Check out this YouTube video I just made about my blog from footage I took at the Cavs vs. Bulls game 2 in Cleveland.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Game 2 Loss Sparks Different Responses
Last night the Cavs had a bit of a setback against the Celtics. And when I say "setback" I mean they got dominated in every way, start to finish. It was one of the hardest Cavs games I've ever watched, it was just so bad. No one was in rhythm, no one was talking, everyone tried to go 1-on-1, and the Celtics just had more energy and fight in them. Was just flat out an awful game for the Cavs.
Afterwards in the post-game press conferences, Mike Brown was hot. He kept saying how the Cavs just didn't have any fight in them, no sense of urgency. "They kicked our butts," said Brown about the Celtic's effort in game 2. He even went as far as to call out Mo Williams and say that he needs to step up his game if we want to win this series, just like everyone else has to. According to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland PD, Mike Brown scheduled a practice for today when the team was originally supposed to have the day off. Below is a video of Brown's press conference
LeBron James post-game press conference had a much different tone than coach Brown's. LeBron was very calm, didn't seem to feel any extra pressure being tied 1-1 after 2 games. He made it known that the Cavs needed to play with a better sense of urgency, but that they would be fine and that there's still a lot of basketball left to be played in this series. Below is the video of LBJ MVP2's press conference
I like that Coach Brown is taking this very seriously because I think some players on the Cavs need to wake up and realize that this is their chance to win a championship. It's not going to be handed to them, they need to go out and fight for it. With LeBron's demeanor calm and collected, I think that sets an example for his teammates saying that yes, they lost in bad fashion, but it's not over by any stretch of the imagination. It's a good combination of motivation styles and I hope it pays off for game 3 on Friday in Boston.
Afterwards in the post-game press conferences, Mike Brown was hot. He kept saying how the Cavs just didn't have any fight in them, no sense of urgency. "They kicked our butts," said Brown about the Celtic's effort in game 2. He even went as far as to call out Mo Williams and say that he needs to step up his game if we want to win this series, just like everyone else has to. According to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland PD, Mike Brown scheduled a practice for today when the team was originally supposed to have the day off. Below is a video of Brown's press conference
LeBron James post-game press conference had a much different tone than coach Brown's. LeBron was very calm, didn't seem to feel any extra pressure being tied 1-1 after 2 games. He made it known that the Cavs needed to play with a better sense of urgency, but that they would be fine and that there's still a lot of basketball left to be played in this series. Below is the video of LBJ MVP2's press conference
I like that Coach Brown is taking this very seriously because I think some players on the Cavs need to wake up and realize that this is their chance to win a championship. It's not going to be handed to them, they need to go out and fight for it. With LeBron's demeanor calm and collected, I think that sets an example for his teammates saying that yes, they lost in bad fashion, but it's not over by any stretch of the imagination. It's a good combination of motivation styles and I hope it pays off for game 3 on Friday in Boston.
Monday, May 3, 2010
LeBron Accepts 2nd MVP Award, will be honored before game 2 Tip Off
As I stated a few days ago, LeBron is officially the MVP for the 2nd straight year. The announcement was officially made yesterday at the Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio, the site where James played much of his high school basketball. NBA commissioner David Stern will be presenting the award to LeBron tonight in Cleveland before the start of game 2 against the Boston Celtics. That should get the crowd fired up.
In case you missed the LBJ MVP2 press conference yesterday, below is a video of the entire half hour event from NBA.com. Enjoy
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Cavs take Game 1 as 2nd Round gets underway
Last night the Cavs beat the Boston Celtics 101-93 at the Q. It wasn't a very pretty 1st half as the Cavs were down by 11 at halftime, but they made a furious comeback in the 2nd half and put the game away late in the 4th.
