2008 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Celtics

[CanadianChris 0]

So, how long is Doc going to allow Sam Cassell to shoot his team into a hole?

Depends on how good Cassell's blackmail is, I guess.

[Ripper 0]

Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant is always fun. I am shocked at the number of people not seeing it coming.

[Guest Vitamin X]

FUCK LEON POWE JUST GOT SHOT

[Brett Favre 0]

Powe is lucky he's walking after that hit.

[Guest Vitamin X]

And now FUCK JORDAN FARMAR JUST GOT SHOT.

 

Man, this is what sucks about NBA basketball. Close games at the beginning of the 4th quarter = FLOP-A-THON~

[naiwf 0]

It appears that LA has finally reverted to "Kobe and those other bums". Bad timing.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Gasol makes a better decoy than he does an offensive threat. When it's the Kobe & Odom show, they're doing a great job of playing together. Hell,

I know Kobe wants to be good guy Kobe now that gets his teammates involved and so, but damn dude needs to take matters into his own hands now. Fuck passing to Sasha, Radmonivich, Walton, Farmar, etc. He needs to just take it at the basket and be Kobe Bryant. Not that I want that to happen since I'm behind the C's but it's just an observation.

Indeed, Dama!

[naiwf 0]

Vujacic is the only non Kobe worth a damn tonight.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Sasha is straight ballin' tonight. That took some fuckin balls, especially after bricking that last 3.

[naiwf 0]

Only Doc Rivers would let Kobe get his last two shots off 1 on 1. There's no one else on the floor who's going to shoot the ball with confidence besides Vujacic, so there's no reason not to double Kobe and let someone else beat you.

 

 

Way to give up the last 30 seconds too.

[Brett Favre 0]

What the hell was that? They need to use professional referees for this series.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Kobe was being guarded by Garnett and Allen in the last couple minutes; that's why Sasha was getting those big shots. Hell of an interesting strategy to put Garnett on Kobe, though it makes sense; Gasol was practically useless tonight. One thing to worry about for the Lakers is that Garnett is starting to attack the paint a hell of a lot more in this game, which is exactly the kind of game he needs to play. NO ONE on the Lakers' frontcourt is able to stop KG in the paint, and they need to play like it.

 

Also, shutting down Pierce tonight was crucial. I'm really enjoying this series, every game has come down to the final few minutes before someone comes up big, whether it's Pierce in Game 1, Leon Powe in Game 2, or Sasha tonight in Game 3.

[Carnival 0]

When are the Celtics going to realize that Ray Allen is their ticket to a ring?

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'd say the Celtics have let Ray Allen touch the ball quite a bit- I think it's KG that needs to get more involved with taking it to the paint. Allen has just been popping off with 3's the whole series long.

[KingPK 0]

Even though they shot 35% from the floor, even though they played with a ref crew so bad you couldn't even top it if you tried (seriously, was Violet Palmer busy washing her hair or something?), and even though Paul Pierce pulled down his shorts and took a giant dump on the trophy painted at center court, the Celtics lead in the fourth quarter instead of being down by 20 and I have more confidence in them bouncing back than anyone on the Lakers not named after a Japanese beef or a figure skater.

 

Speaking of, how fast will the Lakers try to unload Lamar Odom in the offseason? I mean....yikes.

Edited June 11, 2008 by KingPK

[Guest]

Where's all this KG's un-guardable stuff coming from? He hasn't done much ever since his quick start in Game 1. KG's been getting locked down all series, in comparison to other guys.

 

Just watch. Game 4's gonna be a blowout. Pau plays like he did in #1 and #2, and Boston can't do much to stop it. He just stopped himself with a lack of confidence. Lamar though, he's playing terrible. I'm not so sure he'll turn it around.

[Damaramu 0]

Well I didn't get to watch tonight's game because I started a new job.

 

But, from what I've read I'm a bit encouraged.

 

As I said earlier I really thought this game was going to be a huge blowout. It had all the makings for one and the Celtics kept it close. I'm wondering if they take one in LA now. They appear to have ability to do so, because from what I've read KG and Pierce weren't all that great.

 

Then again if King is right and it turns into a game 4 blowout then I go back to being discouraged. The Celtics really need one of the next two for confidence.

 

And I don't like Sasha scoring 20. I just really really don't like that guy.

 

Oh and now I remember a reason I hate the games being in LA. The bandwagon movie stars, and the fact the camera has to focus on them and then every gamer written has to mention them. I mean most of these people would be at Clippers games next season if the Clippers and Lakers played role reversal.

[Carnival 0]

I'd say the Celtics have let Ray Allen touch the ball quite a bit- I think it's KG that needs to get more involved with taking it to the paint. Allen has just been popping off with 3's the whole series long.

 

He didn't touch the ball in the last 5 minutes of the game tonight. He was the main reason it was a close game. Allen needs to take the ball to the hoop more, he should be their main source of offense. I agree they need more KG down low too. I just don't trust Paul Pierce, he's way too damn sloppy and tonight is nothing out of the ordinary from him. When he's got someone actually playing defense on him, he's toast.

[Damaramu 0]

Just watch. Game 4's gonna be a blowout. Pau plays like he did in #1 and #2, and Boston can't do much to stop it. He just stopped himself with a lack of confidence. Lamar though, he's playing terrible. I'm not so sure he'll turn it around.

 

But what if KG and Pierce don't play terrible? I mean it works both ways.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Where's all this KG's un-guardable stuff coming from? He hasn't done much ever since his quick start in Game 1. KG's been getting locked down all series, in comparison to other guys.

 

My point isn't so much what he has done so much as what he is starting to do. He hasn't done much because he hasn't been playing his game; that is, posting up and taking it to Gasol in the paint when Odom is running around like a chicken with its head cut off on D. Gasol has been a really lousy defender this whole series, and for as big a frontcourt as the Lakers have, they're getting out-rebounded by 14 points the whole series. In fact, the boards have been telling the story the whole series, Boston won decisively in the first game and won the boards by 13 (which KG had covered entirely), they won barely in Game 2 and had only one more rebound than L.A., and still had one more rebound than the Lakers in Game 3, but lost this time. What L.A. needs to do to really get themselves back in the series is have Odom play more aggressively on the block and boards like he did in the last few minutes of Game 3, and Boston needs to stop this outside shooting shit- Only Ray Allen can do that on a consistent basis.

[Guest]

If KG doesn't play terrible, it'll be the first time all series. The Lakers have done a great job of keeping bodies on him. As far as Pierce goes, when you put a body on the guy, he folds. Just look at the Cleveland games. Only shot 40%. His mobility is not at its best, as you can see. I'm not saying we're going to win the series, but when Pierce gets pressed, the knee injury is keeping him from powering around his man and getting to the rim. This was the first time all series where the Lakers have put a focus on keeping a watch on him. If the Lakers can keep up their intensity on both ends, Game 5 will be contested with the series tied up.

 

I looked at a shot chart a few minutes ago, and in regards to KG, even when he's pressing the action closer to the basket, he's still not getting shots to fall. His only shot he made near the rim tonight was on the late dunk. In Game 1 he bricked 4 of 6 from six feet or closer. Gasol's not the best defender, but he's holding position very well.

[Matt Young 0]

Before tonight, I never would have thought I'd utter the phrase, "Thank God for Sasha Vujacic."

[Ripper 0]

The lakers haven't played close to great defense on KG. KG is just playing like a fucking moron. We have watched him beat guys off the dribble have a clear path for a dunk, then pull up for a short jumper and miss. that is fucking retarded and thats why he is missing so many shots. Gasol CAN"T stay in front of you. IF the Lakers want to double you for some reason, LET THEM. GO to the fucking rim and finish at the rim and stop being such a fucking pussy.

 

The Celtics did tonight what the Lakers did for 2 games. Just shoot jumpers. Pierce was getting people in the air, taking a step, jabbing for no reason and fading away on jumpshots for no reason whatsoever.

