Since we agreed that whoever was "right" last night would mock the other man - I'm going to take a look at some of the Millman's points and see how (in)accurate he was.
Kobe vs. Melo. Not only does Mrs. Bryant hold a 7-3 advantage in the hotter girl poll, but Kobe got the W last night, scoring fewer points but playing a much more efficient game taking just 13 shots while dishing out eight assists. (To be clear here the loss was not Melo's fault, he had 31 so the non-wife part of Millman's argument may not have been too far off really)
Big Men. Well I'd like to say first off that someone must have finally notified Lamar Odom that the series has started because he was an absolute monster last night. 19 points, 14 rebs, 4 blocks. Odom honestly looked like the best player on the floor last night and that is what makes this Lakers team so good. Pau Gasol? Another very efficient double-double, 14/10...added some assists, steals and 5 huge blocks. ESPN put up a stat at one point deep into the 4th quarter that the Nuggets hadn't scored in the paint since there was 5:11 left in the 3rd quarter. Here is where I'd say this was thanks to Pau and Lamar blocking shots left and right, except I have to ask, did anyone else notice that they posted this two possessions after Linas Kleiza drove to the hoop, splitting two defenders, and made a lay-up? Terrible work as usual ESPN. As for Andrew Bynum, well did I mention there is a rumor he is dating Rihanna?
Birdman, Kenyon and Nene were badly outplayed last night, bottom line.Home court advantage, or rather lack thereof? Actually, the Staples Center had some real life in the third quarter and obviously at the beginning of the fourth when the Lakers made what turned out to be the run that was the difference in the game (11-0 start to begin the quarter?).
On the bright side, as best I could tell the Nuggets still won the tattoo battle last night.
So now that I've ripped the Millman more than he probably deserves or needs this morning, the question becomes, are both of these series essentially over? The Cavs trail 3-1 with a home/road/home left. The Nuggets trail 3-2 with a home/road left. I still feel the Cavs are the most live team here. I don't think too many people expect the Magic to win game 5 in Cleveland, we should at least be headed for a 3-2 Magic lead, with one game in Orlando followed by one in Cleveland. Essentially, I feel it will come down to whether or not Lebron James can be absolutely heroic in game 6. If he goes into refuse-to-lose mode on the road and wills his team to victory, we'll be looking at a game 7 in Cleveland, where we ought not forget the Cavs are still 44-3 on the year. Are you really going to beat King James, at home, in a game 7? This Magic team is a fun-loving group that has been able to erase huge first-half deficits, but if you keep getting down big early, sooner or later you won't have enough to come back. I fully expect Cleveland to jump on them tonight and I won't be surprised if Orlando packs it in. And if they do no-show tongiht, I think it will be a grave mistake...Orlando has two chances to clinch this series in my eyes: tonight while the Cavs are still feeling down about themselves, and game 6 at home...but if they pack it in tonight and get buried, Cleveland may get their mojo back and the Magic may see the rug pulled from under them before they know what happened.
As for the Nuggets, I'm going to leave that for the Millman to touch on. I think they're drawing dead. I could easily see them taking game 6, but I don't think they beat the Lake Show in a game 7 (and feel there is a strong chance Lakers take the next one in Denver).
I refuse to start a third poll, but if I was going to I'd ask, which trailing team has a better chance of making the Finals, Nuggets or Cavaliers?
Hubie Brown was on Mike and Mike this morning and gave one of the most thorough, insightful, positively brilliant breakdowns on the Cavs-Magic series. If you have a few minutes, click the link and give it a listen, you will be a better fan for it:
http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?id=4211968
I would say the Cavs have the best chance despite the 3-1 hole. They have Lebron, and your right about them packing it in tonight. That could lead to a momentum shift for Lebron.
ReplyDeleteLakers vs Magic in the championship...i refuse to watch one second of it. Cavs are done, they just can't figure the magic out. They should get the vic tonight, but they are going to need a miracle to pull off the series. If lebron is really the second coming of jordan now's the time to prove it. I don't even know what to say about the nuggets. They make too many mistakes and poor shot selection. They stole one in LA and all they had to do was take care of business at home. ooooops. game 7 is going to be tough at the staples' center (assuming they get out of denver tomorrow night). sorry millman, maybe next year. Did George Karl try to do a Phil Jackson impression last night at the podium?
ReplyDeleteCavs are done.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that Mrs. Bryant is hotter. It should be noted that Carmelo has been smart enough not to get married yet and has just had a 4 year engagement (like Pam and Roy on The Office). This allows Carmelo to continue doing whatever he likes without the fear of losing 1/2 his wealth in a messy divorce. One that surely would have come for the Black Mamba had he not dropped $4 mil on a ring.
With that said, I will have to give the edge to 'Melo for having the foresight to stay away from holy matrimony.
Boom! Putnam making some great points. Looks like Melo might not be looking to shabby after all...
ReplyDeleteBottom line...Birdman, Kenyon, and Nene are pewch
ReplyDelete