Both offenses exploded last night, each surpassing the century mark for the first time in the series. Miami's 52.9% shooting was impressive, but Dallas' 56.5% was just a bit more so. The Heat spent most of the game without Wade, then essentially spent the 4th quarter without LeBron.
If Dallas didn't win this one, I felt like the series would be over. Down 3-2 going back to Miami would have been too tough to overcome. And while the Mavs still have to win one more game, they needed this game last night.
Dirk Nowitski had another stellar performance with 29 points. But the hype around him is a little surprising. I won't go so far as to say he's overrated. I think maybe he was underrated before this run by the Mavs. Now people feel the need to exaggerate. Still, he is carrying Dallas on those German shoulders.
It was a team effort for the Mavs, though. Jason Terry scored 21 off the bench, Jose Juan Barea added 17, Kidd had 13, and Chandler had 13. The Mavericks hit 68.4$ of their three pointers.
LeBron James had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 boards, and 10 assists. But he only scored 2 points in the 4th. That night kind of sums up what his critics think of his career.
I don't like LeBron James. I hate him. I have no opinion of the Mavs, but they might be my 3rd favorite team in all of sports at the moment. I never liked James, his "Decision" made me like him less, and now LeBron ball-washers like Michael Wilbon portray him as a victim so I hate him even more. If you don't want media scrutiny, don't produce your own TV shows.
So I've been trying to watch the NBA Finals, rooting against the Heat. And they've been great games. But the endless commercials make it impossible for me to watch more than a minute at a time. And why do these teams need 6 timeouts each? It's so boring. Regular timeouts, TV timeouts, then ABC turns a 20 second timeout into a 30 second timeout with a commercial, then the players need 10 more seconds to get set for the play.
The most exciting 2 minutes of the game take 12 minutes to unfold. That doesn't build excitement, it's just annoying.
I can occasionally like watching basketball, especially the final minutes of a close playoff game. I don't like commercials, I don't like watching basketball players stand around and do nothing. It's just aggravating. And you know what else is boring? Free throws. I can't think of much outside of baseball that's more uninteresting than a free throw.
Get rid of the timeouts, get rid of the 15 seconds it takes to line up a free throw, and reduce the commercials. Also play the game on ice and allow contact.
Haywood was able to play in Game 4, but was only able to play 3 minutes. It sounds like his hip isn't getting any better, and doctors say his injury usually takes 4-6 weeks to heal. Obviously, Haywood will keep trying, but it is sounds more and more likely that Haywood has played his last minutes in the Finals. It's not the end of the World for the Mavs, but it does hurt their rebounding which is something I thought they could have an advantage in going into the series. Ian Mahinmi will likely take his place.
I went to bed at halftime, something woke me up when there was 1 minute left in the game. I believe that was God's way of playing a practical joke on me. "This will be funny, Dave is asleep and having a dream about him and Kate Upton, let me wake him up from that to see the Heat win" Thanks God, that was a punch to the dick.
the Heat are 3 games away from taking the title. the Scary thing is that they held Dallas to 84 points. Yes, Dallas shot horribly and missed A LOT of open looks, but this isn't a great way to start off the series. If you look at the positives for Dallas you can say they held Miami to 92 points, They missed a ton of open looks, and it could have been rust from the layoff. I'll bank on that, but more and more it looks like LeDouche is going to be winning his 1st title..... Shucks.
The Celtics had never lost a Game 7 to the Lakers, or in the NBA Finals until last night. But the series wasn't lost in Game 7 alone. It was lost in Games 1 and 6, when the Celtics put forth lackluster efforts, were inexcusably flat, and allowed the Lakers to walk all over them.
Let's get one thing straight: the Celtics didn't choke. The Lakers were the favored team in this series. And the fact that the C's advanced so deep into the playoffs is commendable. Despite the disappointing Games 1 and 6, the Celtics gave their maximum effort in Game 7. They simply didn't execute as well as the Lakers.
I'm going to rip Ray Allen for a bit. Defensively, he had an exemplary night. But offensively, he was a cancer. 3 for 14 from your biggest shooting threat is shameful. I know shooters can have off-nights, but he had 5 off-nights in this series. He was 33 for 90 (36.7%) from the field and 12 for 41 (29.3%) for three. Exclude Game 2's record-setting performance, and he was 22 for 70 (31.4%), and 4 for 30 (13.3%).
