NBA Finals: Boston vs. LA Lakers - Series BOS leads (1-0)

[LaL25]

Its just the pressure of the occasion more than anything. Some players respond well to Finals, while others play well below par.

Yeah, I mean, we're lucky to have witinessed the dominant performances in KG's, Ray Ray's, and Pierce's combined experience of...one finals game. Whew! I mean, they haven't had experience in what...20 finals games like Kobe has, but surely they'd have great games in every single one of them if they did!

[HarlemHeat37]

The face of the matter is the Kobe Bryant really only destroys teams without good perimeter defenders. What has Kobe ever done this season vs a good perimeter defender? (Don't Bruce Bowen because he shouldn't even be starting) Look at the playoffs. The first 2 teams he played had no chance of slowing him down because they have no perimeter defenders. SA is a good defense but Udoka and Bowen are not going to cut it. I understand Kobe had been playing possessed but the band waggoning after the Lakers dispatched an unimpressive SA team was out of control. Even Vegas went crazy. How is a team who won 66 games, had statistically one of the best defenses in the history of the NBA, and had 2.5 All-Star caliber players, and home court be the underdog. And how does 9 out of 10 ESPN analysts pick the Lakers. Dean Oliver said in his book "the stats don't lie" and they don't. The Law of Averages you can call it. If you watch the games and look at the stats its obvious the Celtics were playing down to their competition. Look how easy the regular season was. I hope some of these ESPN analysts lose their jobs. I feel the Lakers had a great draw and Celtics and a worse one. This series is not over, but I always felt confident in the Celtics ability to play solid interior defense and keep Odom and co. off the glass. Even Bill Simmons said the Celtics had no chance. Wow. Talk about a bandwagon. (He has since switched back)

Kobe is great, but he is no MJ.
or Magic.
or Bird.
Yet. (that refers to Magic and Bird)

if Bruce Bowen isn't a great perimeter defender, then there aren't many in the NBA..

[BRINGTHEPAIN]

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Yeah, I mean, we're lucky to have witinessed the dominant performances in KG's, Ray Ray's, and Pierce's combined experience of...one finals game. Whew! I mean, they haven't had experience in what...20 finals games like Kobe has, but surely they'd have great games in every single one of them if they did!

But Kobe has rarely had a great game in the Finals of those 20 games. He's a proven no-show in Finals overall. Boston are a clean canvas and delivered in the game where great players step up - game 1 of the Finals.

[BRINGTHEPAIN]

Kobe Bryant's Finals Stats

2000: 15ppg 4rpg 4apg 36.6%FG

2001: 24ppg 7rpg 5apg 41.5%FG

2002: 26ppg 5rpg 5apg 51%FG

2004: 22.6ppg 2.8rpg 4.4apg 38%FG

2008: 24ppg 3rpg 6apg 34%FG

[LLcoleJ]

ah.. the desperate Kobe hate.


In full force

[LaL25]

Kobe Bryant's Finals Stats

2000: 15ppg 4rpg 4apg 36.6%FG

2001: 24ppg 7rpg 5apg 41.5%FG

2002: 26ppg 5rpg 5apg 51%FG

2004: 22.6ppg 2.8rpg 4.4apg 38%FG

2008: 24ppg 3rpg 6apg 34%FG

Dude....LMAO if you are serious.

First of all, the WCF's were more competitive than any of the finals, save for the 2004 series. Kobe made plenty of big plays in the WCFs against Portland, against Sacramento, and against the Spurs. You know...timely, important plays that swing momentum? Game 4 in Indiana ring a bell?

LOL. And I'm not even that big of a Kobe fan (more of a Lakers fan).

[Original Baller]

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But Kobe has rarely had a great game in the Finals of those 20 games. He's a proven no-show in Finals overall. Boston are a clean canvas and delivered in the game where great players step up - game 1 of the Finals.

hmmm looks like another Kobe myth shall be destroyed this season

1. Kobe can't win MVP......check
2. Kobe can't get his team outta 1st round w/o Shaq...........check
3. Kobe can't lead his team to the finals w/o Shaq..............check
4. Kobe can't win a championship w/o Shaq..................soon be to be done


and now you've added the idiotic notion that Kobe can't have a great game in the finals

See you tommorow night when I up this thread after game 2

[DEEP3CL]

Phil did you expect anything less ?

I guess these guys forgot who else was on the team during that time huh ?

[CB4MiamiHeat]

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The difference between 35% shooting and 50% shooting for Kobe that game was 4 buckets. FOUR BUCKETS.

I easily counted 1 drive to the rim that should have been a foul + 3 rimming in and out.

If you think THAT is why the Lakers lost, then there's no reasoning with you.

Look my man, bad games happen..this is what? Only his 3rd bad game all postseason, the guy is human and is having a great postseason. But youre making yourself look bad, please someone back me up on this and tell me I'm not the only one that thinks this guys post I quoted is ridiculous.

The Lakers lost because of a lot of reasons not only Kobe...the main reasons are..

1. Outrebounded by 10+
2. Bad shooting night for Kobe
3. Bad defensive gameplan, especially the way they decided to guard Rondo(tight) and Garnett(Odom should be on him).

[LaL25]

They basically gotta let Garnett get his and try to shut everybody else down.

[HouMac]

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But youre making yourself look bad, please someone back me up on this and tell me I'm not the only one that thinks this guys post I quoted is ridiculous.

You'll have better luck winning the lottery than trying to make sense of EOC's posts. How pathetic does somebody have to be to defend a 9-26 shooting night? Yeah, just 4 shots away from a FG% of .500 . 4 more made shots is at least 8 more points. That's like saying a guy who averages 20 ppg is just 4 more made shots away from averaging near 30. Just 4 more man! Imagine if Paul Pierce missed 4 less shots every night? He'd go from a 20 ppg guy to someone who averages near 30! That's EOC's fu(ked up logic for you. What makes it even more **** up is the sort of shots Kobe was missing in Game 1. Each one a long fadeaway with a hand or even multiple hands in his face. If he was indeed missing bunnies, then I could partially understand a deluded Kobe groupie defending his pathetic shooting game. But Boston was forcing him into low percentage shots all night and it's something they have succeeded in doing so all season against him. In 3 meetings against Boston(.330 FG% in them) Kobe's now 13 shots away from shooting .500 against them. Just 13, right EOC?

LA lost Game 1 because of their star player's dreadful shooting night and Boston dominating the boards. They need to do both things a lot better or else they're not winning this series. Also, anyone who doesn't think Kobe shooting 34% wasn't a BIG factor in LA losing Game 1 is honestly too stupid to be using the internet.

[eatyourchildren]

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You'll have better luck winning the lottery than trying to make sense of EOC's posts. How pathetic does somebody have to be to defend a 9-26 shooting night? Yeah, just 4 shots away from a FG% of .500 . 4 more made shots is at least 8 more points. That's like saying a guy who averages 20 ppg is just 4 more made shots away from averaging near 30. Just 4 more man! Imagine if Paul Pierce missed 4 less shots every night? He'd go from a 20 ppg guy to someone who averages near 30! That's EOC's fu(ked up logic for you. What makes it even more **** up is the sort of shots Kobe was missing in Game 1. Each one a long fadeaway with a hand or even multiple hands in his face. If he was indeed missing bunnies, then I could partially understand a deluded Kobe groupie defending his pathetic shooting game. But Boston was forcing him into low percentage shots all night and it's something they have succeeded in doing so all season against him. In 3 meetings against Boston(.330 FG% in them) Kobe's now 13 shots away from shooting .500 against them. Just 13, right EOC?

LA lost Game 1 because of their star player's dreadful shooting night and Boston dominating the boards. They need to do both things a lot better or else they're not winning this series. Also, anyone who doesn't think Kobe shooting 34% wasn't a BIG factor in LA losing Game 1 is honestly too stupid to be using the internet.

I didn't realize that one game is the same as averaging. Who's dumb now?

