This stretch between Sunday and Wednesday with no NBA has been brutal. I don’t know what I’m going to do during the off-season this year. It’s going to be long and painful. Sigh. Thankfully tonight, ESPN Classic is airing Game 4 of last year’s finals. I still can’t believe that game. Epic comeback. Watching it reminds me of how much I miss the love of my life, James Posey.
Is it just me or did anyone else notice a change in Charles Barkley this season after he came back to TNT from his DUI bust? To me, he just seemed to be enjoying his job a lot less. I can’t nail down exactly what he did to make me think this, but it’s just something I kept noticing the longer the season went on. He was still fun to watch though. Only Chuck could call his colleagues numbnuts and pussy over the airwaves and get away with it.
Some quick Celtics updates – KG had surgery last week to remove bone spurs and is now rehabbing his right knee, The Boston Celtics won the Professional Sports Team of the Year award by the SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau lost out to Eddie Jordan for the head coaching position with the Philadelphia 76ers — will interview with the Sacramento Kings this Saturday for their head coaching vacancy, Tony Allen had surgery today at New England Baptist hospital on his right ankle.
Prediction time. So for the finals, I’m picking the Lakers to win and my mom is picking the Magic. She took a big long drink of the kool-aid everyone else is drinking based on the last series. I’ve only been watching the NBA since 2006, but I’ve been watching long enough to know that the Magic got a very VERY very favorable matchup when they met up with the Cavs. It will not be so easy this time around. Do they have a chance? Yes, they have a good chance. But, not a great chance. The Lakers have been waiting all year to redeem themselves in this year’s finals. I have a hard time believing that they’re going to let anyone stop them this time.
For a quick NBA fix, this interview by 850 The Buzz with J.J. Redick is worth listening to. He candidly discusses a variety of topics including LeBron not shaking hands after game 6, how Dwight has a stylist who picks out the sherbert colored sweaters he wears to press conferences, which Duke alums he’s in touch with and who he thinks will win this year’s NBA Finals (gosh, I wonder). Even if you don’t like J.J., this is still a good listen for NBA fans who enjoy getting the inside scoop.
This blowout didn’t surprise me at all. The Nuggets needed to win this game and the Lakers (deep down inside) knew they had already accomplished what they came to Denver to do — steal one back. So, the Nuggets came out with insane amounts of energy and drive and the Lakers came out flat. Highlights of the night:
They kept showing Chris Andersen without his hair gel doing these memorial day spots thanking the men in uniform. It was freaking me out. Then they aired an interview with him during half-time without the hair gel and I got to hear his voice for the first time. It was unsettling. He has a great story and I love him, but I don’t ever want to see or hear him off the court again. It’s like seeing that Oz is just a nebbish dude behind a curtain. I want to think of my Birdman as the magestic beauty he is… and not like some guy who works in a country western bar.
Dahntay Jones blatantly tripped Kobe Bryant. Ha! It reminded me of 3rd grade. I love Dahntay Jones (Duke alum!) and I don’t love Kobe Bryant, but that was pretty stupid. It reminded me of when I first started watching the NBA in earnest a few years ago and Raja Bell blatantly clotheslined Kobe. I think he just brings that out in his defenders. They can’t stop him so eventually they have to resort to hanging and tripping him. Someday someone’s just going to grab the leg off a picnic table…
JVG was on fire last night. At one point he started calling JR Smith, “Smitty” and it was glorious. Speaking of which…
JR Smith. Smitty. Oh man. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways. You really have to admire a guy like JR. Nobody enjoys JR’s success more than JR. I imagine if you listened in while he’s shaving in the morning, it would go a little something like this: “JR, you handsome bastard… how will you conquer and impress the world today? I love you. No, I love you! No, no… seriously. I love YOU.”
Related videos from YouTube:
JR dunks and then colorfully explains just where the Lakers are playing…
Where was @jeaniebuss on Twitter tonight? How am I supposed to watch an entire Laker game without knowing if Brandy or John Mayer are present and accounted for?
Despite the Nuggets being ahead all game, I just knew the Lakers would win it. They just hung around and hung around and hung around and… well, you know.
