Karc

This series is a win-win for Shaq. If the Lakers win, there's this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkbY4a6BBXk If the Magic win, well, there's this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBh5dvSbgLM

Denver just rolled over and died tonight. And seriously, who keeps changing my username? I know it's not me. At least have the courtesy to PM me or something.

Orlando takes a 3-1 lead after a great OT game. LeBron goes for 44 and 10 points in the OT, but it was in vain again. Clutch free-throw shooting from both teams, although Alston missing the last free throw gave me chills. I thought for sure James half-court heave was going in. Three wins away from Denver-Orlando. The NBA, where "WTF" happens.

So that's what happens when LeBron James takes the final shot in a must-win game. Interesting. These games are driving me nuts. Stop blowing 20-point leads Cleveland, you're not the Lakers.

I see at least one Denver blowout. LA front court has mostly been MIA. Gasol has been ok, but that's been it. Fisher is a liability at this point. The panic in LA after a loss just makes me laugh.

If the Magic win this series, I'm dropping the "master of panic" line from my vocabulary. They beat the Cavs when LeBron scored 49 and got most of the calls. That's some tough mental resolve in playoff basketball.

Update on the WWE situation, from WON:

My money's on the latter. And finally, an interesting and compelling playoff game. I may have said Denver in 6, but I'll take either team in seven if the games are this good. Denver played great defense, forcing LA to take 90 shots and Kobe Byrant scoring 40 to eek out the win. And I underestimated Pau Gasol, because he saved the Lakers from getting killed on the boards by Denver's frontcourt (the dunks are another matter). Partial fail to Kobe Byrant, though, because after the league took away his fifth technical, he gets another one, and they are not taking this one back. And Carmelo Anthony scoring 39, I think he's starting to get it now. Denver's free throws killed them, though. You cannot miss 12 in a playoff game and expect to win.

Whoa, I wonder how this is going to get handled... http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9586944...r-arena-confict Now obviously, WWE plans arena dates months in advance (as opposed to their booking), they had the Pepsi Center booked from August. It would be funny, though, if the schedule people at the center had no faith that Denver was actually going to make the conference finals. I guess one easy way to resolve this is to bump up the start time of the game, since it would be on Memorial Day anyway, or move the game up to Tuesday. On the other hand, it's the Nuggets building, and I think they get priority over other events, so WWE may end up having to move or cancel the show. Update: Vince McMahon goes on ESPNews and takes shots at the Nuggets. And he's interviewed by the Coach! http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4176082

That was one weird and ugly game. LA doesn't score more than 100, they don't blow a fourth quarter lead, and yet they win the game. Of course Houston helped them out by going 28-76 (5-20 from 3), not converting on the 19 turnovers that LA committed, and getting pounded on the boards by more than 20. Must drive Laker fans crazy seeing that the Gasol and Bynum can domintate one night, and stink out the joint the next. As for Houston, well, they exceeded my expectations. I thought they could win this with Yao, but they got it to seven without him. Denver is fully healthy and on a roll, and barring a major injury (or a Nugget throwing a punch), I'm giving the series to them. Denver in 6. As for Orlando, I'm surprised that the "master of panic" did not panic and blow yet another fourth quarter lead. Another blowout. Pounded the ball inside to get free throws, clutch shots from Hedo, and Boston's vaunted 32-0 record when leading a 3-2 series is now 32-1. As I said before, though, this series really did not matter in the end, since Cleveland had a week of rest and is playing excellent defense. Cleveland in 6.

And now the Lakers face elimination in the second round, after going 30-84 for 80 points (never leading in the game), and letting Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks light them up again. I'll give the slight edge to Houston, they have nothing to lose here, and all of the pressure is on LA. And Kobe Bryant has five technical fouls in the postseason. Two more and he gets a one-game suspension.

I was all ready to preview Boston-Cleveland, too. But the C's turned the ball over 22 times, and Ray Allen had a horrid night (2-11, 0-7 from three). Game 7 should be fun, even if the winner gets fed to Cleveland.

Valiant effort by the Dirk and Kidd trying to keep Dallas in the game. Thumbs down to everyone else. Specifically Terry, Howard, and Wright for getting three technicals late when the game was within reach.. That basically gave Billups a free three-pointer. Denver-Houston, I'm guessing there is going to be at least one punch thrown. Denver-LA, someone might trip on their shoelace.

More tributes to the shrine. I can add "cartoon character" to the list. I guess your logic of calling me a name to justify calling me more names is too much for me. The post about me being wrong about the All-NBA team (since it was a news item) was the joke. I was going to post the list all along. Please e-mail me the 234,233,232 reasons, I've lost track. I've moved on from Lakers-Jazz. It only came back up because a mod asked me about it. I don't think it was unreasonable to pick Houston in 6 before Yao got hurt. You've already called me "a bitch." Something new, please. The reasons I've listed for why teams win a game are pretty much the reasons the coaches give at the press conferences after the game. I guess they do not know what they are talking about. Wow, "a dumb, little, white, bitch of a girl." I challenge you, oh faithful disciple, to find a woman willing to talk you about the game of basketball. Being "useless" has it uses. I can add that a proverb to my religion. And now I know "JACK SHIT" about basketball. More praise, more worship. Since I don't have a ballsack, can I borrow some of your "Battlenuts?"

