I think Rockets are on the verge of being toast. The Jazz were a team that managed to beat a Rockets team last year that fielded both Yao and T-Mac and have improved greatly. The Rockets are just fighting by a thread with what they've got. With Game 6 at Utah and good track record at home, they'll win there. And I like the Wizard's odds against the Cavs more than that. They could've won Game 1 if they made some better decisions on Arenas's playing time. They have a legit possibility of winning the series if Stevenson can keep his mouth shut.
i love how the media is promoting this idea. The way they treat the celtics reminds me all too much of the way they treated the Pats this past season. All this talk about a championship, as if its a preknown fact that they won already. Detroit, Orlando, and Cleveland all have the potential to knock the Celtics out. And seeing as they haven't played any of them yet, how can anyone say it is likely that the Celts and Lakers will be in the finals? after one game vs an 8 seed? come on!
well, those are my predictions of what WILL HAPPEN, as opposed to what COULD happen. The Wizards blew their chance at winning their series before it even began. Telling LeBron that he was gonna lose int he first round was not a smart move, we're talking about a guy that wills himself to greatness. Do the Wizards actually think provoking him was a good choice? After they go down 3-1, it will be all but over.
The Raptors have a lot to overcome if they want to avoid being swept. They were scared yesterday. Dwight Howard can't be messed with.
Well, you're 2/3 right. I think Detroit can, and that Orlando can if they get hot from the field and get the Celtics to play their pace. Cleveland has nothing more than the usual puncher's chance that the team with the best player in a given series has. Cleveland has NOT come together since that big trade...and frankly, we shouldn't be stunned... They can't play Varajeo and Wallace on the floor together, which limits much of the defensive value they would have received. I don't care how good defensively you are; you can't play 3 on 5 on offense. Szczerbiak has been average from the outside, and since the rest of his game is worthless, he's not helping. Smith and West have been good, but neither has played enough minutes to have a huge impact.
Exactly. The Rockets already lost a game at home which means the series is over. Utah isn't going to lose a game at home. The series is over. It will probably be a sweep too.
wizards look at little lost tonight despite maintaining a slight lead over cleveland right now. missing all three technical shots? pathetic.
For a team that talked the game that the Wizards did, they aren't playing like a team that knows they need to win one on the road.
Wow, the wizards look pathetic! The Cavs finally got out of first gear, and the wiz have stalled. They're gonna be down 2-0 for sure, and most likely 3-1 or 4-0 after they leave Washington.
Ugh my Wizards blowing it in the playoffs again. Yeesh. They are just about a player short of being real contenders.
Bro its the chemistry. It doesn't exist. Butler and Arenas have to have the ball to be effective. The defense from Washington looked atrocious. And Stevenson made himself look like an idiot even worse tonight.
I think this announcer (Doug Collins) is about to cry because McGrady didn't win. Give it up. He is giving Utah no credit, they are only winning because Houston is depleted injury wise. What a clown, they beat them last year with all of their best players. McGrady had 1 point in the 4th quarter, but he was tired so it's alright. Jazz go up 2-0. This series is over. Doug Collins is an idiot.
The announcers always lean more towards the under dog, or the superstars. Its part of the grand scheme known as the NBA. The Jazz never get the credit they deserve as a team because they are a smaller named franchise. They are stellar. I dont think Houston gets one win at all. Another one and done for T-Mac. Its time to break up this squad.
Unfortunately, I know how the NBA works. It just gets annoying after a while. They pulled out every excuse in the book for McGrady tonight. I think Utah will make another run this year. I think they have a complete team.
I dont agree with that. I remember the NBA annoucers being all over the Lakers during the late 90's, and being all about the Knicks, and being all for the Mavs during the Heat's Finals series.
Dude you just proved my point! Those are all huge markets! Dallas is a huge money making franchise and well as the Lakers, and the Knicks have always been.
Well in fairness they have been going into the playoffs hurt or not 100% the last few years. Getting LeBron in the first round, considering he gets every call imaginable, is bad luck too. I think the Wiz would beat up on a lot of the teams in the east the Cavs are a bad matchup. I wouldn't put Caron Butler in that category of guys that have to have the ball, hes a good defender and all around player. Agent Zero does need the ball and 25 shots a night, the series might be different if he was 100%. Stevenson talking smack just makes me shake my head, he's a decent bench player but calling out LeBron is idiotic, Agent Zero can do that but Stevenson? Pfft.
