Basketball season is over, and as I told my significant other, "Thanks to Ron Artest, Sasha Vujicic, and Danny Crawford, you can have your boyfriend back now."
I've been neglecting this web space and I apologize. It was part denial, two parts depression; a cocktail of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol; a frozen blend of Kendrick Perkins' knee, Kevin Garnett's lost step, and 5 out of 7 Ray Allen's that kept me away. But now I'm back, and here are my best and worst memories from this year's version of the NBA Finals.
Game 1: The Celtics had no idea what to do about the Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. The pair combined for 53 of the Lakers 102 points and 21 of the teams 42 rebounds. The Celtics didn't have their edge and tenacity on defense. I was worried after this game because the Lakers looked like they simply wanted it more.
Game 2: The Ray Allen/Rajon Rondo game. Ray Ray came out of the gate absolutely scorching hot, beating a few NBA records for 3's in a Finals half and game. Rondo helped the Celtics push past the Lakers with an aggressive 2nd half, picking up the slack from the rest of the team. The officials tried really hard to give this one to the Lakers, as they took 41 free throws to Boston's 26. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum alone took 25, one less than the entire Celtics team. But alas, the series goes on.
Game 3: After the short break from Sunday to Tuesday and traveling from LA to Boston, the Lakers took this one to win home court advantage back. This was a tough loss because the Celtics lost this game more than the Lakers won it. Kobe had 29 pts, but shot an abysmal 34% from the field, going 1-7 from 3. But the Lakers won all of the 50/50 plays and the hustle points. Kevin Garnett finally showed up in the NBA Finals but didn't have enough support from his teammates. Oh yeah, and after being a one-man highlight, Ray Allen went 0-13. The Celtics lost by 7.
Game 4: The first of two "must wins" for Boston, and it came from the Celtics bench.While the starters contributed to a team-effort that led to victory, the spark came from Glen Davis and Nate Robinson, the duo now affectionately known as "Shrek and the Donkey." I was still worried after this one, because Gasol and Bryant scored a combined 54 points (of the Lakers 89). In other words, the rest of the Lakers didn't show up, and that might have more to do with the Boston victory that the Celtics would have liked to admit.
Game 5: This was Kobe's statement game... except he ran out of gas. At one point he made 23 straight Laker points. There were full stretches where no Laker touched the ball except for Kobe. He took over the 3rd quarter in such a way that at one point I tweeted, "Kobe Bryant is absolutely terrifying right now." But it wasn't enough. The Celtics shot well top to bottom, and it was the starters' turn to take over. Dominant performances from the Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo helped the C's take this one. PS - Ray Allen hasn't hit a three since Game 2 of this series.
Game 6: Celtics fans had to brace for a loss, but hope for a win going back to LA. What they got was absolutely shoddy, embarrassing play from what was supposed to be one of the top two teams in the NBA. The C's only scored 69 points in this game. That's only 15 more than what Kobe/Gasol scored by themselves in Game 4. There's not much else to say about this one than, if there was one way I didn't want to lose this game, it was like this. I was going into Game 7 without any idea what to expect from this series.
Game 7: This could have been one of the most titanic and epic Game 7's ever. The stage was set for an incredible ending to a Finals that had some interesting stories but no truly magical moments except for Kobe's eruption in Game 5 and Ray Allen's shooting in Game 2. What happened was quite the let down, and not only because the Celtics lost. Both teams played sloppy, inconsistent basketball for a majority of the game. The defense was pretty good on both sides, but the Lakers shot 32.5% from the floor (Kobe: 6-24, 25%). The Celtics were out-rebounded 53-40 (offensive rebounds 23-8!!!). That was the Celtics' game to lose and they did a handy job at it in the end. Of course, we won't mention that the Lakers took 37 free throws to Boston's 17, but we will mention that LA shot 67.6% from the charity stripe and that's another reason this game was close. Boston's bench failed to show up at the Staples Center last Thursday, contributing only 6 points, all from Big Baby.
The suprise of the series, of course was who actually made the difference for the Lakers in the end: Ron Artest (20pts, 5 reb, 5 stl, 1 "there's no way Ron Ron hits this of all 3's" shot). Without Artest in this game, the Celtics were bringing Banner 18 back to Beantown. Pau Gasol had a great game as well, with 19pts and 18reb (5 of which happened on one play in the 1st quarter).
So now I will be treated to watching "Hey Lakers' fans, your team just won..." commercials for another year. The Lakers will be on the SportsCenter intro montage for one more year. But at least we're one step closer to deciding that Kobe is better than Lebron... right?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
It's Finally Here
The World Cup is one of the most exciting, moving, inspirational, and downright awesome sporting events. The Olympics are awesome, don't get me wrong, but I like the World Cup more. I know there are less countries, I know it's only one sport. But it's the World's most popular sport, and the stories from this uniting event are incredible in their own right, on and off the field.
