As they say in the ads:
Here we go!

Nice come from behind win by the Bulls over the Lakers!!! I don't see how Pau Gasol did not block Rose's jump hook over him. Kobe ain't clutch!!!

Rose is awesome! Another road game tonight.

Gasol is very talented, but he has those moments where it seems his mind is in Madrid.
Kinda hard to be clutch when you got 4 red jerseys in your face. I'd like to have seen a better play. Or how about this? Make some free throws.
Mike Brown's got his work cut out.
Great start for the Heat. Mavericks lost Chandler, Barrea and Stephenson - and it shows.
Nice win by the Knicks, too.

Mike Brown can't turn back the hands of time! The Lakers gave away their size advantage.

Size doesn't matter a lot if you keep getting caught out of position (Gasol). Before the attempted Paul deal, Kupchak seemed content to trust Fisher and not worry about opposing guards because The Bigs were supposed to deter, bother and block their shots. But they couldn't stop Barrea and persistently had trouble with guys like Russell Westbrook and Aaron Brooks.

Weird games.
Heat-Celtics.
Miami is like a runaway freight train for a half, and then gets derailed for much of the second half, only to be saved - not by Lebron or D. Wade, but by Norris Cole. He'll make the team better but they gotta get out of this habit of blowing big leads.
Lakers-Jazz.
Didn't see enough from the men in gold to make any bold pronouncements. It was good to see Gasol aggressive on the offensive end but his defense was still porous. Overall, the team was more active defensively and did better from the free throw line. What makes this one weird was Utah is a young team that looks to be more athletic, but they look like they were lost and playing in slow motion. Maybe all the changes in coaching and personnel is a factor there. But it was really weird to see Derek Fisher pushing the ball up the floor like one of those quick point guards he has so much trouble defending, and Utah not getting back.
Highlight of the game - not that it was a great play but I think it caught everyone by surprise, not the least of which were Utah defenders.
Kevin Harlan: "Metta - World - PEACE!"
Of the changes, I do like Josh McRoberts, and it's good to see Steve Blake making his shots. Last season, he couldn't hit a battleship. But I'm not sure about Devin Ebanks (he's young and quick but he hasn't done much in the two games I've watched) or Troy Murphy.

Oh, and about that Artest/Peace dunk, when he got the ball, I thought he was gonna shoot it. He was open for a second, but he hesitated. And at first, I thought he got away with a travel before that first dribble.

Well things are improving here in Indiana where football had seemed to replace the state religion of basketball. The Pacers are looking like a team that will compete for the first time in years. Off to a good start with a win over the Pistons in which they lead from start to finish. This team has Larry Bird written all over it. Team based with defense in mind and blue collar feel. Don't think he is done putting the pieces together. Basketball is such a big part of the state it great to see the Pacers back (not mentioned the IU team as well, winning for the first time since Bobby Knight got fired!)

Only one game into the season and a lot can happened, but now I have a reason to go looking for a game that does not involve the Lakers, Celtics, Heat or Bulls. Good teams but hey this is Indiana!

You're so right!

Kevin Durant, aka Captain Quickdraw.

Durant is a clutch player. I hope he has picked up some post moves over the break.

I couldn't tell from last night's game that he's improved in that area. But he's definitely a top 5 outside shooter.
Over the years, Kobe's been called the best closer in the game. I don't know, I've watched him more than any other, and it seems he misses about as many as he makes - when he's not turning the ball over. Where Kobe has it over other shooters is he's good at making shots when he's well defended, and sometimes it looks like he's putting himself in situations to make the degree of difficulty harder than necessary. But until league rules make it so a panel of judges can add points on the scoreboard for that, it doesn't amount to much beyond a cool highlight.
As for who I'd want to make a game-tying or winning shot in the closing seconds, my short list is Durant, Dirk, Wade and maybe Carmello.

Ugh. Good job by Portland last night against the Lakers.
However, this post is a mini rant about what I had to suffer through before watching that game.
The early game, Miami vs. Atlanta, should have been over - won by Atlanta - in regulation. Hawks couldn't communicate on defense. Some will say it was a good game because it went into triple overtime, but I say it was a lousy game. Miami didn't have Wade or Lebron, and Atlanta failed to take advantage. The Hawks didn't even score in the third overtime.
It was horrible. Horford sums it up at the top of this rundown:
Hawks didn't want to win
A half in the NBA is 24 game minutes. Three overtimes is 15 minutes. By the time the Heat finally put the bungling Hawks away, it was halftime of the L.A.-Portland game.