The Celtics couldn't find offense, and that's one of the big reasons they lost Game 7. And Ray Allen's offensive contribution was negligible. Certainly not worth $18.8 million.
The most glaring Celtic deficiency and Laker proficiency was rebounding, particularly LA's offensive rebounding. The Lakers hauled in 23 offensive boards. That's 23 times the Celtics could have triggered their breaking offense, 23 times that LA got an extra shot.
The Lakers didn't shoot well (32.5%), but were allowed to shoot often (81 field goal attempts).
The Celtics also put the Lakers to the line far too often. I've already heard grumblings from Celtics fans about the officiating, but it was a superbly refereed game. Very few mistakes. They let the players play. The Lakers actually struggled at the line, but they got there more often. 20 times more often.
The Celtics bench didn't do much, but neither did LA's. Then again, the C's bench was a matchup that favored the Celtics, so a draw serves as a win for LA.
The defense was excellent, especially the help-defense that clamped down on Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately, he got help from his friends. Ron Artest had the game of his life with 20 points, Gasol had 19 along with his 18 rebounds, Fisher's 10 points all seemed to come at key moments. Bryant finished with 23, but only 12 of those came from the floor. The other 11 came at the line. He did have 15 rebounds.
Maybe the Celtics missed Perkins in the paint, and perhaps that contributed to the Lakers' getting so many offensive rebounds. Then again, Perk was averaging only 5.8 rebounds per game this series, 3.5 of which were defensive. His replacements, Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis, each had 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively. So excuse-mongers, look elsewhere.
The Lakers played better; in Game 7 and in the series as a whole. There's nothing to do right now but mourn and look ahead to 2010-11.
Tonight's Game 7 between the Celtics and Lakers is the second-biggest Game 7 of my life and if you're in your 20s, I'm sure you feel the same way. Game 7 of the 2004 Red Sox-Yankees ALCS was a defining moment but beyond that, I don't remember this much drama revolving around the other Game 7's we've witnessed of late. Here were my thoughts going into each of these recent Game 7s.
-Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS between the Sox and Indians. That fraud Indians team was dead in the water at that point and no one really thought the Sox would lose Game 7 at Fenway.
-Game 7 of the Hawks-Celtics series in 2008. Same story but even worse for the Hawks as they quit after the opening tip.
-Game 7 of the Cavs-Celtics in 2008. This was graduation night at URI for me and instead of hanging out with my family at the party they threw for me, I watched what ended up being a great game. There was a lot on the line in this game but it was nothing close to tonight.
-Game 7 of the Sox-Rays in 2008. Coming off two titles in 4 years, the Sox' best pitcher (Beckett) and power hitter (Ortiz) hurting combined with a young core that will be back in 2009, I know my heart wasn't pumping at 9 a.m. that morning like it did today.
-Game 7 of the Bulls-Celtics in 2009. We knew the Celtics weren't in position to make a deep playoff run without Kevin Garnett but we also hated Joakim Noah so it wasn't meaningless, either.
-Game 7 of the Magic-Celtics . The Celtics had a 3-2 lead but a series win was gravy with Garnett hurt. Eff you, Hedo Turkoglu.
This isn't the first time we're preparing for a do-or-die game but the circumstances surrounding it and the effects of the outcome weigh heavier than anything since '04. The Celtics players are certainly aware of the fact that the Pistons of the 1980s are held in much higher regard than the Washington Bullets in 1978 or the 1983 76ers. Being able to win multiple titles with the same group is special and that's what Boston has on the line tonight: being compared to the Pistons from 2004 or the Celtics from the mid-1970s.
It's hard to believe this will be the last run for the Celtics team that Danny Ainge constructed during the summer of 2007 but that was the deal with the devil that he brokered. There was only a 3-year window. Times up. The Celtics will make one last stand and win this game. I can assure you of that.
Nostalgia aside, this game will come down to how well the Celtics pass the ball and improve their shooting. I don't feel as though the Lakers were play a great brand of defense that was limiting the Celtics. Game 6 was lost due to Celtics missed shots that created fast-break points for the Lakers. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will all be immense tonight. Pierce drops 30 points and will be MVP.
I don't think the 89-67 pounding the Lakers gave the Celtics was as bad as the score suggests. But it was still pretty bad. The Lakers dominated the inside game, outrebounding the C's 40-28 (the ratio was much worse before garbage time). The Celtics missed 2 dunks and 3 lay-ups in the 1st half alone. LA's bench outshined Boston's, scoring 25 points, compared to 13 from the C's. The difference was 24-0 at one point in the 3rd.
