NBA Playoffs 2007: Round 1

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

You said it. The Magic don't even look like they belong on the same court right now. Turnovers galore.

 

And they still made a game of it

[Just John 0]

The Pistons have a bad habit of putting it in cruise control once they think the game is out of reach. But once the Magic got close, the Pistons turned it back on and finished with a comfortable margin.

 

Also, JVG better make some serious half time adjustments. The Rockets looked completely lost against Utah's D.

[The Electrifyer 0]

On a three on none fast break, Fisher missed a wide open layup and both Okur and Boozer couldn't get the rebound and tip it in. Remarkable.

[Just John 0]

Alright, JVG doesn't let me down. It'll be interesting to watch the chess match between him and Sloan throughout the series. Good second half for the Rockets defensively, and T-Mac came back to form to carry the scoring load. Also, the 3 point shooting picked up a little. When the 3's are falling, it's near impossible to stop Houston.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

That missed layup was the turning point in the game as Houston took the lead and never looked back. Unfortunate loss for tbe Jazz as their inability to contain Yao in the second half resulted in many double teams that gave up wide open looks from the third point line.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Bulls, fuck yeah. You're absolutely right about Luol Deng, Porter. Awesome player with a great work ethic. I like him a lot.

[starvenger 0]

I know Bosh picked up 2 in the 1st quarter, but usually a coach will still give his star significant playing time under those circumstances. With the way he was controlling the first few minutes, I'm surprised Mitchell didn't just throw him back out there when no one else was doing anything.

Don't know how it came across on TV, but just about EVERYONE was wearing red yesterday. There were a lot of "VC Sucks!" chants that were fucking loud up in nosebleed country.

 

The major difference in this game was Jefferson. Everyone else on either side seemed a bit "off" so we'll see what happens in game 2.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

The Tornoto/Nets game ended up being pretty fun, and I wasn't even interested in the series.

 

Miami bitching about officiating is pretty funny, especially in a game where one of the Bull's stars picked up 4 fouls in like 7 minutes of play, including a Wade flop. Today's sports headlines read something like "Shaq calls out refs......after Bull's win." WTF?

 

Utah fell apart in the second half, but there going to be much more dangerous than I originally thought to Houston.

[Guest]

I was watching Utah/Houston while I was at the gym, and yeah, the Rockets are pretty good. Utah can't run their pick and roll offense for shit against those guys. It's the style of Utah's offense that's doing them in, if it wasn't so motion oriented they would have a better chance. But that also brings the question that if their offense wasn't so motion oriented, would they be in the playoffs to begin with?

[alfdogg 0]

Jon Barry seriously needs to get off Vince Carter's dick. He said before the game in a conversation of what Kobe and Nash mean to their teams, that Carter would be a suitable replacement for Kobe in the Lakers' system.

[Guest Vitamin X]

lol

[iggymcfly 0]

The Laker bigs are dominating early. They're getting every rebound and Odom and Bynum have made some nice baskets too. Meanwhile, on the other end, they're just giving Marion and Stoudemire open 15-footers and they're barely catching rim. Looks like the fighting Kobes might give Phoenix a real series.

[iggymcfly 0]

Huge finish to the first half for Kobe. He hit threes on 3 of the last 4 Laker possessions to finish the 1st half with 28 points.

[Guest Vitamin X]

So this'll be the one the Lakers get to take from Phoenix.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

I'm more impressed with holding Phoenix's points to only 39 at the half. Kobe can score lights out but if Phoenix was running and gunning after each kobe shot, it wouldn't matter, phoenix wins.

 

Usually I believe you can tell a lot from the tempo of the game.

[Guest Vitamin X]

You're right. Phoenix was really lagging out there at the start of the game. If they turn it up, I don't think the Lakers defense can hold up, but we'll see. I think the Lakers are a totally different team when they have better play at the 1 and especially if Odom is bringing his game, which he is.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Shit. Phoenix is ahead again for the first time since the 1st quarter. Kobe's shut down in the 2nd, and the Lakers are playing "me-first, pass later" ball.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

the pace has definately picked back up to Phoenix's advantage. 39 at the half, but now they have 86 and there's still a whole 7 minutes left in the game.

