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NBA Playoff Matchups in the West

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:04:10 +0000

Ah, the Western Conference. Some people still say this is where it’s at.

And with good reason too because in the West, it doesn’t matter what seed you are because any one of these Western Conference teams can go on and win the NBA championship. In the 2010 NBA playoffs, it’s more or less the same story.

Heck, Kevin Durant, the youngest player ever to win the scoring title this season, will be playing from the no.8 seed with the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder. You see, these guys could go on and advance to, probably the second round of the playoffs. The problem is, they will be on a head-on collision with the no.1 seed Los Angeles Lakers.

That’s right, it’s the defending champions for the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s probably why NOBODY expects them to get past the Lakers in the first round other than them Thunder players and their mommas.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Kevin Durant and the season he had but when you pit him against Kobe Bryant? They don’t call him the Black Mamba for nothing.

The no.2 seed Dallas Mavericks take on the no.7 seed San Antonio Spurs in what is sure to be an exciting Texas shootout. Some people say the Mavericks, since the All-Star break, have supplanted the Denver Nuggets as the biggest threat to the Lakers in the West but since the Spurs caught fire late in the season, people are starting to reconsider that notion.

I mean, this is the San Antonio Spurs we’re talking about, the model of consistency in the NBA. And with a healthy Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili once again leading the charge, you can’t deny that the Spurs is one team to watch out for.

But if there’s one team that can be considered the team that can be considered the ”darkhorse” if you will to beat the Lakers in the West, it would have to be the no.3 seed Phoenix Suns.

The Suns clicked at the right time and...

Can the LA Lakers win the title again?

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:06:13 +0000

That's if Gasol can return in time for the Lakers.

In case you didn’t know, the 2009 NBA basketball season is here. And since we already have the NFL season underway and the MLB playoffs starting to heat up, it’s certainly nice to be a sports fan at this time of the year.

And as far as the NBA season is concerned, the Los Angeles Lakers will try to defend Kobe’s first ever title without Shaq, hoping that last June’s successful run to the title will be the first of successive championship seasons. After all, teams coached by Phil Jackson are known to win titles by threes. But do they have enough this season to win it all again?

With the departure of Trevor Ariza, mercurial stalwart Ron Artest should quickly fill that hole. At this point of his career, Artest just wants to win a title so hopefully, he won’t be a distraction to this Lakers team like he once was with the last few teams that he played for.

Back to back titles would virtually be a wrap if the Lakers could get steadier production from big guys Andrew Bynum and Josh Powell. The team’s Jekyll and Hyde play is still a concern but as long as Kobe Bryant keeps this team together, they will still be in the position to win a world title.

If there’s one team that can challenge the Lakers this season, it would have to be the very team they played in the conference finals last season, the Denver Nuggets. After acquiring a true floor leader in Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets tied their franchise record of 54 regular season victories back in the 2008-09.

Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony will continue to stand out, so it’s up to their big men Kenyon Martin, Nene and Chris Andersen to come through again if the team hopes to duplicate their Western Conference Finals stint and finally take the next step towards playing for the NBA championship.

Also looking for better things this year are...

Lakers look to take 3-1 lead over Magic

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:42:22 +0000

If they can, then we’ll probably start paying attention to those guys.

The road to the title continues in the NBA with Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic set to be played this Thursday in Orlando, Florida.

Last Tuesday night, the Orlando Magic made history by taking their very first win in the NBA Finals, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3, 108-104. That’s right, this franchise finally won one.

You see, it wasn’t so long ago when a Magic team led by a young Shaquille O’Neal was swept by Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets. This franchise finally winning a game in the NBA Finals last Tuesday night was vindication, to say the least.

Of course, despite making history, the Los Angeles Lakers are still in front in this series, 2-1. The Orlando Magic still have a lot of work to do too, they still need to beat this Lakers team three more times to win the title, not to mention the fact that they need to win this Thursday and tie the series to give themselves a shot in this best of seven affair.

The problem is, the Lakers will come out more focused, even more determined, and a little agitated.

You see, the way the Lakers finished Game 3 should be more than enough reason for these guys to feel apprehensive. The Lakers team that finished that game wasn’t the same team that won the first two games of this series. In Game 3, the Lakers gave it away to the Magic, with Kobe Bryant missing key free throws and committing huge turnovers down the stretch that paved the way for Orlando to win it.

Maybe the Lakers took Game 3 off since they did have a commanding 2-0 lead coming into Amway Arena last Tuesday. Maybe they just needed to find out how far can the Magic take them if a win in a game as big as Game 3 was at stake. Maybe the Lakers just wanted to keep this series interesting. After all, would you still be interested if the Lakers went up 3-0 in Orlando?

One thing’s for sure though, the Lakers...

The 2009 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Magic

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:39:33 +0000

The NBA Finals have finally arrived and it’s Tinseltown going up against Disneyland.

You read it, the 2009 NBA Finals are finally here and facing for the first time for all the marbles will be the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. The Lakers were able to eliminate the Nuggets in six games to get here while the Magic gave everybody’s pick to win the title back to Cleveland for good, at least until late October hits again.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been here the most among any other franchise in NBA history. From the days of Magic Johnson to the incredible one-two punch of the Kobe - Shaq era, the Lakers have been playing for titles for quite some time now.

This year, Kobe Bryant will try to win a championship ring without a seven-foot, 300-pound Shaquille O’Neal by his side, and he hopes to improve where he failed last year against the Boston Celtics.

The Orlando Magic? This is only the second time in the history of their franchise that they have been this far. The last time they got here ended in a humbling sweep by the Houston Rockets. Ironically, Shaquille O’Neal was also part of it and while he gave the Lakers some memorable moments in their three-year title reign, his history with Orlando was a sour one when his inability to shoot free throws was exposed by Houston to win the title.

This year, Orlando is being led by a new Man of Steel. While Shaq already established himself as the Man of Steel back when he was playing in Orlando, Dwight Howard has done enough to merit being branded as the city’s new Superman. And now that he has led the team back to the NBA Finals, Orlando is hoping this Superman will at least have the Magic last longer than the last time they got here.

It’s Tinseltown going up against Disneyland....

Can the Lakers finish off the Nuggets?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:02:11 +0000

The Lakers are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals.

The 2009 NBA Playoffs just keep on getting better and better each day. We already know that the Cavaliers have postponed the inevitable when they defeated Orlando in Game 5 to keep their season alive. In the West, well, the Lakers on Friday have the opportunity to do what the Magic failed at in Cleveland, finish off the competition.

You read it, the NBA Playoffs continue this Friday as the Los Angeles Lakers, up 3-2 in the 2009 NBA Western Conference Finals, will have a chance to return to the NBA Finals by finishing off the Denver Nuggets. However, since the Nuggets will be home for Game 6, it won’t be easy.

The Denver Nuggets need this elimination game to be played on their own floor too since every bad call imaginable in basketball was slapped on them in Los Angeles. Well, that’s what some of the Nuggets claim anyway.

According to one Nuggets player who refuses to identify himself for fear of retribution from the league, the Los Angeles Lakers paid the referees officiating Game 5 in Los Angeles to give them the game and the 3-2 advantage.

‘’The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game. They got their money’s worth.'’

The Nuggets complaining about the officiating after losing a playoff game doesn’t surprise me since it was only a few days ago when it was the Lakers who were playing the blame game on the referees after losing to the Nuggets, 120-101, in Game 4.

Yep, the Lakers were not so happy about that one. Lakers coach Phil Jackson and the entire Lakers organization were even fined $50,000 by the NBA for complaining about the calls made in Game 4.

Game 6 should be a nice game. Hopefully...

Lakers – Nuggets. Game 1 Betting Tips

Jeffdstuff — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:38:42 +0000

The Lakers were able to advance to the conference finals after finally eliminating Houston.

Waiting for them of course, are the Denver Nuggets who have already secured their spot in the 2009 NBA Western Conference Finals days ahead of Kobe Bryant and company.

It’s the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets for the Western Conference title as the 2009 NBA Playoffs have already narrowed down the initial 16-team field to the final four.

For Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, he is looking forward to facing-off with one of his Team USA teammates that won the gold in Beijing, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

‘’That’s my man,'’ Carmelo Anthony said, who then flashed a smile. ‘’But I don’t know him this week.

As far as facing the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers is concerned, Antony said, ‘’We’re very confident. Not cocky, but confident.'’ Yes, perhaps Anthony has every reason to be confident considering the kind of season they’re having.

The Nuggets have been on a roll thanks to Chauncey Billups and his leadership. Coming from Detroit via a trade, he transformed this team to a legitimate contender for the NBA championship. That’s something considering that just 12 months ago, this was a team in turmoil. The Nuggets had been bounced out from the playoffs for a fifth straight season, and changes were made to the staff and roster out of financial necessity.

To say that the team was in a downward spiral would be an understatement and it’s amazing how one trade can change everything.

STILL, as long as Kobe Bryant and his insatiable appetite...

Rockets try to force a Game 7 in LA

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:08:09 +0000

Can the Rockets bring it back to LA?

In what is turning out to be one of the most predictable games you can bet on in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals series between the Lakers and the Rockets is on this Thursday and Yao Ming will still be on street clothes, leaving his team prey to the visiting predators from LA.

You read it, after the Los Angeles Lakers literally obliterated the Rockets at the Staples Center 118-78 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead, another win for the Purple and Gold seems inevitable. After all, the Lakers are coming off a 40-point win. And without Yao Ming to defend the paint for the Rockets, the Lakers should have a field day scoring inside yet again.

After being criticized by Magic Johnson following a humbling loss back in Game 4, the Lakers dominated the Houston Rockets right from the get-go in Game 5. If Magic provided the wake-up call, the Lakers were definitely awake, cranky but awake.

Led by Kobe Bryant who scored 26 points, the Rockets never had a chance. Pau Gasol chimed in with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Andrew Bynum came up with his best performance in the playoffs at last, scoring a playoff-high 14 points.

