Lakers are going to win it all again this year.

5/8/2010 1:10:22 PM

maybe, but suns and magic are streaking as well

man the celtics got old fast

[Edited on May 8, 2010 at 1:20 PM. Reason : ]

5/8/2010 1:19:44 PM

The Suns are the same team as always

except this year, they're actually playing defense

5/8/2010 1:57:50 PM

I know I'm biased as a Suns fan, but I think they have a really good shot against the Lakers. I'm sure the Lakers will out rebound the shit out of them, but their 3 point shooting is unparalleled in comparison.

5/8/2010 5:22:52 PM

Yeah. I'm scared of the Lakers. God I hope the Jazz can take these two in Utah...at least win one and prolong the series and give Nash some more rest.

The Suns could score 200 points on Utah...their defense is absolute shit during the playoffs.

5/8/2010 5:26:20 PM

I'm not sure if Orlando's really really good or Atlanta's really really bad.

5/8/2010 7:11:15 PM

^I'm sure its both

5/8/2010 9:27:09 PM

ridiculous game

5/8/2010 10:45:56 PM

lol, Clyde Drexler....

5/8/2010 10:47:42 PM

at this point in his career kobe is just a good shooting guard. there are at least 10 other guys at his position that can do what he does. Ginobili isn't THAT far behind.

5/8/2010 10:53:12 PM

fisher got buttsecked on that inbounds

5/8/2010 10:53:46 PM

That was horrible. Fisher got tackled.

[Edited on May 8, 2010 at 10:54 PM. Reason : and nene is the best pf in the nba]

5/8/2010 10:54:15 PM

wow what a finish

5/8/2010 10:55:17 PM

GAME OF THE PLAYOFFS

wow what a game by both teams. how many lead changes in the 2nd half? largest lead was 5 and it was only more than 3 for like 30 seconds.

this has been the most competitive series by far.

kobe 35 and 7

5/8/2010 10:56:15 PM

ginobli would never make that pullup 3, sorry.

i dont like kobe, but that was ice water.

5/8/2010 10:58:23 PM

just read that Orlando has only lost three times in their past 30 games

I don't think the Cavs can beat them in a series

5/9/2010 2:59:55 AM

Suns vs. Lakers, who wins it? I'm saying Suns in 6 or 7.

5/9/2010 1:29:20 PM

I'd say lakers in five or six

5/9/2010 3:19:34 PM

Ray playing some ball as an old man...

5/9/2010 4:39:51 PM

its amazing he can even propel the ball to the basket at the staggering age of 34

5/9/2010 5:07:38 PM

Rondo just pwnt lebron with that fast break assist

5/9/2010 5:42:18 PM

good gosh rondo is a bad man

triple

5/9/2010 5:43:54 PM

He might pull a double triple if he keeps it up.

5/9/2010 6:20:54 PM

now that is a stat line

5/9/2010 7:32:26 PM

I seriously hope the Suns can take this.

5/9/2010 9:49:16 PM

STEVE NASH IS THE MAN

playing with an eye swollen shut. he looks like the new freddy kruger.

5/9/2010 10:20:19 PM

DAGGERRRRRRRRRRRRR


aha epic cut to steve kerr right there

[Edited on May 9, 2010 at 10:42 PM. Reason : ]

5/9/2010 10:35:35 PM

^^He looks like he missed the casting for the next The Hills Have Eyes movie. Epic win; epic sweep.

5/9/2010 10:49:02 PM

whats the deal with the suns' eye curse?

5/9/2010 10:56:22 PM

Fuck it, I'm rooting for one more Lakers-Celtics final in the Kobe/Big Three era.

Rondo was just unbelievable yesterday. Amazing he can do what he does with having ZERO outside shot to speak of. I mean guys give him the cushion yet still can't stay in front of him and get in passing lanes. If he can EVER develop a consistent jumper then he could be the best PG in the NBA.

5/10/2010 10:24:37 AM

Id rather see a Suns/Cavs final.

Or a Suns/Magic.

I have no desire to see L.A. play at all. Kobe is actually the only member of that team I don't despise watching play.

5/10/2010 10:31:56 AM

^^No i think playing off of him makes him so great. Think about it, Kenny was saying it lastnight, he never has to worry about turning the ball over and every pass he makes is uncontested. If you crowded him and played him like a shooter he'd still be good but things would be much tougher for him.

5/10/2010 10:56:28 AM

looks like the hawks came to play

5/10/2010 8:19:31 PM

I still want to see the Kobe/Lebron finals that I was hoping to see last year

5/10/2010 8:22:35 PM

has a team ever gone unbeaten through the playoffs?

5/10/2010 8:23:44 PM

not quite...there have been some teams that only lost 1 game but nobody has ever gone undefeated

and i dont think orlando can sweep cleveland or boston or the lakers or suns

and damn those 3 pointers can just drain the life out of your team...especially if are atlanta and already have given up

[Edited on May 10, 2010 at 8:27 PM. Reason : .]

5/10/2010 8:25:23 PM

i can't believe any of the hawks are professional athletes...i think they should all be working at the snack bar...i mean, ryan anderson and jason williams are having their way

5/10/2010 8:46:29 PM

joe johnson checking out of the game (to a chorus of boos obviously) saying "i'm leaving this city as quick as possible"

5/10/2010 10:23:19 PM

Devlin is still pumped up

5/10/2010 10:24:24 PM

Quote :

"looks like the hawks came to play"

5/10/2010 10:31:46 PM

go bobcats, way to be more competitive

5/10/2010 10:32:24 PM

moral victory, maybe this will make larry brown's 70 year old ass care more about staying in charlotte than his young children

5/10/2010 10:37:20 PM

Was really hoping the Jazz could push the Lakers to 5 or 6 games and give Phoenix the "rest" advantage. Oh well.

No excuses for either team heading in. I would like for Lopez to be able to come back and give Phoenix some much needed size against the LA's frontline. First glance would say that Odom, Gasol, and Bynum will be too much for the Suns' big men. But I think Amare will put a lot more offensive pressure than Boozer and those bigs won't be able to guard Frye out on the perimeter (maybe Odom can). Phoenix will have to play some really good team defense whenever they go small ball. Taking charges, active hands in the lanes, and get to the glass with reckless abandon. The Suns bench should be a big advantage as well.

Should be a fun series.

5/11/2010 12:20:24 PM

Where is Raja Bell when you need him?

I'm hoping this Cavs-Celtics series goes the distance. Bunch of stinkers in the second round, which is odd for the playoffs.

5/11/2010 1:10:16 PM

Meh...I think Hill and Dudley will do as good a job on Kobe as anyone on the Jazz did. I'd much rather Kobe try and go off in this series (which I can see him trying to do...he has ill will towards the Suns) than try and pound it in to Bynum and Gasol. Gasol DESTROYED the Jazz. Amundson might trouble him a little...but he should have his way with the Suns big men...and Phoenix cannot afford to have Amare in foul trouble.

5/11/2010 1:26:27 PM

Quote :

"Mike Bibby: "I'd have some thoughts, but I died two years ago.""

a+ bill simmons

5/11/2010 5:00:00 PM

they should just rest bynum for the finals. you guys are smoking crack if you think grant hill channing frye and jerod dudley will lead the suns to victory.

5/11/2010 5:42:01 PM

That was an impressive series from Kobe he seemed to really listen to his detractors and start taking good shots and get to the line.

Troubling for the Lakers was the fact Bynum looked much worse than he did early on in the playoffs.

Obviously, the Lakers are large favorites in the series so I'll play the devil's advocate and try to find a way the Suns can win.

1) Bynum's knee. Expect the Suns to run pick & rolls to expose Bynum's gimpy knee. Between fouls, fatigue, and ineffectiveness defending the screens I don't think the Lakers play Bynum more than ~25 minutes a game. Granted, they have Odom to replace him but that does wear on their depth quite a bit and gives Gasol less time to rest.

2) Kobe's health. Can he play 40+ minutes in a long series against a team like Phoenix that will require him to get up and down the floor, defend threes, fight through screens, etc. I think he can but if his knees act up this could be an issue.

3) Lakers depth. It's terrible. Can they get anything from Farmar, Walton, or Brown? Brown has played well but can they afford to have Kobe out much and will he play well in a big series?

4) Can Stoudamire get Gasol in foul trouble? If he's aggressive and takes the ball to the basket he can singlehandedly sway the series by making the kind of contested baskets the Jazz could not.

5) 3-ball. Probably the most important. The great equalizer. We know the Lakers will destroy them on the glass and get quite a few easy buckets inside but if the Suns shoot the ball really well in 4 games they could possibly steal the series with a few breaks.



All that being said, I think Lakers in 7 with a possibility of as few as 5. LA has been really tough at home so far and it's just hard to doubt them against a team with absolutely no size to match up with their biggest strength.

5/11/2010 5:52:52 PM

Quote :

" 1) Bynum's knee. Expect the Suns to run pick & rolls to expose Bynum's gimpy knee. Between fouls, fatigue, and ineffectiveness defending the screens I don't think the Lakers play Bynum more than ~25 minutes a game. Granted, they have Odom to replace him but that does wear on their depth quite a bit and gives Gasol less time to rest."

sit him now. he can get a roy type surgery andl be ready to go for the finals. I think its the only way the lakers would have a chance to beat the. magic.

5/11/2010 5:57:11 PM

I don't think it's a bad idea to sit him. Odom will defend better against the Suns and can still do some of the things on the block that Bynum can given the matchups.

LA's trump card against Orlando is throwing two big men out there. Sure, Orlando can put Gortat out there like last year but that gets them out of their offensive sets and what they are used to doing all season.

If the Lakers go into the Finals with a 85% Bynum they can still take them down, but a 50% Bynum makes it very tough. They probably should have rested him during the Jazz series at least until they lost a game...

5/11/2010 6:10:49 PM