NBA Finals: Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers

[love2hateroy]

I came to say that after reading the Lakers fans comments. I don't hate the Lakers at all but, the Magic are giving this series away. I mean they are a free throw and a missed layup from being up 3-1. You never know how a team will react to a loss so up 3-1 may never happened had the layup fell in, but still. You guys think the NBA and refs are against the Lakers? That is just stupid. Stern wants the most popular team and player to win, he doesn't want the Magic winning. He is probably pissed they are even in this series. You homers need to take your Lakers goggles off.

It's so annoying when people act as if David Stern actually has something to do with how a series will turn out. I know that the Magic beat LA during the reg season, but the Lakers proved all year that they were the best team in the league. So why can't the Laker haters out there just acknowledge that the Lakers are the best team and that's the reason they are winning? Suggesting that Stern is steering the series to promote a certain player or franchise is stupid.

[Britneck]

I for one never said the refs were against the Lakers...I was using the evidence of last night to silence those that say the Lakers get all the calls their way all the time!!! As for could be 3-1....sure...IF! Orlando has themselves to blame for not being able to close out games that they could have won...but this makes the difference between good teams and greats teams!

You just agreed with everything i said. I want the Lakers to win, so I'm ok with it. All i was saying is the Magic are making it to easy.

[love2hateroy]

Oh, one more thing...

Lakers are up 3-1, which means they are one win away from Kobe getting ring number 4. That is all.

[Britneck]

It's so annoying when people act as if David Stern actually has something to do with how a series will turn out. I know that the Magic beat LA during the reg season, but the Lakers proved all year that they were the best team in the league. So why can't the Laker haters out there just acknowledge that the Lakers are the best team and that's the reason they are winning? Suggesting that Stern is steering the series to promote a certain player or franchise is stupid.

Where in my post did i say stern has anything to do with out comes? I was talking about a Laker fan on here who says the refs and everyone is against the Lakers. Regular season means poo in the NBA. I wouldn't think the Bobacts would stand a chance against the Lakers in the playoffs even though we own them in the regular season. If you notice in my other post i said i was pulling for the Lakers, so how can i be a hater?

[X-Clown]

Orlando has themselves to blame for not being able to close out games that they could have won...but this makes the difference between good teams and greats teams!

I agree with this. The problem I have with RB's posts on the subject is that he's acting like the two teams aren't closely matched, and that Orlando supposedly didn't have a chance in winning game 4 since the Lakers are so good.

[X-Clown]

why wouldn't you foul him...I thought about that last night and I don't think it would have been the right play...two foul shots would have cut the lead to 1 and you know the Lakers would have fouled right away and the way Orlando was missing...why take that chance?

If he makes both it cuts the game to one point, but the Magic could try to inbound the ball to someone like Lewis or Redick (or really, anyone not named Dwight Howard). Even if they miss one or both, the Lakers are still in a situation where they have to score the game winner with just a few seconds instead of giving a clutch shooter a wide open three to tie the game. If you're playing the percentages, it seems like a no brainer.

[frash.exe]

Give me a fuging break. Even the biggest Laker homer can admit that Orlando choked in the final minutes of that game. 15 missed free throws including the two big ones by Howard with 11 seconds and a terrible job of defense by Jameer Nelson on Derek Fisher. I'm not discrediting the Lakers for taking advantage of mistakes, but don't sit there and act like that game was dominated by the Lakers from the tipoff and that there was no way the Lakers could have lost the game.

PS Arrogant homers like you are the reason that people hate the Lakers.

please.

the magic got their 12 point lead at the half playing against defenders like DJ Mbenga because the refs stuck us in a hole fouling our players. Going in the 3rd, adjustments were made, our guys could actually play again, and that's when you saw the Lakers score points and get back on their feet.

X-Clown, LA didn't make ANY free throws in the fourth quarter. Howard missed those free throws to seal it late in the 4th, but it's not like it's anything new. Howard has always been awful at free throws. He's not a career 100% free throw shooter and it's not like he picked this one day to be awful on the FT line. You probably didn't realize his career FT% in the postseason is 51%. D Fish didn't get open because Jameer Nelson sucked it's because D Fish is a great player and had been putting his body out there to make plays and gave 110% last night on the court.

Who said Kobe choked to lose game 3? The Magic had a 3 point lead with a chance to make it five at the free throw line with 11 seconds left. If Howard hits even one of them, the Magic probably win. I credit the Lakers for making a HUGE 3 after that play, and for what they did in overtime, but still contend that the Magic choked away a game that should have been decided in regulation. How can a team with a 3 point lead completely not play any defense at the 3 point line on a guy who is on par with Robert Horry for hitting clutch shots with a few seconds left in the game? Why wouldn't you just foul him before he could shoot?

If you watched the postgame that was Stan Van's call not to foul them because he thought there was too much time left on the clock,---->and he didn't have a whole lot of confidence in his team's free throw game to risk the Lakers fouling and then some more missed shots and another quick strike by LA. Besides that, D-Fish was simply open for the shot, just like many Magic players are open for a 3 point shot this series. It was a breakdown in coverage, which, by the time anybody got over to foul him, it was too late because he'd already thrown the ball and to risk a possible 4 point play to give up the lead instead of accept the tie could've cost the Magic the game over one boneheaded play.

[X-Clown]

X-Clown, LA didn't make ANY free throws in the fourth quarter. Howard missed those free throws to seal it late in the 4th, but it's not like it's anything new. Howard has always been awful at free throws. He's not a career 100% free throw shooter and it's not like he picked this one day to be awful on the FT line. You probably didn't realize his career FT% in the postseason is 51%.

I did realize that. However, in the series Howard had shot 70% prior to Game 4. Turkoglu, an 80% FT shooter also missed 4 free throws in the 4th quarter.

D Fish didn't get open because Jameer Nelson sucked it's because D Fish is a great player and had been putting his body out there to make plays and gave 110% last night on the court. Besides that, D-Fish was simply open for the shot, just like many Magic players are open for a 3 point shot this series. It was a breakdown in coverage, which, by the time anybody got over to foul him, it was too late because he'd already thrown the ball and to risk a possible 4 point play to give up the lead instead of accept the tie could've cost the Magic the game over one boneheaded play.

Homerism much on the first sentence (where did I say that Fisher isn't a good player and Nelson sucks. You might want to look for the part that I said Fisher is a clutch shooter)? As for the rest, comments like this make me think that you didn't actually watch the game, and that you're relying on the online play by play of the game to form these opinions. The play in question had Fisher dribbling up the court after taking a pass around half court from Kobe, surveying the situation and noticing that Jameer was playing well off of the 3 point line (almost in a zone defense, which again makes no sense given the 3 point lead), so he stepped up and shot it as Jameer scrambled and didn't come close to contesting the shot. If you're really going to insinuate that Nelson played good defense on that play, then I really don't think we need to continue this discussion since you obviously don't grasp the concept of team basketball.

If you watched the postgame that was Stan Van's call not to foul them because he thought there was too much time left on the clock,---->and he didn't have a whole lot of confidence in his team's free throw game to risk the Lakers fouling and then some more missed shots and another quick strike by LA..

Stan's call I believe was the wrong one based on the percentages, just like leaving an offensively ineffective Jameer Nelson in the lineup for the whole 4th quarter and overtime period in favor of Rafer Alston, or not using Courtney Lee on defense on the last play. At least if they were not going to foul they could put somebody that was taller than Nelson on Fisher to make him shoot over him. There were a myriad of boneheaded plays by the players and coach that cost them the game.

[frash.exe]

Homerism much on the first sentence (where did I say that Fisher isn't a good player and Nelson sucks. You might want to look for the part that I said Fisher is a clutch shooter)? As for the rest, comments like this make me think that you didn't actually watch the game, and that you're relying on the online play by play of the game to form these opinions. The play in question had Fisher dribbling up the court after taking a pass around half court from Kobe, surveying the situation and noticing that Jameer was playing well off of the 3 point line (almost in a zone defense, which again makes no sense given the 3 point lead), so he stepped up and shot it as Jameer scrambled and didn't come close to contesting the shot. If you're really going to insinuate that Nelson played good defense on that play, then I really don't think we need to continue this discussion since you obviously don't grasp the concept of team basketball.

apologies. I got my 3s mixed up, but Fisher was looking to knock down that 3 real quick considering the time left. Whether or not Nelson was playing bad defense like that (which he was, because it looked more like he was ready to defend Fisher to go inside for a 2 pointer) it's hard to knock down a 3 point shot anyway, especially as quickly as Fisher was able to set his feet and make the shot, while also considering the fact that he had not made a single one in 5 attempts prior to that in this game (and maybe that's why Nelson chose not to defend him close), and Fisher's poise in that moment is the kind of stuff you give him absolutely no credit when you say things like...

Orlando TOTALLY gave that game, and thus gave the series away. That was embarassing.

...which is why I don't care to take your backtracking seriously. That's what you said at first before you decided to open up and talk about how Fisher is a clutch player.

Maybe you should blame Stan Van Gundy a little bit more for his foolish benching of Rafer Alston from the closing minutes of the third quarter on to play Nelson who hadn't played basketball in about 4 months before the finals and who is still trying to find his rhythm on the court. It's more like maybe Nelson shouldn't have even been on the court in the first place for that one.

Meanwhile, when it's Hedo Turkoglu's turn to knock down a 3 pointer, down 94-91, he is off the mark (and again down 96-91). It's because the Lakers are proving when the chips are down they can come together, D up, and make baskets and they are proving that they are much better at it than Orlando is, which is the difference between these two teams, and in the finals, it will make ALL the difference.

Back to your regularly scheduled Laker hate.

[Delhommey]

The drunk chick falling out of her chair behind the announcers in the 4th quarter was the only thing worth watching that I've seen so far.

Sorry, but big men wanting to pop threes and slap and tickle defense isn't my cup of tea.

[frash.exe]

Thought this was appropriate for all the laker haters

[X-Clown]

...which is why I don't care to take your backtracking seriously. That's what you said at first before you decided to open up and talk about how Fisher is a clutch player.

I was responding to/agreeing with a post (from a Laker fan BTW) that said Orlando choked.

Maybe you should blame Stan Van Gundy a little bit more for his foolish benching of Rafer Alston from the closing minutes of the third quarter on to play Nelson who hadn't played basketball in about 4 months before the finals and who is still trying to find his rhythm on the court. It's more like maybe Nelson shouldn't have even been on the court in the first place for that one.

Hmmm....where have I heard that before. Oh yeah.

Stan's call I believe was the wrong one based on the percentages, just like leaving an offensively ineffective Jameer Nelson in the lineup for the whole 4th quarter and overtime period in favor of Rafer Alston, or not using Courtney Lee on defense on the last play. At least if they were not going to foul they could put somebody that was taller than Nelson on Fisher to make him shoot over him. There were a myriad of boneheaded plays by the players and coach that cost them the game.

[pstall]

Nelson what were you doing? They HAVE to have a 3.

Run up on Fish, either making him drive or pass and use up more clock or foul.

DUMB

But, water under the bridge now.

[frash.exe]

Hmmm....where have I heard that before. Oh yeah.

yea....which is why i said you should put the blame on him a bit more instead of Nelson.