The Thing (Blog) That Should Not Be.

Just Some Thoughts

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:39:47 GMT

Hello there.

I'm Mac. I used to be quite the regular to this site some time ago; actually a year ago to be exact. Before leaving I'd been here as one of the top contributors for about two-years, roughly my entire Junior and Senior years in high school and a bit beyond, before the site went through changes and I subsequently, bailed.

Anyway, just thought I'd pop back in and jot down a few thoughts, you know, for the purpose already stated, and mostly to check in on this place and kill some time on this Sunday night.

Bears and Falcons start any minute now for Sunday Night Football on NBC. I really love Sunday Night Football. Much more than I do at any other time when football is going on, other than naturally the Super Bowl. It's a great time for football, as its not the middle of the day when just sitting on the couch watching a game seems sad and depressing to your schedule, because mostly for me and my years of fanhood, it's always spent alone. Sunday nights are different, as people's schedules become more open and we all know night is the socially acceptable time for get-togethers.

So family or friends usually are available to come chill, eat, drink and rejoice in the glory that is football. And to top it off, Chris Collinsworth is calling the game. I love this guy, because as I put it, he's a great football guy, with playing experience and a wonderful analytical touch, who also never forgets he's a fan too.

Tonight is great, even though I'm alone in my barracks room here at Fort Hood, TX. My Bears are 3-1, going into a game against the very good looking Atlanta Falcons, who just got done squashing the bandwagon that was barreling across the west-coast that is the following for the 49ers, last week in San Fran with a score of 45-10. Matt Ryan is looking great and so is Tony Gonzalez, which is looking to be one of the best off-season moves in the NFL right now. Chicago is looking good as well, with Jay Cutler becoming more and more like the guy Chicago front office members wanted and saw in Denver ever since the gutty win over the defending champion Steelers.

Cutler's efficiency at quarterback is mirroring the former man for the Bears, Kyle Orton, who's replaced him for the Broncos. Cutler even looked like a former Broncos QB recently with his epic spinning dive into the endzone last week, resembling the late-great John Elway. Chicago should look to run the ball tonight and do their best to dictate the time of possesion category in order to keep Matt Ryan off the field, because I can already see him lighting up the Bears defense -- I just have this sense of it for some reason.

Denver by the way are looking, well, fantastic. And who would've thunk it? That's the statement that's been tossed around for the past week or so all across the sports broadcasting ranks, and it's legit... because really, who the hell thought before the season the Denver Broncos would win five-games, much less their first five. As a Bears fan, I knew Kyle Orton had a way of winning games for Monsters of the Midway, but by that same token, I always contributed it to how the Bears had such a turnover/scoring-happy defense, deadly special teams and this mystique that helped them win games they didnt have any business winning. (Cardinals, this season's Steelers game, etc)

So yes, I'm not buying into the Broncos right now. Sure, Josh McDaniel's is a energizing young coach who is exactly how I'd imagine myself as a coach. (maybe with a little more John Gruden in me at times; screaming, cursing) The defense is revitalized and stifling, much like years past. Brandon Marshall is easily one of the best receivers in the game, overtaking one of my favorites, Steve Smith -- although, I'd blame Jake Delhomme for any woes any Panther is having right now.

But still, I'm not buying the kool aid being sampled across the country for the Broncos. I'm still waiting on Kyle Orton to start looking like the average QB I know him to be and the defense begin bending.

Maybe it's also because I adore the Patriots and want to see them succeed, even if I'm a Bears, Panthers and casual Saints fan.

Maybe it's just stubborn bias. But for now, stubborn as it may be, the Broncos are not one of the better teams in the league. They're this year's Titans, folks: undefeated for a while, soon to become human, eventually going to fail in the postseason.

As far as who the best team is in the NFL right now, I'd of said the Giants today's games. Then the Giants got smoked by the Saints, a team much like the Broncos, I'm still skeptical on.

So at the moment, I'm taking the Top 5 NFL teams for Monopoly money, Alex.

1. New Orleans Saints

Really, Brees is out of this world right now. That defense has looked good at times, but giving up 27-points is nagging me right now. The Saints are looking phenomenal but I'm still on edge. Oh well, number one.

2. Indianapolis Colts

Peyton is looking like Peyton as usual and the defense is tops, even without Bob Sanders. Or do they have him back? I lose track of him sometimes and his injury routine.

3. Minnesota Vikings

143-yards for Peterson. Three-touchdowns for Favre. 33-points for the offense. Put all that together and you've got a win over the Ravens, a team a week ago before their loss to Cincy I was saying was a Top 5 team. Go Brett... and Vikings too.

4. Denver Broncos

I know I said virtually that the're overrated, but hell, they're undefeated and I'm obligated to give them SOME props. Josh McDaniel's and his fist throwing celebration may have also contributed to this spot.

5. New York Giants

So they got thrashed today, so what. That defense is still stout, they just got thumped by the offense EVERYONE is getting thumped by. Eli is one of the best in the game right now and he's surrounded by great, young receivers who are playing like they're five and six-year vets. And did I mention the dump-truck they've got?

Closing in on the Top 5: Ravens, Patriots and Falcons

Oh, and there goes the Bears game. Hester with a nice return. Bears offense on the field. Gotta go, got a game to indulge and obsess over for the next few hours. In the mean time, give some mad props to Alex Rodriguez for being Mr. October-2009.

Mac out.

Brett Scratched it Until it Bled... Green

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:34:53 GMT

Every drama has its ending; Mario Puzo's intertwinement of crime and family concluded in the form of 1990's film The Godfather: Part III, when after Michael Corleone -- the then aging crime family head -- screamed in silent-then-deafening horror at his daughter's murder, sat outside his home in Italy before then falling to the dirt in death... bringing one of film's greatest trilogies to a riveting close. The Sopranos shafted its viewers in its series finale -- JAG succumbed to its tired, hormonal and middle-aged fan base by letting Harm and Mack finally be together, throwing any intuition of avoiding corniness out the c.o.c.k.-pit window.

And now, what has been going on for over 16-years in Green Bay, Wisconsin and in the hearts of Packer faithful is now closed - at least for the self-proclaimed title town. Brett Favre has been for the past few seasons, a legend - as usual - that has shown no ability to think outside of himself, and not for the organization he's been a champion for for so long, the fans, his family, his teammates, and especially Aaron Rodgers, a young QB yet to ever get a start due to waiting with a headset on the sidelines while Brett throws touchdown after touchdown, interception after interception all in an effort to bring one more title home for the Cheesheads. Favre has created his own version of a modern Shakespearean play, titled "To Play or Not to Play" for the second-half of the 2000's. For the past few years, every off-season comes and goes, with number-four waiting, and waiting, and waiting until the last moments to decide whether to stay or go; and always being staying. After a remarkable 2007 season, in which Favre had career numbers, setting numerous records - both he'd like to remember and forget - he decided it was time to hang them up. The Packers had made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game in 2007. That was the last game of Favre's career, according to Favre shortly thereafter.

Then, he had an itch. An itch he had to scratch. (Oh, don't we all have this problem?) Brett made some phone calls, seeking someone to help him with this itch... either to make it go away, or rub it raw until it bleeds - green.

Green, as in the New York Jets green. After just over a month long stalemate with Ted Thompson and the Packer Organization, Favre was reinstated, then, showing true classic Favre mind tricks, Brett made it clear he wasn't wishing to be a Packer and flew back home. Hours later, he's a New York Jet, jumping onto a sinking ship with hopes of using the likes of Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery and other offensive tools to -- pardon this -- re-tool a retched Jets team that has been struggling at the QB spot for a few years. Oh, how we hung on for dear life through it all. Screaming in pain and confusion, begging to know what was in the box. And unlike the horror in Gweneth Paltrow's head, we have a mixture of joy, disbelief, exasperation, disgust and surprise. Rick Reilly said Brett was like a seven-year old girl; a drama queen; a primadona. To me, we're all in his court, being pulled along by wires through the desire of the puppeteer above -- Favre. If that's too cynical for you, then you're either a Packers fan or just too tired of watching update after update on ESPN News, and couldn't care one way or another.

Despite any backlash I feel towards number-four, it is nice to see him back in uniform - although the one I nor anyone had envisioned - and ready to lace ‘em up, dawn another helmet, take hold of an offense, a team, a fan base, and make one more run in the sun. What we thought was his "Eclipse" last winter in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field is now only an afterthought; casting Chad Pennington astray and facing off against AFC foes is in the forefront, crawlin' closer and closer ‘to the present. And I welcome it. I welcome Brett back to the NFL, back to contention, back to where he can be a kid again. I want to see his laser arm in action; his playful grin, his perilous attempts at victory, even, his interceptions.

But that's only part of my outlook on his return.

Part one: elation. Part two: pessimism and ultimately, apathy. If I had a singular question for Brett as of this moment, it'd be if he truly believed coming to the Jets was a positive move in his life. Do they really, truthfully, have a chance at another Super Bowl, because, doing my best to pin-point the obvious here, outside of feeling the desire to play again, he just wants another ring. Another taste of Super Bowl XXXI, another pass to Andre Rison, another leap into the air with his helmet clinging to his golden fingers. No matter what the critics say - the ones staring at the 2007 schedule and the numbers four and 12 - the Jets are something Brett can hurdle into contention. Adding Alan Faneca to protect Brett, you've got a chance to at least keep him on his feet. Throw in Dustin Keller at TE and you've got one more target outside of Cotchery and Coles. Look behind him in their formation during upcoming practices and you'll see a feisty two-headed monster bearing down on the turf, begging for a chance to run too day-light. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington will most likely get their shots to erupt into the second level of opposing defenses with Favre calling the signals, providing that same deep threat he brought in Green Bay, whether he had Antonio Freeman making improbable catches on Monday Night Football or Donald Drive and Greg Jennings. The offense that was 26^th last season in the NFL surely has a shot at cracking the top 15 this season. There's just one, or a large number of problems, that stands in their way: The heavily stacked AFC.

This makes the hair stand up on the necks of Packer front-office men. That conditional draft pick they acquired and its value is dependent on how Brett and the Jets do in 2008. In 2009, if the Jets made the Super Bowl and Brett performed highly as an individual, the Pack's pick turns from a dull, fourth-rounder, to a blossoming first-round draft pick, giving the Packers the luxury of nabbing a high caliber player. Looking at the AFC, one starts to lose the sudden burst of hope that was once exuberant with life and excitement after Brett's move to the Big Apple. For sure, any sane person knows they can't win the AFC East. There's no way past the goliath Patriots, and those pesky Bills are a tough out, ala the Baltimore Orioles. Skamper on down the list on ESPN.com, and you see a laundry list of teams capable of killing Brett's dream of hoisting another silver trophy:

Broncos -- possibly; Chiefs -- maybe; Chargers -- definitely; Ravens -- only if Kyle Boller doesn't show up to camp; Bengals -- defense; Browns -- too foolish to label as a one-hit wonder; Steelers -- Big Ben is still there; Colts -- No comment; Jaguars -- good luck running on them; and the Titans -- stout run-attack, both offensively and defensively.

All are teams capable of making the post season. All teams in the way of the Jets and Brett Favre's pursuit of avoiding looking like a total fool in coming back.

That... and fulfilling the promise he's surely stressed over and over to Deanna that him going back to football is good and will work out alright. I doubt she's too pleased about all this, eh Brett?

Combine elation that Brett Favre is back in the NFL with the doubts he'll have any success and a diminished legacy, reputation and a loss of respect for the man the past few years, culminating in the past few days, and you've got where I rest on the issue now:

Indifference.

I guess I still like the man, seeing how I want to see him play some more, but that childhood idolization is gone. I won't mind seeing his gunslinger ways back in action, but the silent rooting is gone. If the Jets make the post season, it'll be okay, so much that I get to see some more totally against the grain plays made - and mistakes. If they don't: the shoulders will shrug, a grin will form, and words will form, taking shape and expelling:

Should've just stayed at home... you got what you wanted, now deal with it, Brett.

No matter what happens in the next few years in New York, it may have been better to just stay home... and apply some crème to that itch. Whether the Packers handled this poorly and wrongfully pushed him away is unforseeable to me at this point; I'm not going to point the finger at a franchise that has been held by their collective jewels for the past few years and wanted to move on, after they had thought that Favre had as well. It boggles my brain how Favre can so inexplicably not have any idea of understanding as to why he wasnt feeling welcome. Why they offered him money to stay away. Why they were playing hard-ball in stating that Aaron Rodgers was their QB. This was a business move, and one the Packers had to make. If not anything, a move to restore any sense of pride they had left. Who knows if Favre will ever realize that.

The Reality on the Team We Think is Destined to Fail

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:57:43 GMT

This isnt a magic trick. There is no punch line. It's not even a fluke.

It's for real.

Without leading you astray for too much longer, I'm talking about the Tampa Bay Rays. Those pesky former Devils that are playing better team baseball than anyone -- even the defending World Champions. They arent playing tonight, but many teams they've left in their wake are, like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees for instance.

At 52-32 and a mark of 8-2 in their last 10-games, the Rays are overall 24-15 against divisional opponents and are leading the AL East by 3 games due to the 7-0 win by Boston in New York tonight. We've heard the stories, the overly repeated and stressed managerial job by Joe Maddon that started with him practically brainwashing his young team (average age of 27) into not just thinking, but believing that this was their year -- not next year, or the next, or sometime in the next decade.

The Rays have been in the Major Leagues for 10-years, and during those 10-years they only went through 15-days in first place. For the first nine-years of the teams existence, they had nine losing seasons that included five-years in which their win percentage was below 40%. (98, 01, 02, 03, 06) They've been the butt end of joke after joke, year after year and up until this season, had been done nothing but lose. During the decade of winless baseball the teams that put on the Rays uniforms saw Tropicana Field as hell. A place where players go to sit in desolation before their careers ended, or they were eventually used as trade bait that would result in only more disappointment for the team they had been moved from. The towering, domed roof created an enclosed sensation for the fans, players and all involved, ever more increasing the tension and idea that the Rays were truly the bottom feaders of the MLB rankings. The organization tried drawing up plans for a new stadium but never even attempted to present it to the city for they new that a team like theirs would never get anything but a chuckle.

But, there was always hope. That hope was personified in players like Carl Crawford, who's the longest tenured Ray being there since 2002. Scott Kazmir has been with the team since 2005, and has since led the Majors in strikeouts, giving the men in the front office one definite ideal to hold onto -- they had an ace. With that ace, they knew they also had a dynamic outfielder. Slowly they built up the farm system, bringing in young talent and surrounding their stars with them. In this past offseason, they picked up veteran line-drive hitter Cliff Floyd to add leadership to an extremely young team. They fixed the bullpen, which was literally the worst the MLB had seen in 50-odd years in 2007, by bringing in men like Troy Percival. Add B.J. Upton, Edwin Jackson and two-weeks into the season, third baseman Evan Longoria (no relation, Tony) to the mix and the Rays were finally looking like a team that would live up to what Joe Maddon had so incestantly preached during the weeks and months leading up to Opening Day. Throw in taking out the Devil in their name and reworked the uni's to look more sleek, to symbolize their promising future, and you've got something building in the depths of the AL East sea.

In 2007, the Rays were bar-none one of the worst teams in baseball pitching wise. Outside of Scott Kazmir and James Shields, no one else in the entire starting rotation had an ERA below 4.0. In fact, of the 17-pitchers in the bullpen, only two had an ERA below 4.0. The pitching staff's overal ERA ranked 14th in the AL at 5.53. There were only 26-saves made that year, which is four-less than what Francisco Rodriguez of the Anaheim Angels has right now. Flash forward to 2008 and you've got yourself a completely different stat sheet. There are a lot of the same names with a few others that have contributed to a pitching staff that is 4th in the AL in ERA at 3.67, 2nd in Opponent Batting Average, 4th in Saves, 4th in WHIP and has on the season five-complete games. The bullpen is one of the AL's best, which is nearly a complete Boston Celtics caliber turnaround.

The pitching is getting it done. And somehow, so is the offense. They have no sluggers. No power hitters or superstars that you could chock up for an All-Star bid or Silver Slugger awards. What they have is seasoned veterans who know the game and are hitting the cover off the ball, providing that needed power: Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske and Carl Crawford. And then there are the players other than Eric Hinske who no one saw coming, who for the most part no one had even heard of outside of seeing them on the bottom part of the overall MLB roster on their latest MLB video game: Dioner Navarro, Akinori Iwamura and Jason Bartlett. Who are all combined hitting a remarkable .281 and have tossed in 77-RBI's. And then, there's those young, electrifying but surprisingly calm, veteran like stars: Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. Pena hit a silent 46-home runs last season, and this year although spending time on the DL has still put up 11-dingers, adding to Longoria's 15 and Upton's quiet power with six, but tossing in over 40-RBI's. These three stars are what will fuel this team for years to come, but right now in Tampa Bay they're thinking in the present.

They're thinking about an AL East crown and because they're that confident, a World Championship. And we can thank, (graciously or viciously) Joe Maddon for that. Terry Francona will be leading the AL All-Stars this year into Yankee Stadium for the first and last time, Joe Maddon looks like the odds-on favorite to be doing so next year in whatever stadium the game that counts -- but shouldnt -- is to be played in. For much of this season we were hearing the praises of Maddon and the Rays. How much of a turnaround they've been. How they are simply amazing and are inexplicably dominating the MLB ranks. For much of this season, no one cared. I didnt; I sat on the idea that they were yet to get on a tough rode trip: in their last 15-road games since the start of June, they are 8-7, losing two series but winning ones over Texas, Florida and Pittsburgh. I figured that before the All-Star break their hitting would diminish: not so much, guys like Navaro are still hitting over .300 and everyone else is no where near below .250. I thought that at some point when they met the big boys again they'd falter, slip and start to dwindle a bit leading into the All-Star break -- mostly because of the sweep the Sox put on them in Boston and them losing two-of-three in Anaheim in early June: instead, they swept the Boston Red Sox right back in three-games under the roof of Tropicana; with a sold-out crowd to boot.

And that's what did it for me. That three-game set they won over my Boston Red Sox, the defending Champions and the love of ESPN's life. Despite not going up against the ace of their staff, Josh Beckett, they did vanquish old knuckler Tim Wakefield, and ran up Dice-K's pitch count and ripped right through their bullpen. They didnt beat down the Sox, but in the ways they beat them they really did. They revealed to the League that the Sox were vulnerable without Papi -- it had yet to be apparent because the Sox were yet to drop in team batting average or runs-per game since his departure to the DL. Every time a blow that would've been a finisher in years past was made, they came right back; and that was never more killer than in last night's game when Boston went into the bottom of the 7th with a three-run lead and the bullpen looking to nail it down. Six-runs and no-home runs later, the Rays were in the lead 7-4 and the sold-out crowd of more than 36,000 were on their feet and busting out the brooms they had brought for fun. Tampa did not fold when Dustin Pedroia got his fourth hit of the night and his second double pushing across a run in the 8th. Nor did they falter and lose their poise when the Red Sox scratched across two more runs in the 9th. They got a little help from their friend across the way in Tito who foolishly sat and did nothing with his roster with one-out, one on and Jason Varitek, who coming into that final at-bat was 12 for his last 100. They relied on his lack of thinking that should've led to him pinch running Lowell for Cora and pinch hitting Varitek for Casey. But outside of my homeristic views of that game and how it concluded, the Rays flat outplayed and outmanaged Boston to take that series.

And my confidence, too. With that sweep, it's more than obvious that they're for real. ESPN has been screaming about it ever since the last strike that rung up Varitek: "ARE THE RAYS FOR REAL? THEY JUST SWEPT THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS. TIM KURKJEAN NEXT." It's time that the rest of us tuned out the media and came to the conclusion on our own that this team isnt going away -- much like Red Sox fans over the years in that the Yankees will always come storming back after every slow start to the season. And dont get me wrong here, I'm not jumping on this team's bandwagon. (it's pretty full already) I'm a Red Sox fan, ans as one, I saw this team pummel mine. It's more a vote of confidence if anything. An acknowledgment that they can play. A tip of the cap, if you will.

And speaking of those Yankees, get ready. You're going to their house after the Boston series for two games. You'll be facing two of their 20-something studs in Kazmir and Jackson.

AL East teams, fans and those who hate the AL East, beware. These guys are young, firey, confident and they're on their way to the playoffs. Whether that's through a Wild Card spot or a Division Crown is yet to be seen.

NBA Finals, Game 6: Banner 17 + June 17th = Pierce the MVP

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:57:50 GMT

Somewhere, Red is smiling.

For the 17th time, the Boston Celtics are the Champions of the NBA. On the 17th of June, the pride of the NBA brought home yet another title to Beantown, and it was never even close. After Game 5, it was obvious that all the Celtics had to do to close out the series was what they had been doing all year, all playoffs and all series: total team defense and big numbers out of the Big 3. And that's what they did.

1st Half

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers looked sharp early, taking a three-point lead during the opening period on the back of three three-point shots by number-24. Los Angeles looked like they had come to crash the party in Beantown; for a time. Then, as the quarter began to progress, so did Boston's confidence, their defensive tenacity and ultimately, their lead. Rajon Rondo started what would be a trend for the Celtics by making big plays on defense. He would contribute four-points, and more importantly, three-steals. LA was forced into six-turnovers in the opening 12-minutes of Game 5, 1/3 of what they had been averaging for the series. Despite poor shooting the Celtics did get 10-points out of Garnett, and still looked to be in control despite Pierce shooting one-of-six from the field, and Ray Allen leaving the game after being slashed across the eyes on a drive by Lamar Odom.

After one, it was 24-20 Celtics. And that's the closest it would be for the remainder of the game.

In the second quarter, the Celtics turned on the after burners. It started with three's by bench stars in James Posey and Eddie House. It continued with Ray Allen returning at the 6:05 mark. More defense came and so did more from Posey and House. During an 11-0 run in the middle of the second quarter, James Posey and Eddie House scored all of those points, pushing the lead up and up. While Kobe Bryant was held silent from the field, and Odom and Gasol did next to nothing much like the rest of the Lakers team, the Celtics continued to press the issue in all facets of the game which cullminated into an insurmountable halftime lead: 58-35.

The Lakers had been outhustled, outdefended, and pretty much outanything'd like so many times during the course of these Finals. The desparity in every angle of the game and any statistical category available was laughable:

- 11 first half turnovers for the Lakers

- 29% from the field for the Lakers

- Celtics Bench: 15-points

- Big 3: 35-points; Kevin Garnett: 17-points, one more than in all of Game 1.

- Zero offensive rebounds for the Lakers; nine for the Celtics

- Celtics doubled up the Lakers in rebounding

- Nine steals by the Celtics

2nd Half

What happened in the first half only continued and got much, much worse in the second. The game was lost at half time, it was labeled as KIA in the second. Like in the song "Hotel California", the champagne was put on ice, and the Celtics started to stab the beast with stealy knives -- only unlike the song and its story, they killed the beast.

The lead topped 31-points in the quarter, ending at 89-60.