It all started in the 3rd quarter with Mo Williams. It was back and forth for a while at the start of the 3rd, but then Williams pulled an LBJ and DUNKED on Paul Pierce. It was Mo's first dunk as a Cavalier and it sparked a huge run for the Cavs as they took a 1 point lead going into the 4th. Here's the dunk for you all to see, and maybe it will leave you as speechless as it left Mike Brown in the post-game press conference:
So with momentum on their side, the Cavs will look to take a 2-0 lead Monday night at 8pm on TNT.
1st Round Wrap Up and 2nd Round Start
The Cavs and Celtics opened the 2nd round of playoff action last night, but the LA Lakers keep it rolling today as they host the Utah Jazz at 3:30 on ABC. The Lakers advanced to the 2nd round on a Pau Gasol game winning put-back layup in Oklahoma City, something I'm not happy about. That game is actually going on as I type, so keep an eye on this series because it will be a great one in my opinion. If Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer can keep their level of play up from the 1st round, they may actually have a shot at taking the Lakers down.
Just about a half hour ago, the Atlanta Hawks took game 7 of their series with the Milwaukee Bucks and will now advance to face the Orlando Magic. I'm not too sure if the Hawks have the mental toughness to beat the Magic without homecourt advantage, but I do think it will be a tough series for the Magic regardless. The Hawks will need a lot of perimeter defense and must be firing on all cylinders to have a shot at knocking off the Magic.
And lastly, the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs will face each other in the 2nd round as they renew their rivalry of playoffs past. I'm really excited to watch this series because each team plays such a different style. Phoenix will try to fast break on the Spurs and shoot lots of 3's, while the Spurs will look to get the ball into Duncan on the post and defend in a half-court offensive scheme. The Spurs do have a much improved fast breaking offensive component to their team now with players like Richard Jefferson and George Hill, but the Suns have improved their defensive game as well with guys like Jared Dudley on the perimeter and Louis Amundson in the post. Should be a great matchup, and I'm going to pick the Phoenix Suns to win the series 4-3. Sorry San Antonio, but I just feel the Sun's offense is too much for you to control.
It all started in the 3rd quarter with Mo Williams. It was back and forth for a while at the start of the 3rd, but then Williams pulled an LBJ and DUNKED on Paul Pierce. It was Mo's first dunk as a Cavalier and it sparked a huge run for the Cavs as they took a 1 point lead going into the 4th. Here's the dunk for you all to see, and maybe it will leave you as speechless as it left Mike Brown in the post-game press conference:
So with momentum on their side, the Cavs will look to take a 2-0 lead Monday night at 8pm on TNT.
1st Round Wrap Up and 2nd Round Start
The Cavs and Celtics opened the 2nd round of playoff action last night, but the LA Lakers keep it rolling today as they host the Utah Jazz at 3:30 on ABC. The Lakers advanced to the 2nd round on a Pau Gasol game winning put-back layup in Oklahoma City, something I'm not happy about. That game is actually going on as I type, so keep an eye on this series because it will be a great one in my opinion. If Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer can keep their level of play up from the 1st round, they may actually have a shot at taking the Lakers down.
Just about a half hour ago, the Atlanta Hawks took game 7 of their series with the Milwaukee Bucks and will now advance to face the Orlando Magic. I'm not too sure if the Hawks have the mental toughness to beat the Magic without homecourt advantage, but I do think it will be a tough series for the Magic regardless. The Hawks will need a lot of perimeter defense and must be firing on all cylinders to have a shot at knocking off the Magic.
And lastly, the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs will face each other in the 2nd round as they renew their rivalry of playoffs past. I'm really excited to watch this series because each team plays such a different style. Phoenix will try to fast break on the Spurs and shoot lots of 3's, while the Spurs will look to get the ball into Duncan on the post and defend in a half-court offensive scheme. The Spurs do have a much improved fast breaking offensive component to their team now with players like Richard Jefferson and George Hill, but the Suns have improved their defensive game as well with guys like Jared Dudley on the perimeter and Louis Amundson in the post. Should be a great matchup, and I'm going to pick the Phoenix Suns to win the series 4-3. Sorry San Antonio, but I just feel the Sun's offense is too much for you to control.
