2009 NBA Playoffs

[Jigga]

Kobe's gonna be blamed WAAAAAAY more for his team's failure than LeBron will for his team's failure.

[Sport]

This Cleveland curse will never end!!!

It will at some point. Hopefully I'm long dead, but odds are that one of these teams will win the league championship. It could still even be this Cavs team. They're down 3-1, but they could just as easily be up 3-1. If Orlando goes cold then the Cavs have a shot especially with two of the next three at home.

I must say though that I'm beginning quite the fan of the Orlando Magic.

[TFoA]

I see the ECF going three ways now in these scenario (ordered from "most possible" to "least possible"):

1: Orlando loses a couple straight, but close it down in Cleveland. They've beaten them there before, and the way that they've played in Cleveland, they could definitely do it again.

2: LeBron gives a strong effort, but the rest of the Cavs fold like a cheap tent, Orlando wins in 5, the Cavs' bandwagon empties quicker than a Usain Bolt 40 yard dash, and Nike & VitaminWater pull out "Plan B" for their commercials.

3: LeBron decides that "enough is enough," pulls a Kobe and instead of befriending his teammates, begins to get into his teammates' asses. Cleveland comes out like gangbusters in Game 5, ekes out a game 6, then ekes out another Game 7. Nike, VitaminWater, and ESPN on ABC breathe a sigh of relief.

This is really crazy. Orlando's been HEAVILY underrated going into this series, yet they've been the better team. They got a split, got the sweep at home, and now they have a chance to close things out. Unless LeBron and Co. pull off a massive effort and Orlando's play regresses, this may be the end for the Cavs.

[Sport]

I see the ECF going three ways now in these scenario (ordered from "most possible" to "least possible"):

1: Orlando loses a close one in Cleveland, but closes it out in Game 7.

2: LeBron gives a strong effort, but the rest of the Cavs fold like a cheap tent, Orlando wins in 6, the Cavs' bandwagon empties quicker than a Usain Bolt 40 yard dash, and Nike & VitaminWater pull out "Plan B" for their commercials.

3: LeBron decides that "enough is enough," pulls a Kobe and instead of befriending his teammates, begins to get into his teammates' asses. Cleveland comes out like gangbusters in Game 6, then ekes out a Game 7. Nike, VitaminWater, and ESPN on ABC breathe a sigh of relief.

This is really crazy. Orlando's been HEAVILY underrated going into this series, yet they've been the better team. They got a split, got the sweep at home, and now they have a chance to close things out. Unless LeBron and Co. pull off a massive effort and Orlando's play regresses, this may be the end for the Cavs.

Don't forget that the Magic still have game 6 in Orlando

[TFoA]

I see the ECF going three ways now in these scenario (ordered from "most possible" to "least possible"):

1: Orlando loses a close one in Cleveland, but closes it out in Game 7.

2: LeBron gives a strong effort, but the rest of the Cavs fold like a cheap tent, Orlando wins in 6, the Cavs' bandwagon empties quicker than a Usain Bolt 40 yard dash, and Nike & VitaminWater pull out "Plan B" for their commercials.

3: LeBron decides that "enough is enough," pulls a Kobe and instead of befriending his teammates, begins to get into his teammates' asses. Cleveland comes out like gangbusters in Game 6, then ekes out a Game 7. Nike, VitaminWater, and ESPN on ABC breathe a sigh of relief.

This is really crazy. Orlando's been HEAVILY underrated going into this series, yet they've been the better team. They got a split, got the sweep at home, and now they have a chance to close things out. Unless LeBron and Co. pull off a massive effort and Orlando's play regresses, this may be the end for the Cavs.

Don't forget that the Magic still have game 6 in Orlando

Aw crap, I thought it was Game 5. I'm slow. It's fixed.

[FiddySicks]

Kobe's gonna be blamed WAAAAAAY more for his team's failure than LeBron will for his team's failure.

Now I'll be the first to admit that it's a bit hard for me to give credit to Kobe and the Lake Show, but how can you really blame Lebron for Cleveland's losses? He's contributing nearly half of all of Cleveland's points vs Orlando. If it wasn't for him, this series would be over by now. Now I personally don't blame Kobe for LA's failure though either, he's in a very similar boat to Lebron. But the one thing he has working against him is that IMO the talent he has around him is far superior to Cleveland's (Even though LA's talent pathetically plays down to their opponents, Cleveland is just straight up being outmatched). He should have more of an opportunity to lead his team to success, and when he fails, it's more noticeable.

But again, IMO you really can't blame Kobe or Lebron for their supporting cast (although I can see where some would, EX: Shaq, and the fact that the Rockets series went as strange as it did. I can see where some feel that makes Kobe's leadership look a bit suspect).

But I'm biased as hell and can admit it.

[TFoA]

The only way that LeBron could be blamed for Cleveland losing is the fact that he took a little bit too many 3s and made some bad passes late in the 4th and in OT.

But that's nitpicking. LeBron has done EVERYTHING he can to keep Cleveland in this series. If it weren't for LeBron, Cleveland would be finished right now.

[gingerbreadmann]

Maybe these guys, if they really wanted to win, would take some kind of pay cut so the team could get some real good help.

[Hoopskid]

Obviously without Lebron the Cavs would not be here, but at the same time he played bad the last part of game 4. The problem is, had he passed, the Cavs would've played even worse. I don't know what wrong with this team, they've shown that they can build leads and play the Magic, but they seem to run out of fuel after 2.5 quarters.

I see Cleveland winning by ~15 points in game 5 and then squeezing out a game 6 win.

After that, it's a level playing field and anything can happen.

As for the Nuggets-Lakers series I think that tonight's game is a MUST WIN for Denver. The Nuggets will have a really hard time beating the Lakers in 7, they need to close the series ASAP.

I think Denver deserves to make the finals and I hope Cleveland can fight through this series.

[TFoA]

The Lakers looked pretty damn good tonight, taking their series to 3-2. EVERYBODY showed up. They may be inconsistent as hell, but when they show up, they are a DAMN good team.

[arr1023]

..... anybody else hate jeff van gundy

[JQK]

Is it just me, or is the story of the 2009 NBA playoffs not the Lakers, or Cavs, or Magic, or Howard, or Lebron, or Kobe...

...but the awful, awful, AWFUL officiating?

[Your Name Here]

No, that's the story of the NBA, period.

[Starchild]

..... anybody else hate jeff van gundy

Don't you ever say an unkind word about Jeff Van Gundy.

Seriously, though... the team of JVG, Mike Breen and Mark Jackson is quite entertaining. Then again, that may be the NY-bias in me talking... but I'd take them and their banter over another Hubie Brown-centric officiating team in the NBA Finals. If only they could pry Marv Albert and Doug Collins away from TNT for the Finals.

[TFoA]

No, that's the story of the NBA, period.

Pretty much. That has been going on all year, it's just magnified now that it's playoff time.

I mean, you know the officiating is bad when you look for who's officiating the game and if you see a few certain names (Dick Bavetta, Violet Palmer, Dick Javie, Joey Crawford, the other Crawford, and a couple of others), you KNOW the game will be officiated badly.

EDIT: Bill Simmons wrote an absolutely spot-on article about the officiating in the playoffs and how bad it's been. It's rare to see Simmons write a decent article nowadays, especially a great one like this.

[Your Name Here]

I think Mike Breen is top notch. I'd take him over Albert six days a week and twice on Sunday. I remember this Knicks-Celtics game from a few years ago. The Celtics were killing them, and at the end of the game... "And with the shot clock turned off, the Celtics won't shoot the ball, so that should pick up the defense." Classic.

[Jigga]

..... anybody else hate jeff van gundy

Yes, he's a smug little know-it-all twit, isn't he?

[PittsburghSucks]

Now all the pressure is on the Orlando Magic & the Master Of Panic!!!

[rams80]

Now all the pressure is on the Orlando Magic & the Master Of Panic!!!

They still have two chances. Your boys must win both games. Berzerker LeBron can't save you every game.

[PittsburghSucks]

Now all the pressure is on the Orlando Magic & the Master Of Panic!!!

They still have two chances. Your boys must win both games. Berzerker LeBron can't save you every game.

I didn't come hear talking sh** saying the Cavs were going to the finals. All I said was pressures on them to end this thing Saturday night. I don't care what happened in Boston they ain't winning if this thing goes to game 7.