12/22/24
April 30, 2007
Pistons 4: - Magic 0
Cavaliers 3 - Wizards 0
Nets 3 - Raptors 1
Bulls 4 - Heat 0 Mavericks 1 - Warriors 3
Suns 3 - Lakers 1
Nuggets 1 - Spurs 2
Rockets 2 - Jazz 2
posted by lilnemo to basketball at 02:11 PM - 32 comments
I don't follow the NBA anymore, but it would be cool to see the old, nasty, viscous Pistons/Bulls playoff rivalry come back. I may even watch those games.
posted by NoMich at 02:28 PM on April 30, 2007
Whoooo them Bulls on fire. Who would have thought they could sweep the Heat. Round two, Pistons-Bulls. Thats going to be a insane series. The old rivalry may be reborn and you know i'm gonna be watching it.
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 03:16 PM on April 30, 2007
I can't believe the Warriors have been the better team for most of this series. How did they lose so many games this season?
posted by rcade at 03:22 PM on April 30, 2007
I can't believe the Warriors have been the better team for most of this series. How did they lose so many games this season? The Warriors were hurt by a lot of injuries this year. The trade to get rid of Dunleavy and Murphy made them 10x more athletic, and now they can compete with teams that run up and down. They won't be able to handle a team with decent inside scoring, but the Mavs are a jump-shooting team, which plays into the Warriors' up-tempo style. The thing that has really blown me away is the way that the Warriors have DEFENDED the Mavs. They are really taking them out of their offense with pressure on the PG. It would be fun to watch GS vs Phoenix. They would be scoring 140 pts each, per game. It would be like the 70's-80's all over again. The NBA is making a comeback. There's no dominant team anymore like the dynasty's of the past. There are about 6 teams that have a legitimate shot at the title this year.
posted by yay-yo at 03:49 PM on April 30, 2007
Yes, yay-yo, the same trade that made the GSWs the powerhouses they are today also killed my beloved Pacers. At least I have the consolation of seeing Chicago advance to the second round for the first time since the Jordan era. Oh, and I can't forget the fun of watching Kobe go down in defeat. I love Phil Jackson, but the Lakers must be stopped.
posted by ridadie2005 at 04:05 PM on April 30, 2007
They need to flat-out stop using Al Harrington. He's like a bloated seal weighing down a group of dolphins.
posted by charlatan at 04:08 PM on April 30, 2007
The Magic can still come back.... Gooooo Magic.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 04:14 PM on April 30, 2007
GSW may force me to eat some humble pie. Not that I talked shit about them, but I certainly gave them no credit when I thought they had no chance to beat the Mavs in a seven-game series. Both conference champs from last year going down in the first round was certainly not something most people saw happening -- even if one was a Heat team that simply could not get it straight all season. The Raptors have also been disappointing. Where's Bosh this series? I haven't watched much of it, and when he has touched the ball, defenses collapse on him. But if you're going to be treated as a superstar, you have to elevate your game, Mr. Bosh. Shame the Suns-Lakers series hasn't matched last year's intensity. Now that was some great basketball.
posted by PublicUrinal at 04:53 PM on April 30, 2007
I can't believe the Warriors have been the better team for most of this series. How did they lose so many games this season? Pretty much what yay-yo said. They finally got all of the key pieces some experience together after that trade and finished the season 9-1, including some tough matches against playoff teams that we're still actively playing. Hell, they were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. To borrow a phrase from the NHL, Baron Davis has been playing on his head. The dude's got the talent to consistently put up 20ppg, 8.5 ast and 5 rebs and is a triple-double threat every night. It's just a shame (from an athetic point of view - I've never been much of a fan of his) that his career has been addled with playing on lousy teams, grousing about playing on lousy teams, attitude questions, and perennial health problems. However, right now, he's got the right attitude, good health, and a team that suits his style well. We're finally seeing that potential come to light. Plus, Dallas is having the same problems with Davis as they had against Wade in the Finals last year. Neither Harris nor Terry can consistently guard big guards that have good perimeter shooting and lane-driving skills. Davis's play at the end of the 2 and 4th quarters last night was just a freaking gut-punch. I've been pissy all day today. I'm really looking forward to both the Utah/Houston and SA/Denver games tonight. The former because I think it's a great matchup. The latter in the vain hope of trying to fill up the quota of Schadenfreude that even the sweep of Miami didn't quite fix. Detroit/Chicago next round is going to be *Fantastic*. As big of a fan as I am of the Western Conf and with as much grief as I give to the Eastern, this could be better than PHX/SA (you know, on the slim chance that Dallas pulls this out and those two meet in the 2nd round -- otherwise, Pistons v. Bulls will have no peer).