I distinctly remember a moderator telling you to "cool it with the personal insults." And in this one post, you've called me "a fucking moron," "a dumbshit," "a dumb little white girl," "a rape victim," and "a little bitch." Nice job there. Unless your friends with the moderator that changed my username, I cannot see how you get away with that. Meanwhile, I guess posting news about the All-NBA team shows that I am backing off from a basketball thread. This coming from you, who also predicted that the Spurs, Hornets, and Trail Blazers would get out of the first round. Not exactly a genius in the game of hoops yourself.

Are you implying that there are some admins here who do not have a brain? I made a joke based on the way the thread was going. It was meant to be harmless. I have nothing to lose by doing so at this point by accepting your humble tributes to my shrine of basketball greatness. First I did not know "shit" about basketball, then I did not know "fuck" about basketball, now I don't know "dick" about basketball. I'm anxious to see what you come up with next. More praise, more worship. I'm disappointed, though, loyal hoops follower, that you could not a suitable substitute for "idiotic."

Do you happen to know who did it, by any chance? I would like to know. I guess Conspiracy Victim saying that Danny Granger was Most Improved Player of the year was desperation, too. It was just a news item that came out today. I did not make any comments on the teams, I just posted the list because I thought people would have liked to know about it. More praise, more worship, more. I request thee, loyal follower, to look in the sacred book of dictionary to find more words similar to the almighty "idiotic" for thee to praise my magnificent soul.

At least you've admitted that you've been insulting me all along. I'm not sure if it proves your point, it does appear to be a shrine of 2. You, and the moderator who changed my username. According to your stats, I've been wrong on 99 percent of my predictions. So I've only been right 1 out of 100 times. I can already say you are wrong for two reasons. One, I made far less than 100 predictions. Two, I've been right more than once (I was wrong about the West first round, but I've been dead on about the East.) I was just posting basketball news about players in the playoffs in a basketball playoff thread. I guess that's flame bait. You're right, I should have said the Jazz in five and played it safe.

I'm not really looking for attention, I'm just surprised you're giving me so much. It's like we're friends. And nice, calling me a dumb kid and a rape victim in the same post. That's a step up from your usual insults. More praise, more worship. All-NBA First Team was just announced. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard, and Dwayne Wade. 2nd and 3rd teams, from ESPN: I don't know anything about basketball, though, so I probably got most of those wrong.

I guess I have nothing to lose then by continuing to talk about basketball, then. I've always wanted a shrine. Admit it, you worship me. I mean, you've called me stupid, a joke, dumb, and shit. I should not be offended, I should take it as praise. And how can I hate LA, when they have this: http://hailmaryjane.com/a-vending-machine-...gives-you-what/

Awesome fight at the end of Red Wings - Ducks game 6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbI-tVDzKkQ

Which they would have done on Sunday if they were so great, but they couldn't even get within single digits. They blew big fourth quarter leads. The end result does not really show how bad they were playing against a team without it's second-best scorer. They also made 10 three-pointers, with most attempts without a Laker within five feet of the shooter. There were highlights of this shown throughout the game, specifically Battier, who defended Kobe Byrant to 17 points and hit five threes. Bynum has been completely ineffective in the playoffs. Yao had the edge vs. Gasol until he was hurt. I guess statistics and injury reports from the games is BS, then. I guess I should pay attention to the "intangibles" next time. Or the betting lines. I had Cleveland sweeping Atlanta, so I was right about something.

After Houston beats LA. Then after LA beats Houston... Houston won the next game. If Karc is saying the Magic are done, I can only assume they take the next two to win the series. Houston won Game 4 because they would not quit (which was expected) and the Lakers could not even bother to show up in a playoff game (which I suspected). Honestly, I was ready to concede that the Lakers would win this in five after Yao went down (even though LA was 0-4 against Houston without Yao). It just reeked of typical LA arrogance, but they hadn't won anything. Contrast that to Boston (who actually did win something), who does not have KG, and with the exception of one blowout loss, have fought tooth and nail in every playoff game. The Magic could have put the hammer down on that series last night, but Boston would not give in. In the end, I still don't think that series matters, because Cleveland is on a mission. Let's see how the Lakers do against a team that is fully healthy. They are barely getting by against teams that are hurt.

Really Orlando? Up by 10 halfway through the fourth, then you don't score a field goal the rest of the game and allow Starbury to beat you while KG is on the bench. You're done.

Watch Game 4, pretty much sums up everything I've said about the Lakers this year. There is no excuse for that game. This is the eighth time the Lakers played the Rockets this year, and the Rockets were in their most vulnerable state (No Yao, Mutumbo, or T-Mac). Their center is now a 6-6 guy who cannot shoot. If this team was so great, they end the series right there and then. Even if the game was close, it would not have been so bad. But down by 29? 10 threes? 36 first-half points? Fisher and Bryant combine for 17 points? And this is when Artest sucked out loud. Don't really have to put an opinion out there. It was right in front of a national TV audience. And I've never had a bias against Kobe Byrant, he's a good player. But this team is not as great as everyone thinks. That's all I've been saying. Game 2 of this series was the only game this postseason where I think the Lakers have looked good. They've looked bad in pretty much every other game. Big Baby's buzzer beater was great, his postgame celebration, not so much.