NBA Finals - Lakers vs Celtics - Game 1 (SLOW CPUs BEWARE!)

NBAWestFan · Post #441 » by **NBAWestFan** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:05 am

Im dissappointed that Trevor did not get a chance to play D. This series is about D and Boards. The Lakers cannot win on the Boards so they need their best athletic defenders out there. Luke ain't cutting it. Farmar did not get much playing time. That was bad for Fisher getting tired.

Gomes3PC · Post #442 » by **Gomes3PC** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:08 am

Not to be the thorn in your guys' side, but do you really think that bringing in Ariza will slow down Pierce? I don't recall PP ever having trouble with Ariza, in Orlando, NY, or the two LAL games this year. Pierce is way stronger than him and would take him down low for easy buckets in the paint.

No, the reality is that benches don't travel. The Celts bench came up big with nice contributions from Cassell, Brown, Powe, and Posey. Mainly because they had the home crowd cheering them. Guys like Walton and Sasha and Turiaf will feed off the Staples Center in Games 3-5.

Can't wait for Game 2; if it was anything like Game 1 both fanbases (and the casual fan) are in for a treat.

Sedale Threatt · Post #443 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:08 am

The Laker Kid wrote:wow you guys don't sound too worried at all... are we really this confident about this Lakers team?? I mean.. we just LOST THE GAME. Are you guys THAT confident or just in denial that Boston is the better team? Just wondering..

What are we going to do? Jump off the nearest building after one game? I'll say it again -- if we lose on Sunday, then it's time to worry. But not until then.

The Celtics are a great team, have been all year, and I think 80% of the media/pundits/fans sold them drastically short coming into this series. I thought they were the better team coming in, and I didn't see anything tonight that would make me rethink my opinion. It's going to be a monumental task to beat them.

But at this point, it's pointless to be overly concerned about anything. If and when I see that douche bag Tommy Heinsohn slipping on another ring, then I'll be upset. Until then, it's a seven-game series, and anything can happen.

DEEP3CL · Post #444 » by **DEEP3CL** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:11 am

Gomes3PC wrote:Not to be the thorn in your guys' side, but do you really think that bringing in Ariza will slow down Pierce? I don't recall PP ever having trouble with Ariza, in Orlando, NY, or the two LAL games this year. Pierce is way stronger than him and would take him down low for easy buckets in the paint.

No, the reality is that benches don't travel. The Celts bench came up big with nice contributions from Cassell, Brown, Powe, and Posey. Mainly because they had the home crowd cheering them. Guys like Walton and Sasha and Turiaf will feed off the Staples Center in Games 3-5.

Can't wait for Game 2; if it was anything like Game 1 both fanbases (and the casual fan) are in for a treat.

You at least have to see what works. And to let you know Pierce has had problems with Trevor before.

Sedale Threatt · Post #445 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:12 am

Gomes3PC wrote:Not to be the thorn in your guys' side, but do you really think that bringing in Ariza will slow down Pierce? I don't recall PP ever having trouble with Ariza, in Orlando, NY, or the two LAL games this year. Pierce is way stronger than him and would take him down low for easy buckets in the paint.

No, the reality is that benches don't travel. The Celts bench came up big with nice contributions from Cassell, Brown, Powe, and Posey. Mainly because they had the home crowd cheering them. Guys like Walton and Sasha and Turiaf will feed off the Staples Center in Games 3-5.

Can't wait for Game 2; if it was anything like Game 1 both fanbases (and the casual fan) are in for a treat.

No. I still have yet to understand why the majority of our fan base is so fixated on this guy. He is a decent role player -- above-average defender, outstanding athlete, very little real basketball skill.

Granted, right now just about anything seems better than the overpaid crap sandwich that is Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Walton.

But the reality is, this guy hasn't played any meaningful basketball in months. To expect him to step in and stop one of the game's most versatile and best scorers is simply unrealistic, in my opinion.

Post #446 » by **LLcoleJ** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:13 am

Gomes3PC wrote:Not to be the thorn in your guys' side, but do you really think that bringing in Ariza will slow down Pierce? I don't recall PP ever having trouble with Ariza, in Orlando, NY, or the two LAL games this year. Pierce is way stronger than him and would take him down low for easy buckets in the paint.

No, the reality is that benches don't travel. The Celts bench came up big with nice contributions from Cassell, Brown, Powe, and Posey. Mainly because they had the home crowd cheering them. Guys like Walton and Sasha and Turiaf will feed off the Staples Center in Games 3-5.

Can't wait for Game 2; if it was anything like Game 1 both fanbases (and the casual fan) are in for a treat.

Do we thonk that Ariza would be a better defender on Paul that Vald or Luke? Yes.

Arroyo30 · Post #447 » by **Arroyo30** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:16 am

wow, this was one of the worst officiated games ever. the referees stole this game away from us. come on lets win game 2 guys.

YiYaoYue · Post #448 » by **YiYaoYue** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:17 am

Do i think Ariza won't foul a guy making a 3 point shot and let him get a shot off once fouled to make a 4 point play? No. Do I think Ariza would be so bad to not make a single FG in 13 minutes and foul when the game is on the line and time is against the celtics? No. Do I think Ariza is more athletic than either of them? Yes. If I had a choice between Luke and Ariza coming off the bench... I'll say Ariza unless luke walton comes out in game 2 and plays better.

by the way strength is not the big issue with pierce... a stick like prince did pretty good job gaurding pierce, its just that the entire offense for pistons were the backcourt. someone needs to be athletic enough to be able to be in front of pierce when he penetrates... walton and vlad are both weaker than pierce, but also not athletic... so pierce has both advantages... but ariza has athletic edge and can stay in front of pierce and not to mention get in passing lanes to prevent pierce from getting the ball in the first place and lead to transition basket.

