inexcusable choking job by the defending champs. i'm very disappointed. manu had the worst game of the year. but the lakers showed not much, either. and phil jackson's stubbornness of not to double td is mind-boggling. this is going to be a long series. i still feel the spurs will take it.
I think he's trying to keep his team calm, cool, and collected. In the grand scheme of things, this was just one road loss. The Spurs have demonstrated that they're capable of beating the Lakers in LA. If they win game 2, all of a sudden the series swings in their favor.
I was waiting for someone to ask him "How did Kobe get so hot in the 4th qtr?" ala the TMac 13 in 33 seconds. He knows why they lost, Manu sucked tonight. Even if they blew the big lead, Manu could have hit some shots to stave the come back or come back themselves when the Lakers got the lead. 10 points from Manu isn't going to win them many games in this series.
Anyone remember when Jordan destroyed Drexler in the Chi/Port finals, after much speculation that Drexler might be able to hang with him and cancel him out. Well, Hollinger and others all year were pointing out how Ginobody is putting up equal numbers to Kobe, when you extrapolate out to Kobe's mpg. Anyone else think Kobe is very motivated to make a point like Jordan did? oh, and btw, this is a hand check foul (no call) on the go ahead shot in the end: <img src="http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0521/nba_g_kbryant1_412.jpg">
I remember it well and you make a good analogy. Anyone putting Manu close to Kobe needs their head examined.
Spurs choked but I still see them winning this series. Kobe is getting mostly jumpers and not FT's. Manu played like garbage. Odom doesn't appear to be the mismatch that he needs to be, and the Lakers have no one to hold Duncan in the post. The Spurs were a tired team in the 4th IMO.
Spurs were the older and less athletic team. by mid 3rd Qtr, they had no legs to catch up to the younger/more athletic/well-rested Lakers.
I'd actually say you just made a very convincing argument as to why the Spurs won't win. 1. Kobe won't be held to jumpers all series long. He will get to the line. 2. Odom will give the Spurs a problem for at least a game or two, and one can only assume that will propel the Lakers to more wins. 3. The Spurs were tired in the 4th because they're old and the Lakers tired them out. Do you think that was by accident? It may be my bias against the Spurs (whom I hate even above the Utah Jazz), but I think their time is done. I hate the Spurs so much I'm actually rooting for the Lakers, and rooting for Kobe isn't easy. Anyway, a Lakers/Celtics Finals would be good for the league and considerably more entertaining than another BS Spurs/Pistons series.
Hahaha the Spurs whined all night long and forgot to play ball. Nice one, Duncan! As for Ginobili getting 'shoved' to the ground by Odom, do you really think that he was pushed so hard that he flew to the ground because of it? Yeah, right. It was a textbook Ginobili flop, and I'm so glad the refs gave him the finger and swallowed their whistles. Sorry Spurs fans, the Lakers are going to take the series. There were so many stupid flops by the Spurs so I'm glad that the Lakers stuck it to them and made them their b****es. Bowen kept complaining all game long too; give me a break, he shoves Kobe every time the guy drives and he starts complaining when Kobe returns the favor? What a loser.
Oh please what a bunch of haters, you really love Kobe don´t you, Hobe had a great game for the last 18 minutes, OK, yet no one thinks the Spurs defense disappeared from the 5 min mark of the third? Popovich was forced to play other guys on Kobe mainly because the spurs have only half day rest, why? They couldn´t sleep from Monday to Tuesday because their plane to LA failed to launch, therefore they had A No practice B no rest, yet the guys almost got this game, i am quite sure the Spurs will get this in 6 or maybe 5. Although i don´t think Ginobili is going to be much of a factor, he is injured on his right ankle from the Phoenix series and it has aggravated it during NO game 7, i think he may play the role of a decoy at most because he clearly lacked the speed of a capable 2 guard, he also injured his shooting hand before the game. Just like that the Spurs almost win a game with no rest against a fully rested Lakers team. This will be a thought series but io think if the officialism keeps things fair (like last game) Spurs will come through.
Re watch the play, both the Go ahead Jumper and that play were fouls by Kobe and then Kobe again, look at kobe at the replay he pushed with Manu both hands coming from Odom´s right side, it´s clear, anyway i think the refs did the right thing because at the end of games some physical play has to be allowed. If not you´ll see calls like the one that went against Scola all over games.
"Spurs (whom I hate even above the Utah Jazz)"? wow. why? "a Lakers/Celtics Finals would be good for the league and considerably more entertaining than another BS Spurs/Pistons series"? not necessarily.
