I don't buy this at all, the Lakers haven't shown they played their best game when their backs are against the wall. In Game 7 against Portland they were getting dismantled, and needed a Blazers collapse to win. Game 4 at home, they need a win, and took a pounding before crawling back for the win. Backs to the wall again last night and they lost. The Lakers are suspect in games like this.
Kobe had a good look to win it last night, he just missed it. Except for the '00 WCF, I don't think the Lakers have ever been on the verge of elimination the last 3 years. We will see Friday if the Kings can continue to hit clutch shots and if the Lakers want it enough. I'd love to see it go down to Game 7 in Sacramento with the Lakers winning it.
That is the ticket!!!! I don't know if I am deluding myself, but I honestly think the Nets have a chance against the Kings. Two reasons: tempo control (Mr. Kidd) and physical tough (maybe even a little dirty) defense. U may think I am crazy (most people did when I picked the Kings from the West) but remember Utah gave the Kings trouble by making the games played at Utah's pace--something the Mavs and Lakers hasn't done and got them in trouble. Pace and match-ups is what playoff BB is about, and the Nets are not a bad team to throw at Sac. Now Boston, they have no chance against either, and the Nets would have no chance against Shaq if he does manage to squek by this series. Nets over Kings is what I am hoping for.
GB, You can't see LA has been seriously outplayed this series? If so, you need some help and I feel sorry for you. Except for game 1, the Lakers have been outplayed by Sacto every game. Also, let's see a team fighting for a trip to the Finals gets down by almost 30 points in both games at their building and has to get lucky to win the must win game 4. This coming from the 2 time defending NBA champions? Wow, I really see Phil doing wonders this series? Need some new Books, Phil? Also, PEJA has not played for the first 4 games this series and the Kings shouldv'e been up 3-1. If that isn't partially a reflection on the coach, I don't know what is. I'm sorry Bulls and Laker fans, but this isn't some new revelation I came up with, but Phil has 8 rings because he has put himself in situations where he better win championships or he would really suck as a coach. I mean, gee, he goes to LA just around the time Kobe has matured into the great player he is today, and he had the good fortune of MJ for his first 6 rings. If it takes that much coaching for his superstars to win championships, I'll be in shock. Especially when they arguably are the best in the game. Also GB, give Phil the Kings and he likely wouldn't be in the Conf finals, since of course the Kings don't have arguably the best players in the game. Which seems to be a prerequisite for wherever Phil coaches. Phil is a decent coach, but I am sick and tired of the media revering a guy who has won all his championships riding on the coattails of the greatest players in the game at the time, when most NBA coaches with some intelligence could do the same. I mean look at RudyT taking a team with Olajuwon, and a bunch of role players to a championship in a tough Western conference when they weren't favored. I realize Dream was a top 5 player at the time, but it takes much more than one guy to make a team. Do you think Phil gets that team a ring too, honestly? Because I doubt it.
They're down 3-2 aren't they? If they were outplayed so badly, then why were they in it to win 2 games and come within a shot of another. Give Shaq credit. Give Kobe credit. Give Phil Jackson credit.
I'll concede game 1. But if you think LA outplayed Sacramento game 4, I can't help you. The Kings were in complete command that game and the Lakers got bailed out by Robert Horry. Let me reiterate: The two-time champions got down by almost 30 points in both games at home and especially in a must win game 4. They have been outplayed this series and quite honestly it shouldve ended last night.
PJ has lead a team with a hobbled Shaq, a Kobe, and pretty much guys playing crappy everywhere else to within one Kobe miss last game from a 3-2 lead against the only team to win 60 this year (a very talented team with great quality in the starting five and with depth). Personally, if you switched Rudy and PJ jobs the last 12 years or so my guess is PJ would have more rings than Rudy does now (or at least more finals vists) and Rudy would have less than 8 rings. I could be wrong, but I don't think any other coach would have 6 rings with the Bulls plus 2 more with the Lakers in what an 11-year span. You have to remember the at least half of those years a couple of shots determined the winner (Blazers series 2 years ago, Bulls vs Knicks a couple of times, Bulls vs Pacers, Bulls vs. Suns, Blazers & Jazz were close to going 7 as well). There were lots of times PJ teams could have lost very easily and he got them to respond so they just didn't. Further, it is not like PJ ever had a dream team with 7 HoFamers like Red A. did every year, his record is unbelievable. And believe me, I hated the Bulls and am rooting against the Lakers. I would have love to have Hakeem, Clyde and Drexler and Co knock of the Bulls which they very easily could have done because of talent and match-ups but Rudy never helped get his team in the place to do it. IMO Rudy and some others are among the best coaches where PJ is THE best in the business by quite a large margin.
Where did all the Kings fans who called out Lakers fans go? Next time remember no series is over until the final buzzer Bandwagoner my ***!
Hah! Live in your bitter denial for another year because the World Champion "Fakers" are still playing! At least Chris Webber gets to sleep with Tyra tonight...
ummm.....i'm right here. I didn't talk CRAP about the lakers after a win, i didn't talk crap about the lakers on this board after a loss. So, now that the lakers have won the series as i expected, why should i talk crap now? I will say that it is HILARIOUS how the kings fans called out everyone cheering for LA when the series was only 3-2. You would think a bunch of people on a rockets board would know a series isn't over until a team wins four games, but i guess irrationality won out over sensibility in this case. By the way, can we get a new section of the BBS for people who just want to b!tch, complain, cry, whine, and talk about the past? You know, those people still bent that we took john turner in the draft, that we lost to seattle in game 7 in 93, that that girl they asked out 5 years ago said no, that they misspelled "chief" in the spelling bee in the 2nd grade, that they accidentally bought the cd with the bad words BLEEPED out at wal-mart rather than the explicit cd, THAT THE KINGS SHOULD'VE WON THE SERIES BECAUSE GAME 6 WAS AS HORRIBLY OFFICIATED FOR THE LAKERS AS GAME FIVE WAS FOR THE KINGS? You know, can we get a separate section of the bbs for those people? We can induct people like bobby valentine, Allen Iverson, and jim mora into the hall of fame, and there can be really lamenting violin music in the background while the "guests" munch on "whine" and cheese. I'm sure we could find "a couple" of posters who would take up home NICELY in that section...but i don't need to name names.....
Not bashing the Lakers or their fans ... but saying "no one can touch the championship except the Lakers" after Robert Horry bailed the Lakers out in game 4 is a little too arrogant (pulling a Kobe? ). Obviously, it's not all Lakers fans on this board. Now read my signature.
Bandwagon? The real bandwagon is the Laker hater wagon that makes up roughly 99% of basketball fans. I never knew that the minority group, is known as the "bandwagon" group. It was great to see LA win, mainly to hear the incessant whining of Laker haters. Refs this, refs that, yatta yatta. Some people hate the Lakers more than they like their own team. I can't think of anything more sad.
Watch out Invisible Fan! Chris Webber is going to hunt you down, chew you out, and promise never to talk to you again.
Are you mad? Vanessa Williams over Tyra.....quit smokin that indo Smokey...by some miracolous karmic act..the Nets will beat the Lakers, then Ill beat u over the head.
Yeah, I'd rather have Vanessa than Tyra. But I'd rather have Rony Saikly's wife (SI swimsuit model Elsa Benitez).
