Beautiful Tuesday for Sports Fans

While Yankees fans may be bummed about getting shut out by Beckett and the Red Sox, the Mets squeaked out a 6-5 win over the Phils (BCA predictions 2-0). More importantly, hockey fans got their game 7, with a 2-1 Penguins win and suddenly the Magic have a pulse after setting a record in NBA Finals history for field goal percentage and hung on to beat the Lakers by 108-104.

Another victory was the Washington Nationals going ahead and selecting Stephen Straburg, arguably the greatest pitcher in college baseball history (in case you are unaware Strasburg went 13–1 with a 1.32 ERA, 65 hits allowed, 16 earned runs, 19 walks and 195 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched with San Diego St this year), with the first overall pick in the MLB draft despite the fact that they are going to have a hell of a time signing him. I'll let Millman discuss this further...

Hockey highlights made it look like a great game, that's all I have on that..

I'm not sure what to make of the Magic shooting 62.5% and only winning by 4.
Again, with all this talk about Kobe being this great "closer" he played poorly down the stretch last night. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom could have scored every time they touched the ball, but Kobe refused to give it up. He is a great player, but his selfishness can get in the way of his greatness at times, and it has this series. The Lakers are fortunate to be up 2-1 right now.
Props to Stan Van Gully on working the Skip/Jameer platoon like it should be, 37/11 minutes played respectively...and Skip responded playing an efficient game, 8-12 from the field, scoring 20 points.
Does anyone get better looks from deep than Rashard Lewis (thanks in part to his height / shooting style)?
Luke Walton is scared to shoot the ball.
Mickael Pietrus hit one of the toughest lay-ups I've ever seen and a fade-away jumper I'm not sure MJ would've hit. Who did he sell his soul to before these playoffs? I've always liked his defense, but offensively he is playing like a man possessed (though that put-back to put the Magic up 101-99 with 2 minutes left should have been an offensive goaltend, it's OK though, makes up for all the superstar calls Kobe got - like the bailout reach-in on Pietrus when they had him doubled and that inexcusable foul on Dwight when he easily stuffed Bryant).

Weekend Round-up

-No triple crown again in horse racing, that makes 31 years now, and Calvin Borel fails to do it as a jockey as Mine That Bird makes a premature move and gets out-kicked by Summer Bird. Dunkirk came in second, leaving me to rip up my daily double and win tickets...

-Roger Federer is the GOAT. He is now tied with Pete Sampras for the all-time lead with 14 career grand slam championships and can now say he won each separate one after easily defeating Robin Soderling in the French Open Finals Sunday. Still don't think he's the best? That's OK, by the time he's done he's likely to add a couple more (Rafa might be out for Wimbledon?) and completely stop all debate - that said, if he retired today he'd go down as the GOAT to most knowledgeable tennis fans (Bud Collins be damned).

-The Big Unit got his 300th victory this weekend. Leading all left-handed pitchers in all-time strikeouts (4,845, he also is the all-time leader in k:9 with 10.67), he now joins a prestigious group that includes Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Eddie Plank, Lefty Grove and Tom Glavine as the only southpaws with 300 wins. I have always hated Johnson, but it is hard to ignore his greatness and the fact that he did once kill a bird with a pitch, which probably ranks behind only Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez literally smashing the cover off a ball as the most impressive single plays in baseball history:

-The NBA got a much-needed close game, with the Lakers pulling it out in overtime last night. Courtney Lee will be having nightmares about that one for some time now. I just want to shout out Hedo Torkuglo, reader Curtis's boy, for playing like a man possessed down the stretch. That said, I want to launch a couple complaints as well:
1. My buddy sent me a text last night when it was headed for overtime claiming it was unwatchable due to the time it took to play out the last thirty seconds. I somewhat disagreed, saying he was the only one not enjoying this, but after falling asleep with 20 seconds left in overtime, I woke up in total agreement. The NBA needs to find a solution for the lack of flow at the end of games due to timeouts. It is pretty ridiculous when there is a timeout after every play...I know they try to limit this with some restrictions but they need to get even more strict about it - that or don't go to commercial and get us in on the huddles.
2. What happened to the NBA policy of no-tolerance for complaining about calls? Ever since those damn Pistons teams that complained and whined about every call the NBA has become a cry-happy league (has always been to a degree, that is just the nature of basketball, ever played in a pickup game? I got into an argument just the other day with some kid trying to call a carry on me for losing the ball and smashing my buddy in the face accidentally). I expect Kobe to complain about every call, I expect Lebron to, go ahead Dwight, do your best Dikembe Mutumbo impersonation and act like you never committed a foul in your life...I really wouldn't care....but Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston complaining is cringe-worthy.
3. With all the gushing about Kobe, I honestly thought he played poorly last night. He took some poor shots, didn't get Gasol and Odom enough touches and missed a couple opportunities (like the last shot in regulation that Hedo blocked) to make passes to open teammates. And with all this talk about his defense, first of all I'm a little disappointed he's guarding Courtney Lee at the end of games, and on top of that Lee burned him a couple times and just couldn't finish. Pau Gasol was reason number one the Lake Show pulled that one out last night, I don't care what anyone says. And honestly, reason number two was Lamar Odom. Dwight Howard is a beast down low, but the Magic simply can't stop both of them at the same time.

-Speaking of Kobe how about that press conference after the game? Kobe Bryant comes off as fake as the WWF these days. I love watching the man play, his game is as pure as you'll ever see...but between that scripted mess that was Doin' Work, his bizarre faces and awkward, calculated interviews/press conferences - I came to the startling realization last night that Kobe Bryant is incredibly pewch. For all his non-pewch ability the man just constantly does pewch things out there, like the face he made to Pau Gasol after he put in that 3-point play.

-JJ Redick - Is there anything more bizarre than watching JJ Redick play in the NBA? How about him taking it hard to the rack and putting in a strong layup on Lamar Odom? How about him clanking open threes? How about him getting all that playing time? How about him playing some pretty decent defense, even being quick enough to shut off D-Fish on a couple drives and making some nice run-outs to contest open 3's?

-I don't watch hockey but I saw Detroit up 5-0 the one night. Funny how all the analysts were talking about a big momentum shift in that series and that Pittsburgh was starting to think they could win, and Detroit was thinking they could lose.

-Tiger Woods

-Braves phenom Tommy Hanson got touched up in his first start against Milwaukee yesterday allowing 7 runs (6 earned) in 6 innings on 6 hits (3 hr's), striking out 5 while walking just 1. Seems he was a bit unfortunate as he displayed good stuff with a fastball working around 95, a nasty slider and a 12 to 6 curveball. Perhaps most impressive is that the fastball comes with a lot of movement apparently, and while that movement hurt him yesterday as the ball found the middle of the plate and Ryan Braun and Mike Cameron took care of it - any pitcher with this type of arsenal is a good bet to become a true ace, for Hanson that may be sooner rather than later.

Best Baller Alive

By now you have all heard everything you need to know about King James's historic night. He had a monster triple-double 37/14/12. He scored 17 in the 4th quarter, having a hand in the first 29 points his team scored in the final frame. He had the most points, most assists and most rebounds of any player on the court (think about that!). The Cavs literally ran the same play every time down the court - give it to Lebron up top, spread the floor with shooters and let him get it done. And Lebron delivered, he beat Pietrus to the rack, he nailed jumpers in his face and made some beautiful assists to cutting teammates and open shooters.

It truly was a magical performance to watch and a statement game. Sorry Kobe fans (myself included). Lebron James is the best player on the planet. If you hadn't realized it already (and you probably should have) you really have to begin to come to grips with reality. King James is dragging this sorry Cavs team to game 6...if he was on any of the other 3 teams left in the playoffs in place of their big star that team would be absolutely unbeatable. Last night's performance was truly one of the most remarkable in NBA history, I hope everyone took it all in, we are all certainly witnesses.

I would like to give Mo Williams some credit for finding his shot finally (6-9 from downtown, 24 points) and Booby Gibson stroking it from deep (3-4) is absolutely huge for this Cleveland team.

The question is, can Lebron get it done on the road in game 6? Can he re-visit refuse-to-lose mode that we saw last night in the 4th quarter? Does he have enough in the tank? It is a tall task for certain, but after last nights performance I don't see how anybody doubts the Cavs at this point. If you couldn't tell in my previous posts I have always felt the Cavs will probably win this series..the bottom line is in the NBA, you never doubt the best player on the planets ability to get it done.

NBA Finals Picture Shaping Up

In a game in which the score was tied at the end of each of the first three quarters, the Nuggets came up short in the 4th quarter last night, falling down 3-2 in the series.

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

Millman and Birdman Sharing Same Pipe?

<--Mrs. Bryant vs. La La -->

First of all, this is essentially a direct response to the piece directly below this, so if you haven’t checked that out first, you’d be advised to do so. The Millman may be on the wrong side of this argument, but it is worth a read, if for no other reason than the one-liner about Kobe which I won’t spoil.

Well before I get into my defense of the Lakers, a few quick notes on last night / the Cavs-Magic series in general. First off, you’re nuts if you’re complaining about the foul call at the end of regulation that allowed the King to tie the game with .5 seconds left. Bottom line is, NBA refs are not going to let a game end while Lebron James hits the floor (with the defender not in position no less) and doesn’t even get a shot off. The Magic should consider themselves lucky that his second free throw went in, by the way – it was going to be the most tailor made tip-in by Varejao of all-time. On the other end, as Varejao and Howard got tangled up, it was a good no-call – honestly if anyone was fouled there it was Varejao. The refs, who I and most everyone else love to kill, had a bunch of extremely difficult calls last night, and I feel they were on the right side of most, if not all of them.

And after yet another incredible game we have to start considering the fact that we may be on the verge of having the best pair of conference championship series in the history of the NBA. With the Cavs down 3-1 now, that could be in jeopardy, but both of these series could easily still go 7 games, almost every game has been decided on the final shot, with only the last Lakers-Nuggets game really being a bore. I don’t recall two series ever both going to game 7 in the same year…and you really have to go back to the late 80’s, early 90’s golden age of the NBA to find both conference finals having this much juice.

I remember having a conversation (as the Magic were wiping out the Celtics in game 7) abut the conference championships where I made the – at the time unpopular – claim that if either the Cavs or Lakers were going to not make the finals, that the undefeated Cavs were the team in danger. Now, both teams are arguably in danger, but I still feel as strongly as ever (and most would now agree) – the Lakers will be in the NBA Finals waiting, but the King may not make it.

But why can’t the Lakers lose this series (currently 2-2)? For one, I maintain that the Nuggets are simply a lesser version of the Lakers. Both teams want to get out and run, unfortunately for Denver the Lake Show is more efficient on both ends of the floor. Both teams shoot it efficiently, but the Lakers control the boards…the only place I really see an advantage for Denver is their ability to get to the line, which is why I do think the Lakers home court advantage helps them – even if the entire crowd looks like they’re watching Jack Nicholson re-enacting About Schmidt.

As for the Millman’s claim that Kobe is a jump-shooter – he has been to the free throw line 53 times in the first four games. He has proven absolutely un-guardable all series even when Dahntay Jones is tripping more people than Julian ‘Frankenstein’ in Big Daddy.

The idea that La La Vasquez is somehow superior to Kobe’s wife is probably the Millman’s most ridiculous claim however. I love how he conveniently found Kobe’s wife’s worst picture and La La’s best…and it was still arguable who looked better. Huge advantage in the wife department to the Lake Show – a quick google search reveals a rumor that Andrew Bynum is dating Rihanna. I then bring to the table Pau Gasol’s wife:

The big men argument is almost laughable. Pau Gasol can score on Nene anytime he gets single coverage - quick shake, baseline, dunk. Repeat…the Lakers have not utilized this enough yet but it is there for them at any time. For the record, he has recorded a double-double every game…and the way he opens up the floor for that offense by always being in the right spot is so underrated. Odom hasn’t been special, but he’s rebounding a ton and doing exactly what Phil Jackson wants. Did I mention that Bynum is dating Rihanna? Meanwhile, all the Denver big men are the same exact players…shot-blocking, poor one-on-one defenders who offensively can do nothing but dunk and have been getting beaten on the boards (despite being a good rebounding unit).

Look, I love this Nuggets team. They have a player who made an appearance in a gang-related Stop Snitchin’ video (Melo), a recovering – and in my suspicion relapsing – drug addict freak (Bird Man), and the guy who netted the Knicks Antonio McDyess (Nene). They are exciting to watch. But really, what kind of crushing blow would it be for the NBA if somehow both Kobe and Lebron get knocked off before the finals? Can the season-long crash course that was the Cavs-Lake Show really turn into Magic-Nuggets? Orlando and Denver really? The same Denver team that has never made the NBA Finals in the franchises 32 years of existence? Can’t happen. Won’t happen. In one of the juiciest NBA seasons in recent memory there would be little juice for that NBA Finals. David Stern is too wise for that. His referees are too scared for that.

His referee

One more piece of real analysis – once the Lakers big men realize that they’re better off staying on Nene, Birdman and Kenyon and forcing the Nuggets guards to finish around the tin themselves, I think we see the Lakers take total control. That or if Kobe decides he wants to lock up on defense (a characteristic he can do like no other which has strangely not been employed by him yet this series as JR Smith is blowing by him with the greatest of ease, though he’s doing a good job of not letting him get his threes off). Unless Melo comes out in a vintage Orange jersey (which he practically has so far this series) then I really can’t see the inferior Nuggets getting it done here.

And last but not least, has anyone ever put a career in cruise control more than Spike Lee? After the masterpiece that was He Got Game, every “Spike Lee Joint” has been hot garbage. It’s as if you could plot his career path along the same curve as Public Enemy…once his favorite rap group lost it, he did too. Am I the only one who thinks that maybe Chuck D should get more credit for Do the Right Thing and He Got Game than Spike Lee himself in hindsight? Am I just crazy? Kobe Doin’ Work is probably the worst execution of a great idea I have ever seen. I literally thought it was a joke with insightful comments from Kobe such as “Here I take a jumpshot” and “that’s me running back down the court to play defense.” It was at times reminiscent of the infamous Ball St “Boom Goes the Dynamite” announcer as Kobe finds himself at a loss for words, check this clip and then watch the legendary footage if you have not seen it before: