Lakers vs. kings

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Well the Kings responded in a BIG WAY in Game 5, and now the Lakers are in a position that they have never been in, down 3-2.  I don't think Webber's screen was illegal, it was more Fisher running into a much bigger player than himself and adding a little flop to go along with it, it was a good non-call.

 

Bibby is the X-factor for the Kings.  He is the missing incredient that the Kings have been missing the last two years.  Bibby has been eating every team's point guards for lunch during these playoffs.  Fisher has been made to look ridiculous.  Bibby has risen his game (like many great players do during the playoffs) and has made the Kings a better team.  Kobe will more than likely be guarding Bibby for Game 6, and I think that he will do a good job, but will get more run down, as Bibby will be in a constant motion.  That will be the key to that game.

 

Overall this is now the King's series to lose.  The Lakers have been on cruise control for most of these playoffs.  Occasionally they show signs brilliance, other times they look board, uninterested in what they are doing.  They didn't take this King's team seriously, and it has lead them to the brink of elimination.  The Kings have a better team. They didn't let Game 4 get them down.  Instead they bounced back, as all good teams do.  This team has heart, and I believe that they will take this series.  Of course the Lakers can come back, but my gut feeling is that this is the year of the Kings.

[Guest Human Fly]

"Fisher's flopping left the guy that took the winning shot wide open in the last game. So to bitch about others flopping and not bring up that Fisher's flopping lost them a game is just stupid."

 

If I would've seen a flop I would've said something about it. Fisher got knocked on his ass by a PF. Even if he stayed up he wasn't going to get by because there was another player in front of him. And even if he stayed with him, who's to say Bibby wouldn't have made the shot anyway. And the occasional flop is sadly part of the game, but Vlade is flopping every play down the court, and then complaining about the officials. When Fisher starts flopping like Vlade and bitching about the refs then maybe you'll have a point.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Things seem to have turned around oh so quickly! The Lakers are going to have to fight to save their asses tomorrow! I bet you one thing though, the referees won't let the Lakers lose this game, or let Shaq foul out.  

 

Shaq was having his way with the Kings when he was on the floor. I think it's a shame they let him foul out the way he did. His fifth foul looked like it should have been a jump ball, and his last foul wasn't something I would have let a superstar player foul out of a playoff game with. I think the refs knew they messed up so they tried to make it up by tossing Christie on the next play with a bad call. I don't think the Lakers liked that trade.

 

Bibby did what he had to do, I have to give him credit. However, he shouldn't have been at the free throw line with the chance to tie the game. I think the foul they called on Kobe was questionable, and if they called that foul, they should have called one on Bobby Jackson as well at the end of the game. It seemed like they put away the whistles midway through the third quarter and let the players play, but they pulled them back out just in time for the Kings.

 

Derek Fisher isn't as good of a defender as you would think he would be.

 

Devon George sucks.

 

Vlade Divac is a bitch.

 

Chris Webber wants to beat the Lakers very badly.

 

The Kings are a game away from winning the Western Conference Finals and beating the two-time champion Lakers in the process.Jason Williams was traded for Mike Bibby. The Nets are a game away from winning the Eastern Conference Finals. Stephon Marbury was traded for Jason Kidd. How come Rod Thorn is Executive of the Year and not the President of Basketball Operations on the Kings? Because Jason Kidd should have been MVP.

[Guest Ripper]

You have to call any foul that would change the play.  Thats why you don't make the call when Fox nearly knocked Bibby out of bounds because the retained the ball.  Shaqs last foul was going to make Bibby miss a wide open shot.  It might have been a little foul, but it affected the play so they HAD to call it. BTW, in now way shape or form was that a jump ball.  

 

Bobby Jackson played great defense in the end of the game...I didn't see ANY contact..(although he did face guard him, which is illegal, but they haven't made that call in years).

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the King's run to say the least.  The Lakers have never been in this situation.  As far as I'm concerned, they should be thanking the good lord they weren't axed in game 5 because Horry's luck is the only thing that has kept them alive.

 

I just think this is great because I was so appaulled for sme reason at Shaq's comments on how he felt this Lakers team was better than the Bulls in Jordan's day because he didn't feel that team had anyone that could contend with him

 

That is way too cocky and arrogant and quite frankly pissed me off. Shaq, even though I attend LSU and he's always been the big hometown hero, can eat dick for saying that and the Lakers will get hit with reality in Game 6.

[Guest]

Bobby Jackson played great defense in the end of the game...I didn't see ANY contact..(although he did face guard him, which is illegal, but they haven't made that call in years).

 

What?!  You should have turned on your TV... it would have helped you to see the play better.  While I feel Jackson pushed Bryant, that is disputable.  But the fact that he had a hold of Kobe's jersey is indisputable... watch the play again.  Jackson was practically wearing it.

 

You have to call any foul that would change the play.

 

What Jackson did definitely affected the play, so don't even tell me it should've been a non-call.

[Guest ant_7000]

Well you know how the refs are when it comes to the final seconds of a game they won't call anything. Anyway I thought Jackson did knock the ball cleanly and Kobe rushed his shot.

[Guest Ripper]

I watched the game again, and Jackson knocked the ball away clean and got his hand in Kobes face for the shot.  There was no contact outide of the initial reaching when Kobe got it on the post and just stood there(and come on, if you call that there are a MILLION fouls that could be called on the body checking they do on Bibby) when the play started to develop(Kobe attempting offense) there was no more contact.

[Guest]

Bullshit...he had a hold of Kobe's jersey.

[Guest Dangerous A]

If there is gonna be griping about Bobby Jackson tugging on Kobe's jersey in game 5 then can we talk about how the Lakers were raping the Kings guards in the fourth quarter of game 4? You are in denial if you didn't see the tackling of Bibby and Jackson in the fourth by Fox, Fisher, and Bryant.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

Kobe missed,no foul, Kings win, PERIOD.

 

This is a BEST OF SEVEN GAMES series. No could haves, would haves or should haves.

 

This isn't the NFL with one game deciding playoffs and instant replays affecting calls. You have 7 Games, you have to win FOUR times to go over. You lose? Tough shit.

[Guest]

Kobe missed,no foul, Kings win, PERIOD.

 

This is a BEST OF SEVEN GAMES series. No could haves, would haves or should haves.

 

I would have no problem with your statement if you said:

 

Kobe missed, got fouled, no call, Kings win, PERIOD.  

 

I'm not saying the Lakers coulda, shoulda, woulda won the game.  They lost, no doubt about it.  I'm just disputing Mr. Ripper's claim that there was no contact and that Bobby Jackson played perfect defense.  I don't like this tone that all the calls the Kings get are earned.  And that the Lakers are given gifts by the refs.

[Guest Just call me Dan]

I don't dispute the fact that it was a bit hokey with the jersey. But from personal experience and just watching basketball for a long time, I know that calls are there at times but can never be depended on. Lakers are given gifts, Kings are gibven gifts. Lakers don't get crucial calls, neither do Kings.

 

I was basically saying that there are 7 games. Shit happens, there is a second chance. Didn't mean to have a bad tone or start anything, but it's kind of like this argument over that call really doesn't matter.

[Guest]

Concur.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

I'm not ready to go out and burn stuff over the calls in the game, but it's frustrating to watch a contest where you can't depend on good officiating. The referees seem to make mistakes and then try to make up for those mistakes by giving a call to another team so that it all evens out. I'm not saying that it's right or wrong, but you shouldn't have Shaq foul out the way he did in a pivotal playoff game and try to make up for it by having Christie foul out as soon as the teams change possesions. Christie didn't foul Fox, but I believe that was a make up call in favor of the Lakers. The officials didn't want to toss Shaq, but they blew the whistles so he had to go. That's why Shaq was on the court for so long even though he was clearly the one who the foul was called on. I never have been one for conspiracies, but I think the league wants this series to go seven games. I think they want a high profile team and the team with the biggest tv market to play alot of games. Look how much talk this series has generated on this board alone. My sister who lives in Pennsylvania isn't a big basketball fan, but she wanted to see game 4 and was really into it. I think they like all of the controversy in the Nets/Celtics series as well. Even if the game isn't competetive, people can still tune in to see what happens with Jason Kidd's wife. I think the league likes all of that sensational stuff.

[Guest Human Fly]

Man, the combacks are getting out of hand. Can no team hold a lead anymore? If the Nets and Kings make it to the finals they'd better just forget playing defense because neither team can do it a whole game.

 

I expect the Lakers to win tonight by about 10. If they come out focused and can play 3 good quarters they will take the Kings (unless the Kings have 4 good quarters, but lately they've had a good half). The Lakers need to have a good first quarter importantly. It would help them if they didn't have to come back from 15 points at half time.

 

I'm torn about the Nets/Celtics game tonight, but unless the Celts can get someone other then Pierce or Walker to step up they're in trouble. New Jersey has been running all over them and they need to stop it. New Jersey on the other hand has to stop the insane amount of turnovers. If they can do that the Celtics could be facing a blowout.

[Guest DragonflyKid]

Whoever wins it's been a great NBA playoffs with lots of exciting games, I wish I was a hockey fan then I could be enjoying two great playoffs. I predict the Nets win by 5 and the Lakers win by 5-10 points, only to lose to the Kings in game 7. Then the Kings beat the Nets in 6 in the finals.

[Guest]

Los-Angeles-Lakers

 

June-?,2000-May-31,2002

 

Cause-of-death:

Being-totally-dominated-by-Chris-Webber,Mike-Bibby-and-the-Sacramento-Kings.

[Guest Human Fly]

I'll agree with the Bibby statement but Webber has been anything but dominant.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

The Celtics aren't beating the Nets tonight. #5 on the New Jersey Nets is going to lead a blowout. The Celtics might compete, but they won't win.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Tell me Will Smith wasn't being interviewed about "his team." Tell me he wasn't just saying we're going to win. This time last year, he was talking about how big of Sixers fan he was and how he was from Philly. Now he's great friends with Shaq and Kobe and the Lakers are "his team." I hope the fans in Phily boo Will Smith like they did Kobe.

 

Vlade Divac still is a bitch and Devon George still sucks. I was hoping he would get into a fight with Divac but he can't even do that right.

[Guest El Satanico]

What the bloody fuck. Kobe nails Bibby in the nose with his elbow right in front of the fuckng ref and there's no foul called? Oh yeah the refs aren't looking the other way in order to get a game 7.

 

A bunch of typical NBA playoffs bullshit

[Guest Dangerous A]

This is playoff bullshit. I bet Kobe doesn't get a fucking fine or nothing. That was as flagrant as it gets.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

That smug smile that Phil Jackson had when he walked off the court pretty much said it all:

 

Even the Lakers knew that they were given this game.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

What the bloody fuck. Kobe nails Bibby in the nose with his elbow right in front of the fuckng ref and there's no foul called? Oh yeah the refs aren't looking the other way in order to get a game 7.

To quote Chief Wiggum from The Simpsons, "That's some nice work there, boys." Goodbye, NBA. Hello, NBE.

[Guest Ripper]

Alright...now can anyone deny that the Lakers were given that game.  I'm sorry, but that was pathetic.  The entire game was so one sidedly called and the Kings still were within a shot.  From Kobe throwing elbows at webber in a tie up, and they call the foul and technical on webber in the begaing.. THEN later they call a double tech on Vlade and George when Geroge shoves Vlade...even with everybody shit talker Kobe running in flappin his gums.  Then you have countless obvious fouls and obvious bad calls to help the Lakers that were so gratiously replayed and commented on by the NBC cometators(which I usually expect from Steve, but I was plesantly suprised when even Bill chimed in.)  THEN there is the huge offensive foul on Webber that was a key shot they took away for a ridiculously bad call, so they try to make it up by letting him foul Horry on the next play...then proceed to make a horrible call to foul Vlade out.  Then of course there is the forearm to the face, which would equal a suspension in the regular season but at least warrents the foul.  

 

I was thinking maybe the ref just missed it..I mean they are human.  But then came the camera angle where you could see the ref looking directly at Bibby and Bryant and didn't call it.  

 

Even if the Lakers win game seven, they will just look like fake winners to me.  They lost this game and a officaiating crew was the difference, not some greater performace from the Lakers.  The Kings are the better team, the have shown it, and they should be waiting with Nets for game one to start.  

 

At the beganing of this series, I really didn't care who won...But now they have created another kings fan and I hope that fate is fair to them and give them the win they deserve.

[Guest Human Fly]

16 fouls against the Kings, and the Lakers went to the line 27 times. That's in the fourth quarter alone. That seems like an awful lot to me.

[Guest El Satanico]

This kind of shit is why i got fed up with the NBA in the first place. It's also why i will only watch the championship series and finals if they have interesting teams. I'm sure favoring the popular teams has been around before but it got ridiculous with Jordan and has remained that way ever since.

[Guest]

You guys are f'n hilarious.  What a turnaround from Game 5.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

I don't even look at what Kobe did as a flagrant foul.  Bibby had him wrapped up and Kobe made a move.  It didn't seem entirely intentional, just trying to escape from his grasp.