Well it would seem that the Pacers are actually going to be a team to noticed. A work in progress to be sure, but off to a 9-3 start with back to back over Atlanta and Boston, this team almost helps to forget the woes of the Colts. A team with no real superstars, but lots of depth and youth. It's too bad that the rise of the team is over shadowed by all the prep for the upcoming Super Bowl. Then there is the fact that up here in the northern part of the state there is no radio or TV coverage (still Bulls country here), so I don't get much chance to follow them. Maybe the winning ways will result in more TV time.

Good luck with that, Dave.
Celtics look awful. I'm sure they'll get better, but you gotta wonder - in less than a year, they've surrendered Perkins and Davis, an enforcer and a big-time player off the bench.

The Celtics are also missing Jeff Green due to his heart problem. The Celtics will need to bring in more youth and talent to maintain past performances. When Dwight Howard joins the line up, they will be back.

Yep the Celtics are struggling, age starting to catch up with them, but it is still nice to beat them twice in row. Then there was that win over the Lakers over the weekend! At 11-4 that ties them with the second best record in the east. Still need to put together more wins against playoff type teams to get the league to take them seriously, but watch them guys, this team not going away.

Well, it was a long time coming. After seeing the starts of last week's games against the Heat and Magic, this Lakers team is in trouble. I was optimistic that they'd be in the thick of things after some early wins. Blake was shooting better. McRoberts played a vital role. Murphy contributed. But Blake has been out with injury. Kobe is carrying too much of the offensive load.
And even though they've thrown out the triangle, they're still not feeding Bynum like they should. If they can't get hold of a good point guard, I don't see them getting far into the playoffs.
You know it's gonna be a long year when Kobe defends LeBron and wins the battle, only to have LeBron find Chalmers in the corner, without a gold uniform within 15 feet.

Well I said the Pacers would need some quality wins to prove they are for real. Week stared rough, getting the butts kicked by Orlando, but the bouncing right back the next night and beating the Bulls on their court. Think these guys are starting to believe they can beat anybody. Now for a third straight over the Celtics on Friday would be great!

An announcer said the green and gold were the uniforms the Grizzlies wore when Oakland A's owner Charles O. Finley owned them and they were the Tams.
Wrong!
Finley never owned the Grizzlies, who were never the Tams. If memory serves, the old ABA Tams folded when the league broke up in the 1970s, and the Pacers, Nuggets (formerly Rockets), Nets and Chapparals (now Spurs) came to the NBA.

Bulls lose. They need another scorer. It's as simple as that.

I agree, Steve. I watched that game. No apologies for Miami winning. That's the kind of team they are. But I was disappointed that the Bulls had several chances to snatch that game and nobody but Rose could make a shot.

You are correct Jazzwriter about the four that came to the NBA from theABA. The nets were the New York Nets, played out on Long Island somewhere if my memory is correct. Kentucky almost came but backed out after hearing the price of joining. I remember a lot of talk about how the four new teams would not survive and yet here they are and still in their original cities.

Uh-huh. The Spurs have won 4 titles. The Nets have been to the finals twice. The Pacers once that I remember. And the Nuggets keep getting bounced by the Lakers, Spurs and other Western opponents.

Jeremy Lin has come from out of nowhere to obtain Linstant success. If he doesn't do anything else in the NBA, he can say he outscored Kobe Bryant. The guy is playing some serious ball and the Knicks will probably sign him for a longer contract. Derek Fisher knows about him even if Kobe doesn't.



[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CPAYzNH4xXY#![/video]

The Lakers look slow, old, and tired.

Kupchak and the Busses better get their act together. The thinking outside L.A. is they're not going to get a good quality point guard without surrendering Gasol, which they're loathe to do after the Chris Paul fiasco.
Bynum was pitiful last night. Lakers could have made it a better game if he'd grab rebounds instead of tapping them. Or, duh, make a layup or two instead of waiting to get his stuff blocked.
Fisher's not helping the team at all. He can't stay with anybody on defense (and has a bad habit of going under screens instead of over the top), and his shots aren't falling.

Other than the loss to the Knicks, the Lakers have looked great. I haven't been following the NBA that much this year but I watched a few Knicks games to see why people were talking about Jeremy Lin.

The silence you hear is bewilderment.

There's no bewilderment here. Everyone knows that Laker fans only talk when the Lakers are the top team. The Lakers expect to get players like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in a trade but are reluctant to give up much.

Several months ago, I called you an idiot and urged you not to make me also call you a liar.
Well, you're a liar!
You're delusional, too.
By your own admission, you haven't been paying much attention to the NBA. Or was that another lie?
When you have participated in NBA discussion, you have persistently dissed the Lakers. So the notion that you would say they're playing great in the midst of an 19-13 record is, well, bewildering.
After the Knicks game, you said, "the Lakers look slow, old and tired." What changed in a week?
I said, following the Knicks loss (and your posting of the Lin video), that Bynum was awful that night, that he should have grabbed rebounds instead of tapping them and that the team should have made more free throws. Yet you say I only talk when my team is winning.
You're a lot like those people who make a mockery of elections.
You know, the people who make outrageous claims that are easily disproven. People who pin their hopes on the belief that voters don't remember yesterday, let alone last year.
People who bank on the notion that nobody will check the record or, in this case, read a comment immediately preceding the new claim.
There are times when I take delight in ripping your claims apart. Then there are times when I pity you as someone who wants to be heard so badly that he'll make himself look like a fool, just to be part of the conversation.

The Lakers beat the Mavericks last night. News Flash: The Mavericks are old, tired, and slow too!

Thunder 100 Lakers 85

The Lakers do look good against the bottom dwellers of the league and manage to get up against other teams. However, it's going to be a struggle for the Lakers to make the post seasons.

Laker fans are indeed among the least knowledgeable and whiniest fans in sports.

I guess that makes you whiny and among the least knowledgeable as well. Last time I checked, 8 teams per conference make the playoffs. The Lakers are currently 5th in the West.

Maybe it's time you hired a manager to pre-approve your messages before you hit the "submit" button.

I'm thinking you need to work on your reading comprehension. Being number five is consistent with struggling to make the post season. You need to follow your own advice. Stop whining everytime some says anything negative about the Lakers.

DWBass, I am not in the entertainment business. That fact alone disqualifies me from being a Lakers fan.

Believe it or not, pro sports IS a part of the entertainment business! May as well embrace it or stop watching altogether!

There's no disagreement that sports is entertainment. I personally don't get the fanaticism over a sports team and the people who get indignant over someone not being crazy about THEIR team.

The word on the street is that the Lakers are trying to trade Pau and Bynum for Dwight Howard. The Magic should reject that offer!

Well I'm from New York and am a huge fan of all my NY teams, win or lose! I really don't expect everyone to love my teams but I don't get native NY'rs who favor other cities teams and hate their own hometown teams! I think that's just wrong! But hey, I just keep it movin'!

Hey, Dave, is the dude funny or what?
Ars, your denials are insufficient to prove that you aren't entertaining.
I don't care that you hate the Lakers. If you follow your own advice and comprehend statements (those posted by yourself as well as those posted by others), you'd notice that I also have been critical of the Lakers. Perhaps not enough to your satisfaction, as if that were something that can be measured.
I was simply pointing out how quickly you went from trashing the team to praising them and trashing them again.
It's like watching the rabbit changed directions at a carnival shooting gallery.
No amount of calling me a whiner is going to change the fact that you get so caught up in being argumentative that you persistently refute your own statements - unintentionally, of course.

If you didn't care, why would you bother to reply? I don't even know what point you are trying to make about the Lakers. I said the Lakers looked good against uncompetitive teams and that they are old, slow, and tired. That's the gist of my points.

I bet you're a poor shoot at the galleries too because you keep missing here. Your shotgun logic misses! Once again, stop whining about what I've said about the Lakers!

Pay attention, junior! I'm talking about you, not the Lakers.
You contradict yourself on a regular basis. And whenever somebody calls you out, it becomes: "You're a whiner." "You're a fair weather fan." "You don't know basketball."
Even if all that were true, that doesn't change the fact that you're flip-flopper.

