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NBA Loud - by Travis

The Playoffs - NBA Loud

NBA Finals Preview

June 6th 2008 00:42
The greatest two weeks of the year has arrived as the NBA Finals are just about to begin. I guess I've made it obvious that basketball is my favourite sport; to me, nothing comes close to the excitement provided by the National Basketball Association. The past few Finals have not been the greatest in my opinion. Having the Spurs win last year and the Heat win the year before were probably two of my biggest nightmares. But an LA-Boston match-up? That's probably my dream come true. I would have rather seen Detroit beat Boston, but the rivalry between Boston and LA is unrivaled. It's probably the best match-up the NBA could ask for...


Kobe Bryant
In this Finals, we have the top MVP candidate from each conference going head-to-head. Bryant wins his first MVP award and in the same season, makes his first Finals appearance of the post-Shaq era. Kevin Garnett helps turn around a dismal Boston franchise, and in one season, brings them from the bottom of the league to make his first NBA Finals appearance. Without the historic rivalry between these two franchises, there is already a pretty good storyline to back this series. But when you take into consideration that fact that these two teams have met in the Finals 10 times, it just magnifies the significance of this series by that much. The Celtics and Lakers are the top two most storied franchises in NBA history. Boston has taken 8 of the 10 series between the two teams and have more championships, but the Lakers are the more successful franchise in terms of wins.


The Lakers come into this series losing only three games throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. They swept Denver, beat Utah in six and defeated the Spurs in five. That's a pretty impressive line; beating three 50-win teams and only losing three games in the process is a feat in itself. The Celtics on the other hand struggled with the Hawks and took all seven games to decide that series. LeBron and the Cavs also took the Celts to seven, but the Celtics bounced back in Detroit to take that series in six games. Personally, I think the Celtics had a bit of an easier road to the finals, but somehow, they managed to lose 8 games in the process. That's quite a bit when you consider the fact that they only lost 16 games during the regular season. I think the Celtics have lost a step in the playoffs; maybe their starters are getting tired?

The Celtics were no doubt the best team in the league during the regular season, but after watching the Lakers towards the end of the season and throughout the playoffs, many (including myself) are now saying that the Lakers are the better team. Kobe will have his way with anyone the Celtics throw at him. I'd assume that Allen will take the primary duty of guarding Bryant, and I also expect to see Posey getting some extended minutes to help out in that respect. You can affect how he plays, but you can't stop Kobe Bryant. I can also see Gasol having his way with Perkins on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Pau's challenge will not be guarding Perkins, it will be providing the help defense on Garnett and Pierce. KG should be able to handle Odom on the defensive end, as he is one of few PFs who can guard the post as well as the rest of the floor. His speed and reach will allow him to keep up with Odom, something that many other big men have trouble doing. Odom will still get his rebounds as he has been doing these past few weeks, but I expect his scoring to be very limited in this series unless he decides to polish off his long-range shot and bring it out of the closet.
Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce will mop the floor with Radmonovic on both ends of the court. I don't expect to see much of Radmon during the series though. Look for Vujacic to take his place and either switch to the SG spot with Kobe or try to hold off Pierce on his own. Rondo and Fisher will be an interesting match-up. Fisher has had to go up against Williams and Tony Parker in these playoffs, so I think he is ready to take on Rondo... it's a bit of an easier challenge, but at the same time, Rondo is still a young, quick PG and Fisher will have to be at the top of his game to keep up.

I'm going to give the Lakers the advantage when it comes to the bench. Vujacic, Walton, Turiaf and Farmar should be able to hold their own while on the court. I don't see Sam Cassell doing much during this series. I'll give Leon Powe and Posey a bit of credit though; if they are used in the right capacity, I think they can do some damage on the floor. With that said, I think the Lakers have the upperhand going in this series. When you have Kobe Bryant leading a young squad that has shown no signs of slowing down, it's hard to bet against them. I think the Lakers are going to win it in six. I think they can take game one in Boston; we'll see how it goes from there.
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Playoff Officiating

May 29th 2008 20:54
After watching game 4 of the LA-San Antonio series, I thought it was time for me to address the issue of officiating in the playoffs, or just officiating in general. I'll start off by saying that Brent Barry was indeed fouled on that last second play by the Spurs. I'm a huge Lakers fan and even I felt a bit cheated after that play. I'm all for my team winning, but I don't want to hear any nonsense about how we only won because a foul was (or in this case, was not) called. With that said, the foul on Barry was not a shooting foul, so he would not have iced the game with his three free throws. Don't remember if LA was over the foul limit though, so it might have been two shots.