If the Lakers will always play this way every single time a Hall of Famer like Magic Johnson will describe the Lakers as a disgrace to Laker fans, then by all means, infuriate these Lakers some more. If that’s what it takes to get these Lakers to play at this level, I reckon Kobe Bryant won’t mind.

However, SINCE the Lakers did win Game 5 by a huge margin, what happens if the Lakers are not mad anymore? Will they revert back to that Laker team that lost in Game 4 to the Rockets who were playing without Yao Ming?

Magic Johnson better stand in...

Lakers – Rockets Game 3, it’s Personal

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:37:58 +0000

After the jawing, the technical fouls and the elbows, yes, this series is personal now.

With homecourt advantage in their favor, the Houston Rockets look to take a 2-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers when their best of seven series in the 2009 NBA Playoffs resume for Game 3 in Houston.

After shocking the league with a 100-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1, the Houston Rockets were bullied, tossed around and whooped in Game 2 as the Lakers obviously played this pesky Rockets team more physical than any other team they played all year.

The result was a 111-98 win for the Los Angeles Lakers, tying this series to a game apiece as they head for Texas looking to take the homecourt edge back.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 40 points, including an elbow on Ron Artest that infuriated the Artest we saw who became infamous at the Palace of Auburn Hills a few years ago. And in case you missed the game, Game 2 was more like a brawl than a basketball game.

Emotions boiled over in the second half as Lakers guard Derek Fisher and Rockets forward Ron Artest were both ejected from the game.

Derek Fisher was ejected for throwing a vicious elbow on Luis Scola who was making a pick. Fisher saw the Rockets forward before he went through him with what looked like an uppercut.

Ron Artest, on the other hand, was ejected a few minutes later when he hauled for Kobe’s ass after the Lakers star threw another elbow on him.

You just know that the Toyota Center won’t...

Can the Lakers take 3-0 lead over Utah?

Jeffdstuff — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:46:13 +0000

Kobe Bryant smells blood.

The 2009 NBA Playoffs continue in Salt Lake City, Utah where the Utah Jazz hope to take advantage of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers as they visit the Jazz where they are virtually unbeatable the last couple of years, the Energy Solutions Arena.

Isn’t it ironic that the Utah Jazz, down 0-2 in their series with the Lakers, are hoping to find the energy and solution to beat L.A. in front of their home crowd at the Energy Solutions Arena?

For their fans’ sake, they better find them soon. You see, the Los Angeles Lakers won the first two games of this series by double digits, winning Game 1 by 13, 125-112 before winning again in Game 2, 119-109.

In case you didn’t notice, the final score of the first two games suggest that the Jazz played better on Game 2 than they did on the first one. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t matter since the Lakers had all their stars aligned last Tuesday night.

It was a balanced attack from the Lakers as all five of their starters scored in double digits. Kobe Bryant scored 26, Pau Gasol 22, Trevor Ariza continues his surprising play in the postseason with 13 points, Derek Fisher added 11 and Andrew Bynum had 10.

To make matters worse, the Lakers bench also came up big as Lamar Odom came up with 19 off the bench while Shannon Brown added 12.

Still, despite the two dominant victories, Kobe Bryant is...

2009 NBA Playoffs Preview: West

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:16:58 +0000

I guess you can call it the wild and wackier side of the postseason.

Yep, unlike the Eastern Conference, seven of the eight seeds in the West for the 2009 NBA Playoffs were not determined yet until they played the last game of the regular season.

While everybody knew the Los Angeles Lakers will remain on top of the field, nobody knew which teams will occupy seeds two to eight. But now that the dust has cleared and the 82-game regular season finally came to a close, we already have the seedings complete.

Playing the top-seeded Lakers are the no.8 seed Utah Jazz. This might be a tougher series than the Lakers expect. Sure, the Jazz have a big problem with winning games on the road this season, but at 33-19 against conference opponents, Utah is still a tough nut to crack in the West. And as good as the Jazz are in the West, they are even better at home.

The rejuvenated Denver Nuggets, led by their court general Chauncey Billups, will take on the New Orleans Hornets as the overall no.2 seed in the conference. Nobody anticipated how good of an impact Chauncey Billups will have on Denver but can he outplay CP3?

Even though the New Orleans Hornets can only muster seed no.7, Chris Paul still remains as a solid candidate for MVP. It’ll be nice watching Chauncey take on CP3. And while Denver appears to be the more talented team on paper, it’ll still be a shocker if they can get past the Hornets to get to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in quite a while.

A good ol’ fashioned shootout in Texas is next as the no.3 seed San Antonio Spurs take on their state rivals, Dallas Mavericks, to kick off their postseason campaign. Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry will be put to the test as they take on arguably the most consistent team in the NBA.

However, as good as the San Antonio Spurs have been in years, they’re starting to show the effects of the wear and tear they accumulated playing in the league together. Can their old wheels still be fast enough to keep up with the run and gun pace of the Dallas Mavericks?

Last but certainly not the least, we have the no.4 seed Portland Trail Blazers playing the no.5 seed Houston Rockets.

The Blazers are arguably one of the most exciting teams to...