Allen's Record Setting Night Sets The Tone, Series Tied 1-1

After a disappointing Game One, the Boston Celtics leave Los Angeles with what they came for: a split in the first two games. Led by Ray Allen's record setting performance from downtown, the Boston Celtics held off the Lakers 103-94. The Celtics now have the homecourt advantage and we officially have a series.

Allen had a night to remember as he broke the NBA Finals single game record for three pointers with 8. Allen tied the mark with 7 in the first half! Boston seemed to be in control of the game, leading by double digits in the first half, but Kobe Bryant nearly went Reggie Miller in the last 5 seconds of the half. After a Ron Artest miss (there were many of those last night), Shelden Williams threw a lazy pass that was intercepted by Bryant who then drained a three. On Boston's inbounds pass, Bryant again stole the ball and heaved up another three pointer that rattled in and out as time expired.

Despite Ray Allen's shooting clinic, Kobe had cut the lead to six as the teams headed into the locker room.

The second half seemed to swing in the Lakers' favor as they quickly took the lead. But Bryant fell into foul trouble picking up his fourth midway through the third quarter. Kobe was forced to sit and Boston kept the game close.

With just under 6 minutes left in the game. Bryant converted an "and 1" three point play to put the Lakers up three. This looked like the Black Mamba's time to break out and take control of the game and give his team control of the series. However it wasn't the game's greatest closer who took over, it was the game's newest star.

Through the first game and three quarters of Game Two, the Lakers were able to contain Rajon Rondo. That seemed to be the success for the Lakers in Game One. No one had been able to hold down Rondo in the Playoffs.

After Kobe had given the Lakers a three point lead, Rondo scored Boston's next six points on easy driving layups. The dagger was Rondo's midrange jumper with under two to play to give Boston a 95-90 lead.

Kobe got uncharacteristically cold down the stretch and couldn't will his team to victory. Everyone was waiting for Bryant to take over, but it never happen.

After two games in Los Angeles where Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce failed to show up last night, the series is somehow tied. Yeah, Rondo was clutch in Game Two, but it was Ray Allen scoring 27 of his 32 points in the first half that gave the Celtics the spark they were so desperately needing.

Rondo finished with his second triple double of this postseason and 5th postseason triple D overall. He had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. I still don't understand how this guy gets an easy 12 boards? While the bigs are down low fighting for a rebound, Rondo is making a living running just inside the free throw line grabbing loose ball rebounds.

Maybe the biggest question through the first two games has been the officiating. That always seems to come up this time of year. Kevin Garnett was on the floor for 24 minutes last night. Kobe Bryant got into foul trouble early and often and Phil Jackson was forced to sit Kobe more often than usual.

It's the NBA Finals, we don't want to see the stars on the bench. These are supposed to be the best referees the NBA has to offer. These guys should know all about Derek Fisher and Paul Pierce's flopping. At times, they do seem to let the guys play, but the questionable fouls are usually little tick tac, low contact calls.

The Lakers shot 15 more free throws than the Celtics. However, both teams were whistled for 29 fouls each. So in a way, the referees have been consistent with each team, but there's a lot of times where they need to swallow the whistle. At times, players aren't on the floor long enough to find their rhythm

The difference in the game was easily Boston shooting a "redonkulous" 68.8% (11-16) downtown! The Lakers were just 5-22 from behind the arc.

Also, the Celtics got great production off the their bench as Rasheed Wallace had 7 points/ 7 rebounds, Glen Davis put in 8 points/7 rebounds, and Nate Robinson, again!, got off twitter and put in 7 crucial points off the bench when Boston needed to rest Rondo.

As for the Lakers, Ron Artest was Ron-Ron, shooting 1-10! for six points. Lamar Odom played a total of 15 minutes with only 3 points off the bench as he to got into foul trouble.

In a game where Paul Pierce was just 2-11, he already said Boson won't be coming back to LA. Careful Paul, you don't need to wake up a sleeping Mamba. Now the Lakers have to win at least one of three in Boston or else Kobe will have to go back to hearing about how good Shaq was.

Magic Choke Away Another One Late

Somehow the Orlando Magic find themselves done, down 3 games to 1. The Magic could easily be up 3-1. After being blown out in Game 1, Orlando has actually outplayed the Los Angeles Lakers the last 3 games.

Boy, does experience matter. Orlando was a missed layup away from winning Game 2. They had no chance in OT. And last night, they controlled the entire first half, blew the game in the third quarter, and then came back and had the game wrapped up in the 4th.

But honestly! Do basketball players not watch other basketball games? Do they not learn from experience? Do they not understand Basketball 101?

With Orlando in control in the final minute of Game 4, up 3 points, Dwight Howard bricked two crucial free throws. Howard only needed one to basically seal the deal. And even missing both shots from the charity stripe, the Magic were still up 3 with less than 10 seconds remaining.

All they had to do was defend the three point shot, something you would think Orlando knows a lot about. And if LA doesn't drive the ball for an easy two, FOUL the guy before he has a chance to shoot a 3! Like I said before, Basketball 101!

Not only did Orlando fail to foul Derek Fisher, Jameer Nelson failed to get up in Fisher's grill and contest the shot.

Did we not learn anything from Memphis and the 2008 NCAA Championship Game? No, not cheating on your SAT's.

I know you can't put the total blame on the players. A lot has to fall on Stan Van Gundy who very much played the role of the Master Of Panic last night. I don't know what he told his team on that possession, but I hoped he told them to foul once the Lakers moved the ball past half court.

By not fouling Fisher, Van Gundy gave Phil Jackson, one of the most overrated coaches in NBA history, his record 10th Finals ring. I will write an article on why Jackson is one of the most overrated coaches in all sports in some other time. Really not much explaining to do there.

Orlando should have won last night's game by double digits. The reason they lost, free throws! Larry Bird used to call them "free points." The Magic were 22-37 from the "free point" line, just under 60%.

And with the game tied 91-91 with just over a minute to go in OT, it seemed like the Lakers had the ball an eternity. How many chances did Orlando give them before Fisher hit the game clinching 3? Like the whole second half, Orlando failed to crash the boards as a team.

And Kobe got away with a huge no call on Fisher's trey. Kobe hit Jameer hard with an elbow to a face that should have been an easy offensive foul. But at the same time, what's been fun about the last few games is the fact that the refs have been letting the teams play.

Kobe Bryant is the epitome of a street baller. You know, whenever he misses a shot, his hands immediately go up in the air and he has that astonished look on his face. "What! No Foul?!" Whenever he loses the ball, the same surprised expression. Everyone's played a pick up game with a guy similar to this. And how fun is that?

We've always heard about how important experience is when it comes to the NBA Finals. There was the Piston's trying to get over the hump in the late '80s. Even Jordan had his learning experience before polishing off 6 rings.