Another interesting referee-related issue regarding the Lakers-Spurs game 4. One of the refs in this game was veteran official, Joe Crawford. For those of you who don't remember, Crawford was suspended last season by the NBA after he and Tim Duncan got into a little argument. Nothing physical, but Crawford must have done something completely uncalled for for him to get suspended. The league is always quick to side with the refs so I found that one rather comical. But anyways, the issue being discussed prior to the game was whether or not Crawford should have been allowed to officiate the Spurs series. Even if there is no resentment or hate towards Duncan, there can always be that small hint of subjectiveness if a call is close. I don't know who botched that last call in game 4, but it would make my day if I found out it was Crawford.

There were also a few controversial calls in game five of the Detroit-Boston series. I believe a flagrant 1 was called against the Celtics in what I believe was a good playoff foul. We all know that the intent of the foul was to prevent the basket and there was no act of recklessness involved in the foul. It was a clean foul... there was nothing malicious about it. This is the playoffs and with the series tied at 2 apiece, you've got to expect that players are going to play hard to win the game. Later in the game, a similar foul was made and no flagrant was called. Inconsistent? Probably; but that was the right call to make in my opinion.

Overall, officiating in the playoffs have not been all that great. I'm not going to bother going into details. Instead, I'll offer some suggestions. When officials have really bad games, they should be punished. A suspension or something would suffice. Just to let them know that game-changing mistakes will not be tolerated. Currently, these guys fear nothing; they need something to keep them on their toes. Officials are supposed to be invisible; they should not impact the outcome of a game. They're supposed to make the calls and enforce the rules to the best of their abilities. Sometimes the refs let their egos get in the way and refuse to admit their mistakes when consulting with fellow officials to determine the call. With that said, these guys are pros and are doing their job better than any of us could do it. I criticize and offer up and opinion, but the bottom line is, they are human and humans make mistakes. We have the benefit of replay and slow motion when watching the game on tv. Refs don't have that when they're making the call on the court. But hopefully, the officiating improves in time for the Finals; we don't want to see a repeat of the '06 series featuring Miami and Dallas.
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Preview: Lakers vs Spurs

May 21st 2008 05:21
Derek Fisher
The Lakers are back in the Conference Finals, and they're facing the team they beat in a dramatic series back in '04. Most basketball fans remember than clutch shot against the Spurs hit by Derek Fisher with 0.4 seconds left in the game. As a Lakers fan, I loved that moment, and with Fisher back in an LA uniform, I'm looking for a repeat performance. I'm going to try and keep the bias aside for this preview, but I can't help but pick the Lakers to win this series in 6 and I'll explain why.

The Lakers rolled their way through the first two rounds rather easily by sweeping Denver and taking Utah in 6. Everyone expected LA to take out Denver, but there were a decent amount of people who thought Utah could take the series. I remember reading a John Holinger article a while back and he picked the Jazz to make it to the NBA Finals. From a statistical point of view, the Jazz were one of the best teams in the West and the Lakes outplayed them in four of their six games. The Lakers have proven that their high-powered offense can conquer any obstacle in their way. Bryant is still playing MVP worthy basketball and Gasol has stepped up his game to a whole new level.

Tony Parker
I think the Spurs will be their greatest challenge yet, but I don't think they have what it takes to keep up with the Lakers. I admit, San Antonio has proven me wrong time and time again, but I think their luck has just about run out. Duncan and Gasol match up nicely as they can both score the basketball down low and have good shot-blocking abilities. Bryant will most likely be matched up against Bowen. Bowen will have Kobe on a short leash and create some problems for him, but in the end, I think Bryant can break free and score when his team needs him to. Odom will be the X-factor in this series. Anyone put on him will be a mismatch. If he's guarded by a big defender, he should be able to shake his man from mid-range and either take the shot or drive to the basket. A smaller defender will have even less of a chance against Odom as he has drastically improved his post game this season. I expect Fisher to get beat by Parker off the dribble, but with Parker's inability to hit the long range ball, I think his impact will be limited as he will have to drive past Gasol, Turiaf and Odom to get his points. With that said, I do believe that Parker has the ability to turn the series in San Antonio's favour. His performance against the Hornets (and Suns) has been one of the best PG performances I have seen in a while, although he has been shadowed by CP3's even more spectacular play. I don't think Ginobli can be stopped, so the Lakers will have to deal with him scoring 20 points, and just hope that he doesn't break loose for a huge game.

I can't see anyone outside of the Spurs' big three having an impactful series, which is why I think the Lakers will take the series. The stars matchup fairly evenly, but once you factor the bench and the role players, I think the Lakers have the advantage when it comes to skill and offensive firepower. The young guys on the Lakers' bench will mop the floor with the Spurs older bench vets. If Popovic wants a chance at making the NBA Finals, I think he's going to have to run his starters a lot more than they are used to. The Lakers' depth it what makes them dangerous, and I think it is what will win them this series.
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Preview: Pistons vs. Celtics

May 19th 2008 00:50
This is the match-up everyone has been talking about since the midway point of the NBA regular season. Could the Celtics beat Detroit in a seven game series? Is Detroit the one team that Boston should be afraid of? Well, all of these questions will be answered as the two teams look to square off in a few days. My opinion on this matter has changed since the season ended, and since I am now enlightened, I will tell you why the Pistons will beat the Celtics in the Conference Finals.

