11-12 playoffs

[Superbone]

Massive choke, again.

And tied up, Kobe busts a 3? WTF?

It worked out pretty well for Durant.

 

[95pro]

Shoot. I left at halftime or during the third qtr. said eff it thunder lost. Checked the score and I was shocked at the final outcome of the game.

Watching post game shows, it was sad cause all they focused on was Gasols opportunity to shoot. What I figured was it probably kobaby who was going into hero mode and making bad decisions again.

 

[D-Dogg]

It worked out pretty well for Durant.

Durant doesn't have a seven footer that was dominating the game who didn't get a touch in the last 5 minutes when the lead was given up. Also, the Thunder are a purely jumpshooting team, so that's basically their offense.

 

[Folster]

I gotta say, holy crap with the illegal screens from Perkins. How in the ef does he get away with that crap over and over again? It is blatantly bad. It's bad enough that he moves his feet like crazy to hold the screen, but he also hip checks them, sticks his ass or his leg out on them, holds on them. It is ridiculous.

Once the Lakers are eliminated, the Thunder is the team I'm hoping wins it all, but Perkins' screens are textbook illegal. He might set 5 a game that are legit...the rest, just crap. Is this becoming like holding in the NFL?

You're starting to sound like a Suns fan.

 

[Superbone]

Durant doesn't have a seven footer that was dominating the game who didn't get a touch in the last 5 minutes when the lead was given up. Also, the Thunder are a purely jumpshooting team, so that's basically their offense.

I agree that it didn't make sense to go away from what was working and from what is the Lakers' advantage.

 

[D-Dogg]

You're starting to sound like a Suns fan.

I also effing HATE perkins. Celtic ****** he is...ugly *****, and illegal screen setter extraordinaire. But what galls me is he gets praised for being such a good screener...yikes. I coach jr. high basketball, and coach how to set screens...then sit and watch this douche break every damn rule the kids have to follow, and not just a little bit...more like there are no rules.

/rant (for now)

 

[Michael]

Slays me to see Kobe calling Pau out. Kobe shoots 2-10 in the 4th, 1-9 if you dont count his 2pt buzzer beater down 5, and he is ripping on teammates in the presser afterwards.

Pau didnt play a great game, but for Kobe, who has arguably cost the Lakers 2 games in this series alone by going "lone gunman" in the 4th, to be ripping on him while Kobe goes 2-10, posts the worst +/- on the team and is shooting below 40% in the series is faaaantastic. I hope after the Lakers get bounced Pau calmly sits down in the press conference and says "Kobe can #%&$ himself".

Just read on ESPN that Kobe credited Durant for the steal against Kobe in game 2 while blaming Gasol on the same mistake in game 4. Great team player!

I hope you're right about Gasol's parting statement with the Lakers.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Too bad the Pacers lost today. Barbosa and Lou are really going to have to step it up a notch in game 5.

 

[95pro]

LA is funny, bunch of Spurs fans in the stands tonight.

 

[Bufalay]

Lebron James is really good.

 

[cly2tw]

Guess Lakers miss Phil Jackson.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Guess Lakers miss Phil Jackson.

Mike Brown sucks, but I think the Lakers need Doc Brown more than Phil Jackson, who was steering the Laker's ship when they're asses got swept last year.

bottom line... they're older, Kobe ain't the closer he was when he was younger and the Thunder just have more talent and youth. Phil Jackson ain't gonna change that.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Mike Brown sucks, but I think the Lakers need Doc Brown more than Phil Jackson, who was steering the Laker's ship when they're asses got swept last year.

bottom line... they're older, Kobe ain't the closer he was when he was younger and the Thunder just have more talent and youth. Phil Jackson ain't gonna change that.

The Thunder literally have no one who can defend Bynum and Gasol... there is no legit reason why the Lakers should be down 3-1 at this stage. Bynum and Gasol should be dominating.

 

[Russ Smith]

The Thunder literally have no one who can defend Bynum and Gasol... there is no legit reason why the Lakers should be down 3-1 at this stage. Bynum and Gasol should be dominating.

In the last game as soon as Brooks listened to Reggie miller and got harden off Kobe, the game shifted to OKC. Harden's a good player but he can't guard Kobe and it kills his offense to try and guard him. Just a few minutes of Durant on him changed the game.

 

[82CardsGrad]

In the last game as soon as Brooks listened to Reggie miller and got harden off Kobe, the game shifted to OKC. Harden's a good player but he can't guard Kobe and it kills his offense to try and guard him. Just a few minutes of Durant on him changed the game.

Totally agree... Kobe abuses Harden. Sefolosha also does a very nice job on Kobe.

 

[Phrazbit]

In the last game as soon as Brooks listened to Reggie miller and got harden off Kobe, the game shifted to OKC. Harden's a good player but he can't guard Kobe and it kills his offense to try and guard him. Just a few minutes of Durant on him changed the game.

Totally agree... Kobe abuses Harden. Sefolosha also does a very nice job on Kobe.

Wow... really? I think Harden has done a masterful job defending Kobe. Yes, Thabo is better but Thabo is arguably the best perimeter defender in the league. Kobe's 2-10 effort in the 4th on Saturday came entirely with Harden on him, same thing in the 4th of game 2. The only time I feel like Harden really got "abused" was when the officials went hog wild on him in game 3 and started whistling him for clean contests.

 

[Rivercard]

there is no legit reason why the Lakers should be down 3-1 at this stage.

OKC hasn't really played very well the last 3 games, but they are the only team left in either conference that has a shot against San Antonio.

 

[SirStefan32]

The Thunder literally have no one who can defend Bynum and Gasol...

Uh, you know that Ibaka and Perkins play for OKC, right?

 

[leclerc]

Agh I was so hoping Indy would beat Miami and go up 3-1. Seeing LeBron go waddle prancing around and throwing elbows, bulldozing into the lane waiting for the refs to bail him out -- NBA Basketball, it's a farce.

If only Indiana and the Sixers would eliminate Miami and Boston, boy that would be refreshing. While we're at it, why not let the lotto balls bounce our way also.

OKC - Spurs would be the most fair western conference final.

 

[Joe Mama]

I also effing HATE perkins. Celtic ****** he is...ugly *****, and illegal screen setter extraordinaire. But what galls me is he gets praised for being such a good screener...yikes. I coach jr. high basketball, and coach how to set screens...then sit and watch this douche break every damn rule the kids have to follow, and not just a little bit...more like there are no rules.

/rant (for now)

It's probably because he learned from Kevin Garnett who the Sixers would argue is the biggest illegal screen offender in the league. But seriously if you watch just about every player in the league settings screens they are moving and/or throwing out their elbows/hips 75% of the time. Most of the time they are still moving because the ball handler doesn't have the patience to let them get set. I've been watching the Phoenix Suns get away with this on just about every offensive possession for the last five or six years. It just doesn't get called unless the defender exaggerates the contact.

Wow... really? I think Harden has done a masterful job defending Kobe. Yes, Thabo is better but Thabo is arguably the best perimeter defender in the league. Kobe's 2-10 effort in the 4th on Saturday came entirely with Harden on him, same thing in the 4th of game 2. The only time I feel like Harden really got "abused" was when the officials went hog wild on him in game 3 and started whistling him for clean contests.

I've missed maybe a quarter or two from each game, but I thought the same thing. I can remember one play where Kobe Bryant got around Harden too easily and then made a great play high off the glass before one of the OKC bigs could block it.

I kind of feel bad for Mike Brown. I mean any time the LA Lakers aren't pounding the ball inside they are helping the other team. As Cheez pointed out in an earlier post that's why the Spurs do not want to play the Lakers. But Mike Brown probably feels like he has to keep Kobe happy and that means basically letting him do what he wants.

Joe

 

[82CardsGrad]

Uh, you know that Ibaka and Perkins play for OKC, right?

Yea... and?

IMHO, both of those two need to be playing at 100% efficiency just to put up a half-decent defensive effort against Bynum and Gasol - IF Bynum and Gasol were actually playing up to their potential. The issue is not that Ibaka and Perkins have been able to meaningfully defend Bynum and Gasol, it's that the latter two have done what they are now becoming all too famous for... coming up short and playing below their potential.

 

[Rivercard]

Bynum and Gasol have done what they are now becoming all too famous for... coming up short and playing below their potential.

I see it the opposite. I think the Lakers overachieved a bit in the regular season. Their overall talent is above average but not much more than that. The Clippers and Grizzlies would likely beat them in a 7 game series.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I see it the opposite. I think the Lakers overachieved a bit in the regular season. Their overall talent is above average but not much more than that. The Clippers and Grizzlies would likely beat them in a 7 game series.

Don't get me wrong here - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing the Lakers get beat down!! Did I say how much I LOVE it??

But, I really don't think there can be much debate over the fact that both Bynum and Gasol continue to come up short - and, that for the wrong reasons, the Lakers continue to not run enough of their offense through these two.
As much as it pains me to say, Bynum could be and really should be the single most dominating big man in the game. His physical skills for a big man are freakish. Yet, he continues to disappear for large portions of a game. He played 43 mins last game and only had 15 shots (he made 9 of them). Had 14 points in the first half and only 4 in the second... and, not so coincidentally, the Lakers were up BIG at the half and up double-digits into the 4th quarter... Makes no sense...

 

[Joe Mama]

Don't get me wrong here - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing the Lakers get beat down!! Did I say how much I LOVE it??

But, I really don't think there can be much debate over the fact that both Bynum and Gasol continue to come up short - and, that for the wrong reasons, the Lakers continue to not run enough of their offense through these two.
As much as it pains me to say, Bynum could be and really should be the single most dominating big man in the game. His physical skills for a big man are freakish. Yet, he continues to disappear for large portions of a game. He played 43 mins last game and only had 15 shots (he made 9 of them). Had 14 points in the first half and only 4 in the second... and, not so coincidentally, the Lakers were up BIG at the half and up double-digits into the 4th quarter... Makes no sense...

bingo. If I was either one of those big men I would want to get the hell out of LA. The Lakers lose because they stop going inside to these guys. They are only where they are because these guys are dominating the boards and scoring inside, and then the superstar points at them every time the team loses.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I see it the opposite. I think the Lakers overachieved a bit in the regular season. Their overall talent is above average but not much more than that. The Clippers and Grizzlies would likely beat them in a 7 game series.

no way the Clippers could beat that team in a seven game series. Blake is an incredible talent, but until he polishes his offensive game and they find a legit go-to-third scorer, they're not a true contender... and they still have a little red-headed step-childness to them in the war for LA and I don't think they could have overcome that this year. the grizzlies might have been able to if Z-Bo was completely healthy, but between him not being 100% and the Lakers having HCA, I would have been surprised to see them win that matchup also.

that being said, I was stunned Denver took LA to 7, so who knows.