they had their chances.

down by like 5 with like 2 minutes left...lets have ben gordon run and rush a three with like 20 on the shot clock!

a steal with like 40 seconds left...LETS SHOOT UP A QUICK THREE while NOBODY is guarding any of us!

and then lets have gordon miss an easy shot!

gordon shoots way too much. he hits awesome stuff in game 3 and thinks hes the best!

oh well, i want to see dwight destroy them...if not, cavs can get some revenge!

VDN doesn't believe in power forwards.

Well this first Lakers-Rockets games isn't even half over and you can already tell the refs are giving it to the Lakers. Kobe just kneed and elbowed Battier in the head on purpose and got nothing called on him. Further, any time ANYONE from the Lakers goes inside they instantly get a call, it's ridiculous. The NBA helps out the Celts and Lakers SO ****ing much.

Orlando fucked shit up hell yeah!

And yeah, there is no way the NBA would let Rockets beat Lakers.

Sports are definitely rigged. Coincidence that the Hurricanes scored 2 goals in the final 1min20sec to win the game, the series, and ensure a CAPITALS-PENGUINS matchup? Definitely not. Ovechkin vs. Crosby/Malkin sells. Kobe Bryant sells. Boston and New York sports sell. Ghey.

I hate this conspiracy theory nonsense. Anyway, here are a couple of awesome pics from last night:

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_spor...WcdNBDHhCkTLW3

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/cc/fu...kts_lakers.jpg

I think you're going a bit overboard. How did the NHL rig it so that Brodeaur let in those goals? Is Marty in on it? That makes no sense...There are some serious concerns about the officiating in sports and there is no doubt which match-ups the league prefer. But to presume a grand conspiracy is absurd, if there is corruption it's on a single party basis like the NBA officiating scandal.

Being facetious, but yeah... there is an element of b.s. to sports, in officiating. The whole NBA referee scandal- wow. The fact that this was essentially swept under the rug amazes me. Congress goes after steroids, but most people have no idea bout Tim Donaghy and the problems with that- great job by the NBA to turn that **** aside. Anyway, that's just a cliff note... I don't believe in grand conspiracy theories, as fun as they are.

I saw the game, watched Inside the NBA, and talked to people about the game after it was over. Not one person in either of those 3 called into question the officiating of the game.

To blame the game on the officials is not only pathetic, it's also in piss poor taste. If you're going to complain about the calls, find a new sport to watch.If you actually believe the bull**** you type, why do you bother watching the NBA? And the Rockets did beat the Lakers, which basically makes your post irrevelant and ruins your credibility.
Please, spare the internet and sell your keyboard. :thumb:
I'm pretty sure the Tim Donaghy scandal is well known.

Rockets at Lakers tonight, who's tuning in? :yeah:

jesus christ, this lakers game is out of control. Ron artest is going to fight kobe sometime in this series, you just watch.

Kobe has thrown two elbows in two games and has gotten called for neither.

omg, charles barkley is hilarious!

Boomer vs. Barkley. Baahahahahahaha

I get it, you feel threatened because you know the Lakers are starting to heat up (the fact that Cleveland hasn't won **** in so many years probably makes you a bit jealous too). It's okay, I understand. Making pathetic excuses for their ownage, on the other hand, isn't a respectable alternative to embracing their ownage. Are you going to quit whining like a 5 year old now? I think the fact that the Rockets won game 1 more than proves that what your saying isn't true, so please just stop.

Anyone interested in actually talking about the NBA Playoffs rather than whining about a team they feel threatened by?

I think Rafer, Fisher, and Kobe will all be suspended for a game, heh.

Best moment of last night:

0 chance Bryant is suspended. Elbows happen all the time. It should have been a foul, but that's it.

It was an elbow to the throat.

By the rulebook, if it's above the shoulders it's a suspension.

At least I don't root for a bunch of thugs who can't keep their composure. If Fisher isn't suspended for at least a game then David Stern should resign.

If the rules were followed to a T there would be travels on about half the plays and fouls on every play because of handchecks.

That elbow happens multiple times during a game. Boxing out, it happens.

Seriously, do you want a tissue?
Exactly. Players get suspended for intentional fouls.


The West has some amazing teams and the East sucks except 2 or 3. Agreed?

Oh you mean like the play where Derrick Fisher squared up Scola and pulled a football move on him?


Yes. Though the west is definitely on the way down while the east is young. In two years the west could be VERY ugly. OKC will be nasty in a year or two though once they can get a solid big man or two.

Eh, Portland along with the Thunder will be dope in a few years. Grizzlies once they add a bit on to *** and Mayo should be good as well. Throw in the Jazz who aren't that old and they should be fine.

He got ejected from the game for it, as he deserved. Scola did help sell it though.

As for Kobe
http://i44.tinypic.com/f52dxc.jpg

Looks like boxing out to me. Ron Artest is a riot starter. He was throat slashing during the game. Best to throw him out. Seems fair to me. Shouldn't make murderous gestures if you want to stay in the game.


Denver's still young, kind of

ron artest is an ass. In his interview after the game he said he was just telling kobe " don't **** with me." Clearly he was trying to start a fight because kobe just backed off and artest was still all over him.

