Topic: NBA 07-08 Season on BTV/ESPNSTAR/CS--PLAY-OFFS NA!!

[bumblebee]

That's one ugly 3Q for the Spurs.

[tonedeaf]

hope LA wins tomorrow...

[steelcrazy]

hope LA wins tomorrow...

if LA loses tomorrow, its doom for them

[jht3]

C'mon Lakers! 

[sanmig_ph]

live kaya sa espn ngayon? go lakers

[a2]

^ sa c/s-rpn sya ipapalabas. live naman ngayon sa btv yung cle-bos.

let's go lakers!!

[Munskie]

As much as I like Kobe's game, I just can't believe he kept forcing it inside and out, knowing full well that he's not as mobile coz of his bad back. All those off-form threes and forced drives that looked like it wouldn't go in (and majority of it didn't or was blocked) made me wince and want to turn off the t.v. Fisher was on fire and Pau was shooting well (d**nit he missed a dunk after spinning off Okur, I think). Oh well, here's hoping that LA takes care of business at home in game 5.

I really hate it when Kobe (or any other player) takes 30+ shots.

Oyan, narinig kayo....26pts on 10 shots.      Im just glad LA won.   Now, Utah is one game away from "doom".

[bumblebee]

Di ba mas ok?

[Munskie]

Di ba mas ok?

Definitely.  Much more efficient, and within the system.   I really dont care whether he took 10 or 30 shots, as long as its within the system.   And I have to admit, his game 4 blunder was reminscent of his old self.

On a side note, props again to Lamar Odom, who has been holding the fort for the Lakers inside the paint.   I just cringe everytime Gasol gets outrebounded or banged around.   Pau is really suited to a finesse game, and will never be a bruiser inside the paint.  Buti na lang he made the important points in the end game.     

[Battousai]

Bah! I hate it when the game smells very much like home cookin'. Di ako makuntento sa panalo ng Lakers. I may need glasses now, but I clearly saw Pau shove Okur away for that ofensive rebound (which led to an uncontested dunk). I hope the LAkers finsih things off in Utah in game 6.

[a2]

^ that was a flop. okur was manuesque on that play.

[Munskie]

^ that was a flop. okur was manuesque on that play.

That play was a huge topic of discussion, especially in truehoop.   Upon closer review, it was a flop indeed.   Gasol has his forearm planted on Okur back, but didnt shove.   Memo flopped.  The shove though came earlier in the play, normal in jockeying for position.   



Truehoop's Henry Abbott writes...

But nothing was quite like that moment when Pau Gasol hammered Mehmet Okur.

That's the play when we all learned the Jazz were unlikely to win this series. They had been hanging around with a puncher's chance. They got the key miss. But when it came time for the all-important rebound, their guy started the play with Pau Gasol all over his back, and ended it with Okur stumbling forward out of the play entirely as Gasol dunked the de facto game-winner.

It's in these highlights, near the very end. (UPDATE: And here.)

In fact, that Tivo trick I just told you about? I acted that out pretty well. "Are you kidding me?" I barked at the screen.

Rewind. Slow motion. I watched several times. Hard to tell. By any measure, Gasol was more intimate with Okur than the rules would strictly allow, but welcome to the playoffs, you know? What I wanted to see was the moment when Gasol shoved Okur out of the way. With all the contact, that moment was tough to isolate.

I assumed I had been correct, however.

A few minutes later, though, TNT showed another view, as Doug Collins announced that Okur tried to pretend he had been shoved, but in fact wasn't.

This made me even angrier. There had been a terrible no-call, and now the announcer was going to add insult to injury by accusing Okur, essentially, of being a dramatic baby?

Let us not forget, all this is going on with a shot at the Western Conference Finals likely on the line. It was 105-102. Deron Williams had been hitting threes. There were twenty seconds left.

Let us also not forget that the Utah Jazz are generally considered to be one of the roughest and toughest teams in the NBA.

I hit the rewind button on that second angle, followed by the slow-motion button. I watched it again and again.

And I was shocked.

Look, maybe there's something I missed. But that angle sure seemed telling. And the more times I watched it, the more clear it was: Okur did flop.

He had been shoved in the back moments before with a Gasol forearm that was still planted in his back. It was the kind of thing that is never called. Just battling for position. But Okur had been pushed a little deeper into the lane than he probably wanted to go. Sasha Vujacic's 3 from the corner bounced off the back of the rim, and took a perfect carom almost directly to the spot Gasol had freshly stolen from Okur.

Even though the Jazz had boxed out all the way around the rim, this ball was even money or better to make its way over Okur's head and into the waiting hands of Gasol.

My best interpretation of the video is that Okur tried to get his team possession another way -- by dramatizing a foul that had actually occurred seconds earlier.

He did a pretty good job of it too. But in the end, it was a rebound, dunk, game, and likely series to the Lakers.

And so I stopped being mad at the no call. And I started getting mad at the flopping.

[Wiggum]

^ Thanks Munskie - no doubt it was a flop.  Nice try by Okur, but he should improve his rebounding/defensive skills rather than his acting.  Good thing the refs didn't fall for that one.  Speaking of Okur, I'm always reminded of that NYK-UTA game last season where Marbury went coast-to-coast for a last-second lay-up to win the game.  It was Okur who had the last and best chance of defending Marbury on that play.  And what did he do as Marbury drove to the basket?  Turn his back on Marbury.  Niiiice....   

Spurs are clobbering the Hornets.  Game 7 should be a toss-up, even if it's going to be at the Hornets' arena.  I'm betting on the Spurs. 

Hope LA wins tomorrow.  Utah's too dangerous to face in a Game 7.

[kristerocky]

The Spurs tied the series 3-3. Now the Hornets' back is against the wall. It'll be one heck of a game 7. 

[DVD_Freak]

The Spurs tied the series 3-3. Now the Hornets' back is against the wall. It'll be one heck of a game 7. 

Actually it's still San Antonio's back that is against the wall as all games each team has won has been in their homecourt.  Game 7 is in NO.

[bumblebee]

If there's any team that can bounce from 3-2, in the NBA, this season, it's SA.

[dyerds]

This is the trend right... win in your own turf.  I think only Detroit won on the road in the 2nd round but I hope Spurs would be the 2nd team to do that. Let's go Spurs! 

[runner10]

Are the game 6s tomorrow (Saturday) going to be televised on ESPN or any other channel other than BTV?

Boston @ Cleveland
LA @ Utah

Sky subscriber here - no BTV for me.

[kimpOy]

ESPN and C/S sports (channel 9) 10:30am Utah Jazz vs LA Lakers
the other game will aired live at BTV @ 8:00am (sorry dude)

hey munskie wala ka bang gif after gasol made that dunk.. maiyak iyak sya he..he

 

[Munskie]

hey munskie wala ka bang gif after gasol made that dunk.. maiyak iyak sya he..he
 

hehehe...Boozer was in disbelief...

In the other series, Robert Horry has legitimately morphed himself from Big Shot Rob to Cheap Shot Rob.   Last year he hip-checked the Suns out of the play-offs.   This time, a hard screen right into David West's bad lower back may also save their season.   

[dobler]

hehehe...Boozer was in disbelief...
In the other series, Robert Horry has legitimately morphed himself from Big Shot Rob to Cheap Shot Rob.   Last year he hip-checked the Suns out of the play-offs.   This time, a hard screen right into David West's bad lower back may also save their season.   

Geez, what's up with this guy? For fun, I just did a google news search on him. Came up with 2 interesting hits:

http://deadspin.com/5009314/cheap-shot-rob-strikes-again
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/16/is-big-shot-bob-quietly-becoming-a-thug/

[Battousai]

Nakows! Horry's teammate, Bruce Lee Bowen, is the dirtiest NBA player around, so, baka nahawa lang si Horry sa kanya. I think may "Bowen's Greatest Hits" sa youtube. Grabe sa flying kick yang si Bowen and I'm shocked that the NBA hasn't done a thing to ban the guy.

[dobler]

Nakows! Horry's teammate, Bruce Lee Bowen, is the dirtiest NBA player around, so, baka nahawa lang si Horry sa kanya. I think may "Bowen's Greatest Hits" sa youtube. Grabe sa flying kick yang si Bowen and I'm shocked that the NBA hasn't done a thing to ban the guy.

Agreed on Bowen. Hindi naman siguro nahawa si Horry sa kanya. Robert's 37  and just made his 238th playoff appearance this week, eclipsing Abdul Jabbar's record. As one article pointed out, he's just an old guy trying to hold on.  Then again, maybe that's the role Coach Pop has given him the past few seasons, going after a key player of your opponent (Nash and West) . Hehe.

[steelcrazy]

This is playoffs time. Even the great Michael Jordan suffered the same faith as Nash and West. Anyone remembered how he got hit and clobbered by the Bad Boys of Detroit somes year ago during the playoffs? How he was able to live up to the challenge and surpass the agony of pain? I think West should live up to the challenge as Jordan did if they wanna go to the NBA Finals. Its gonna be very physical come game 7 of the NO vs SA

[dyerds]

This is playoffs time. Even the great Michael Jordan suffered the same faith as Nash and West. Anyone remembered how he got hit and clobbered by the Bad Boys of Detroit somes year ago during the playoffs? How he was able to live up to the challenge and surpass the agony of pain? I think West should live up to the challenge as Jordan did if they wanna go to the NBA Finals. Its gonna be very physical come game 7 of the NO vs SA

I agree.

[Munskie]

Easier said than done.  Getting physical play and being clubbered (and taking it) during the play-offs and being injured is a far different matter. 

A really bad lower back is major pain.   Its like a dagger thrust into your lower back all the time.   You cant jump.   You cant move that much laterally.   The back is part of the core, which  is the foundation of the body.  You cant do much being in the court if that back is stiff.   I know it coz I have experienced it as Im a former athlete myself. 

But I do agree that in some manner, West can will his young body through the pain and sucked it up.   But again, sometimes, what the mind can lead, the body wont follow, especially if its injured.

[steelcrazy]

The Spurs aren't defending champions for nothing. They earned their glory and they wont give up their crown that easily. Chris Paul and David West must be ready to endure wat is expected to come in game 7 and it is certain.

[steelcrazy]

hehehe...Boozer was in disbelief...

In the other series, Robert Horry has legitimately morphed himself from Big Shot Rob to Cheap Shot Rob.   Last year he hip-checked the Suns out of the play-offs.   This time, a hard screen right into David West's bad lower back may also save their season.   

base on this gif image i can only say its part of the game that the incident happened. West was backing down and Horry was about to set a screen and it happened on the defensive end .  He wasnt hit ur hacked airborne .

[Munskie]

base on this gif image i can only say its part of the game that the incident happened. West was backing down and Horry was about to set a screen and it happened on the defensive end .  He wasnt hit ur hacked airborne .

It was called an offensive foul.  Its an illegal screen.     Horry doesnt have to hack West, cant you see, all he has to do is plant those crossed forearms right on the lower back of West.   Thats like putting another set of daggers right through that already hurting back.

Anybody who has played the game, and you know West has a bad back (which the Spurs knew), its a cheap shot.  No doubt about it. 

Its  a hard screen, and it was perfect timing for Horry.   Its like a quarterback being sacked on his blind side.   A perfect time to immobilized an opponent.

 

[Munskie]

From Truehoop,



A photo of Robert Horry at the moment David West's back really started to hurt. Deep thoughts about cheap shots. Basketbawful on the same play: "Horry measured West and gave him a shot right in the lower back. Horry knew West's back was injured. Everybody knew West's back was injured. It was a textbook example of a cheap shot. Look, I've played a lot of basketball over the years, both organized and not-so-organized. Stuff like that doesn't happen by accident. It just doesn't. And if you think otherwise, then you're fooling yourself. Horry measured West and gave him a really hard -- and clearly illegal, since it resulted in an offensive foul -- shot into a part of West's body that was known to be injured. Did Horry intend to take West out of the game, or even incapacitate him for Game 7? Probably not. But that barely makes the act any less senseless. And whether he meant for it to happen or not, there's a pretty good likelihood that West will be far from 100 percent for Game 7. Which is a pretty good tradeoff for a simple offensive foul, isn't it?

And for those of you who are inevitably going to defend Mr. Cheap Shot, go ahead and answer this question in your defense: How would you react if you were playing pickup basketball and somebody purposely took a shot at your injured back/knee/ankle/whatever? Would you laugh it off as just a good, hard basketball play? Or would you want to strangle the guy?"