In the fourth, it became absolutely ridiculous. The 1998 NBA Finals between the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls was mentioned, because the Celtics were closing in on a Finals record for margin of victory, which was 42 set by those Bulls and Michael Jordan. Although they didnt reach that record, they did reach many others. Rajon Rondo came one steal short of a Finals record. Ray Allen helped pour it on with three-pointer after three-pointer. That leading to a Finals record for three's in a Finals series: 22. That also leading to a tie for the record of three's in a Finals game: 7. The Celtics even threw in 18-steals for another Finals record. The final few minutes of the game becams a circus much like the one seen in "Batman Forever." Alley-oop jams and extra three's helped fuel the raucous crowd to a deafening noise level. Doc Rivers got a Gatorade shower by Paul Pierce after the starters were removed, allowing for them to celebrate, cry and cheer together. Kids were brought down to the floor, even Doc Rivers' son.

The 2008 NBA Finals came to a close at 131-92 tonight, giving the Boston Celtics and their fans their 17th NBA Championship. And it also gave Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers their first Championship -- and lets not forget, Pierce a Finals MVP Award.

Keys to the Game

Lakers

Kobe Bryant: 22-points; 11-points after 1st Qtr.

LA: Only two other players in double-figures.

TO's: 19; 11 in first half.

Rebounding: 29; two offensive.

Bench: 32-points.

FG%: 42

Defense: Gave up 131-points, 32 made free-throws, 13 three-pointers, 33-assists, forced only seven turnovers and were outrebounded by 19.

Celtics

Big 3: 69-points; Kevin Garnett: 26; Paul Pierce: 17; Ray Allen: 26

Defense: Forced 19-turnovers, 18-steals, allowed 16-assists and 92-points.

Rebounding: 48, 14-offensive

Assists: 33

Bench: 39-points.

Rajon Rondo: 21-points, eight-rebounds, seven-rebounds and six-steals.

FG%: 49

Overview

The story of the series for the Los Angeles Lakers was defense: both their own and how they were dominated by it. They on average gave up 102-points per-game and allowed anyone from the Big 3, to Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe, Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown, James Posey, Eddie House to even Tony Allen and Glen Davis embarass them. And on the other side of things it was the same people doing it to them by keeping them down and out offensively. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol never were able to establish themselves on a consistent basis, nor was the bench. And the biggest man of them all on their roster, Kobe Bryant wasnt able to either. Bryant only averaged 25-points per-game during the Finals, only breaking 30-points twice. Bryant always was a facilitator during this season and this series, but he never was able to figure out the Boston defense. He had his moments of brilliance, like first quarter three-point extravaganzas or close-out shots on Ray Allen in Game 3, but other times where he'd go quarters and half's without making a difference, and sometimes on either end of the floor. Boston dictated the Lakers in every way imaginable during the course of the series. They really dictated Kobe Bryant and his play as well. Looking ahead to next year and many years into the future, the Lakers will be an elite team and will compete for more titles, maybe winning some. They've got themselves set-up with a roster full of youth and All-Stars. Kobe and a deep supporting cast like he's accompanied with will continue to compete, there's no doubt about that. The only thing in question is the future tenure of Phil Jackson. And in my mind, outside of that, the only thing left to be dealt with is the stoppage of comparing Kobe to Jordan. To me, that's finished. Bryant is not Jordan. He can become someone completely different and maybe one day be more successful and statistically better. As far as today, he's not Jordan in any way. His legacy may not be finished, but as of right now, tonight, this very moment, Jordan is on another level.

For the Boston Celtics, congratulations. Congratulations to Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, the city of Boston, Danny Ainge, and most importantly, Paul Pierce. Nine-seasons in the NBA and with the Boston Celtics, years full of heartache both through first-round exits in the post season and disheartening seasons like last year. Even being called selfish and not being right with his coach, Rivers. Now, with the 2008 season in the books, he's a Champion, a Finals MVP and maybe, a Celtic great; a distinguishment that carries a retired number and a jersey in the rafters. After only winning 24-games in 2007, the Celtics turned things around to the tune of a 66-win season with the help of new faces in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, role guys in P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis and James Posey, all coming together to bring home Banner number 17, on June 17th, 2008. Surely showing that 17 + 17 does equal 34, Paul Pierce: the captain and heart of the Boston Celtics. This team can now look forward to many years in Championship contention. And like the Lakers, possibly more titles won.

NBA Finals, Game 5: LA Holds On to Force it Back to Boston

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:49:36 GMT

Tonight in the Staples Center it was do or die for the Lakers, down 3-1 to the Boston Celtics. Game 5 would be a test of Los Angeles' mental fortitude and desire to win after one of the greatest comebacks (or collapses, whichever you prefer) in Finals history in Game 4; Los Angeles had a 24-point lead in the first half, even taking a 18-point lead into the half before faltering in the 2nd half and allowing the Celtics to put their backs against the wall. Game 5 was a must-win for the Lakers, and they delivered through a very hard fought, physical game.

1st Half

In Game 4, the Lakers got off to a hot start breaking a Finals record by holding a 21-point lead after the first period. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers torched the C's in Game 4's opening period, and repeated that only better in Game 5. Los Angeles scored 39-points to open up the game, getting 15-points and four three-point shots out of Kobe Bryant, who looked to be on a mission: "Mission: Get it Back to Boston." Bryant nailed four three-point shots in the opening 12-minutes, reminding fans like me of MJ against the Trail Blazers (minus the hands in the air and the grin). The Lakers shot an astonishing 65% from the field leading off the game, embarassing the Celtics defense. The key moment of the quarter that led me to believe the Lakers meant business was when Derek Fisher drove to the basket and layed it in over the 6'11" Kevin Garnett, simultaneously causing an eruption in the celeb-filled stands.

But, like Game 4 the Lakers allowed the Celtics to claw their way back into the game. Boston went on a 15-0 run during the second quarter, cutting the lead to as little as three-points, getting 13-points out of Paul Pierce who was slashing to the basket with ease both on isolation plays and pick & rolls. Kobe Bryant went silent from the field, not scoring a single point helping contribute to a near seven-minute scoreless drought for the Lakers that allowed the Celtics to storm back. Paul Pierce ended the half with a three-point shot cutting the lead to three-points, reaching 21 for him on the half. At 55-52, the Lakers and Celtics set the stage for a dramatic finish -- something they delivered on pretty emphatically.

2nd Half

The third quarter for the entire series had been the domain of the Boston Celtics; through Game's 1-4, the Celtics outscored the Lakers 116-73. At the 9:59 mark after a few back and forths between the two teams, the Celtics took their first lead of the game off Pierce free-throws. Seconds later, Kobe Bryant got his first field goal since the first half taking back the lead for the Lakers. The quarter continued, eventually morphing itself into an ugly affair, with both teams turning it over profusely and continually. LA finished the quarter with eight-turnovers, Boston with six. All this cullminated into the Lakers finally winning the third quarter for the first time in the series, 24-18 and taking a lead into the 4th.

And that's where things got interesting, of course. Paul Pierce continued his dominance against the Laker defense, taking picks from Garnett and burying himself into the paint, getting to the free-throw line again and again. Even Sam Cassell chipped in early on in the 4th with seven-points, bringing the Celtics closer and closer. The Celtics stayed with the Lakers for a few minutes before inching close enough to take the lead, and doing so. As the game went down the stretch, it literally came down to free-throws. At 95-93, Garnett went to the line, missing both and allowing the Lakers to go down on the other end and exstend the game to four-points. That proved to be the killer for the C's, or maybe it was Kobe Bryant's strip (also reach-in foul) of Paul Pierce that led to a break-away slama-jama, putting away the Celtics bridging the game into its free-throw stage. Kobe only finished with four-points in the fourth, but he made the game's biggest play that helped lead his Lakers back to Boston on Tuesday night, only two wins away from a title.

Keys to the Game

Lakers

Kobe Bryant: 25-points; 8/21 from field. 11-points since 15-point breakout in 1st Qtr.

Lamar Odom: 20-points, 11-rebounds.

Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher: 34-points.

Bench: 17-points.

FG%: 45

TO's: 17

Rebounding: 40

Celtics

Kevin Garnett: 13-points, 14-rebounds; five-fouls.

Ray Allen: 16-points, 3/8 from three-point.

Paul Pierce: 38-points.

Bench: 28-points.

FG%: 42

TO's: 18

Rebounding: 37

Looking Ahead to Game 6

The Celtics played extremely hard on both ends, but it was ultimately the first quarter debocle and critical missed free-throws late by Garnett that did them in. They played outstanding defense on Kobe Bryant yet again, but allowed Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol to score considerably. Foul trouble became an issue late in the game, as Paul Pierce was forced to guard someone other than Kobe Bryant, someone he'd been so effective on in the last two games. Garnett and Pierce alike had five-fouls down the stretch, forcing them to play smart and cautious. The plus' for this game were the all-out play of guys like P.J. Brown and James Posey; Brown gave Gasol fits down in the paint fighting for rebounds, Posey just played his heart out -- earning much love from the announcers throughout the course of the game. They kept it close, showing their desire but in the end let it slip away. For them, they can think on the bright side: they can still win in Boston, and have two shots at it. Boston took the first two games of the series in Boston, and it doesnt look like they'd drop two in the slightest. There isnt much for them to work on other than total team defense, by that meaning on everyone other than Kobe. They've proven they can contain and even stop Bryant, and maybe they're the better team -- now it's time to emphasize it in Game 6 or if necessary, Game 7.

For the Lakers, defense, defense, defense. I may be repeating the same things stressed by Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, two of the announcers for ABC, but I watched the game too. The Lakers were horrible defensively against Paul Pierce and the pick n' roll, which was what he used so much to get to the basket and the line. LA has exhibited yo-yo like defense throughout the series, going through periods where they're stellar and others where it's hard to watch. Tonight, there was a bit of both. Pierce scoring 38 and in the fashion he did so is unsatisfactory. Instead of trying to draw charges, they were side stepping and going for blocks/fouls. LA offensively did a fantastic job in getting Gasol and Odom their touches, both players being the big factors for the Lakers when Bryant was dormant from the field. And that's the other thing, Kobe Bryant, he's got to do more. 36-points in Game 3, only 17 in Game 4 and only 25 tonight. Granted, the Celtic defense has been superb in clamping down on him but he's the MVP for a reason. Bryant is and has been a facilitator during this season and these playoffs, but if he expects to win two in Boston he's going to have to shell out at least 30 for the next two contests.

NBA Finals, Game 4: Where No Lead is Safe Happens

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:31:40 GMT

Game 3 was easily one of the hardest games to watch in these playoffs since Game 1 of the East Finals between the Celtics and Cavaliers. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were abysmal. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol were of the same description. Both teams played neck-and-neck for much of the game because no one seemed to be hitting on all cylinders, much less one or two of them. It came down to who would make the plays in the end. Ends up, Kobe Bryant was the one who did so, nailing key jumpers in the face of Ray Allen to close it out, coming one step closer to putting two and two together.

If you had asked me prior to Game 4 about what the outcome would be, I would've told you "Lakers by at least 15-points."

For a time in Game 4, I looked to be right - and my prediction of Lakers in seven as well. But like Game 2, we found out that no lead is safe, only this time, it was erased and replaced.

1st Half

Lamar Odom had been struggling mightily through the first three games of the Finals. Foul trouble was keeping the versatile wing-man of Kobe Bryant off the floor, as Odom finished with five fouls in all three games leading into Thursday night. He apparently decided enough was enough before tip-off. The small-forward scored the opening bucket of the game, giving the Lakers a lead they wouldn't relinquish until the 4:07 mark of the 4^th quarter. Odom went on to either score or assist in all six of Los Angeles' first field goals, and shot six-of-six in the opening quarter boasting 13-points. Los Angeles ended the first quarter with a 21-point lead, the largest in NBA Finals history after one period of play. Boston shot six-of-22 from the field, looking even worse than they did in Game 3 as a whole; not to mention the 4th quarter of Game 2. Garnett failed to get on the board, as the Celtics were being not only outrebounded and outshot, but being outhustled; predominately by kids like Trevor Ariza who furiously stormed for loose balls and rebounds, even off missed free-throws of his own, contributing six-points and five-rebounds in the first half. And through all of that, Kobe Bryant was 0-for-two from the field with only three-points. It was that bad for the C's.

The Lakers, fueled by Odom and his aggressiveness, went on to take a lead as large as 24-points in the first half, before ending the half with a 58-40 lead. The Lakers shot 50% from the field, holding Boston to only 35% and their two stars, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to combined 12-points. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom combined for 25-points, leading the Lakers past the Celtics in rebounds and even weathering a few runs in which the C's got the lead cut down to as little as 12-points. And still, Kobe Bryant was sitting on three-points on 0-of-four shooting.

Something told me that that would come back to haunt the Lakers.

2nd Half

In Game's 1-3, the Celtics owned the third period, outscoring the Lakers by a grand total of 27-points. In each game, whether down or in need of a boost, the C's took advantage of the half time rest and lecture, and put momentum back in their court. In Game 4 it was no different. The defense was turned up, as Kobe Bryant was harassed profusely along with his teammates, leading to numerous fast breaks for the Celtics and as if Kevin Garnett had been reading my blogs, he started to establish himself in the paint. Garnett had said before Game 4 that he would make a point of getting inside and doing what he was paid too do. And he did that in Game 4, especially in the 3^rd quarter and beyond. He, along with the help of a smaller lineup featuring James Posey who finished the night with 18 huge points, led the Celtics back from the dead going on a 21-3 run closing out the third period only down by two-points. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 31-to-15 in the 3^rd, putting them in prime position to take back what was theirs and possibly the series as well.

Boston continued the pressure defensively, continuing to bog down Laker players before finally taking their first lead and giving the game its first lead change at the 4:07 mark off an Eddie House 18-footer. And from then on, it was all Celtics. James Posey lit it up from the corner to make it a five-point game down the stretch, and then like Kobe against Ray in Game 3, Ray Allen decided to be the Sandman himself when he drove past Sasha Vujocic to make it a 96-91 game. The Celtics never let that lead slip away, and now are up 3-1 in the 2008 NBA Finals; and when teams go up 3-1 in Finals history, they are 28-0 going forward.

Keys to the Game

Lakers

Lamar Odom: 19-points; four-points in the 2^nd half.

Kobe Bryant: 17-points, 10-assists; 6-of-19 from field.

Bench: 15-points.

Starters: All five in double figures.

2^nd half: Outscored 31-15 in 3^rd quarter, 57-33 overall.

Rebounding: 41

Assists: 23

FG%: 41

TO's: 12

Celtics

Kevin Garnett: 16-points, 11 REB; established self inside paint on both ends.

Paul Pierce: 20-points, 14 in 2^nd half.

Ray Allen: 19-points; played entire game.

James Posey and Eddie House: 29-points; six-of-12 from 3-point land

Bench: 35-points.

FG%: 45; 35% in 1^st half.

TO's: 11

Rebounding: 40

Assists: 15; three in first half

Looking Ahead to Game 5

It's 3-1 now in favor of the Boston Celtics, and statistically it is over. Statistically, it's time to stick a fork in this series and hang ‘em up. Doc Rivers cannot and will not allow his team to look ahead to the champagne showers and the parade. Yes, their city needs a parade and they'll be hurting plenty of people's hands after fist pumps due to diamond encrusted rings, but they've still got Game 5 in Los Angeles, and possibly more in Beantown. Kevin Garnett finally got himself going from inside the paint, looking ahead he may have to do that again. Eddie House showed that he deserves to be on the floor, and may just be the answer to any issues the Celtics have had in getting Garnett his shots inside. Rondo is a good young star, but he's been ignored by defenders due to his pass-first mentality and lack of an outside shot. Putting Eddie House in at the one-spot obviously made a difference, and if Doc Rivers is truly a good coach he'll continue that. And if he really was paying attention tonight, he'll keep Paul Pierce on Kobe Bryant. With all due respect to Ray Allen, Paul Pierce shut down Kobe Bryant in Game 4. Pierce did his thing on the offensive end, as well as tying down the world's best player and statistically, the series. Boston has fought through huge deficits and even huge comebacks, and now are in position to be kissing a golden trophy in a few nights.

For the Lakers, they know they let one get away. A 24-point lead in the first half, and a 18-point lead going into the locker room, all gone by the final few minutes of the 4^th quarter. Like the Celtics in Game 2, the Lakers saw their momentum dissipate and fall right into the hands of the opposition. But unlike Game 2, they weren't able to man up and hold on. Los Angeles played outstanding basketball in the first half, finally getting something out of Lamar Odom - in the 2^nd half, they lost track of him and never got the MVP like performance they needed out of #24. In Game 5, they must do everything in their power to maintain the same aggressiveness they exhibited in the first half of Game 4 throughout the entire game. No lead is safe in the NBA Playoffs, and they found that out the hard way. In Game 5, it's about maintaining their level of play. They got solid contribution from the bench in the first half. They got positive numbers out of Odom, Radmanovic and Gasol. They got tenacious defense and great ball movement. That's what they have to do in Game 5, only sustain that through all 48-minutes of play. They've got their backs against the wall now just like in Game 3, it's time to tough it out and leave it all on the floor.

NBA Finals, Game 3: LA Gets One Step Back in it

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:46:28 GMT

Game's 1 and 2 were a story of the Boston Celtics exercising their pedigree that they enforced and lived by all season long - hard nosed defense, scoring from the Big 3 and key production from role players. When it wasn't Paul Pierce, it was Ray Allen, Leon Powe and Rajon Rondo. When it wasn't Kevin Garnett, it was Sam Cassell. Boston survived late rallies and even injury scares to go up 2-0.

Game 3 literally was a must-win for the Los Angeles Lakers. They were yet to get the bench at its usual high production, clutch form, or get guys like Lamar Odom into the mix and out of foul trouble. Kobe had been frustrated over no-calls and tight defense seen by the Celtics. The Staples Center prepared to will their team on Tuesday night, faces like Jack Nicholson, Magic Johnson and Sylvester Stallone all were in attendance to help the Lake Show make a series of it.

What they got was an immensely physical, ugly game. Turnovers galore, foul trouble, poor shooting especially from the free-throw line from both teams and a pure lack of production from the stars. Los Angeles is the City of Angels, a place for stars to shine. Tuesday night didn't see too many stars shine, at least not until the closing minutes when the MVP dropped the dagger into the heart of the Celtics, making it 2-1 as we now wait on Thursday night for Game 4.

1^st Half

The first half was a rough one. Lamar Odom got himself into early foul trouble yet again, becoming a non-factor for much of the half and game. Odom has had issues with fouls in all three-games of the series now, finishing with five-fouls in all three contests. Odom did not have a single field goal or point in the first half, and even Pau Gasol struggled from the field finishing with only two first half points. And yet, the Lakers still were able to control the game and play with great poise. Sasha Vujocic was a spark off the bench with 12-points and Kobe Bryant scored 19-points, getting to the free-throw line 10-times in the first half; those 10 attempts being more than the total from Game 2 alone. LA was aggressive in the first half, getting to the line (although not shooting very well) and was able to capitalize on the struggles of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who combined for only four-points in the first half. Pierce, like Odom, got himself into a pickle with fouls and saw limited time, causing his C's to lack the point production he had provided in Game's 1 and 2, which culminated into a 43-37 lead for the Lakers at half time.

2^nd Half

The third quarter has been key for the Boston Celtics so far in this series, as they've outscored the Lakers 85-58 in the 3^rd period in all three games combined. Boston erased the deficit seen at half-time off the back of key three-pointers by Ray Allen, who finished the night five-of-seven from behind the arc, and some post points by Kevin Garnett - something he'd been lacking all series. And it might be because of the insertion of Eddie House at the point guard spot during the 3^rd that helped get KG his spots in the paint. With Rajon Rondo, a clear non-outside threat, the defenders can leave him and double up on KG when he receives it on the block. With House, he's a shooting guard morphed into a one-guard, and helped contribute to the post play seen in Garnett and others like Perkins and Brown that contributed to the C's overtaking the Lakers going into the 4^th quarter. (Thanks Van Gundy for pointing that out; I was oblivious to that concept)

For a time, it looked as if 0-3 was on the horizon during the 4^th quarter. Still at a low score, the Celtics were able to grow their advantage to at least five-points. And like Game 2, the Lakers were able to redirect the momentum, and came back to take the lead down the stretch. The game had been so physical, so hard to watch through so much inefficiency that it virtually came down to who would make plays.

Remember how the Lakers bench had forgotten to show up in the first two-games? Yeah, not this time. Sasha Vujocic did what a role player must do in critical points in critical NBA Finals games. Vujocic nailed huge three-pointers throughout the game, but saved one his best for the final few minutes by hitting a corner three to stretch the lead, before allowing Kobe to be Kobe by closing it out. At 87-81, the Lakers were able to get one step closer to evening the series.

Keys to the Game

Lakers

Kobe Bryant: 36-points; 11-18 from free-throw line.

Lamar Odom: Five-fouls, four-points.

Pau Gasol: Nine-points.

Vladmir Radmanovic: Three-points; 13-minutes of play, four-fouls.

Bench: 29-points; Sasha Vujocic: 20-points.

Free-Throws: 21/34

Rebounding: 44

TO's: 12

Celtics

Big 3: 44-points; Ray Allen: 25-points. KG: 13-points. Paul Pierce: Six-points.

Bench: 21-points.

Field-Goal %: 34.9

Free-Throws: 15-22

Rebounding: 45

TO's: 13

Points: 81; 22-under Finals average.

Looking Ahead to Game 4

For the Lakers, they've got to get more out of Radmanovic, Gasol and Odom. Odom and Radmanovic were in foul trouble throughout the game and were liabilities. Odom continues to draw numerous offensive fouls each game and must break that habit. He's got to be a force in this series if the Lakers want to even things up and even take the lead. Gasol had his moments, like in the 4^th with a few put-backs, but he's got to do more than nine-points. LA did, however attack the basket much more and did a fantastic job defending the C's in Game 3. They demolished the free-throw disparity seen in Boston and were intensely aggressive in a game that was called very leniently. Kobe looked like the assassin he's known to be. 36-points was his best effort since the Conference Finals, and even in the midst of not having Odom and Radmanovic as helpers, and Gasol as a non-factor offensively, Kobe was able to lead his team through a very physical game. LA should be proud they won when they weren't playing their best ball.

For the Celtics, it's back to the basics. KG and Pierce were for the first time in this series, non-factors. Garnett was stout on the boards but shot poorly from the field. (6-21) Pierce got into foul trouble and was never able to get his groove going. Finishing with with a measly 14-shot attempts and only two made, Pierce was the opposite of himself in Boston. Ray Allen did light it up with the trifecta, hitting five-of-seven and totaling 25-points on the night, but like the Lakers the Celtics were unbalanced offensively and utterly non-effective. What was present in the Garden was absent in the Staples Center - the bench. Leon Powe only saw six-minutes, only contributing one point. Sam Cassell only saw seven-minutes, and like Powe barely helped whatsoever with two-points. Eddie House and PJ Brown saw significant minutes, but were not able to be the definitive bench stars that picked up the slack. Boston needs to establish Kevin Garnett in the paint (this is becoming redundant with me, too) and look to Paul Pierce to be the leader. He didn't show up in Game 3, he's got to in Game 4.