LeBron isn't F'ing around...
In case you were wondering whether or not LeBron James is really focused in on winning a championship, this will put your minds at ease.
Friday, April 30, 2010
1st Round Coming to and End, the King wins his Crown
It's official, as if there was any doubt. LeBron James will be named the 2009-2010 regular season MVP for the 2nd consecutive year., according to NBA.com.
Although that is an amazing achievement and I'm so pumped to be rooting for the MVP 2 years straight, the goal is to win a championship. Any amount of MVP awards aren't going to satisfy the city of Cleveland. Only the championship has that kind of effect. But regardless, AWESOME.
Now it's time for the Cavaliers and LBJ-MVP2 to take care of the Boston Celtics en route to Orlando. Game 1 is tomorrow night at 8pm on TNT. I cannot wait to get back at this dirty team. I wanna see Shaq dunk clean over Kendrick Perkins while Kevin Garnett tries to sneak in an elbow on Anderson Varejao, resulting in his indefinite suspension from the NBA :)
1st Round Outside of Cleveland
The last 3 remaining 1st round matchups are all on tonight, each with a team up 3-2 looking for a close out win.
Wow is all I have to say about the Milwaukee Bucks stealing game 5 in Atlanta against the Hawks. I'm blown away by how they've even won just 1 game against Atlanta, considering how much fire power the Hawks have. I said earlier in this blog that the Bucks were going to lose without question since they lost Andrew Bogut to injury, but now I'm not so sure. Atlanta just doesn't seem hungry enough. Milwaukee will try to close out the series tonight against Atlanta at home, 7pm on ESPN. Atlanta definitely has their work cut out for them. FEAR THE DEER
Next at 9:30pm on ESPN, the LA Lakers will look to finish the series against the OKC Thunder, but they're going to have to do it despite the incredibly energized OKC home crowd. And I'm sure you can only imagine how much more pumped they will all be tonight with they're beloved Thunder facing elimination. After LA dominated the Thunder 111-87 at home, it's going to take a lot of poise and confidence for the Thunder to get back on track tonight, but I personally feel they have a shot at home. We'll see what the Lakers are really made of tonight...
And finally on ESPN at 10pm, the Utah Jazz will look to upset the Denver Nuggets at home. I had picked Denver to advance past Utah initially, but now with their backs against the wall, I really don't think the Nuggets have enough left in them to win 2 straight without team play and coach George Karl. Deron Williams has been playing on another level this postseason so far and Carlos Boozer has been right there with him. I'm going to say that the Utah Jazz will just prove to be too much for Denver tonight, especially playing at the notorious Energy Solutions Arena.
Last night both the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks lost in their matchups, the latter of the two being very surprising in my opinion. I would put Dallas owner Mark Cuban on suicide watch just to be safe. Watch the TNT crew as they send-off Portland and Dallas in Gone Fishin'
Although that is an amazing achievement and I'm so pumped to be rooting for the MVP 2 years straight, the goal is to win a championship. Any amount of MVP awards aren't going to satisfy the city of Cleveland. Only the championship has that kind of effect. But regardless, AWESOME.
Now it's time for the Cavaliers and LBJ-MVP2 to take care of the Boston Celtics en route to Orlando. Game 1 is tomorrow night at 8pm on TNT. I cannot wait to get back at this dirty team. I wanna see Shaq dunk clean over Kendrick Perkins while Kevin Garnett tries to sneak in an elbow on Anderson Varejao, resulting in his indefinite suspension from the NBA :)
1st Round Outside of Cleveland
The last 3 remaining 1st round matchups are all on tonight, each with a team up 3-2 looking for a close out win.