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:06 PM on April 30, 2007
I don't follow the NBA anymore, but it would be cool to see the old, nasty, viscous Pistons/Bulls playoff rivalry come back. I may even watch those games. With Big Ben playing for the Bulls, this could be a really intense series. I was like you NoMich for a while. The 1995 finals crushed me and I didn't watch NBA again until the Knicks unlikely playoff run in 1999. This to crushed what little love I had left for the Kinckerbockers but after last years wildly fun playoffs the NBA has solidified it's place as number 2 in my heart (behind the NHL of course) Baron Davis gets my vote for Most Valuable Beard. How can you defend against awesome facial hair like that?
posted by HATER 187 at 05:20 PM on April 30, 2007
There is nothing I want more (besides the championship of course) than for the Pistons to demolish the Bulls. I would love to see them stick it to Ben Wallace. It'll be nice to be on the other end of Ben Wallace's airballs on freethrows.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 07:02 PM on April 30, 2007
The Raptors look like they got cast down with the sodomites. They're not just losing, they're being used up for highlight reels like kleenex. I've heard of having to earn your playoff stripes, but this is ridicuilous. It's been the worst part of my month. So frustrating.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:20 PM on April 30, 2007
"Its a wonder watching the Warriors impose their pace upon the Mavs." - Lilnemo That's my new favorite sentence. Trochaic tetrameter hiccoughing into iambic, with a lovely bit of alliteration for each.
posted by bobfoot at 08:30 PM on April 30, 2007
Trochaic tetrameter hiccoughing into iambic, with a lovely bit of alliteration for each. That's my new favorite sentence. I don't know if it's poetry, but I like it.
posted by The Crafty Sousepaw at 08:52 PM on April 30, 2007
It'll be nice to be on the other end of Ben Wallace's airballs on freethrows. But not so nice to be on the other side of his defense and rebounding. Ben Wallace is like Dennis Rodman minus the dress and the mental issues. Being a Laker fan, I must admit that I disliked B. Wallace a lot after the Finals in which he neutralized Shaq. Being a basketball fan, there is no denying the mans positive effect on the team for which he plays. Perhaps he should be mentioned in some of the MVP talks... It would be great to see a guy who averages less than 10 ppg to win it.
posted by yay-yo at 08:54 PM on April 30, 2007
rockets game ended a while ago. rockets 3 jazz 2 now.
posted by mflinn at 10:36 PM on April 30, 2007
It'll be nice to be on the other end of Ben Wallace's airballs on freethrows. Yeah, I'm with you on that, especially since my roomates a Chi-town fan, hes still pissed the Bears lost to the my home town Colts...I can two time him this year if my Pistons win this series, which I am concerned about since they took us 3 of 4 this season. It will definitely be a good series, probably the best the Eastern Confrence has to offer till the winner matches up against Lebron. I'm sure this series wont be as "physical" as they used to be when they would punish Jordan for driving into the lane. The NBA changed that soon enough! They didnt want the face of the league being mauled to death by Laimbeer and Co. Its good to see Baron Davis doing well, he reminds of Billups, not quite as good, but a touch faster. Hes always been on crappy teams like the Hornets, so its nice to see him in the play-offs. Its to bad when good players dont get to win, kinda reminds me of Mitch Richmond...
