^ Frau Vlucha>The Finals!
::horse neighs off camera::
Sticks head out of doorway: VLUCHA!
OK, I just saw the crowd and starting lineups for tonight’s game.
I’ll go on record as saying there’s no way the Cavs lose tonight. Not a chance.
^ SMH :
VLUCHA
::pukes on horse::
Son of a!
LOL!!! Nice. That’s why I don’t predict specific games. I can barely tell who will win a series, let alone a single game. My Spurs in 6 pick is already looking bad.
Anyway, wow, I’d like to say that I watched the entire game but I was too busy watching JUSTIN VERLANDER THROW A FUCKING NO-HITTER!!! HOLY CRAP!!! Seriously, that was awesome. The best part is there’s always one point in a game when you’re just casually watching a game and then it suddenly hits you that it’s a no-hitter…it hit me right after the 6th and I was glued to the TV from then on. Man, I was nervous. It’s great to be able to say that you watched someone on your own team do it, especially a guy as great as Verlander. Just think…all the seagulls on the field will be able to tell their baby chicks that they were there for a no-hitter.
Seriously, I ended up watching most of the 2nd quarter and the second half of the Cavs game. Anyway, stuff from Game 3:
-For one, I was VERY surprised at how well the refs were calling the game, particularly in the second half. I was starting to wonder about the refs when Duncan was collecting fouls left and right in the first half and figured he’d be fouled out by the end of the 3rd quarter but then LeBron had just as many (and amazingly, he didn’t sit for 9 straight minutes! Genius!!). Still, the refs improved a lot in the second half and just let the guys play and despite the horrific shooting, I found the game strangely entertaining in a no-one-can-score-so-every-point-scored-is-MEGA-important kind of way. I actually read a theory by some sports writer on ESPN that the NBA actually sends its terrible refs during a lop-sided series since they are easily swayed by the home crowd and always give calls to superstars in an attempt to sway the series. It made a lot of sense, but I guess that’s only the case for when teams are playing against the Pistons (I’m KIDDING!!!)
-Also, I also really love Jon Barry. Not just because he’s a former Piston but he’s HILARIOUS on the ESPN staff. The best part is his constant mockery of his brother Brent Barry which he did at the end of the game. The best was when he was calling one of the Spurs/Suns games earlier this year and was cracking on Brent throughout the game since he’s the only guy who can openly mock one of the players. When Brent retires, they need to put those two on an announcing team together. It’d be comedy gold. I actually heard an interview with both of them at the same time on local Detroit radio and it was hilarious.
-Oh…and what a surprise. Larry Hughes just HAPPENS to be unable to play this game and Boobie Gibson starts…and, what a shocker, he was actually fast enough to stay in front of Tony Parker and limited him to mostly jump-shots. It’s almost like I was right…yet it took Mike Brown two full games to figure this out. Sigghhh…
-Anyway, about LeBron’s last play…yeah he was fouled, but why was he complaining? If he was smart, he would have noticed that Bowen fouled him BEFORE the shot. That would have sent LeBron to the line with only two free-throws which wouldn’t have done him crap being down by three. Yeah, he could have intentionally bricked one free-throw and gone for the tip-and-shot but that works about 1% of the time plus the Cavs had no timeouts left either so getting another possession was out of the question…the ref did LeBron a favor by letting him take the three. And, I’m sorry…it’s just pathetic seeing LeBron bitch about fouls when no one gets more leeway from the refs than he does. Oh…and, by the way, considering how much that Cleveland fans ripped on us here in Detroit when we complained about the lopsided or blown calls, it sure isn’t as funny when it happens to you, is it? Karma’s a bitch, Cleveland.
-The biggest problem…what about the play BEFORE that? LeBron charges the lane, turns around and dishes it to…Anderson Varajao??? WHAT?? I couldn’t believe he did that! Even Varajao himself seemed shocked by it. It’s was like he got the ball and he thought “What? I can’t shoot jumpers!! Why did he give me the ball!?” then he tried to make a weak drive and shot but with Tim Duncan in the way there wasn’t much chance of a decent shot. I don’t even blame Varajao…he shouldn’t have had the ball in that situation ever. Drew Gooden, who was the only other guy on the Cavs aside from LeBron who was hitting shots had fouled out so they ran the same jumper play that they were running with Gooden with Varajao??? WHAT?? That was a FAR worse play than the Donyell Marshall pass in Game 1. Come on, LeBron…THINK! Can the comparisons with Jordan stop yet? Do we need more proof?
-Also, did anyone else notice that Varajao took the flopping thing to the next level? Ginobli charged the lane and brushed by the stomach of Varajao and somehow got called for a foul for it as Varajao flopped to the floor (Van Gundy’s “there’s a charge on EVERY play if they’re calling that” comment was priceless). Anyway, after the foul, Varajao actually LEFT THE GAME with a supposed injury. Then one minute earlier, he was fine and checked back in. He’s taking the soccer thing to the next level!! Instead of just flopping like a soccer player, he’s now flopping AND faking an injury and being removed from the game like a soccer player. I can only assume that in Game 4, he’ll step it up even more and actually need a stretcher to take him off the court into the back, then 30 seconds later he’ll crawl off the stretcher and run back from the locker room.
Finally, here’s yet another article on the series by Bill Simmons from ESPN. He did a “running diary” of Game 1 where he posts his comments as he watches the game go on. I usually don’t post these unless they’re REALLY funny and this is one of his best yet. It’s hilarious. Check it out.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070608
Stevo
Wow, Hank was right. Broomtown.
I really didn’t see that coming, I thought it would go 6 games.
The Spurs have the highest winning percentage in the NBA Finals of any team in NBA history.
And doesn’t Eva Longoria look like she’s enjoying this a bit too much?
Yeah, I could have done without the 500 billion shots of Eva during the game and the awards ceremony. She’s fast becoming the most annoying athlete wife ever…she’s one or two annoying interviews away from knocking down Brenda Warner and that’s saying alot.
Anyway, can we put the Jordan comparisons on hold for LeBron now? I’ve never seen a superstar more neutered than I have seeing LeBron. I mean EVERY TIME he passed that ball to one of his open teammates they missed…it seemed like EVERY time…and yet he KEPT doing it!!!..Over and Over again!! I mean how many times did Donyell Marshall brick a shot?..Did he make a single one?? I mean how many games did they need to blow before he said “Screw it…there’s no point in trying to involve my teammates here since we’re too late into the playoffs to work on our teamwork anyway…I need to actually win one of these games” and just started jacking up every shot. I mean, it couldn’t have gone worse…even the announcers were begging for it. Of course, LeBron couldn’t make many shots ever when he did anyway. Of course, to be fair, Jordan didn’t have a big jump-shot either and was an average defender at best when he started but he worked on those parts of his game. Then later on he developed a three-point shot too. LeBron might need all that stuff before he’s in the conversation. Oh yeah…and a supporting cast that doesn’t royally blow would help. If the Cavs don’t help him out, then he’s gonna blow out of there.
And boy…just when Mike Brown couldn’t get worse he finds a way. With 40 seconds left and only down by 7 or so, he LOOKED like he was conceding the game by letting the Spurs run the clock down to about 20 seconds. Then after the next two posessions, he starts fouling!!? HUH?? I don’t get it! Then Ginobli made that retarded foul on Damon Jones and they had no time left to even make a decent comeback despite Manu’s error. Even down to the end, Mike Brown was clueless. He may have passed Mike Dunleavy for the worst Finals Coach ever on that one…it’s still debateable but it’s close.
Though kudos to Mike for putting in Michigan State’s own Shannon Brown in the Final minutes of the game just to give him some time…as an MSU fan, that was nice. Of course, it was also incredibly stupid since if the Cavs got a steal off the inbound pass, they would have been stuck with Shannon on the court for a final play to tie who hadn’t played in a playoff game yet this year. As always, I was forever confused.
By the way, good job by Cleveland fans to chant “Buuuulll-shit” after a perfectly obvious call when LeBron tipped the ball on the jump-ball before it reached the apex. Way to know your basketball, Cleveland. Of course, they didn’t know they had a b-ball team until LeBron arrived so I guess they need a few more years to study. Heh.
And was anything more annoying that guy who kept whooping like a monkey during EVERY Spurs possession in the 4th quarter!? Didn’t he realize that none of the Spurs could hear him? I don’t mind it that much but can you imagine being in the same section as that guy?..I would have frickin jammed my beer cup down his throat. My goodness…
Anyway, the Finals were predictabe and somewhat stale but it’s always nice to see the Spurs win. The NBA emphasizes superstars but the least-hyped superstar and the TEAM concept won yet again. And as always the NBA hypes offense, offense, offense and once again a great defensive team won yet again. Yet I GUARANTEE you that once again we’ll see the same NBA “experts” predicting that the offense-heavy teams like the Suns and Mavs will win it all next year. They never learn.
Lastly, WHAT DO I DO NOW??? No hockey. No b-ball. No football. Yeah there’s baseball but I need more than that. What the heck do I watch?? I wish I could just hibernate until college football starts. Hellloooooo Dead Zone.
Stevo
WITNESS THIS, LEBRON
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=1600678&gameId=270614005
Yeah, I hate the lull in good sports viewing this time of year.
Wait a second, I still have golf every Saturday and Sunday.
If there’s not men’s golf on (for whatever reason), I’m not even opposed to watching women’s golf. There. I said it. But there are some hot golfers out there.
Since we all know male golf!ers have the hottest sports wives, is it a corollary that women golf!ers have the hottest husbands?
Who will be the first pro golf!ing husband/wife combo ala Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi?
Also, sub-question, is it better to burn out than fade away?
Be ashamed your tongue-fingers ever spewed such blasphemy!
Lebron"s 4th year = No post season awards, No title.
Michael’s 4th year = Slam dunk champ, steals leader, scoring title, All Star MVP, League MVP and oh yeah DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR. No title.
Don’t make me have to teach you the Jordan rules again! ;D Mwahahahahahaha
The last time I was in an airport some fat bastard was telling his two sons that Jordan was great on offense but lazy and sucked at defense. I almost said “hey, beergut, the guy won a freaking defensive MVP award, not to mention he was on the first-team all-NBA defensive team several years.”
all those times that ball thing went through that hoop device i was all sorts of happy.
i was told to be…should i not have been?
what are you saying?
To be fair, I thought that LeBron should have been the MVP last year rather than Nash winning his second. He carried that team even more-so than this year. MVP voting is a joke nowadays anyway. I mean Dirk as MVP? Please…
And yeah…Jordan was weak on D when he first entered the league but he worked on it. LeBron’s got a long way to go on his D…there’s some plays where I have no idea what he’s doing.
Stevo
Worst. Finals. Ever.
Yeah. I’ve been watching the NBA playoffs since the late 80s, and I can’t remember one that I was less interested in.
Maybe the 2 years those dopey Nets made it. Everyone knew they didn’t stand a chance.
Yeah, the Nets/Lakers series in 2002 was about as pathetic as this one. At least this year’s had LeBron on the Cavs…though perhaps it was even MORE disappointing in how we were all waiting for LeBron to say “screw it” and just start jacking up every shot and NEVER did it. At least in the Nets series we got to watch Jason Kidd working his ass off in a losing effort. I’m not even sure if LeBron was trying by Game 3.
Stevo