Lakers vs Celtics

1. 85

   Robinposted 15 years ago

   Will it be as good as the finals between them in the 80s?

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   1. 61

      drummer boyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      nope not even close

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2. 66

   elisabeth reidposted 15 years ago

   Nope.  They're trying to hard to compare the two.  Kobe and KG are good...but they're not Magic and Bird and Kareem. 
   
   It's probably going to be a good series...but only if the comparisons stop and they just let the teams that take the floor this time play it out.

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3. 59

   Junksterposted 15 years ago

   Yeah, it's like the Kobe/MJ comparison.
   It should be interesting as I haven't seen Lakers play at all in the post season (or during regular season tbh) so should be a surprise I think. 
   
   Essentially it's a strong "team" team in the Celtics against a team with an amazing player.  We've done it against Cleveland so hopefully we'll fare well especially since Ray Allen is back on form (sorta)
   
   Can't wait to ge tthe game tomorrow morning (having to download them as I'm in the UK)

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4. 67

   crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

   After watching most of game one, I can put Paul Pierce right up there with Bird in terms of his ability to turn around a game. Bird had an uncanny ability to hit the three at the worst possible moment for the opposing team, and really drive a stake through their heart. For Paul Pierce to leave the game with a sprained knee, being carried out, just to return and bang down two three pointers in a row, man, that's clutch. Big Papi has nothing on him (and I love Papi too!)

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5. 59

   Junksterposted 15 years ago

   From simply checking out the live blog (more like twitter) on espn I could tell it was a great game, I don't mind teams goig down a few points but as long as they come back like against the Pistons in game 6 - amazing by the way!  then it's all good.
   
   Just please no game 7 nailbiters please this time!
   
   So made up with The Truth last night that I'm wearing my Pierce Alternative jersey to work for dress down friday!   awesome, can;t wait to download the game tonight!

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6. 51

   caloyzki25posted 15 years ago

   The hype surrounding this series is being given such great importance due to the old rivalry dating back to the 60s. Though the players have changed, the atmosphere surrounding this series is still on a high. Maybe this is the NBA's form of comeback, remember the referee issues?
   
   I'm a huge Garnett fan. Thanks to the Boston Celtics' resurgence, the NBA is back in business. Let's just wait and see which team has the better aces on the court. Game 7, anyone?

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7. 67

   crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

   My father and I were debating how many games it would take for the Celtics to win. His first response was 8, because he thought that if they had so much trouble with Atlanta and Cleveland, how could they handle Kobe and the Lakers? I pointed out that they dispatched the Pistons in six games, and even won a couple on the road.
   
   To me, the Lakers played a lot like the Pistons, so I'll take the Celtics in 6.

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8. 59

   Junksterposted 15 years ago

   Your father was right to think 8 but I think the celtics have improved greatly ove rthe course of the post season games.  Yeah they couldn't get an away win initially and Ray Allen was choking a lot but from the Pistons series and the first two games of the finals they've really evolved. 
   
   Not relying on the big three meant that game two should have been an easy defeat, shame they nearly lost it towards the end.
   
   I maintain that Boston wwith their deep bench potential and Paul Pierce can easily beat Kobe on his own in five/six.  Most likely six

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9. 59

   whiskeyloveposted 15 years ago

   Let me start off by saying, I'm from LA and the lakers are definately my favorite team. Why is it that the media worships the ground Kobe walks on? Yes, Kobe is my favorite player, but it unerves me to listen to this announcers drool all over his skid marks. If he goes 9-27 from the field, his teammates didn't show up that night. If Kevin Garnett does the same, he's having an off night from the field and didn't come to play.
   
   I know LA is a huge media market but is everyone so blinded that can't search throught the non-sense coming from their mouth's?

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   1. 66

      elisabeth reidposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      That's pretty much it.  Lakers have their true-blue fans but they've lost a lot of 'em because of all the Kobe hype.  It's almost like the rest of the team is incidental and only there to back up Kobe.  It's a team...it's supposed to be the other way around.  That frustrates a lot of real basketball fans, I think.  The wagon-jumpers don't care.  And, as in most (not all...there are exceptions) markets, there are far more wagon-jumpers than there are true fans so there are more wagon-jumpers watching the sports broadcasts and reading the sports pages, so guess who they write/broadcast to?
      
      Yup.  The advertisers.

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   2. 65

      WeddingConsultantposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, thank you for bringing up this point.  Did anyone watch the first half of the game on the 12th?  Kobe didn't make ANY shots from the court- I think he had 3 points from free throws, and even then his free throw percentage was in the toilet.
      
      Anyway, the announcers couldn't stop saying stuff like, "Even though Bryant hasn't scored any from the court, it shows you how much of a super star he is because Lakers are up big time.  He leads this team and just gets a ton of assists and rebounds.  He doesn't even have to make all the points- he distributes."
      
      I have to confess, I'm a Bryant-hater.  I am this way because I feel like he's cocky and arrogant and hides behind his big ego.  But maybe it's the media's fault for making him look big and bad.  Maybe it's their fault because every external camera shot they had of the Staples center was zoomed in on Bryant's ugly face plastered on the wall.  Eh, who knows.
      
      Regardless, I'm voting for the Celtics!

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      1. 73

         thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Agreed

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10. 73

    thranaxposted 15 years ago

    Celtics shoulda won, Boston ftw baby.

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11. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    Sports are all about hype. I just about jumped out of my socks when I heard one of the commentators say that Kobe is on the same level as Michael Jordan. Sorry, but I can't buy that. I was not a fan of Michael Jordan, but Kobe has a long way to go before he makes that level.
    
    While we're talking about Jordan, let's look at these two teams. The Bulls were an amazing act, led by Jordan, but they had a pretty good supporting cast with Pippin and Rodman. When I look at the Lakers, I see Kobe and the rest. When I look at the Celtics, I see Garnett as the leader with pretty good support cast from Allen and Pierce. To me, the Celtics are much closer to being a Bulls-like team than the Lakers.

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    1. 61

       drummer boyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Kobe is no where near Michael Jordan, the only way you can compare those two is by saying that Kobe will also be trying to improve his game not to mention his character to some day be more like Jordan.
       Jordan is and was a total package on and off the court, something that Kobe is definitely lacking.  Sure they both can score but Kobe is no Michael.  You can tell him that drummer boy said so.

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12. 66

    elisabeth reidposted 15 years ago

    That's just it.  The Celtics are a team.  The Lakers are Kobe, et al.
    
    Basketball is a team sport and that's where the Lakers are hurting and will continue to hurt until they deal with Kobe.  It's not golf.  It's not tennis or swimming or archery.  Hell, even auto racing requires a team, as does horse racing and more than one track event.

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13. 59

    Junksterposted 15 years ago

    How much money says that if the celtics win the series Kobe wqill go back to crying about wanting a trade again and refusing to train with the rest of the team.
    
    Whilst they are a star player team (like Cleveland) I still think LA have some decent players that deserve credit, Fisher's been there since back in the Shaq days and Lamar Odom is a great forward who can crash the board son both ends.  Strange that since LA acquired Pau Gasol they suddenly started a winning streak too!  So it can't all be Kobe....hmm

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14. 66

    elisabeth reidposted 15 years ago

    Shhhhhh....don't tell that to Kobe.

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15. STAFF

    Paul Edmondsonposted 15 years ago

    Paul Pierce is no where near the caliber of play that Bird was. 
    
    I don't think the Lakers have been physical enough yet.  I'm watching late in game 4 right now.  Lakers are up 2 and seem to have gone flat.
    
    For Laker fans, the good news is that the Celtics seem tight....Celts just tied it up.  Back to the game....

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16. 70

    lady luckposted 15 years ago

    celtics all day!! paul pierce is my husband!
    
    ( IWISH!!)

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17. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    Boy, it's nice to see some new faces in this thread.
    
    I have to say that I was not one of the people who went to bed when the Celtics were crashing and burning in a most sincere fashion last night. I did, however, go back to work packing up our house to move. So you can understand my glee when I turned the game back on and saw the Celtics down by 2. Watching the highlights after the game, I was just floored. I knew that the Celtics had the ability to play better on both ends of the court than they displayed during the first period, but I really didn't expect the Lakers to roll over the way they did.
    
    Now, I feel very secure in predicting that this series is finished. The Celtics will win in Boston on Sunday, making a whole lot of dads extremely happy in my neck of the woods!

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18. 66

    elisabeth reidposted 15 years ago

    Aren't they still going to be in LA on Sunday?  Game six is when they go back to Boston?  Maybe I'm wrong.  Not that it matters...it'd be kinda nice if they won it in game 6 at home, though.  That's the softie in me that likes to see the home team winning it all -- at home.  There's just something about it.

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19. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    You are correct. My mistake. I may have to amend my previous thought. I still believe the Celtics will win in Boston, so it may have to go six games. I can't picture the Lakers losing two in a row at home, but then, I've been wrong before!

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20. 0

    IMHustleposted 15 years ago

    I can't believe none of you had any comments re: Game 4. I almost lost my mind watching that game. How in the world do you allow a 24 pt. 3rd quarter lead to turn into a 6 pt loss? I've always been a fan of the Laker teams, but after that fiasco the Celtics deserve to win the championship. That being said, I expect Kobe to put a serious hurting on the Celtics on Sunday just because he was a no show in Game 4 (contrary to what the sports writers said, the only person that can stop Kobe is Kobe).
    
    Speaking of Kobe, I think you guys have it all wrong.When it's all said and done, he will go down in NBA lore as one of the best that played the game. He went straight from high school to play in the NBA. He's the youngest player to score 20K pts (not even MJ did that) and he already has 3 championship rings via the "3 pete". Oh, let's not forget that HE's the league MVP, not the Big Ticket, not Ray Allen and not Paul Pierce. I hate the Kobe - MJ comparison and the hype surrounding it because Kobe won't ever be MJ and the guy has figured out he doesn't need to be. Kobe is learning how to be a leader and how to motivate his teammates when they need it.
    [For the record, you guys must have amnesia about MJ when he came into the league. He was compared to Dr. J, remember? Mike had to grow into becoming a team leader capable of motivating an entire team with his will to win]. Nuff said.

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21. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    I didn't say Kobe wasn't a great player. He is. He's just not Michael Jordan. And yes, people compared Jordan to Dr. J because that's what sports writers do - they always try to frame people by comparing them with stars of the past. Michael Jordan surpassed Dr. J, but I jumped out of my socks because Kobe will never be Michael Jordan, no matter what these yahoos commentating on the games say (or maybe even think).
    
    The Lakers teams in the 80s, with the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem, etc. were a far better team than this group.
    
    I would take Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen over Kobe 8 days a week. All three of those guys were established stars before they played together this year. All three have seen their offensive numbers drop this season because they were team players and they spread it around. Now we have three guys who can step up and get the job done when necessary. Would Kobe do that? No. He'd try to do it all himself, score 40 points and lose by 6.
    
    Finally, the reason why the Celtics were able to come back from 24 points down was because of their defense. They were the top defensive team in the league this year, and they forgot about that in the first half. They had given up 35 points by the end of the first quarter. They only gave up 33 in the entire second half. Kobe may very well turn it around in game six, but don't try to suggest that King Kobe is the only one who can stop King Kobe. K.G. was the defensive player of the year and a good defense stops a good offense.
    
    And I agree with a previous sentiment - Kobe will be whining about going somewhere else after he's humiliated by the Celtics.

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    1. 0

       IMHustleposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with some of your comments . But why do you insist on believing that Kobe thinks he's MJ? He's NOT and he doesn't think or play like he thinks he's MJ! Two different types of ballplayers You keep referring to the old Kobe that split up the team that could have won a 4pete. Not new Kobe, the MVP of the league. The guy doesn't hog the ball anymore. He creates plays for his teammates. He's an excellent defensive player. I'm starting to think you guys are either Kobe haters or you're watching some other guy named Kobe (lol)!
       
       You misunderstood my point about scorers. When you're a scorer, the ONLY person that can stop you from scoring is YOU. Why? The scorer's mentality is that he can always make the shot; so he will always have confidence in his shot and wants the ball in his hands. Ray Allen was in a scoring slump during the series with the Pistons, but it didn't last. Why? Ray never lost confidence in his shot (and the only way to stop Ray Allen is to not let him in the building). It's the same thing for Paul Pierce (who was pretty much unstoppable tonight), Kobe, Chauncy Billups, ...they all have the same mindset. Ask any head coach or anyone whose played organized ball.  Also, good scorers make adjustments to good defense and break them down.
       
       LOL ...of course the big 3 for the Celtics offer a far more balanced threat than Kobe, Lamar Odom and Derrick Fisher! The Celtics have more scorers, more bench depth than the Lakers do, they're a much better defensive team than the Lakers (this series clearly exposes the Lakers' defensive weaknesses) and Doc Rivers is outcoaching Zen master Phil by a wide margin. No Celtics team has depended on anyone player even though they always had/have guys who could take over and win a game by themselves. The Lakers DON'T have that.
       
       One thing I really disagree with you on is the "Michael Jordan surpassed Dr. J" comment. You can't make a blanket statement like that. Mike is one of the greatest to play the game. Dr. J is one of the 50 greatest to ever play the game. Two totally different types of players. Dr. J did things on the court that Michael could only dream about in his sleep. Julius dominated the ABA and when he went to the NBA, he  proved to the all-star players in the league that his press was all true.
       
       'Nuff said. But what did you think about tonight's game? Kobe started off hot, but faltered thru the rest of the game, except for the play that basically clinched game. Paul Gasol played a much better game tonight, but he definitely needs some Red Bull and more upper body strength. The Lakers defense is very suspect  Unless the Lakers can make defensive adjustments, the Celts are gonna break the 22 year drought.

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          Junksterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I take it from that closing comment that the lakers have brought it back to 3-2?  (The game was on TV here in the UK but at 2 in the morning, I'll wait for it to pop up on the internet )
          
          I agree with the sentiment that people don't like the commentators/critics comparing two different players (personally hate the old "He's the new *insert legend here*)
          
          I am happy that the final game will be in Boston though as back home Boston will be a formidable force, they'll be out for blood in the sixth hoping to put an end to it and to quash any talk that the lakers were strong enugh to take them to seven.  Not to say it's out of their reach.
          
          This sereis ahs really opened my eyes up to the supporting cast of the lakers, Radmanovic is n excellent outside shooter who you need to keep your eye on and not leave him open.  I've already said how Odom is a great rebounder too just need sto be careful of foul trouble.
          
          Speaking of foul trouble I notice Kobe kept gettign technicals two straight games in a row for refs not calling fouls, get over it, yelping every time you go to basket is LeBron's bag not yours Kobe.  I have much more respect for players who drive to the hole and finish the play regardless of the swatting hands, Paul Pierce is one of these people, and Ray Allen, he could be on the receiving end of a nasty flagrant foul but would calmly walk away to the free throw line.
          
          Can't wait to see this game five probably tonight/tomorrow and the sixth whenever that is.

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22. 57

    CMOEposted 15 years ago

    LA is going down next game.  This thing is over.

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    1. 0

       IMHustleposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       LOL they should have gone down Sunday ! I will LOSE IT if the Lakers tie it up.
       
       @Junkster: The Lakers definitely need more front court muscle. I like Paul Gasol, but I don't think he'll be wearing a Lakers uniform next season - he doesn't put as much effort into rebounding as he does scoring.
       
       Yeah I prefer the type of player who punishes his opponents for the calls the refs miss or make, but it's really hard to blame these guys for losing it when the refs don't see they're getting hacked up like a piece of deli ham by Cleaver the Mad Butcher .

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          Junksterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Haha, nice.  I haven't really hear dmuch about it but this whole referees gettign investigated thing in the news, how recent is that? Like when did all this match fixing happen (and has it ended?)
          
          I'd agree with Celtics should win it tonight (it is tonight isn't it?), if this series goes to seven I'll eat my hat.  Shame for the lakers or should I say Kobe since they've got to the finals for the first time in a while, I didn't see their series against the Spurs but the Spurs must've had a really off series for this lakers team to have beaten them so easily.
          
          I think the hotly contested Western conference is being surpassed by the East this year, The games we've played against Cleveland, Atlanta and the Pistons were amazing.  My friend who supports the Magic was disappointed sinc ehe thought it was his year, but I knew from the beginning of the season when we got Keving Garnett and Ray Allen that (pending injuries) we'd get to the finals.
          
          Just hope Perkins is well enough to play tonight, his performance has vastly improved over the past two series, in the Eastern Conf finals he played amazingly well, just loses his temperament when things go against him occasionally.  Likewise with Rondo, hopefully the rest of the bench should get some minutes in this game, they all deserve a bit of the action as I've never seen a more dedicated bench than the Celtics this year, noone sits on the bench! they all stand or sit on the sideline!

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23. 57

    CMOEposted 15 years ago

    Tonight is the night.  I hate the Lakers so much.  I have been looking forward to tonight all year.

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    1. 65

       WeddingConsultantposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Laker-haters unite!

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          thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Word

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          1. 0

             IMHustleposted 15 years agoin reply to this

             Well you guys must be in Heaven now . It was worse than a massacre ...it was a disgrace. The Lakers played soo poorly. The entire team flat out gave up.
             
             But I can't/don't want to take anything away from the Celtics. They outplayed the Lakers ...it's as simple as that. As I said previously, Boston deserved to win after that come from behind victory in Game 4. I was glad for Doc Rivers, who is such a classy guy ... Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and for KG.

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24. 65

    WeddingConsultantposted 15 years ago

    I agree IMHustle, most of the Celtic players and coaches seemed to stand-up kinda guys.  Very happy to have seen them win.
    
    Oh and I was very happy to see the blowout score!  I can't remember a time I was happier watching a basketball game! haha

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    1. 59

       GreatGojiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Yeah!... It was a very sweet victory, I really was hoping for boston to eat them alive... No offense really, I'm just kinda mad having heard some of my friends say that Kobe is better than MJ.. Anyways, I think that taught them a lesson to do more hustle. I can't help it but be cheerful that Boston is the champion... By the way, did any of you guys bet on celtics or lakers? How much did you win?... lol

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25. 73

    thranaxposted 15 years ago

    Celtics stay FTW

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26. 59

    Junksterposted 15 years ago

    Wow I watched the game last night and my god how the Lakers rolled over and died!
    
    You could tell in the second quarter that they were dead on their feet, my father pointed out that all Pau Gasol is good for is a left hand sky hook in the paint and he has zero other skills/moves!
    
    I got the feeling from the interviews that Phil Jackson did during the game and the reporting from timeouts that he thought the team wasn't playing well together, that sounded just like "We'll wait for Kobe to take us back to within 5 and then I'll do some coaching"
    
    Certainly a disgraceful game for him and Kobe alike.  Any chance of being compared to MJ went out the window with this series complete, MJ would never allow a team to lose a 24+ point lead to end up losing and any player like him or Kobe who sits back and watches his team bomb out of the playoffs like that
    
    The positives were that at least some of the less utilised bench players got to show their worth ion the third and fourth Big Baby Davis I've never seen him play so well, definately someone to watch next year, as well as Tony Allen (reverse alley-oop was a direct insult to the Lakers )
    
    I'm glad that players like Garnett, Pierce and Allen have finally got what they worked so hard for, especially Pierce and Doc Rivers both having calls for them to leave over the years but they stuck at it and so did the fans.  Cut them open and they bleed celtic green.
    
    I was extra happy for PJ Brown, to come out of semi-retirement and get your finals ring finally must've been extra sweet and he totally deserved it with the extra effort he's made during the playoffs he really stepped up to the plate.
    
    Overall the best *team* won and I couldn't have planned it better!

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27. 73

    thranaxposted 15 years ago

    Anyone go to the Celtic's parade? I just watched it on tv because I was busy, it was awesome
    
    Celtic's Ftw

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28. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    Believe it or not, the gods just weren't working for me this week. We moved out of a winter rental on the ocean last weekend, and a move that should have taken about 2 days tops took four days. Then there were endless technical glitches in the new house. We didn't have Internet access until today, it took several days to get cable working, and we've already met plumbers and electricians trying to solve a problem with the pump that gives us whatever water pressure we get.
    
    As a result, I actually missed the last two games of the finals, though I did find out that they won by listening to WBZ radio in Boston. Didn't get to see the parade, and I just found out the score of game 6. Sounds to me like all the Lakers were off that night, though I'm not surprised. No one was going to stop the Celtics in Boston.

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29. 59

    Junksterposted 15 years ago

    It was a total demolition of a game!  Lakers just seemed to be a bunch of lost players on their own.  Phil Jackson even said so, the way he was talking implied he was waiting for Kobe to dig them out of that hole.  The fourth quarter was a showcase for the lesser used bench players and they sure did put on a show!

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30. 67

    crashcromwellposted 15 years ago

    It certainly sounded like a demolition.
    
    It's ironic to me that at the beginning of the season, I was jazzed about the C's chances, the Red Sox wound up winning the world series, and the team that seemed most likely to win it all - the Pats - wound up losing. Go figure. Still, it's a great time to be a sports fan in New England, and it's been a looooooooong wait!

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       thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       So true, So true

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31. 59

    Junksterposted 15 years ago

    If it helps check this site out: http://www.hd-t.org
    
    I don't know about the legalities of mentioning such a site but that's how I managed to watch the games over here in the UK. 
    
    If you've missed any then check it out
    and sorry if I'm advocating anything illegal

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       thranaxposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Great idea, thanks for link (even if you are advocating something illegal).

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