Timmy84 said:

Cerebus said:

He still pulled his weight tonight, though. Kind of looks like everyone else decided to take the night off and try for a game seven win at home. That's not going to happen if Denver keeps them running.

True. Just view he scored 27.

And he did it on fewer shots than normal.

I'm surprised Mike Brown let him keep playing in the fourth quarter. Kobe must be delirious.

Cerebus said:

Timmy84 said:

True. Just view he scored 27.

And he did it on fewer shots than normal.

I'm surprised Mike Brown let him keep playing in the fourth quarter. Kobe must be delirious.

Must be.

How about that great Bulls team last night?

A jump shooting team that can't shoot. Unbullievable.

Graycap23 said:

How about that great Bulls team last night?

A jump shooting team that can't shoot. Unbullievable.

The 2012 NBA Playofffs

Conference Semifinals

#8 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #4 Boston Celtics

Game 1: Philadelphia @ Boston, Sat. May 12, 8:00 pm EST (TNT)

Game 2: Philadelphia @ Boston, Mon. May 14, 7:00 pm EST (TNT)

Game 3: Boston @ Philadelphia, Wed. May 16, 7:00 pm EST (TNT)

Game 4: Boston @ Philadelphia, Fri, May 18, TBA (ESPN)

Game 5: Philadelphia @ Boston, Mon. May 21, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

Game 6: Boston @ Philadelphia, Wed. May 23, TBA (if necessary) (ESPN)

Game 7: Philadelphia @ Boston, Sat. May 26, TBA (if necessary)

#3 Indiana Pacers vs. #2 Miami Heat

Game 1: Indiana @ Miami, Sun. May 13, 3:30 pm EST (ABC)

Game 2: Indiana @ Miami, Tue. May 15, 7:00 pm EST (TNT)

Game 3: Miami @ Indiana, Thurs. May 17, TBA (ESPN)

Game 4: Miami @ Indiana, Sun, May 20, 3:30 pm EST (ABC)

Game 5: Indiana @ Miami, Tue. May 22, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

Game 6: Miami @ Indiana, Thurs. May 24, TBA (if necessary)

Game 7: Indiana @ Miami, Sat. May 26, TBA (if necessary)

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Memphis Grizzlies 90 Los Angeles Clippers 88

The Clippers led by eight points with about four minutes left in the game, but Memphis went on a defensive tear, led by Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, and they storm back to take the lead on a 17-4 run. The Clippers did hit a three-pointer to come within 2 points with 3.7 seconds remaining, yet they were unable to foul the Grizzlies on the inbound pass, and the Grizzlies dribbled out the clock to tie the series and force a decisive game seven in Memphis.

Series tied at 3-3.

728huey said:

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Memphis Grizzlies 90 Los Angeles Clippers 88

The Clippers led by eight points with about four minutes left in the game, but Memphis went on a defensive tear, led by Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, and they storm back to take the lead on a 17-4 run. The Clippers did hit a three-pointer to come within 2 points with 3.7 seconds remaining, yet they were unable to foul the Grizzlies on the inbound pass, and the Grizzlies dribbled out the clock to tie the series and force a decisive game seven in Memphis.

Series tied at 3-3.

Now all Memphis gotta do is dominate at home to win.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Philadelphia 76ers 91 Boston Celtics 92

The Sixers led for much of the game and had a 13 point lead going into the fourth quarter, but a stifling defense and poor field goal shooting down the stretch allowed the Celtics to storm back and take the lead late in the game, led by Kevin Garnett's 29 points and Rajon Rondo's triple double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 17 assists. Philly had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer in the closing seconds, but the Celtics fouled the Sixers before they had a chance to shoot, thus putting Lou Williams on the free throw line for two points with 3.2 seconds left. The Celtics then took the ball from half court and inbounded the ball in their backcourt to run out the clock and win game one of the series.

Boston leads series 1-0.

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Philadelphia 76ers 91 Boston Celtics 92

The Sixers led for much of the game and had a 13 point lead going into the fourth quarter, but a stifling defense and poor field goal shooting down the stretch allowed the Celtics to storm back and take the lead late in the game, led by Kevin Garnett's 29 points and Rajon Rondo's triple double of 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 17 assists. Philly had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer in the closing seconds, but the Celtics fouled the Sixers before they had a chance to shoot, thus putting Lou Williams on the free throw line for two points with 3.2 seconds left. The Celtics then took the ball from half court and inbounded the ball in their backcourt to run out the clock and win game one of the series.