posted by dezznutz at 11:32 PM on April 30, 2007
And, Crafty, you'll note there are two tetrameters in a row... ... and neither tet. offensive... (ow)
posted by bobfoot at 12:39 AM on May 01, 2007
There is nothing I want more (besides the championship of course) than for the Pistons to demolish the Bulls. I would love to see them stick it to Ben Wallace. It'll be nice to be on the other end of Ben Wallace's airballs on freethrows. Hey give him credit, he made seven straight free throws in game four at Miami. And your obviously forgetting that Big Ben is a defensive beast who can block shots and rebound any loose ball. He stopped Shaq, who is harder to stop than Shaq? Nobody. As far as the Pistons are concerned, if they are going to constantly try to get revenge on Wallace, then Luol Deng and Ben Gordan are going to score thirty points each. Chicago has a more talented bench, a more durable defence, and a more high powered offense than the Pistons. Who do you think is harder to sweep, the Heat of Majic?
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 08:25 AM on May 01, 2007
I also quit watching the NBA-it's the NFL for me. But I WILL watch the Pistons & Bull. Go Pistons!!! Ben is no Michael(whom I loved to watch) And it was NOT Laimbeer and Co--it was Isaiah & Co! Again I say---Go Pistons!!!!!
posted by LadyGen at 08:38 AM on May 01, 2007
Echoing Weedy, watching the Raptors has been painful to the point of misery (while lightening my wallet in the process).... PublicUrinal, in my opinion you are right about Bosh not stepping up...I honestly believe his ineptitude has been the key to this series. I understand long and lean Mikki Moore giving him problems, but Jason Collins has essentially shut him down as well, which is inexcusable. He has become in this series what we always lamented about Vince Carter: an amazingly quick talent who settles for outside jumpers. As others pointed out, Detroit-Chicago is going to be a fantastic series. They *really* are almost identical: great jumpshooting 2-guards (Hamilton, Gordon), athletic and versatile wings (Prince and Deng) and deep in the post (Webber, Wallace, McDyess vs. Wallace, Brown and Thomas). Both teams defend like all hell and both rely probably a little too much on their perimeter game to win the championship. They even both have an Argentinian swingman coming off the bench. Keys: Chicago usually puts Hinrich on the opposing team's scoring guard (ie. Rip), which leaves Gordon to guard Billups. Chauncey is going to torch him a few times in the series, shooting over him and breaking him off the dribble. Hinrich *has* to make shots or the Bulls are f+cked. Likewise for Tay Prince. Ty Thomas has to continue his impressive learning curve, or McDyess will eat him up. The coaching matchup: I don't think the Pistons generally like Flip Saunders all that much, so we'll see what happens when the series gets tight down the stretch. On the other hand, I think Skiles runs the best stuff out of timeouts in the league, and that he has more flexibility to make adjustments as the series progresses. I also think the Bulls generally buy into what he's all about. Give Skiles the edge here. The Big Ben factor: it's relatively easy to take a gifted shooter out of his game, but much harder to take an aggressive rebounder, defender and shot blocker away -- there are fewer fine motor skills involved. He will be very motivated and will probably win a game for Chicago outright in the series with his presence. Pick: I am going with athleticism and coaching over experience.....Bulls in 6. Maybe that is why my wallet is lighter? ;)
posted by smithers at 09:25 AM on May 01, 2007
God the Raptors have disappointed me. After the home game split it was hopeful. They didn't play good AT ALL, but were still tied in the series. Things were looking up. I BOUGHT tickets for game 5. Then, not long after I bought those tickets, they played even worse than the shit they were calling "basketball" in their first two games. sigh.
posted by mkn at 02:29 PM on May 01, 2007
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN UNPREDICTABLE. That's the bottom line. NO ONE could've guessed Deng and Gordon would eat the Heat alive. NO ONE could've guessed the Warriors would be up 3-1 to the Mavs. Game 4, by the way, was the most exciting playoff game since the 3-game-winning shots game Lakers vs. Spurs, ending with Derek Fisher's .00001 seconds left fader. Houston vs. Utah seems to be the only good match-up in the first round. I would love to see a young Utah team excell, OR T-Mac finally get a chance to shine well into the playoffs. One thing I am still curious to see, who will win MVP? Dirk deserved it for the regular season. But if they take into account, the last week of play. Dirk disappeared.... and Nash almost beat the playoff assist record.