Kobe’s clutch scoring just never ceases to amaze me. Oops, I said “amaze” which is seriously close to “amazing” — a word I promised myself I’d stop saying. Tsk tsk, me.
Whoever made that cardboard Birdman sign with movable wings… I salute you.
I completely randomly discovered tonight that I’ve been spelling King James’ name wrong and have been doing so for years. Apparently, it’s LeBron and not Lebron. Capital B. Ah well, he’s not on my team. Hell with it.
Trevor Ariza should be locked up for grand theft cajones. If you haven’t been counting, that’s two stolen inbounds passes to essentially destroy Denver.
I watch a ton of NBA games, but during the season I tend to wear my green colored glasses and focus all my energy on my beloved Boston Celtics. Since they are now fishing in Dingle, Ireland, I have time to ponder other teams and players.
I want to stab my eardrums with a rusty fork every time I hear Kanye’s “Amazing”… overkill. Just stop it.
I’m really glad I don’t have to watch those tiny bus commercials anymore.
I can’t decide if I think those Kobe/Lebron puppet commercials are funny or the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
The Spike Lee documentary, “Kobe Doin’ Work” was the biggest waste of an hour and a half I’ll ever spend. Watching Kobe try and craft/manipulate his legacy just puts me in a bad mood. I hate it when people try to disguise PR as something else. It insults my intelligence.
I don’t like Dwight Howard. There, I said it. Most people think he’s a lovable manchild. I think he’s an immature buck passer with crappy leadership skills. I’ve been watching him for 3 years and he’s only marginally matured in that time. On the other hand, I love pretty much everyone else on his team.
The Kobe v. Lebron debate bores me, but for the record, Kobe is still the best player in the game and it isn’t even close. Jerry West is smoking the crack.
Following Jeanie Buss on Twitter is the best entertainment ever. First of all, this is her icon Um, nice balls? Secondly, most of her tweets are like a red carpet celebrity roll call. Here’s a sample tweet: @JeanieBuss: John Mayer is here – girls going crazy. really?? I am forever a JT girl!!! Lol. That’s solid entertainment right there. I don’t care who ya are.
Do you ever bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night in a sweat and think, “I want — no! — I need to see Lamar Odom in a fly vest and suit hoodie! NOW!” Well, Hornets Hype has all you can handle. Behold…
Where to start? I’m going to start off by admitting that I have finally taken off my derrick rose colored glasses… we’re in big trouble. I was alarmed when Leon Powe appeared to injure himself (which turned out to be a season ending torn ACL injury) and went back into the locker room, but I went into full on panic mode when Rondo went down, threw the remote control (my specialty) and started rocking back and forth in the fetal position. Lol. I hate to give up or even hint that I might be giving up, but this is going to be a mammoth undertaking trying to get just to the ECF.
I prefer to focus on the positive though, so on the upside, how about that triple double (19 Pts, 12 Reb, 16 Ast ) for Rondo? On a sprained ankle! He’s a rockstar. Nice to see Ray Allen snap out of his funk too. I had no doubt that he would but sometimes it takes a game or two for him to get his shot back and this time he got it back right away. Thank goodness for that because we needed him desperately. We need everyone desperately, that’s the problem. The bench is killing me. I hate to bag on them, because I really do love them, but watching them last night was painful. You might be wondering how I could even hint that I love Stephon Marbury when I was comparing him to Terrell Owens and Manny Ramirez not very long ago… Well, honestly I think I’d cheer for Beelzebub if he suited up for the Celtics in jersey number triple 6. That’s how much I love this team. (Did I just compare Steph to Beelzebub? Sorry Steph.) It was also painful watching KG watch these games. I think it’s quite literally killing him to sit on the sidelines. How about that game winning 3-pointer though? Those never get old. KG’s reaction was priceless.
In general NBA news, congrats are in order for Mike Brown (COY) and Dwight Howard (DPOY). I would’ve picked Stan Van Gundy and Dwyane Wade, but you can’t really knock those picks either. I would’ve liked to have seen the Magic play the Bulls in this opening round if for no other reason but to try and see Joakim Noah’s fuzzy ponytail & TyTh take on Dwight. That would be something.