 

But the main culprit in this loss was Doc Rivers. Between Sam Cassell, lack of Leon Powe, and playing House way too long after he should have been playing him the entire series, and not getting Ray Allen the ball (seriously, the guy can score on anyone on the court...give him the fucking ball) he just shat a brick last night and Phil coached circles around him. Phil coached like a guy on the brink. IF guys came in and stunk up the joint, you didn't see them anymore...simple as that. Doc left them in the game to play through it.

 

Still a good game though. Game 4 should be a blowout though. For who? I don't know...but someone is getting blown out.

[Damaramu 0]

It'll be a blowout in favor of the Lakers if Pierce and KG don't pull their heads out of their asses. Hell the whole Celtics, they need to be aggressive and take it to the hoop. Aside from Kobe the Lakers don't have a lot of guys that can guard KG/Allen/Pierce when they decide to head to the hoop.

 

But, I just have a feeling my world is coming crashing down soon. The Lakers are going to blow the Celtics out and the Celtics confidence will be gone and the Lakers will win and we'll get shots of Nick Lachey or Mike Myers pretending to be LA fans in the crowd. Maybe we'll see Snoop Dogg rep'n the Lakers despite the fact he was also rep'n the Warriors last season.

 

 

Man.....I need to find a way to quit being so pessimistic with sports! I'm that way with all sports. Hmmm

[Guest Vitamin X]

I think Game 4 is going to turn out to be a classic. If the Lakers win, Game 5 can be another classic, but if the C's win, Game 5 should be a blowout or a total chokejob to win it in Boston.

 

One of the better things the Lakers did last night was pressure Boston from end to end with Sasha and Farmar on the court, and I guess using Kobe as the 3 and Gasol and Lamar "lost puppy" Odom as the bigs. This seems great for their defensive strategy, but it's awful on offense- did you see how confused L.A. was with Vujacic and Farmar fighting over the ball trying to be point? It was hilarious, and kind of alarming. Kobe's big enough to use as a 3, and Walton has been totally useless this series, so this would be ideal if only Jordan and Sasha could work out the kinks in that on offense. That combination fucks up Boston's guard play real bad, even if they sucked on the fastbreak to begin with.

 

But I agree KG is the one who needs to step it up, way more than Allen or Pierce. I think those two have more than done their job throughout this series, and there's just going to be times when another of the big 3- in this case, mostly being KG- needs to step it up more. But if the Lakers play it right, then they might use the same strategy the Pistons used on them in the `04 Finals- that is, Detroit let Shaq and Kobe get their points, and shut the rest of the team down. L.A. can let KG hang back and try to score along with Pierce, they can just focus on Allen and the rest of the team- come on now, wtf- Perkins, House, RONDO? They had Kobe on Rondo for quite a while last night!

 

Although Bill Simmons is already going on with the typical post-loss Masshole excuses saying Boston was tired from flying cross country, early start, not used to different lighting and being starstruck (come on dude, there were plenty of celebrities in Boston for the games there, too, it's not like this is Indianapolis or some shit). Okay, fine. Then we'll see what happens next game when everyone's used to everything- including each other. I'm really enjoying the series so far.

[KingPK 0]

Although Bill Simmons is already going on with the typical post-loss Masshole excuses saying Boston was tired from flying cross country, early start, not used to different lighting and being starstruck (come on dude, there were plenty of celebrities in Boston for the games there, too, it's not like this is Indianapolis or some shit). Okay, fine. Then we'll see what happens next game when everyone's used to everything- including each other. I'm really enjoying the series so far.

 

Reading the piece, I think he was saying that BOTH teams were affected and I kind of agree. Game 3 was fucking ugly. Game 4 should be the best game of the series.

[The Niggardly King 0]

One of the refs tonight is Joe Derosa. He's the guy that Mark Cuban hollered at right before going over and supposedly telling Stern "fuck you, your league is rigged!", during the Miami/Dallas series.

[The Niggardly King 0]

As Bill Walton would say, "This is the Rasheed Wallace everyone has been waiting for!" I have to say that this is the Lamar Odom everyone has been waiting for.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

This is just brutal. Ariza's all over the place too, in a good way.

[The Niggardly King 0]

JACK! WE GOT JACK! IN THE BUILDING! JACK!