Wow is all I have to say about the Milwaukee Bucks stealing game 5 in Atlanta against the Hawks. I'm blown away by how they've even won just 1 game against Atlanta, considering how much fire power the Hawks have. I said earlier in this blog that the Bucks were going to lose without question since they lost Andrew Bogut to injury, but now I'm not so sure. Atlanta just doesn't seem hungry enough. Milwaukee will try to close out the series tonight against Atlanta at home, 7pm on ESPN. Atlanta definitely has their work cut out for them. FEAR THE DEER
Next at 9:30pm on ESPN, the LA Lakers will look to finish the series against the OKC Thunder, but they're going to have to do it despite the incredibly energized OKC home crowd. And I'm sure you can only imagine how much more pumped they will all be tonight with they're beloved Thunder facing elimination. After LA dominated the Thunder 111-87 at home, it's going to take a lot of poise and confidence for the Thunder to get back on track tonight, but I personally feel they have a shot at home. We'll see what the Lakers are really made of tonight...
And finally on ESPN at 10pm, the Utah Jazz will look to upset the Denver Nuggets at home. I had picked Denver to advance past Utah initially, but now with their backs against the wall, I really don't think the Nuggets have enough left in them to win 2 straight without team play and coach George Karl. Deron Williams has been playing on another level this postseason so far and Carlos Boozer has been right there with him. I'm going to say that the Utah Jazz will just prove to be too much for Denver tonight, especially playing at the notorious Energy Solutions Arena.
Last night both the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks lost in their matchups, the latter of the two being very surprising in my opinion. I would put Dallas owner Mark Cuban on suicide watch just to be safe. Watch the TNT crew as they send-off Portland and Dallas in Gone Fishin'
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Cavs, and others, look for close out
After another dominant performance from LeBron James (triple-double) on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are up 3-1 on the Chicago Bulls, and will look to put them away tonight in Cleveland at 8pm on TNT.
There's no doubt in my mind that the Cavs win this game 5 and take the series 4-1. And I also believe that Miami will lose tonight in Boston and be eliminated. It took so much for Miami to win just one game, I can't see them coming back in this series at all. So I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that 2nd round it will be Cleveland vs. Boston. And if that is the case and both Boston and the Cavs win tonight, game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, Cavs/Celtics, would be this Saturday.
Orlando swept the series against the Charlotte Bobcats and are currently waiting to see who they'll face in the semis.
I thought it would be the Atlanta Hawks without a doubt, but the Milwaukee Bucks have come back to win the last two games in the series and tie it up 2-2. I still feel Atlanta will take the series because they have home court advantage and just a more talented roster, but they need to take the playoffs more seriously than they are right now because they need to eventually win a road game somewhere if they want to advance beyond Orlando in the semis.
Oklahoma City shocked everyone but themselves by winning games 3 and 4 in OKC, tying the series against the Lakers at 2-2. I picked them to win this series back before the playoffs started and so far they're making me look like I know what I'm talking about. The series shifts back to Los Angeles tonight for game 5 at 10:30pm, TNT. Kobe Bryant has said this is a "must win" tonight for the Lakers, and it could be really tough for them. OKC and Kevin Durant have confidence now and much more energy than the older Lakers. I for one cannot wait to watch this game. Go OKC!
The Phoenix Suns got back on track at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, taking a 3-2 lead. Brandon Roy returned from surgery to play for the Blazers, but I still feel that Phoenix is just too much for the Blazers to handle. They should seal the deal in game 6, even if it is at the Rose Garden in Portland.
And then there's the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs, both up 3-1 on their higher seeded oppenents. I don't think anyone saw Utah taking this lead without AK47 and Memhet Okur, but they've been the harder working team and have shown the Nuggets what unselfish basketball looks like. And the Spurs look to close out the series tonight at 9:30pm on NBATV against the Mavericks. I thought the Mavericks and Spurs would definitely battle it out, but I expected the series to be tied 2-2 going into game 5, not 3-1 Spurs. If the Spurs close out Dallas tonight, it will be a huge failure for the Mavericks and their owner Mark Cuban might literally explode on the court.
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