and in Game 1 Ray Allen was the recipient of at least two questionable foul calls that limited him to 27 minutes.
"It's huge," Rivers said. "We've had all three games where one of our quote-unquote Big Three has not been able to play.
"Last night, Paul was never in his rhythm. He couldn't be. He played for four minutes, he was back on the bench, played for five minutes. I mean, I played Paul at times last night when I should not have had him on the floor with four fouls, but I had no choice. You've got to get him on the floor at some point.
"But it clearly -- you know, we watched film today, and I showed Paul, it's funny. I said 'Paul, that's a driving lane. You've got to get to the basket.' His response was: 'I was worried about getting another foul.' It's tough to play that way." Through three games, the Celtics have been whistled for 84 personal fouls to the Lakers' 75. Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been whistled for 13 fouls apiece, while Lamar Odom of the Lakers leads all players with 14 personals. Odom has played an average of just 21 minutes per game after averaging nearly 30 minutes over the first three rounds of the postseason.
The Lakers have attempted 96 free throws in the three games to Boston's 86, and there has generally been an inordinate amount of conversation over the past six days regarding the quality of the refereeing.
"When I played, it was just two officials, so that was a while ago," Rivers said. "And I also thought back then it was more they just called the game, what they saw. Now, it's much more technical and in some ways better, and in some ways not, because officials won't call something that's not in their area, if you know what I mean, even if they see it at times.
"But it's tough. I think the game is more athletic, the game is faster, and it's brutal. We're hard on them, everybody is hard on them. But it's a difficult game to call," Rivers said. "I think what we all want is just consistency. It's tough to get that, but I think that's what everybody wants."
Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5268744
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Waaaa! Who does he think he is, Phil Jackson? :D
Rivers: Fisher a really good flopper
By Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com
BOSTON -- Count Celtics coach Doc Rivers as one person who won't be marching in the Derek Fisher appreciation parade that commenced Tuesday after the 14-year veteran scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a 91-84 Game 3 victory in the Finals.
When asked how Fisher was able to be so successful drawing fouls while being screened, Rivers replied: "What? Besides flopping? He doesn't do a lot extra.
"He plays hard. He's been in the game long enough to understand. I thought he got away with a lot last night. I thought there was a lot of holding going on and a lot of flopping going on and he finally showed that last one."
Fisher was able to draw three offensive fouls in Game 3, one on Kendrick Perkins in the first quarter and two more on Ray Allen in the second and fourth quarters.
"He's good at it, he's always been good at it," Rivers said. "We knew that going into the series. He's one of the best charge takers in the game. He's always been that. And some of them are charges and then some of them are flops, but all of them are tough to call. It is a brutal call to make; it really is a tough one.
"But as far as the off-the-ball action, single double action, you are not allowed to hold. You're not allowed to bump and you're not allowed to impede progress. I read that this morning, and I'm positive of it. So you know, when that happens, it has to be called."
Fisher said he is able to draw as many offensive fouls as he does because of the nature of the players who he is guarding.
"Guys that I play against every night are involved in 30, sometimes 40 different actions, screen rolls, screens, back picks," Fisher said. "So if three times out of 40 there's an offensive foul called, it's not that I've done anything spectacular necessarily to draw the foul. I just think that because I'm in that situation so many times in a game, you know, there are just times when the referee sees it and makes the call and then there are other times where it's still an illegal screen, they just didn't see it or didn't call it and that's just a part of the game."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Allen was so successful in Game 2, going 8-for-11 on 3-pointers, partially because of how the officials allowed him to elude Fisher's defense through contact.
"[Allen] was able to go both ways be walking Fish into a position where he was taken off balance," Jackson said. "So he couldn't hold his ground, he had to give ground because he was getting called for a foul ... Allen had either way to go off the screens, and we wanted to go one direction and we wanted to hold that position. We wanted to be able to have a defensive position, allow the defensive player and the offensive player, not dislodge the defensive player, which is part of the rules."
Boston has been called for nine more personal fouls through three games than Los Angeles has and an irritated Rivers said that he sent "a lot" of video to the league offices pointing out what he perceived as moving picks set by the Lakers.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Fisher has drawn 20 offensive fouls in the playoffs, more than any other player this postseason -- second and third are Boston's Glen Davis (11) and Paul Pierce (10).