Kobe was just playing agressive. I play basketball every day and i stay in the post sometimes and i get elbowed in the jaw and sometimes hit other people that are bigger than me in the head just trying to be aggressive and only once has someone took it serious. There is no reason to get all excited about something like that. Rockets, you were getting your asses kicked and kobe was busting all of your asses, better luck next time.

Now that shove by fisher was wrong, i must admit that.

Agreed.

Dac, ffs stop with the fanboyism. I treaded 20 or so pages back in this thread for fun and found that you did nothing but defend the Cavs for about 20 pages. Honestly, it's just obnoxious. I'm here to discuss the NBA as a whole, not how much the Cavs own and how much the Lakers suck. We're all very clear on your position, capiche?

The other view clearly shows Kobe throwing an elbow... whether it was below the neck or not is up for debate, but it's close. As for the "throat slashing," he was clearly demonstrating that Kobe threw an elbow. You can read his lips during the whole ordeal. He made no such "murderous" gesture. The only reason he was thrown out is because his name was Ron Artest. I'm almost never one to back "Ron Ron," but he was not the least bit in the wrong in this ordeal. Hell, the original foul call on him that ignited it was questionable at best.

Also, Denver will be good as long as they have Chauncey, but I personally think that Carmelo regressed this year. L.A. will be good but they will need to manage their personnel carefully as players like Vujacic, Ariza, and Odom will require a lot of money over the next 3 or 4 years as their contracts expire and values rise. Portland needs another star before they can turn that corner. Dallas is on the way down. Probably the Jazz too. The Hornets are a mess financially. And The Rockets are an interesting case, with some good young players (I have an athletic man crush on Aaron Brooks) and the assumption that they'll trade TMac and have some cap space.

i can't wait for the lakers/rockets tonight! WOOOOOOOOOOOO

You can read lips? Boy I wish I had your talent!

Probably you were too young when this rule was made, but it was made in the late 90s. Basically they said if any player uses that gesture (throat slash), whether it's toward another player or the crowd, you're automatically ejected. That's why Artest got ejected, not because of getting in Kobe's face.

The fact it was Ron Artest (who's incapable of restraining himself) just fueled the fire.


Good game 3 so far, and thank god the Celts lost :beer:

kobe bryant isn't that great of a set shooter. He makes the shots when someone has a hand in his face all the time but he can't make wide open three's. WTF

No, he's a streaky shooter. He'll be on fire at some times, and have bad moments on others. The best shooters usually are (Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, etc.)

The Lakers are looking great on offense and defense right now, really killing the Rockets.

I know. Ray allen is the best 3 point shooter in the nba.

Wide open shots should be made regardless. Maybe he isn't a set shooter. I'm just talking basketball man, it's my favorite sport to play.

What I don't get is why he doesn't just shoot jumpers all the time...I love Kyle Lowry so much, if Brooks wasn't such a threat from 3...And look, Kobe just knocked down a buzzer beater 3...

boring game three. It's all lakers.

It was 50-48 at halftime, it's an 8 point game right now, hardly a blowout.

Ok I want you to sit in your chair and do something for me. First, perform the "throat slash" gesture that you were talking about. Take a look at it. Now, perform a "high elbow" like you're explaining what Kobe did to a ref, which is what Artest was doing. Take a look at that. The only reason he was ejected was because his name is Ron Artest. People don't realize that he's been pretty well behaved this year. And last night's ejection was just wrong. Plain wrong. Kyle Lowry was the one that did most of the fouling on that play.

Man, I need to stop beating around the bush: when I say you get ejected for making the throat slashing gesture, I mean any NBA player gets ejected for it. ANYONE.

Is that still too subtle?

And I agree the ejection last night was wrong. I also believe that it made absolutely NO difference towards the outcome of the game

My point was that Artest was NOT making a throat slash gesture though.

And yes the ejection had no bearing on the game, but if the technical fouls keep adding up then Ron Ron will have to be suspended a game which would be dumb in what is turning out to be a great series.

Also, how badly did the Mavericks get robbed last night? I'd be pretty pissed if I was a Dallas fan.

Glen Davis hits the game winner, then runs and pushes a kid sitting courtside. Classy guy haha. Later on to celebrate he stole crutches from a cripple and then drop kicked a senior citizen.

Celts even it up.

Lakers lost, and the Boston-Orlando game is evened up... good day to be a Cleveland fan :)

But seriously, what a f*cking shot by Davis.

Hah I know, I'm glad we (Cleveland) finally ALMOST had a close game last night lol.

The Denver game was amazing though lol, Melo's three was awesome...but I do agree with the no-call...in the midst of a possible game-winning shot in the playoffs, the refs need to see a pretty hard foul to actually call it, not just a minor shove. As one of the commentators said, you need to show the ref you want to foul the guy, he didn't even wrap him up or anything. But yeah, I would have been SO mad if I was a Dallas fan lol.

Davis' gamewinner was good though, I still hate the Celtics, but I think they will win the series...just hope the Cavs can beat them.