NBA Playoff Action - "The Kiss"

[Turk]

Stayed up late and watched Game 3 - Jazz / Rockets... I almost fell out of my chair when Alston gave Landry a big old smooch after that last-second block. (not that there's anything wrong with that...) Too bad Bill Raftery doesn't do NBA games.

Seriously, Shane looked like he was gimping on one leg by the time the game wrapped up and no one seemed to notice except Doug Collins... Usually Kenny and the Chuckwagon are sharp enough to pick up on things like that, but everyone was hung up on Tracy McGrady... Afterwards Jerry Sloan said they messed up the last play at the end of the game. (I think he threw Deron Williams under the bus for that last shot, but perhaps I'm reading in too much there...) Carlos was rock-steady as usual...

Charles was right about one thing, though: all the other Game 3's tonight were stinkers... They were all meaningless wins, and I will leap to the obvious conclusion that Wash, Hou, and Tor are all toast...

And now EJ says according to his agent "Larry Brown has the taste of coaching back in his mouth again" (say what?!? a little Pepto usually takes care of that...) Charles comes back with "I hear the Knicks are hiring."

[bdh21]

Charles was right about one thing, though: all the other Game 3's tonight were stinkers... They were all meaningless wins, and I will leap to the obvious conclusion that Wash, Hou, and Tor are all toast...

If you think Washington is toast, watch out. They are a great offensive team with superb ball movement and a tendency to get every player involved in a possession--and their role players are very good. What went wrong in game 2? Way too many iso plays and 1v1 action. That works for some teams, but definitely not the Wizards.
If they can stay disciplined in Eddie Jordan's offense (with or without Arenas) then they're just a better team than the Cavs who, besides Z and Lebron, have one of the most uninspiring supporting casts ever assembled.

[duke74]

Stayed up late and watched Game 3 - Jazz / Rockets... I almost fell out of my chair when Alston gave Landry a big old smooch after that last-second block. (not that there's anything wrong with that...) Too bad Bill Raftery doesn't do NBA games.

Funniest thing was Landry's look when Rafer planted it.

[BlueintheFace]

As a basketball fan in general I think it is impossible not to root for this Rockets team (unless you are a Utah fan). They play so freaking hard for a team that has suffered so much.

They lost their scoring leader center... their point guard got hurt and missed the first two playoff games... the refs haven't exactly been kind to them (end of game 2 offensive foul call. Just Wow)... and Shane is playing hurt. Toss in the fact that Tracy Mcgrady is one of the best playoff performers of all time and only gets grief from the media... I just can't help but root for them. They are the only playoff team that reminds me of a college team in terms of heart and defense. Can't help but love that.

[Spret42]

The Playoffs.

"Where slightly awkward signs of affection between men happen."

[mike88]

Bill Raftery is actually doing NBA games - he and Ian Eagle have been broadcasting the Magic-Raptors games for NBA TV.

[Truth]

Toss in the fact that Tracy Mcgrady is one of the best playoff performers of all time and only gets grief from the media...

I presume you mean statistically, because his post-season record is as far as can be from one of the all-time best...

[BlueintheFace]

I presume you mean statistically, because his post-season record is as far as can be from one of the all-time best...

You must be confused... teams have win/loss records-- not players. STATISTICALLY, only three or four players ever have put up the kind of numbers McGrady has. It's hard to imagine him doing anything else to help his teams except maybe the laundry

[billybreen]

Love me some Skip To My Lou. The Kiss was great.

[Turk]

If you think Washington is toast, watch out. They are a great offensive team with superb ball movement and a tendency to get every player involved in a possession--and their role players are very good. What went wrong in game 2? Way too many iso plays and 1v1 action. That works for some teams, but definitely not the Wizards.
If they can stay disciplined in Eddie Jordan's offense (with or without Arenas) then they're just a better team than the Cavs who, besides Z and Lebron, have one of the most uninspiring supporting casts ever assembled.

Good points... Perhaps I'm letting my disdain for Arenas and Brenda Haywood cloud my judgment, and "uninspiring" is a very polite adjective for the rest of the Cavs... But I'll stay out on the limb with the "duh" comment that Lebron is the alpha dog in this series. IMHO, "Les Boulez" are not quite good enough as a team just yet and the Cavs should advance...

[dukeENG2003]

They are a great offensive team with superb ball movement

Did you SEE games 1 & 2? Worst ball movement I think I've seen since the US Olympic team that Larry Brown coached. Granted, I haven't watched them play much before the playoffs, so maybe those games were just abberrations, but game 1 and game 2 their ball movement was TERRIBLE.

[cato]

You must be confused... teams have win/loss records-- not players. STATISTICALLY, only three or four players ever have put up the kind of numbers McGrady has. It's hard to imagine him doing anything else to help his teams except maybe the laundry

Got it. So Shane does not get credit for winning more games than any other player in Duke men's basketball history? That's too bad, 'cause he sure seemed to play a key role in all those wins.

[bdh21]

Did you SEE games 1 & 2? Worst ball movement I think I've seen since the US Olympic team that Larry Brown coached. Granted, I haven't watched them play much before the playoffs, so maybe those games were just abberrations, but game 1 and game 2 their ball movement was TERRIBLE.

Yep. I saw games 1 & 2. I also cringed a lot! I thought the Wizard's ball movement was not bad at all in game 1... Until the 1:30 mark of the 4th quarter, when Arenas decided to ditch the offense and try to win the game by himself. How did that turn out Gil?

Washington's Game 2 was an offense to organized basketball, I'll give you that. But I've watched more than a few Wizards games this year, and it seems that once about every 5 games they'll show up with an absolute offensive stinker like that, where they lose discipline, seemingly forget the principles of Eddie Jordan's modified Princeton offense, and succumb to "NBAitis."

The key to the rest of the series for Washington is sharing the ball and staying in their offense. Obviously the defensive pressure they face is ratcheted up in the postseason, but the Wizards showed all year long that they can score against good defensive teams. Any repeats of game 2 will sink this Wizards team, but even offensive efforts similar to game 1 will go a long way for them.

[BlueintheFace]

Got it. So Shane does not get credit for winning more games than any other player in Duke men's basketball history? That's too bad, 'cause he sure seemed to play a key role in all those wins.

Only if Wojo gets the blame for 44 losses in 4 years. By your logic, Wojo "played a key role" in all of those losses and consequently deserves a good deal of blame for such unsuccessful years.

I always thought it was ridiculous to give one player credit for lots of wins. It is even more ridiculous to give a star player blame for playoff series losses. Some players play a large roll on a great team, but basketball is -- above everything else -- a team game. Just ask Lebron or Kobe, just ask Jordan.