NBA Finals, Game 2: Celtics Win Surviving Late Onslaught

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:24:30 GMT

In Game 1, the story was the lack of production out of the Laker bench and the swarming defense that held down the MVP, Kobe Bryant to only 24-points and two in the fourth quarter. The Big 3 combined for 65 of the Celtics' 98-points, as the C's took control of the series going up 1-0.

Game 2 was for a while all Celtics. And then at the 7:40 mark of the fourth quarter, the Lakers decided they would not go quietly into the night.

1st Half

Los Angeles actually started the game pretty well. LA had a lead of at least seven-points in the first quarter, as guys like Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol were crashing the boards and scoring at will -- mostly over Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett.

Eventually, fouls caught up with the Lakers as Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant saw limited minutes in the opening half due to foul trouble. Feeding off the lack of fire power of the Lakers was Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe; Pierce dropped 16-points hitting three three-pointers and throwing in five assits. Rondo orchestrated the Celtic offense, and would finish the night with 16-assists. The Celtics took control of the game in the second quarter with a 34-point output, only lacking offense from Kevin Garnett who was constantly being doubled and forced to take jump shots.

At the half, it was a twelve point game at 54-42. Kobe Bryant only had nine-points, while the Lakers were turning the ball over immensely, even topping their eight they had in Game 1 in the first half alone.

2nd Half

And sadly for the Lakers, that trend would continue. Into the third quarter the game went, where the C's took a commanding stranglehold on the game. The defense became absolutely unpennetrable. Leon Powe became an unstoppable force, dunking over any big-man the Lakers had in their roster. Pierce and Allen continued to chip in three-pointers, helping their Celtics outscore the Lakers by 10-points and pushing the lead to as much as 22-points. Even when Kobe Bryant put up eight early points in the quarter, bringing the lead down to nine, the Celtics put the pressure back on by firing off shot after shot to eventually get the lead up to 22 and the game looking to be in hand as the fourth came.

The Celtics never relinquished their hold as they continued to build and sustain the lead into the fourth quarter. Up as much as 24-points, the Celtics were rolling on all cylinders.

And then, as pointed out in the intro, the 7:40 mark came in the fourth and the Lakers turned it on. Watching the game myself, I could see the Celtics were believing the game was in hand. Their fans were going berserk, and they looked to be shutting it down defensively. Never did they stop putting pressure on LA's horrendous defense, it was the defensive end of the floor that they started to take breaks on. And then suddenly, the lead was cut to 15. Then 11. Then four. And then two.

Los Angeles hit an NBA Finals record seven three-pointers in the final quarter. Kobe Bryant slashed to the basket, throwing up alley-oops to Ronny Turiaf on two occasions and himself put up 13-points in the final quarter -- 11 more than he did in Game 1. The shock induced awe in the Garden was ominous as the game neared its conclusion. Eventually, time ran out for the Lakers and finally, the defense that had been so dominately enforced during the course of the game by the Celtics came back at the most opportune time, as Paul Pierce blocked a three from Vujocic.

Boston survived rather than coasted through Game 2, winning 108-102.

Keys to the Game

Los Angeles

Kobe Bryant: 30-points. 13 in the 4th Qtr.

Pau Gasol: 17-points, 10-rebounds.

Bench: 14-points. Nine under playoff average.

TO's: 13

Three-Pointers: 10/21

Free Throws: Only 10 attempts. (100%)

Rebounds: 36

Boston

Kevin Garnett: 17-points, 14-rebounds. Limited shot attempts in paint.

Leon Powe: 21-points in 15-minutes of play.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen: Combine for 45-points. 7 of 10 from Three.

Rebounds: 37

TO's: 15

Three-Pointers: 9/14

Player of the Game: Leon Powe

Looking Ahead to Game 3

For Los Angeles, yet again your bench didnt show up. Yet again, the bench players got plenty of minutes (67-min total) and still failed to contribute near their playoff average. Defensively the Lakers were atrocious, a down right embarassment. Even as they forged their comeback late in Game 2, they could not make any stops whatsoever. They were able to do a solid job once again in keeping Garnett off the block and a non-factor in paint points, but everyone else was left to do whatever they deemed necessary. Open three's, slashing forwards and dunks. Most Embarrasing Moment of the Game: Leon Powe looking like Doctor J. in a dunk contest driving three-fourths of the court for an easy as pie slam. (thanks Mark Jackson)

But alas, they didnt give up. Seven three's in the fourth and a hot as hades Kobe. They saw the C's were letting up and took advantage. They have some confidence despite being down two games going back to the Staples Center. They know they can establish Gasol in the paint, as he and Lamar Odom embarassed interior defenders of the Celtics on numerous occasions. They did better on the boards and the fact that Bryant showed up and led his team to a near improbable victory in the 4th is promising.

For the Celtics, very impressive for the majority of the game. Rajon Rondo was electric with 16-assists. Leon Powe had the game of his life, and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were lights out from behind the arc. Defensively they were formidable... until the fourth quarter.

Everything the Celtics did positively is wiped away by what happened in the final seven and a half minutes of the game. Letting a 24-point lead slip away they did is inexcusable. You could see that they got swept up in the ecstasy of being ahead by so much, and let off the gas. With a team like the Lakers there's no room for pulling any punches. Los Angeles can take things back to the Staples Center feeling pretty good about themselves knowing they can just about weather any storm against the Celtics.

Game 3 will be played in Los Angeles at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.

NBA Finals, Game 1: C's Top LA in Renewed Rivalry

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:32:23 GMT

Home cookin' was sure scrumptious in the Garden tonight. Boston took Game 1 in the first Finals dual between the two storied franchises in 20-years by a score of 98-88. On the back of the Big 3 that contributed 65 of the Celtics' 98 points and role players like Sam I am Cassell and Rajon Rondo, who combined for 23-points, the Celtics overcame the deep offensive attack of the Lakers to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.

The first half was a story of the Celtics not being able to contain, much less stop anyone part of the Lakers offensive attack. While holding Kobe Bryant to only 8-points in the first half, the Celtics werent able to contain the likes of Derek Fisher, whom dropped 13-points nor were they able to have good pick n' roll defense as they allowed both Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to slash to the basket on numerous occasions. Gasol wound up with 12 first half points, his contributions helping cullminate into the Lakers shooting 50% from the field, far above the League leading average held by the Celtics of 41%.

Defensively, the Celtics were lacking considerably, offensively they werent, at least from one of the Big 3, Kevin Garnett. Of Garnett's 16 first half points, and his 9-field goal attempts, six were made. And of those six made shots, only one of them was from within the painted area. Garnett went on to finish the night 24-points and a total of 22 shot attempts. I dont know if my memory is failing me or not, but I only remember maybe three or possibly four of those attempts being from inside the paint. The majority of what Garnett contributed for his Celtics was from the free throw line (6-6) and jump shooting, which he was extremely efficient with in the first half before going stone cold in the 2nd -- something I predicted while watching the final few minutes of the first half. And while Garnett put up his 16 in the first half, Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell picked up all the slack with a combined 16-points, while Paul Pierce only played 16-minutes due to three fouls, finishing with only three points.

Then the second half came, where the game completely flipped.

From the onset of the second half, it was imperitive that Paul Pierce became a force for the Celtics after they had gone into the locker room down by five. (51-46) In the first 1:20 of the 2nd half, Paul Pierce scored 7-points, including a four-point play. The Celtics went on to score 10-points in the first two minutes of the 3rd quarter, charging back into the game to take the lead at 56-53 before Radmanovic hit a corner three to tie it. And then what Celtic fans had never wanted to see happen happened. Paul Pierce went down, spraining his knee; an injury that left him wailing in pain on the floor forcing him to be carried to a wheel chair and into the locker room. And immediately following his exit, Kendrick Perkins went down with a sprained ankle, also being led to the locker room. Less than two-minutes later in the 3rd quarter, after a Ray Allen three-pointer that seemed to eleviate any signs of anxiety in the Celtics and their fans, Paul Pierce came hopping out of the locker room to meet a emphatic and thundering ovation from the Beantown fans.

