Pistons got lucky tonight in winning game 3. Nine points scored in the entire 2nd quarter by the Pistons was not pretty. Sheed had a good game at both ends, making up for the last 2 games at least offensively. Pacers will be good for a long time, all their great players are damn young.

Whats up with the West series? Tuesday nite game was awful, slow, boring, those guys look like they need a vacation or something.

God, I don't think the pacers have played this shit all year. The way they play they certainly don't even deserve to be in the eastern conference finals.

Tip my hat to Detriot though, they picked a good time to play Indy :D

Luck had nothing to do with it. They scored 27 in the first, what about that? Why focus on the weak points and say they got lucky?

I guess Detroit's D and 19 blocks in game 2 had nothing to do with their bad play. Man, you guys give the pistons no respect. But when they're playing in the finals, and actually competeing, maybe you will?

Oh yeah...

And yet they're beating the team with the best record in the leauge in the semi's. Hmmm!

Artest could not keep up with Rip for 40 minutes the way he runs off the ball. Could not could not could not. And it looks like a paid professional agrees with me.

Since when is shooting 6-23 (Artest), or going 0-8 in a half, when you are considered an MVP canidate (O'Neal) not being shut down? Look at their shooting percentages for game 3. Both under 30. What makes you think they're NOT going to get shut down every game? Prince has length, and is standing up to artest's strength, and Sheed's foot is getting better, which improves his defensive game a ton.


ALL of this said, this series can still go either way. But it isn't going to!

I'm sorry but Detroit's D is overrated. They are good for sure, but nowhere near as stellar as you claim them to be.

Indy is just in a horrible offensive slump but it'll be their doom if they don't snap out of it. If Detroit make it to the finals, they will be severly owned by the Lakers anyway. The same holds true for the Pacers.

--jaded

Time to open a can of worms:

Except of Reggie, none of the Pacers have played at this level. (O'Neal watched from the bench in Portland like Darko's doing now in Detroit) Most of the main players for Indy either jumped to the NBA right from high school or left college early. As a group, they are quite young, inexperienced and undisciplined. By comparison, the Pistons are a great deal more disciplined and experienced, with more big-time college and NBA playoff exposure in their resumes.

If this series were to be played next year, or even two years from now with the same personnel, things might go differently. But for this series, this year, experience seems to be trumping youth.

Nimbletoe, I just love how you have to wait until after the game is over to talk shit.

The Pacers are giving this series away, Detroit isn't wining it. The way they're playing they don't deserve to win. Artest did not guard Rip the entire game so to say he can't keep up is just dumb, and the Pacers are dumb as fuck for not making the change in the starting line-up that I stated earlier. If the Pacers would play like they did all year they would win the series easily, but they aren't, and that doesn't have shit to do with Detroit's D.

I also like how when Artest shoots 6-23 he had a terrible game, but when Rip shoots 7-19(36%) he had a great game. Please be a little more consistent if you're gonna argue like this.

And don't even talk about how well Prince is playing. Just because he made 1 great block doesn't mean he's having a great series. Look at his numbers.... He's fucking playing like a bitch. His numbers are terrible in this series.

Lastly, get your damn numbers straight. Jermaine and Artest didn't shoot under 30% in last nights game. Jermaine shot 41%(7-17) with 24 points, and Artest shot 30.8%(4-13) with only 13 points. So don't even say they both shot under 30% because they didn't. Please learn how to do math a little better.

The Eastern finals is looking to be a damn good series. I like the Pistons in that one, but I hope it goes to a game 7.

I'm already writing off the Timberwolves as dead. They lose tonight, unless some sort of flu besets the entire Lakers team.

And I hate the Lakers.

Sixate > Rick Carlisle. He knows all the players that he's never worked with before better than the paid professional coach of the pacers, and knows each and every player well enough to make decisions that seem so obvious, but a coach that has coached 2 teams to 3 50+ win seasons, one of those 60+, doesn't make. I bow to you and you're knowledge of basketball Sixate. You were clearly right when you said that Jersey was going to beat Detroit, among other things.

Anywho, i'm done on this thread. I'll just leave it at, Go Pistons!

EDIT: Erm, I never said a few things that you claim I said. I never said Prince was having a great series, but you can't tell someone's defense by numbers. I also never said Rip had a great game when he shot 7-19, but he has been the one consistent offensive player on either team in the series. So i'd appreciate you not putting words in my mouth. Thanks!

Austin Croshere was a huge part of the Pacers' 2000 finals team. Scot Pollard has been right in the middle of the Kings-Lakers playoff battles. Though these players may not be the most critical players now, their experience should be helping the younger Indiana players to some degree. Not only that but Detroit has it's own playoff inexperience in such guys as Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace. You can't count last years trip to the conference finals as any real experience seeing as the Pistons were swept. I don't think experience is the reason why Detroit is up 2-1.

what did I say? Lakers in 5. They are undefeated in close-out games. This will be all wrapped up come Saturday.

