NBA Playoff Thread

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6969227.html

 

If the Lakers lose tonight, do I get to bitch about the free throw disparity, and conspiracies, and all that bunk?

 

No, Stern will fine you.

 

Outstanding competitive game tonight, won by San Antonio over Dallas.
Spurs have 2-1 lead, but this one's going 7, I do believe.
As was forecast, this is easily the best of the 8 first-round matchups.
Ginobili went out with a bloody cut on the bridge of his nose, but returned and made some huge plays.
Nowitzki and Duncan dueled all night and Parker was smooth throughout the fourth quarter.
This is the most dynamic rivalry in the league today.

 

What the fuck is Denver doing, well, other than solidifying its reputation for being the new version of the 1990's Portland Trailblazers?

 

OKC up 12 on the Lakers in the second quarter ... wow. Don't know if Durant is guarding him, but Kobe's apparently only taken two shots.

There's no way the Thunder win this series, right? Right?

 

Lakers are still on the bus to the arena.

They're allowing a young, athletic team to gain confidence, while they're only looking old and slow. Kobe Bryant can't adjust his game past a "Can You Top This?" contest against the opponent's best player. They have no mojo right now, and no way to slow or stop Westbrook and Durant.

They will lose this series in six games if they lose tonight.

Next year, there will be a smattering of "When did the Lakers get so old?" stories during the regular season.

 

It's going to be hard if LeBron stays in Cleveland when all the Durant fans start hating LeBron the way LeBron fans hate Kobe just because they're in the constant debate of "Who's better?" I like Durant, way more than I ever liked Kobe, pre-"The Last Season" and Colorado.

 

Slow down there.

 

Buck up, Piotr. You sound too much like a member of Lakersground. OKC's doing what young, athletic teams have done to older, favored teams forever in the playoffs at home - remember the Kings in the first round in 2000, along with dozens of other examples? Still a lot of game left, still a lot of series left, still a lot of playoffs left. If they would be hitting their free throws, even this game tonight would be more like a 6 or 7 point game at half.

 

Looking forward to Game 4 with Dallas at San Antonio tomorrow.
Go OKC, too!

 

I'd be more optimistic if the Lakers hadn't played like garbage for the entire final month of the season. I was pessimistic throughout last year's playoffs as well, but that was me being a worried fandork. This time, they just lack momentum.

Can see it all happening: They lose tonight, Kobe pulls one of those "Get on my back!" games for Game Five, he can't pull it off this year due to the injuries, and they fall again.

Then in Game Six, fans of a nothing franchise (with an extremely bright future) presume to chant "Beat L.A.!" again, and the season ends.

And fans of other teams will rejoice as if a Lakers loss entitles them to hanging a banner. Sort of like when the Yankees lose.