Perhaps he should consider entering into the world of politics, where flip flopping is not only not frowned on it is expected.

As for me I am so glad to see pro basketball returning to the great state of Indiana. Lost in all the hoopla over the Super Bowl is that our team headed into the All Star break at 21-12, trailing only the Heat and Bulls. Who would have figured that a year ago? Riding a 4 game win streak as we start the second half and with 19 of the last 33 at home thing are 'looking good. Three key additions over the past two years and continued growth from our own draft picks has me jumping with joy.

There is zero chance of me ever entering politics. Back to the NBA, it seems that some Laker fans (e.g., Tomm Looney of Fox Radio Sports) are calling for retaliation against Dwyane Wade for his inadvertent foul on Kobe Bryant during the All Star Game. Kobe ended up with a broken nose and a concussion.

The T-Wolves have been playing great since Pekovic started as center. If K. Love can get up, I hope they can hand a loss to the Lakers tonight.

I didn't see the game and will not comment on Wade's actions without better context. A replay I saw on SportsCenter made it look like a hard foul - surprising in an All-Star game but nothing outrageous.
One team that's doing well and few people are talking about is San Antonio.

Bump. (It's been quiet here.)

Fisher, Walton, Kapono gone. Sessions in. That should help some. I'm not sure about Jordan Hill.
I know a lot of fans are hurt about Fisher being traded, but the guy was a defensive liability. Overall, I think it was a good move and at a good time. Will it be enough to overcome Oklahoma City?
Got me.

There really is a sucker born every minute.

Looks like that sucker is Houston. Reports are that they "bought out" Derek Fisher after the trade. Translated: He'll never wear a Rockets uniform.
So they give up a power forward.
Pay Fisher's salary.
And get basically nothing for their troubles.
I don't get it. Fisher likely will be a free agent in a few days.
I get the Lakers side of this deal. They needed to deepen their bench and let Fish go. But I don't see Houston's interest.

This could be a good fit:
Fisher may be suiting up for Thunder

It's a win-win opportunity for the Thunder and Fisher. Being a multiple champsionship winner, he can help school the Thunder in the mental aspects of becoming a champion. Fisher has the opportunity to win another championship. Plus, Fisher knows all of the Lakers' weaknesses and sets.

Jason Smith was given a stand ovation by the N.O. Hornets crowd. Jason Smith could play for the Saints. They may need him after Goodel gets done handing out punishments.

Sheesh! Most of them at least put on the pretense of trying to block a shot.

The Grizzlies mauled the Lakers. I think Mike Brown needs to get to know his players better. Why did he take Kobe out? Kobe is older but his endurance level is still up there.

Derek Fisher should be happy about not dealing with the Laker drama. His new team is the second best team in the NBA. The OKC win over Miami.

After Syracuse got eliminated, I gave up on watching college ball.

Why is it that if I say something about the Lakers, it's: "Lakers fans only talk when their team wins."
But when they lose, you get to jump on your soapbox?

Speaking of NCAA, Syracuse, Florida and North Carolina - terrible, terrible, terrible.
Not to say that their opponents don't deserve to advance. Clearly they do. But all three of them had chances to win but kept doing things to hurt those chances.
Fish is a good fit for OKC. I'm happy for him. Some of my friends who are Lakers fans are upset that he's gone, and I'm like: "Why?"

I'm the HMIC around here, Kobe!

In my opinion, the benching of Kobe was a move by Coach Mike Brown to let Kobe know that he is NOT the head man. I think Kobe was right to not criticize the coach afterwards.

The link above is bad.
Inside the Lakers' Huddle

Yeah, I got no problem with him being benched to make a point. The team wasn't playing that well. Gasol couldn't make a shot. Bynum was rushing put-backs. Turnovers. And nobody protected the lane from penetration.

Well the Pacers who often play like they have a split personality looking great one night and then stink up the place the next finally put it all together and blasted the Heat. That makes up for the meltdown a couple of weeks ago resulting in an overtime loss. They have a good schedule the rest of the way and could up stealing the four or even the three seed. It has been strange the radio and TV ratings for games are way up but attendence is still lagging in the lower part of the league. Colts sold out a a terrible season and here is a quality team in a basketball mad state struggling at the gate.

Pacer fans shouldn't take much from the win over the Heat. The Heat have not been playing well for awhile. The Bulls and Heat are still the best teams in the East.

I expect the Spurs or Thunder to take the West.

I would agree that the Heat & Bulls are by far the best of the east. I would however take exception to the idea that you take nothing from a win like this. Granted it would have ment more had they not lost the Nets the very next right. It has been that kind of a Jeckyl & Hyde season. But just a short time ago any thought of beating the Heat the Bulls, the Lakers and the Mavs was just a fantasy. This club has a long way to go yet but wins like this shows they are on the right path.

Looking at how the Celtics handled the Heat last Sunday, I am having second thoughts about them. The Bulls are looking beatable too. The Nets are a bad team. If Rose is able to return, the Bulls would fair better against teams like the Thunder.

The Heat are a good team, but they have trouble against anybody who plays disciplined defense and doesn't commit a lot of turnovers that lead to fast breaks.
The Thunder look like the most complete team to me. Durant is amazing, and Westbrook is more under control than he used to be. And don't forget Harding, Perkins, Ibaka, Sefaloshia, Collison. They're gonna be a very tough out.
Hmmm, not a lot of talk about those Amazing "lob city" Clippers. How soon the swoon fades.

I guess Lakers fans are the only people who aren't impressed with Blake Griffin.
I'll give him this much. He is a fierce dunker. But when eyes are popping and jaws are dropping over his latest, highlight reel monster slam, I'm wondering: "Isn't that a loose-ball foul? He clearly went over the back."
Last night, Pau Gasol was the victim. Yeah, Gasol should have been more aggressive in claiming that rebound before Griffin got there. But you can't come from behind and run over another player to get a rebound. That's called "over the back."
Like at the :48 mark in this video:



Griffen does that a lot, and never gets called for it. Even that one from last season in that game against the Knicks, he grabbed the other guy's head as if using it to elevate himself.

Griffin is a good ball player but I think he should tone it down on all the dunking! He lives above the rim and I wonder how long he can keep that up before his knees fail! Didn't he already have knee surgery? I agree, he is a strong, physical player as well. Kinda like LeBron.....a man amongst boys! He was clearly over the back of Gasol!

Yeah, Griffin's rookie season was delayed a year because of that injury. By all means, if it's there, I think he should throw it down every time. I just wish the NBA would stop favoring highlights over fair play.

This posterization of Pau Gasol was so unfair. Gasol tried to block the shot too. The Fakers won the game so it really doesn't matter.



Gasol fouled Griffin by the way!

Wrong clip, TR. I didn't see the whole game, but I understand Blake pretty much had his way with Gasol.
What bothers me is whenever he dunks, everybody's in awe - apparently even the refs. I don't care how spectacular he is, he shouldn't be allowed to run over an opposing player from behind.

Man,he got "gasoled"!



This guy is glad it was not him! Man, Gasol got gasoled!



I don't see a foul. Both players jumped for the rebound. Brittney Griner jumps higher than Pau Gasol.

That is the correct play. And you don't see a foul.
Why am I not surprised?
I checked NBA.com. There is no "over the back" rule, per se. That apparently is a term generated by game announcers.
Under the heading of personal fouls, the rule states: A player shall not hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an oppo-nent by extending a hand, forearm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a posi-tion that is not normal. Contact that results in the re-routing of an opponent is a foul which must be called immediately.
If Griffin gets around or over Gasol without contact, that's Gasol's fault for not boxing out. If Griffin makes contact with Gasol from behind, and the impact dislodges Gasol from his position, that's a foul.

Pau Gasol did not have an established position. He actually jumped into Griffin's body. The referees made the correct call.

After looking at it from a different angle, I will concede that in this case, a no-call was probably the correct thing to do. But I submit that had Gasol stayed put or jumped straight up, it still would have been a Griffin highlight and no foul. He gets the benefit of those plays because he's a media darling. With apologies to Dos Equis, he's the most interesting man in basketball.
That aside, Andrew Bynum is really annoying. He's having the best season of his career - both statistically and the fact that he hasn't missed a lot of games due to injury.
But he evidently can't stand prosperity, what with his rate of temper tantrums. The league's rule is 16 technicals and you're suspended. I would love to see teams go one further: Each time you get T'd up, you lose half a game check; and each time you get ejected, we'll suspend you for a game in addition to any and all penalties issued by the league.

The Spurs are on an 11-game winning streak and have overtaken OKC for the Western Conference lead. Yet I haven't seen them on any of the networks that cover NBA since before the All-Star break.

I'm sure the Spurs prefer it that way. The networks were too busy talking about Linsanity and the Lakers daily drama. Kobe hurt his shin is a bigger topic. Oh, no! How are the Lakers gonna score points?

In other news, last years bench warmer of the year, Lamar Odom, decided that he prefers the couch to the bench. I expect the Kardashian girl to dump him in a minute.

Odom is a head case. He's a versatile player who could - if his mind's right - help a team, but after this fiasco, I doubt anybody will want him.
Dallas wasn't the perfect fit like the Lakers were, but they're still a good team that needed him to produce. He failed.

Ron Artest needs to be suspended from participating in anymore games this season and the playoffs for his viscious elbow to James Harden's head. He knocks Harden out then proceeds to bang his chest like he's King Kong. He should have been arrested by LAPD!




Los Angeles' fans cheered for Artest.

It hasn't been a good year for Derrick Rose but the Bulls have been good without him. I see the Celtics as the only team in the East that matches up with the Heat because they have handled the Heat on several occasion.

What happened to the "Purple & Yellow" nosers? Their number one fan here has been pretty quiet. I hope he's doing well. Regardless, let the Nuggets whip some Laker butt. My money is on the Spurs.

Lakers' Jordan Hill Charged

The Lakers sure attract their share of thugs. I don't think Denver has the firepower to beat the Lakers but they should up their intensity.

Thanks for Paul Pierce! The Celtics really needed him to step up his game. The team played excellent defense to limit Atlanta and came out of there with a win. Losing Josh Smith hurts the Hawks. It's over for Atlanta. We can do without the tebowing Pierce.

Great game Denver Nuggets!!! I guess the Lakers aren't as good as they thought they were.

C'mon Nuggets! You need a better game plan than shown below:



What was up with that lady walking on the court at the most inopportune time? I read that she was looking for Kenyon Martin who plays for the LA Clippers now and was the same lady who stalked him when he played for Denver. Even if he were a deadbeat, baby daddy and she were serving him up with court papers she had no business on that court. The Nuggets had the chance to win the game.

That defense would be great for Carmelo Anthony. He does not pass the ball much.

Really? Nuggets 102 Lakers 99

This game started too late for me to watch but it looks like neither team played great team defense.

I did watch the Celtics-Hawk game which turned out to be a chess match. The Hawks adjusted well to the Celtics to survive (Hawks 87-86).

The Pacers move forward. Pacers 105 Magic 87. Larry Bird has done a great job with the Pacers.

Don't get happy, TR. Something's up with our service and I haven't been able to get to the site in close to a month.
The woman on the court the other night isn't the same one who stalked Martin. I think somebody fed Craig Sager a line of bull. She has no history of stalking according to law enforcement and Pepsi Center officials. It looked like she was disoriented, perhaps from medication or some intoxicant.

Your Lakers got destroyed by the Nuggets in game 6 (Nuggets 113 Lakers 96). How does Bynum feel about close out games now? It's time to go to LA and tear the roof off the mother! No defense was played by either team.

The Celtics closed out their series with the Hawks but the 76ers are going to be a tough match up for them.

When the Lakers are playing championship ball, you can't stop the Laker fans from posting. Otherwise, it's a broken phone or computer!

Unfortunately, the Lakers were able to survive the Nuggets. I hope the Thunder learned a lesson from the last time they played the Lakers: 1) Don't let up on them. 2) Don't get involved in Laker drama. 3) Don't let Gasol and Bynum be effective in the paint. I really felt that Ron Artest should have been banned indefinately.

76ers 82 Celtics 81

I watched this game and the shooting was terrible. Both teams put up quite a few bricks. They looked like they were playing a regular season game.

Thunder 119 Lakers 90

I wish I could have seen this game. Get your brooms!

