Lakers will win the series, unless something drastic (such as injuries) occurs, but I believe the 76ers have a chance to avoid the sweep. I will say that I have a lot of newfound respect for the sixers themselves, and in particular Iverson. I've never been one of those anti-Answer fans, but the way he's practically brought this team to the Finals through sheer will and determination is impressive and has given me a much larger appreciation for AI. ------------------ Proud Member of whatever Clutch City club is currently the most popular and/or controversial.
Ok, I just got the lowdown on the Finals. I read the script that the CEO of my company had on his desk today. I hope nobody at my job finds out I am who I am because if they do, our ad rates will plummett and I know for sure that I won't be able to get that new Apple IIe I have on layaway. Anyway here is what David has up its sleeve. Game one: Sixers 95 Lakers 88 The NBA/NBC/David Stern have written where Allen Iverson will score around 37 points and Dikembe will "hold" Shaq to 24 points, 12 rebounds while scoring only 8 points but grabbing 18 rebounds and blocking 4 shots while altering several others. Kobe will be able to hit the 30 point mark but he will be held to a low percentage by the tough defense of McKey. The X factor? Jumaine Jones with 12 points off the bench and while applying more defense on Kobe. Game 2 Sixers 90 Lakers 111 Lakers get revenge. In the script, it just states that for rating and shock purposes, the refs will be told to let Shaq and Kobe have what they want and have Mutombo foul out. But, for ratings, the game will be close up until the 4th quarter and Iverson will score 38. Game 3 Lakers 99 Sixers 110 Iverson scores only 30 but dishes out 14 assists as the Lakers start trying to take the ball out of his hands. McKey scores 22 and Snow adds another 17 points and 9 assists. Mutombo stays the entire game and has 12 points, 19 rebounds and 8 blocks with several alterations. Shaq scores 30 points but misses several key free throws down the stretch. Horry adds in another 14 points but is only 1-9 from three point land. The X factor? Tyrone Hill goes for 12 points and 12 rebounds, 4 offensive, Jumaine Jones has 14 points and to help the Sixers pull it out. Game 4 Lakers 99 Sixers 77 Conspiracy theorists rejoice! Before game 4, it is learned that Iverson will be "suspended" for the first quarter because he was late for practice. Larry Brown says "Hell, who does he thinks he is? Kobe Bryant? We are a team here. We win as a team. We lose as a team." You damn right you lose as one as the whole Sixer team is off balance with the news. Kobe goes at Iverson and scores 48 points and then is heard saying after the game to Shaq "Sometimes I dream, that he is me. You got to see that is how I dream to be. I dream I move, I dream I groove..." Shaq pukes. He is then listed as "day to day". Game 5 Lakers 94 Sixers 108 Iverson goes "Kobe" and blisters the Lakers for 49. Again, Mt. Mutombo has another great defensive effort as he "holds" Shaq to 30 points while Mutombo has 12 points grabs 20 rebounds and blocks 9 shots. Kobe pours in another 34 but missing in action are Horry and Fisher who are 5-21 combined. Philly is getting physical with those two and Horry starts to b**** about being "slapped around like Will Smith at an Eminem concert". Hmm... Jumaine Jones adds 10 points and 8 rebounds, Hill and Key each have 14 a piece while Rick Fox goes loco and goes 4-4 from 3 point land and 3-3 from the charity strip. X-Factor? Shaq b****ing about Mutombo and his elbows. Shaq complains so much he is ejected early in the fourth when LA was within 5 points and making a run. Shaq says after the game when asked about Mutombo "I played against Dream and he is from Africa also." Reporters giggle because that is actually funnier than "You can call me the 'Big Aristotle'" Game 6 Sixers 80 Lakers 121 Shaq goes "Olajuwon" on Mutombo, fouling him out early in the 4th quarter after torching the Defensive Player of the Year for 39 points 20 rebounds. Kobe chips in 30 points and gives out 11 assists. Iverson scores 33 but is 10-33 from the field and has 8 turnovers. Horry has his best game scoring 22 points on 4-6 shooting from threeland and a vicious dunk on Tyrone Hill. X-Factor? Derek Fisher finds his stroke and launches 9 threes, hitting 6, totalling 24 points. NBA starts hyping up the final game as "MVP versus MVP versus MVP. Who is the Weakest MVP? Shaq? Kobe? Or Iverson?" Ahmad says "I vote for MJ. I know MJ. And these guys are no MJ!" Game 7 Sixers 107 Lakers 105 Conspiracy theorists rejoice! Seeing how the NBA ratings are going up with the mere thought of the biggest upset in NBA history, Shaq misses 5 key dunks in the 4th quarter that look to have been clear fouls by Mutombo. With the score tied at 103 all and 1:34 left on the clock, Shaq gets the ball in the paint and scores giving the Lakers a 105-103 lead. Philly comes down and Snow hits a clutch hoop tying the game. With the score 105-105, Shaq gets the ball deep in the paint and goes up for a dunk. He misses but the replay shoes that Mutombo hit him on the wrist for the 5th time in the quarter and gets no foul called again. Shaq loses his temper and throws a "hidden" elbow at Mutombo which the refs catch. Technical foul. Free-throw hit. Game now 106-105 Sixers with :53 seconds to go. Philly runs the clock down and takes a shot and misses, rebound by Shaq, Lakers time out with 25 seconds left. Next play, goes to Kobe who is obviously humming the MJ Gatorade song again. McKey on Kobe. Isolation play. With 10 seconds left on the clock, Kobe sticks his tongue out and goes for the hoop. Dribbles left, dribbles right, spins in the lane and puts up a layup that goes up and down but SWATTED by Mt. Mutombo right into Jack Nicholsons lap. The crowd SCREEEEAMS goaltending and so do the Lakers. With :03 left in the game, all replays show that the ball was clearly on the way down. The refs "miss" the call and Phil gets a T. Free throw hit. Score now 107-105. Jackson calls time out but still Philly ball with :03 seconds left. Inbound and attempted foul by the Lakers on Iverson but Iverson is so damn fast that he outruns the Kobester. Philly wins. Pulls the upset. Shaq finishes with a fine 33 points, 20 rebounds 4 blocks. Kobe chips in 43 points and dishes out 8 assists. But mysteriously, Fisher shoots 2-18 from the field and Horry fouls out in the 4th quarter scoring but does score 19 points. Iverson hits for 48 points on 20-39 shooting. McKey has his best game adding 20 points, 12 assists while committing only 2 turnovers. The Mountain has 14 points, 22 rebounds and 5 blocks. The X Factor? Rick Fox. After opening the game hitting his first 4 shots, he suddenly gets cold from the field. Conspiracy theorists think that the NBA spread a rumor on purpose that Vanessa Williams, his wife, took nude photographs as a youth that came out on Playboy. The Conspiracy Theorists think that the news coming out exactly on the final game of the NBA Finals the day after Fox says "If I don't play well, we don't win this game." Suspicious indeed that someone starts a rumor after hearing that quote, eh? He tries to block it out but on the court, but Jumaine Jones hits a jumper in his face and says "You can't guard me. Play boy!" triggering the very thought that he took all day to block out. He goes into a funk, doesn't score again. Imagine, one more basket and the Lakers would of won the title. Damn, damn, damn. The Sixer bench has a great game and chip in 35 points. After the game, Fox doesn't talk to the press. Kobe says his usual "Jordanisms" like "Thats the game of basketball" and "We failed to put the basketball in the hole when it counted" and "The game of basketball is tough enough without the distractions. Rick had alot on his mind." Mutombo is voted the MVP and Iverson goes on to say that he guarantees another rap album and title next year.*** ***Of course, everything I posted might not come true. It all depends on the refs doing their job, the Mechanic Ball Controller doing his/her job, NBC doing its job, NBA doing its job, David Stern doing his job, God doing His job(although Charlie Ward won't be in the Final so who knows if he is even paying attention with other, more important things to do)the ball boys doing their jobs, the producers and writers doing their job, and all of us in Advertising America doing our job to make sure that this is the most watched, most talked about, most thrilling sports event since the last time Tiger Woods lost a golf tournament. But despite the fact that I just outlayed to you whats going to happen and despite the fact that its all a big ole rigged, overhyped product, make sure you watch anyway. Something tells me that the script might change. ------------------ Sleepless in the Bronx
Sixers would be lucky enough to win even 1 single lone game. Iverson is too banged up to play, and Kobe will school him so badly that I wouldn't be able to watch. I'm no Lakers fan, but hey, they're fun to watch, almost as smooth as the Showtime teams. Mutombo will be totally owned by Shaq. Series Avg Mutombo: 6.4 pts 8.2 rbs 1.5 blks 4.8 PFs Shaq: 28.9pts 14.5 rbs 2.3 blks 3.7PFs Kobe vs Iverson Kobe: 24.8 pts. .487 FGP Iverson 36.7 pts .326 FGP ------------------ Do not harm little children!
Thank you BGM, How can anyone think that philly will beat the lakers? Oh they have heart, oh they have Iverson and he'll tear up kobe, oh they won't give up on the lakers like other teams...yada yada yada. PLEASE! Have you all been smoking crack? Do you think the sixers would have beaten the spurs? or the kings? or even the Trailblazers...well nevermind that one. NO, they wouldn't have. But the lakers swept them. Instead the sixers had a "tough" couple of series with the vicious raptors, and the savage Bucks(who I think you all know that even the rockets sweep them, badly at that!) If they are better than the lakers why are they having to go 7 games with these inferior teams? And if the lakers aren't as good as the sixers why are they sweeping these teams that are better than philly? Is this a little too logical for people to understand? ------------------
I think the Sixers would have beaten the Blazers, Kings and Spurs. I was rooting for San Antonio over LA because I know that Philly would have stomped all over them. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death." It's back... Protrolls.com!
Lakers in 5. Sixers win one at home. Cream the lakers in that one game by like 30 points...but that's all they get. Im no laker fan...but that's how I see it. ------------------ "The difference in this (tied) series has been Dikembe Mutombo" - Bill Walton
Mutombo, Geiger, and Iverson will have to come up big this series. Who-ever plays PF will have to thoroughly out-play Horry and Grant. If I were Brown, I would make Bryant go left, O'Neil make free throws and expend energy, force Hell-A's support players to hit the big shots, and send all five players to crash the boards. The interesting thing will be whether Philadelphia's front-line will be brave enough to foul Bryant hard when he penetrates...or like Duncan and Robinson, will they step back -- afraid of O'Neil's retaliation. University (Haus of Mutombo) Blue ------------------
The 6ers were a normal Vince Carter shot away from going home in the 2nd round, and could have easily lost to a mentally weak Bucks team as well. The Lakers stormed 3 more talented teams with ease. The 6ers arguably don't win a single match-up against the Lakers, especially with Iverson banged up. The Laker's probably have the best guy in the league to leave on Iverson 1 on 1. The Lakers, as with the 6ers, are playing team ball and good D, so simply Phily players being on the same page isn't going to be enough to produce W's this time. The 6ers will need a little luck and a magical effort by Iverson to steal a game, it will never really be a contest (barring Shaq or Kobe blowing out a knee).
76ers take the 1st game in LA, but the Lakers win the next 4. Lakers in 5. ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
Am I the only one who read Almu's script and thought, "Butbutbut if Mutombo blocked the ball right into Nicholson's lap, the Lakers wouldn't lose possession after the technical free throw. Whassup withat?" Then it occurred to me. Nicholson must've suited up for game 7. The best I can figure is that Jack set a screen for Kobe and McKie knocked him into the baseline photographers going through it. Of course, there was no call, and Nicholson was out of bounds when the blocked shot hit him. (As far as the actual subject: I'm on the bandwagon. Lakers in 4, but don't hold me to it.) ------------------ ...just another Langhi fanboy
I'm gonna go with the Sixers upseting the Lakers in a sweep!! ------------------ [This message has been edited by jelanit (edited June 06, 2001).]
write this down, gascon. INSERT FOOT INTO MOUTH ------------------ fitter, happier more productive comfortable not drinking too much eating well (no more microwave dinners and saturated fats) sleeping well (no bad dreams) no paranoia fitter, healthier and more productive a pig in a cage on antibiotics
One game down, 4 to go. Lakers, don't prove me wrong! ------------------ Founding Father of the Refs Suck Club
Well, I've been out of town for a week, so I missed this thread, but this has been my prediction for a few weeks now: Sixers win in Seven Game 1 - Philly Game 2 - LA Game 3 - LA Game 4 - Philly Game 5 - Philly Game 6 - LA Game 7 - Philly AI - Finals MVP ------------------ blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
sixers will beet the Lakers in 7. The sixers are a more energetic team that can get job done. Also the Lakers haven't beeen playing great in the last two games.