Boston leads series 1-0.

Wait.... what?!? Where the hell was this game on the dial? I checked all the channels AND NBA.com today and the Laker game was the only one listed. NBA.com still shows the end of the last series for these teams in their brackets. Razza-frazza-grumble-grumble...

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 7

Denver Nuggets 87 Los Angeles Lakers 96

After Kobe Bryant had to do much of the heavy lifting to keep the Lakers competitive during this playoff series, the Lakers relied on their supporting cast to win the decisive game seven of this series. They were led by Pau Gasol, who had 23 points and 17 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum, who had 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots. They were also helped by the return of Metta World Peace, who played 44 minutes and contributed 15 points, while Steve Blake scored 19 points off the bench, with 5 of six shots made behind the three point line. The Lakers now move on to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night in the Western Conference semifinals.

L.A. Lakers win series 4-3.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 7

Los Angeles Clippers 82 Memphis Grizzlies 72

In a very physical and sometimes ugly game, the Clippers rally in the fourth quarter led by their bench players, particularly Kenyon Martin, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Nick Young, who had 13 points off the bench. They also got huge contributions from Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe, and in the decisive fourth quarter all but 2 of the Clippers 27 points came from the bench. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 19 points each, but Zach Randolph struggled to score, getting only 9 points yet grabbing 12 rebounds. But guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen really struggled during this game, with Allen in foul trouble throughout the game and fouling out late in the contest. The Clippers managed to do a couple of rare things today; one, they won a rare game 7 playoff game on the road, and second, they are moving on past the first round of the NBA playoffs for only the third time in franchise history.

L.A. Clippers win series 4-3.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Indiana Pacers 86 Miami Heat 95

After a slow start, the Miami Heat turned up the pressure on the Pacers and pulled away with the game. Newly crowned 2012 season MVP Lebron James scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while Dwyane Wade scored 29 points despite shooting only 8 buckets on 23 attempts. However, Chris Bosh left the game in the first half after suffering a groin injury. Roy Hibbert and David West led the Pacers with 17 points each, but Danny Granger struggled from the floor, only scoring seven points.

Miami leads series 1-0.

The 2012 NBA Playoffs

Conference Semifinals

#4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #1 San Antonio Spurs

Game 1: L.A. Clippers @ San Antonio, Tue. May 15, 9:30 pm EST (TNT)

Game 2: L.A. Clippers @ San Antonio, Thurs. May 17, 9:30 pm EST (ESPN)

Game 3: San Antonio @ L.A. Clippers, Sat. May 19, 3:30 pm EST (ABC)

Game 4: San Antonio @ L.A. Clippers, Sun, May 20, 10:30 om EST (TNT)

Game 5: L.A. Clippers @ San Antonio, Tue. May 22, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

Game 6: San Antonio @ L.A. Clippers, Fri. May 25, TBA (if necessary) (ESPN)

Game 7: L.A. Clippers @ San Antonio, Sun. May 27, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

#3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #2 Oklahoma City Thunder

Game 1: L.A. Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Mon. May 14, 9:30 pm EST (TNT)

Game 2: L.A. Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Wed. May 16, 9:30 pm EST (TNT)

Game 3: Oklahoma City @ L.A. Lakers, Fri. May 18, 10:30 pm EST (ESPN)

Game 4: Oklahoma City @ L.A. Lakers, Sat, May 19, 10:30 pm EST (TNT)

Game 5: L.A. Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Mon. May 21, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

Game 6: Oklahoma City @ L.A. Lakers, Wed. May 23, TBA (if necessary) (ESPN)

Game 7: L.A. Lakers @ Oklahoma City, Sun. May 27, TBA (if necessary) (TNT)

Why do both of the West series have back-to-backs? And the Lakers/Thunder, if it goes that far, play their first six games in ten days. I thought they were done with that mess.

The new and improved Clippers. I'm happy 4 them.

Might have been a different series if the Grizzlies handled their business in Game 1. They should kick themselves all summer long.

uPtoWnNY said:

Might have been a different series if the Grizzlies handled their business in Game 1. They should kick themselves all summer long.