During the regular season, Fisher drew 48 offensive fouls, which tied him for fifth in the league. (Jared Jeffries, who split his season with New York and Houston, drew an NBA-high 59 in 2009-10.)
Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5268743
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this series is over.
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this series is over.
Celtics win. Series tied 2-2
I don't expect kneejerk reactions out of you, Athiest.
This series is far from over, and as the Celtics showed tonight, their bench is starting to be the x factor in these games. Infact, the bench was responsible for a large portion of their points tonight, with big time performances from Robinson, Allen on D and Baby. The bench won the game, and multiple starters contributed, also. Pierce, Garnett and Allen all played well -- (all in all 6 players in double figures). Finally, the Celtics are playing as a team, and when they play like this, it's hard to beat them. I hope they keep it up.
As mentioned in one of my posts awhile back, Bynums's knee has become an issue, and I don't expect much from him for the rest of the series. Odem will be forced to play more and now the Lakers might be a little thin on the bench, and obviously their length advantage has been somewhat equalized.
Kobe "went off" tonight, and was hitting shots left and right. Good that is happened in a loss. Tony Allen did a great job on him late.
Celtics win the last game of this series, loose in LA and win game 7.
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Another good game. My observations:
- Davis and Robinson were the difference for Boston on offense. They carried Boston.
- Kobe was awful. He looks hurt. Not sure what it is. His seven turnovers were a killer. I think nearly all of them led to Boston points. He shot o.k., but he didn't even try getting to the basket for most of the game. That, in my view, was the difference in the game.
- The Laker offense was terrible. Didn't move the ball. Failed to work the ball inside.
- Pau is a stud.
- Many of the Boston players act like schoolyard punks. "Big Baby" was literally foaming at the mouth after making a good play. KG pounding his chest. Nate Robinson getting a T. Rasheed crying like a girl every single time a foul is called on him. ::)
Following the pattern of the Lakers in these playoffs, I think they probably win the next two.
Good series.
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Act like you've made a play before. ::)
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0610/nba_g_davis2x_576.jpg)
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Another good game. My observations:
- Davis and Robinson were the difference for Boston on offense. They carried Boston.
- Kobe was awful. He looks hurt. Not sure what it is. His seven turnovers were a killer. I think nearly all of them led to Boston points. He shot o.k., but he didn't even try getting to the basket for most of the game. That, in my view, was the difference in the game.
- The Laker offense was terrible. Didn't move the ball. Failed to work the ball inside.
- Pau is a stud.
- Many of the Boston players act like schoolyard punks. "Big Baby" was literally foaming at the mouth after making a good play. KG pounding his chest. Nate Robinson getting a T. Rasheed crying like a girl every single time a foul is called on him. ::)
Following the pattern of the Lakers in these playoffs, I think they probably win the next two.
Good series.
I have met Rasheed numerous times and he comes across as a very strange guy. :-\ A very talanted individual but acts like a child!! It is nice to see K.G. finally make some key shots. Rondo is still the differnce maker in my opinon. Looks like Bynum is favoring that Knee. :)
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I have met Rasheed numerous times and he comes across as a very strange guy. :-\ A very talanted individual but acts like a child!! It is nice to see K.G. finally make some key shots. Rondo is still the differnce maker in my opinon. Looks like Bynum is favoring that Knee. :)
Yeah. Bynum didn't play much.
Rondo played great D and was responsible for several of Kobe's turnovers.
KG is still a shell of his former self.
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Yeah. Bynum didn't play much.
Rondo played great D and was responsible for several of Kobe's turnovers.
KG is still a shell of his former self.
KG was a beast while playing ball in Mauldin, S.C. I remember playing in his tournament and good god could he play ball. :)
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I have met Rasheed numerous times and he comes across as a very strange guy. :-\ A very talanted individual but acts like a child!! It is nice to see K.G. finally make some key shots. Rondo is still the differnce maker in my opinon. Looks like Bynum is favoring that Knee. :)
I first met Rasheed Wallace at BWI airport right before he was drafted #5 by the Washignton Bullets in 1995. He wasn't even a pro yet but he was acting like his shit didn't stink. I walked right up to him and gave him props on a great college career. He didn't even make eye contact with anyone and outright refused to sign any autographs. Acted like a little punk and he was barely 20 years old.
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I first met Rasheed Wallace at BWI airport right before he was drafted #5 by the Washignton Bullets in 1995. He wasn't even a pro yet but he was acting like his shit didn't stink. I walked right up to him and gave him props on a great college career. He didn't even make eye contact with anyone and outright refused to sign any autographs. Acted like a little punk and he was barely 20 years old.
He still acts like this, the technical foul leader of the NBA great talent no doubt maybe one day he will get over being 10 years old. :D
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Act like you've made a play before. ::)
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0610/nba_g_davis2x_576.jpg)
You sound rediculous. The Garden was rocking last night...the fans go insane. The players were feeling it. Btw, this guy gets pretty damn fired up and he's a starter:
(http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2008/10-18/finals11tlpm_400.jpg)
I can understand bench players like baby getting all fired up when they are having a huge night during a finals game. He's never been there before; never scored 18 points in a HUGE game - hence the excitement. Now Lakers fans are getting on Celts players for being to emotional,lol? Gasol is just as animated as KG and he's always screaming and gyrating after he makes a play. Kobe is a whiner (acts like a baby after a lose at the post game interview, too) and the Lakers have several flopper's, who make me feel like I'm watching a soccer match, not a basketball game. Off the bench, Odem with the tongue -- etc. Shit, Phil Jackson is always crying in the media.
East coasters think the exact same thing about the Lakers player.
In regards to KG being "shell of himself", you understand that he had knee surgery a year ago that takes two full years to heal, right? The guy scored 25 points in game two. Shell or not, the lakers should be worried now that Bynum is donezo, because Odem and Gasol can't do everything.
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I'm having a real tough time accepting the fact that I'm going for a Boston team :-X :-\
.....Go Ray Allen!
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Yeah. Bynum didn't play much.
Rondo played great D and was responsible for several of Kobe's turnovers.
KG is still a shell of his former self.
Bynum might have aggravated the injury, which will make him limited and really hurt the Lakers. The Lakers edge thus far has been their length.
Rondo did play great d. He is terrible at the line right now. Rondo poses a problem for the Lakers, because as you know, he is a freak athlete, but also able to get the Celtics going in transition , which the Lakers have had a very hard time defending. His speed of the dribble is an issue for the Lakers right now, also.
KG is getting older and he also is coming back of a pretty series knee injury that has not fully healed. The guy scored 25 points the other night and has made several pivotal plays thus far.
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I'm having a real tough time accepting the fact that I'm going for a Boston team :-X :-\
.....Go Ray Allen!
Knicks didnt make it man so you got support the east!
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Knicks didnt make it man so you got support the east!
THE KNICKS. :o HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I am sorry CalvinH!! :'( :'(
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You sound rediculous. The Garden was rocking last night...the fans go insane. The players were feeling it. Btw, this guy gets pretty damn fired up and he's a starter:
(http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2008/10-18/finals11tlpm_400.jpg)
I can understand bench players like baby getting all fired up when they are having a huge night during a finals game. He's never been there before; never scored 18 points in a HUGE game - hence the excitement. Now Lakers fans are getting on Celts players for being to emotional,lol? Gasol is just as animated as KG and he's always screaming and gyrating after he makes a play. Kobe is a whiner (acts like a baby after a lose at the post game interview, too) and the Lakers have several flopper's, who make me feel like I'm watching a soccer match, not a basketball game. Off the bench, Odem with the tongue -- etc. Shit, Phil Jackson is always crying in the media.
East coasters think the exact same thing about the Lakers player.
In regards to KG being "shell of himself", you understand that he had knee surgery a year ago that takes two full years to heal, right? The guy scored 25 points in game two. Shell or not, the lakers should be worried now that Bynum is donezo, because Odem and Gasol can't do everything.
Where is the picture of Pau (or any Laker player) foaming at the mouth after making a big play? I haven't seen that kind of reaction. Next thing we'll see is a Boston player grabbing his crotch.
Doc Rivers was crying like a baby after game 3. Hilarious. And it worked.
I don't really care about KG's injury. If he is a shell because the injury that doesn't change the fact that he's no longer the player he was in 2008 . . . and that Pau was absolutely right about KG losing a step.
