Was he or wasn’t he fouled?
That’s big the question after a controversial finish to game three of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.
In what looked like a Laker drubbing as late as the fourth, the Spurs rallied late and very nearly sent the game into overtime.
A 7-0 run late in the fourth gave the Lakers an eight-point lead – after the Spurs blew two chances to tie the game at 81. After those misses, and that Laker run, the Spurs seemed toast. They called timeout, collected themselves and made a game of it.
It started quietly - Brent Barry hit a three, Tim Duncan made a layup; the lead was then six, with just over two minutes to play. Lamar Odom missed a free throw and Sasha Vijacic missed a jumper – but Parker hits a two.
The Spurs would hit two more shots and close the gap to two points – 93-91 - with 28 seconds left.
But they couldn’t get over the hump. The Lakers ran the clock down, and even with two misses in a row, they had cut the time to just under three seconds, making life difficult for the Spurs.
But it wasn’t over yet. Brent Barry found the ball in his hands some 27 feet found the basket and he let the potential game-winner go… and he missed.
And although he thought Derek Fisher fouled him – Fisher appeared to make contact as he went for a pump fake on TNT’s replay – there was no call, and that was the ballgame. Lakers win, 93-91.
It was a game that was tightly contested all night, even if the Spurs never led. The Lakers exploded out of the gate, leading by as many as 14 in the first quarter. But the Spurs hit back, going on a 15-6 run to cut the lead to five after the 12 minutes of play.
As the game neared halftime, the Spurs tied it up as 45 on a Duncan jumper, but couldn’t capitalize, and the half ended with a six point Laker lead. Once again, the Spurs rallied at the end of the third – but the Lakers held tough, and went into the fourth with a 77-70 lead.
Even though Kobe Bryant had a great game – 28 points, 10 rebounds – it was Pau Gasol that was the spark for the Lakers offense, which seems to work at it’s peak when it runs through him. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on the night.
But give the Spurs credit; they fought at the end, making the Lakers fight for their points.. Both Tim Duncan and Berry had monster nights, Duncan with 29 points, 9 of 11 from the charity stripe and 14 boards, while Barry exploded for 23 and 5. Of course, Duncan played monster time – 45 minutes
With this win, and the no-call, the Lakers take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. They go back to their home floor, where they haven’t lost a game in these playoffs. Come Friday, the Mamba could find himself in the NBA Finals, not a year after he wanted to be traded.
Sure, if the Spurs had gotten the call, this series would be taking radically different shape.
But that’s the breaks of the game.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Pistons tough out a win in Boston
Suddenly, it didn’t seem quite at all like it supposed to.
Under the cozy confines of the TD Banknorth Garden – the new Boston Garden – the Boston Celtics suddenly looked very much human on their home court.
They had not lost there all playoffs: four wins against Atlanta, four more against Cleveland and a win in the opening game of this series against the Pistons. They had not lost at home since March 24, nearly two months prior.
They had not allowed their opponents to score 100 plus on their floor all playoffs. They held Cleveland to an average of 81.5 points a game and Atlanta to just 77 points.
But on Thursday night at the Garden, the Pistons came away with a tough 103-97 win over the Celtics, despite the best efforts of Ray Allen.
In one of his best nights in recent memory, Allen found his stroke in the second half and led several Celtics rallies. In one inspired stretch, he hit a long three, then a 14-foot jumper – cutting the Pistons lead to two.
But as strong as Allen was, however, Rip Hamilton was just as clutch. Driving to the basket, Hamilton hit a one-handed floater as the shot clock expired, giving the Pistons a two-possession lead late in the fourth. Not a play that’s likely to be seen many highlight tapes, but it was a dagger to the Celtics defence, which couldn’t make stops when they had to.
But Allen was far from done. He hit a three with 10 seconds to play, cutting the lead to three. He would finish the night with 22 points, 12 of them in the fourth quarter, a huge increase from his nine points in game one.
It was far from just him, however. Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce would finish with more then 20 points. Rajon Rongo had a great – if quiet – night, scoring 10 with nine boards and eight assists.