I agree 100%

Woo! Go Sixers! That's why they play the games.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Philadelphia 76ers 82 Boston Celtics 81

After getting out to an early lead on Philly, the Boston Celtics struggled to shoot the ball for much of the night, particularly in the third quarter, when they only made four baskets on 17 attempts. This allowed the Sixers to go on a 14-0 run to take the lead away from the Celtics. But Boston would come back in the foruth quarter, and it was a clutch shooting contest down the stretch, with Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner making huge shots for the Sixers while Ray Allen did the same for the Celtics. But the game was sealed for the Sixers after Kevin Garnett was called for an offensive foul with 12 seconds left in the game, allowing Philly to shoot free throws to wrap up the game and even up the series.

Series tiied at 1-1.

Cerebus said:

Woo! Go Sixers! That's why they play the games.

Yes!

728huey said:

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 7

Los Angeles Clippers 82 Memphis Grizzlies 72

In a very physical and sometimes ugly game, the Clippers rally in the fourth quarter led by their bench players, particularly Kenyon Martin, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Nick Young, who had 13 points off the bench. They also got huge contributions from Mo Williams and Eric Bledsoe, and in the decisive fourth quarter all but 2 of the Clippers 27 points came from the bench. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 19 points each, but Zach Randolph struggled to score, getting only 9 points yet grabbing 12 rebounds. But guards Mike Conley and Tony Allen really struggled during this game, with Allen in foul trouble throughout the game and fouling out late in the contest. The Clippers managed to do a couple of rare things today; one, they won a rare game 7 playoff game on the road, and second, they are moving on past the first round of the NBA playoffs for only the third time in franchise history.

L.A. Clippers win series 4-3.

I was surprised at how physical the Clippers came to play sunday. It's what Barkley been saying all along. When teams shove Blake around some of his teammates need to step up and push back.

*snif*

OKC put an ol' fashioned ass-whippin' on LA last night. Those cats couldn't miss.

uPtoWnNY said:

OKC put an ol' fashioned ass-whippin' on LA last night. Those cats couldn't miss.

They ran them boys, out the BUILDING!! L.A. looked, flat, tired and frustrated. I say, OKC in 6 and the Lakers, will be looking for a new coach.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Los Angeles Lakers 90 Oklahoma City Thunder 119

The biggest concern OKC had going into this game was the fact that they had eight days of rest coming in, and they were worried about coming out rusty. Any of those concerns were quickly eliminated, as the Thunder stormed pretty much out of the gate, and they led by 15 points by halftime. But it was the third quarter where the Thunder crushed the Lakers, going on a 15-2 run in one stretch and leading by as much as 33 points in some spots. Russell Westbrook had 27 points for OKC and Kevin Durant had 25 before both of them were pulled late in the third quarter. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum each led the lakers with 20 points, but the team itself looked tired and lifeless for much of the game, probably weary from the after-effects of a seven game series.

Oklahoma City leads series 1-0.

shorttrini said:

uPtoWnNY said:

OKC put an ol' fashioned ass-whippin' on LA last night. Those cats couldn't miss.

They ran them boys, out the BUILDING!! L.A. looked, flat, tired and frustrated. I say, OKC in 6 and the Lakers, will be looking for a new coach.

As much as it pains me, unless LA wins the next two games, I agree with OKC taking the series 4-2. Maybe even 4-1.

Mike Brown has two guaranteed years left on his contract at a very nice rate of pay. Also, Mike Brown isn't the one who seems to be picking and choosing when and how hard he wants to play. His team is prepared - they just aren't giving the same effort from one night to the next. Also, from what I've seen this season (which is every Lakers game), Kobe seems to have come around to liking the guy. At the beginning of the season they were kind of separated. But over the season they've gotten closer and closer, to the point that they're regularly talking to each other during timeouts. Far more interaction than I saw with the Zen Master. If Kobe doesn't raise a stink he'll be back for at least one more season.

Honesty, I think Bynum has to go. He needs to see how good he has it in LA. This is his seventh season - he should understand the amount of effort he needs to give for them to win, but he's not bringin' it. I won't be even a little bit surprised, no matter how far they get this season, if the Lakers make another play at Dwight Howard. I also expect there to be at least four new players on their team next season. Maybe five.

Cerebus said:

shorttrini said:

They ran them boys, out the BUILDING!! L.A. looked, flat, tired and frustrated. I say, OKC in 6 and the Lakers, will be looking for a new coach.

As much as it pains me, unless LA wins the next two games, I agree with OKC taking the series 4-2. Maybe even 4-1.