Pacers 78 Heat 75

This game was a great confidence builder for the Pacers and a big let down for the Heat. Losing Bosh apparently hurt the the Heat offensively. I don't understand that last play Spoelstra called. If LeBron is the MVP, he should be taking the the last shot. Even D. Wade would have been a better option. LeBron needs to revise his training regimen this off-season because he should not be fading in the fourth physically.

Spurs 108 Clippers 92

The Spurs have too much experience and talent for the Clippers to overcome. The Spurs and Thunder are the best squads in this entire competition.

The Pacers came into this game thinking they could win it, hell thinking they could win the series. But they did grow up a lot winning they way they did. What this game really was......a big hello here we are to the rest of NBA indeed to the rest of the country. They had no TV time so may be the best kept secret in the NBA. Series is no where near over but I think they can do it. Heat invested a lot on the big three but when they have to sit they are thin against a balanced club like the Pacers.

Larry Bird was named Exec of the year today. He did a great job of rebuilding this team, though it was not that long ago that fans wanted to run him out of town because of the slow pace he was taking. Seems the "hick from French Lick" is a pretty smart fellow and just what needed to be done. Voegel should have Coach of the Year, but/ hey we can't be greedy!

Gregg Popovich deserved the Coach of the Year award for redefining the character of the Spurs. They relied on defense and kicking the ball down low to win in the past. Now, the team is more like last years Mavericks with Tim Duncan playing the Dirk role. Parker is distributing to perimeter shooters who hit threes. Popovich gets the award for showing it's never too late to change how you go about business.

Celtics 107 76ers 91

The Celtic played with more energy than in the first two games.

Thunder 77 Lakers 75

I didn't see this game but I like the results. The Thunder will need to up their intensity in L.A. !

Thunder up 106 Lakers down and out 90

The Lakers really need to get players to complement and eventually replace Kobe Bryant in scoring the ball.

Celtics 101 76ers 85

For awhile I thought the 76ers were going to take this game but the Celtics flipped the switch and took over. Brandon Bass came on strong to complement KG.

Can't wait to see the Pacers/Heat game. Larry Bird calls his team soft. They are soft compared to the stuff he and McHale used to do to opponents. The Pacers need to get up on the Heat fast or else it's over for them. The Pacers should take the ball to the rim as often as possible.

The Celtics dissappointed me with their offense.

Been way to much wining about what the other team is getting away with on both sides. This is the playoffs in the NBA with two teams that have a defensive mind set. It is always going to rough. Hopefully the Pacers will get there heads back in the game. Yes they do need to get it going inside. Have to get Hibert and West more active. Like that Bird called the guys out they went soft in game five, need to get back to what the do best.. hard defense, good ball movement, and a belief that they can get this done. Think they may have lost that confidence in game five. They have play poorly before and found a way to turn things around next game. Looking for that tonight as they send this series to a game seven.

I believe that's the first time you've said something about the Lakers that was truthful and without animus.
I saw a list of point guards who will be free agents. Among them, I like Jeremy Lin and Jameer Nelson. But bloated salaries will limit what they can do.
Kupchak really looked like an idiot when they showed a closeup of him during Game 5. Well, he is at least partially responsible for trying that Paul trade without first gauging whether it would be approved and checking the pulse of Gasol and Odom should the effort fail.
Now, about that: "When the Lakers are playing championship ball, you can't stop the Laker fans from posting. Otherwise, it's a broken phone or computer!"
I think we both will agree that the Lakers haven't played "championship" ball for about 2 years. Take a look at the number of comments this Lakers fan has made (both about the Lakers and about the NBA in general, including but not limited to a statement about the Spurs, whom you suddenly seem to admire). We just had this conversation a few months ago, and I discredited you then.
I swear, your reporting and lack of recall are worthy of Fox News.

I was surprised by the Lakers making it as far as they did. I give the Spurs the edge over the Thunder because the Thunder struggled too much against the Lakers. I do admire the Spurs because they seem to run a quality organization that does it the right way. They draft players and develop them into winners. The Lakers try to buy championships.

If I were going to cheer for a team, it would be the Celtics because I would love to see them get one more championship.

Keep them fakers lookin' up 4 eva!