South Africa is the first African nation to host a World Cup - in and of itself a historic event. We've all seen the commercials about the African prisoners that clung to the game of soccer to give them hope in prison camps of despair. This game meant everything to them. Of course, it is just a game, but when the World Cup comes around it means so much more.
The World Cup is the most peaceful kind of war that man can wage. There are rivalries and bitter histories, upstart newcomers and established giants. And we, the fans, get to watch the story unfold before our very eyes.
I won't bore you with a group by group breakdown of the 1st stage. Go to ESPN if you want to learn about who is going to advance. I'll tell you now that projections mean nothing in the World Cup. Playing for one's country can motivate the deepest passion and flame in any athlete, bringing out the absolute best in them. I will regale you with my fondest and most painful memories. I was about to turn 7 years old in 1994 when the World Cup was played here in the United States. I played soccer for my school at the time, and my favorite player was Romario. He was the best striker on a loaded Brazil squad that powered its way to the Finals against powerhouse Italy, led by 1993 FIFA Player of the Year, Roberto Baggio. What followed was one of the most intense, physical, and remarkable soccer matches I have ever seen. The final score was 0-0.
People who don't understand or appreciate soccer hate that. Sports are about scoring points! No, not soccer. Of course, you have to score goals to win games, and the most exciting part of the game is scoring goals, but soccer is an art form; the whole game makes up the painting, and the goals are the most important brush strokes. In 1994, Roberto Baggio's foot held the brush at the end of regulation to win the World Cup for the Azzuri. I'll never forget that penalty kick.
In 1998, I was in Brazil with my family when the Seleçao played against France in France and lost 3-0. I don't think I ate for 2 days, left my house for 4, or was able to talk about it for at least 2 months. France had to have cheated. In fact, a small (i.e. decent) part of me still believes they did. Ronaldo woke up with a siezure, foaming at the mouth on the day of the Final. The French found out where the Brazilians were staying and rioted at their hotel all night. Forget it, I can't even talk about this anymore.
In 2002, I watched every World Cup game with a bunch (read: 50) of Brazilians at a family friend's house. The World Cup being in Korea, all of the games were between 3AM-5AM, and we didn't care. Led by a dazzling array of stars, including established footballer Ronaldo and young Ronaldinho yet to be become 3-time FIFA Player of the Year, the Brazilian squad stormed through the Copa, beating the "invincible" Oliver Kahn, German keeper, in the Final, 2-0.
Highlight from this World Cup: "unproven" Ronaldinho, who took the roster spot of established Brazilian soccer giant Romario on the roster, assured the country and the world he was here to stay with a gem of a free kick against England.
Every four years, we are guaranteed to experience something incredible. There is something special about the best 32 teams in the world getting together to play a game. This World Cup is chock full of great players and stories to be had, and I will be sure to follow them all. This only happens once every four years, so you better believe there's more where this came from. It begins today.
Joga bonito.
South Africa is the first African nation to host a World Cup - in and of itself a historic event. We've all seen the commercials about the African prisoners that clung to the game of soccer to give them hope in prison camps of despair. This game meant everything to them. Of course, it is just a game, but when the World Cup comes around it means so much more.
The World Cup is the most peaceful kind of war that man can wage. There are rivalries and bitter histories, upstart newcomers and established giants. And we, the fans, get to watch the story unfold before our very eyes.
I won't bore you with a group by group breakdown of the 1st stage. Go to ESPN if you want to learn about who is going to advance. I'll tell you now that projections mean nothing in the World Cup. Playing for one's country can motivate the deepest passion and flame in any athlete, bringing out the absolute best in them. I will regale you with my fondest and most painful memories. I was about to turn 7 years old in 1994 when the World Cup was played here in the United States. I played soccer for my school at the time, and my favorite player was Romario. He was the best striker on a loaded Brazil squad that powered its way to the Finals against powerhouse Italy, led by 1993 FIFA Player of the Year, Roberto Baggio. What followed was one of the most intense, physical, and remarkable soccer matches I have ever seen. The final score was 0-0.
People who don't understand or appreciate soccer hate that. Sports are about scoring points! No, not soccer. Of course, you have to score goals to win games, and the most exciting part of the game is scoring goals, but soccer is an art form; the whole game makes up the painting, and the goals are the most important brush strokes. In 1994, Roberto Baggio's foot held the brush at the end of regulation to win the World Cup for the Azzuri. I'll never forget that penalty kick.
In 1998, I was in Brazil with my family when the Seleçao played against France in France and lost 3-0. I don't think I ate for 2 days, left my house for 4, or was able to talk about it for at least 2 months. France had to have cheated. In fact, a small (i.e. decent) part of me still believes they did. Ronaldo woke up with a siezure, foaming at the mouth on the day of the Final. The French found out where the Brazilians were staying and rioted at their hotel all night. Forget it, I can't even talk about this anymore.
In 2002, I watched every World Cup game with a bunch (read: 50) of Brazilians at a family friend's house. The World Cup being in Korea, all of the games were between 3AM-5AM, and we didn't care. Led by a dazzling array of stars, including established footballer Ronaldo and young Ronaldinho yet to be become 3-time FIFA Player of the Year, the Brazilian squad stormed through the Copa, beating the "invincible" Oliver Kahn, German keeper, in the Final, 2-0.
Highlight from this World Cup: "unproven" Ronaldinho, who took the roster spot of established Brazilian soccer giant Romario on the roster, assured the country and the world he was here to stay with a gem of a free kick against England.
Every four years, we are guaranteed to experience something incredible. There is something special about the best 32 teams in the world getting together to play a game. This World Cup is chock full of great players and stories to be had, and I will be sure to follow them all. This only happens once every four years, so you better believe there's more where this came from. It begins today.
Joga bonito.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
There Goes My Hero
On my birthday in 1999, I received two gifts that changed my life forever. The first was the "Californication" - Red Hot Chili Peppers album. The second was Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest for Nintendo 64. The only game that I logged more hours with were The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Tennis, and GoldenEye 007. Californication is still in my 6-disc CD changer in my car.
Ken Griffey Jr. was and is my favorite baseball player. His first major league game was April 3, 1989. I wasn't even 2 years old. His first Major League home run came just seven days later on April 10, also the first time the Seattle Mariners won a game with Griffey on the field.
My first baseball memory is a hazy, unclear shot of a tiny television showing the Cincinnati Reds winning the World Series in 1990. My next memory is of Joe Carter crushing a 2-2 pitch from Mitch Williams way over the left field wall in Toronto to win the World Series in 1993. The only other thing I remember about the 1993 MLB season was constant coverage of this 5th year center fielder in Seattle everyone kept calling "Junior" or "the Kid."
By all accounts, 1993 was Griffey's breakout year. He blasted 45 home runs, 1 shy of the leaders in both American and National Leagues (Juan Gonzalez, TEX; Barry Bonds, SF; 46 home runs each). He played for his 4th straight (out of a total 13, 11 straight) All-Star team, won his 4th Gold Glove award and won his second Silver Slugger award. Griffey was the complete player.
He then rattled off consecutive seasons of 40, 49, 56, 56, 48, and 40 home runs; four of those season were AL-HR leading seasons (and 1995 doesn't count). That last season, my dream came true. After the 1999 season, the Cincinnati Reds acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and I immediately started begging for season tickets. He had the most beautiful swing in baseball, you'll never convince me otherwise. A Griffey home run was a piece of art.
One day during high school, I was driving in downtown Cincinnati near the ballpark with two friends. We were stopped at a red light, and a gleaming silver Dodge Viper pulled up next to us. In the driver's seat, wearing a white t-shirt, sunglasses, and a backwards fitted Reds cap was Ken Griffey Jr. We froze. The light went green, and he took off, leaving us looking at his license plate: "GRIFFEY."
He will always be remembered as the guy who produced on both sides of the ball, playing rock-solid defense and crushing home runs for so many years. I repeat, in case you haven't noticed, Junior was and is my favorite baseball player of all time. In an era that featured wide-spread scandal and rampant use of steroids, there was never a question about Griffey's integrity. He will always be "the guy who did it right."
Injuries and age set him back late in his career, but he was still great to watch. In the summer of 2008, I took my girlfriend (a Yankees fan - I know, don't get me started) to a game during the last year of the old Yankees Stadium. Luckily for me, the AL East was playing the NL Central that year in inter-league play. Reds-Yankees in NYC on June 21, 2008 - the last time I saw Ken Griffey Jr. play live. He went 2 for 4 in a Reds shutout of the Yanks, 6-0.
I will always remember playing backyard baseball and pretending to be Griffey, trying to get my swing just right; I will always remember watching him hit his 500th and 600th home runs; and I will always remember almost choking up the day he retired.
Ken Griffey Jr., thanks for the memories.
Ken Griffey Jr. was and is my favorite baseball player. His first major league game was April 3, 1989. I wasn't even 2 years old. His first Major League home run came just seven days later on April 10, also the first time the Seattle Mariners won a game with Griffey on the field.
My first baseball memory is a hazy, unclear shot of a tiny television showing the Cincinnati Reds winning the World Series in 1990. My next memory is of Joe Carter crushing a 2-2 pitch from Mitch Williams way over the left field wall in Toronto to win the World Series in 1993. The only other thing I remember about the 1993 MLB season was constant coverage of this 5th year center fielder in Seattle everyone kept calling "Junior" or "the Kid."
By all accounts, 1993 was Griffey's breakout year. He blasted 45 home runs, 1 shy of the leaders in both American and National Leagues (Juan Gonzalez, TEX; Barry Bonds, SF; 46 home runs each). He played for his 4th straight (out of a total 13, 11 straight) All-Star team, won his 4th Gold Glove award and won his second Silver Slugger award. Griffey was the complete player.
He then rattled off consecutive seasons of 40, 49, 56, 56, 48, and 40 home runs; four of those season were AL-HR leading seasons (and 1995 doesn't count). That last season, my dream came true. After the 1999 season, the Cincinnati Reds acquired Ken Griffey Jr. and I immediately started begging for season tickets. He had the most beautiful swing in baseball, you'll never convince me otherwise. A Griffey home run was a piece of art.
One day during high school, I was driving in downtown Cincinnati near the ballpark with two friends. We were stopped at a red light, and a gleaming silver Dodge Viper pulled up next to us. In the driver's seat, wearing a white t-shirt, sunglasses, and a backwards fitted Reds cap was Ken Griffey Jr. We froze. The light went green, and he took off, leaving us looking at his license plate: "GRIFFEY."
He will always be remembered as the guy who produced on both sides of the ball, playing rock-solid defense and crushing home runs for so many years. I repeat, in case you haven't noticed, Junior was and is my favorite baseball player of all time. In an era that featured wide-spread scandal and rampant use of steroids, there was never a question about Griffey's integrity. He will always be "the guy who did it right."
Injuries and age set him back late in his career, but he was still great to watch. In the summer of 2008, I took my girlfriend (a Yankees fan - I know, don't get me started) to a game during the last year of the old Yankees Stadium. Luckily for me, the AL East was playing the NL Central that year in inter-league play. Reds-Yankees in NYC on June 21, 2008 - the last time I saw Ken Griffey Jr. play live. He went 2 for 4 in a Reds shutout of the Yanks, 6-0.
I will always remember playing backyard baseball and pretending to be Griffey, trying to get my swing just right; I will always remember watching him hit his 500th and 600th home runs; and I will always remember almost choking up the day he retired.
Ken Griffey Jr., thanks for the memories.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Lakers/Celtics NBA Finals Preview
First of all, as I tweeted earlier, I haven't read Bill Simmons' NBA finals column yet so as to not cloud my judgment. Where to begin? The most storied rivalry in the NBA history is adding another chapter beginning tonight. The Celtics and Lakers are the two most recent NBA Champions, but the Celtics defeated the Lakers in 2008 in rare form. The Lakers clearly have a chip on their shoulder. Even Ron Artest is upset about 2008 and he wasn't even on the team at the time. Whoa.
The regular season matchups between these two teams could not have been closer either. In the first game on January 31st, the Lakers took the win in Boston 90-89 on a Kobe Bryant jump-shot with 8 seconds left, completely blanketed by Ray Allen. The second matchup was won by Boston in Los Angeles: the final score? 87-86. Ray Allen had a game high 24pts and led the C's to victory on the road. So if they played 8 straight quarters, the score would be 176-176? This is going to be a great series.
Let's look at some of the matchups.
PG: Derek Fisher looked like a dead fish for most of the regular season, but has come on strong in the playoffs, helping the Lakers win a crucial Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals with 22pts. His counterpart on the Celtics would be the runaway favorite for a "Most Improved Player Since the Last Time We Were in the Finals" Award, Rajon Rondo. Rondo put the Celtics on his (young) back in the Cavs series after a soul-crushing defeat at home in Game 3 with an incredible performance (29pts, 18 reb, 13 ast). Can Fisher guard Rondo? Short answer: no. The Lakers will probably put Kobe on Rondo, which leads us to...
SG: Kobe Bryant is clearly the best player on the court, if not in all of the NBA right now. If you watched Game 6 of the W. Conference Finals, you know what I'm talking about. A 37pt performance that demonstrated some of the best "I Don't Care How Well You Defend Me, I'm Kobe Bryant and I'm Going to Make This Shot" faces I've seen in a while. However, as noted above, the Lakers may try stopping Rondo with Kobe, so that leaves... Derek Fisher on Ray Allen? Allen never stops moving: behind the basket, coming off screens, zig-zagging across the paint, etc. Derek Fisher can't keep up, and look-out if Ray-Ray gets a one step lead off the screen; Derek Fisher isn't tall enough to guard that lightning-fast release.
SF: Possibly the most intruiging matchup of the Finals, Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest. Before the Lakers/C's game even started back at the end of January, Artest and Pierce were jostling and shoving each other. My sincere hope is that the refs don't call this one tightly, because these two should be allowed to play. In the two regular season games, Artest and Pierce had a total of 26pts each; Pierce, 9reb, Artest 8reb; Pierce, 40% from the field, Artest, 38%. However, against each other, Pierce shot 36% from 3pt land, while Artest only managed 22%. For the C's to win, Pierce has to be able to get open looks and score points as well as play Artest tight and force contested shots.
PF/C: The Kevin Garnett/Pau Gasol matchup is almost as interesting as the one above, apart from my lingering nervousness about two things: Gasol got better, KG's knees got worse. The one silver lining is that Garnett still gets into people's heads, see exhibit A: Rashard Lewis, PF, Orlando Magic. Gasol seems to get flustered easily, and it negatively impacts his play, more so than any other player on either of these rosters (Perkins doesn't count because for all we know he may not be playing one of the games this series). The Andrew Bynum issue is of course a big one. He is limited by injury, and there is no real way of knowing what he will and won't be able to do.
Also of note, Doc Rivers may go with Garnett on Odom and put Perkins, one of the best post-defenders in the league, on Gasol. Odom is an interesting player because he a staple Lakers big man, but he can spread the floor with his shooting. Perkins is walking on thin ice with the technical fouls and he's going to have to play it safe. The Celtics win and lose on the strength of their defense, and he is an integral part of that.
Bench: Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen have all at some point this postseason stepped up and given the Celtics the spark they needed to win a game/series. The Lakers bench claim to fame is Sasha Vujicic coming into games in the Suns series with the express purpose of heckling and distracting fellow countryman Goran Dragic; it's sad, but it worked. But it's the NBA Finals, there's no real telling what's going to happen. As a Celtics fan, I have to put an incredible amount of faith in our bench - they've helped us get to where we are and must continue to play at a high level for the Celtics to win the title.
If you had told me a month and a half ago that the Boston Celtics were going to be in the NBA Finals, I would have laughed in your face. But here they are, playing team basketball and the best defense they've played since the beginning of the year. That's the bread and butter of this team. The Lakers are riding the Kobe Bryant train, of course, but this time, Gasol, Artest, and Fisher are playing at a high level as well. This is going to be a great series, and I don't intend to miss a minute of it.
Game 1 starts tonight at 9PM. Get your popcorn ready.
The regular season matchups between these two teams could not have been closer either. In the first game on January 31st, the Lakers took the win in Boston 90-89 on a Kobe Bryant jump-shot with 8 seconds left, completely blanketed by Ray Allen. The second matchup was won by Boston in Los Angeles: the final score? 87-86. Ray Allen had a game high 24pts and led the C's to victory on the road. So if they played 8 straight quarters, the score would be 176-176? This is going to be a great series.
Let's look at some of the matchups.
PG: Derek Fisher looked like a dead fish for most of the regular season, but has come on strong in the playoffs, helping the Lakers win a crucial Game 5 in the Western Conference Finals with 22pts. His counterpart on the Celtics would be the runaway favorite for a "Most Improved Player Since the Last Time We Were in the Finals" Award, Rajon Rondo. Rondo put the Celtics on his (young) back in the Cavs series after a soul-crushing defeat at home in Game 3 with an incredible performance (29pts, 18 reb, 13 ast). Can Fisher guard Rondo? Short answer: no. The Lakers will probably put Kobe on Rondo, which leads us to...
SG: Kobe Bryant is clearly the best player on the court, if not in all of the NBA right now. If you watched Game 6 of the W. Conference Finals, you know what I'm talking about. A 37pt performance that demonstrated some of the best "I Don't Care How Well You Defend Me, I'm Kobe Bryant and I'm Going to Make This Shot" faces I've seen in a while. However, as noted above, the Lakers may try stopping Rondo with Kobe, so that leaves... Derek Fisher on Ray Allen? Allen never stops moving: behind the basket, coming off screens, zig-zagging across the paint, etc. Derek Fisher can't keep up, and look-out if Ray-Ray gets a one step lead off the screen; Derek Fisher isn't tall enough to guard that lightning-fast release.
SF: Possibly the most intruiging matchup of the Finals, Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest. Before the Lakers/C's game even started back at the end of January, Artest and Pierce were jostling and shoving each other. My sincere hope is that the refs don't call this one tightly, because these two should be allowed to play. In the two regular season games, Artest and Pierce had a total of 26pts each; Pierce, 9reb, Artest 8reb; Pierce, 40% from the field, Artest, 38%. However, against each other, Pierce shot 36% from 3pt land, while Artest only managed 22%. For the C's to win, Pierce has to be able to get open looks and score points as well as play Artest tight and force contested shots.
PF/C: The Kevin Garnett/Pau Gasol matchup is almost as interesting as the one above, apart from my lingering nervousness about two things: Gasol got better, KG's knees got worse. The one silver lining is that Garnett still gets into people's heads, see exhibit A: Rashard Lewis, PF, Orlando Magic. Gasol seems to get flustered easily, and it negatively impacts his play, more so than any other player on either of these rosters (Perkins doesn't count because for all we know he may not be playing one of the games this series). The Andrew Bynum issue is of course a big one. He is limited by injury, and there is no real way of knowing what he will and won't be able to do.
Also of note, Doc Rivers may go with Garnett on Odom and put Perkins, one of the best post-defenders in the league, on Gasol. Odom is an interesting player because he a staple Lakers big man, but he can spread the floor with his shooting. Perkins is walking on thin ice with the technical fouls and he's going to have to play it safe. The Celtics win and lose on the strength of their defense, and he is an integral part of that.
Bench: Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen have all at some point this postseason stepped up and given the Celtics the spark they needed to win a game/series. The Lakers bench claim to fame is Sasha Vujicic coming into games in the Suns series with the express purpose of heckling and distracting fellow countryman Goran Dragic; it's sad, but it worked. But it's the NBA Finals, there's no real telling what's going to happen. As a Celtics fan, I have to put an incredible amount of faith in our bench - they've helped us get to where we are and must continue to play at a high level for the Celtics to win the title.
If you had told me a month and a half ago that the Boston Celtics were going to be in the NBA Finals, I would have laughed in your face. But here they are, playing team basketball and the best defense they've played since the beginning of the year. That's the bread and butter of this team. The Lakers are riding the Kobe Bryant train, of course, but this time, Gasol, Artest, and Fisher are playing at a high level as well. This is going to be a great series, and I don't intend to miss a minute of it.
Game 1 starts tonight at 9PM. Get your popcorn ready.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Rivalry Renewed
Watching Game 5 of the Celtics/Magic series at home with my roommate was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. I haven't seen such miserable and one-sided officiating in quite a while. A loyal reader and friend called me "Boston's Spike Lee sans court-side seats." Ugh, what I would do with court-side seats. Just so I can get it out there: the fact that both of the technical fouls on Kendrick Perkins were not rescinded is patently absurd. The video footage is beyond clear. Does anything happen to the refs when they screw up that badly?
I struggled on StubHub for over an hour before buying tickets to Game 6. I walked towards the Garden last Friday evening half-full of hope. After being up 3-0 on the verge of a sweep they had suffered an overtime loss and a "Game That Shall Not Be Named." The Celtics had responded well to one devastating loss already (Game 3, Cavs series) but could they do it again?
From the opening tip, the Celtics played their brand of basketball - team basketball. Paul Pierce stepped into the driver seat early and ended the night with 4-5 3pt shooting and a team best 31 pts/13 reb. Ray Allen did his fair share with 20 pts. Both teams shot 27 free throws, but Boston hit 81.5% of them, Orlando: only 59.3%. The Celtics held the lead all the way to the final buzzer, 96-84, and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years.
And after a decisive Game 6 win in Phoenix ("Black Mamba" Kobe made an incredible appearance - Kobe was hitting deep jumpers while being guarded tighter than Fort Knox; do yourself a favor and watch the replays), the Lakers are returning for another installment in an epic and storied rivalry.
Both teams have changed, though there's a chip on the Lakers shoulder to be sure. Over the last two years, Rajon Rondo has stepped into a leadership role on the team, truly maturing and becoming the future of the Boston Celtics. Over those same two years, Kobe Bryant proved that he didn't need Shaq after all and won his 4th NBA title, looking more and more like the less-selfish leader we all wanted him to be.
The matchups coming up this Thursday will certainly be intriguing. Does Ray or Pierce guard Kobe? How do the Celtics handle the new and improved Pau Gasol? Can Derek Fisher keep up with Rajon Rondo? Which teams' bench will step up to the occasion? Who will be the MVP? There will only be one way to find out the answers and that will be to watch every minute of this year's version of the NBA Finals. I cannot wait.
PS - Go Celtics.
I struggled on StubHub for over an hour before buying tickets to Game 6. I walked towards the Garden last Friday evening half-full of hope. After being up 3-0 on the verge of a sweep they had suffered an overtime loss and a "Game That Shall Not Be Named." The Celtics had responded well to one devastating loss already (Game 3, Cavs series) but could they do it again?
From the opening tip, the Celtics played their brand of basketball - team basketball. Paul Pierce stepped into the driver seat early and ended the night with 4-5 3pt shooting and a team best 31 pts/13 reb. Ray Allen did his fair share with 20 pts. Both teams shot 27 free throws, but Boston hit 81.5% of them, Orlando: only 59.3%. The Celtics held the lead all the way to the final buzzer, 96-84, and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years.
And after a decisive Game 6 win in Phoenix ("Black Mamba" Kobe made an incredible appearance - Kobe was hitting deep jumpers while being guarded tighter than Fort Knox; do yourself a favor and watch the replays), the Lakers are returning for another installment in an epic and storied rivalry.
Both teams have changed, though there's a chip on the Lakers shoulder to be sure. Over the last two years, Rajon Rondo has stepped into a leadership role on the team, truly maturing and becoming the future of the Boston Celtics. Over those same two years, Kobe Bryant proved that he didn't need Shaq after all and won his 4th NBA title, looking more and more like the less-selfish leader we all wanted him to be.
The matchups coming up this Thursday will certainly be intriguing. Does Ray or Pierce guard Kobe? How do the Celtics handle the new and improved Pau Gasol? Can Derek Fisher keep up with Rajon Rondo? Which teams' bench will step up to the occasion? Who will be the MVP? There will only be one way to find out the answers and that will be to watch every minute of this year's version of the NBA Finals. I cannot wait.
PS - Go Celtics.
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Tale of Two Teams
After the Boston Celtics were brought back from the dead by the Playoffs (or by Quentin Richardson, depending on who you ask), they routed the Miami Heat save for one eviscerating Dwayne Wade performance. And after suffering one of the most embarrassing home losses in the history of the NBA, the team rediscovered their identity (i.e. D-FENCE) and dethroned King James in what was supposed to be his magical year.
But now the true test was supposed to come. A strong Orlando Magic team that was cutting through playoff teams like Poland in 1939 was the next challenge for what so many commentators, announcers, players, coaches, and I labeled an “old, washed up” Celtics team. The Magic had convincingly beaten the Charlotte Bobcats and absolutely crushed the Atlanta Hawks. How would the Celtics fare?
In Game 1, the Boston Celtics stifled a rusty Orlando offense that perhaps had too many days off. Many seemed to forget that the Dwight Howard’s biggest nemesis was Kendrick Perkins, and the Celtics contained him well. Neither team played well. After stealing home court advantage back from the Magic, the C’s came back for Game 2 hungry for more.
In a tougher contest that came down to a missed Jameer Nelson last-second shot, the Celtics outlasted a late 4th quarter surge from the Magic that had me more nervous than a 7th grader with his first slow dance.
Game changer: on one end of the floor, Paul Pierce hits two free throws with confidence. On the other end of the floor, same situation Vince Carter bricks not one, but two free throws. Vince Carter! I’m sorry, but your legacy has been forever cemented. We will talk about this game as the Vince Carter free throws game from now on.
But none of this matters if the Magic were able to rebound, like the Celtics had, from these losses; if they were able to focus on their strengths and play around their weaknesses; if they were able to beat Boston in Game 3 at the Garden.
What happened on Saturday night at the TD Garden in Boston, MA was nothing short of a massacre, annihilation. The Boston Celtics put on a 48-minute clinic. My buddy Max described it as “the best display of team basketball [he had] ever seen.” I was inclined to agree. The C’s leading scorer was Glen Davis with 17 pts. Rondo was outstanding; Ray Allen found some rhythm,; Pierce and Garnett were great on both sides of the floor; stifling defense and relentless offense ran the Orlando Magic right out of the Garden. With 15 points in the 1st quarter and 13 in the 3rd, the Magic didn’t stand a chance. Dwight Howard was nowhere to be found.
But what was even more astounding than the Celtics relentless play was the seeming indifference of the Orlando Magic. So many plays lacked urgency – wake up, Dwight: it’s the Eastern Conference Finals and all 6’1” of Rajon Rondo is beating you to a loose ball rebound. After a while it seemed that it was beyond a lack of urgency – it had escalated to apathy if not full-blown laziness. None of these are qualities you want to have down 2-0 on the road in the NBA.
Tonight is Game 4 in Boston with the Celtics up 3-0 in the series. Only time will tell what happens tonight, but one thing is for sure. The Magic didn’t make it easy on themselves. Oh wait, one more thing is for sure. There is nothing on this Earth that could prevent me from being in front of a television at 8:30PM EST tonight. Boston Celtics vs. the Orlando Magic.
Game time.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Collapse
As noted previously, I'm a recent convert to the world of hockey, but there are certain things you can appreciate whether you know who led the league in points in 1967 (Stan Mikita, Chicago Blackhawks), or if you're forced to watch hockey when you'd rather watch "Say Yes to the Dress," (two of my roommates): catastrophic collapse and failure.