Also, I’ve done some soul searching and I think I’ve come to terms with my recent Cavaliers hatred. I’m jealous. They’re us… last year. And I’m bitter. I think though, if it does end up being the Cavs and Lakers in the finals that the Lakers have a better chance to win. The Cavs are deeper at Lebron and Mo’s positions but the Lakers have the edge everywhere else. The Lakers are going to be playing the tough guy role that the Celtics played last season and I’m not sure the Cavs will be able to respond. Lebron is all kinds of amazing, I’m not questioning his ability to take over the game and home court does definitely help them immensely, but I don’t think it will be enough. So, if the finals ends up being the matchup we all think it will be, my money will be on the Lakers… but I won’t be rooting against the Cavs. Or the Lakers. I’ll have no horse in that race, I’ll just be sitting back like everyone else and enjoying the show.
Major snowstorm today. Pretty cool actually because they canceled work. Yes!
So yesterday (like all my favorite Sundays) was one long series of NBA games. Two on ABC and the final one on ESPN. Then I watched all Hefner’s babes move out on him on The Girls Next Door. Here are my thoughts on those games:
1. Pistons @ Celtics – I’m not mad that the Pistons beat the Celtics. Well, that’s not true. I was kind of mad about losing on our home court. That blows. But, these are the dog days and losses are inevitable, so I’m not going to lose sleep over this loss or anything. However, I think it’s highly suspicious that the minute AI is out of the picture (bad back, pouting, what-ev) the team suddenly comes to life and plays like the old Pistons. Actually, I don’t blame them. I would probably handle that situation the same way. The whole “flip the switch” thing is getting a little old though. They aren’t the only ones “suddenly” coming to life though, which brings me to…
2. Lakers @ Suns – The Suns are another team that suddenly got their groove back once they got their way. And again, I don’t blame them. I have sympathy for losing your coach and beloved teammates. You know who doesn’t sympathize though? Jeff Van Gundy. Holy smokes, every chance he gets, he rips the team for laying down on Terry Porter and getting him fired. He has a point too, but I don’t blame the team for Porter’s predicament. It’s got to go on Steve Kerr and the owners. Oh yeah, the game. Well, the Suns held on and won. Shaq looked fantastic. The Lakers went on a couple of runs and there were a few typical amazing plays out of Kobe Bryant that made me go, “Whoa. Not fair.”
3. Cavs @ Hawks – Ended up watching this one very sporadically, but I did see the end. Holy drama. Tied with only a teeny tiny bit of time on the clock and Lebron on the line. Misses the first shot. Makes the second. Johnson misses the go-ahead bucket. Fin. I actually like the Cavs a lot more than the Hawks, but my Celtics loyalty forced me to want the Hawks to win to help our home court situation.
Oh yeah, and not long ago we lost to the Clippers. Mmmm, yeah.
I’m back. Ish. So, I had a really bad dream while I was offline tending to my pug’s every whim. In my dream, the Lakers came to the TD Banknorth Garden and beat my beloved Celtics by 1 point in OT. Thank god that didn’t actually happen. Because if that actually happened, it would mean that the Lakers have swept the Celtics so far this season. And if they have swept them, that means they’re better, doesn’t it? AW HELL NO. But, they have my attention. I didn’t think they had all the pieces they would need this season, but it would appear that they do. Although… I don’t get the Morrison trade at all. What’s that about?
The night after the nightmare that didn’t happen, we beat the Knicks, I guess. Whoop-de-doo.
What I’m about to say isn’t a knee-jerk reaction, I swear, but… Bring back loml, JAMES POSEY! Why, why, why did we let him get away? I hated the decision then and I still hate it. Come backkkkkkkk!!! *grabbing his leg, getting dragged around the court, shaking fist at the sky*
Gar. That didn’t go the way I wanted it to. Maybe I’m stubborn, but I still think I’m right about the Lakers. They’re much better at times than last season, but I still think they’re missing something. Although, I will be happy to admit that I underestimated them some. If they win the championship, I’ll also be happy to eat my words (well, not too happy. *wink*) I’m not saying the Celtics will win it. Maybe they won’t. They’re missing something too. The Cavs are tough, but they aren’t 100% there either. I’m not sure exactly what it is that each team is lacking, but if I had to guess…
The Celtics have defense, ”team” philosophy, a rising point guard and the Big 3. But, they’re missing veteran bench players.
