So it has taken me a little bit of time to de-compress from last night's drubbing. I could live with a Laker loss. KG, Doc Rivers, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are all deserving of a championship. But not like that. I would like to applaud the Celtics for continuing to pour it on and not even let the Lakers think about coming back.
However the Lakers didn't show up at all!! It's like they didn't get the memo that they were going back to Boston. Like they expected the game to be easy. I was embrassed to watch the game.
But enough about the losing side. The Celtics won the series with the part of the game that usually wins: defense. I watched some of the best, if not the best, defense played by an NBA team. I used to think that the Spurs were the premiere defensive team in the league. Not anymore. The Celtics played at a level that no one in the league has seen in awhile.
Kudos to the Celtics. They won their 17th title. They did it the hard way, playing more postseason games than any other team in the league's history. Next year, I hope that they continue with this intesity and focus towards repeating. I want them to, to show the same passion. I know its tough, but to me repeating separates the good champions from the great ones. It's easy to be a hunter, but quite the different thing being the hunted. Can the Celtics take on that challenge?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
June 17, 2008
Before I get into the NBA Finals, I just came across this article. While this is just one owner's opinion, I hope that MLB doesn't take it too seriously.
I don't see what the problem is. Pitchers should have to bat. They pitch (starters) once every five days, so they have the time to develop that skill, and for the extra BP. (batting practice) The league wants to move away the steroids era, and making the National League adopt the DH rule seems counter-productive to that goal.
Some pitchers (Zambrano, Webb, Willis) can actually hit the ball and if more emphasis was placed on hitting, more pitchers would be hitting.
Furthermore having different rules places an added element during the World Series. How will the managers' strategies change under the different rules? None of the other four major sports have this quandary, which is another one of baseball's special qualities.
Tonight's Game 6 of the NBA Finals can be the end of the 2007-2008 season. The most exciting regular season in years gave way to a postseason of spectacular performances and now a rivalry re-visited. The Celtics have a 3-2 series lead, but they need to finish this off now. A Game 7 would bring all the pressure back to Boston. Kobe would be salivating at the idea the he could be the first to lead his team back from a 3-1 Finals deficit. The Lakers would have the momentum, and the Celtics, already physically wounded, would have their already fragile psyche come back into the forefront.
That's all one game away for now. Game 6 will come down to what this whole series has focused on: inside play. Will Kendrick Perkins be able to play and how effective will he be? How much longer can P.J. Brown play at such a high rate? Will Lamar Odom continue his recent efficient play? Which Kevin Garnett will show up? How hurt will Paul Pierce's knee be after the cross-country flight, one that was delayed no less. Will Doc Rivers continue to push all the right buttons?
We shall see. I picked the Lakers to win in six games, and while it certainly looks bleak, I'm sticking with my pick. Games 2-5 were all one or two possessions away from having a different outcomes. So the Lakers will win tonight, setting the stage for a Game 7 for all the marbles.
I don't see what the problem is. Pitchers should have to bat. They pitch (starters) once every five days, so they have the time to develop that skill, and for the extra BP. (batting practice) The league wants to move away the steroids era, and making the National League adopt the DH rule seems counter-productive to that goal.
Some pitchers (Zambrano, Webb, Willis) can actually hit the ball and if more emphasis was placed on hitting, more pitchers would be hitting.
Furthermore having different rules places an added element during the World Series. How will the managers' strategies change under the different rules? None of the other four major sports have this quandary, which is another one of baseball's special qualities.
Tonight's Game 6 of the NBA Finals can be the end of the 2007-2008 season. The most exciting regular season in years gave way to a postseason of spectacular performances and now a rivalry re-visited. The Celtics have a 3-2 series lead, but they need to finish this off now. A Game 7 would bring all the pressure back to Boston. Kobe would be salivating at the idea the he could be the first to lead his team back from a 3-1 Finals deficit. The Lakers would have the momentum, and the Celtics, already physically wounded, would have their already fragile psyche come back into the forefront.
That's all one game away for now. Game 6 will come down to what this whole series has focused on: inside play. Will Kendrick Perkins be able to play and how effective will he be? How much longer can P.J. Brown play at such a high rate? Will Lamar Odom continue his recent efficient play? Which Kevin Garnett will show up? How hurt will Paul Pierce's knee be after the cross-country flight, one that was delayed no less. Will Doc Rivers continue to push all the right buttons?
We shall see. I picked the Lakers to win in six games, and while it certainly looks bleak, I'm sticking with my pick. Games 2-5 were all one or two possessions away from having a different outcomes. So the Lakers will win tonight, setting the stage for a Game 7 for all the marbles.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
NBA Finals
So this is just a quick little post stating who I think will win the NBA Finals.
I'm going with the Lakers in 6. Check back for reasons why later, before the game starts.
I'm going with the Lakers in 6. Check back for reasons why later, before the game starts.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Hockey Thoughts
Hockey......
The Pittsburgh Penguins showed a lot of heart yesterday. They easily could have given up. After leading the Detroit Red Wings 2-0, they found themselves down 3-2 with less than one minute remaining. However, the Pens scored in that final minute, fought through two overtimes and finally prevailed in the third overtime. Now they head back to Pittsburgh for one more time.
The first period will decide the game. In game 5, Pittsburgh jumped out to an early 2-0, which had two effects. First, it gave them a cushion for the run that Detroit would make. Secondly, it gave the Pens confidence that they could hang with Detroit in Detroit. In their last trip here (2 games), the Pens lit the red light a grand total of zero times.
Detroit, meanwhile, came out flat. Though they eventually took the lead, they spent too much energy coming back. And maybe, just maybe they relaxed a little bit, thinking they had the Stanley Cup won.
Tomorrow, Lord Stanley will once again be close to the building. Will it enter?
The Pittsburgh Penguins showed a lot of heart yesterday. They easily could have given up. After leading the Detroit Red Wings 2-0, they found themselves down 3-2 with less than one minute remaining. However, the Pens scored in that final minute, fought through two overtimes and finally prevailed in the third overtime. Now they head back to Pittsburgh for one more time.
The first period will decide the game. In game 5, Pittsburgh jumped out to an early 2-0, which had two effects. First, it gave them a cushion for the run that Detroit would make. Secondly, it gave the Pens confidence that they could hang with Detroit in Detroit. In their last trip here (2 games), the Pens lit the red light a grand total of zero times.
Detroit, meanwhile, came out flat. Though they eventually took the lead, they spent too much energy coming back. And maybe, just maybe they relaxed a little bit, thinking they had the Stanley Cup won.
Tomorrow, Lord Stanley will once again be close to the building. Will it enter?
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