2008 NBA Playoffs Thread
 

Eastern Conference -

Celtics (1)
Hawks (8)

Pistons (2)
76ers (7)

Magic (3)
Raptors (6)

Cavaliers (4)
Wizards (5)


Western Conference -

Lakers (1)
Nuggets (8)

Spurs (3)
Suns (6)

Hornets (2)
Mavericks (7)

Rockets (5)
Jazz (4)

--------------------------------------------------------------

My predictions (can you guess) are that the Lakers and Celtics meet in the finals. And the Lakers win it all.

It seems like every team in the West has stumbled toward the finish line except the Lakers. They've hit a stride winning 7 our of 8, have more rest than any other team to begin the playoffs, and believe it or not, but their "Big 3" have better numbers than Boston's "Big 3" AND they have a deeper bench. Andrew Bynum may not return this year, but Trevor Ariza will be back by the 2nd round. This is Kobe's time!

Im psyched about the playoffs this year. The West in particular, there's not a bad team playing. Pistons are looking solid entering the playoffs this year, starters healthy, the bench has been outstanding this year. Midseason pickup Theo Ratliff looks to be a much needed quality big man for Detroit.

What's the story with Bynum? He definitely isn't playing in the playoffs? They're still my pick out of the West, with or without Bynum, and Kobe deserves MVP without question.

Bynum may not even play this year. It's crazy how much his status has been strung along.

That would be a shame, the kid's young though and he'll be back. Still, Kobe has to be on cloud nine about Gasol. Watching the Lakers on league pass this year, I found it astonishing the difference in skill level between Gasol and Kwame Brown. It's like they're playing 2 different games. Unbelievable good luck for the Lakers.

Lakers over Nuggets in 5
Hornets over Mavs in 7
Suns over Spurs in 7
Jazz over Rockets in 7

Celtics over Hawks in 4
Pistons over Sixers in 5
Magic over Raptors in 6
Cavs over Wizards in 7

Lakers over Jazz in 5
Suns over Hornets in 7

Celtics over Cavs in 6
Piston over Magic in 5

Lakers over Suns in 7
Celtics over Pistons in 6

Celtics over Lakers in 7

-----

It'll be strange to see the defending NBA champs eliminated in the first round but it's going to happen.

The Rockets have the better regular-season record but are not going to take the Jazz. Utah has an advantage at every position besides #2. Plus I think Mutumbo was considered a veteran in the NBA when Ronnie Brewer was born.

The Celtics will be rested and will win without the level of battle-testing prevalent in the West. The Pistons will give them a decent fight but not enough to wear them out.

You can't knock the Celtics depth. One thing Doc Rivers got criticized for last year was not having a solid "rotation" but all of a sudden this year the team goes 12 deep with contributors of the bench. In some of these late season games different guys stepped up with 20-5 games when the "big 3" only played 20 minutes. The young guys are scared not to play hard, with KG around, they have some talent and they battle.
As for teams getting rest, the playoffs are so strung out, that it almost doesn't matter. But you would thing that the winner of the East will be a little less worn down from the season's toll.
I also pick the Celtics over the Lakers. I don't think if they make it to the Finals that they will be denied.

Blazers all the way, ooops sorry, that is next year. I say the spurs repeat. Unless their bodies just wear down, I think they understand playoff basketball the best.

In the east:

Raptors with the surprise upset. Celtics over Cavs in conference finals.

In the west, Mavs will stun Hornets and take Spurs to seven in a Texas showdown. Rockets will give them a run for their money, though (remember the Ewing theory).

Spurs will win it in six.

Duncan-Bot playoff mode: angry.

Atl: 103
Bos: 100

Ladies and gentlemen, we may be on the verge of witnessing one of the greatest upsets in NBA playoff history.

If the Celtics lose, I'd have to think that along with the Patriot upset in SB XLII, we may have to blame a Red Sox fan for this.

A deal with the sports gods? Red Sox dynasty at the sacrifice of the other Boston teams coming up short? Think about it.

Celtics win 99-65. Everything is OK.

So much for that theory.

bumping this thread..

have anyones predictions changed yet?

i was thinking that the celtics were untouchable, but it hasnt been smooth sailing for them lately going to game 7 against the cavs.

it think that the spurs-lakers will be a thriller and go to game 7 also. spurs are phenomenal at home, and i dont see the lakers beating them at home. the question is can the spurs win a game away? they did manage that in game 7 with their backs against the wall. the sign of a championship team. but the ailing legs prevailing in san antonio, and going to game 7 will undoubtedly have an impact on how the spurs play.

though id love to see them win, i still see a lakers/celtics finals.

kobe is the bogeyman i think. if he can take control, he'll win the championsip for the lakers.

the way i see it though, is winner in the west will take out the title.

anyone else agree?

Pistons over Celtics in 6. Lakers over Spurs in 6. Then Finally, Pistons over Lakers in 7. (I'm a Pistons fan if you haven't notice already. Also GO RED WINGS!!)

xpistonsx - ppft..couldnt tell u were a fan at all!

You can always write me in for the Lakers winning the championship. They sure looked like champions last night when they blew out the Spurs by 30 points. Good grief.

I think its pretty safe to say at this point that the Spurs are done...Providing the gravest of injuries, The Lakers just earned themselves a few extra nights rest before they have to punish whomever comes out of the east...

I'm pretty sure the Boston/Detroit series will go all 7 games, with the Pistons pulling through...Boston just seems to lack that killer instinct...

You mean that killer instinct like when they finally lost home court advantage at home and had to win in Detroit and destroyed them in their house?

I don't think Boston's hype can be reconciled after being taken to 7 games in their previous 2 series. They were playing against the worst teams in the playoffs. Now, they are playing against the only other team that took advantage of their weak conference and both teams will have a tough time.

I also want to state, for anyone who might claim that the Lakers were handed last night's game: 1) Duncan traveled. 2) Fisher's shot hit the rim. 3) Barry traveled. 4) Pop admitted the refs made the right call. If it were a perfect world, the game would have been won before the final shot, but that's "game fixing" for ya.

The Cetics really took advantage of the weak Western conference. They completely molested them all year. They appear to play better when pushed. Also the Lakers won the game on a blown call even if the players and coaches do not want to make excuses (as they often do not):

League acknowledges Spurs' Barry was fouled

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: May 28, 2008, 9:52 PM ET


The league office on Wednesday reviewed the final play of the San Antonio Spurs' 93-91 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals and acknowledged that a two-shot foul should have been called on Derek Fisher for impeding Brent Barry.

After falling behind by seven points in the final minute, San Antonio sliced the deficit to two and regained possession with 2.1 seconds to play.

Barry then wound up with the ball in the center of the floor on a play called for Manu Ginobili and faked Fisher in the air but struggled to get off a 3-point heave at the buzzer after Fisher came down and bumped Barry.

"With the benefit of instant replay, it appears a foul call should have been made," league spokesman Tim Frank said Wednesday.

The miss sealed an L.A. victory that moved the Lakers into a commanding 3-1 series lead entering Thursday's Game 5 at Staples Center.

But the Spurs did not protest the non-call afterward, even though a foul called before the shot would have sent Barry to the line for two free throws and a chance to force overtime.

The non-call nonetheless generated more than the usual scrutiny because the closest referee to the play was Joey Crawford, with whom San Antonio has a contentious recent history.

"That play," Barry said, "was not where the game was lost."

The Spurs, in truth, wouldn't have had a chance to tie or win the game in the final two seconds if not for a fortuitous non-call on the previous possession.

Television replays indicated that Fisher's shot with 6.9 seconds to go grazed the rim before bouncing out of bounds off of Robert Horry's leg, meaning that the Lakers should have had a new shot clock instead of asking Kobe Bryant to hurry a fadeaway jumper after the ensuing timeout.

The new shot clock likely would have forced San Antonio to foul Bryant as opposed to getting the ball back off Bryant's miss to draw up a potential game-winning play.

"It wasn't a foul. ... I think it was a proper no-call from what I saw," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Fisher bumping Barry.

Added Spurs forward Tim Duncan: "You're not going to get that call. They're not going to make that call."

The Lakers were likewise adamant that no foul should have been called on Fisher, pointing at least in part to the fact that they didn't get a new shot clock on the Fisher miss -- and that Bryant didn't earn a single trip to the free-throw line despite attempting 29 shots from the field.

"Yeah, he bumped him," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Fisher landing on Barry. "You know, games go like that."

No, that killer instinct that had them up big in the 3rd and nearly loosing the game in the 4th...

To suggest that the Lakers won the game on a blown call, as if, the refs had not missed a single call the entire 47 minutes and 55 seconds is ridiculous...It was a two shot foul if anything and the refs were letting that slide all night...Duncan says it was a no call, Pop says it was a no call, and oh yeah, they lost the game...

I think the Celts will win the East, and then loose to the Lakers in 5...

lakers beat my spurs. good luck. i see a great finals coming up. i dont see the celts as formidable as they were two months ago.

lakers in 6 to win

Yeah I think the Lakers in five ftw

Let's not forget that the Celtics have homecourt.

Lakers in 6.

Lakers ftw!!! :D

Celtics, with 66 wins, home court advantage and domination of a good Detroit team get no respect. I like it.

Well, lets just watch and see who wins a game of one on three.

I'm bringing this theory back and say Lakers take it in 7. The curse was never broken, it's just been shifted around.

Lakers in 5!

HERE WE GO!!

I am so excited for tonight!

Yeah, I'm pretty gassed as well...All I got to say is that the C's need to win this game...If LA manages to get them to split their games at home, you will be hard pressed to see L.A. let a game slide through their fingers...

Well, there goes the Laker sweep. The Celtics played pretty well, but they didn't play out of their minds in a way that would make you think that they could not replicate this performance. Nice balance on offense and excellent D. They sacrificed jumpers to clog the middle and limit penetration. Still with this stupid 2-3-2 series they do need both at home. On that note, can anyone tell me why there are three days between games one and two, but only two between two and three, when they have to travel to the west coast?

You know, I really don't get the attitudes that prevail (generally speaking) how the Lakers are going to blow out the Celtics. Regardless of outcome, these are the 2 best teams in the NBA. It stands to reason that the contests will be competitive. This should be a great series: historical match up, rivalry, great players, best offense versus best defense etc.

So c'mon, let's give the Celtics their due and some credit, best record and all that. If the C's lose, I will still be content knowing they gave it their all and played some great basketball. If they lose, well, then the better team won and there is no shame in that.

I saw two possessions from the Lakers where they actually ran their triangle offense. Those were when Kobe was on the bench. I hate to say it, but I'm blaming this loss on Kobe. I was thoroughly unhappy with nearly every offensive possession. It wasn't even the Celtics taking them out of their game... they just didn't do what they needed to do. Kobe was out of control taking STUPID shots. I can't be more frustrated. They had this opportunity and they threw it away by hot-dogging it. They didn't even adjust.

I don't know. It didn't seem like hot-dogging was the real problem, although I will agree that they didn't always run their offense (whether the C's D was partially responsible, who knows). From my perspective (don't always watch the lakers during the season) Kobe always takes crazy lower percentage shots, and no one ever really criticizes him because he's so talented that he usually makes a lot of them. To be honest, I was a little surprised that both teams didn't take it to the rack a little more. I think that for both teams, shooting j's is a risky proposition, because as we saw last night, you sort of live and die by them.

Yeah, Kobe didn't play out of his element, those shots he took he usually makes...The Lakers just missed a ton of open shots in the third that could have emotionally took the Celts out of the game...I figured the Celts would make this a series...I think the Celts played their game, they made their shots and played decent D, but I don't think we'll see a Celtics win in game 2...Its is clear that KG can't carry the C's...He was on fire, and then went broke...

They were feeling each other out, and the C's came out on top...Game 2 will be almost like a new series starting..

After game 1, I have to give the series to LA. kobe played shoddily, yet the Lakers were in it until the end. The one thing that might save the Celtics is they're ridiculous rebounding advantage. However I imagine that the Triangle will help overcome that advantage, and as for Boston's D, I just don't think Doc Rivers will put the right personnel on the floor.

All that said, what a hell of a game. The crowd absolutely took the game to another level, I thought they were going to blow the roof off the stadium after Pierce came back. It was just amazing to hear this whisper start, then swell to a roar after he came out of the tunnel. You lakers fans have a tough act to follow!

OK, everyone who had the Lakers in 5 please pack your belongings and make your way to the nearest exit.

Lakers Win Game Three
 

Ha..! I don't even think the most die hard of us Laker fans thought that the C's wouldn't make this a series...Boston is a good team...I give them all the credit in the world man...They are hustling, holding on, and making plays...

But the refs whistle whipped us the first three quarters...They were calling a ridiculous amount of petty, bullshit fouls...

This.

There's just no excuse for 1) some no-name backup center getting 4 more free throws in 14 minutes than the lakers did the whole game and 2) the final free throw count being 38-10 celtics favor. i call blatant bullshit. the lakers deserved that game.

i went to game 2. i was in ridiculous seats on the floor. i watched intently but i think i was so overwhelmed by the Situation that i didn't really process what was happening terribly clearly. i had to watch a recap afterward to be sure i knew what happened. i think the lakers are in real trouble. given how the celtics played them for most of the game 2, i'd be surprised if the series comes back to boston--but i'd rather it did, just in case i can weasel that seat again.

hoo boy. second row on the floor, about twice the distance from the lakers bench as this monitor is from my face. un-fucking-believable. especially the sound. you have no idea. my god--the coolest thing i have ever experienced was the sound at that game.

Lakers sweep, Lakers in five, Lakers in six, Celtics have home court, so Lakers in seven. Time to respect the Celtics. The Lakers keep proving that they are all show and no go. The Celtics have heart and the big three, the Lakers have...kobe.

the celtics were awesome in the second half of this game. there is no denying it.
the lakers are in serious, serious trouble.

im with RB here.

pearce was awesome.

i expected more out of the MVP, but kobe doesnt seem to be firing on all cylinders.

lakers gotta pull at least 2 games from the celtics on celtic homecourt advantage. thats a tough task. no team has come back from this to win.

im still cheering for the lakers though

Someone on the Lakers board I frequent made a thread about how this season was a "HUGE success" whether we win or lose. I felt the need to write this. Props if you get the reference.

This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS!
Its hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Los Angeles Lakers
They do what they must because they can
For the good of all the fans
Except the ones who wear green.
But there's no use crying over every missed call
You just keep on trying until you can't play ball
And the games get played
Then you have your parade
For the fans who are still alive.

its looking like a contest now!

pearce with 30 odd points with celtics losing. i doubt that he;d score that much and end up on a losing side again...

if they can contain pearce they're in with a chance. pearce at home.. its gonna be a tough one i think but not impossible.

history is against the lakers. but im always for the underdog, although the big three in boston deserve a championship as much as anyone in the lakers.

i watched the game last night and thought the lakers were not impressive, despite the fact that they won. the problems the celtics faced: no perkins, garnett in foul trouble early--lakers were able to exert some dominance underneath as a result. i hope that perkins will be back on tuesday, but who knows. i would imagine the celtics will make adjustments in their rotation to jam things up underneath the basket.

i don't think the lakers have anyone who can stop pierce. or ray allen for that matter.

what i don't know about is what the celtics should do at guard. rondo is not playing well, that's sure. i dont have an Inspirational Alternative in Mind. maybe something will come to me later. ice cream helps this sort of thing, i find.



i would be really surprised if the game tuesday is even close.

what i am sure about, however, is that i have no chance of getting a ticket.