[Original Baller]

for all the Kobe haters

remember in Game 1 vs. the Nuggs Kobe shot 9-26 and people round here had cause for celebration thinkin Kobe was down

next game he dropped 49pts on 17-29 shooting

we'll see what happens tommorow but Kobe NEVER has two consectuve bad games in the playoffs

[Big Bird]

Look, a HouMac sighting! It means Kobe's had a bad game.

BRINGTHEPAIN, allow me to quote myself to answer your "Kobe rarely had a good game in the Finals" idiotism, since you probably only read the last page.

Oh, and making up stats... that's a big no-no if you wish to come off as even remotely objective (which you aren't, but you know; one can try, right? ).

I don't know why I'll even bother responding to you, but I generally like to be respectful so here we go.

Why cherry-pick? Why not tell it like it is/was? I never said that was a good performance... he had an okay Game 1, got injured in Game 2 and played very little (hence the drop in stats, he actually averaged 19 ppg in his first trip to the Finals at age 21 if you discount that game; but of course 15.5 ppg it was). He then had the monster OT Game 4 and was the reason his team won (he even hit the gamewinner). He then proceeded to have an abysmal shooting Game and another subpar Game 6. Yeah, it wasn't good, but it wasn't Detroit 2004 bad. Revisionist history is nice, isn't it?

Why not mention the 25/7.8/5.8 2001 Finals against Philly? Oh yeah, my bad, we're only supposed to highlight the bad. Well, he did shot only 42%, that ballhog!

Or perhaps, the 26.8 ppg on 51% in the 2002 Finals... right, bad stuff, I'm sorry.

You know what's funny? How everything is magnified in the Finals. Or how everything Kobe does is magnified for that matter. It's one game. It was a poor game by Kobe. He knows it. Us fans know it. Everyone knows it. No need to jump on him for having the third bad performance of the ENTIRE Playoffs. That's right, 3 out of 16 games he played badly and be assured, every single time after those games we Lakers fans (and everyone else who came into the game threads) were made aware how poorly he performed... of course wrapped into wannabe witty and sarcastic posts. It wasn't "Man, the Lakers got carried by Pau and Odom even though Kobe struggled with his shot." after Game 1 vs. Denver; it was rather "Kobe almost shot his team out of the game.". I think we all know what happened after Game 4 vs. Utah, so I won't touch that one; saying that he milked the injury and wanted to be a hero was the least of it. And now, how fittingly, after a bad game, here we are again. The same people (Miami's Finest for instance) crawl from under their rocks again, delighted that they finally have something to comment about, since Kobe blew it again. Of course it wasn't the missed FTs, Lamar and Pau disappearing again, the rebounding, the stupid fouls that left them in the penalty with 8+ minutes to go in the 4th, the Boston D... no, it was all Kobe, that ballhog (disclaimer: I think he was ONE of the reasons we lost, not the sole perpetrator). That, in a nutshell, is the single reason why I'm defending him here and now, even though I was very disappointed with his performance. Because you people disgust me.

Have a good one, make sure to drop by when he has another great game. Oh, that's right, you usually don't come here on those nights.

(the last 2 paragraphs aren't necessarily directed at you, since you actually weren't that bad if I'm not mistaken, but I'm sure those people know who they are)

cheers

So, to summarize. The stats in the Finals:
2000 (if you discount the 9 mintues he played before getting injured, so it isn't too skewed - although that's how you like it, I know ) - 19/8.8/4.3 on 37% shooting; standout game: Game 4 (OT gamewinner, Shaq fouled out, Kobe still injured)

2001 - 24.6/7.8/5.8 on 42% shooting. Standout games - Game 2 (31/8/6 on 48% FG); Game 3 (32/6/3 on 43% shooting); Game 4 (19/10/9)

2002 - 26.8/5.8/5.3 on 51% shooting; Standout games - Game 3 (36/6/4 on 61% shooting)

2004 - horrible Finals (the only Finals I'll agree he played ridiculously bad, warranting every criticism he got), we know the stats; Standout game - Game 2 (34/4/7 on 52% shooting, forcing the OT with a trey at the buzzer).