But the Pistons managed to spread the ball around well – six players had 10 or more points. Rookie Rodney Stuckey had 13 points in just 16 minutes of play. Rasheed Wallace had 13 points and 10 boards. Hamilton led the team with 25 points.
It was their ball movement that helped to do in the Celtics. Their defence was hard-pressed at times to keep up the Pistons ball movement – and the Pistons took this for all they could.
After being down by two at the end of the first, the Pistons exploded in a 32 point second quarter and led by seven at the half.
In the third quarter, the Celtics rallied back and led by as many as four before the Pistons again went on a run and finished the quarter leading by nine.
Despite a late rally in the fourth, the Celtics couldn’t close the gap and found themselves on the losing side of the box score.
So now, for the first time, the Celtics are behind the eight ball. They cannot just rely on their home court advantage to win a series, like they did against Atlanta and Cleveland.
Instead, the Pistons won a hard-fought game on the road, and signaled this is not going to be an easy win for the Celtics.
And as the series shifts to the Palace, the advantage now lies with Detroit.
Under the cozy confines of the TD Banknorth Garden – the new Boston Garden – the Boston Celtics suddenly looked very much human on their home court.
They had not lost there all playoffs: four wins against Atlanta, four more against Cleveland and a win in the opening game of this series against the Pistons. They had not lost at home since March 24, nearly two months prior.
They had not allowed their opponents to score 100 plus on their floor all playoffs. They held Cleveland to an average of 81.5 points a game and Atlanta to just 77 points.
But on Thursday night at the Garden, the Pistons came away with a tough 103-97 win over the Celtics, despite the best efforts of Ray Allen.
In one of his best nights in recent memory, Allen found his stroke in the second half and led several Celtics rallies. In one inspired stretch, he hit a long three, then a 14-foot jumper – cutting the Pistons lead to two.
But as strong as Allen was, however, Rip Hamilton was just as clutch. Driving to the basket, Hamilton hit a one-handed floater as the shot clock expired, giving the Pistons a two-possession lead late in the fourth. Not a play that’s likely to be seen many highlight tapes, but it was a dagger to the Celtics defence, which couldn’t make stops when they had to.
But Allen was far from done. He hit a three with 10 seconds to play, cutting the lead to three. He would finish the night with 22 points, 12 of them in the fourth quarter, a huge increase from his nine points in game one.
It was far from just him, however. Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce would finish with more then 20 points. Rajon Rongo had a great – if quiet – night, scoring 10 with nine boards and eight assists.
But the Pistons managed to spread the ball around well – six players had 10 or more points. Rookie Rodney Stuckey had 13 points in just 16 minutes of play. Rasheed Wallace had 13 points and 10 boards. Hamilton led the team with 25 points.
It was their ball movement that helped to do in the Celtics. Their defence was hard-pressed at times to keep up the Pistons ball movement – and the Pistons took this for all they could.
After being down by two at the end of the first, the Pistons exploded in a 32 point second quarter and led by seven at the half.
In the third quarter, the Celtics rallied back and led by as many as four before the Pistons again went on a run and finished the quarter leading by nine.
Despite a late rally in the fourth, the Celtics couldn’t close the gap and found themselves on the losing side of the box score.
So now, for the first time, the Celtics are behind the eight ball. They cannot just rely on their home court advantage to win a series, like they did against Atlanta and Cleveland.
Instead, the Pistons won a hard-fought game on the road, and signaled this is not going to be an easy win for the Celtics.
And as the series shifts to the Palace, the advantage now lies with Detroit.
Monday, May 19, 2008
History could repeat again for Red Wings
“There is nothing more vulnerable then entrenched success.” – George Romney
If the Detroit Red Wings are to make the Stanley Cup finals, they should heed the words of that famous Detroiter.
The Red Wings were perhaps the best team in the league this year as they pounded their way to the conference championships. Their 115 points more then five wins above that of the Eastern’s top team and is nearly seven above that of the Eastern’s challenger in the finals.
