NBA Playoffs

[C Dubya 04 0]

I forgot this game was even on. After how underwhelming last nights games were, I guess I just got apathetic.

[The Electrifyer 0]

Collison hit the luckiest three of the playoffs. He didn't even jump!

[razazteca 0]

I predict a sweep for this series......next stepping stone: The Mavs and the lil general, Avery Johnson.

[Guest news_gimmick]

And thus concludes one of the most uncompetitive weekends of basketball ever.

[razazteca 0]

Suns vs Mavs and Pacers vs Pistons have a good storyline so those series should be entertaining.

[Ripper 0]

I predict a sweep for this series......next stepping stone: The Mavs and the lil general, Avery Johnson.

If Ray Allen and Vladimir Radmanilksjfaslvic are out for the next game then the Sonics can call it. With the entire team, I don't think this game would have turned out like this.

[The Electrifyer 0]

And Raz, you think the Mavs are gonna beat Phoenix? I think and hope otherwise. San An vs. Phoenix would be a much better match-up to watch.

[razazteca 0]

Are you telling me that Spurs vs Suns which will be another squash match in 5 games will get better ratings than the storyline of Teacher vs Student in Popavich vs Johnson......you know this all leads to Popavich vs Brown in the Finals.

[Guest news_gimmick]

My favorite games of the season this year were Phoenix vs San Antonio. They were hard fought exciting games each time, and Phoenix looked more than capable of beating San Antonio and making it an extended series, which is why I want that matchup more so than another Dallas meltdown in the conference finals against the Spurs.

[Ripper 0]

Are you telling me that Spurs vs Suns which will be another squash match in 5 games will get better ratings than the storyline of Teacher vs Student in Popavich vs Johnson......you know this all leads to Popavich vs Brown in the Finals.

Who would squash WHO in 5 games?

[alfdogg 0]

23-20 Detroit after one.

[Just John 0]

I loved that update from Craig Sager...

 

"We'd all like to forget the brawl ever happened... But this footage is a haunting reminder of what can happen."

*Cue brawl highlights*

[C Dubya 04 0]

Wow, off Rip's head on a dunk gets called as a no basket?

[razazteca 0]

Are you telling me that Spurs vs Suns which will be another squash match in 5 games will get better ratings than the storyline of Teacher vs Student in Popavich vs Johnson......you know this all leads to Popavich vs Brown in the Finals.

Who would squash WHO in 5 games?

Damn it Spurs rule....

[The Electrifyer 0]

lol... Avery Johnson just got the funniest technical foul ever.

 

BTW, Dampier seriously is the suckiest center in the playoffs right now I think. How he claims to be second best in the league, I have no idea.

[The Czech Republic 0]

lol... Avery Johnson just got the funniest technical foul ever.

I missed it. What happened? Avery Johnson amuses me.

[Guest news_gimmick]

Avery stepped on to the court to yell at the ref, and he ends up slipping and falling down while the teams ran back down to that side of the court. It was hilarious to see his legs flailing in air and he nearly tripped the ref as he ran back down the court. From there Avery just became livid and got tossed.

 

 

And man, were the commentators ripping on the play of Dampier or what? He was just doing all the wrong things on defense and Doug Collins was ripping into him. So much for the "second best center" in the league. Hes been useless tonight.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I have no idea what you guys were thinking picking the Mavs against the Suns. It's exactly what I thought it would be:

 

Mavs try to match the Suns' offense, they would do well but still lose out, and Mavs will try to play defense on them, then the Suns will still beat them because Dallas sucks on D.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Avery stepped on to the court to yell at the ref, and he ends up slipping and falling down while the teams ran back down to that side of the court. It was hilarious to see his legs flailing in air and he nearly tripped the ref as he ran back down the court. From there Avery just became livid and got tossed.

Awesome.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

It's worth watching Sportscenter to see it. It was seriously like a banana peel fall.

 

"You can't play defense in these type of shoes." Nice, Avery.

[C Dubya 04 0]

So, what is this now. 6 straight playoff games are blowouts?

 

I think that if these series continue the way they are, next round could be a classic. It really does seem like 4 teams are night and day ahead of the others.

[Guest Redhawk]

What was up with some of TNT's production during the Pistons-Pacers game? During the "recap the first half" segment during halftime, they go to Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, and instead of seeing the crowd behind them you only see a blue "TNT" screen. That was weird. And then at one point, Sager did a sideline update, but the camera seems to be at least 20 feet away from him, so players are walking in front of the shot and everything. Anyone else notice that?

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The Wiz have no shot vs the Heat. This isn't even a close matchup.

[Just John 0]

That's 7 non-competitive games in a row now. Washington got a little closer this time, but it was mainly due to Miami missing free throws and it never really seemed like the Wiz had a chance.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Shaq has scored a FURIOUS~ 35 points combined in 2 games since his FURIOUS ANGER AND MIGHT~ over not winning the MVP. The Miami Shaq (since noone apparently wants to acknowledge that there's any other player on that team besides Wade, apparently) beat the Wizzies 108-102, which wasn't even close as the score indicated. Every one of Miami's starting five went into double digits, and it took 32 from a hobbling Jamison and 28 from Gilbert Arenas to even keep it close. No inside presence whatsoever.

 

Heat should get a nice surprise next round against Detroit.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Oh, by the way DRAMA~ in the Mavs' locker room. You guys will enjoy this:

Nowitzki, Dampier squabbling after blowout loss to Suns

By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer

May 10, 2005

 

PHOENIX (AP) -- A prominent pair of Dallas Mavericks are bickering in the wake of the team's blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs.

 

That's just one of the problems rookie coach Avery Johnson has to rectify before the teams meet again on Wednesday night.

 

Team leader Dirk Nowitzki criticized Erick Dampier after Amare Stoudemire outscored the Dallas center 40-0 in Monday night's 127-102 Phoenix victory.

 

``He's a step slow on everything,'' Nowitzki said after the game. ``He never got involved in the game. He has always been in foul trouble. The first series was the same thing. He gets a quick two fouls in the first two or three minutes, and we can't be aggressive any more. Then he gets the third foul and has to sit.''

 

Nowitzki didn't stop there.

 

``The bottom line is we've got to get something out of our center position,'' he said. ``We really haven't gotten anything out of it.''

 

Nowitzki also shouted at Dampier as the two ran down the court following a three-point play by Stoudemire over the Dallas center's back.

 

Dampier lashed back before the team's workout on Tuesday.

 

``He can say what he wants,'' Dampier said. ``We really didn't get a lot from anyone. This is not a one individual game. It's a team concept. We didn't play the way we are capable of playing, so for him to say something like that is totally stupid.''

 

Told of Dampier's remarks, Johnson said, ``You know what's stupid? The way the Mavericks played the last game, that was stupid.''

 

Nowitzki, meanwhile, stood by his post-game comments.

 

``I'm not going to change what I said, and I don't think I need to talk to him,'' he said.

 

Johnson said he would take care of the rift.

 

``We're OK. We trust each other,'' the coach said. ``We have strong character and strong fiber on this team. We just didn't play like the team you guys saw in the first round. We're embarrassed, we're bitter, we're disappointed. Obviously we know we're up against a very tough team, but our best team didn't show up last night.''

 

The squabble stems from Dallas' inability to slow Stoudemire in Game 1, a problem that the Mavs never solved in three regular-season meetings either, when he averaged 32 points.

 

``He's a great player. He's going to get his numbers,'' Nowitzki said, ``but we can't give him 40 and send him to the line 17 to 20 times.''

 

There are problems against Stoudemire regardless of whether the defender is Dampier, Alan Henderson or Nowitzki.

 

``He's going to out-quick the bigger guys,'' Phoenix's Quentin Richardson said, ``and if they try to put Dirk or a smaller guy on him, he's going to overpower him, so it's a dilemma.''

 

The ever-confident Stoudemire wonders if there's anything the Mavericks can do effectively against him.

 

``It's going to be tough for them. They're not exactly Memphis,'' he said, referring to the team Phoenix swept in the first round. ``Memphis had more scrappy players and more defensive players. I'm not sure. They might just polish up their offensive and defensive games.''

 

The Mavericks may decide to double-team Stoudemire, but that opens up the Suns' array of outside shooters, and Stoudemire still could get his points.

 

``Obviously, one-on-one he's a handful,'' the Suns' Steve Nash said, ``but he becomes more dangerous out of a pick and roll because you have to kind of pick your poison. Are they going to leave me? Are they going to leave someone from the weak side with the tremendous shooters we have. At the same time, we've got people moving to get the ball. I think our team has a lot of balance, and that highlights his superior ability.''

 

After watching video of Monday night's horror show, Dallas' players knew that their main problem was a lack of effort and energy. Two days after their 40-point blowout of Houston in Game 7 of their first-round series, the Mavericks sleepwalked while the Suns sped over, around and through them.

 

``We were just flat in all areas,'' Nowitzki said. ``We were a step slow on offense and defense. We were jogging around.''

 

The Suns said they know that Game 2 will be far more difficult.

 

``Last night we had a great game, we played well, we had a lot of fun, but you know that game's over,'' Richardson said. ``We don't expect to win by 20. I've been saying all the time, I expect this to be a dogfight. We don't get any extra wins by winning by 20 or more points. It counts as one win.''

How DARE Nowitzki criticize the #2 center in the league!

 

Oh, and the Mavs should probably take a closer look at the game tape, because EVERYONE looks slow against the Suns. The best shot Dallas has is to quit playing defense and stop trying to force Phoenix to play halfcourt, because it just isn't going to happen. If they can try to just get into a shooting match, then they might be able to take a game or two away.

[Just John 0]

I still think Avery Johnson is stupid for trying to get Dallas to play a half-court game. They just don't have the personnel to carry it out. In the Houston series, the Mavs only won when they went small and ran the floor. When they tried to slow up, the Rockets had the advantage. Now, the Mavs are still trying to slow the game, but the Suns just score anyway. Problem is, going small won't help against Phoenix.

 

The center matchup is the biggest problem for Dallas. Amare took Dampier straight to school in Game 1, and honestly, I don't see that changing in later games.

[Styles 0]

Eh, at least they got closer last time, and they were down 0-2 against the Bulls too. Yes I know.

[alfdogg 0]

Mike D'Antoni won coach of the year. Haven't seen it mentioned here yet.

[razazteca 0]

That's 7 non-competitive games in a row now. Washington got a little closer this time, but it was mainly due to Miami missing free throws and it never really seemed like the Wiz had a chance.

Make that 8 in a row. Sonics are letting Tim Duncan get all of the offensive rebounds he wants and letting Parker & Ginobili run the fastbreak on them.