Finally the Nets break out and have a game that I've expected from them all series. The Nets had 3 players score at least 21, Vince Carter leading with 28. The series is tied at 2-2.

[Edited on 4/29/2006 by GiantsFan]

The Bucks pulled off a surprising blowout win against the Pistons. Redd scored 40 to lead the Bucks to a 104-124 win. The Pistons lead the series 2-1, and are looking to bounce back to take a 3-1 series lead next game.

I didn't find a win too surprising, but by 20 points, and redd scoring 40 against them? That's the surprising part. I'd like the bucks to make this a series, but I don't think they can duplicate tonights performance.

The Memphis Grizzlies were looking to take their first franchise playoff win tonight, and were well on their way at the half. They led by 8, and had played Dallas very well the entire game... until they left the locker room after the half. They scored 15 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters, allowing Dalls to battle back and tie the game. The Mavericks dominated in the extra period to take a 3-0 series lead.

The Grizzlies have somewhat dissapointed me. I expected at least 2 wins in this series for them, as they finished the regular season hot. They played very well for most of the game, but choked in the end. As I said in my analysis, I wouldn't be surprised by a sweep, and that's what's probably going to end up happening.

The Nuggets disappointed me yet again tonight, losing 86-100 to fall 3-1 in the series. I see alot of the Nuggets games living in Colorado, and I went to a few, and based off of that, I thought they were going to take this series in at least 6 games. I see that's not oging to happen. They have played horribly this series, and the Clippers have stepped up and decided to take their spot. There's at least one pick gone wrong for me. Hopefully the others don't disappoint me as much as this series.

Personally, I hope your Lakers Suns pick is wrong, but that is mainly because I hate the M$#%f()&^ing Lakers...

I have been highly impressed with the Bulls today. I knew the Bulls would play hard, and give it all they have, but I didn't expect them to play quite this well. They are looking to even the series at 2-2, leading 65-59 heading into the 4th.

[Edited on 4/30/2006 by GiantsFan]

Gibbs, I too wish my pick for the lakers will be wrong. being a Kings Fan, I hate the Lakers just as much as you do, if not more. But i think they are going to take the series, though noone I know believes me. (Except the Lakers fans)

The Bulls had an impressive win today. Playing like they have in the last two games, maybe their chances of advancing to the second round isn't too far-fetched. I would like to see the Bulls advance... it's nice seeing different teams in the playoffs for once.

Yeah, I see the Bulls winning this one. They were close in Miami in games 1 and 2, then dominated them in Game 3. Now it's 2-2 and they clearly have the momentum.

I have to go to work soon, so I'm recording the end of the Suns-Lakers game. It's slow-paced today, only 41-41 with a few seconds left in the first half. The Lakers can take command of this series with a win. I'm really impressed how LA has played this game. Kobe has been on the bench with three fouls for all of the second quarter. Nash just airballed with 4.7 left. Kobe just entered for the final shot. He missed the shot, so it's 41-41 at the half. Well, I'm off to work.

Wow this Lakers-Suns game was amazing. Hopefully I'm not ruining the ending for anyone but Kobe hit a game winning shot in overtime. Lakers lead the series 3-1, which I was not expecting at all. It looks like theres more of a chance of seeing a Lakers-Clippers series, which I think would be fantastic.

The Lakers stole a win in yet another amazing buzzer beater ga,me. But he didn't just do it once. He hit the tying shot at the end of regulation with .7 seconds remaining, then hit the GW shot as time expired in the extra session. I knew the lakers were going to be a big threat,, and knew they were going to advance. Many are surprised, but i can't see why. Kobe and the Lakers always step up their game in the playoffs.

And besides, Phil jackson is 44-0 in series that he leads in. I say the Suns take game 5, but the lakers respond with a series ending win in game 6.

Re the discussion of basketball refs:

They have this attitude, much like hockey zebras in playoff games that go to OT, that they don't want to be the one to "decide the outcome of the game."

That's all fine and well, you know, but what they somehow fail to grasp is that by allowing all sorts of blatantly illegal stuff to go on--e.g., Jordan's infamous and much-discussed push-off against Utah--they ARE deciding the outcome of the game. Worse, they're altering the game's outcome in a way that is W-R-O-N-G.

Now, I know all about feeling infuriated over a terrible call that comes right before the final buzzer, and changes the game's outcome. The year after Jordan retired, in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Bulls and Knicks knotted at two games apiece and the Knicks holding home court advantage, Pippen got called for a b.s. foul with just over 1 second left and the Bulls up by one. If there's no whistle, the Knicks lose for sure and go back to Chicago down 3-2 for Game 6. Instead, the guy makes both free throws and the Bulls, under pressure, lose Game 6 at home.

I could have killed that zebra.

BUT, for every time that happens, I think there are 50 times when a zebra "decides" the outcome of an NBA playoff game by swallowing a whistle he obviously should have blown. And if it's not 50, it's at least 20. (Meanwhile, in hockey, what exactly does somebody have to do to cause an OT power play in the playoffs?)

I think it's so wrong. The zebras have to call the game when it's down to the wire, not stand there like three blind rats. Although I continue to feel the Cards got screwed worse on Denkinger's missed call at first base in the 1985 World Series, I sure understand the fury of Jazz fans over M.J.'s pushoff, and there's no f'ing way all the zebras failed to see THAT!

Year after year, outcome-altering fouls are committed in the final minute of various playoff games, and despite being very obvious, they are not called.

This is an age-old problem, and while Stern's biggest concern is rightfully the game's image because of all its young thugs, he might want to have a LONG talk with his zebras about the game's integrity.

BHN

The Cavs put up a good effort tonight, but it wasn't enough to avoid a 106-96 loss to the Wizards. The win evened the series up at 2-2. LeBron had a game high 38 points, scoring 18 in the best single quarter scoring amount in franchise history, in the first quarter. What may have been a factor in the cavs loss was LeBron being held scoreless in the 3rd quarter, after having 25 at halftime. Arenas gad 34 and jamison had 22 to lead the Wizards to a victory.

The Sacramento Kings pulled off a blowout win tonight against the Spurs. At one point they were leading by 26, and ultimately won by 18. the biggest deficit this season was 18 points at the beginning of the season. Bonzi Wells had 25 points and added 17 points in Sacramento's 102-84 win. Ginobili and Finley was held to just 3 points. At mid-point in the 4th quarter, the Spurs only had 2 Offensive rebounds, finishing with 7.

The biggest thing to keep in mind in this series: Had Barry's three missed, Sacramento, the 8 seed, would be up 3-1 in the series. Sacramento has a lot of momentum, and extremely high confidence. And with Bonzi Wells playing as well as he has, averaging a double-couble, the Kings just may run away with the series.

Also, 95% of the teams up 2-0 in the series have gone on to win. People had told me my Kings over Spurs pick was a crackpot one, but all they looked at was stats and records. Basketball is a game of match-ups, and the Kings can play any type of game, Fast-paced, Post, and whatever else a team might throw at them. That's what makes the Kings so dangerous. But if the Kings want to take the series, the HAVE to win game 5. If they lose game 5, they lose the series. basically, the winner of game 5, will be the team to advance.

FIRST OFF, would everyone please congratulate me? It's now after 10:30 p.m. here on the Pacific Coast, and a 500-page death penalty "brief" that I've worked on for the past FIVE YEARS will get copied and bound tomorrow, and sent to the California Supreme Court by Federal Express on Tuesday. This means that other than submitting a nice fat bill for this portion of my services in another week or two, I am DONE working on this leviathan for several months!!! :party-smiley-018:

So, before I dive into another murder appeal--or some godawful sex crimes appeal--I am going to watch some NBA playoff games.

Today marked the first day I've read up on what's going on. I'm AMAZED Nash and the Suns are in a 3-1 hole, of course, and all the more so amazed the "one-man team" has put them there. I'm also stunned that the Kings are even with the Spurs, even though I realize they've almost surely won their last game of this season. (THERE, mighty Spurs, I've jinxed you!) As I said elsewhere today, I'm just flabbergasted the Clippers--hoops' equivalent of Bill Bidwill's godforsaken Arizona Cardinals--are still alive, much less ahead 3-1 in any playoff round.

Here's one happy thought for everyone:

You won't have to read any discursions from me about Bob Pettite, Wilt, Mikan, West, Russell, et alia, and all of their distantly past marvelous feats... because I don't know diddly about that stuff!!! (self-effacing lol)

DEAR GIANTS FAN: I offer you my sincere thanks for putting up all of the info. You've made it a lot easier for me to follow all this stuff. I muchly [ ] appreciate it.

BHN

GiantsFan, don't forget that if Martin's shot had missed in Game 3, the Spurs would be up 3-1.

That was one unbelievable ending to the Lakers-Suns game! I have never seen anything like that before. At the end of regulation and at the end of overtime, the Suns had the lead with less than 10 seconds remaining. The first time they got a steal and then Kobe hit that ridiculous layup. The second time Luke Walton forced a jump ball, leading to Kobe's shot at the buzzer. The Suns blew that game twice!

I almost hate to admit it, but I have grown to like the Lakers. I like Lamar Odom and Luke Walton, and--as shocking as it is to me--I just love watching Kobe Bryant play. I am really anxious to see what they do next year. Odom, Walton, and Kwame Brown will all be more mature. The chemistry will be downright scary.

BHN, congrats on finishing that work load. I have no idea what that burden must feel like, heck, just putting a contract together in a week or two is enough fun, lol!

I'm a self-described NBA fan, and I have only seen parts of about 5 gaems so far this playoffs (not having cable will do that to you!) Anyway, I did catch most of the end of the Suns/Lakers game yesterday. I was amazed that the Lakers had balanced scoring . We'll see if they can hold on to this now down in Pheonix. I am sure that the next game will go to the Suns.

To be brief tonight, as I just got home, The Mavericks pulled of the sweep with a 26 point win over the Grizzlies. In my picks I said I wouldn't be surprised to see a sweep, and that holds true. though I though the Grizzlies would have at least played well enough to get at least one game. The Pistons won by 10 to take a 3-1 series lead, and the Clippers and nuggets are entering the 4th quarter, and it looks like the Nuggets season is over. The biggest dissapointment by far this year in the playoffs.

Thanks for the thanks, Gibbs.

Yeah, you're right. It's a real bear at times. And we don't get to talk to ANYONE about it, because who the hell wants to hear the details of some brutal, heinous murder and the photos I had to look at of the victim--or the explicit detail of some sex perv's depravities? It's stuff that has to be done, and those who do it have to keep the specific facts to themselves. (I suppose I could pay some shrink to listen to nauseating details, but why? So he/she needs shrinkage, lol?)

But Gibbs, you and several others are consistently friendly to me, and don't think I don't appreciate it. This place is a healthy diversion and a nice place to come when I need to lift my head out of the cesspool that is our criminal "justice" system with its godawful "judges," cops (the absolute worst), win-at-all-costs prosecutors, win-at-all-costs defense attorneys (trial ones, I mean), etc., etc.

It's been my pleasure to meet some very ethically-centered individuals here, and don't think it doesn't make a difference in my life. (That's a BIG nod of the head to you, Y.R.)

BHN

BHN- congrats on finishing that brief. (Makes you wonder why they're called "briefs" doesn't it?)

Pacers still scrapping to stay in it. I don't think they've got a prayer. Reggie's not around any more to bank in a 40 footer at the buzzer at the end of regulation like he did 4 years ago against the Nets (Ok, it was after the buzzer, but it counted). Pacers lost that one in OT and lost the overall series.

My .02 about the NBA playoffs- so far they've been more competitive than you might have expected given the seedings. This (IMO) is primarily due to so many teams expecting to just roll the ball out and they'll win. The teams having success are the ones playing team ball and defense. The teams not playing as a team are having some probs. Even Kobe has seemingly learned to trust his team mates more and not try to win it all by himself. (But I still hate Kobe).

Remember, Jordan never won without Pippen. It's still a team game. Look at the Bulls lighting up Miami. They're 2-2, but Chicago's won the last two. Scott Skiles is a hard nosed little SOB and can seemingly make them win through the sheer force of his will. I like Carlisle as a coach, but I'd take Skiles in a heartbeat. Liked him as a player, and he's destined to be a great coach.

It's wide open this year with no real clear-cut favorite at this point. Pre playoff, I picked Detroit and I still think that's solid, but they looked BAD in game 3 being pounded by the Bucks.