This same Lakers' team couldn't get over the hump last year against Boston, but are now proving last year's Finals lost has been a major stepping stone. But hey, you wouldn't think that with guys like Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher would need a learning experience.

The last three games of the NBA Finals have been great with two overtime games. But you could just feel Orlando not having the magic to finish a game off. (I know, good one.) If Kobe and the Lakers hadn't struggled from the line in Game 3, this very well could have been a sweep.

And speaking of Magic, one final note (since this will probably be my final post for a couple of weeks, I'm moving and will actually be going back to work for a week.)

I miss Charles Barkley and TNT's NBA coverage. I've heard that TNT's crew is covering the Finals on the NBA Channel. That must be on the same satellite feed as Versus, I don't get it but wish I did. I can't stand ESPN's studio crew and don't care to watch it. Really no personality there. Stuart Scott is stuck in 1997 and thinks he is still cool. Was he ever? I don't even know what Barry that is on the show. And Mike Wilbon, well, since the popularity of PTI, Wilbon has grown a huge head and is so stuck on himself that he's more worried about going out and being seen at the big city clubs. Like he's some big time celebrity.

And Magic Johnson? Yeah, Magic is one of the best players to ever dribble a basketball. But last night during ESPN's halftime "show," I heard Magic say, "Like I said before the game, if Odom, Gasol, Ariza and Fisher don't shoot well, the Lakers won't win."

Really Magic!!! That's the best your basketball mind can come up with? Duh! That's like saying the team that scores the most points will win the basketball game.

What's even worse, I'm sure on the postgame show, Magic said something like this, "I told you before the game those four players need to shoot the ball for Lakers to win. And the second half they came through." Note: I have yet to see the postgame "show."

How right you are Magic.

As for Orlando, do they really want to win Game 5 and have to travel back to LA and get blown out.

Kobe Leads Lakers As Magic Disappear

When Kobe gets that look in his eye, Mamba's zoned in and there's no stopping him. Kobe single handily took over Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Lakers routed Orlando.

LA basically only needed the 2nd and 3rd quarters to seal Game 1. Orlando actually had the lead after the first and were even up 33-28 in the second quarter when Mamba stole the show. Bryant had 30 points in a 16 minute span from the second quarter into the the third. The game was well over by the start of the 4th quarter.

In 38 minutes, Kobe had 40 points, 8 boards, 8 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks while hitting some ridiculous shots.

As for the Magic, call it stage fright. They just couldn't hit anything. You know the old saying, "Live by the 3, die by the 3. After putting on a 3 point clinic against Cleveland, Orlando shot just 8-23 from downtown in Game 1. The Magic shot 30% overall.

And it's not like the Lakers were playing great defense. Orlando had their shots, but they just couldn't hit anything from wide open 3's to missed layups. A lot of their shots weren't even close.

How does Dwight Howard only attempt 6 shots, making just 1! Howard did get to the line 16 times but finished with only 12 points. The Lakers outscored Orlando 56-22 in the paint.

Mickael Pietrus was the Magic's leading scorer coming off the bench with 14.

The entire starters for Orlando had a combined 46 points, shooting 11-46. That's 24%! Kobe had 40 by himself!

The good news for Orlando, it's just one game. We've seen this team catch fire and when they do, the best player on the planet can't stop them. They've dug themselves deep a couple of times in the playoffs. They were down 2-1 in the first round to Philadelphia. In the Conference Semifinals, they were blown out in Game 2 at Boston. They were down 3-2 to the Celtics.

The bad news? Phil Jackson coached teams are 43-0 when they win Game 1 of a playoff series.

One other note. The Conference Finals wrapped up last Saturday night. That's a 4 day layoff. And now Game 2 of the Finals isn't until Sunday night, at 9pm EST. That's one! playoff game in a week! What the hell are you thinking David Stern. Especially after last night's blowout Game 1, this great post season has quickly lost momentum. Why not Game 2 Saturday night prime time. Do you realize how many people will be turned off by the Game 2 late start on a Sunday night. Did you look at the World Series ratings in the last few years?

And it's between Games 1 and 2! It's not like there's travel involved between the games.

Lakers Show Championship Form, Head Back To Finals

After LA lost Game 2 at home, I really thought they'd have a lot of trouble getting by Denver. Since that Game 2 loss, the Lakers took 3 out of the next 4 from Denver and are heading back to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers have the most talented team in the NBA, but throughout the season, their toughness and consistency had always been questioned. LA had not won back to back playoffs game since winning Games 2 and 3 in the semifinals against Houston. After winning Game 4 in LA, many assumed the Lakers would do their usual and take the next game off and head back home to clinch Game 7. However the Lakers came back to Denver and jumped out to a big early lead and never took their foot off the gas.

Kobe Bryant made sure that wouldn't happen as Mamba had another typical stellar game with 35 points, 10 dimes and 6 boards.

After being dominated by Denver in front court the first 4 games, the Lakers finally got dominate play in the paint from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Gasol had one of his best playoff performances last night with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Odom came out of his playoff conference finals hibernation with solid back to back games. Last night Odom put in a 20 point, 8 rebound performance. It was this type of play from Odom that Lakers so desperately need if they want to win the franchise's 15 title.

And LA couldn't have shot the ball better. On the road in one of the most electric atmospheres in the NBA, the Lakers shot 57.3% from the field, 56.3% from downtown and a perfect 24-24 from the line. LA's bench was also huge, getting 40 points off the bench.

Overall, a total team effort.

As for the Nuggets? Well, I guess a lot of people, myself included, were a little bit premature in wanting to put Carmelo Anthony's name with the likes of Lebron, Kobe and King James. After dominating the first two games, Melo cooled off. Last night, on his 25th birthday, Melo scored 25 points, getting 12 from the line, and shot only 6-17 from the field.

Now the Lakers must wait and see whether they play the Magic or Cavaliers. If it's Orlando, LA will get home court advantage in the Finals, but the Lakers were 0-2 against the Magic in the regular season.

If it's Cleveland, the Cavs will have home court but LA was 2-0 vs. Cleveland.

Melo Continues To Struggle But Nuggets Even Series

Top to bottom, Denver's roster is just better than LA's. Carmelo Anthony started the game 0-10 from the field. He didn't hit his first field goal until 1:00 left in the first half. It was his first field goal since the second quarter of Game 3!

But the Nuggets still led 52-45 at half.

Melo finished with 15 points, 9 from the charity stripe and shot just 3-16 from the field. But Denver's supporting cast was solid. The Nuggets had 7 players in double figures and their front line continued to dominate. Denver out rebounded the Lakers 58-40, and 3 players had at least 13 boards.

The difference in this game was the bench scoring. Denver's bench outscored LA's 42-24 in their 120-101 Game 4 victory. J.R. Smith had as many points off the bench as the entire Lakers's bench.

I told you J.R. Smith was due to explode as he scored 24.

The Lakers don't deserve to win a title. I've always said they're too soft and don't consistently play to their potential. Throughout the season, they've had trouble holding big leads and they seem to take nights off. They got what they wanted, a split in Denver. But when you're considered to be one of the favorites to win the championship, can you really be happy with a split?

That kind of attitude and play will catch with you in the Playoffs.

Charles Barkley was dead on when he said the Lakers make him sick, saying he would have easily have won a title with that much talent.

The Lakers just seem to lack a killer instinct.

It is now a three game series with the Lakers getting 2 of the 3 at home. The series is definitely in LA's favor. But think about it, Denver has been the dominate team in 3 of 4 games. Heck, if Denver could inbound the ball down the stretch, they could have swept this series.

The play is really starting to get physical in the playoffs and more fouls are being called. Sunday night in Game 3 of the Orlando/Cleveland series, there were 58 fouls and 86 total free throw attempts.

Last night's Lakers/Nuggets game, there were 55 fouls and 84 free throw attempts. A lot of foul shooting is slowing down the pace of the games and could hurt what has been a spectacular postseason.

In the Western Conference Finals, the fouls have been consistent, but the number of free throws has risen each game, in part due to all the technicals.

Here's a breakdown of the personal fouls and number of free throw attempts from each series.

Western Conference
-- ------------PF -- FTA
Game 1----- 52 --- 59
Game 2----- 56 --- 72
Game 3----- 55--- 76
Game 4----- 55--- 84

Eastern Conference
--------------PF--FTA
Game 1-----34---31
Game 2-----49---51
Game 3-----55---86

Look at the Eastern Conference Finals! We've seen an incredible jump from game to game.

One other note...I'm sure it's happened many times before, but I can't stand the cocktail servers who patrol the front row at NBA games. I'm just waiting for a ball, or better yet player to come crashing into the front row and taking out a server with a tray full of drinks. It's not the server I care to see make a fool of themselves, but I would love to see a tray of beer get spilled on bunch of rich folks sitting courtside.

It was close last night. One of the refs barely bumped into a server who spilt one drink on the floor. There was at least a 5 minute delay in the game.

Big Trouble In LA LA Land

With around 3 minutes left in the first half of Game 2, I was committed to the Lakers winning the series in 5 games. Denver had their best chance of stealing home court in Game 1 but blew it. Now they were down 13 nearing halftime in Game 2. But then Carmelo Anthony showed why he's one of the least talked about star players.

Denver went on a 14-2 run to close the first half and went into the locker room down just one point. Denver's final bucket of the half epitomized this LA Lakers team. Chauncey Billups was inbounding the ball under Denver's basket when he caught Kobe Bryant off guard with his back to the ball. Billups in bounded the ball off Kobe's back to himself for an easy layup.

The Lakers turned their backs on the Nuggets at the end of the half and know will have to win a game in Denver to survive this series.

After two games in LA, it's the Nuggets who look like the superior team. Denver is more physical, more aggressive. They're driving the ball to the basket, they're playing exceptional defense. Denver's front line is killing LA's.

Kenyon Martin is looking like he's back dominating college ball like he did at Cincinnati.

For the last year we've heard how Andrew Bynum was the missing piece of the puzzle. In two games, Bynum has 15 points and 8 rebounds. He's disappeared in the second half. Pau Gasol may be grabbing rebounds, but like we saw against Boston last year, he seems too intimidated to take it to the rack.

And Carmelo Anthony has brought himself to the upper echelon of the NBA. By the time this series is over, his name will have to be up there with Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade and....Melo. Heck, by the time the Playoffs are over, it very well could be Melo with the ring.

Through two games, Melo has scored 73, Kobe 72.

Sasha Vujacic has yet to show up in the entire playoffs. He's usually good for a couple of three's off the bench. Vujacic failed to get in the scoring column last night.

And Derek Fisher is on his last leg. Last night he had only 3 points on 1-9 shooting! What are you doing giving this guy the last shot of the game?

Linas Kleiza's performance was outstanding. Kleiza had 16 points off the bench. He was 4-7 from downtown and a hit a couple of 3's towards the end of the first half which got Denver back in the game.

And last year, everyone was talking about the Pau Gasol trade and how it was a steal for the Lakers and would put this team over the top. Well, this year Chauncey Billups has had a tremendous impact on this Denver team. They went from borderline playoff team to potential NBA Champs. You just can't say enough about the influence Billups has on a team.

I thought I would never say this, but the NBA Playoffs are better than the NCAA Tournament. The Tourney is basically two full days of basketball. The NBA you get pretty much two months. And don't trying comparing the Final Four's. In the NCAA, you get 3 games in the Final Four. The NBA we can possibly get 14 games. And this year's playoffs are fantastic. We truly have the 4 best teams left standing.

I'm totally changing my pick in the Western Conference. I think Denver wins this series in 6. There is no way LA wins a game in Denver. Especially not Game 3 which will be the biggest game in their franchise history. And I'm still waiting for J.R. Smith to explode, and he will. This guy has been a huge boost for Denver off the bench. His range is anywhere 5 feet or more behind the 3 point line. He will get hot and it will kill the Lakers.

And when the Lakers lose this series, not only will Kobe's career be questioned, but also Phil Jackson's. The Zen Master won 6 titles with the greatest player of all time and then won 3 with a dominant Shaq at the peak of his career and when Kobe was just getting started.

48 hours ago it still looked like a lock for the dream Finals matchup of Kobe/Lebron. Boy how that quickly changed.

Denver Outplays LA But Falls Short In Game 1

If the Denver Nuggets were going to steal a game in LA, last night was a golden opportunity. The Nuggets outplayed the Lakers for nearly the entire game. Denver looked like the hungrier, better team as they played suffocating defense not allowing the Lakers to get easy shots.

Carmelo Anthony was superb! Melo had 39 points, shooting 14-20 from the field and 4-5 from downtown. He carried his team by having arguably the best game of his career and reminded us of his championship run as a freshmen at Syracuse.

Melo had 16 in the first quarter as Denver built a 13 point lead. I was actually thinking the Nuggets would beat the Lakers in 6.

But a funny thing happened. For the entire playoffs, we've heard nothing but how great Denver's bench is. Well, it was the Lakers' bench that wiped away the 13 point lead and helped carry the team to the Game 1 victory.

LA's bench outscored Denver's 27-16. Lakers' bench outscored the Nuggets 20-3 in the first half.

