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wow......im tired of hearing about Kobe's injuries..... if you are injured SIT YOUR PUNK +%% DOWN smh.... the hand is bothering you that much why %*!# yourteam over by going 4 for 21 shooting???? smh
Lakers @ Cavs, 1/21/2010 on TNT @ 8PM ET Lebron vs Kobe Part Deux
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by the technodrome,
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The King & The cavs got this
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Kobe with a broken finger > anyone else lakers can start at the 2. Don't get me wrong though. He should not be taking 21 shots with a broken finger.More around 10-15. Should be a good game. If cavs can D up well again and protect the paint. and moe makes his 3s they should win.
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--ClevelandsPrince, W's only put you .5 games up. L's by the other team will put you full game up.
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Well cause theres statements that can be factual to a degree and theres statements that are far-fetched even in theory...
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not really.
so?
This is the NBA. The season is barely half way done. Injuries/upsets happen. Records are not always consistent.
East is pretty much even with the West, in terms of strength. So what's your point.
No, I'm not scared. Cavs want the lakers in the finals. I don't see any fear.
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the hornets are 2 games over .500 and yet theyre only the 11th seed in the west...11th seed dude
some strength huh?
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The east is very top heavy, very. With that said, the top four teams in the east are better than the top 4 in the west. Now prove to me otherwise
clevelandsprince23
Banned
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I said the Cavs are up 3 on Boston. and they are. atleast that's what it says on ESPN and NBA.com What are you trying to say man?
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Its just rankings, like how the Bobcats seed isn't that high yet they give the Lakers fitOriginally Posted by westcoastsfinest
right
the hornets are 2 games over .500 and yet theyre only the 11th seed in the west...11th seed dude...while the bulls are 3 games under .500 and yet theyre 8th in the east
some strength huh?
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the lakers schedule to this point is impressive but they have played no away games...discuss the best team in the NBA after their 8 game raod streak adn seehow they do.
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cant wait. ill be there manana for this puppet showdown
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Cavs win again!
LeBreezy & Mo-Will is too much for Los Angeles.
LeBreezy & Mo-Will is too much for Los Angeles.
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--Whether the Lakers do good on this trip or not I aint gonna say they the best.
--Still early in the season.
--Still early in the season.
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Ummm...this is the $*@# that gives the rest of us a bad name. I don't WANT to play the Lakers in the Finals, and I'm not so sure anyone else on this board does either.
You can't be serious. "gives the rest of us a bad name"... How is that giving anyone a bad name? It's known LeBron wants toprove himself against the Lakers. Why wouldn't you want to see that series. That would be great basketball. What better way to prove themselves?
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--I personally want to see an LA/Cleveland series. Sick with it.
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By Brian Windhorst
Special to ESPN.com
CLEVELAND -- With is ever-expanding and creative vocabulary and his showmanship nature, sometimes it can seem like Shaquille O'Neal has an answer for everything.
Such as the issue he attempted to solve Tuesday night after his Cavs beat the Toronto Raptors 108-100. Most aren't thrilled that O'Neal's teammate, LeBron James, has effectively gone back on his promise about taking part in the dunk contest next month. O'Neal has a thoughtful answer and one that pretty much takes the pressure off James.
"As his manager, I will only allow LeBron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out, if Kobe (Bryant) comes back out and if another big name comes back out," O'Neal said. "And if we can get a big prize and half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner."
Some star power, a pop culture problem and a Shaq quote to tie it all together and anything seems possible. Even if O'Neal probably shouldn't be waiting for his BlackBerry to buzz with a text from Bryant with a confirmation.
In essence, though, it's those traits the Cavs are hoping O'Neal employs on the floor when the games are the center-stage attraction. Games like Thursday, when the Cavs host a re-match with the world champion Lakers less than a month after hammering them between foam fingers on Christmas Day. And games in April, May and, the Cavs hope, June.
What happened in the victory over the Raptors is exactly the sort of on-court creative impact the Cavs had planned when they traded for O'Neal last summer.
He had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five rebounds against Toronto, which like many teams doesn't have anyone on their roster that can truly slow down O'Neal when he still wants to get going. But it was his impact without scoring that has the Cavs still dreaming big dreams this season.
It was perfectly illustrated during a 90-second stretch in the fourth quarter, when O'Neal took control of the game and swung it into the Cavs' favor without even taking a shot.
The Cavs were ahead by one point and the Raptors were making a serious bid to pull off the upset. Winners of 10 of their last 13 games and putting up some impressive offensive numbers, it perhaps wouldn't have even been shocking for Toronto to get it down even at Quicken Loans Arena. Then, with six minutes left, O'Neal came into the game.
First he grabbed a long rebound in a crowd that appeared to be headed into Chris Bosh's hands.
Then he caught a pass on the block, drew some attention then faked a look to James to hit Mo Williams for a 3-pointer.
On the defensive end, he called for a switch when his man screened for Hedo Turkoglu. So there O'Neal was, 20 feet from the rim and 1-on-1 with Turkoglu. It was this play, when Turkoglu was a member of the Orlando Magic that the Cavs were gutted with during last season's Eastern Conference Finals. Well, that and a few incredible clutch 3-pointers from Rashard Lewis.
As he should, Turkoglu took him off the dribble and drove to the glass. But O'Neal, despite all the jokes about his physical ability these days, cut the Raptors small forward off and forced him down to the block. Eventually Turkoglu ran out of rim and tossed up a weak left-handed lob, which never got to the rim.
"One of the first things we noticed about Shaq was how quick his feet are ," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "We're not afraid to switch with him at times. He's been out there on Brandon Jennings and Steve Nash."
After forcing the miss, O'Neal got down to the other end and set up shop in the post again. The ball found him and the Cavs set up their action. This time O'Neal looked at Williams for the 3 and froze the defense for a second before hitting James on a back-door pass for a dunk.
"Coach called a couple of my plays and I don't like to force shots," O'Neal said. "I've been known to be able to do something with the ball."
Moments later he grabbed another rebound in traffic and then finished off a play with a dunk of his own after James had drawn a double team and kicked to O'Neal for a free dunk that essentially broke the Raptors' backs. But it points where at the end, which is why the Cavs, at 32-11 still with two more road wins (17) than the Lakers have played road games (15), feel like that may have a better mix this season.
Earlier in the game, O'Neal became just the fifth player to score 28,000 in NBA history. But his focus on everything else but the points -- the key rebounds, the facilitator role on offense, the switching at times on defense -- is what the Cavs are most pleased with. That and what he did in the third quarter, which was twice knock Raptors who were driving to the hole onto their backsides. Even though O'Neal is on the final year of his contract and wants another and even though this is by far the most limited role he's had on any team in his 17-year career, he continues to seem eager to go with the program.
"I'm happy being No. 5, there's some great names in front of me and some great names behind me," O'Neal said. "I've always been a player to only get happy about the big picture."
Second showdown vs. Lakers doesn't prove anything, but might help Cavaliers make a Finals statement
By Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer
January 20, 2010, 8:00PM
Lori Shepler / Associated PressMo Williams drove past Kobe Bryant for two of his 28 points in the Cavaliers' Christmas Day victory over Los Angeles at the Staples Center. Thursday, Williams and the Cavaliers go for the season sweep.
Cleveland, Ohio -- It is still only mid-January and roughly half of the NBA season remains, which makes it hard to establish real stakes at this time of year. That's true even in a game between the Cavaliers and Lakers, the teams with the best records thus far.
But when they finish their season series Thursday night at The Q, there is something at stake, something that could end up being quite valuable six months from now. If the Cavs and Lakers meet again after this week, it will be in the NBA Finals and the location of such a meeting could well be determined by what happens now.
Lori Shepler / Associated PressKobe Bryant outscored LeBron James, 35-26, in the Cavaliers' Christmas victory, but James' team dominated most of the game in getting a defining regular-season win.
A victory by the Cavs would just give them a boost of confidence and allow them to take over the best record in the league, but it would also clinch the tiebreaker for home-court advantage if both reach the NBA Finals.
Not that the Cavs admit they are thinking about that.
"We're just looking at it like it's the next game," coach Mike Brown said. "The standings are up in our locker room so we know where we stand."
The home-court issue may seem like a something far off and complex, but that doesn't mean it isn't quite realistic or doesn't add value to the game beyond the bragging rights.
Last season, the Cavs finished one game ahead of the Lakers during the regular season, winning 66 games. After the Lakers swept the season series, the Cavs were forced to play their front line and play each game to win down the stretch to secure home-court throughout the playoffs. It wasn't assured until the second-to-last game of the season.
This year the Cavs and Lakers have been close in the overall standings for best record for most of the last six weeks. When the Cavs won on Christmas Day, 102-87, the Cavs trailed the Lakers by two games.
They have closed the gap slightly since. Both currently are tied for the NBA lead in victories with 32 but the Lakers, who have played two fewer games, have a slight edge in winning percentage.
Beyond the tiebreaker issue, the Cavs have another incentive. Last year, when the Lakers departed on their so-called Grammy trip -- the Staples Center will be in use for the next two weeks in preparation for the Grammy Awards -- they were struggling a little bit. But they went 6-0 on the trip and ended it with a decisive victory in Cleveland, which built confidence that team members later said contributed to winning the NBA title.
Thursday's game represents the start of an eight-game trip over 13 days for the Lakers that will include three back-to-backs and their official visit to the White House to meet President Obama. Like last season, the Lakers are already planning for big things on this journey and hope to use it as a springboard as they did last season.
The Cavs, obviously, have an interest in upsetting that plan.
"I think it'll tell us where we're at," Lakers forward Ron Artest told reporters in L.A. before the Lakers flew to Cleveland. "We feel like we can come out perfect."
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just like game one, it depends on the refs. they will decide this game just like they did game one vs these two teams
Originally Posted by Chester the Cheetah
Originally Posted by JDB1523
well damn, thats a prime spot for an NT sign
whered you get those tickets from, just curious
Those are my season tickets my man, I think we have 24 games in those seats, with the other 17 going to some other people in our group. I've got another set of 4 seats right across the court from there (Sec 109/110) in the 9th row as well that my dad splits with some guys.
If you ever want/need tickets let me know, there's a decent amount we try and get rid of. I think I've been to 10 games this year already thoughI'm hoping I get this job offer from JPMorgan today so I can sign a lease downtown and walk "home" from the games...NT summit for the 21+?
Props JDB - good luck.
Ditto. I assume you're in Ohio, any idea what dept. you'd be working in? If you don't mind me asking that is.
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the Cavs need to be worried about getting to the Finals first
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Go Cavs
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Kobee
