Basketball: 2005-06 NBA Playoffs

Chicago is currently staying strong with Miami, despite a lot of fouls being called on Chicago. BHN was right concerning the refs, they seem horriby inefficient sometimes and can really ruin the game. Anyway, I'm posting now because Wade just went down with an injury and is the locker room. He'll probably come back at halftime but Miami really needs this game and Shaq isn't his old self anymore.

The Nets are continuing to play the way i had expected the whole series. carter had 34 points, 15 rebounds in a 92-86 win over the pacers. this makes the nets ahead in the series 3-1, and i expect them to close it out in the next game.

The miami Heat and the Bulls have been playing neck and neck to the 4th quarter, being tied at 61. After that, Miami took a nice run at the start of the fourth, eventually going up by 10. They currently lead 79-73 with 4:30 left in the game.

It's also exciting to say that the kings lead 46-43 at half-tim. Bonzi Wells, who is having yet another monstrous game, has 20 points and 5 rebounds to lead the team. The leading scorer for the Spurs is parker with 12. I said before that the winner of this game will be the series winner. If the Kings win this, and they have a tremendous amount of confidence, and the Spurs may rush things as they may begin to feel threatened, they will be heading back to ARCO for game 6, which is where I think they'll put it away. If not, I think they'll have to battle to take it on the road, but I think they'll pull it off.

The Heat pulled out a win after dominating in the 4th quarter, outscoring the bulls 31-17. Wade had a game high 28, after shortly making a trip to the locker room for a minor injury. The Heat lead the series 3-2, and will probably finish off the bulls in the next meeting.

The Kings lost a heart-breaker tonight. They led by 3 at the half, but the 3rd quarter is what did them in. In the 3rd quarter they were outscored 37-22. They did come back and temporarily tie the game at 91. It was all Spurs from that point on. Manu, who had been held to 11 points in 2 games, broke out to score 27, Parker with 21. Bonzi Wells had 38 points and 12 rebounds, in what was yet enother amazing performance from him. Bibby did not score well, having only 8. The Spurs won 109-98

The kings will try to avoid elimination at their home Court, where they have only lost 3 games since they acquired Artest. If they win this one, they'll have to travel back to San Antonio to try and get the series in 7. With tonight's loss, the Kings have lost 9 straight road playoff games, so if they force a game 7, the odds are all against them.

As I said, the winner of this series will be the team that won tonight, so looks like my pick will most likely be wrong.

[Edited on 5/2/2006 by GiantsFan]

When the Spurs are on their game, they are the best team in the league. The truth is that so often one player will shine while another will slump. When Ginobili is on, Duncan seems to be down, and vice versa. But tonight Manu had 27, Duncan had 24, and Tony Parker had 21. The Spurs still need the bence to produce more. Michael Finley, Nick van Exel, and Robert Horry need to give them 25+ points a night. Tonight they really showed how they can kick it up a notch when crunch time comes.

I just got finished watching the Lakers get waxed by Phoenix, 114-97. The Suns were pulling away in the second half, but then Raja Bell was ejected on a stupid flagrant foul on Kobe. I thought the Lakers might make a run, but the Suns hit a few threes and that was that. Game 6 in Los Angeles will be crazy. If Phoenix does pull even, I don't think the Lakers can win Game 7 in Phoenix. LA has to win Game 6.

I read earlier about Kobe getting 2 T's and getting tossed last night. Did he just lose his cool, or what?

Also, do you think that Kwame Brown has come around and developed into a good player?

[Edited on 5/3/2006 by Gibbs Baby!!!]

Kobe had already getten called for a double-technical with an incident that happened in the second half. "The Mamba" got his second technical with not much time to play and the game was pretty much over. Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown have both been playing well, but it seems Kwame has some legal trouble to deal with.

In other news Cleveland won tonight on a buzzer beater by Lebron James. James and Areanas both scored over 40 in a game that went to OT. I saw some stat that if this game goes to 7 theres a chance of Arenas and James breaking the record for combined opponent scoring, or something like that. Not many people seem to be paying attention to this series but its shaping out to be pretty good. Actually the only teams that have dominated are Dallas and Detroit. We'll see if playing longer series are detrimental to the other teams. This years playoffs seem to be the most interesting I've seen in a while, as in years past it's started to grow stale. Let's hope the NBA draws more fans because a lot of people are moving on the football.

[Edited on 5/3/06 by Kwyjibo]

I agree that this season has seen some great playoff series: LA-Phoenix, Cleveland-Washington, Miami-Chicago, SA-Sacramento. There have been more buzzer-beaters in this first round than I have seen in an entire set of playoffs. LeBron James is having a great duel with Gilbert Arenas. The Lakers are playing exciting ball. The Clippers have won their first playoff series since they became the Clippers. I haven't watched this much first round action since--well, over 10 years ago.