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Davis' face looks like someone dropped a 50 pound plate on his nutsack.
Fuckin' drooling mongloid......
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Bynum might have aggravated the injury, which will make him limited and really hurt the Lakers. The Lakers edge thus far has been their length.
Rondo did play great d. He is terrible at the line right now. Rondo poses a problem for the Lakers, because as you know, he is a freak athlete, but also able to get the Celtics going in transition , which the Lakers have had a very hard time defending. His speed of the dribble is an issue for the Lakers right now, also.
KG is getting older and he also is coming back of a pretty series knee injury that has not fully healed. The guy scored 25 points the other night and has made several pivotal plays thus far.
Bynum already needs surgery, so I'm not sure he aggravated his torn meniscus. He's dealing with swelling, which was apparently all the way up his thigh. If he can play the Lakers have a distinct advantage. If he can't play the Lakers can still win. They led most of the game and had a chance to win going into the fourth quarter and Bynum didn't play most of the game. He was a total non factor.
Rondo isn't posing that big of a problem. He's a very good player, but it's not like he's killing LA.
KG is almost like the invisible man. Like most of the Boston starters. Very inconsistent.
The bench play could dictate the outcome, because the Lakers starters are clearly better than Boston's.
Looking forward to Sunday.
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Agreed, what I meant was the knee is getting worse, and clearly it has become an issue. The reason I said he was the key to the Lakers prior to the series, is the length he adds to an already long team. Part of the reason baby got 18 points last night, and why the Celtics dominated inside, was due to Bynum being ineffective. Also, if Bynum can't play, it forces Odem to play as a starter and that allows Perk to bang with Gasol, pushing him off the "sweet spot". Odem is not a true starter and as Kenny Smith said last night: "without Bynum, the Lakers are the 2008 Lakers"...who will more often than not, ose close "grind it out" type games vs the Celtics.
Ok, so I might have overstated how much Rondo means to this series. I do think he is really hurting the Lakers with the way he is running the point and the transition offense. The lakers have had a problem with this over the whole playoffs. Also, it looked like Kobe was breaking out last night and then Rondo seemed to cool him off.
If you watched Boston all year, you would see that they never have huge performances from multiple starters. Different guys step up and contribute at a high level, while everyone else does their part. Some nights it's Pierce, others it's Allen --etc. KG has made many plays I would call pivotal in this series...not to mention, he put up 25 points on the Llama recently. Not to bad for an invisable man. I think you are being a bit dramatic with your comments.
LA's starters are better than Boston's for the most part. But they are not better as a team, imo. I mentioned Boston's bench being superior, and if Bynum is hobbled, I believe the Celtics now have a clear edge in that department. The lakers bench is not capable of doing what Bostons did last night, imo.
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Davis' face looks like someone dropped a 50 pound plate on his nutsack.
Fuckin' drooling mongloid......
I find this ironic, since you've spent a lot of time defending Baltimore ravens players over poor behavior.
So you're saying that since a kid who was drafted in the second round, played the game of his life scoring 18 points in the NBA finals, a guy who happened to have some spit on his mouth (while showing a lot of emotion) is a mongoloid? I agree he was a little to pumped up, but come on.
Just saying.
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Agreed, what I meant was the knee is getting worse, and clearly it has become an issue. The reason I said he was the key to the Lakers prior to the series, is the length he adds to an already long team. Part of the reason baby got 18 points last night, and why the Celtics dominated inside, was due to Bynum being ineffective. Also, if Bynum can't play, it forces Odem to play as a starter and that allows Perk to bang with Gasol, pushing him off the "sweet spot". Odem is not a true starter and as Kenny Smith said last night: "without Bynum, the Lakers are the 2008 Lakers"...who will more often than not, ose close "grind it out" type games vs the Celtics.
Ok, so I might have overstated how much Rondo means to this series. I do think he is really hurting the Lakers with the way he is running the point and the transition offense. The lakers have had a problem with this over the whole playoffs. Also, it looked like Kobe was breaking out last night and then Rondo seemed to cool him off.
If you watched Boston all year, you would see that they never have huge performances from multiple starters. Different guys step up and contribute at a high level, while everyone else does their part. Some nights it's Pierce, others it's Allen --etc. KG has made many plays I would call pivotal in this series...not to mention, he put up 25 points on the Llama recently. Not to bad for an invisable man. I think you are being a bit dramatic with your comments.