Kevin Garnett
Let me start off by saying this. The Pistons match-up better against the Celtics from a defensive standpoint than any other team in the league. If I were to guess off the top of my head, I would say that the Spurs are close behind in terms of best match-ups. So already, the Pistons have the defensive advantage in this 7-game affair. Rasheed Wallace is a great defender and although he won't shut down Garnett completely (who can?), he should be able to do a good enough job to give Detroit an edge. Rasheed is no stranger to the mid-range game, so I think he should be able to effectively guard Garnett out there in addition to holding him off down low. We're all aware of Teyshaun Prince's spectacular defense. Although Garnett won't be shut down, I think there is a possibility that Paul Pierce will be rendered obsolete in this series. Prince is coming off a great defensive effort in the Orlando series and I look for that to continue through to this round. Neither Rip Hamilton nor Ray Allen play great D so look for those two to put up some good numbers throughout the series. Their teammates will be looking for them to score the big points since they themselves are tied up in tough defensive match-ups.

Chauncey Billups
I think the PG battle might be the deciding factor in this series. Chauncey is just so much more polished an experienced than Rajon Rondo. That alone puts Rondo at a disadvantage, and to be honest, I think he will get ripped by Billups. These are two of the best defensive guards in the league and although I know Rondo can keep up with Billups, I just think he'll get outsmarted and posted up down low. Chauncey has the size to overpower Rondo with relative ease, and I don't know if Rondo knows how to guard a PG that likes to post up every once in a while. Rondo will have to use everything he's got on defense is he hopes to stop Billups. On the other hand, I think Billups can and will contain Rondo rather easily. He's been here before, and when it's a seasoned veteran versus a very young PG, I have no problem admitting that experience and knowledge plays a big part in the outcome. I expect to see more of Cassell in this series so Rondo can get the rest he needs to go 100% for the minutes in which he is playing. I like Stuckey off the bench for Detroit, and I think he'll capitalize on opportunities if he is put on the court with a tired Rondo or an older, slower Sam Cassell.

While Detroit may have the defensive edge, I don't think there is any doubt that the Celtics have the advantage on the offensive end. My opinion is that Detroit's defense is more of an asset than the Celtics' offense, which is why I chose Detroit to take the series. I'm gonna stay true to the home-court advantage phenomenon that's been taking over and say that the series will go to seven games. Obviously, Detroit will have to win game seven in Boston, so the home team will have to lose at least one game in this series if my prediction is to come true.
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This Week in Basketball

May 16th 2008 03:42
Didn't feel like dedicating an entire post to one particular topic, so for this one, I've decided to comment on a number of things occurring around the NBA.

We'll start things off by talking about the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs. Here's a crazy fact for you: During the 2nd round of the '08 Playoffs, only one team has lost a game at home. This one home loss came on May 10th when Detroit defeated Orlando 90-89. I don't think home-court advantage has ever meant more than it does now. Those of you who read my previous article know where I stand when it comes to home-court advantage, but after watching the domination by home teams in this round, I may be forced to reconsider my position. So, since this trend is proving to be rather reliable this round, I think we can conclude that the Hornets, Lakers and Celtics will all win their respective series in 7 games. As I am writing this, I am watching game six of the Spurs-Hornets series, and from the looks of things, we will definitely have a game seven in that series.

As most of us already know, Kobe Bryant was officially named the NBA MVP this past week. I would brag and say that I called it, but I'll refrain. In addition to being named MVP, Kobe also made the All-Defensive team for the 8th time in his career. Doesn't really surprise me that he made the team, but I didn't think he was a lock either. What did surprise me was the fact that Kobe got as many points as DPOY Kevin Garnett. Kobe and Garnett each got 24 first place votes and led the league in "voting points" or whatever you want to call it. Marcus Camby, Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen rounded out the Defensive team.

Now I'm going to comment on something that really bothered me... the All-Rookie team. As expected, Kevin Durant and Al Horford led the Rookie squad in votes and were joined by Luis Scola, Al Thornton and Jeff Green. For some reason, Al Horford was the only unanimous selection to the rookie team, which means that someone did not vote for Durant. How could you not vote for the rookie of the year to be put on the all-rookie team? It doesn't make sense to me. That must mean that some coach (the coaches vote for the teams) thought 5 other players deserved to be on the all-rookie team before Durant. I'm just speculating here, but I think Hawks head coach, Mike Woodson is behind this. He was irate when he found out that Durant won ROY instead of Horford. I don't see how anyone could come up with a reason why Durant shouldn't be on the team. Obviously it's not that big of deal in the grand scheme of things, but it bothered me nonetheless. The fact that Jeff Green made the first rookie-team above Jamario Moon also bothers me, but to a lesser extent. You can make an argument for Green, but I personally would have put Moon or maybe even Navarro over Green. But hey, maybe that's the Raps fan in me talking.
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Posted By: Travis - Category: The Playoffs, Kobe Bryant
   


The Phoenix Mercury are the 2007 WNBA Champions!