posted by Snikastyle at 02:51 PM on May 01, 2007
Couldn't have said it better Smithers. Except the fact that not only Kirk *has* to make shots. In all of the Miami wins ,and most of the season wins, Kirk, Luol, and Ben Gordan scored well over double digits. And Thomas on McDeyss? I don't know, Thomas hardly played at all in the Miami series. Thomas needs to come to build momenteum with some big plays, because he is just to small and young to try to keep McDeyss in check. My prediction: Bulls in five. The Bulls will win all of thier home games and win one at Detroit. Chicago has the best home record after the all-star break and the fans are going to be pumped.
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 03:04 PM on May 01, 2007
If everyone is throwing predictions out there then I'll go Pistons in six. Detroit is the best team in their conference long as they come to play every night and don't waste time crying about the refs. Which they'll do at least once. It will be a great series.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:42 PM on May 01, 2007
Sorry TelamarketersBeware, I took it as given that Gordon and/or Deng will make shots on any given night....Hinrich always seems to be the question mark for the Bulls team. When he is on, their emotion and focus is pretty unbeatable. As for Thomas, I hear your point, but the main reason he didn't play in the Miami series revolved around matchups...there was nobody for him to guard. I will be very surprised if he doesn't get much more time in this series, although if Nocioni is playing well, that could be negated (which is what I was referring to when I said Skiles has more flexibility offensively...ie. go big, small, shooters, defenders). Oh, and by the way Snikastyle, it's not exactly the prediction you were looking for, but...
posted by smithers at 03:51 PM on May 01, 2007
Yes the Heat are a better team than the Magic, but I wouldn't give the Bulls too much credit. The Heat were not even close to playing at the level they did last year.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:09 PM on May 01, 2007
Props to you smithers, even though the Heat have been my team a while... they will have to move in new point guards and some young talent all over the floor. Mavs just won game 5. Dirk finally plays MVP style basketball when it counts. He validated his near future MVP trophy tonight. BUT.... with BD in the game at the end, it easily could've been an OT game. Look for game 6 to be VERY CLOSE. By the way, if the Bulls beat the Pistons, it will HAVE to be in 6 games. NO WAY the Bulls beat the Pistons AT HOME in a game 7. Should be a great series and a possible rivalry future.
posted by Snikastyle at 12:09 AM on May 02, 2007
Oh, and I can't forget the fun of watching Kobe go down in defeat. I love Phil Jackson, but the Lakers must be stopped. Let me revise my statement, thus: Except for Phil Jackson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, and Vlade Divac-- all good guys- the Lakers must be stopped. Or maybe just: All CURRENT Lakers players must be stopped.
posted by ridadie2005 at 04:40 PM on May 02, 2007
Oh, and I can't forget the fun of watching Kobe go down in defeat. I love Phil Jackson, but the Lakers must be stopped. You're not bitter at all... I'm still having nightmares of Steve Nash throwing alley-oops to Shawn Marion and Amare.
posted by yay-yo at 06:26 PM on May 02, 2007
Golden State you were so close!!! Hopefully they'll get them next game.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:56 PM on May 02, 2007
The Pistons/Magic, Cavs/Wiz, Bulls/Heat series all look(ed) way too one-sided. Though the sweep of the Heat was still unexpected. The Nets/Raptors series has the potential to be interesting, but it looks like the Raps can't get anything going. I don't foresee the Nuggets winning another game in SA. The Lakers/Suns tilt seems like it should be more fun, but to my eyes the Lakers are playing desperate, scattered basketball. So far, the most entertaining series for me have been Mavs/Warriors and Rockets/Jazz. Rockets/Jazz has been highly competitive, and has featured some beautifully structured basketball, both offensive and defensive. The Mavs/Warriors series has been a revelation. Its a wonder watching the Warriors impose their pace upon the Mavs. I was pretty sure before the series began that the Mavs would find a way to control the tempo by making the Warriors play a half-court game. Obviously, that has not happened. The Bay Area crowd should take a bow, they've done their squad proud.