My personal opinion is that the NBA playoffs are too long and include too many teams. There needs to be some reform. First of all, get rid of those best-of-seven first round series. The best-of-five were more exciting. Actually, I suggest that the first round go to best-of-three and the second to best-of-five; make only the conference finals and the NBA championship best-of-seven. Second, trim the field down to 12 teams: the three division winners plus three "wild card" teams from each conference. The teams with the top two records in each conference then get a first round bye.

By the way, Kwy, what did you mean by that comment about football?

This Game 6 between the Suns and the Lakers has been really exciting. Without Raja Bell, the Suns were supposed to be vulnerable, but so far they have hung in there. WOW! Kobe hit an incredible layup to go up by three, but Tim Thomas just hit a three-pointer to tie it up at 105. There are 6.3 seconds left for the Lakers. Let's see...Kobe missed, so we're going to overtime.

Looks like the Suns are going to win this one to force a Game 7. In OT the Lakers are all Kobe; no one else is stepping up to score. Phoenix leads 120-111 with less than a minute left. Well, Kobe just hit a long three to cut it to six. Phoenix is holding it and now the Lakers fouled the wrong guy. What are they thinking? You don't want to foul Steve Nash! Now the lead is back to eight with 37.4 seconds left. Kobe hits another three, but Nash is back on the line. With 31.1, it's back to a seven point game. Kobe missed a three, but Devean George is fouled while shooting a three. Hits the first--misses the second--misses the third. So now it's six with 19.5 seconds left, and Tim Thomas at the line. Well, he hits both of them, so now it's over. Final 126-118.

My pick is Phoenix at home in Game 7, as much as I like the Lakers.

I was saying before that the majority of people are football fans. Not that basketball was ever the main sport, but it's lost a lot of fans, and so has baseball. Hardly anyone around here cared about the Celtics and Boston fans are usually fanatics.

I disagree with you and think the playoffs aren't long enough. If anything the regular season is too long and the games begin to mean nothing. This new best-of-7 in the first round might result in some major upsets, which I would've never predicted. My money's on the Lakers in game 7, if only because I think they'll at least cover the spread and I wanna see a Lakers vs. Clippers series, as much as I love the Suns style.

This comment comes with my normal disclaimer about how I know next-to-nothing about basketball. However....

I DO know LeBron James is the superstar of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the guy on whose shoulders that franchise puts the game when the chips are down. He is to the Cavs what everybody's most beloved player, Kobe Bryant, is to the Lakers, and what Steve Nash is to the Suns, and Tim Duncan to the Spurs, etc. He's the guy you DON'T let beat you when time runs out.

So somebody who DOES know basketball please explain to this ignoramus HOW, with 3 seconds left in the game, James was able to get a point-blank inbound pass at midcourt, drive to the corner, drive the baseline past two guys, then shoot a point-blank shot before two others could converge on him and prevent his game-saving shot.

I mean, am I ill-informed, or isn't that something which CANNOT happen? Even Jordan would not have been allowed to do THAT in 3 seconds, would he? Nor Kobe, right? Nor Nash, right? Get off a miracle shot, with two men on him, off balance, from 25 feet away, yeah. Right? But move, in 3 seconds, from midcourt to the baseline to point-blank range and put that shot in?

W.T.H.?

Yeah, I know it took great athleticism to do what he did, but is it any kind of news that LeBron James possesses tremendous athletecism? Hell, I know that much. And a playoff team, for heaven's sake, can't keep him from getting that shot in 3 seconds?

What am I missing? Was that not one of the most colossal, unforgivable defensive meltdowns in any playoff game ever? To my untrained eye, it looked at least as absurd as Lorenzo Charles' being able to catch that atrociously short heave by whatever N.C. State player heaved it, and stuff it in the basket while Olajuwon and others looked on.

No, the stakes were obviously nothing similar to the ones attendant to the Lorenzo Charles dunk, but in terms of a defensive meltdown, N.Y.G. and y'all others who really know hoops, please tell me:

Wasn't that a ludicrous, unforgivable meltdown against the player they just COULDN'T allow to do something like that?

BHN

The playoffs aren't long enough?! What do you suggest? Should we make the season 50 games and then have 50 more playoff games. I think the key is fewer teams. The NFL has the right method: 12 out of 32 teams make the playoffs. The NBA has 16 out of 30. MLB only has eight teams out of 30 teams. Twelve is midway between eight and 16. Baseball plays too many games, with too few teams making the playoffs. I don't think basketball has reached that point yet.

Just think; here is how the playoffs would have matched up if only 12 teams had made the playoffs:

First round byes (division winners with the best records): Detroit, Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix
First round matchups (seedings according to record, with the other division winners getting an automatic seed): Cleveland vs. Indiana, New Jersey vs. Washington, Dallas vs. Denver, Memphis vs. LA Clippers

I only agree that baseball plays too many regular season games to this extent: They should go back to the pre-1961 figure of 154 games per season, but NOT for the sake of adding any more playoff teams. God forbid.

Then they would be where they were for MOST of MLB history in the # of games played, only players on MOST teams would get 8 more days off per year, and playoff-bound players would be less spent... both for the playoffs and for the all-important stretch drive that leads to the playoffs.

The latter point is a big one. We see some bad baseball every year by playoff-battling teams in September. Yeah, they have 40-man rosters in September, but the vast majority of those extra men will never play in MLB, and it's the non-playoff-bound team who are able to "give a good, long look" to all those extra players. If you're in a tight pennant drive, you don't want Joe Schmo doing anything except maybe pinch running, if he's great at that and otherwise a casualty of the age-old adage that you cannot steal first base.

Eliminate 8 games, go back to the schedule Cobb, Wagner and Speaker, and then Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx, and then DiMaggio, Williams and Musial, and SO many other great players played, and the stretch drive in MLB won't look so bad. Players will be better rested. Most of all, October will look like what it's supposed to look like: the best teams, playing the best baseball, stained only by abominable umpires.

The 162-game schedule has been great for owners' pockets, but it has exacted a real toll on the quality of baseball played in September and, to some extent, in the post-season. Since all the single-season hitting records are artificially tainted beyond repair anyway, why not go back to 154-game seasons, give players 1.5 to 2 fewer weeks of intense stress, and perhaps do it only half by shortening the CALENDAR season, and then half by adding a lot of days off, especially in August and September.

Wouldn't we all like to see the best players and best teams playing at their best, during the stretch drive and the post-season?

BHN

If any sport needs a regular season reduction I agree it's baseball. Wasn't there an asterick next to Roger Maris' name when he broke the HR record in a season because he played more games? Anyway, after 162 games, not counting the playoffs, you can see why some players might take something to keep their energy up. I agree its all about the owners making those extra dollars.

No BtB I don't think it should be 50 regular season and 50 playoff games for the NBA. I just got overexcited because the playoffs have been so unpredictable so far and the regular season wasn't as much so. As far as cutting down the number of teams that make the playoffs, that would cut out an entire series, which the Basketball Gods would not allow. Some #8 seasons have upset #1 (Denver beat Seattle in 94, and New York beat Miami in 99) so it's not like the first round is always a gimmie. I think having the first round be seven games and definetly going to change the playoff structure in ways I couldn't being to comprehend or explain.

Oh and James got that easy shot off because they were trying not to foul him, as they were only up by one point. James blew by the original defender and the help defense couldn't stop him. They should've double teamed him and cut off the baseline, but hindsight is 20/20. Washington is putting in a good effort and both James and Arenas have put on great offensive performances.

Edit to Add: Does anyone have any opinion of game 7 Suns vs Lakers? Any strong predictions(?), because at this point I could go either way.
[Edited on 5/5/06 by Kwyjibo]

[Edited on 5/6/06 by Kwyjibo]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
This new best-of-7 in the first round might result in some major upsets, which I would've never predicted. My money's on the Lakers in game 7, if only because I think they'll at least cover the spread and I wanna see a Lakers vs. Clippers series, as much as I love the Suns style.

MAybe this year, bu tin the long run, there wil be less upsets, I guarantee it. It is far more likely more upsets occur in shorter series. Statistically speaking, the better team will prevail in a longer series. And the team with the more victories is not always the better team.

I've had some li ited time the last few days to be here, so haven't been able to update. Just in case people didn't watch the games yesterday, The Cavs won their series over the Wizards. Arenas hit a 35 foot 3 to tie the game at the end of regulation to send it into over-time. yes, yet enother buzzer beater. Then late in OT, Arenas missed two FT, the second after LeBron told Arenas if he isses the next one, the Wiz will be going home. This was found to be true. Arenas missed his 4th FT of the night, which would have put the Wiz up by 3, and Damon Jones, who came in after Arenas' FT hit the game-winner with 4 seconds left after sitting the bench the entire game. The Cavs advance to play the Detroit Pistons.

The Spurs also beat an ailing Kings team. The Kings had no chance, as Artest was giving it everything he had, even on a badly twisted ankle, which he twisted twice in the game. Bonzi Wells was also having major issues. With the two that have kept the Kings alive off their game due to injuries, the Kings fell easily. Now had the Kings been healthy, I would have thought the series goes to 7, but it was clear that the Kings did not have the health to make it that far early in the game.

After tonights game between the lakers-Suns, which is the Final first round match-up, I will do the Second Round analysis and such. The Suns look like they will be taking the series after being down 3-1 to the lakers. The suns lead by 25 heading into the 4th quarter, the score being 90-65. Perhaps Nash deserved that MVP after all, as he has led the Suns to what will be 3 consecutive wins against the Lakers.

So the Suns finished off the Lakers by winning three in a row, with a 31 point win tonihgt (90-121). Kobe only scored 24 in this game, and was playing uncharacteristic in the later quarters. With his team down by ober twenty, he was passing off shots that he would take every other day of the week. I had the lakers over the suns, because I thought that they would give them a hard-fought series, which they did. But they couldn't win 1 of three games, and in my opinion, had a big-tim Choke. I do believe that make Phil Jackson 9-1 either when leading a series, or leading a series 3-1.

I'll be back later to fill in my 2nd round analysis, and it should be up by tomorrow afternoon sometime.