Lakers+TWolves, game 3- 45 to 38 at halftime!

[Yuma]

I swear this used to be the score at an old Suns game at the end of the first quarter!! Chambers, KJ, and whoever else used to heave up those shots preBarkley era!! OK, maybe not quite, but it's close!! Geez, I can't wait to see the Lakers and Detroit play in the Finals and have games like Lakers 55, Detroit 48!

 

[Yuma]

44 to 37, worse than I thought!

 

[Joe Mama]

Not sure it would have made a difference, but Shaquille O'Neal should have been called for that foul at the end of the game, not Mark Madsen. He initiated the contact by sticking his elbow right into Madsen's face. It really wasn't even a call that should have been difficult to make. It was obvious.

Joe Mama

 

[sly fly]

Anybody catch Shaq after his interivew with Craig Sager?

I don't think Shaq was to happy with his line of questioning. He walks away and tells Sager, "That's one ugly suit you're wearing." Usually, I think Shaq is mostly playing around. Not this time. He said it with venom, and it was freakin hilarious.

I thought Sager was going to wet himself.

 

[elindholm]

I didn't see it, but it does sound pretty dang funny!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Does anyone else think KG is the most over-rated player in the league? I know he came up big against a broken down, pathetic Sacramento team - but this guy just can't elevate his team at all - the Lakes didn't even play that well and the only one balling out there for the Wolves was freaking Wally - that's sad.

I miss the day and age when Superstars were SUPERSTARS! I mean back in the late 80's and 90's you had bona-fide absolute SUPERSTARS who would carry their teams - Barkely, Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson, Drexler, Isaih, Magic, Wprthy, Michael, Larry - those guys always played HUGE in the playoffs and NO ONE was deemed to be a pushover - hell even the teams without Superstars - the Cavs - with Price, Ehlo, Nance and Daugherty - the suns with KJ, Horny, Chambers, Majerele, EJ - those thuggish Knick teams - The NBA blows! Everyone knows the Lakes are going to win becaus the rest of the league just freaking stinks to high heaven! I'm so sick of it and as the playoffs go longer and longer my dream of Kobe on the Suns fades further and further away.

Problems is this You know what the league needs most? It's not Shaq versus Duncan - it's not Kobe versus McGrady - everyone knows what would kick this league into a higher gear - Kobe versus Shaq - plain and simple - the best two players teams against eachother - sadly it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

 

[elindholm]

It's already been three years of Kobe vs. Shaq. I think most of us are sick of it by now.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It's already been three years of Kobe vs. Shaq. I think most of us are sick of it by now.

come on E - you know just as much as I do - that if Kobe was a Sun an ON-COURT matchup of Kobe v. Shaq would be the hottest thing this league has seen since Charles versus Michael - sadly I don't see it happening - but it would be awesome.

 

[George O'Brien]

I didn't see the game (this assignment is driving me crazy during the playoffs), but I'm not terribly surprised that the Lakers are able to physically dominate the Wolves. Let's face it, it's KG and guards versus Shaq and Malone. Did you really expect Kandyman and Ervin Johson to match up with Shaq for the entire series?

Garnett is a great player, but his team is physically mismatched. The Spurs matched up better and lost four in a row.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I didn't see the game (this assignment is driving me crazy during the playoffs), but I'm not terribly surprised that the Lakers are able to physically dominate the Wolves. Let's face it, it's KG and guards versus Shaq and Malone. Did you really expect Kandyman and Ervin Johson to match up with Shaq for the entire series?

Garnett is a great player, but his team is physically mismatched. The Spurs matched up better and lost four in a row.

When Garnett plays like one of the guys mentioned above and actually raises the level of his play cosndierably like most former NBA superstars did in the playoffs than you can call him a great player - he's far from that now - To me he's like Jason Kidd - a wannabe Superstar who seldom produces in the clutch - but oh makes all those around him better! I'm so tired of that stupid ass syaing - You know - KG needs to be superhuman once in a while - you know - something along the lines of 44 points 24 rebounds ina game seven - or 47 points in a key Game 5 or 43 points in a key game 5 in the semis - or 56 in the first round - I mean seriously - this guys numbers have stayed at the exact same pace as his regular season numbers - great players tunr it on it the playoffs - he's just stayed the same and he stays out the paint - I mean he's a damn 7 footer - that guy should be getting to the line- and the reason he's not ain't becaus eof the officials - it's because he's a wuss.

 

[Yuma]

Does anyone else think KG is the most over-rated player in the league? I know he came up big against a broken down, pathetic Sacramento team - but this guy just can't elevate his team at all - the Lakes didn't even play that well and the only one balling out there for the Wolves was freaking Wally - that's sad.

I miss the day and age when Superstars were SUPERSTARS! I mean back in the late 80's and 90's you had bona-fide absolute SUPERSTARS who would carry their teams - Barkely, Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson, Drexler, Isaih, Magic, Wprthy, Michael, Larry - those guys always played HUGE in the playoffs and NO ONE was deemed to be a pushover - hell even the teams without Superstars - the Cavs - with Price, Ehlo, Nance and Daugherty - the suns with KJ, Horny, Chambers, Majerele, EJ - those thuggish Knick teams - The NBA blows! Everyone knows the Lakes are going to win becaus the rest of the league just freaking stinks to high heaven! I'm so sick of it and as the playoffs go longer and longer my dream of Kobe on the Suns fades further and further away.

Problems is this You know what the league needs most? It's not Shaq versus Duncan - it's not Kobe versus McGrady - everyone knows what would kick this league into a higher gear - Kobe versus Shaq - plain and simple - the best two players teams against eachother - sadly it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

The talent level is dilluted! Look at all those guys you mention, and maybe MJ was the only guy without a solid team behind them. For example, in the 80's Larry and Magic had great teams behind them. Even Dr. J had a great team behind him to break through for a championship. How many teams now are that deep? Don't even look back to the 60's and 70's because some of those teams were stacked! These Euros filling up the leagues aren't really raising the league up. Our college guys coming out can't hardly dribble or even posses basic skills like blocking out for rebounds. Let alone have a jump shot!

 

[Joe Mama]

I had the game on last night, but I did not want the entire thing closely. If I was Kevin Garnett I would start acting a little. Karl Malone is muscling him all over the court. If KG would just exaggerate the effects of Malone's manhandling of him the referees would be forced to give him a few calls. Actually Karl Malone should not have even been playing in that game last night, but that's another matter.

As bad as KG was in the second half last night, I think the real problem for the Timberwolves is Sam Cassell. He's been a huge part of their success this season, and he is just not really helping the team because of his injury. His defense has been nonexistent.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

KG needs to be superhuman once in a while - you know - something along the lines of 44 points 24 rebounds ina game seven

32 points, 21 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals in the only Game 7 he's ever played just doesn't meet your standard, huh?

I agree that, overall, Garnett has been disappointing in these playoffs, but I think you're getting carried away.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

KG needs to be superhuman once in a while - you know - something along the lines of 44 points 24 rebounds ina game seven

32 points, 21 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals in the only Game 7 he's ever played just doesn't meet your standard, huh?

I agree that, overall, Garnett has been disappointing in these playoffs, but I think you're getting carried away.

Dont forget 14 of those points came in the 4th quarter, and one of those blocks in the last 40 seconds. Not to mention havin to play PG for a long stretch.

 

[George O'Brien]

The trait people should be looking for in the draft is the ability to score when being fouled. It is amazing what the refs will permit in the playoffs, so ordinary players struggle because nothing gets called.

KG is a great player, but he is not a physical monster. Fouling him really hurts his shooting.

 

[elindholm]

The trait people should be looking for in the draft is the ability to score when being fouled. It is amazing what the refs will permit in the playoffs, so ordinary players struggle because nothing gets called.

That's a good point. People always used to harp on Clifford Robinson for "choking" in the playoffs, but all that was really happening was that he was being fouled constantly and he wasn't strong enough to overcome that.

Another good thing to look for is players who are adept at pushing off or using illegal dribbles to get free for shots. In the playoffs, those violations are less likely to get called, especially with the game on the line.

 

[Joe Mama]

I think for the most part the officiating has been even this year in the playoffs, but it's still sucks. It is just too physical. I enjoy football, but I don't want to watch it in May and June. I don't want to see a great player like Kevin Garnett rendered useless because the referees are allowing Karl Malone to man handle him. At least when it happens to Shaquille O'Neal you don't feel so bad because he plays for the Lakers , but more importantly because he's plowing over people at the same time.

When that referee would not call the intentional foul on Mark Madsen last night it just epitomized the officiating in these playoffs. I've already said I thought the foul should have been called on Shaquille O'Neal for initiating the contact with an elbow to Madsen's head, but regardless of who the foul should have been called on... it should have been called on somebody. These referees are just allowing too much physical play.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

When that referee would not call the intentional foul on Mark Madsen last night it just epitomized the officiating in these playoffs.

Exactly. It showed that the officials are interpreting the rules according to what they feel "should" happen, rather than just making calls based on what they see objectively.