Chris "Birdman" Anderson brought his usual energetic play off the bench, scoring 8 points with 5 boards and 2 blocks. His presence in the paint is dominant on both sides of the ball. But the Nuggets needed a little more from J.R. Smith, who some considered the best 6th man in the league.

Denver did a great job of defending in the paint. Where was Andrew Bynum, who many say was the missing ingredient for Lakers last year. Bynum had only 6 points and was in foul trouble most of the game. Lamar Odom only had 7 points. And Pau Gasol was quiet until Nene fouled out late in the game. Gasol had a huge block and then on LA's next defensive possession drew a charge on Carmelo. Gasol then went to the line and missed two free throws. He did redeem himself moments later by sinking his next 2 foul shots.

What really worries me about the Lakers is there defense. They can be way too soft. Denver had no problem driving the basketball and getting easy looks. Kenyon Martin had 15 and Nene had 14 just owning Gasol all night. One thing, K-Mart has the ugliest one handed shot. It looks like he just pushes the ball to the basket with no arc. I don't know how he makes that shot.

And Denver took 35 trips to the line compared to 24 by the Lakers. That right there tells you who was the more aggressive team. But the Nuggets struggled from the free throw line hitting just 65.7%. That killed them, especially in the first half when they shot 12-21 from the line and allowed the Lakers to get back into the game.

In the entire playoffs, Chauncey Billups was 66-69 from the line. He missed his first 3 free throws last night!

The Lakers finally had a Derek Fisher sighting last night. Fisher hit a huge 3 at the buzzer at the end of the first half to give the Lakers a 55-54 lead at half. Fisher finished with 13 points and 6 dimes.

Chauncey Billups had another solid night with 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds, but Denver basically got nothing from its 2 guard spot in Dahntay Jones who only had 1 point.

And of course, the games greatest closer was just that last night. Kobe Bryant took the game over in the fourth quarter and willed his team to victory. Mamba had 18 4th quarter points and hit 6 consecutive free throws in the final 30 seconds. Bryant won the scoring duel against Melo finishing with 40.

Kobe was right on his points per shot with 40 points and 41 total shots.

After outplaying the Lakers and failing to win Game 1, I think this really is going to hurt the Nuggets mentally. This is a team that has played the best basketball in the NBA the last two months. And after giving a superb effort only to fall short may really hurt their confidence. I think the Lakers will steal one in Denver and win this series in 5.

One thing's for certain, Melo vs. Kobe is gonna be real fun to watch for the next couple of weeks.

2 Days In A Row With No NBA

This seems like somewhat of a prelude to the dog days of summer. Two days straight with no NBA Playoffs. Good thing the Preakness is this afternoon.

Game 6 of the Lakers/Rockets series was the most watched basketball game ever on ESPN with 7.35 million viewers. If ESPN wants that trend to continue, they better hope they have the Lakers/Nuggets in the Conference Finals. Now that'll be a series.

As for the Magic/Celtics, I still think Boston is the better team. I don't know where everyone gets the idea that Orlando is better. Pierce, Allen and Rondo alone make Boston the better team. What, you like Howard, Turkoglu and Lewis?

The reason this series is going 7 is the fact that neither team has a bench. Which ever team can get double digits from their bench will win Game 7. Instead of Big Baby and Leon Powe coming of the bench for the Celtics, they have Brian Scalabrine.

RIP Wayman Tisdale. Tisdale put Oklahoma basketball on the map. That's two NBA legends lost in the past week.

MLB-The Yankees rallied for three runs in the 9th off Twins' closer Joe Nathan to win 5-4. Melky Cabrera won the game with a bases loaded walk off single. Cabrera has bounced back so far this year and is batting .330. As for Nathan, he had only given up 2 runs all season.

A-Rod played his first game at the new stadium and was 0-1 and drew 4 walks. He's now batting .136 since his return.

Brett Gardner had the first ever inside the park home run at the new stadium. Earlier in the day, Gardner had visited a girl at a children's hospital and promised her he would hit a home run. Remind you of Kramer telling the sick kid he'd have Paul O'Neil hit a home run for him?

Nick Swisher has cooled off, now batting .248.

The Yankees have now won 3 in a row and are 18-17, 4.5 games back.

Boston has lost 3 in a row leading Terry Francona to bench Big Papi. Wow! The Sox blew a 4-0 lead last night and lost 5-4 in Seattle.

Zach Greinke is now 7-1 with a .60 ERA as the Royal beat Baltimore 8-1 and are tied for first place in the Central. For his career, Greinke is 41-46 with 3.97 ERA. Did anyone see this guy coming? And could you imagine a Kansas City Royal starting the All Star Game for the AL?

I saw somebody's preseason college football top 25. Nebraska was 20th. Ole Miss was number 7! I would love to go to Oxford for a Gameday.

Boy is Ron Artest a dream player for the media or what. You have to watch this Lakers/Rockets series just to see what this guy will do next. I love how he stuck his tongue to Kobe.

A Star Is Born

Now matter what happens on Sunday in Game 7, one thing is for sure, the NBA Playoffs have been Aaron Brooks' coming out party.

When Tracy McGrady was done for the season, I questioned the Rockets move to trade starting point guard Rafer Alston. The trade meant handing the keys over to the young Aaron Brooks. Brooks was unproven, inexperienced and at the time seemed not capable for the starting role. I was wrong.

Brooks has thrived as the starting point guard for the Rockets, and he's having the time of his life. In just his second season in the NBA, Brooks, 24, has helped lead the Rockets out of the first round and to an improbable Game 7 with the Lakers.

In a league dominated by great point guards-Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo,Tony Parker, to name a few-you can now put Aaron Brooks in that class.

From catching a half court pass in mid air and banking the ball in as time expired in the first half of Game 4; to showing off his personalty by doing his best valet impression with the red sports jacket and bowtie; Brooks has won the hearts of fans and media everywhere.

Brooks is putting veteran Derek Fisher on the verge of retirement. In Game 4, Brooks had a playoff career high with 34 points as the Rockets crushed the Lakers. Last night in the elimination Game 6, Brooks helped keep Houston alive by leading the Rockets with 26 points.

In the playoffs, Brooks has averaged 17.1 points, 3.4 assists, while shooting nearly 47% from the field, including 41% from downtown.

For many Rockets fans, last night's game had the feeling of going to a funeral. But Houston continued their amazing playoff run by jumping out 17-1 and then 21-3 against the Lakers.

I told you Luis Scola is probably the most obscure and underrated player in the NBA. And Shane Battier backs this up. All Scola did last night was put up 24 and 12, including 14 points in the first quarter.

Give Rick Adelman a lot of credit. What a coaching job this guy has done! You look down the Rockets' bench and see 3 All Star caliber players wearing suits. After losing by 40 points in Game 5, a great job by Adelman to rally his remaining troops and jump all over the Lakers last night.

