***Official NBA Thread***

[duffer]

Read up on the Isiah Thomas era. He crippled that team for years to come with his decisions as GM and coach.

 

[Johnners]

Win!

Check PM's again pls Jono (y)

 

[Jono]

Yeah just did.

Cavs win, we're going into a 6th.

 

[Sanz]

When was the last time an NBA coach praised the refs and also gave credit to opposing team after losing a game. It is getting pretty hypocritical, boring and annoying when coaches/fans whine and complain after loss and rave about how good their player was after every win.

 

[duffer]

I've seen plenty of coaches, players and fans give the opposition props this playoffs.

 

[Furball]

Cool.

Out of curiosity, why do the Knicks suck so much?

Because they spend an absolute fortune on utter dross, that's why.

Come 2010, they'll have the cap space to go after 2 of LeBron, Wade and Bosh.

 

[Sanz]

I've seen plenty of coaches, players and fans give the opposition props this playoffs.

Not visible in this thread though. Anyways that doesn't answer my question, why dont the coaches/fans moan and groan when calls are in their team's favor ? Let me guess, it is part of the game ?

 

[duffer]

Then they moan about the calls they didn't get at some point or another and say it's just evening the score.

Either way this wouldn't happen if the officiating was semi competent. Up to the league to fix this junk otherwise people will still complain and indulge in conspiracies.

 

[Johnners]

Heh, just watching some Cavs/Magic highlights, and I'm liking Howard less each series. Seen him through 3 elbows in the play-offs now, dirty ****.

Also seems the voice-over bloke for the NBA.com highlights agrees with duffer, making note on how it was nice to see "the umpires let them play".

 

[ohtani's jacket]

The officiating in the NBA has always been awful. It was awful in the 90s and it's awful now.

 

[Anil]

yeah the refs have two sets of rules, one for the stars and one for the regular players...and for the superstars, the rules are modified even more...don't know if it is a deliberate unwritten league policy or a natural reaction on the part of the refs...

 

[duffer]

This game shouldn't be close. Nuggets shooting 36% and the Lakers 56% so far.

EDIT: Wow, letdown. Kobe has played great but the effort on the other shooters has been pathetic. Last half of the season if they don't change.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Yeah, the turnovers have kept Nuggets close. How many times did LA travel? Crazy.

Nuggets double teaming Kobe leaving Ariza wide open, and he's been knocking everything down. Then they stop double teaming Kobe and he has hit everything.

 

[duffer]

They're not leaving Ariza open per se, the Lakers ball movement has been outstanding which makes it hard to scramble around and cover.Their ball IQ has been great tonight.

That said let's see if the Nuggz can lift for possibly their last half of the season. It isn't over. Then again, Karl taking Smith out of the game when he was carrying the offence was criminal.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

That said let's see if the Nuggz can lift for possibly their last half of the season. It isn't over. Then again, Karl taking Smith out of the game when he was carrying the offence was criminal.

Indeed. Smith needs to play some big minutes. He wasn't just shooting 3s, he made some really nice drives, and some nice passes.

It's definitely not over. By 3 quarter time it will probably be pretty close.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

LA in foul trouble, so it could get interesting if things get close.

 

[duffer]

Proud of the Nuggets run this year. They weren't even meant to have made the playoffs at the start of it but they've come a long way. The core is extremely young and will improve.

They choked away games 3 and 1 and it cost them. Shame that Karl probably has a job for life as a result of this season but meh, hope they draft well and can add a couple of nice free agents. They'll be there or thereabouts next season.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Shesh, LA shot nearly 60%

Hard to win when your opponent isn't missing.

 

[duffer]

It'd help if they actually defended. But to be honest the adjustments LA made in the last 2 games blew it away. Jackson raped Karl this series, they sussed out the scheme that worked so well the first 4 games and Karl couldn't figure out how to adjust.

Agree with van Gundy when he said the two East teams are nowhere near as strong as last year's Celtics. Think LA is going to take this.

 

[Anil]

bryant was brilliant and l.a had their first really impressive game of the playoffs...but denver did themselves proud and they are just a piece or two(in the role players area, they have enough leaders on the floor) from being a strong contender next time around, however as duffer pointed out, george karl is the weakest link in the team, and he will still be there next season...