The hard foul on Bron was unessecary IMO. It could have been retaliation, but two wrongs dont make a right. You can seriously hurt players doing crap like that. I still think the worst flagrant foul I ever saw was when Greg Anthony chop blocked MJ while he was driving to the rim. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHOHPxRxMAI
Just in case you wanted to relive this moment..... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPT7QXv3CW4[/media]
I don't know, I'm more old school about defense in the playoffs. You can't allow a guy to just drive at the rim uncontested. It was certainly 'Lambieresque' but I think part of a big man's job is to make people pay for rushing the rim. Honestly seeing Haywood play with some fire is a good thing to me.
Yeh, but they dont let players get away with stuff like that anymore. I do agree it is good to see BH show some aggression, but not like that, IMO. To me if he would have atleast tried to have went for the ball instead of an out and out push it wouldn't have been such a big deal.
Don't get me wrong, it was worthy of a flagrant, I just think people are overreacting a bit. This is just playoff basketball to me, I think the NBA playoffs have been less compelling since the NBA has gotten whistle happy for the Superstars. To me the big guys need to play that villain role, I like the physical bigs slappin the guards around a bit sometimes lol. Its their job.
why does Houston have home court advantage in their series? they have a better record that Utah, but Utah is the higher seed. Is Utah higher because they won their division? If so, then why aren't they above SA, and why don't they get home court?
then perhaps you can explain the seeding... San Antonio and Houston both have better records than Utah, and neither won their division. So how is Utah seeded between them?
Just another ho-hum 29-20 night for Dwight Howard to lead the Magic to 2-0. Bosh was good tonight, too, but he came up one shot too short.
Woohoo!!! This is awesome!! I have loved the Magic since their birth in 89. This is the first year that I've got to live in the city of one of my favorite Pro sports teams. The Magic are creating another playoff splash, and Dwight makes me forget all about Shaq. (Yes. I'm still bitter over the Shaq trade of 1996. Imagine the Cavs trading LeBron James after losing the finals last year. What could that do to their fans?) Penny Hardaway was the man for awhile, Tracy McGrady did what he could for a few years, now we finally got a team that could get us to the finals again sometime soon. Getting swept by the Rockets over a decade ago left a very bitter taste in my mouth that simply refuses to go away. I can't imagine how Bills fans must feel.
I gotta agrew with this. I never thought we'd get another Shaq. We actually have a much better player than Shaq ever was. Dwight is the man! Dude is an absolute beast. Averaging a 20-20 in the playoffs is ridiculous!
I love Dwight Howard but when Shaq was young he was one of the greatest players of all time. 2 great games in the playoffs doesn't make you better than Shaq in his prime.
Shaq in his prime could never lead a team. He never dominated on defense and offense the way DH does. He either had a big night in one of those fields, never both. If he was scoring high, the team lost half of those games. How about DH never missing a game since he's been drafted? Care to count all of Shaq's "injuries"? Dwight is everything that Shaq was and more. Dwight can shoot free throws, he's WAY more athletic than Shaq ever was, a much more overrall talent then Shaq ever was. Shaq dominated in the paint, with a very high FG percentage....due to his dunking. Well DH is exaclty the same. He leads the league in FG percentage and dunks. Do you ever see DH in foul trouble? Shaq would always get into foul trouble in the first half of games. As an Orlando native, and Magic fan from day one, I really never got over our losing Shaq. That changed 3 years ago for me when I realized DH was the real deal, and the kid gets better every year!
Of course you think he's better, its natural to think you're newest superstar is better than the one that left your team high and dry was. Truth of the matter being. Shaq in his prime had...what...Penny? You cant tell me DH having Lewis, Neslon, and Turk isnt a solid advantage for him. Shaq led the Magic to the NBA finals his..what 3rd yr in the league? Howard is incredible, but I wouldn't start comparing him to Shaq until he gets some hardware on his fingers.
The Suns looked tired last night. They play like they have already lost...kind of like the Mavs areplaying. Man, some of these games havent even been close.