When a person or team is so sure of victory, convinced that they will succeed, their supporters and fans become sure of it, convince themselves of that certainty. They look forward to the next round, the next match, the next challenge.
But sometimes they don't make it. It starts slowly with an innocent setback, a loss that has every fan say something along the lines of, "It's just one game, man. We've got this.," or "It's only the 3rd quarter - we'll come back strong."
And then there's another one. "We're still up, don't worry. We just have to win next time."
And another. "I can't believe this is Game 7. At least we're at home."
Then it happens one last time. "I cannot believe this is happening. This is actually happening."
The Boston Bruins last week joined a select rank of teams that managed to lose a 3-0 lead in a best of 7 series and fail to make it to the next round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That hurts enough, but it was the way they lost that hurt Bruins fans even more. At one point in the game, with a 3-0 lead in the 1st period, my roommate, Bruins fan, proudly announced, "This is what we needed - to come out strong and score some goals."
By the time the final horn sounded, the score was 4-3 Philadelphia, and the Flyers took the series, 4-3. A coworker of mine said on Tuesday, a full four days after the game, "It still hurts. I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like I've been stabbed." A Red Sox fan as well, he even went on to say, "So this is what Yankees fans felt like. This is awful." Whoa.
While the Bruins were by no means Stanley Cup favorites, by wrapping up the regular season on a good note and beating a strong Buffalo team in the first round, they gave their fans hope and confidence, a confidence that was then betrayed on that Friday night at the Garden.
Teams that suffer these setbacks are faced with the "How are they going to respond?" question. Some teams are able to rebound, maybe not in the next game, but next year (2008, 2009 LA Lakers), some teams are cast into a horrible downward spiral from which it seems they will never escape (Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns), and some teams don't count because of extenuating circumstances (2008 NE Patriots, Tom Brady's knee).
The impact on the fan is undeniable. I'm not allowed to say the words "Wide right" in front of my girlfriend, who is from Buffalo (or "No goal" for that matter). I'm not allowed to talk about Aaron Boone in front of my roommate (which is fine because I can't stand him anyway). And I guarantee you no Lakers fan wants to talk about Game 4, 2008. One of Boston's sports radio stations, WEEI, labeled this "the worst loss in Bruins history." We will have to see how the team, the fans, and the city respond next year.
When a person or team is so sure of victory, convinced that they will succeed, their supporters and fans become sure of it, convince themselves of that certainty. They look forward to the next round, the next match, the next challenge.
But sometimes they don't make it. It starts slowly with an innocent setback, a loss that has every fan say something along the lines of, "It's just one game, man. We've got this.," or "It's only the 3rd quarter - we'll come back strong."
And then there's another one. "We're still up, don't worry. We just have to win next time."
And another. "I can't believe this is Game 7. At least we're at home."
Then it happens one last time. "I cannot believe this is happening. This is actually happening."
The Boston Bruins last week joined a select rank of teams that managed to lose a 3-0 lead in a best of 7 series and fail to make it to the next round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That hurts enough, but it was the way they lost that hurt Bruins fans even more. At one point in the game, with a 3-0 lead in the 1st period, my roommate, Bruins fan, proudly announced, "This is what we needed - to come out strong and score some goals."By the time the final horn sounded, the score was 4-3 Philadelphia, and the Flyers took the series, 4-3. A coworker of mine said on Tuesday, a full four days after the game, "It still hurts. I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like I've been stabbed." A Red Sox fan as well, he even went on to say, "So this is what Yankees fans felt like. This is awful." Whoa.
While the Bruins were by no means Stanley Cup favorites, by wrapping up the regular season on a good note and beating a strong Buffalo team in the first round, they gave their fans hope and confidence, a confidence that was then betrayed on that Friday night at the Garden.
Teams that suffer these setbacks are faced with the "How are they going to respond?" question. Some teams are able to rebound, maybe not in the next game, but next year (2008, 2009 LA Lakers), some teams are cast into a horrible downward spiral from which it seems they will never escape (Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns), and some teams don't count because of extenuating circumstances (2008 NE Patriots, Tom Brady's knee).
The impact on the fan is undeniable. I'm not allowed to say the words "Wide right" in front of my girlfriend, who is from Buffalo (or "No goal" for that matter). I'm not allowed to talk about Aaron Boone in front of my roommate (which is fine because I can't stand him anyway). And I guarantee you no Lakers fan wants to talk about Game 4, 2008. One of Boston's sports radio stations, WEEI, labeled this "the worst loss in Bruins history." We will have to see how the team, the fans, and the city respond next year.
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