Mike Brown has two guaranteed years left on his contract at a very nice rate of pay. Also, Mike Brown isn't the one who seems to be picking and choosing when and how hard he wants to play. His team is prepared - they just aren't giving the same effort from one night to the next. Also, from what I've seen this season (which is every Lakers game), Kobe seems to have come around to liking the guy. At the beginning of the season they were kind of separated. But over the season they've gotten closer and closer, to the point that they're regularly talking to each other during timeouts. Far more interaction than I saw with the Zen Master. If Kobe doesn't raise a stink he'll be back for at least one more season.

Honesty, I think Bynum has to go. He needs to see how good he has it in LA. This is his seventh season - he should understand the amount of effort he needs to give for them to win, but he's not bringin' it. I won't be even a little bit surprised, no matter how far they get this season, if the Lakers make another play at Dwight Howard. I also expect there to be at least four new players on their team next season. Maybe five.

I agree and I also believe that Gasol has to step up. He was virtually non-existant, last night. They seemed to be missing Fisher, who was the communicator on that team. I find it funny, for a championship calibar team, they have been getting blown out, lately....

shorttrini said:

Cerebus said:

As much as it pains me, unless LA wins the next two games, I agree with OKC taking the series 4-2. Maybe even 4-1.

Mike Brown has two guaranteed years left on his contract at a very nice rate of pay. Also, Mike Brown isn't the one who seems to be picking and choosing when and how hard he wants to play. His team is prepared - they just aren't giving the same effort from one night to the next. Also, from what I've seen this season (which is every Lakers game), Kobe seems to have come around to liking the guy. At the beginning of the season they were kind of separated. But over the season they've gotten closer and closer, to the point that they're regularly talking to each other during timeouts. Far more interaction than I saw with the Zen Master. If Kobe doesn't raise a stink he'll be back for at least one more season.

Honesty, I think Bynum has to go. He needs to see how good he has it in LA. This is his seventh season - he should understand the amount of effort he needs to give for them to win, but he's not bringin' it. I won't be even a little bit surprised, no matter how far they get this season, if the Lakers make another play at Dwight Howard. I also expect there to be at least four new players on their team next season. Maybe five.

I agree and I also believe that Gasol has to step up. He was virtually non-existant, last night. They seemed to be missing Fisher, who was the communicator on that team. I find it funny, for a championship calibar team, they have been getting blown out, lately....

To be honest, I don't know why sone people are screaming for Mike Brown's head; he's a decent coach, but the reality is the Lakers aren't championship contenders in their current form. Kobe is still good but getting older, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are inconsistent, Metta World Peace is a great defensive player but can't take over a game scoring if Bynum and Gasol are struggling, and they don't have much depth on the bench. In addition, they are still learining how to play a straight up offesnive scheme after using Phil Jackson's triple post offense for over the last decade, and they miss Lamar Odom. Their problems begam during last year's playoffs, and the Lakers' management knew they had issues to deal with, which was why they went after Chris Paul in the first place. The idea was to trade for Chris Paul, and then trade either Bynum or Gasol to Orlando for Dwight Howard to set up a new championship nucleus, but once David Stern put the brakes on that deal their problems got worse.

Now I'm not sure what plans the Lakers have to rebuild, but they are going to have to do something bold in order to secure their future. Lamar Odom could be back with the team next season, but that's only a short term fix. And if they fire Mike Brown, who do they intend to replace him with? Stan Van Gundy?

To be honest, I'd be surprised if Oklahoma City don't at least beat them by 4-1 or something. That's how good they are. L.A. don't stand a chance especially with Mike Brown's ass.

In other NBA news.....

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was the overwhelming choice for NBA Rookie of the Year. Among first-year players, Irving topped the league in scoring (18.5 ppg), field goal percentage (.469) and free throw percentage (.872), while finishing second in assists (5.4 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (.399). He received 117 first-place votes out of 120, ranking well ahead of the second place finisher, Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio, who was the only rookie who gave Kyrie Irving any competition this season until he went down with an ACL injury shortly after the NBA All-Star Game. Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, and New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert rounded out the top five.

Also, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose underwent successful surgery for the torn ACL in his left knee, but it was revealed that Rose also had partial tears in his meniscus cartilage. Doctros say it could be 8 to 12 months before the 2010-2011 MVP is ready to take the court again. So it is certain that Rose will most likely miss the first two months of next season, and depending on the speed of his recovery and rehab, he could miss all of next season.