As for the Lakers? I'm sure the majority of people don't see LA getting by Denver in the Conference finals.

What Am I Doing Up?

It's tough to go 2-2. We were treated to another classic Boston comeback in the first game last night. And the second game, the Rockets/Lakers is still going on with the Lakers up like a gazillion points.

The Celtics won Game 5 last night in typical Boston fashion. They were weak for more than 3/4ths the game but did just enough to hang around and the Orlando went flat.

The Champs looked left for dead with Orlando up double digits in the fourth quarter. But the Magic are a "live by the 3, die by the 3" team. When it came down to it, Orlando could not hit a jumpshot. They had terrible possessions down the stretch, couldn't run an offense.

And what a coming out party for "Big Baby." After sinking the winning shot, yeah the same one that changed this series, for an encore, Glen Davis scores 22, including 2 big buckets towards the end and nailing two big shots at the line. Did somebody say Kevin Garnett?

There was also a Stephon Marbuy sighting. Marbury couldn't have showed up at a better time for the Celtics, sparking them with 12 crucial points off the bench.

Has Brian Scalabrine ever got more face time? If you don't watch a Celtics game, he looks like Jackie Moon.

A controversial call near the end of the game when the officials overturned a shot clock violation because they said the ball grazed the rim. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, Orlando still wasn't gonna make a shot.

And what was "Master of Panic" Steve Van Gundy thinking having Dwight Howard intentionally miss the second free throw? Howard made the first, cutting the game 2 points. Considering his free throw shooting, he was more than likely gonna miss the second. But hey, if he makes it, than that puts the pressure on Boston to sink both of theirs and you still have a chance to tie the game.

Bad showing by Van Gundy, not showing confidence in his players.

Boston teams just seem to hang around. Orlando could have, and should have won Game 4. The Magic should have won this game. Now, the Magic are on the brink of elimination with a possible Game 7 back in Beantown.

I said the Celtics are the second best team in the East without Garnett. So it's no big surprise how Boston will win this series. I think they could even win one game against Cleveland.

God I hope so...Because along with the Celtics' win, the Bruins stayed alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Red Sox came from behind to beat the Angels.

As for the Rockets/Lakers? This was the type of game we expected to see in Game 4. You have to wonder, how does one team play so great and then come out and look horrendous?

The Lakers were smart early and took advantage of the size mismatch. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol can easily have their way down low. This game was over by the end of the first quarter. The only reason to continue watching was to see if Ron Artest would explode.

But, it's just one win. The Lakers are only up 3-2. And now have to travel to Houston to play another game. If the Lakers lose this game and have to play 7, anything is possible. No matter how bad the Lakers won tonight, it still looks bad that they have to play at least 6 against the Rockets. They were going 6 with Houston when they had Yao, but with Yao out and that no show in Game 4, the Lakers do not look like champions.

They just don't have that killer instinct. And I really think they're in trouble against Denver. Hold off a little bit for that Kobe/Lebron Finals.

Oh, Ryan Zimmerman went 2-5 last night to extend his hitting streak to 30 games. That's something Nats' fans can get excited about.

Roy "I own the Yankees, not the Steinbrenners'" Halladay is now 16-5 against the Yankees. The Blue Jays have the AL's best record at 21-12 and are 6 1/2 up on the Yankees.

Rockets Steal Game 1 In LA

OK, I said it before this series started, I really like the way Houston's starting 5 matches up with the Lakers' starting 5. Of course the bench is always key in the playoffs. I'm not surprised the Rockets won last night, but I still don't see this series going more than 6 games.

Houston probably played their best game all season. Yao was dominant with 28 points and 10 boards. He even forced himself back into the game when it looked like he was done when his knee collided into Kobe's late in the game.

Ron Artest finally decided to show up for the playoffs. He was big last night, 21 points and 7 assists. The Rockets need Artest to step up like this if they are to have any chance. Aaron Brooks looked nice with 19.

Maybe the most underrated, obscure player in the NBA is Luis Scola. Your average fan and just about everybody outside of Houston has no idea who this guy is. Scola had a quiet 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Pretty solid play from a no name power forward. Scola has a real nice jump shot, plays solid defense and never gives up.

The Rockets were fortunate to win this game when you look at the lack of performance by their bench. Von Wafer has really been the spark off their bench failed to score last night.

Kobe put in his standard 32 points but only went to the line 5 times.

Both teams were pretty dismal from downtown, the Rockets were 5-18 and the Lakers just 2-18. The deciding factor in this game was free throw shooting. Houston was 25-29 and LA just 12-19.

So who was the more aggressive team?

The Lakers' major problem in the first round vs. Utah was LA's lack of killer instinct. The Lakers would get up 20+ points and then let the Jazz go on a run and make the game close.

If the Lakers have any weakness, they are way too soft. And last night they ran into a hungrier more aggressive team.

Same Old Song

A month ago, the Utah Jazz were the hottest team in the NBA and in line for a possible number 2 seed. The Jazz had battled injuries all year but finally got healthy looked to be a threat in the West.

But things fell apart for Utah down the stretch. The Jazz had were terrible on the road and even had a hard time winning in Salt Lake City.

In a preview of this first round match up, Utah was again held in check last Tuesday night by Lakers, 125-112. These two teams met in the conference semifinals last year, with the Lakers having no problems beating the Jazz 4-2.

With the way Utah has been playing of late, they'll be lucky to win one game. Heck, Kobe Bryant could sit out this series and the Lakers would still win 4-2.

Case in point. LA was up 14 points late in the 2nd quarter and Kobe had just 3 points. Yeah, Kobe has learned to make his teammates better, ala Jordan. But you can expect to see Kobe get plenty of rest this series as Utah has seemed to lost its killer instinct.

But when ever LA gets into trouble, bring in the "Black Mamba." You can see the fear in the opposition. Everyone in the building is just waiting for him to explode. And it's only a matter of time.

With just 3 points more than halfway through the 2nd quarter, Kobe scored 9 in less than two minutes and the Lakers were up 62-40 at halftime.

It would be easy for the Jazz to just give up then. But Utah battled back and even cut the deficit to 9 points in the 4th quarter.

But LA's supporting cast was just too much. Pau Gasol was consistent putting in 20 points and Trevor Ariza came from nowhere with 21.

Bryant finished with a "quiet" 24 points, 8 dimes and 4 rebounds.

For Utah, Carlos Boozer was solid leading the Jazz with 27 points and 9 rebounds.

Deron Williams was sick distributing the ball giving out 17 dimes, but the all star point guard was just 4-14 from the field and 0-4 from downtown and finished with 16 points.

NBA Line Of The Week For 1/19 to 1/25 2009

During the NBA Finals, a lot was said about the absence of Andrew Bynum. But really, how big of a factor is Bynum?

Well, with a healthy Andrew Bynum, the Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best records in the league, sitting at 35-8.

And last week, the 21 year old had a career high 42 points in a 108-97 win over inner city rival LA Clippers. Along with the 42 points, Bynum finished with 15 boards, 3 blocks in 36 minutes.

For the week, Bynum averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds in just over 29 minutes a game.

The Lakers went 4-0 with wins over the Cavs, Clippers, Wiz and Spurs.

NBA: 3 Weeks In

Here's a quick look at the NBA season just 3 weeks underway.

Boston (10-2) and the L.A. Lakers (8-1) looked poised to meet again in the NBA Finals. Kobe's being Kobe, a healthy Andrew Bynum gives the Lakers much needed muscle, and Trevor Ariza has looked solid.

The Celtics back in the Finals? Don't tell that to Lebron James. Bron-Bron has the Cavs (9-2) looking better than ever and is solidifying is spot as the best on the planet. So far this year, Lebron is averaging just under 30 a game to along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists per. Freakin sick!

The biggest news? The Iverson/Billups trade. Joe Dumars and the Pistons look to be rebuilding, but don't look now, Detroit is sitting pretty at 7-3 and handed the Lakers their only loss of the season at the Staples Center.

Is it me or does Allen Iverson truly represent the perfect Piston?

As for Denver? Chauncey Billups looks comfortable to be back home as the Nuggets are 5-1 since the trade. And George Karl could not be happier.

"There are less bad plays, more solid plays," Karl said. "I think the wasteful, cheap possessions that we used to have 10 to 15 a game, they don't exist very much anymore."

Two teams looking to build off their momentum last year in the playoffs-Atlanta and Philadelphia. Looking for the missing piece of the puzzle, the 76ers acquired Elton Brand but have started of slow, sitting at 5-5.

As for the Hawks, Atlanta came storming out of the gate at 6-0 and were a last second Paul Pierce game winning shot away from beating the Celtics at the Garden. Something Atlanta failed to do last year in the Playoffs. That loss must of had some effect on the Hawks as they have now dropped 4 straight to drop to 6-4.

The injury bug is killing the Washington Wizards. Gilbert Arenas and Antonio Daniels have both spent significant time on the bench. Arenas has yet to suit up this year as Washington (1-7) could be in for a long season.

Delightful surprises?

Both Miami and the New York Knicks at 6-5. The Knicks! That's right, the Knicks! They won 23 games all of last year! See what happens when you exile Isiah and Stephon.

The Heat aren't really a surprise, considering how Dwyane Wade played in the Olympics. The trio of Wade, Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion are a fun team to watch, they should only get better as the season progresses. If only they had a decent bench.

Give Derrick Rose the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy already. The Bulls' offense is totally set up for Rose to run and he's the perfect fit. D-Rose is averaging 19.5 ppg, 4.8 boards and 5.9 assists. Pretty amazing considering the kid just graduated from his teen years.






Moving across to the Western Conference.

We've already covered the Lakers and Nuggets.

So what about the LA Clippers and their big move bringing Baron Davis back home? Elton Brand leaving LaLa land wasn't part of the plan and the Clippers are downright dismal, 1-9.

The Phoenix Suns (8-4) have really been flexing their muscles of late and Shaq Daddy is showing he still means business.

Utah should win the Northwest Division and would be a serious contender for the Western Conference Crown if they could should figure out how to play outside of Salt Lake City.

Portland finally gets Greg Oden on the court and will definitely make some noise and probably make the playoffs. But their still too young to be a contender.

As for Oklahoma City and Kevin Durant? After landing a professional franchise, Okie City has little to get excited about this year, 1-10.

An unsung rookie to watch out West is Golden State's Anthony Morrow. Morrow, undrafted out of Georgia Tech, is finally getting some minutes and has led the Warriors to consecutive victories over the Clippers and Trailblazers, scoring 37 and 25 respectively.

The Southwest Division has to be the toughest in all of basketball.

After acquiring Ron Artest, Houston looks to be serious contenders in the Western Conference. At 7-4 and on top of the division, the Rockets took a blow Monday night when Artest, McGrady and Yao all went down with injuries. The extent of the injuries doesn't seem severe, but the health of T-Mac and Yao has always been a huge concern.


New Orleans (5-4) has gotten off to a somewhat slow start, but Chris Paul has still been on fire. Paul, one of the best overall players in the NBA, can lay claim to breaking a record previously held by Oscar Robertson. In his first 7 games of the year, Paul finished with at least 20 points and 10 assists, breaking Robertson's previous record of 6 to begin a season.

Age, Josh Howard's off season habits and Mark Cuban's scandal with the SEC may all be playing a part in Dallas's (4-7) slow start. In need of a good joke, look toward the Mavs.

Poor San Antonio. I don't really mean that. First Manu Ginobili's brittle body, and now Tony Parker has free time to spend with his hot ass wife. The Spurs started 2-5, but don't look now, Timmy's managed to lead them to 3 straight victories and they've crept back to .500.

As for Memphis? Well, I'm not even gonna talk about the Grizz. Except Rudy Gay looking nice and O.J. Mayo averaging just over 20 a game, including back to back 30 plus games.

Kobe And Lakers Bow Down, Hard! Lebron The Best On The Planet

No more Kobe/Michael comparisons!

No more Kobe/greatest player on the planet comparisons.

If anything, this roll over and drop dead choke job by the LA Lakers signified is this:

Phil Jackson is probably not the great coach everyone suspected, and,

Kobe Bryant is not the best player in the game, and,

Lebron James is the best player on the planet.

This was a totally uncharacteristic Phil Jackson coached team. No real surprise that a Kobe team would play this way.

Now it's obvious. Phil Jackson only benefited from having the greatest player ever in Michael Jordan, winning 6 of his titles. Jackson won three more by having a dominant 1-2 punch of Shaq and Kobe, notice how Shaq comes first. And now maybe Jax won those titles with the help of the NBA and the referees.

I've said all along that I thought Chris Paul should have been the MVP. Being repetitive, but Paul did not have the supporting cast and coach Kobe did. Paul always made his team better.

Enough of CP3. Lets go to another forgotten best player on the planet, Lebron James.

Going into the Finals, it was all Lakers in 5 or 6. Kobe's the MVP, best player on the Planet. The West is more dominant, Kobe has the better supporting cast.

But how can you forget Lebron James? 90% of the nation could not name one other player on Lebron's team. Yet this was the same Lebron led Cavaliers team that came within one game of knocking off the now 2008 World Champion Celtics.




Back to Lebron. No one will ever argue the fact that Kobe had a far greater supporting cast than James did this year. The Cavaliers were horrible. You talk about 4 players standing around waiting and watching one guy run the show. Similar like the Lakers, except Lebron had far much greater success.

Lebron (I will only refer to Lebron, not the Cleveland Cavaliers) could have stolen Game 1 in Boston, if he had not missed so many "bunnies" and the best cheerleader and taunter in the NBA, Sam Cassell would have played his usual role and not showed up on the court. Cassell scored 13 points in Game 1 of the second round series, arguably the difference.

Lebron had no problem and showed no fear driving the ball through Boston's tough defense and getting to the rim. Maybe it was Lebron's youth that caught up to him, because he missed a lot of easy layups throughout the series.




Lebron has always had his outside jump shot questioned, but we all know Kobe is the most dangerous shooter in the game, able to turn around from either shoulder. In the Finals, Kobe failed to be lethal and lacked the determination to drive the ball to the basket and create more open shots for his teammates.

And don't forget, Lebron lost his best scoring threat, "Boobie" Gibson (yeah, what a threat) in Game 5. The same Game 5 Lebron had a 14 point lead at Boston with under 4 to play in the second quarter. Had Lebron not lost Gibson, Lebron wins the series in 6 games.

Lebron was even competitive in Game 7 at Boston, a 3 point miss away from winning the series, with absolutely no supporting cast, continually getting beat down and ruffed up every game.

So now, no way can you compare Kobe to Jordan. A Michael Jordan team would have never folded like Kobe's Lakers team. We all know a Jordan team never would have let a 24 point lead slip away.

And no way! does a Jordan team do whatever the hell Kobe's team did last...you know what? Forget about the Jordan/Kobe comparisons. Forever!



With 6 titles, look at Jordan's supporting cast, basically consisted of only role players. Scottie Pippen, ended up being an average player without Jordan; Dennis Rodman was there for 3 of the titles, but the Worm was never a scoring threat, only a solid defender and rebounding machine, sometimes more of a distraction than anything else. That's pretty much the only All Star's Jordan played with.

Boston Celtics, 2008 World Champions. That still hurts to say, and I wonder how the fair weather Celtics' fans feel about Doc Rivers now. They all wanted this guy's head on a pole last year. I wonder what the Beantown fans response will be now when they hear, "You bought this team and the star players." "They all came from the outside."

I'm already sick of hearing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen proclaim how much this means to them and the history and legacy of the Boston Celtics. Come on, Allen and Garnett haven't even been in town for a year!

Originally, none of the "Big 3" could carry their own team to a championship. Pierce with his whole career in Boston, could not carry "his" team to the Finals in a post Jordan, weak Eastern Conference era. And yet now, according to Bob Ryan, we're suppose to consider Paul Pierce one of the greatest scoring threats in NBA history!

Jordan kept titles away from Hall of Fame players like Barkely, Ewing, Drexler Miller, Stockton and Malone.

KG failed to ever take "his" Minnesota Timberwolves to the Finals, and of course Ray Allen with "his" team, never made it to the Conference Finals.

KG, Pierce and Allen may now have their rings. But one thing's for sure, they failed to establish their "own" dominant legacy. They showed each could not win with their "own" team. They proved they could only win by joining forces.

And Paul Pierce thanking the "faithful" Celtics fans for sticking with him? Yeah right. Hey Paul, where were these "faithful" fans your whole Boston career? Where were they when you were stabbed 9 or 11 times in a Boston club. Doesn't really sound like you were such a fan favorite then. Heck, weren't they willing to trade you last year for the possibility of having Kevin Durant?




Give Boston and their team executives credit, they learned from their conqueror's. They're franchises have basically become everything they so passionately hated. Can you say New York Yankees?

Who's the happiest guy in the world? Paul Pierce? KG? Ray Allen? Curt Schilling?
No. No. No. And No!
Shaquille O'Neal.
He still has you Kobe, 4-3.
Can you dig it!!!!!!!

And can somebody please give Lebron just one other All Star caliber player!



Since the post Jordan era, I've failed to see anyone dominate the court like MJ. I've failed to see anyone bring as much excitement, passion and consistency to the game. I've failed to witness an NBA Finals that's lived up to its potential.
God I miss watching Michael Jordan. I seemed to take it for granted at the time, not realizing he'd have to hang it up sooner or later and we'd never see another like him.
One thing's for certain. As time goes by, more and more we'll begin to realize just how great Michael Jordan was.

Opening Up A Whole New Can Of Worms

In the past year, the three major professional sports have been greatly tarnished.
Last summer, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy admitted to betting and fixing NBA games which he officiated.

Last fall, Bill Belichick admitted to using cameras to "spy" on opposing teams' practices. Now, "Spygate" is a household term and the subject has snowballed and led everyone to question the legitimacy of New England's dynasty.

We all knew MLB players were juicing. This past December only solidified our assumptions and now a cloud hovers over a good 15 year period of baseball.

Enough of all that. That's all old news.

Now, Tim Donaghy is trying to save his ass, literally, to reduce his time in the pen. Donaghy's lawyers alledge that the NBA had referees alter the outcomes of certain playoff series' in 2002 and 2005.

The series' in question, the 2002 Western Conference Finals, most notably, Game 6 between the Lakers and Kings, and also the 2005 first round series with the Rockets and Mavericks.

I still have a vivid memory off the whole seven game Western Conference series between LA and Sacramento. That was the series where Robert "The Bondsman" Horry received a gift from Vlade Divac when Divac swatted the ball away to a wide open Horry. Standing wide open at the top of the key, Horry hit the winning 3 pointer in Game 4.



I cried bloody murder during Game 6. The Lakers shot 27 free throws to the King's 7 in the fourth quarter! Sacramento was whistled for 16 fouls in the fourth quarter to LA's 8!

Sacramento was clearly the better team. I loved Chris Webber and that Kings team. You remember that Sacramento team with the likes of Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu and Scott Pollard coming off the bench.



That was such a fun team to watch. And a supposably great series, Five of the seven games were decided by 6 points of less.
The Kings should have won Game 6 in LA, then they blew Game 7 at the very hostile Arco Arena in Game 7 but shot horrible from the line, barely shooting over 50%.

I vowed never to watch the NBA Playoffs again. Why wouldn't the NBA want the "Showtime" Lakers in the Finals. I mean this was just a few years removed from Jordan's exit and the NBA Lockout.



Do you really think the NBA wanted a Sacramento/New Jersey Finals. New Jersey didn't even sell out its two Finals' games that year.

I love the NBA, especially the Playoffs. But every year I find myself yelling at the TV in disgust of the officiating. Yet, every year I still tune in.

David Stern denied all of Donaghy's lawyer's allegations, calling Donaghy a liar and a crook. Hmm...Remind you of Brian McNamee or Jose Canseco?

In the 2005 Playoff series between Houston and Dallas, after Game 2,Mavs owner Mark Cuban apparently complained to the league about illegal screens not getting called on Yao Ming. Houston won the first two games of the series, but then went on to lose 4 of the next 5 games.

Then Rockets' coach Jeff Van Gundy had to find about Cuban's complaining from a personal reference and was fined by Stern a record $100,000. What! Sounds fishy, considering Stern and the NBA should have made Cuban's complaint a public matter, if not the very least informing the Rockets.





Maybe C. Webb wins a ring which would make him a sure lock for the Hall of Fame?
Maybe T-Mac gets out of the first round?



How many times have you watched a game and claimed, "This is fixed. The offiating is so one sided." This notion was the hot topic the other day after Boston shot 38 free throws to LA's 10 in Game 2.

How many times do we say to each other, "The NBA wants this series to go 7 games."
Of course Stern is going to deny the allegations. The credibility of the league and his image are in jeopardy.


If Donaghy's allegations turn out to be true, I'm sure NBA officials will fall like dominoes and we'll hear more acusations about the possibility of more games and series that were fixed. This would kill the credibility of the NBA, and much like baseball, would cast a dark cloud over this era. And you can bet on that.

Here's a good highlight video of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

NBA Finals Game 4: Choke Job City!!!

Wow!

This series is over. Crown the Celtics. Get those rings fitted.

The Los Angeles Lakers blew a 24 point first half lead.
They were up 18 at half and 20 points at one time in third quarter. The Lakers blew the biggest lead after half in NBA Finals history during the shot clock era.

The Lakers scored 35 points in the first quarter alone. They scored 33 in the entire second half!




Yeah, the Celtics defense was tough.
But LA choked this one away. The Lakers had an 18 point lead at half, all this while Kobe Bryant did not have one field goal!

The Lakers looked too relax and careless in the third quarter. Then they looked nervous. The whole series they tend to take dumb and careless shots, shooting the ball just inside the 3 point line. That's not a high percentage shot, and if you make it, it's not a 3.

Talk about closing out quarters, Boston closed out the third quarter on a 21-3 run!

The reemergence of Ray Allen as an All Star again has been the biggest shot in the arm for Boston. Allen scored 19 points and pulled down 9 boards! while playing the entire game!




Let's face it. Boston wants it so much more. Other than Bryant, the Lakers have no heart, no kill mentality.

If anyone should know about blowing a 24 point lead, it should be the Lakers. They nearly came back from 24 down with less than 8 to play in Game 2 at Boston.

LA went away from everything that made them so dominant in the first half. The Lakers had really been missing Lamar Odom the first 3 games, he came out in Game 4 attacking the basket, opening up the Lakers' offense. Odom had 15 points in the first half, 7-7 from the field. Odom had 4 points in the second half.

But of course you can't solely blame Odom.

With your best Bill Walton impression, "Where was Lamar Odom in the second half? Where was the entire Lakers' team?"

This type of play is surprising coming from a Phil Jackson coached team. And keep in mind that the Celtics comeback came without Rajon Rondo, without Kendrick Perkins.

Maybe the injuries helped the Celtics. Eddie House has played huge, and he has such a better jump shot than Rondo. The Lakers give Rondo any open jump shot he wants, but with House, you have to defend.



The X factor for Boston, James Posey coming off the bench with 18 points.

No team has ever come back down 3-1 to win the finals. The Lakers need to play the rest of the series one game at a time. But how do you respond in Game 5 after such a dismal performance. You're depressed. Your confidence is shot.

If LA plans to win this series, they need to stage a bigger comeback the next three games then the one Boston pulled off tonight.

Good Luck. Maybe the Lakers win Game 5 at home, but two in a row at Boston?

Hey, we've seen crazier things. And can you really count out a Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant team?

Once again, Kobe Bryant had another great press conference. If you haven't seen this yet, it's definitely worth a look and a good laugh. When did Kobe become so real? A short time ago, he was one of the most hated players in the game. Now, you can't help but root for the Black Mamba.

NBA Finals Game 3: Lakers Survive

If ever Boston was going to steal a game on the road, this was definitely the night. Except for only one of the Big 3 showed up, this time it was Ryan Allen.

with how bad the rest of the Celtics performed, Boston actually had the lead in the fourth quarter.

Game 3 might have been an ugly "Eastern Conference" game, but it was definitely the most exciting and competitive game thus far of the 2008 Finals.

Kobe Bryant looked like the "Black Mamba" and "The Closer" leading the Lakers with 36 points. However the rest of the Lakers' starters combined for 22 points! Vladimir Radmanovic had 3 points and 1 board, Derek Fisher put in 6 points and 1 dime and Lamar Odom contributed another ghost like performance with only 4 points and again got into foul trouble early and often. And other than a couple of tip ins late, Pau Gasol wasn't what made the Lakers so dominant in the first three rounds.


The savior for the Lakers? Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic with 20 points (7-10) off the bench and a huge 3 with under two to play. If you didn't know how to pronounce his name before, you do now.

Paul Pierce, coming home where he's supposed to be just as deadly, was just that, dead. Pierce finished with a Ray Allen like 6 points on 2-14 shooting. Kevin Garnett wasn't much better with 13 points. Pierce and KG combined for 8-35 from the field.

Rajon Rondo was also roughed up leaving the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. How come he didn't require 3 teammates and a wheelchair? His status for Game 4 is questionable. This could be a huge blow to Boston considering how horrible Sam Cassell has played. Eddie House did look good (and so did Doc Rivers) getting the call off the bench instead of Cassell. House had 6 points, 2 assists and 3 boards.



LA really missed a golden opportunity to close this one out early. Just as everyone predicted, the Lakers would get to the line. LA had more ft in the first four minutes than they did in the entire first half of Game 2. In fact the Lakers matched their Game 2 total of 10 free throw attempts with 4:59 to go in the first quarter!



All this with the new allegations by Tim Donaghy. (That's a whole nother story).

If you're gonna complain about free throws, you better make em. Neither team did. Boston shot 68.2%, while LA shot 61.8%.

Kobe's postgame press conference was great. (Yeah, I'm a junkie. I even stay up late for stuff like that).

Asked about his poor free throw shooting, Byrant responded,

"It felt like I was in a foreign territory because I haven't been there in so long," Bryant said. "It's like somebody took me and just dropped me off in the middle of Shanghai with no translator . . . and no dictionary."

If that wasn't good enough, Mamba cussed on live national ESPN/ABC/Disney TV. It was awesome!

Funny how ESPN failed to re air any of this during its mammoth on going coverage of the Finals. I never saw again, even with shit being beeped out.

Game 3 Box Score

Game 4, Thursday night.