The Official Playoffs Thread

[Sigra]

The weight of having to carry the Cavs on his shoulders looks like it's finally caught up to LeBron.

Actually, this is the first game of the series that refs didn't want to help him.

LeBron without refs = Nothing special

Not even close to Kobe honestly

[europa]

The weight of having to carry the Cavs on his shoulders looks like it's finally caught up to LeBron.

Actually, this is the first game of the series that refs didn't want to help him.

LeBron without refs = Nothing special

Not even close to Kobe honestly

I wouldn't go that far, Ilhan. He's a superstar without a doubt. But I agree that it was great to see the refs officiate the game the way it's supposed to be officiated. No bail out star calls. I hope we see that in the Finals too. Props to Javie and his crew. This was a clinic on how to properly officiate an NBA game.

[aboveAverage]

Great series by the Magic. I didn't think they could do it but they proved me wrong.

And how good of a pickup was Mickael Pietrus? He was shooting like Larry Bird this series.

[LUKE23]

Both Kobe and LeBron get asinine calls, so that argument doesn't fly. Kobe's supporting cast is better, that is why his team advanced. It's just not rocket science at all.

If LeBron had Gasol and Odom on his team, he'd be in the Finals right now without even 1% doubt. The Kobe vs. LeBron arguments are old and tired to be perfectly honest.

[Nowak008]

I want this. Mildly depressing.

+1

If this were the Bucks I would probably be in jail for shooting off fireworks in the BC or dead from alcohol poisoning.

[mbucks22]

Magic/Lakers is going to be a very good matchup. Howard could have games like he did tonight all series. Gasol won't be able to guard him and Bynum is extremely foul prone. Lakers better be on their game defensively or the Magic will light them the **** up from 3 point land.

[Wise1]

The weight of having to carry the Cavs on his shoulders looks like it's finally caught up to LeBron.

Actually, this is the first game of the series that refs didn't want to help him.

LeBron without refs = Nothing special

Not even close to Kobe honestly

I wouldn't go that far, Ilhan. He's a superstar without a doubt. But I agree that it was great to see the refs officiate the game the way it's supposed to be officiated. No bail out star calls. I hope we see that in the Finals too. Props to Javie and his crew. This was a clinic on how to properly officiate an NBA game.

Still think the young Cavalier is the best player in the game? Fine if you do, but losing to the underdog after posting the best record in the league and garnering the MVP trophy is a serious chink in the Lebron is the greatest argument. Kobe doesn't give in to attrition. Lebron wilted when his team needed him most.

[Ayt]

So who wins in the Finals?

[mbucks22]

I want this. Mildly depressing.

While it won't be happening anytime soon for the Bucks, it could be for the Brewers.

[europa]

Still think the young Cavalier is the best player in the game?

Yup. I think he has to do so much to carry a far inferior team than what Kobe has to do. I think LeBron's sheer force of will got them to 66 wins this season but at the end the lack of talent around him proved fatal. The Magic were a team. The Cavs were LeBron.

And Ayt, I'm picking the Lakers for the same reason I picked them at the start of the playoffs. I think they're the best team and I think their ability to deliver inside production (which the Cavs could not muster) will be the difference. But it looks like it's going to be a great series. The Magic are rolling now and play a very fun brand of ball. Kobe's on a mission to win his first post-Shaq title. I'm looking forward to it.

[jerrod]

some quick thoughts:

xtitan, just stop, every post makes you look worse

lebron, wade, kobe and dwight all get absolutley ridiculous calls at times. you can't complain about one and applaud another, well you can, it just makes you an idiot.

mo didn't have a great series by any stretch of the imagination but i'd say he had 2 pretty good games, one really good game and 3 bad games. better than the rest of the cavs team.

the 4th quarter tonight was just ugly. mo was the only person making shots but it kept coming down to lebron trying to make a move, getting cut off and then dumping it off to wally or west. why?

the lebron defensive strategy from brown was already mentioned, i don't agree with it either.

veryjoe is remarkably good at making some tough layups, that's a good skill to have

[rilamann]

So who wins in the Finals?

When you stop and consider the Nuggets probably would have beaten the Lakers in 5 maybe 6 games if they had even avg basketball IQ you have to like Orlando's chances.

I'd go with Lakers in 7 though.

[SupremeHustle]

I was wrong.

[europa]

lebron, wade, kobe and dwight all get absolutley ridiculous calls at times. you can't complain about one and applaud another, well you can, it just makes you an idiot.

I don't like it when any star gets calls they don't deserve - and I'll admit a part of that (maybe a big part) is because the Bucks don't have a superstar and so they never get the benefit of those types of calls. But in my opinion star calls have been the biggest problem in the NBA for over two decades now. And I'm thrilled that in a deciding game, the officials didn't fall victim to it and the Magic were rewarded for playing good defense.

[MikeIsGood]

I want this. Mildly depressing.

While it won't be happening anytime soon for the Bucks, it could be for the Brewers.

I'd take it

[europa]

I was wrong.

Me too. I thought L&H was nuts when he feared the Magic. I was dead wrong about the Magic and very happy that I was.

[midranger]

Still think the young Cavalier is the best player in the game?

Easily. So do Barkley and Reggie Miller.

Much hating on Mike Brown's lack of adjustments.

[Wise1]

Both Kobe and LeBron get asinine calls, so that argument doesn't fly. Kobe's supporting cast is better, that is why his team advanced. It's just not rocket science at all.

If LeBron had Gasol and Odom on his team, he'd be in the Finals right now without even 1% doubt. The Kobe vs. LeBron arguments are old and tired to be perfectly honest.

Ah the excuses. Of course the Lakers advancing had nothing to do with Kobe's 35 points and 10 assists, including 9-9 free throw shooting.

You can't build an argument on hypotheticals. That's heresay.

But hey, everybody is entitled to their opinions. Our common ground is what is and what has occured. Kobe plays on due to his fourth quarter closing ability and Lebron still has to learn how to win the big games. He's close, but not quite there yet.

[InsideOut]

Actually, this is the first game of the series that refs didn't want to help him.

LeBron without refs = Nothing special

Not even close to Kobe honestly

I wouldn't go that far, Ilhan. He's a superstar without a doubt. But I agree that it was great to see the refs officiate the game the way it's supposed to be officiated. No bail out star calls. I hope we see that in the Finals too. Props to Javie and his crew. This was a clinic on how to properly officiate an NBA game.

Still think the young Cavalier is the best player in the game? Fine if you do, but losing to the underdog after posting the best record in the league and garnering the MVP trophy is a serious chink in the Lebron is the greatest argument. Kobe doesn't give in to attrition. Lebron wilted when his team needed him most.

You make it sound like having the best record and winning an MVP is a bad thing. I think think what James did with the players he has to work with was something special. 1/2 the people here wanted Mo gone and yet he just might have been their 2nd best player.

Who won the MVP last season? Did his team win the title?

[europa]

Still think the young Cavalier is the best player in the game?

Easily. So do Barkley and Reggie Miller.

I agree with Barkley saying that for the Cavs to win 66 games and get to the conference finals is a testament to how great LeBron is.