Then again, Perkins only logged 7 minutes before leaving with a sprain. Then Sheed got himself into foul trouble. This allowed the Lakers to really pour it on. That being said, even a healthy Perkins and the Celtics still lose this game convincingly.
We've seen this kind of game before. The Celtics offense depends on defensive success in order to really get going, particularly Rondo. But the Lakers seemingly hit every shot. Hell, Ron Artest was 6 for 11, and 3 of 6 beyond the arc. When Ron Artest is making jumpshots, it's just not going to be your night.
But the rebounding also killed the Celtics. 5 of Gasol's 8 rebounds came off the offensive glass. Those kind of second chance opportunities kill both the Celtics defense, and slow down their offense.
The Celtics only attempted 10 free throws. The Lakers had 19. To me, that demonstrates the Celtics forfeiting that inside game. And without your starting center, you can't really blame them. But the Celtics need to get to the line, and need to get key Lakers in foul trouble to disrupt LA's defensive scheming.
The Lakers played about as good as they can. Although Kobe is capable of more than 26 points, as we well know. And the Celtics played almost as poorly as they can. 33.3% from the field, 21.7% for 3. No bench contributions, mediocre defense, no rebounding. All the ingredients of a blowout loss. But they can improve. And they must.
Ironically, the regular season comes into play here. All post-season, we've repeated the following mantra in Boston: "See, the regular season doesn't matter." Now it does, with Game 7 on LA's court, where they've won 10 of 11 playoff games.
Game 7 Thursday night. Will Perkins play? Will Bynum? Lots of questions to be answered, but that's what Game 7s invariably do.
The Celtics are in the same position that they were in 2 years ago with a 3-2 series lead. The difference is that it took those 5 games for the starters to play in unison. With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett leading the way, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen stepped up to finally get the Celtics a win away from Banner 18.
When the Celtics have Pierce shooting elbow jumpers and KG active in the post, they are tough to beat. Look for Rondo to turn the ball over less and to create more in the paint.
I'm extremely interested to see Kobe Bryant's demeanor tonight. He's almost in a no-win position in that if he shoots too much, the Lakers aren't doing enough around him and if he defers too often, it's 2006 Phoenix Game 7 all over again. He can't shoot the ball much better than the other night and the Celtics have made it clear that they will not allow him into the paint. That combined with the thought that it's hard to imagine Ron Artest or Lamar "I'm Sick!" Odom suddenly producing against the Boston defense makes this Laker offense easy to figure out for the Celtics.
The key tonight will be Kendrick Perkins continuing to play straight-up defense on Pau Gasol. Without Gasol's inside scoring (drawing fouls) and rebounding, Los Angeles is one-dimensional.
I also expect the bench to provide more support tonight for the Celtics than Game 5. Glen Davis will have a big impact on tonight's game.
The Celtics will win their 18th championship tonight because the Lakers have given us no reason to side with them over the past 2 games. Celtics 95-Lakers 90.
Here we go, back in LA, and honestly the Lakers are fortunate to still be playing. If not for the Celtics blowing game 3, this game would not be back in LA. This game will be extremely tough as the Laker players know what to do. Poopface, Artest, Fisher all know they have to step up in order for them to win. Andrew Bynum is still gimpy and when he doesn't play the Lakers are a completely different team. Kobe has tried winning a couple games on his own and it hasn't worked, but I don't see him pulling it off by himself.
So far in every Celtics win a different player has stepped up. Rondo, Allen, KG, Baby, Nate and Pierce, have all had their moments, but tonight I think we have another starter driven win. the Line ups are:
I think that the Celtics have the edge over the Lakers because we basically have 5 defenders on 2 offensive players. The Celtics defense has been on point this whole series and I believe they will keep up their ferocious approach. Tony Allen has brought his game to a new level to the point, I haven't heard one person mention James Posey. He has been limiting everyone he defends and even though his offense is a trip, him being on the court is still worth it.
DP and I were talking yesterday right after the Celtics beat LA, and DP brought up an interesting point.
IF the Celtics can beat the Lakers, who would be the finals MVP?
Yes, I know it is a big IF with Boston heading back to LA, and trust me we aren't getting ahead of ourselves, but you really can't ask this question last, because it'd already be over. Boston has had a lot of great games, from a lot of different people. Ray Allen's eight 3-pointer game, Paul Pierce last night, ect. Yet, there really hasn't been anyone who has constantly gone off. So, when DP asked me this question it really took me awhile to come up with an answer.
The best I could do was to say that if Pierce has another big night he'll get it. DP basically said whoever is the top player in the clinching game would get it (which I somewhat agree with).
Anyways, take some time, think about it, and let us know who you would give the MVP to and why?
Tonight we have a very important game 5 in the NBA finals which has now drawn out to be a best of 3 series. The Celtics were able to get a big lift from their bench last game and as much as I would like to say Shrek and Donkey (Baby and Nate) will have as much of an impact in this game, I see a much different game. Last game, could be a heart breaker for the Lakers who got out played and beat by the Celtics bench. they were out played, pushed around and went silent in the 4th and that possibly could have been the knockout punch to the LA team.
I see a starter orientated game you know why? Because there hasn't been a starters driven game. I see KG, Pierce and Ray all in double digits and a huge game from Rondo. Rondo hasn't spoiled us since the triple double game, and he will bounce back in a big way. He will be aggressive, hit his free throws and get in double digit assists.
The Celtics will head into LA with a 3-2 lead after the night is over.
There are a few reasons for Celtics fans to be weary of tonight's game. For starters, Kobe Bryant has yet to have a deadly shooting night (although much of that has to do with the Celtic defense). Next, the Lakers aren't getting any shorter and shot-blocking will continue to be an issue. The black hole that is Kedrick Perkins' offensive game, which was pointed out by the great Peter May today, is something that the Celtics will have to deal with as well.
With those factors in mind, I can't see this team losing tonight. This isn't even me being a homer because I think the remainder of the series is still in serious jeopardy. However, losing tonight would give the Lakers a 3-1 advantage and pave the road for a quick exit from the 2010 Finals for Boston. After watching the past month of basketball from this team, I hardly see them going out with a whimper.
My reasoning? Right here:
-Paul Pierce hasn't lost the art of the jump shot overnight. His shooting will be back tonight.
-Despite falling into a 17-point hole and never fully recovering from it, I really thought the Celtics played great defense in Game 3. It was a matter of offensive ineptitude rather than lack of defense. I assure you that more shots will fall tonight.
-Kevin Garnett's resurgence will carry over to Game 4.Cedric Maxwell was right about the fact that KG's recent problems have revolved around his head, not any sort of injury. Now that he know he has the ability to take Pau Gasol to the hole at will, it opens a lot up for this Celtic offense.
-Rajon Rondo is pissed about Derek Fisher did in the fourth quarter in Game 3, even if he wasn't directly involved in all of Fisher's scoring. Rondo should and will take issue with a 35-year-old point guard dominating his team in the most crucial moments of a Finals game. There won't be a second half disappearing act from Rondo this time.
-The Celtic bench was good (Glen Davis with 12 points) but can be so much better if Rasheed Wallace can integrate himself into the game without picking up quick fouls.
I have no clue how the rest of this series will play out but I know this team will not lay down tonight. Celtics 100 -- Lakers 92.
You've probably read, or at least heard of Ted Green's "Guide To Hating the Celtics." It was pulled by the LA Times for this now infamous line:
"By the way, [Paul] Pierce's idea of a fun night is going clubbing and getting stabbed."
But what you don't know is that Green's Guide was horribly written, tritely unoriginal, and flat-out unfunny without that offensive line. In fact, that sentence is perhaps the best part of the piece. Although I think the purpose of including that line was to get the column pulled, or at least draw some negative attention. Did you know who Ted Green was before he scribbled this article? Nope. Neither did I. So kudos to him for figuring out how to get ahead in the Mainstream Sports Media: be a dolt.
But the rest of the "column" is really bad. I don't mean tasteless or classless kind of bad. I mean written by a 7th grader that was held back twice bad. Some examples to illustrate how much of an insult Green's Guide is to writing and to sports:
"The Celtics cry. They cry more than Best Actress winners at the Oscars. They cry like every game is a wedding."
Wow, great metaphors. Really funny. I mean, those Best Actress winners, they really do cry. HAHAHA. And so do the Celtics? WOW! High-larious!!!
"The Celtics also foul... They foul as a strategy."
What basketball team doesn't? This is like criticizing a hockey team for checking as a strategy, or a football team that tackles as a strategy.
"They probably foul their own bus driver on the way to the arena."
Oh Ted Green, you slay me! They foul their own bus driver?!? That's INSANE! Insanely funny, that is.
Kevin Garnett is #5. He wore 21 with the T-Wolves. Ted Green lists him as #21 in his "Guide." Bill Sharman would be pissed. Either it's an incomprehensibly subtle joke from Green, or it's sheer stupidity.
"If you'll be seeing [Paul Pierce] for the first time, you'll hate him before the first quarter of Game 1 is even close to over..."
So right here Green admits that Lakers fans are frontrunners and band-wagoners. First time seeing Paul Pierce? Didn't these teams play in 2008? Maybe LA fans forget because they didn't win? But if you haven't seen Paul Pierce yet, even in LA, you're a bit late to the party.
"Kendrick Perkins: This guy looks meaner than Cerberus..."
I know who Cerberus is, but that's because I'm a nerd. It's also because I'm a Simpsons fan (Season 8, "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show, a producer describes Poochie as "The original dog from hell." A writer then asks "You mean Cerberus?"). All that aside, knowing that Cerberus is a three headed dog that guards the gates of Hades is far from common knowledge. This is supposed to be a guide for frontrunning, stupid LA fans. If they don't know who Paul Pierce is, what are the odds they'll know who Cerberus is?
Californians are familiar with Greek and Roman mythology, everybody knows that, but maybe this one reference was a bit of a reach. And the whole point of allusion is to simplify something for the reader, give them something they can relate to. A better choice: Kendrick Perkins looks meaner than Chong-Li from Bloodsport.
"[Perkins] is prone to getting technical fouls, usually immediately after waking up in the morning."
Stick to stab jokes, Ted. Seriously, that Paul Pierce getting stabbed line gets funnier and funnier compared to the rest of this guy's routine. These are like the bad jokes that the immigrant dude on Family Guy laughs at.
"If [Rajon Rondo] were any more conceited, he'd dribble with his left hand and carry a hand-mirror with his right"
What's the matter, Ted? No reference to Hallgerda, the Viking goddess of vanity? Calling Rondo conceited seems to be pulled out of mid-air. Rajon is quiet, calm, and confident. I can't see anything conceited or cocky. Maybe I'm missing it. But even so, calling an NBA player conceited is like calling a porn star promiscuous, it sort of goes with the territory.
And the worst sentence Green wrote (which is saying something)...
"Just remember this kid is, like, 8 years old and already as arrogant as the rest of them."
Apparently, in Southern California, you actually write "like" in the middle of a sentence. And the punctuation rules are similar to direct address. Use a comma before and after. This is, like, a really good way to, like, you know, sound like a complete moron, or like, hella stupid, or like something like that. Y'know?
So while everyone gets up in arms about the Paul Pierce stab line, it was actually the best part of what is a horribly written piece, filled with unfunny jokes, distractingly confusing references, and an undercurrent of California stupidity.
So I'll admit, I wasn't totally involved with this series. I watched at least part of every game, and figured it was inevitable that the Lakers were going to take this series, despite a surprisingly strong season from the Magic. Orlando had their chances throughout the series, and couldn't capitalize. Last night they went 2 for 16from downtown through the first 3 quarters, and If the Magic aren't hitting there perimeter jumpshots they would probably have a hard time beating any team for that matter. If a couple of things went the Magic's way, they could of easily had a lead in this series with the potential to bring about a game 7.
I didn't neccessarily like the way that Stan Van Gundy managed games late, and also the way he used Jameer Nelson and Rafer Alston ... and could Dwight Howard make a clutch free throw?! As a Boston fan, I will always root against the Lakers, but low and behold Kobe has captured his fourth title, bringing about even more MJ comparisons while Phil Jackson becomes arguably the best coach of all time (gags) with his 10th NBA Championship. In respects to Jackson he did say, "I'll smoke the cigar tonight in memory of Red," "He was a great guy."
It was clear that Kobe was on a mission throughout these playoffs. Obviously bitter from last years Finals defeat, he put the team on his back at times, and lead them in all aspects of the game. As much as I dislike the Lakers, they played well and it appears Kobe can finally step out of the Shaq shadow and stand on his own as an NBA Champion.
