Kobe shut down Billups for the first 3 quarters. Then switch to Melo in 4th. And what did Melo do in 4th other than 2 putbacks? You can't completely shut down great offense player. But Kobe did good enough on both ends to win the game.
Jameer exploited Lakers' weak PG defense, went hot all night and hit some clutch 3 in both games, yet both games went to final possession. Good luck Alston can do the same.
After watching this game, I think the Magic have a good chance of beating the Cavs in 6. Also, please don't be too hard on LBJ even if the Cavs lose this series. I am honest to recognize that the supporting cast of LBJ is not very desirable. Both the Cavs inside and outside are slow, not athletic, and not physical. Matchup problems: D Ho is going to give the Cavs big problem in the paint. No big in the Cavs is able to guard D Ho. Ilgauskas is long but can be overpowered. Varejeo knows how to flop. Big Ben is too old and slow. No need to mention Joe Smith. I bet D Ho will have good numbers in this series. D Ho's numbers will be close to 25/15. If D Ho can get going, then it opens up the perimeter for the Magic's 3 pt shots. It doesn't look good for the Cavs. The only question is: Can LBJ carry these Cavs into the Final? Even if LBJ can, these 2 teams won't beat the Lakers or the Nuggets. Magic in 6.
i don't care what the result was. lebron BY FAR is the most dominant and best player in this L and it's not even close. playoff stats: 35, 9, 7 (simply ridiculous) and he must be pissed off as hell after tonight. i expect a 50 pt performance next game or a triple double
Mo Williams and Delonte West aren't going to have clunkers every night, and the Cavaliers are too good defensively to allow the Magic to continue to shoot 55% or have their way at the 3 point line. I do agree that they have a major matchup problem with Howard, but conversely, the Magic have an even bigger problem with LeBron. There is only one person in this league I've seen who has succeeded in slowing this guy down, and his name is Shane Battier. They did everything right and he still went off for 49 points on 30 shots, and dropped 8 dimes to boot. This guy is unreal. He is still on pace to shatter Hakeem's all time record playoff PER of 38.9 (the next closest is George Mikan from 1954 with 33.6, and they didn't count turnovers then). I think the series probably goes to seven games, but my money is still on the LeBrons.
Did Kobe win at home? yes Did Lebron lose at home? yes Yall can say all you want that Lebron is dominating, and I agree he is. You cant directly compare both game 1's to each other. But I do know this. Kobe finished the game off, when giving the chance.
Hahaha! LeBron even stumbles after the dunk. If that isn't a posterization then you have some high standards.
From most hateable to least hateable: Denver Only one, maybe two guys with character on that team: Chauncey, and maybe Dahntay. The rest are wannabe thugs (Carmelo, Martin), possibly actual thugs/thug affiliated (JR. If not affiliated, then he's a wannabe), meth-heads with wing tattoos on their biceps (Andersen), and Mr. Even-though-I-haven't-done-jack-****-in-this-league-I-think-I'm-so-hot-I'll-drop-my-last-name-and-strut-around-like-I'm-The-Man (Nene HILARIO. Yo, that's your last name: HILARIO). Seriously, I love Chauncey, but Denver needs to get swept and never be heard from again. Cavs The all-entitlement team. I like Lebron, but the way the media has anointed his team this year is nauseating. I used to like Mo Williams, but he IS Mr. Entitlement, whining his way onto an all star team, aww poor baby. And then you have Delonte, if you've ever heard him speak (youtube it), seriously what an idiot. He's trying too hard. If Bizzy Bone were a redneck and had a debilitating stroke, he'd sound just like Delonte. Their idiotic bench dances and choreographed celebrations to show up the other team only enhances their stupidity. So the media and BSPN have tried to shove down our throats that Lebron + two undersized chuckers makes a championship team? Negro please. They think they're so hot because of their home record, plus their (previously ha ha) undefeated playoff run? Uhh, newsflash, YOU'RE IN THE EAST! Lakers Stole Pau Gasol, but that was last year, and there are bigger fish to fry (see above) so they drop down in the hateability list. Orlando Despite Dwight Howard being only 1/100th as funny and charismatic as he THINKS he is, this is the least hateable team left. An ORL vs LAL final will be the least of all evils. DEN vs CLE would be worst case scenario, and if DEN won it that would just be the cherry on top of a dog**** sundae.
REALLY? I don't think the cavs are more hated than the fakers. Lebron IS that good and he doesn't taunt his opponents every time he makes a jumper. My order would go. 1. Lakers 2. Nuggets 3. Cavs 4. Magic (only underdog left in the playoffs)
I don't know how anyone can possibly think the Lakers don't have any hatability. Have you ever even heard of Kobe Bryant? And you're completely wrong about the Cavs. They are a really good team. And newsflash: the East was strong this year, so the stupid "they're in the East" comment doesn't make sense anymore.
Yes, the Lakers won because the guys Kobe got wide open looks for actually hit their shots down the stretch, and OTHER Lakers (i.e. not Kobe) made key defensive plays to close the game (Gasol with a block and key charge, Ariza with a key steal). Compare that to the Cavs role players who bricked too many wide open looks for me to name and kept getting J's drilled in their faces. Yeah, LeBron missed 4 FT's, but it's not his fault that floppy hair gave Lewis a clean look at a 3 after LeBron converted an and-1 to give them a 2 point lead...or that West missed the wide open look he got for him with 4 seconds left to go. I don't see how anyone who watched the last 4-5 minutes of that game can say LeBron choked. Every point the Cavs scored were either off him scoring, him assisting, or him getting doubled to lead to someone getting a shot. But yeah...he choked because his teammate missed a wide open look that he got him. I guess he just needs to use better decision making and pass to another dude....
I can see why people hate Kobe. Personally, I don't have a problem with him. I cheer against him when he's got Battier's head in an elbow-knee pincer manuever, but generally I'm neutral on Kobe. As far as the Cavs, they didn't face a quality team in the playoffs until they got all the way to the ECF. Why? Because THEY'RE IN THE EAST! A rudderless, headless (no Chauncey) Detroit team? The Hawks? Even the Rockets showed we could've given the Cavs trouble, even without T-Mac. What seed were we in the West again?
i hate KOBE BRYANT..if it came down to kobe vs lebron in the finals im fine with lebron winning a title rather than kobe... Kobe whines too much and he does it after every play...i hate that kobe is also a dirty player which we have all seen and there has been even articles about how dirty he is... but it won't be a kobe vs lebron because my magic won't let that happen... the magic were down 15 at the half and the momentum was going toward the cavs but i knew the magic would come back...they just match up sooo much better with the cavs...i believe they will win a championship this year... Even if they play the lakers, they match up good with them too so there is nothing in orlando's way from a title except themselves