I wish I had watched this game. 39 points difference. Wow.

Anyway, congrats to the Celtics, they deserve it.

well, as KG said, "that's that." the lakers simply lacked the heart to win. kobe was very average against a good D, and a lot of the lakers simply looked soft. if it sounds like I am not being gracious, it is because no one picked the celtics, some didn't even think it would be close. I am glad that a bunch of veterans finally got their rings, not just the new big 3, but guys like Brown, who came up so big. damn, I can't sleep!

Glad K.G. and Pierce got their rings. Though as a Laker fan, I wish the team had played a more physical round of ball. Yes L.A. is a finesse team, but still, it's an elimination game. They should be giving it everything they have. Losing by nearly 40 points is shameful any time and in the play-offs it's worse. It's like they had no heart.

the celtics simply crushed the lakers.

it was a beautiful thing.

after the game, the talking heads were particularly irritating--they want the game to be about individuals rather than about a team. the celtics won not only because of garnett, piece and ray allen--they won because of perkins and rondo. the won because of james posey (posey has been huge all season). they won because of pj brown and leon powe, eddie house, big baby and tony allen and cassell. they won because they were better coached.

they won because they are an excellent *team*

it's a lovely day to be back in boston.

omg, did anyone else catch KG's post-championship interview last night?? quite possibly the funniest 2 minutes i've ever seen on television...

fair play to the celtics.

shame the lakers gave up the ghost in that game. supposed to be the 2nd best team in the league but didnt play like one at all.

ill give credit where credit is due. hail the big 3.

spurs next year for sure! ;)

RED AUERBACH
"I didn't want to rub anything in or show anybody what a great coach I was when I was 25 points ahead. Why? I gotta win by 30? What the hell difference does it make?" To Auerbach, sitting down on the bench to smoke a cigar in the waning minutes of a Boston Celtics triumph was his way of exuding humility. No one else saw it that way, though. To opposing fans, the "victory cigar" symbolized smugness in being able to administer such an awful beating to their team. Opposing players would be motivated by the cigar, doubling their intensity level until the final buzzer. Even Red's own players suffered from the fourth-quarter fumigation. According to guard Bob Cousy, the sight of Auerbach sitting calmly smoking a cigar only served to increase the fans' hostility and the abuse they heaped upon the Celtics. Auerbach's victory ritual was so reviled that the Cincinnati Royals management once handed out 5,000 cigars to its fans, instructing them to light up when the Royals won. Instead, the move backfired, as a fired-up Celtics squad blew the Royals off the court.

Favorite cigar: Hoyo de Monterrey

I know it is late, but...

Congratulations to Boston. Despite playing the longest schedule and having injuries to starters, they convincingly won the NBA finals.

Ray Allen played outstanding in the finals, but Paul Pierce was their best player throughout the playoffs. Not only did he drop 40 plus in game 7 against the Cavs, but he out smarted and out muscled Lebron James to steal a critical jump ball late in that game. His performance in the NBA finals was superb. While the media was busy anointing Kobe as an all time great who finally could win a title on his own, Pierce was the best player on the court throughout the series.

We often here about players who are cancers or are just numbers guys. Paul Pierce was considered both by many. People blamed him when the USA men’s basketball team finished in 6th place @ the World Championships in 2002. I don’t think this was just a case of a guy maturing, I think it was the case of him finally having some talent around him. Prior to this year, his best teammate was Antoine Walker of years ago. Pierce has always been an efficient all around player who gets to the line and plays solid defense.