Even though the Magic won this game, I am not going to praise them at all. Because if the only way you can beat the Lakers is shoot 62 percent and let the Lakers shoot 51 percent that doesn't bode well. As proved by the Celtics last year, you need to be player tougher defense than offense. It just sucks, because if Courtney lee happened to get that tip in at the end of the game the Magic could be up 2-1, instead they are down 1-2. The Magic got a great game out of Rafar Alston who dropped 20 and it seems like he is the key to the Magics success because it opens up Dwight Howard underneath the basket, and gives Dwight to dish it to one of his million swing men. Mickael Pietrus was huge off the bench for not only guarding Kobe Bryant but scoring 18 needed points.
Again, I don't that Orlando is going to win this series, but this win at least gives me some false hope.
ORLANDO or LA?...I don’t know about any other Boston fans out there, but when the Celtics lost I thought I would slowly tune out the rest of the playoffs and get ready for the off season. But, like many others, I caught most of the games and I think somewhere in the back of my mind I was intrigued by the potential Lebron-Kobe showdown. Now although that didn’t happen, we are still going to have one hell of a series and I cannot wait to see how this plays out. But until Thursday this is how I see things...
The Magic and Lakers are both playing their best ball and are coming off arguably their best games in the post season so both teams should feel very confident about their chances. However, overlooking their postseasons I don’t like LA’s series against Houston. They simply didn’t show up for some of those games and if that happens against the Magic they will not win. I also was not impressed with this series over Denver. Denver was a good team, but does anyone remember the KGless Celts going into Denver and blowing them out? When I think of Denver, that game sticks out in my mind.
Now Orlando has shown that home court is not an issue. They beat the Cavs badly in six games and barring a miracle by King James it would’ve been a sweep. The Celts took seven games but the Magic easily could have won that in five had they not fooled around in the fourth quarter. Since that game seven win in Boston “fooling around” in the fourth hasn’t been an issue.
KEYS TO VICTORY:
For the Lakers...
Forget about Dwight Howard, he is going to get his points and rebounds because he is a freak, but what can’t happen is a dunk contest. Keep Dwight somewhat contained. The bigger issue is letting guys like Pietrus, Lewis, Hedo and Rafer get wide open three point shots. This has been a KILLER in the Magics last two series...
Pau, Andrew and Lamar..please show up..Gasol has been playin real well so I shouldn’t bring him down with the likes of these other two clowns Bynum and Lamar...But these guys are going to be guarding Dwight and either Hedo or Lewis, and I am not convinced they are physical enough to stay interested defensively in games.
Kobe do work...Last year the Celts were all over Kobe like Kobe on Colorado hotel employees, and this manifested itself into what Bob Ryan I believe dubbed a “six game sweep.” I don’t think the Magic can play that good of D like the Celts did..Lebron had his share of points in the series, but that is because his supporting cast is terrible...If Kobe can get going early he is capable of winning the series by himself
Lastly, show up, give a shit, play with some attitude...Last year, especially in the last game they did not want to be on the court. They blew a couple big leads, and you can just visibly see them collapsing under adversity...If they play hard and smart basketball for 48 minutes, they are the better team and will win the series
For the Magic...
Control the paint...If you are Dwight Howard or whoever guarding Gasol and Bynum, don’t let them get comfortable..Pau can get in a groove if he gets going..and Bynum looks like he would rather be playing badminton so it doesn’t take much to get him disinterested.
Like Howard, Kobe is going to get his points. But don’t be like the Toronto Raptors and stand there and watch him score 81 points...I wonder if the Magic are going to watch any of last years tape to see how the Celts kept him in check...So harass him as well as you can and make the other guys beat you...
Easy Skip to my Lou...He has been really solid for the Magic, and a matchup with Jeff Fisher he should dominate like Aaron Brooks did with the Rockets..but he can’t get too selfish...he has to remember the scorers on the team and that he is the point guard, not the shooting guard
Keep Making those threes...the 3 pointer has been a tremendous weapon for the Magic..but everyone knows the saying, “live by the three, die by the three.” Get the ball to Dwight, and from there wide open threes should open up
Can they really be playing this well?..Can the Magic keep playing at this level, can Hedo be counted on in the clutch in the NBA finals...Being in the finals might be overwhelming for the Magic, especially Stan Van...I can easily see him losing it over something trivial during the series..
My pick?
Lakers in seven...this is my pick, but there are so many reasons to like Orlando..and if Orlando had home court I would pick Orlando in six..either way, it is going to be a great series...
