Celtics - Heat

Originally posted by Badwater
Wow. I've never seen anything of the likes of Rondo's injury, only to have him come back and play the second half of basketball. Dude is all that and more. If anyone missed that game, you missed something spectacular! Every moment after I just could not believe Rondo was in and playing with one arm. Everyone else on the planet was a pussy last night - period.

Admirably gutsy performance by one of the world's best! One for the ages!

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Admirably gutsy performance by one of the world's best! One for the ages!

The Celtics came out with a lot of intensity all around; Pierce was all over LeBron on defense and Garnett dominated Bosch. The Celtic bench is extremely weak though and consistently lets leads dwindle away. I think that's the big difference between this team and the Championship one and while you have to admire their guts, I still doubt they can get past the Heat (for the record I'm a lifelong Celts fan).

But at least they're putting up a fight; the Lakers are going down like dogs to the Mavs.

Originally posted by no1marauder
But at least they're putting up a fight; the Lakers are going down like dogs to the Mavs.

I don't think you are giving the Mavs enough credit. They put on an unbelievable shooting display:

Jason Terry - 13-19 (3pt) for .684%
Peja - 11-21 (3pt) for .524%
Dirk - 8-11 (3pt) for .727%

You can say what you want, but it would be tough for any team in the NBA to beat a team that hot from three point land. But hey I can't complain. My team got to the Finals three times in a row and won twice.

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
I don't think you are giving the Mavs enough credit. They put on an unbelievable shooting display:

Jason Terry - 13-19 (3pt) for .684%
Peja - 11-21 (3pt) for .524%
Dirk - 8-11 (3pt) for .727%

You can say what you want, but it would be tough for any team in the NBA to beat a team that hot from three point land. But hey I can't complain. My team got to the Finals three times in a row and won twice.

They didn't bother to cover anyone and put up little effort until the 3rd. Then once the game was unquestionably lost some of them acted like poor losers and thugs. I fully agree with this assessment:

Not much in the way of nuance, gray area or degrees. Plain and simple, this was an inexcusable performance by the two-time defending champions.

An actual game breakdown strikes me as an exercise in pointlessness. The game was far too lopsided in Dallas' favor.

A critical mind isn't needed to explain why the continuation of terrible accuracy from behind the arc (this time, 5-for-24) handcuffed the Lakers.

Or the damage created by allowing Dallas enough uncontested looks to connect at a mind-boggling rate of 62.5 percent (20 3's in all, nine of which belonged to Jason Terry in a record-tying playoff performance).

Or the overall performance on either side of the ball (60.3 percent shooting for Dallas versus 37.8 themselves).

Or Pau Gasol failing to go out in a late blaze of a glory.

Or the way Kobe Bryant's approach to start the game -- eight shots in the first quarter versus his team's collective 11 -- was doomed to fail because it often does fail (even if it's somewhat understandable why Bryant felt the need to put it all on his shoulders, and the loss hardly falls on his shoulders).

Or the last piece of glaring evidence of Phil Jackson's failure to prepare his team for this postseason.

For me, what stands out the most from this loss was the lack of pride, composure and class. By and large, what we witnessed represented exceptionally little, and that's the worst part of what was ultimately a sweep by Dallas.



Forget whatever professionalism and poise these players owe Jerry Buss (as the man who pays their generous salaries) or Lakers fans (who put forth their hard-earned dollars and loyalty). Forget even what these players owe themselves as means of closure for an honorable run of three straight Finals appearances and two straight titles, even in the face of a nightmare finish. It's about what these players owed the Lakers as a franchise. Corny as it may sound, the Lakers are a sports institution, one of the proudest and greatest in terms of history and achievement. This is a franchise owed a better and more dignified exit, win or lose, and it's ultimately a pity how this element was denied.

Yeah, the energy (if not necessarily the effectiveness) and hustle was better in the third quarter, creating a few mini-pushes in the process. But this was a case of way too little and far too late. Once the Lakers fell behind, which happened fairly early, this game was over before it even started. It's one thing not to believe deep down in the ability to overcome an 0-3 series hole. All the sunshine and lollipops in the world can't create that much optimism among a crew of reasonably grounded people. But it's another to come this frazzled at the prospect of self-preservation, of your ability to at least put up a fair fight. The Lakers appeared to want no part of leaving it all on the floor once the chips were down, a reaction I never thought I'd see from a group once dripping with well-earned swagger.

And the only thing worse than going out with your tail between your legs is going out like a punk.

In many ways, the Lakers' ineptitude was embodied by the fourth-quarter ejections of Lamar Odom (who threw a forearm at the head of Dirk Nowitzki on the heels of a minor skirmish with J.J. Barea) and Andrew Bynum (who threw an elbow into Barea's ribs without even making the slightest basketball move). It's the second time Bynum pulled such a move this season alone (third time in all), the third time he risked injuring another player with such reckless and callous abandon. (After his two-game suspension for the same offense against Michael Beasley, I was skeptical Bynum had learned a lesson.) Drew then exited the court with his shirt off as if celebrating his cowardice against a player more than a foot shorter and 110 pounds lighter, and it all adds up to what likely will and definitely should be a healthy punishment from the league.

In both cases, nothing was accomplished except individual and team-wide embarrassment. Kind of like Game 4 itself for the Lakers.

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/19010/mavericks-122-lakers-86-at-the-buzzer

They did win two titles and deserve credit for that. Their two elimination games in the last four years were absolute blowouts where they played no D, however. Some team play with pride even in adversity and some act like the Lakers.

Originally posted by no1marauder
They did win two titles and deserve credit for that. Their two elimination games in the last four years were absolute blowouts where they played no D, however. Some team play with pride even in adversity and some act like the Lakers.

Enough of the grandstanding. Sometimes the better team thrashes their opponent. At least it didn't happen on our home court.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290517002

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
Enough of the grandstanding. Sometimes the better team thrashes their opponent. At least it didn't happen on our home court.

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290517002

At least the Celts won three more games in that series than the Lakers did against the Mavs. And that was without KG.

That Game 7 was a bit closer than this Game 6 http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200806170BOS.html

Originally posted by no1marauder
At least the Celts won three more games in that series than the Lakers did against the Mavs. And that was without KG.

That Game 7 was a bit closer than this Game 6 http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200806170BOS.html

Funny, the Celtics players never made excuses about KG being injured then (with the exception of Doc Rivers a year later lol), so why are you making excuses for them now?

And the whole issue about the Game 7 being closer than the Game 6...like that matters. A thrashing is still a thrashing.

I also find it funny that you point out that the Celtics played a game 7 in 09' rather than getting swept. You would think that since it got to a game 7, then the game should have been a lot closer. Yet the Celtics ended up losing by 19 points. So what happened? Did the Magic "figure out" the Celtics? Or did the Celtics just give up?

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
Funny, the Celtics players never made excuses about KG being injured then (with the exception of Doc Rivers a year later lol), so why are you making excuses for them now?

And the whole issue about the Game 7 being closer than the Game 6...like that matters. A thrashing is still a thrashing.

I also find it funny that you point out that the Celtic ...[text shortened]... So what happened? Did the Magic "figure out" the Celtics? Or did the Celtics just give up?

Typical pathetic Laker fan.

Good game by your boys today. I don't blame you for wanting to change the subject to a game played two years ago.

Originally posted by no1marauder
Typical pathetic Laker fan.

Good game by your boys today. I don't blame you for wanting to change the subject to a game played two years ago.

Well earlier you stated that "some teams play with pride even in adversity and some act like the Lakers." And even earlier than that you said "at least [the Celtics are] putting up a fight; the Lakers are going down like dogs to the Mavs." I am just exposing your double standard.

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Looks like the Celtics are done. Couldn't design a good play for their last possession in regulation then could not buy an overtime basket. That's too bad. They are a gritty, deserving team. I hate Miami and hoped the Celtics would really rough them up a bit and move on to next round. Looking grim.

Pierce's shot at the end of regulation was difficult, but makeable for him; I really thought it would go in. If it had, the series would be up for grabs.

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
Well earlier you stated that "some teams play with pride even in adversity and some act like the Lakers." And even earlier than that you said "at least [the Celtics are] putting up a fight; the Lakers are going down like dogs to the Mavs." I am just exposing your double standard.

That series went 7.

I don't recall two Celtics getting ejected in the final loss for cheap shots.

Mr. Apple meet Mr. Orange.

Originally posted by no1marauder
That series went 7.

I don't recall two Celtics getting ejected in the final loss for cheap shots.

Mr. Apple meet Mr. Orange.

You want to play the ejection card, huh? Ok lets compare apples and apples. Why don't you give us your opinion of Pierce's behavior during Game 1 of the current Miami series.

Originally posted by MoneyManMike
You want to play the ejection card, huh? Ok lets compare apples and apples. Why don't you give us your opinion of Pierce's behavior during Game 1 of the current Miami series.

He didn't cheap shot anybody and was ejected because he got a second technical for arguing. No fine, no suspension.

Apples and oranges.