[Matt Young 0]

Suns win. :-\

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Kobe Chuckster does what he does a few times a year and that is shot his team right outof it in the 4th

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Kobe was a major reason why the Lakers went ahead in the first half, and the major reason why they lose today.

[Guest]

And the major reason that they have a chance to win any game in the series. We didn't win game 1 last year either. Part of the reason we lost is because we suck on the road.

 

I won't discuss the game any further, it wouldn't have mattered to me if the Lakers won this game or not. I don't care about individual games.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

And the major reason that they have a chance to win any game in the series. We didn't win game 1 last year either. Part of the reason we lost is because we suck on the road.

 

I won't discuss the game any further, it wouldn't have mattered to me if the Lakers won this game or not. I don't care about individual games.

 

Every Laker fan is referring to last year after the game

 

but These aren't the same Suns

[Guest]

All I said was that we lost Game 1 last year. Of course these are not the same Suns, these are also not the same Lakers that are giving Smush Parker starting minutes.

 

I still think that the Suns will win it 6.

[Guest Vitamin X]

But arguably King, what do you think is more beneficial- starting a rookie (a good rookie, but a rookie nonetheless) over Smush Parker, or having Amare Stoudamire instead of Kurt Thomas or whoever the hell the Suns had in the middle last year?

 

The solution last year was to play team ball, and that was what got the Lakers to take Phoenix to 6 games. Games like today will only be a win for L.A. if Phoenix is slacking, the way they did in the first half. Walton, Odom, and even Kwame can all contribute if given a chance. I saw a couple plays down the stretch where Farmar could've come up big if Kobe had passed it to him, but he stayed with it and took ridiculously stupid fadeaways and three's. Their shot selection when ahead was also piss-poor; I don't know why they were going for so many three's when Phoenix was starting to cut back into the deficit. The best thing to do would've been to go for the easy post-up shot in the key and grind the clock out. You can't beat Phoenix by trying to outshoot them or playing individual basketball.

[Guest]

Amare starting is obviously more important. Kobe's shot selection lost the game, but that can be corrected. I think this series is going to further enforce the point that we must trade for Garnett, no matter what the cost.

 

It's just one game and I don't want to overanalyze it, a whole lot can change. Hell, Phoenix could blow the Lakers out in the next three games. Even with Kobe's shot selection, a decent bench contribution would have won the game. It didn't even have to be good, if Turiaf makes 2 baskets, if Cook makes two baskets, Smush makes two baskets and Evans makes two baskets, we win the game. I don't think that asking a few guys to get two baskets is a whole lot. That's what it came down to, no bench help. We get that and Kobe gets to rest longer, keeping him from taking such bad shots when trying to have to come back, because we would not have had to come back with a decent contribution from the bench.

 

The bench will win or lose games for the Lakers, as it always has been.

[Ripper 0]

I am suprised that Phil didn't play Turiaff as much, seeing as he gives Amare fits.

 

The thing is, the Suns had a pretty bad game today and won. Their warming up at Halftime was the big turnaround in this game. THey were flat shooting wise coming out but found their stroke after restarting the game.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

I :heart: Leandro Barbosa.

 

The Suns winning leads to annoyances, but they're worth it since they're squashing Kobe.

 

Clothesline him again, Raja. But, hurt him this time.

[Ripper 0]

Jon Barry seriously needs to get off Vince Carter's dick. He said before the game in a conversation of what Kobe and Nash mean to their teams, that Carter would be a suitable replacement for Kobe in the Lakers' system.

 

 

I thought I heard that but I was sure I had to be mistaken. Although I still stand by my belief that if you put Kobe on some of those Shaq Laker teams they still would have won at least a ring or two. But now? Please. They wouldn't be near the playoffs.

 

I hope Robert Horry recovers from that vicious shot to the face that he took when Nene kinda got near his face while grabbing his arm. maybe the wind kinda got him.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Did you mean to say VC instead of Kobe there, Ripper? Because, you know, Kobe WAS on those Shaq Laker teams.