Gomes3PC · Post #449 » by **Gomes3PC** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:30 am

Actually, Pierce has had very little trouble against Ariza in his career.

According to basketball reference they've faced up 11 times and PP has averaged 23.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.5 APG on 45% shooting.

As for Ariza, I think it is pretty unrealistic to expect him to come off the bench as ice cold as can be and untested in the playoffs and believe he can make a meaningful impact. It is like Celtics fans believing that we can just plug in Tony Allen to pester Kobe because he is the 'best matchup' on paper. On paper that's nice but Allen has played like 10 minutes all playoffs and like Ariza is still a little gimpy. Asking either guy to stop a superstar like Kobe or a near-superstar like PP is not wise.

Ultimately, you guys will have to out-execute the Celtics on D and shut down guys like Allen, Rondo, and Posey. KG and Pierce will score 45-50 a night combined; it is a matter of stopping the other options. Like I said prior, Walton and the rest of the Laker bench will reappear back at home, and the Celts bench will also likely disappear at the exact same moment. Moral of the story: benches don't travel.

magicfan4life05 · Post #450 » by **magicfan4life05** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:33 am

Two calls that stuck out from the first half:

1. They called a backcourt violation on Gasol when it was not

2. They called a foul on Gasol when it was a clean block

Make no mistake, the Celtics won, but Lakers were right there with the momentum at the half and the lead. Second half was another story.

Game 2 is a must IMO.

DEEP3CL · Post #451 » by **DEEP3CL** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:40 am

Arroyo30 wrote:wow, this was one of the worst officiated games ever. the referees stole this game away from us. come on lets win game 2 guys.

Naw don't go there and nobody here should go there. The refs had nothing to do with this loss thats a cop out.

This is the Finals if you want to win it all you gotta play tough. To say the refs took it is not the answer.

If they did what is your argument ?

Was Kobe or Pau in foul trouble ?

No they weren't, last I look the refs don't grab rebounds or miss shots.

The Lakers lost because they got out hustled, out rebounded and out played in the second half.

Don't blame the ref unless you can point directly to how they impacted the game.

Rox_Nix_Nox · Post #452 » by **Rox_Nix_Nox** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:44 am

The whole fourth quarter boston shot free-throws. Dick Bavetta tried to make the game about him. Extra whistles while pointing at a Laker player to reinforce the call. Then he tried to change a foul call that was clearly on the floor into a two-shot foul. Extra dances when calling a blocking foul etc.

F#$* that.

Erik Eleven · Post #453 » by **Erik Eleven** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:57 am

The Celtics outhustled the Lakers. The exact type of loss that I hate

NBAWestFan · Post #454 » by **NBAWestFan** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 5:59 am

[quote="DEEP3CL"][/quote]

This is true the Lakers got outplayed.

They need to cut down the board difference.

PJ brown sure did push off to get his way.

Sasha does travel and so does Ronny.

the Lakers need more Gamers. Lakers have a great offensive team but that is not always going to win against the Allstar games in Boston. Even with Bynum and Ariza this Veteran Boston team is a handful. Bynum has little experience.

phat_24 · Post #455 » by **phat_24** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 6:08 am

Bynum has little experience but a big body that will box-out the likes of KG...something Gasol didn't do in the stretch.

Boston looks hungrier for the c'ship than we do. Come on Lakers you're better than that! I want more efficiency from Kobe. I want Phil to play Walton less and Ariza more. Athleticism is what we need more of.

As far as I'm concerned game 2 is the one to win otherwise I see us in the deepest of holes. A hole that I'm not certain we can get out of.

RJM · Post #456 » by **RJM** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 6:13 am

I'm not worried....the league will fear us in six months.

Rox_Nix_Nox · Post #457 » by **Rox_Nix_Nox** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 6:58 am

O and Kobe needs to stop shooting those shots where he pump fakes like twenty-million times and the defender stays right with him so he resorts to shooting a contested fade-away. Try passing it next time.

YiYaoYue · Post #458 » by **YiYaoYue** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 7:15 am

Gomes3PC wrote:Actually, Pierce has had very little trouble against Ariza in his career.

According to basketball reference they've faced up 11 times and PP has averaged 23.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.5 APG on 45% shooting.

First of all... Ariza was a bench player so it wasn't all on Ariza as he wasn't against Pierce for most of the time and probably went against Boston's bench player for that position. Second, he was a rookie... you need to realize Ariza is much younger than Pierce and was not even close to having the body he has now to match up with Pierce, so it would be unfair to use his rookie and sophmore stats as a measure of how good he was able to stop pierce.

Post #459 » by **milesfides** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 7:26 am

Wasted opportunity. All I have to say.

AgentK0be · Post #460 » by **AgentK0be** » Fri Jun 6, 2008 7:33 am

magicfan4life05 wrote:Two calls that stuck out from the first half:

1. They called a backcourt violation on Gasol when it was not

2. They called a foul on Gasol when it was a clean block

Make no mistake, the Celtics won, but Lakers were right there with the momentum at the half and the lead. Second half was another story.

Game 2 is a must IMO.

I agree but thats how the game goes, no excuses just play ball. When Paul went out for those couple of minutes, we had the chance to kick them while they were down, but we didn't. And Kobe just didn't play up to expectations in the fourth quarter.