No excuses...

[bobcatsinfour]

As a Bobcats fan, not a Lakers fan, I can honestly say that the way the game was called by the referees was inexcusable. However, that game is over and there is no need for excuses for the loss anymore. I really hope the Lakers do win the series, but do you guys really see them having a chance anymore? Please give me a reason to hope, I really hate the Celtices

[SALMIEN]

thanx much man

[Flipdog69xxx]

thanks for the words of encouragement. atleast i need to stop making excuses. haha i'm complaing to anyone who'll listen.

[sykskillzdet]

From a Piston fan that to tell the truth doesn't really like the Lakers I agree the Refs have been terrible. I use to pull for anyone against you guys in all honesty however after these 2 games I'm pulling for you guys. Boston is now my most hated team in the league right next to the Spurs.

[CX44]

Lakers undefeated at home in the playoffs and Boston has struggled on the road in the playoffs. Can't look for assistance from the refs and the Lakers need to attack the basket.

[Kilroy]

The fact that the oficiating sucked at least in game 2 (I'm not sure game one was that bad), is not an excuse for losing.

But when you have 2 teams as closely matched as the Celtics and Lakers, every bad call effects the outcome drastically. If you put a string of bad calls together in a single game which favor a particular team, you've done exactly what refs should never do... You've made the calls a factor in the resolution of the game.

The fact of the matter is that the Celtics have more tools available to win this series. The Lakers would have to play very well to beat them even if the officials swallowed their whistles. But If the officials let their gametime decisions effect the outcome of the game, they also effect the integrity of the game.

The fact that there is even a discussion about this is a sign that they've failed. When I used to watch Showtime and the Bulls etc... I can't ever remember fans saying there was a conspiracy... I think this is the surest sign that something is wrong.

Lakers lost. Time to take care of business at home.

I think it's a damn-near insurmountable hole to be in, down 2-0 in a best of 7... But greatness is born out of adversity.

[Dexmor]

Well hopefully the nba will do something about it and not just be fair but throw give us the benefit of the doubt for a couple games and that will be enough.

The refs can't take it from us which they won't be able to on the road we will have a serious mementem in a week after winning 3 in a row.

[Danny Darko]

is it too much to just have a series where the refs don't make everyone bitch and moan? This has been a lame playoffs both for and against us with calls.

[Dexmor]

Plus you can't say no excuses. If your getting screwed sometimes you can't win. Like you said if the teams are so close you can't have the refs and the other team playing against you and still win it's not an excuse although if Gasol would have played more of like the Gasol I like to think he is which is close to being a superstar player like A Brand and Dirk level and Odom would have played like the "new Odom" we probably would have one at least one of the games if not 2.

[tlifeset]

I would hardly call this 0-2 insurmountable. What's the theme of this whole playoffs? Home teams win. Game 3 is going to be a gimme ... don't be surprised to see Jerry West, Kareem and David Stern himself refereeing that game. I think Game 4 we'll win too. As is usually the case ... this is going to come down to Game 5--that is always the key game in 7 game series. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

I know ... don't get too far ahead.

In other thoughts ... I think we need to bench Radman and start Sasha in game 3. Let him chase and annoy Ray Allen. And move Kobe over to Pierce.

My stamp on game 2 ... the officials were horrible all game and it screwed with the flow and "neutered" our physical front line. But Pierce was hacked and he hit 2 clutch free throws for the win. I won't take anything away from him. Especially since he's got that bum knee ... wink, wink.

[Trifecta7]

Well, 0-2 is not good to but teams in this year's playoffs have managed to bounce back at home. The Spurs-Hornets series, for example, when the Spurs looked dead in the water getting blown out twice in the first 2 games.

This team has staged comebacks. Examples: Game 4 Utah sending the game to OT but couldn't close, 20 points vs. Spurs Game 1, 17 points vs. Spurs Game 5, and nearly completing a 24-point comeback against Boston.

As much I don't like the thought of it, there's a need for homecooking calls like what Boston is receiving. If they're not going to allow the team to play defense by calling these fouls, it's really hard to overcome.

[Kobay]

The league needs to implement no FT shooting when ur in penalty until half the way thru the quarter.

Foul trouble in game 1 since 4 minutes into the quarter in second half. In game two we were in foul trouble 2 minutes in to the 2nd quarter and continued in third.

How can the lakers get into the game like that.

I will stop watching the NBA if this happens on our home floor. I've watched every single laker game this season but if Finals are called like this (Miami vs. Dallas) I'm gonna stop watching. Its utter waste.

[Kilroy]

0-2 isn't exactly insurmountable, but statistically it isn't promising...

But honestly, at this point, thinking about winning this series is rediculous... The only goal that's even worth thinking about is winning one game... We have to win one game to prove that we can actually beat the Celtics. We can't say that yet.

If we can win the next one, there's a glimmer of hope. But until we do, this series is out of our grasp. Bad officiating or no bad officiating...

[AgentK0be]

the C's did what they were suppose to do and that was to protect home court. I was hoping we would've stolen one game there but oh well. Now its time for us to win at home. It's just hard to imagine the C's losing 3 games in a row.

[theFRANCHISE]

lakers have already lost 4 in a row to the celtics (including the regular season) so its not really that hard to imagine

[tlifeset]

The Lakers could have stolen either of those games and the deck was really stacked against them by the refs, and mostly by their own lack of urgency and execution.

I agree with the home-cooking assessment. But I want to make something very clear ... I'm a basketball fan and then a Lakers fan, and the brand of basketball that was being played and officiated in game 3 isn't fun for anyone. I didn't want the refs to match foul for foul with the Celtics. No, what I wanted more than that was for the refs just to swallow the whistles and let these two teams play.

Between the whistles and Pierce's fake injury ... there has been zero flow in this series.

Give a good game Stern ... win or lose!

[8'sReverse]

As a Bobcats fan, not a Lakers fan, I can honestly say that the way the game was called by the referees was inexcusable. However, that game is over and there is no need for excuses for the loss anymore. I really hope the Lakers do win the series, but do you guys really see them having a chance anymore? Please give me a reason to hope, I really hate the Celtices

1. Kobe
2. Kobe
3. Lakers are home the next 3 games (perfect postseason home record)
4. Kobe
5. Kobe
6. Gasol
7. Celtics have a crappy road postseason record
8. Kobe
9. Phil Jackson
10. the rest of the Lakers squad minus Mihm










11. Kobe

[MAMBAEMD]

No excuses.

The C's have been the aggressors at home and the refs have given them the benefit of the doubt.

The Lakers need to come out on Tuesday and be the aggressors from the get go. The C's will try to come out and throw the knock-out punch. The Lakers need to withstand that and hit back.
If they are going to depend on getting friendly calls from the refs, we can kiss the series good-bye.
The Lakers need to come out, be aggressive defensively, and hit the boards.
Play tough ball. No excuses.

[phat_24]

It's win game 3 or await the return of Bynum for next season but I feel absolutely filthy at the thought that if Boston win the championship, that it was based on some SERIOUS SERIOUS home-court calls going their way.

As a basketball fan, it's just not pretty. Ratings are up 38% because people are watching the Lakers and Celtics and not because the viewing audience are really keen to see Leon Powe shoot 13 free throws. F**K

Go Lakers! Take game 3 or it's bye-bye great playoff run that could end in a stinker.

[hermes]

one game at a time, lets go get the first one tonight