And as if the crowd was used as his fuel, Paul Pierce went on to hit consecutive three-pointers after coming back, leading his Celtics on a 28-16 run since his injury and him finishing the third with 15-points, 18 total. From then on, it was all Celtics. The defense cranked up, as Ray Allen and the rest of the Celtics team nailed down Kobe Bryant, holding him to only two-points in the fourth quarter. The Celtics closed out the game on the line making it 98-88, the largest lead the game had seen.

Keys to Game 1

Kobe Bryant: 24-points. Only two in the fourth quarter.

Laker Bench: 15-points. Eight under playoff average.

Rebounding: 46 for Boston, 33 for Los Angeles.

Big 3: Combined 65 points.

Kevin Garnett: 24-points. Only four inside the paint.

Looking Ahead to Game 2

Los Angeles

In Game 1, the Lakers showed how deep they are during a number of points of the game. Sadly for them, they werent able to sustain that much less stretch that throughout their entire roster. Derek Fisher was huge with 15-points, and even Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf had moments of great contributions, but overall the Lakers supporting cast (anyone but Odom, Bryant, Gasol) didnt step up like they'd been doing so far this post season. The Lakers must get more out of the bench because that is virtually what has propelled them to the Finals. Gasol, Odom and Bryant will get their points, it's up to the rest to do what they've been doing in support. And speaking of Kobe, he's gotta show up in the 4th quarter. Only two-points in the most critical time of the game isnt gonna cut it, and he knows that. If he wants to establish his own legacy, apart from "The Diesel" and even Michael Jordan, he's going to have to do more during crunch time.

Boston

For the Celtics, get KG on the block. Gasol, someone that Garnett gave credit as one of the League's most underrated players and defenders prior to the series, did a phenomenal job in keeping Garnett in front of him and away from the post the entire night. As was pointed out, Garnett only had two or three shot attempts within the paint, two of them being slam dunks. Garnett was forced to take jump shots, now while he may have hit them in the first half, he struggled (as I expected) in the 2nd. It will be a must for him to establish himself in Game 2 and beyond inside the paint, not out.

Game 2 will be played at 8:30 PM ET in Boston on Sunday night.

The Finals, Finally -- And That's an Understatement

Mac is the Demon of the Fall — Sat, 31 May 2008 04:07:16 GMT

After five-games, the Western Conference Finals was decided with the Los Angeles Lakers overthrowing the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. For the fifth time in the 21^st century, the Lakers are making the NBA Finals; the difference this go around is that it's the first time that Kobe Bryant has done it without the services of "The Diesel" Shaquille O'Neal. In the years after O'Neal's departure, the Lakers have gone through struggling seasons and times where Bryant didn't even want to be a Laker anymore. Now an MVP, and beside him a new big-man in Pau Gasol, Bryant and his "Lake Show" have found the greener side they've been yearning for, and only await Thursday, June 5^th to play the Boston Celtics.

For the Boston Celtics, this year's NBA Finals trip will be their first in 20-years. 20-years since they met (ironically) the Los Angeles Lakers, and lost in six-games to a team led by the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabar and James Worthy. The C's boasted the NBA's best record at 66-16, having completed one of the best turnarounds in the history of the League. Boston fought through back-to-back seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers before finally breaking through on the road, and taking down the Detroit Pistons in six-games. This Celtics team is a far cry as far as team style and appearance from the teams in the 60's and 70's, with three big-name players that all have played at least 50 playoff games but never have made an appearance (until now) in the NBA Finals: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and the man who's been a Celtic for years now, Paul Pierce.

Boston and Los Angeles are two of the League's best who've been through widely different paths in getting to the Finals, but now share the same goal and the same floor for the next seven-game series. Who will win? I have no idea, but I'd like to at least take a crack at sifting through some of the mess to find a good prediction to settle on.

This post season, the story or bewildering trend has been the lack of winning by the road team. The Celtics were 0-6 on the road coming into the Eastern Conference Finals, and finally broke through by taking out the Pistons in Game 3, and doing it again to close out the series tonight at the Palace of Auburn Hills. As a well-informed fan (or at least I think so) that tells me that the Celtics have righted their ship, and are entirely ready to face off with the Lakers who've had nothing but clear skies this post season. The Lakers have only dropped three-games, all of which were on the road. Bryant has been the leading scorer for all but one game this post season - Gasol scored 36 in Game 1 against the Nuggets - and has been so balanced in his duties not only as a scorer but as a facilitator as well. The Lakers swept the Nuggets, took down the Jazz in six and closed out the Spurs in five, placing themselves in the Finals looking as good as they've ever been in 2007-2008.

For the Celtics, any worries of a struggling Ray Allen hindering them as they move forward have dissipated, as Allen put up 29-points in Game 5 and then in Game 6 he dropped 17. Allen has found his stroke, and the Celtics are continually getting support out of the studly Kendrick Perkins and the ever growing point guard Rajon Rondo. The Lakers, even when faced with deficits were able to fend off the Spurs attack and close out their series, and not even with the help of Bryant - or at least not the beginning of it. In Game 5 in Los Angeles, the Lakers were down by a bundle late in the game, and by the might of Jordan Farmar and other bench stars the Lakers started their comeback before Bryant finished it all off with 17-points in the 4^th. The Lakers have Bryant, Odom and Gasol; the Celtics just cant find themselves forgetting about Farmar (8 PPG vs Spurs), Fisher (6 PPG vs Spurs), Vujacic (7 PPG vs Spurs), Walton (5 PPG vs Spurs) or Turiaf (1 BPG vs Spurs).

All of this amounts to in my mind to having to pick between Bon and Brian, Ronnie and Ozzy, or Dave and Sammy. Not much is jumping out at me enough before something else from the other side of the argument intervenes. I'm torn, man...

(sucks it up)

Mac's Outlook on the NBA Finals

Boston Celtics

X - Factor: The Defense

Kobe Bryant nine times out of 10 will be the leading scorer for the Lakers, but that doesn't mean the C's need to solely focus on the MVP. Occasionally doubling up and trapping Bryant is a necessity when playing him, but as we've seen since the trade for Gasol, the Lakers are a completely different team than before this season and offensively are far too balanced for any zeroing in on Kobe. The Celtics prided themselves on defense this year, now they've got to shift the tempo in their favor and pray they contain the dynamic and highly versatile and even deep offensive attack of the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers

X - Factor: Everyone Not Named Kobe Bryant

OK, so it seems like a cop-out, but in reality it's what is going to propel this team to their fourth NBA title in the 2000's. Bryant has averaged 32-points per game in the playoffs, including six-assists and five-rebounds. One way or another, he's gonna' get his points. And one way or another, the Celtics have to tie down someone else. They've got to keep another player silent from the field, whether it be Odom, Gasol, Vujocic, or all. And those players know that. They know that Kobe will be there ever night leading their parade, and they've got to be the bulls in that parade that take every chance given to them by Bryant. They've got to hit the open looks he gives them, and create their own shot when he's being bolstered by a stifling Celtic defense. The entire supporting cast for Bryant has been superb this post season, and exactly why they are now in the NBA Finals. If they expect to take down the best (record wise) team in the NBA, they've got to continue that.

The Prediction:

Lakers in Seven.

The Mac Daddy likes the bench of the Lakers a hell of a lot more than he does the Celtics'. I've doubted this Laker team long enough. In my mind, if the Spurs couldn't handle them (and that's an understatement) then no one can. Not even the Big 3. 20-years later, the Lakers repeat history, just by one more game.

But I'll be pulling for the C's.