LA's starters are better than Boston's for the most part. But they are not better as a team, imo. I mentioned Boston's bench being superior, and if Bynum is hobbled, I believe the Celtics now have a clear edge in that department. The lakers bench is not capable of doing what Bostons did last night, imo.
I agree with most of this. What "dramatic" comments did I make?
I don't agree with Kenny Smith. Without Bynum the Lakers still have Artest, who is a huge improvement over the space cadet Radmanovich on D. Pierce dominated the Lakers in 08. He can't do that in this series.
Not sure I agree Boston is the better team. I think the Lakers have more talent and play better basketball, for the most part. I think Boston is a very good team and they can definitely win the series. Just don't see it happening.
That said, I defer to you on Boston because you've watched them play a lot more than I have.
Their best bet is Bynum being unable to play.
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Big win tonight! To me, game five was the pivitol game of this series. This thing is going just how I called it. Celts will lose the next game and win game 7 in LA, imo.
Peirce got all over Artest tonight for 27 and made the play of the game wrestling the ball away from Kobe late. Looks like he wanted it more. It was only a matter of time before Pierce started to put up points on Artest. It looks like Artest is becoming less and less effective against Peirce. KG with 18 and the double-double. He's been very productive as of late. All this talk about him being "done" was premature. Sure, he's slowed down, but he's not "done". 12 out of Allen and 18 out of Rondo. The best game the Celtics have played thus far, outscoring the Lakers in all four q's.
The Lakers don't have the bench depth to cover for Bynum, imo. As mentioned, the Celtics bench is better and when the starters are playing well, it's tough for the Lakers to overcome so many scoring threats.
Kobe "went off" and the Lakers couldent overcome. Thats got to be tough on their confidence. Tony Allen has not gotten enough credit for his defense of Kobe.
Anything can happen, and this thing is certainly not over. The Lakers are very talented. I think the Lakers had their back broken tonight.
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Big win tonight! To me, game five was the pivitol game off this series. This thing is going just how I called it. Celts will lose the next game and win game 7 in LA, imo.
Peirce got all over Artest tonight for 27 and made the play of the game wrestling the ball away from Kobe late. Looks like he wanted it more. It was only a matter of time before he started to put up points on Artest. It looks like Artest is becoming less and less effective against Peirce. KG with 18 and the double-double. He's been very productive as of late. All this talk about him being "done" was premature. Sure, he's slowed down, but he's not "done". 12 out of Allen and 18 out of Rondo. The best game the Celtics have played thus far, outscoring the Lakers in all four q's.
The Lakers don't have the bench depth to cover for Bynum, imo. As mentioned, the Celtics bench is better and when the starters are playing well, it's tough for the Lakers to overcome so many scoring threats.
Kobe "went off" and the Lakers couldent overcome. Thats got to be tough on their confidence. Tony Allen has not gotten enough credit for his defense of Kobe.
Anything can happen, and this thing is certainly not over. The Lakers are very talented. I think the Lakers had their back broken tonight.
Yep this will go 7 it will be a war in that game
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I don't expect kneejerk reactions out of you, Athiest.
Celtics win the last game of this series, loose in LA and win game 7.
Sorry I just can't help but be emotional when it comes to this, I don't know what I enjoyed seeing more, Peyton losing the SB or the Celts beating the Lakers in 08'.
I want the Celts to win this so badly, like I said earlier the anxiety I get from watching the game it too much, esp game 5! they couldn't score points in the last 3 mins to save their life! it was killing me. It seems alot harder than it did in 08'.
I wish KG wouldn't shoot the ball at all, just get boards and play D, he has to be below 50%.
And I hope your wrong, is like to see the Celts win game 6, don't let it go to game 7. it would be nice to see the Celts celebrate in staples!! again.
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I find this ironic, since you've spent a lot of time defending Baltimore ravens players over poor behavior.
So you're saying that since a kid who was drafted in the second round, played the game of his life scoring 18 points in the NBA finals, a guy who happened to have some spit on his mouth (while showing a lot of emotion) is a mongoloid? I agree he was a little to pumped up, but come on.