September 18th 2007 12:15
Phoenix Mercury 2007 WNBA Champions.
2007 WNBA Champs! (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)


The Phoenix Mercury created history when they became the first team to claim the WNBA title on the road when they won the deciding Game 5, beating the Detroit Shock, 108-92. To make things even sweeter, the team from the valley of the sun, also usurped the defending champs as well.

Cappie Pondexter, the second year phenom for the Mercury, capped off her Finals MVP performance with an extraordinary Game 5 scoring a very nice 26 points. “It's been a long time coming…It's something I've been waiting for, working hard for, and it's finally here.” (Martin, AP, 2007)

Australia was also represented by Penny Taylor, who chipped in with a further 30 points to pace the fast starting, and ultimately, triumphant Mercury team.

Detroit had a chance to wrap up the series two games earlier but was denied by a more determined Phoenix team. Coach of the Shock, Bill Laimbeer voiced the disappointment him and his team felt with the loss: “This is an unfamiliar position -- being up here without a bottle of champagne…We got beat by a team that was hungrier.” (Martin, AP, 2007)

Phoenix has perhaps the best trio in the league with Cappie Pondexter, Penny Taylor and the already legendary Diana Taurasi starring for the squad, giving their coach, Paul Westhead, a WNBA title, to compliment his NBA championship he won with the Lakers in 1980.

Taurasi, had an excellent performance as well, rounding off the perfect night for the Mercury
Cappie Pondexter
Cappie Pondexter, Finals MVP. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)
when all the stars aligned perfectly for the squad. Diana’s statline was as impressive as her superstar counterparts scoring 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing off six assists for good measure.

Pondexter, Taylor and Taurasi’s seemingly easy chemistry didn’t come about organically, it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point in time when they began to click, resulting in this championship run.

"It wasn't easy, actually," Taurasi said of the chemistry among Pondexter, Taylor and herself. "Last year, we had a little bit of growing pains, learning about each other on the court. How we could use each other to be a better team.

"Sometimes, it doesn't work. Your strength is someone else's strength, and it's a conflict. But this year, I think we all took a back seat to take the front seat. We just settled it out on the court, and when we saw it worked, we stuck to it. We all have our moments, and in the long run, that's going to help us more than one person having all the moments." (Voepel, ESPN.com, 2007)

The Mercury’s triumph was so unprecedented, that when they finally clinched Game 5, the WNBA held the trophy ceremony in a small room in The Palace, rather than on court because they didn’t want disappointed Shock fans to boo the triumphant visitors.

So, without needing to add anything further, we here at NBALOUD congratulate the Phoenix Mercury, WNBA Champions for 2007!

Today’s video is of Game 5. Enjoy.


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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs
   


When Larry Bird (a White Guy) Stole from Isiah Thomas (a Black Guy).

August 3rd 2007 09:27
“Bird stole the ball! Bird stole the ball!” has got to be one of the most famous NBA moments both from a commentary standpoint, and in a basketball sense. Who can forget Celtics announcer Johnny Most and his distinctive voice screaming out those words? While fans in the Boston Garden were going delirious with what they had just witnessed. It truly was a splendid moment.

Game 5 in the 1987 Eastern Conference playoffs was one of the most significant games in NBA history for the pure excitement that the ending generated. Also, why shouldn’t we get excited about the Celtics once more because they haven’t been relevant in 20 years!

For anyone hoops fan that hasn’t been paying attention, the Celtics recently acquired Kevin Garnett and now have one of the best trios in the game. Teams in the woeful Eastern Conference will now be shaking in their boots.

So, it doesn’t hurt that we here at NBALOUD will look back at some great Boston moments before KG, Ray ‘Jesus’ Allen, and Paul Pierce develop some new magical memories for the long suffering Celtics fans.

Where were we? Oh, that’s right, Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. The Lakers
Larry Bird
Larry Bird committed one of the basketball crimes of the century when he mugged Detroit. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)
and Celtics rivalry may have been the big one in the 80s, but there was a genteel respect between the two squads when compared to the Boston/Detroit junkyard brawl. Led by Isiah Thomas, the cocky point guard for the team from Eight Mile, Detroit were developing a deadly persona that scared their opponents senseless.

Boston was the defending champions, but met some tough resistance from the young ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons who had every intention to usurp the kings of the NBA throne. It was new money versus old, and youth looked like being served when Detroit led Game 5 with seconds to play and the ball in their possession. The score was 107-106 Detroit – all they needed to do was hold onto the ball and that should have been that.

What the Pistons should have counted on was Larry Bird once again turning saviour.

Isiah Thomas had the ball on the Celtics baseline and was looking to pass, Bird the freak that he was, played stupid and lulled Zeke into thinking that he wasn’t paying attention. But little did Thomas know Larry Bird was going to go Chuck Norris on the Pistons.

Thinking he had Bird beat, Thomas shot a pass to the slow footed, thug life living, dirty as two dollar hooker, but as effective as a point blank kick to the groin, while the victim is blindfolded, player known as Bill Laimbeer, but was foiled by the dastardly Larry Legend.

Bird stole the ball, looked like he was about to fall ass first out of bounds but somehow found his teammate Dennis Johnson, who in a blink of the eye cut to the basket to score the winning lay-up.

Game over. Pistons hearts are broken, while Larry Bird adds another chapter to his legendary resume.

Then the famous call rang through the Boston night: “Bird stole the ball! Bird stole the ball!” Amen, brother, he sure did.

Today’s video is of what else? Those magical few last seconds.


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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics
   


The 80s Belonged to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

July 26th 2007 13:13
As the NBA is increasingly being tainted by the whiff of corruption and match fixing, we here at NBALOUD are more determined than ever to look back at the golden moments of a great sport. The league is at its darkest hour and it isn’t a stretch to say that the future popularity of professional basketball hangs on a number of issues that may, or may not destroy the game.

Until then, let us celebrate the beautiful game whilst stealing an adage from football.

The 1980s were arguably the greatest period for basketball as we have mentioned over and over again here on this space. So it is of little surprise that in our bout of nostalgia we are once again re-visiting the time when Michael Jackson was still black, and the brat pack ruled the teen scene.

It was during the 80s that the NBA really took off on the backs of a couple marquee names that will forever be synonymous with one another – Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, come on down!

NBA Commissioner David Stern could not have envisioned two greater players than Magic and Larry to save a dormant league. The rivalry between these two greats encompassed so many divergent themes that made their battles so compelling – one was white and the other was black, Magic played for the glamour Los Angeles franchise out west, while Larry plied his trade in the working class city of Boston out east.

You couldn’t conceive of two better ambassadors for the sport, who were not only talented, but winners to boot.

Although the Lakers and Celtics would dominate the 80s it was the very first time that Magic and Bird met in the NBA Finals that was perhaps the most significant battle that these two greats would engage in.

George Orwell may have written a seminal book dedicated to the year of 1984 and we should
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird
Magic and Larry were fan-tastic! (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)
give props to that, but it was also that very same year where Johnson and Bird engaged in a fight for NBA supremacy. It was on, like Donkey Kong.

Boston and Los Angles were so good in the 1980s that those two franchises alone accounted for eight titles during that decade. Bird and Magic’s rivalry was unparalleled.

“We came along at the right time,” stated Magic, “That’s all I can say. I needed Larry and he needed me. We pushed each other, meant so much to each other and meant so much to the game. It was a fun time.” (Howerton, NBA.com, 2004)

In the much anticipated battle between the Lakers and Celtics, Los Angeles ran away with the first game, dominating to such an extent it was scary. Magic had his usual triple-double statistics, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went Bruce Lee on Boston, scoring at will.

Game 2 was a lot closer, with a game that ebbed and flowed, keeping NBA fans happy. The bench for Boston did the job and the blue collar Celtics eventually won the game in overtime, 124-121 with a little help from some patented, Larry Bird clutch shooting.

When the series moved back to L.A. the Lake Show once again were scary good, blowing away the Celtics due to the sublime play of a one, Earvin Johnson, who also set an NBA record of dishing 21 assists in one quarter, while his team scored a mammoth 80 points in the second half! Whoa, Nelly!

The Celtics were battered and bruised and it was in Game 4 where they decided to take the advice of Olivia Newton-John and got physical, bullying the Lakers into submission. The series was so evenly poised that these two great teams, featuring two superstars, would get down to a Game 7 where it was all on the line.

Beantown was the scene and the Celtics were the team. Try as they might, Los Angeles couldn’t overcome the physicality of Boston with Larry Legend averaging a series best 27 points per game, whilst garnering the MVP for the regular season and the Finals.

This was a great rivalry that transcended the sport and the NBA was so fortunate to have Magic and Bird on board.

To illustrate how awesome the 1984 Final was, check out this video.


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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, Boston Celtics
   


Reggie Miller Makes NBA Fans Orgasm in 9 Seconds.

July 22nd 2007 11:34
Rarely do people want the spotlight, or the responsibility that comes with carrying a group of individuals on their shoulders and saying, ‘I want the consequences. I’ll take the kudos or the blame.’ People may say they want that type of burden, but rarely does a person mean it with conviction.

Than there are those who crave the biggest stage and perform appropriately. These individuals are both loved and loathed in equal measure – however, they are respected, sometimes begrudgingly.

Many in the NBA have had ice flowing through their veins and have put up their hand for the chance to be the man. Reggie Miller was one of these ballers.

The beanpole thin Miller doesn’t strike anyone as a particularly outstanding ball player. Yes, he could score like Wilt Chamberlain on a road trip, but he wasn’t a particularly good defender and was nothing more than a great shooter. However, he was great when it counted the most – playoff time. It was the postseason where he made his mark.

Miller was so clutch in the playoffs that he had about as much playoff highlights as some of the all-time greats, which is a testament at how good he was – when it mattered the most. They didn’t call the final seconds ‘Miller time’ for no reason.

In saying all of this, there is one performance that stands above all others. Miller’s final second heroics in this game were of such epic proportions that no one has ever come close
Reggie Miller
It's Miller Time! (Image from wikipedia)
to emulating this feat. Furthermore, it was in a big game and on the biggest basketball stage in the world.

Need any help at guessing what game we’re talking about here? Try, Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the New York Knicks, at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden.

Many who have seen this majestic work of art have called it both spectacular and horrifying in equal measure. Spectacular, because of the clutch performance of Reggie, but horrific at the utter collapse of a tough Knicks basketball team.

Miller, in a nine second span, managed to score eight points and plunge a dagger into the hearts of the New York team. This is how it happened: Reggie nails a 3-point basket with 16 seconds to play, steals the Knicks inbound pass, has the presence of mind to step back to beyond the arc, and sinks another 3-pointer tying the game at 105 with 13 seconds left on the clock.

New York enforcer, Anthony Mason summed up the feelings of the players and the New York fans: “We were shell-shocked…We went numb after his second three. We became totally disoriented. It was like a terrible nightmare that you couldn't wake up from. I still think about it today. I can laugh about it now. I wasn't laughing then, that's for sure.” (Weinberg, ESPN.com)

After Miller’s second 3-point basket, John Starks of the Knicks is fouled but promptly misses both free throws, but it seemed no big deal because the legendary big man for New York, Patrick Ewing grabs the rebound. But he manages to mangle his shot attempt, then who else but Reggie grabs the rebound and is fouled.

Ardent Knicks fan Spike Lee is courtside and Miller begins trash talking to the renowned director, hits both of his free throws, and then the Pacers take it, sparking a wild celebration.

With both the Knicks and the crowd stunned by this grandiose performance, Miller runs out of the court shouting over and over again “Choke artists! Choke artists!’

Truer words have never been uttered by an NBA player.

Today’s video is of those nine seconds. View it in awe.


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Posted By: Stanley - Category: The Playoffs, Indiana Pacers
   


Larry Bird and Dominque Wilkins Classic 1988 Playoff Duel.

July 17th 2007 09:45
For many the golden age of NBA basketball was in the 1980s when
Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird.
Dominique Wilkins was the bomb! (Image from nba.com)
the league managed to catch lightening in a bottle and have many great talents all playing at the same time – Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley and of course the irrepressible Michael Jordan. It was a wonderful time for hoops lovers and why wouldn’t you dig it sucka?

In the 80s the basketball was free flowing, jive talking and high scoring! In essence the NBA was fan-tastic.

The aforementioned names are the ones who receive the most love from hoops historians and fans because they made the NBA what it is today. As great as this group of guys are, there is often one named that has been constantly overlooked when talking about this period – Dominique Wilkins.

People forget that some of the most memorable moments in the 80s involved ‘The Human Highlight Film’ who not only dunked the ball with style and grace, but was also a skilful basketball player in his own right. ‘Nique was alright, and it is about time he got some NBALOUD love.

There are many moments of posterity involving the dunk-a-licious one from the dirty south, but there is one game which defined his career.

What game are we talking about? Try the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Game 7, against the storied Boston Celtics, led by the badass himself, Larry Bird.

‘Nique and Larry Legend engaged in one of the most remarkable shootouts in NBA history and this is how it all went down.

For all intents and purposes basketball is a team game, but perhaps unlike any other team sport on earth, a talented individual could lift a team on the sheer force of his personality and game. In this Game 7 semi-final it was two superstars who found something else deep within themselves in reaching a level of basketball brilliance that cannot be obtained by mere mortals – both were in the zone.

Boston were heavy favourites and won the first two games with relative ease, but the underdog Atlanta Hawks came roaring back taking the next three to find themselves in the enviable position to knock off the Larry Bird led Celtics. It wasn’t to be, with Game 6 going the
Larry Bird.
Never discount the hick from French Lick. (Image from nba.com)
way of the Celts.

The stage was set for a do or die Game 7 where two teams enter, and one team leaves. What better stage than the old Boston Garden? Now, all we needed was the star performers to play the parts of their lives.

Larry Legend and The Human Highlight Film wouldn’t disappoint.

"It was like two gunfighters waiting to blink," recalled Celtics forward Kevin McHale. "There was one stretch that was as pure a form of basketball as you're ever going to see." (NBA.com)

With roughly ten minutes to play in the game both teams were tied at 86-86 when the opposing superstars decided to take the reins of the game and shake the basketball loving world to its core.

Bird started the proceedings with a quick basket, and decided to go on a nine point scoring binge in just under two minutes of basketball. Atlanta stayed close though with Wilkins tying the game at 99-99 with roughly six minutes left.

Both men were not only guarding one another, but bringing out the best in each other as well. It was pure basketball poetry with Wilkins stating: “I was making all kinds of baskets that night. I pulled out everything I had in that game. I was making slam dunks, short-range jumpers, transition baskets, baskets off offensive rebounds, tip-ins, everything. It was just one of those games where I was able to take everything to a higher level.

Unfortunately, so did Bird. The game really reached a fever pitch in the fourth quarter. He ended up scoring 20 in the fourth and I had just about that many. This was the biggest game I had ever played in. Neither one of us wanted to lose.” (O’Donnell, Basketball Digest, 2002)

The level of basketball on display was something to behold, and after Wilkins tying the game at 99-99, Bird went on another rampage, scoring 11 points, including a stunning 3-point basket over Wilkins with a minute and a half left of game time. Guess what? Wilkins matched Bird’s efforts as well, point for point in the same period.

Hot-lanta was down three points with a second left in the game, and ‘Nique was on the free throw line. This situation turned out to be a major problem for the Hawks because even if Wilkins made his second free throw, Atlanta would still be down by one.

After sinking his first free throw, Wilkins intentionally missed the second, while probably praying to the heavens for an Atlanta rebound.

Sadly, for Atlanta and the basketball loving public, the rebound was safely corralled by the Celtics and they went on to fight another day.

Wilkins top scored with an out of this world 19-of-23 shooting performance to end the game with 47 points. Meanwhile, Larry Legend had 34 points for the night, 20 of those points coming in that magical final period.

Do we really need to say what video clip is associated with this post? Didn’t think so.
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Julius Erving Produces a Legendary Basket in the 1980 NBA Finals.

July 14th 2007 11:18
Continuing with our theme of looking back at the greatest moments in NBA history our focus today will be on another player that had a reputation of defying the laws of gravity. Julius Erving is his name, and excitement inducing plays is his game.

Dr. J was the coolest cat on the basketball block since the day he broke into the ABA in the early 70s. Rocking the ‘fro, and accomplishing jaw dropping jams from the free throw line the Doc was a rebel with a cause – to bring the most badass basketball to the masses.

When the ABA folded and merged with the NBA, Erving took his aerobatic theatrics to the Association and things would never be the same again. Although his hops weren’t as big as they had been during his ABA days, the Doc still had the mad skillz that separated him from the rest of the basketball playing mortals around at the time.

Michael Jordan may have taken the ‘wow’ factor of basketball to the next level, but it was Erving who was the high flying innovator, producing moves that were groundbreaking to say the least. He was the OG sick baller.

Like many players before him, and since, Doc wanted to be known as more than just a high flyer, he wanted a title, and desperately. After being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers (yes, they haven’t always sucked) Erving and his squad began an early 80s assault on the
Julius Erving legendary baseline reverse layup.
I believe that Dr. J can fly! (Image from nba.com)
Championship.

However, Dr. J will always be remembered for the one legendary shot that probably has defined his career during the 1980 Finals when the Sixers were facing the Lakers. It was Game 4 and Los Angeles were leading 2-1 in the series with Philly needing a spark. Julius Erving would provide such inspiration during the fourth quarter.

Game 4 was a hard fought battle with some legendary names on both sides, such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Doc arguably had his best season in 1980 averaging 26.9 points per game.

Anyway, back to Game 4. Yes, the game was a close one, and Julius Winfield Erving II would produce a move that would go down in NBA folklore.

Laker Mark Landsberger was defending Doc down the baseline, and Erving easily passed him with utter contempt, setting himself to score either on a hard dunk or pretty layup. The legendary Kareem who has spotted these shenanigans decided to try and put a stop to all of this silliness by swatting away Erving’s shot attempt.

Doc was already committed to the shot and was soaring through the air when Kareem checked him.

Then it happened.

Whilst in the air Doc adjusted his body in a manner that avoided the desperate defence of Kareem and somehow managed to float to the other side of the rim and scored with a reverse layup.

The Philly crowd went crazy as expected.

A rookie point guard by the name of Magic Johnson who would also make his mark in this series bore witness to this magical moment with his mouth visibly agape at what he just saw. Here is Magic’s take on that shot: “Here I was, trying to win a championship, and my mouth just dropped open. He actually did that! I thought, 'What should we do? Should we take the ball out, or should we ask him to do it again?' It's still the greatest move I've ever seen in a basketball game, the all-time greatest.” (Weinberg, ESPN.com)

Philly would end up winning the game 105-102, but would ultimately lose the series.

Erving would break his Championship drought three years later.

So, without further Apu, here is the move in all of its cinematic glory if you can't be bothered checking out the moving image on this post.


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The San Antonio Spurs are 2007 NBA Champions!

June 15th 2007 09:55
San Antonio Spurs with the championship trophy.
San Antonio players celebrating like it's 1999! (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)


Break out LeBroom because it was a le sweep, 83-82 to the Spurs – champions for a fourth time since a certain basketball player named Tim Duncan came to the Alamo. While we still have your attention how about a le congratulations to le Tony Parker who also walked away with le Finals MVP trophy. Could Parker be the luckiest guy on earth? Major basketball talent, money, looks, MVP trophy, Championship rings and let’s not forget Eva Longoria! Some people have all the fortune.

Parker who dominated the Cavs with his blistering pace and deadly outside shot scorched them for 24 points doing as he pleased, while his fellow foreign sidekick, Manu Ginobili had 27 – 13 in the final quarter, including some clutch hoops down the stretch. And how could we forget Tim Duncan? He is the reason why the San Antonio franchise has been so successful during his reign, and although Game 4 wasn’t one of Duncan’s best games he still did made his mark with 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Big Fundamental also grabbed some vital boards with Cleveland closing in, and not only that, his hustle and the intangibles he bought to the game were something to behold.

San Antonio thoroughly deserved this one.

Moving to the opposition, LeBron James will have to wait a little longer to be anointed basketball royalty after Bron-Bron and the James gang were handed their asses on a platter. San Antonio picked LeBron and his team apart, brutally exposing their flaws for the world to
Tony Parker kissing Eva Longoria.
Tony Parker plants a kiss on a woman who has been stalking him throughout the Finals. She goes by the name of Eva Longoria. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
see, and James as an intelligent basketball player would now recognise that he has plenty to work on.

Credit James’ ineffectiveness in the Finals to the Spurs team who hounded LeBron whenever he went down the lane allowing for only two dunks, yes, you read that correctly, two dunks, for the whole series. Furthermore, after thoroughly dominating the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Tayshaun Prince, James was met with more resistance by Bruce Bowen who shadowed Bron-Bron like bad body odour. The Spurs were so good at laying down the clamps on the King that he shot a paltry 31 percent from the field for the series.

This leaves us with the rest of the Cavs who were by no means a championship calibre team. Cleveland is woeful in their current incarnation and without the injured Larry Hughes the Cavs were doomed from the very beginning. Cleveland’s loss isn’t primarily due to LeBron because he tried his heart out, it’s just the team around him couldn’t hit shots to save their lives and without James, would be the equal of the Atlanta Hawks – don’t forget Anderson Varejao who thought for one moment that he was the man in Game 3.

As mentioned ad nauseum so far the Spurs played tight ‘D’ on LeBron, forcing him into shooting mid-range jumpers and rushed 3-pointers. They bodied and badgered him to such an extent that his turnover rate was excruciatingly high. Welcome, to Finals basketball young fella.

LeBron will learn from this and the NBA will be his in due time. Even the greatest get their licks
Thierry Henry watching the NBA Finals.
Even Arsenal football star Thierry Henry thinks the NBA is fan-tastic. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
from time to time.

Now, that we have dedicated so much space for the vanquished, let us celebrate the victors.

Before the Finals the San Antonio squad repeatedly dismissed talk of a dynasty, but it certainly can’t be avoided now. The Spurs have built a model franchise that has basketball excellence as the centrepiece. No, one complains about playing time, and egos are kept in check because there is a team ethos that permeates through the franchise. Credit coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan for the unselfish mentality that is the hallmark of this dynasty in the making.

Kudos must go out to Tim Duncan because all things are possible due to TD. The continued brilliance he has continued to show, whilst making winning the most important thing is his basketball legacy. While, some measure success in the NBA through such superficialities such as money, endorsements, entourage and shoe deals, Tim Duncan has exposed that the only measure of true and everlasting success is titles. Many a critic (this space and writer included) have derided Timmy and the Spurs but let’s give a pound when the credit is due – Duncan and the Spurs deserve to be lauded.

The Finals started off in a flurry with one young star expected to ascend to greatness, while the other would get lost in the shuffle – Tony Parker would rise to the occasion and establish himself as a superstar, while LeBron James will take solace and joy at the birth of his second son prior to Game 4, because he won’t get to touch the Larry O’Brien trophy.

There really is only one thing left to say: Congratulations, to the 2007 NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs.

Today’s video is of Game 4. ‘Nuff said.


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