The Lakers have talent, depth, a chip on their shoulder and Kobe Bryant. But, they’re missing a consistent sense of purpose. (If they played every team the way they played Boston, they’d be nearly unstoppable.)
The Cavs have Lebron, a better supporting cast than last season, Lebron and well, Lebron. But, they’re missing a clone machine for Lebron. (The team is above average, but they will be SOL if Lebron gets injured. I don’t like those odds.)
Sidenote: As bummed as I was about the Celtics loss, it still had to be worse for Suns fans. That Roger Mason 3-pointer at the buzzer [for the Spurs to win by 1 over the Suns] was a heartbreaker. It also couldn’t have been fun for Hornets fans to watch that drubbing by Orlando. Gack. That was hard to watch.
Wow, those 76ers sure can run. Especially without Elton Brand. For a little while, early in the game, I thought the fast break transition game was going to be a problem. Silly me. The C’s broke away in the 2nd half and put this one away early and easily. The [other] love of my life, Leon Powe, was named ‘Player of the Game’. It’s too bad I didn’t pick this game to go to with my awesome sign. *wink*
History was made. Best NBA start and franchise winning streak. Personally, I’m getting sick of hearing about winning streaks. The last time I got caught up in a winning streak, the Giants ripped my heart out and stole my Superbowl ring. (haha) So let’s just stop talking about it.
Get out those ‘Beat LA’ t-shirts people because D-day is upon us! Although… no offense to anyone, but I worry more about playing the Hawks. I guess I’m just not drinking the kool-aid yet when it comes to the Lakers. It has nothing to do with being a Celtics fan either. If I thought the Lakers were the team to beat in this league, I’d admit it. At this point, I don’t think so. They still need to tweak some things. Mostly between the ears. Kobe is fine. Never anything to worry about with him. It’s everyone else that I wonder about. They’re close, but I don’t think they could beat the Celtics in 7 at this point. Tomorrow’s game isn’t 7 though, it’s just one — and it’s in Lakerland — so who knows. Who am I worried about then? Maybe the Cavs. They’ve been looking better and better lately and with Lebron on the court, anything can happen. I’m looking forward to the teams meeting again so I can assess how they stack up.
There’s something rotten in Denmark when I have to worry more about the Celtics playing the Hawks than the Pistons. The Celtics seem to have the Pistons number though. I would’ve expected this game to be a lot closer, but it was pretty much over about halfway through. It would’ve been nice if the Pistons would’ve just conceded the win to the C’s so we could start the Lakers/Suns game early… then I would’ve actually been able to watch it.
This stretch between Sunday and Wednesday with no NBA has been brutal. I don’t know what I’m going to do during the off-season this year. It’s going to be long and painful. Sigh. Thankfully tonight, ESPN Classic is airing Game 4 of last year’s finals. I still can’t believe that game. Epic comeback. Watching it reminds me of how much I miss the love of my life, James Posey.
Lakers @ Nuggets 103-97
Um, nice balls? Secondly, most of her tweets are like a red carpet celebrity roll call. Here’s a sample tweet: @JeanieBuss: John Mayer is here – girls going crazy. really?? I am forever a JT girl!!! Lol. That’s solid entertainment right there. I don’t care who ya are.
Where to start? I’m going to start off by admitting that I have finally taken off my derrick rose colored glasses… we’re in big trouble. I was alarmed when Leon Powe appeared to injure himself (which turned out to be a season ending torn ACL injury) and went back into the locker room, but I went into full on panic mode when Rondo went down, threw the remote control (my specialty) and started rocking back and forth in the fetal position. Lol. I hate to give up or even hint that I might be giving up, but this is going to be a mammoth undertaking trying to get just to the ECF.
Major snowstorm today. Pretty cool actually because they canceled work. Yes! 
Wow, those 76ers sure can run. Especially without Elton Brand. For a little while, early in the game, I thought the fast break transition game was going to be a problem. Silly me. The C’s broke away in the 2nd half and put this one away early and easily. The [other] love of my life, Leon Powe, was named ‘Player of the Game’. It’s too bad I didn’t pick this game to go to with my awesome sign. *wink*