Just saying.
Well, I guess my attempt at humor warranted your customary defensive response. I was just joking. Besides, It wasn't just spit. It was a long glob of drool hanging from his mouth while screaming like a retarded banshee. I thought it was funny and pretty gross to look at, too. Apparently, ESPN and ABC felt the same way because they decided to edit the 6 inch drool out during replays.
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Come on guys...keep it light..
Were all just a bit uptight because we are going through football withdrawl....when the season comes around we will be fine
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Come on guys...keep it light..
Were all just a bit uptight because we are going through football withdrawl....when the season comes around we will be fine
True! I do need to see the Celtics dancing on the Lakers floor though. 8)
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Well, I guess my attempt at humor warranted your customary defensive response. I was just joking. Besides, It wasn't just spit. It was a long glob of drool hanging from his mouth while screaming like a retarded banshee. I thought it was funny and pretty gross to look at, too. Apparently, ESPN and ABC felt the same way because they decided to edit the 6 inch drool out during replays.
Sorry dude, I didn't know you were joking, and even if you weren't, I was just offering up some spirited debate.
No problem.
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Sorry dude, I didn't know you were joking, and even if you weren't, I was just offering up some spirited debate.
No problem.
No sweat. Imagine how happy you'll be when the Celtics win it! Didn't I say they would get crushed? I stand corrected.
Throughout the entire regular season the Celtics had trouble closing teams out in the fourth quarter. But the way they've played in the playoffs has been nothing short of remarkable.
by the way, that reverse layup that Rondo put up with the sick english was exactly that.......sick! If Rondo can develop a consistent outside shot and shoot 80% free throws, he's capable of putting up Magic Johnson-like numbers.
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Can the Celts close it out tonight?
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gametimee!
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We going to game 7 boys...20 pt laker lead before half.
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We going to game 7 boys...20 pt laker lead before half.
x2 Boston has not even gotten off the jet yet. ;D
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x2 Boston has not even gotten off the jet yet. ;D
Gaffney SC community College could beat them tonight.
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Gaffney SC community College could beat them tonight.
I could beat them tonight. ;D
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Can anyone explain why the hell they're still playing basketball in the middle of June? WTH?
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Can anyone explain why the hell they're still playing basketball in the middle of June? WTH?
Excellent question I assume money is the cause they keep extending the season before you know its gonna be year round. They start in November I think
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Can anyone explain why the hell they're still playing basketball in the middle of June? WTH?
I use to have a Bunny Rabbit like yours in your Avatar. 8) I really loved her. :'( :'( :'(
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Can the Celts close it out tonight?
no
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I couldn't watch, was busy ,,, haven't watched any hi-lites [sp on purpose] either. did the refs hand it to them?
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I couldn't watch, was busy ,,, haven't watched any hi-lites [sp on purpose] either. did the refs hand it to them?
No man they got beat ...
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No man they got beat ...
Held the "Green men" to 67, hahaha I was laughing
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Held the "Green men" to 67, hahaha I was laughing
Turrible performance by the Celtics
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shanon brown can really jump
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Excellent question I assume money is the cause they keep extending the season before you know its gonna be year round. They start in November I think
How do they keep extending the season? There aren't more games are there? Are they getting more rest between games? I swear the NBA season used to be over in March or April or am I remembering wrong?
I use to have a Bunny Rabbit like yours in your Avatar. 8) I really loved her. :'( :'( :'(
Sorry to hear about your bunny :'(
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How do they keep extending the season? There aren't more games are there? Are they getting more rest between games? I swear the NBA season used to be over in March or April or am I remembering wrong?
Sorry to hear about your bunny :'(
Not sure on the number of games but I remember for quite sometime it was over in May now its mid June maybe I'll reasearch this...last game is tonight for sure.
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Game Time in 20 minutes place your bets.
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i think the lakers will win....lol
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i think the lakers will win....lol
Good call mal it was a good fight damn I wanted the celts to take it
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Good call mal it was a good fight damn I wanted the celts to take it
Celts faught hard! But we needed this win! Glad to be back on BOARD!
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Celts faught hard! But we needed this win! Glad to be back on BOARD!
Looking thick there reg, bigger than last time.
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Looking thick there reg, bigger than last time.
Yeah time to cut it up!