So, with all do respect, do not pull stuff out of your ass, because there are some of us here (a lot probably) that still remember those years and don't like to see people such blatant revisionism of history (I'm sure you don't know what the word means, feel free to look it up).

You have a good one too, now! How are those Suns, btw?

[Jordan23Forever]

for all the Kobe haters

remember in Game 1 vs. the Nuggs Kobe shot 9-26 and people round here had cause for celebration thinkin Kobe was down

next game he dropped 49pts on 17-29 shooting

we'll see what happens tommorow but Kobe NEVER has two consectuve bad games in the playoffs

I haven't bashed Kobe at all for his game 1 performance, but Kobe certainly has had many consecutive bad games in the playoffs. Don't be crazy. All players have.

[Big Bird]

^^Yeah, I saw that too. He probably meant this year's Playoffs.

[Frosty]

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Dude....LMAO if you are serious.

First of all, the WCF's were more competitive than any of the finals, save for the 2004 series. Kobe made plenty of big plays in the WCFs against Portland, against Sacramento, and against the Spurs. You know...timely, important plays that swing momentum? Game 4 in Indiana ring a bell?

LOL. And I'm not even that big of a Kobe fan (more of a Lakers fan).

I know Kobe fans don't want to hear this but the wcf's are the wcf's. The FINALS are the FINALS.

No one talks about how hard the road to the FINALS was for a team. No one looks back at what Jordan did against Eastern teams that gave them more of a battle then any Western team did during their playoff runs. It all comes down to what did you do on the biggest stage.

Now the bright lights are on Kobe. It's his chance to add to his legacy. Let's see what he does on this stage. Let's not lower the bar to accomodate his best performances.

[Albanian Damien]

They basically gotta let Garnett get his and try to shut everybody else down.

Yeah because the Lakers are fully capable of shutting down 2 All-Stars and possibly the fastest/quickest guard in the league. I've heard people say this about the Celtics before but it's the dumbest strategy. It only works on one man teams.

[KB20]

Look, a HouMac sighting! It means Kobe's had a bad game.

BRINGTHEPAIN, allow me to quote myself to answer your "Kobe rarely had a good game in the Finals" idiotism, since you probably only read the last page.

Oh, and making up stats... that's a big no-no if you wish to come off as even remotely objective (which you aren't, but you know; one can try, right? ).

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So, to summarize. The stats in the Finals:
2000 (if you discount the 9 mintues he played before getting injured, so it isn't too skewed - although that's how you like it, I know ) - 19/8.8/4.3 on 37% shooting; standout game: Game 4 (OT gamewinner, Shaq fouled out, Kobe still injured)

2001 - 24.6/7.8/5.8 on 42% shooting. Standout games - Game 2 (31/8/6 on 48% FG); Game 3 (32/6/3 on 43% shooting); Game 4 (19/10/9)

2002 - 26.8/5.8/5.3 on 51% shooting; Standout games - Game 3 (36/6/4 on 61% shooting)

2004 - horrible Finals (the only Finals I'll agree he played ridiculously bad, warranting every criticism he got), we know the stats; Standout game - Game 2 (34/4/7 on 52% shooting, forcing the OT with a trey at the buzzer).

So, with all do respect, do not pull stuff out of your ass, because there are some of us here (a lot probably) that still remember those years and don't like to see people such blatant revisionism of history (I'm sure you don't know what the word means, feel free to look it up).

You have a good one too, now! How are those Suns, btw?

Very, very great post.

[Big Bird]

Ups, I made a typo. It should say 5.5 rather than 8.8 rpg in the 2000 Finals.

Anyway, it'd be nice if we could start talking about the series or maybe anything even remotely related to Game 2, wouldn't you agree?

Can't wait for the start, I sure hope our guys come through this time, since they all have a lot to say on what needs to be done. Let's see if they can walk the walk, not just talk the talk, or what's the expression you Americans use.

Go Lakers!