[LAL/HOU] - Western Conference, Round 2

[kingsnation]

kingsnation, you're not listening.

You're right, I'm not. This is a message board

Lakers = Favorite. Agreed.

Pistons = better team. Overall and in chemistry. Proven by Title.

....

Go Rockets.

 

[Aenadin]

You're right, I'm not. This is a message board

Lakers = Favorite. Agreed.

Pistons = better team. Overall and in chemistry. Proven by Title.

....

Go Rockets.

lol your not reading then

anyways cant we all just agree that we want the lakers to lose lol

i dont laugh or celebrate when a grown man cries

but when adam morrison starts sprawling on the laker court..... LMAO

 

[jalfa]

but when adam morrison starts sprawling on the laker court..... LMAO

Two things: one, I don't think Morrisson cares that much anymore, two, I'd rather see Vujacic doing that.

 

[Aenadin]

Two things: one, I don't think Morrisson cares that much anymore, two, I'd rather see Vujacic doing that.

id like to see vujacic and kobe cry too lol

 

[bigbadred00]

Alright, this is the last which-team-is-better-than which team I'm going to comment on: the Lakers had the league's best record, four HOF players, they had the Kobe-Shaq-Phil combo that won three rings (although one was actually given to them), they blown away all their opponents, they even beat the Spurs handily. They are, by all account, a better team than the Piston, which had no one, and I mean no one in the starting lineup with Final experience. While the Lakers had a bunch of guys who had been to the Final.
And to top it off, the Piston lost to the Spurs the next year, the same Spurs that got beaten badly by the Lakers. So no, the idea that the Piston was a better team than the Lakers is at best, revisionistic. The Pistons were underrated maybe. But better, no.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2004.html

They did?

Looks like they had the 4th best record in the league if that matters. I still think it's b/c Malone got hurt that really slowed them down.

 

[Peter_Gibbons]

You're right, I'm not. This is a message board

Lakers = Favorite. Agreed.

Pistons = better team. Overall and in chemistry. Proven by Title.

....

Go Rockets.

I see what beb0p is saying. The lakers were the better team in terms on talent. Anyone with basketball sense will tell you that the guys like Prince, Hamilton etc does not compare to Shaq, Malone, Kobe, Payton etc in terms of talent. On paper the lakers were suppose to win.

The Pistons won because they played better as a team in terms of execution and unity. But their team doesn't have better talent. The Pistons didn't win because they had better players.

Its kind of like if an Enzo Ferrari races a stock Mustang GT and loses because he didn't choose his gears correctly, a lot of people will say the driver choked because he didn't utilize the "talent" of the car. Of course the Enzo would be considered the favorite to win. The Mustang driver would be the better driver and rised to the occasion. The better car or "talent/team" is still the Enzo.

At the end of the day its just difference of opinion. Not everyone will agree. No biggie.

And yes Rockets, BEAT THE LAKERS.

 

[Superman]

That Lakers team was shaky however. At no point during the season did they look as dominant as the 3x title winners at the beginning of the decade. They certainly had more talent on one of Shaq's bunions than the Pistons did on their whole roster, but it was old, infighting, squabbling, unfocused chemistry-less talent.

Not to mention the fact that this was the season after Kobe was arrested. Lots of distractions and chaos surrounding that team in '04.

That said, they were still heavily favored in that series, had just beat the team with the best record and the league MVP, and really had no business getting bounced in five. RKid is right about Malone's absence, and his impact didn't really show up in his stats, but he was a big part of that team. Regardless, that shouldn't have taken them from being a big favorite to getting ran out of the gym.

 

[est.1999]

for whatever it's worth that 2004 finals was a 5 game sweep. The lakers had no business taking game 2 haha

 

[piksi]

lakers must win tonight even if it takes combined powers of Bavetta, Palmer and Crawford together. Yao and Artest will be in foul trouble all night. Kobe will be more protected than polar bears. I won't even try to watch it. Mr. Stern won't even take a chance do jeopardize money making Kobe vs. Lebron finals which he predicted in November.

 

[hrdboild]

That series is over already?

Yup. Dallas has a giant fork sticking out of them right now. Did you see Mark Cuban's face last night? He knows it's over for this team. Expect a flurry of trades in the off-season. No one but Dirk is safe.

 

[Variant]

Rockets look disinterested tonight. Time to watch something else!

 

[hrdboild]

Did you see who's refereeing this game? The Rockets are screwed.

 

[Sluggah]

artest + adelman = good

 

[bigbadred00]

Rockets look disinterested tonight. Time to watch something else!

wow............

 

[PurpleHaze]

Rockets/Artest starting to impose their will more and more. Can this really be happening?

 

[Aenadin]

rockets are for real!

they are neck and neck wih the lakers with yao ming playing only 10 mins and not having a good game...

 

[PurpleHaze]

57-57 at the half. Houston starting to make the game much like the first one. Kobe not getting to the line AT ALL. Zero trips to the stripe so far and only 3-5 FT entire last game. GO ROCKETS!

 

[Aenadin]

lakers are soft they cant handle tough play

once yao ming gets his groove in this game its going to be over for the lakers...

he played 10 mins... that means he isnt that tired those fouls called on him is a joke

go rockets!!!

 

[vikinginferno]

Lakers seem to be much too soft. Rockets are too tough and strong for them right now. The Lakers came out with energy, but it definitely hasn't lasted. Let's see if that energy comes back, but I hope not.

 

[Aenadin]

come on rockets!!! i wanna see kobe pull a morrison on the court!!!

lakers are all offense.. they have mediocre defense i dont even know why kobe is in the all defense team.. should have been wade.

rockets need to start drawing in fouls this half.. its going to be their friend

i guess the rocket fans owe us big time for the artest trade

 

[vikinginferno]

Or at least a morrison pull a morrison on the court!

 

[Aenadin]

Or at least a morrison pull a morrison on the court!

with the playing time he is getting? he should be pulling a morrison right about now

 

[asakkings]

Luis Scola is quietly becoming one of my favorite players. I like his hussle, Spurs were stupid to trade him.

 

[gunks]

Scola needs to step his rebounding up this game though, allowing Ariza to get that gimme of a board a couple plays back was pathetic...This is playoffs dude!!


Ron Ron is playing great though. ALMOST out Kobeing Kobe haha.

 

[gunks]

Brooks needs to pass...

 

[BLNINJA #81]

If Fisher isn't suspended... this leauge is full of ****!

 

[Bricklayer]

Well that wasn't bright by Fisher. Smacking Scola is one thing, getting tossed is another when you have the other team on the ropes.

 

[SacKings7]

Yeah that was as obvious as they get. He should at least get 1 game for that. That's just not called for, especially one play after Odom and Walton got in Scola's face

 

[vikinginferno]

Scola and all the rockets get into it. Technicals on Scola, Odom, and Walton. Flagrant 2 on Fisher. I love how the commentators talk about how tough Fisher is after he gets a tiny boo boo on his head after taking out Scola.

 

[chasen4r1]

Is anyone here getting tired of the Lakers' crap? With Odom's antics against Scola and Fisher with that flagrant 2? You can only be so tough before you start laying cheap shots