But now they’re two losses away from the golf course.
It was only their first-round opponents that showed them any fight, and even then it was the familiarity of the two: they had played some eight times this season. They both knew each other well and played to six games, where the Wings prevailed.
Next up for Detroit was the Colorado Avalanche. As far as modern rivalries go, those two made for one of the best. However, it was not to be: Detroit hammered them into submission, sweeping them and winning the final game by six goals.
It looked like the same for the conference finals, too. Detroit quickly ran to a 3-0 series lead and as game four approached, some quickly began to handicap the Stanley Cup finals. Simply put, the Stars were out of gas.
But then Turco had one of the best games of his life.
Making 33 saves in a 3-1 Dallas win, he was named the first star of the game: the first time a Dallas player had been named so in the series. The last gasp of a team burning all it has, perhaps.
But as the series shifted back to Detroit, where Dallas’ netminder Marty Turco had never won and where the Red Wings looked to have the advantage.
Where again, the Stars won, this time 2-1.
For a team that had a 3-0 series lead, losing two games in a row could be seen as a collapse. Or as misjudging their opponent, at the least. But it could also mean that Dallas is back in the series.
The roots of this can be drawn back the second round, when the Stars beat the San Jose Sharks. In a tightly fought series that went six games – the sixth of which went into a fourth overtime – it’s not hard to see the Stars as a team that ran out of gas.
But given some time, the Stars could have gotten back into the shape of things. With two wins, they have given themselves some momentum – suddenly, they’re not also-rans, but a team with a good shot at forcing a game seven.
They’ve looked sharp in their last two games. With a little help from a couple injuries to Detroit (the leading scorer for the Red Wings, Johan Franzen, has missed four straight games now), the Stars have kept the Wings off the score sheet.
In games four and five, the Wings only scored once, the first time they were held to less then two goals this playoffs.
And perhaps, the Red Wings let their success get to them, too. The Stars have already forced a game six– the first time that a series the Wings led 3-0 has gone this far - where they’ll play on home ice.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a strong Detroit team has struggled in the playoffs. In 2006, they won the Presidents Trophy after finishing the season with 124 points – yet lost to the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers in six games. Then last year, they lost a tightly-contested conference finals to Anahiem, again in six, losing their final three games.
For all of their regular season success lately – three straight seasons as the number one seed in the West – they have surprisingly little to show for it; two playoff upsets in a row (to teams that won the west, coincidentally).
With the way the Stars have looked lately, could history repeat itself again?
It’s looking more and more likely.
If the Detroit Red Wings are to make the Stanley Cup finals, they should heed the words of that famous Detroiter.
The Red Wings were perhaps the best team in the league this year as they pounded their way to the conference championships. Their 115 points more then five wins above that of the Eastern’s top team and is nearly seven above that of the Eastern’s challenger in the finals.
But now they’re two losses away from the golf course.
It was only their first-round opponents that showed them any fight, and even then it was the familiarity of the two: they had played some eight times this season. They both knew each other well and played to six games, where the Wings prevailed.
Next up for Detroit was the Colorado Avalanche. As far as modern rivalries go, those two made for one of the best. However, it was not to be: Detroit hammered them into submission, sweeping them and winning the final game by six goals.
It looked like the same for the conference finals, too. Detroit quickly ran to a 3-0 series lead and as game four approached, some quickly began to handicap the Stanley Cup finals. Simply put, the Stars were out of gas.
But then Turco had one of the best games of his life.
Making 33 saves in a 3-1 Dallas win, he was named the first star of the game: the first time a Dallas player had been named so in the series. The last gasp of a team burning all it has, perhaps.
But as the series shifted back to Detroit, where Dallas’ netminder Marty Turco had never won and where the Red Wings looked to have the advantage.
Where again, the Stars won, this time 2-1.
For a team that had a 3-0 series lead, losing two games in a row could be seen as a collapse. Or as misjudging their opponent, at the least. But it could also mean that Dallas is back in the series.