Not just "playoff" experience. "Life" experience, "Big game" experience, "under pressure" experience. It counts. Playing 4 years at a big program like Kentucky or UConn helps develop mental toughness. And Ben is special: nothing rattles him.

I can't account for Croshere and Pollard. Neither are team leaders in any obvious sense.

The Pistons were swept in last year's conference finals, but they were not blown out. It was a hard and useful experience for them. Yes, experience and disipline are playing a large role in this series.

Pacers will win tonight! There, now that it's been said, why can't the lakers just go away and die? :D

--jaded

(Cartman voice)
I hate you guys so much...

I just wish the refs would stop being such bitches and call the game even for a change. In two games alone they have been the determining factor by taking teams out of the game.

Indy wins! Woohoo :D

Funny that you say that, because I see a TON of non-calls and bad calls that fall in Minnie's favor. Let's be a REAL fan and not blame the refs - ya?

Non-call's such as Hoiberg getting flatened by the Diesel?

I wasn't bitching in Minnesota's interest, I think the poor reffing has gone both ways.

Artest > Pistons

[IMG]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0PQDnAuUR7BYC3iP40n*SxMUBE2YbMQaywhLW51TiZ!3XIepxxDt!bIH8TNFUbDtSZuHmasItLOGyiTYZWD6ksMj6tGu3JhVu/12.gif?dc=4675474191425832414[/IMG]

sigh...looks like pistons in 7 now,,,

That's a great picture. And it'll be Indy in 6 :)

--jaded

Indy stepped up to the challenge. Carlisle made great adjustments and Croshere was great. (Dammit!)

I hope O'Neal isn't hurt too badly.

He got flattened after a clean block. Same way you're allowed to land on a shooter after he releases his shot.

they just lost their first one since the 2000 finals :|

And it was a beautiful thing :D

--jaded

go wolves !!! if they beat lakers next game at home, then lakers are history !!

You say that as if it's a realistic possibility. HAH!

sure it is, lakers are a good team BUT they have no fighters instinct like the wolves have !!! when it comes to fighting till the end, wolves will take the lead. Just look at the last game, seemed to me lakers didn't even care to win ...

Pistons in 6 baby!

The T'wolves are showing a ton of heart, but I'm afraid that they're undermanned without Cassell on the floor. If the Lakers decide to give a shit, they close it out in game 6.

Meanwhile, how could the Pacers lay down like they did on Sunday? I expected the Pistons to win, but I expected more fight from Indy.

Wow, what a travesty. No ring for Reggie ever. Oh well, if they don't want it I guess there is nothing you can do.

Something's fundamentally wrong with your offense when Jamaal Tinsley, who's playing on one leg, is shooting 13 times and Jermaine O'Neal is getting 10 shots.

--jaded

Fucking Garnett is awesome, I can't wait for the game tonight. Whoever wins, I hope its a good game. My guess is the goddamned Lakers will finish it off tonight.

The Pistons would have a good chance against the T-Wolves or Lakers, so I'm happy they're leading the series now.

Ben Wallace and his 'fro will dominate game 6 to put the Pistons in the Finals.

You heard it here first.

Wolves are cashed... I would say that the series would've been way different had Cassell not been taken out of it, and god forbid KG got a pair and attacked the hoop. Darrick Martin running the point this late in the season only spells doom. There's always next year... /sigh

Minn just fell apart defensively at the end. Doesn't matter, I think the finals will be Detroit picking LA apart.

I thought the fix was in for the Lakers in the first half. Once KG got himself into foul trouble, the refs called the game as lopsided as I have EVER SEEN. I was fuming. I checked online and even SPURS FANS were in agreement that the Lakers were being shafted.

In the 3rd quarter it was evident that the Wolves NEEDED the Lakers in bad foul trouble in order to play EVEN with them. Shaq put out a big middle finger to the refs, played with 4 fouls for the whole quarter and the team saved their hacks for the last 12 minutes. It payed off, 'cause they came out without fear in the fourth and the refs, probably sensing that they were a little too obvious in the first half were forced to even out the calls a little bit.

Stern really wanted that game 7, but his henchmen blew the magic trick. The Lakers played 8 on 5 and still won.

KAREEM RUSH!!!!!!!!!

Timely shots, 6/7 from downtown. He looked like Derek Fisher out there :) The Lakers bench was key tonight. Kareem especially but Slava had 4 FG's in 7 minutes of play and though slowed by injury Fish was able to hound Martin and Hoiberg, get 6 assists and throw in a three.

And...I have a great appreciation now for Kevin Garnett. He just may be the best player in league, not just the MVP. This playoff experience will only make him better.

Kareem Rush killed us, almost makes me semi respect the Laker's bench.

Ehh. Kobe is the best player in the league. KG was just being as much for his team as he could.

Pistons vs. Lakers... Pistons in 7.



Thats right!




:D

War Wagon and Nimbletoe: you guys are nuts if you really think Detroit has a snowball's chance in hell of beating the Lakers in the finals. They'll be lucky to win 1 game.

Mine was more or less wishful thinking. However, I do think it will go to at least 6.

Kobe as best player in the league? :rolleyes: