NBA Playoffs 2010

[Tiger Hawk]

So we now know the first round match-ups:

East
(1) Cavs vs (8) Bulls
(2) Magic vs (7) Bobcats
(3) Hawks vs (6) Bucks
(4) Celtics vs (5) Heat

West
(1) Lakers vs (8) Thunder
(2) Mavs vs (7) Spurs
(3) Suns vs (6) Blazers
(4) Nuggets vs (5) Jazz

Home court pretty much has it in the East but out West anything could happen. I can easily see all lower seeds winning through in those match-ups, particularly Jazz & Spurs. Blazers without Roy will be hard-pressed but they'll playing well and it's a young Thunder team up against the banged-up but proven defending champs. Some cracking match-ups for sure.

I'll stick with my pre-season prediction of Cavs vs Spurs Finals with Cavs getting through in 6.

 

[Ridders]

How about the West having eight 50 win teams in the play-offs. I could easily see the Spurs getting over Dallas.

It's a shame about Bogut because if he was healthy that Hawks vs Bucks series could have been special.

Despite their woes, I'll stick with my pick of a Lakers vs Magic Finals, where the Magic will prevail.

 

[Nth-Qld-Raider]

How about the West having eight 50 win teams in the play-offs. I could easily see the Spurs getting over Dallas.

It's a shame about Bogut because if he was healthy that Hawks vs Bucks series could have been special.

Despite their woes, I'll stick with my pick of a Lakers vs Magic Finals, where the Magic will prevail.

I'll stick with you Ridders, Lakers vs Magic in the Final, with the Magic to win this year, they have been the best team since the All-Star break.

Its going to be good playoff series all round, the home teams should win 1st round in the East, the West is up for grabs, looks like it will be close there.

 

[ByRd]

Cant wait for the playoffs, alot of good first round match ups and will be some entertaining bball, hopefully the Lakers can turn it on and defend their title, cmon boys!!!

 

[Ridders]

Man I gotta say, I'm a bit worried about the Lakers. I think we'll get over OKC but things just seem to be going wrong for us at the wrong time off the season.

Bynum's status is uncertain, although it seems he'll be back for the first round. Vujacic is hurt. Kobe's hurt and his shooting has been horrendous lately. Our bench is playing poorly. Bynum returning is going to be really important. We need Odom to be able to get back to his bench spot.

 

[andrew057]

Durant: Comments were 'disrespectful'


ESPN.com news services

The posturing has begun between the Lakers and the Thunder.
Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson told reporters Wednesday that Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant gets preferential treatment from referees.
"Yeah, by the calls he gets, he really gets to the line a lot, I'll tell ya," Jackson said, according to The Oklahoman's Web site.

“

If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that's just taking away from how I play. That's disrespectful to me.
” -- Kevin Durant​

But Durant, who didn't get a key foul call at the end of a 140-139 overtime loss to the Jazz last week, wasn't happy with Jackson suggesting he's a pampered superstar.

"Because it's taking away from what I do," Durant said, according to The Oklahoman. "That's a part of my game, getting to the free-throw line and being aggressive. If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that's just taking away from how I play. That's disrespectful to me.

"I don't disrespect nobody in this league," Durant said, according to the report. "I respect every coach, every player, everybody. I never say anything bad about anybody else or question why they do this or do that. So for them to say that about me, I don't even want to use no foul language."

Jackson might be setting the stage to get a few calls to go his way, but Durant doesn't believe it will work.

"If the refs pay attention to that and change how they call things because of that, that's terrible," Durant said, according to the newspaper. "That's terrible to the game of basketball and to us. If that happens, then [coach] Scotty [Brooks] could talk, too. Or any other coach could talk, too, just so the refs could switch everything up. But I doubt they do that.

"They're smarter than that, and they have more skills than that as refs. So I don't really worry about it too much," he added, according to the report.
Jackson isn't the first to publicly wonder why Durant gets as many free throw attempts as he does. Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said after a 109-104 loss on March 31 to the Thunder, in which a few crucial calls went Durant's way, that playing Durant was like going up against "Michael [expletive] Jordan."

"Ever since KG said something, everybody's been questioning how I get to the line," Durant said, according to the report. "If you watch our games, you wouldn't question it. The NBA should put us on national TV more, I guess."

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5091485&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines




Poor form from Phil, he does know the team he coaches has Kobe Bryant in it right? Bit of feeling in this series will be nice.

 

[Ridders]

Phil's just trying to get into the refs heads.

Zen Master doin work.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

"If the refs pay attention to that and change how they call things because of that, that's terrible," Durant said, according to the newspaper. "That's terrible to the game of basketball and to us. If that happens, then [coach] Scotty [Brooks] could talk, too. Or any other coach could talk, too, just so the refs could switch everything up. But I doubt they do that.

"They're smarter than that, and they have more skills than that as refs. So I don't really worry about it too much," he added, according to the report.

Brilliant - turns it right around!

If the refs weren't favouring him before, they will be now!

 

[The Dodger]

im looking at the fox tv guide, why isn't there a game being played tomorrow?

sunday is the next game being played on either ESPN or One HD.

that sucks balls.

 

[Ridders]

Yeah there is like a 2-3 day break between the end of the regular season and the start of of the playoffs.

Roy is going to have surgery on his right knee and will miss the first series against the Suns

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5095872

 

[Choppies]

Thats the Blazers done Id say.

 

[Ridders]

DENVER — Usual starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko is out, for the series. Starting power forward Carlos Boozer may or may not play in Game 1, his earlier declaration notwithstanding. And starting center Mehmet Okur says he'll play, though not nearly at full strength.DENVER — Usual starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko is out, for the series. Starting power forward Carlos Boozer may or may not play in Game 1, his earlier declaration notwithstanding. And starting center Mehmet Okur says he'll play, though not nearly at full strength.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...drei-Kirilenko-out-for-series-vs-Nuggets.html

 

[ByRd]

Thats just Phil doing what he does best, also adds some spice to the series

 

[Ridders]

I wonder who's going to check Westbrook for LA. You'd think that it would have to be Kobe while Fisher is on the floor. Not ideal tbh.

 

[Ridders]

Heat vs Celtics on today at 10 am (EST) on ESPN.

 

[Ridders]

Chicago vs Cleveland on atm. Game on

 

[Ridders]

Got this pic from the espn page. Andy seems to be enjoying himself. Noah, not so much

 

[Ridders]

Shaq looks good. Schooling Noah atm. Cleveland up 68-48 in the 3rd. Seems as though a sweep is on the cards.

 

[Ridders]

Go Rose. Carrying the Bulls atm

 

[Ridders]

Nice win by the Celtics over the Heat. Will be interesting to see if KG is suspended for throwing an elbow at Q.Rich's face.