The roots of this can be drawn back the second round, when the Stars beat the San Jose Sharks. In a tightly fought series that went six games – the sixth of which went into a fourth overtime – it’s not hard to see the Stars as a team that ran out of gas.
But given some time, the Stars could have gotten back into the shape of things. With two wins, they have given themselves some momentum – suddenly, they’re not also-rans, but a team with a good shot at forcing a game seven.
They’ve looked sharp in their last two games. With a little help from a couple injuries to Detroit (the leading scorer for the Red Wings, Johan Franzen, has missed four straight games now), the Stars have kept the Wings off the score sheet.
In games four and five, the Wings only scored once, the first time they were held to less then two goals this playoffs.
And perhaps, the Red Wings let their success get to them, too. The Stars have already forced a game six– the first time that a series the Wings led 3-0 has gone this far - where they’ll play on home ice.
It wouldn’t be the first time that a strong Detroit team has struggled in the playoffs. In 2006, they won the Presidents Trophy after finishing the season with 124 points – yet lost to the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers in six games. Then last year, they lost a tightly-contested conference finals to Anahiem, again in six, losing their final three games.
For all of their regular season success lately – three straight seasons as the number one seed in the West – they have surprisingly little to show for it; two playoff upsets in a row (to teams that won the west, coincidentally).
With the way the Stars have looked lately, could history repeat itself again?
It’s looking more and more likely.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
On the cusp of a better world for sports
We’re sitting on the cusp of something very big here.
No, not Hidiki Matsui’s porn collection. I’m talking about a new, more equal frontier of athletics.
Yesterday, The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius can race in the Olympics, overturning an earlier ruling that said his prosthetic legs gave him an unfair advantage.
This latest, and perhaps one most important, development shows a trend that sports is fast becoming more and more equal, just as society is.
We now live in an age where gay marriage is legal in California; where both a black man and a woman have a shot at being elected as President; where everybody has a chance to compete.
A little over a month ago, Danica Patrick won her first race, the Indy Japan 300, marking the first time that race has been won by a woman – and meaning that Patrick means business.
No longer a curiosity or an also-ran, Patrick is even being considered a favorite now for the Indy 500. Patrick, the driver whose small frame was considered an unfair advantage, could win one of the most famous races in the world.
Funny thing, those unfair advantages. Where else in the world would your gender, or the amount of leg you have, be considered not just unfair, but also an advantage.
When Patrick first started to race, some suggested that she race with weighed plates – making her car heavier then anybody else’s – to make the races fairer. After her win, one newspaper asked “is it time to start taking her seriously as a driver?”
Never mind that she had been racing in the IRL since 2005 and was named rookie of the year, right? She was just a curiosity on four wheels.
It’s not a lot different for Pistorius, either. Like Patrick, it’s easy to see him as a novelty, the racer who runs on fiberglass blades. But there’s something else, too. Like Patrick, he also has an overlooked advantage.
Determination. Patrick did not give up racing, even though she did not win a race in her first two seasons. She refused to let herself be put in the same class as other curiosities as Manon Rheaume or Amy Williams.
Pistorius did not give up when the Internation Association of Athletics Federations ruled he could not race. He fought that decision, right up to the highest court in sport, where he won his appeal.
It’s hard to see many of today’s more successful athletes to have the same kind of determination. If a basketball player doesn’t like his college coach, he can transfer to another school. If a hockey player doesn’t like his team, he can force a trade.
If they feel they’ve been slighted, they can just complain about it to the media or on their blog.
Instead, both Patrick and Pistorius both hung in and each ended up winning the respect they should have had all along.
And sport is better for it.
No, not Hidiki Matsui’s porn collection. I’m talking about a new, more equal frontier of athletics.
Yesterday, The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius can race in the Olympics, overturning an earlier ruling that said his prosthetic legs gave him an unfair advantage.
This latest, and perhaps one most important, development shows a trend that sports is fast becoming more and more equal, just as society is.
We now live in an age where gay marriage is legal in California; where both a black man and a woman have a shot at being elected as President; where everybody has a chance to compete.
A little over a month ago, Danica Patrick won her first race, the Indy Japan 300, marking the first time that race has been won by a woman – and meaning that Patrick means business.
No longer a curiosity or an also-ran, Patrick is even being considered a favorite now for the Indy 500. Patrick, the driver whose small frame was considered an unfair advantage, could win one of the most famous races in the world.
Funny thing, those unfair advantages. Where else in the world would your gender, or the amount of leg you have, be considered not just unfair, but also an advantage.
When Patrick first started to race, some suggested that she race with weighed plates – making her car heavier then anybody else’s – to make the races fairer. After her win, one newspaper asked “is it time to start taking her seriously as a driver?”
Never mind that she had been racing in the IRL since 2005 and was named rookie of the year, right? She was just a curiosity on four wheels.
It’s not a lot different for Pistorius, either. Like Patrick, it’s easy to see him as a novelty, the racer who runs on fiberglass blades. But there’s something else, too. Like Patrick, he also has an overlooked advantage.
Determination. Patrick did not give up racing, even though she did not win a race in her first two seasons. She refused to let herself be put in the same class as other curiosities as Manon Rheaume or Amy Williams.
Pistorius did not give up when the Internation Association of Athletics Federations ruled he could not race. He fought that decision, right up to the highest court in sport, where he won his appeal.
It’s hard to see many of today’s more successful athletes to have the same kind of determination. If a basketball player doesn’t like his college coach, he can transfer to another school. If a hockey player doesn’t like his team, he can force a trade.
If they feel they’ve been slighted, they can just complain about it to the media or on their blog.
Instead, both Patrick and Pistorius both hung in and each ended up winning the respect they should have had all along.
And sport is better for it.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
LeBron goes cold, KG gets hot and the Celts win game one
The game could be summarized in the final minute of the fourth quarter, if one was so inclined. Garnett, carrying the team on his back. Both sides trading blows, never taking a commanding lead until the final seconds.
And LeBron James going cold, missing his final four shots, as the Cleveland Cavaliers losing to the Boston Celtics 76-72.
In an arena that was hazy from the opening fireworks, it seemed as if some the starters were lost in the fog. Celtics guard Ray Allen finished the night without a single point, despite playing 37 minutes. Forward Paul Pierce only had four, shooting a dismal 2-14 from the field.
But the big surprise was LeBron, who was missing shots from all over. He only hit two of 18, both of them in the paint, and finished with 12 points. Instead, the onus fell to Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Wally Szczerbiak, both of whom played great.
Playing the low post, Ilgauskas grabbed 12 rebounds and helped keep the game with team-high 22 points. Wally World, scored 13, hitting some late shots that kept the Cavs in it.
But it was Kevin Garnett who dominated this game. When the other starters couldn’t get anything going, KG exploded out of the gate, hitting his first four of five shots. Coupled with another great night from Rajon Rondo, the Celtics were able to take a 10 point lead after the first quarter.
But Cleveland clawed it’s way back into the game with a 22-point second quarter, thanks to a 13-3 run, but couldn’t quite take the lead. Instead, Boston went into halftime leading by 41-37.
The third quarter was all Cleveland. Ilgauskas had eight points, all in the first five minutes of the half, as the Cavs took the lead. But the Celts were far from done. Down by six with midway through the third, they went on an 8-1 run and tied the game to end the quarter.
The fourth opened with both teams trading both shots and the lead for the first four minutes, but Boston eventually pulled to a four-point lead on a 25-foot three by Sam Cassell. Neither team scored a basket for nearly two minutes until Cassell drained another shot, this time from 22 feet out.
Cleveland answered with a quick two baskets, a Szczerbiak three and a LeBron layup – his only basket of the second half –but still couldn’t close the gap.
The Cavs would finally take the lead again late – with 90 seconds to play – on an Ilgauskas jumper, but KG and Cassell closed the door, giving the Celts a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
All in all, Garnett finished with 28 points and eight rebounds; Rondo with 15 points, six assists and 5 rebounds; Cassell with 13 points, 10 of them in the final quarter. Remember, Ray Allen and Pierce only had four points combined.
But it wasn’t just them. It was a sloppy game all around, with neither team hitting 50 per cent of their shots. Cleveland, in fact, hit just under 31 per cent of theirs. The Celtics turned the ball over 19 times, three more then the Cavs did. And neither team could hand onto a lead.
But, if anything, this game will be remembered for LeBron’s worst shooting night in recent memory and perhaps in his career.
To put all the blame for this loss on LeBron would be far from fair, but his poor shooting night was a major factor in the Cavs loss. Up until this game, he had scored at least 30 points in nine of his last ten games against the Celtics – and in that lone exception, he scored 26.
Although he only hit two baskets, he managed to contribute in other ways. He led the team in assists with nine, had nine boards in the loss and was 80% from the charity stripe.
But, just in the MVP voting, LeBron was outdone by Garnett.
And LeBron James going cold, missing his final four shots, as the Cleveland Cavaliers losing to the Boston Celtics 76-72.
In an arena that was hazy from the opening fireworks, it seemed as if some the starters were lost in the fog. Celtics guard Ray Allen finished the night without a single point, despite playing 37 minutes. Forward Paul Pierce only had four, shooting a dismal 2-14 from the field.
But the big surprise was LeBron, who was missing shots from all over. He only hit two of 18, both of them in the paint, and finished with 12 points. Instead, the onus fell to Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Wally Szczerbiak, both of whom played great.
Playing the low post, Ilgauskas grabbed 12 rebounds and helped keep the game with team-high 22 points. Wally World, scored 13, hitting some late shots that kept the Cavs in it.
But it was Kevin Garnett who dominated this game. When the other starters couldn’t get anything going, KG exploded out of the gate, hitting his first four of five shots. Coupled with another great night from Rajon Rondo, the Celtics were able to take a 10 point lead after the first quarter.
But Cleveland clawed it’s way back into the game with a 22-point second quarter, thanks to a 13-3 run, but couldn’t quite take the lead. Instead, Boston went into halftime leading by 41-37.
The third quarter was all Cleveland. Ilgauskas had eight points, all in the first five minutes of the half, as the Cavs took the lead. But the Celts were far from done. Down by six with midway through the third, they went on an 8-1 run and tied the game to end the quarter.
The fourth opened with both teams trading both shots and the lead for the first four minutes, but Boston eventually pulled to a four-point lead on a 25-foot three by Sam Cassell. Neither team scored a basket for nearly two minutes until Cassell drained another shot, this time from 22 feet out.
Cleveland answered with a quick two baskets, a Szczerbiak three and a LeBron layup – his only basket of the second half –but still couldn’t close the gap.
The Cavs would finally take the lead again late – with 90 seconds to play – on an Ilgauskas jumper, but KG and Cassell closed the door, giving the Celts a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
All in all, Garnett finished with 28 points and eight rebounds; Rondo with 15 points, six assists and 5 rebounds; Cassell with 13 points, 10 of them in the final quarter. Remember, Ray Allen and Pierce only had four points combined.
But it wasn’t just them. It was a sloppy game all around, with neither team hitting 50 per cent of their shots. Cleveland, in fact, hit just under 31 per cent of theirs. The Celtics turned the ball over 19 times, three more then the Cavs did. And neither team could hand onto a lead.
But, if anything, this game will be remembered for LeBron’s worst shooting night in recent memory and perhaps in his career.
To put all the blame for this loss on LeBron would be far from fair, but his poor shooting night was a major factor in the Cavs loss. Up until this game, he had scored at least 30 points in nine of his last ten games against the Celtics – and in that lone exception, he scored 26.
Although he only hit two baskets, he managed to contribute in other ways. He led the team in assists with nine, had nine boards in the loss and was 80% from the charity stripe.
But, just in the MVP voting, LeBron was outdone by Garnett.
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