Game 5: Nuggets 94 - Lakers 103
by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 12:48 AM MDT
in Game Recaps
39 comments
Denver will face their first elimination game Friday
Nuggets Nation, you can all sit back, relax, and take a deep breath ... because I was wrong! You never want a guy who tried to correlate the similarities between his school test scores and his favorite baseball players' batting averages telling you what is what.
(A 34% ... well gee if I was Todd Helton and hit .340 I'd be an all-star!)
I said that Denver would win this series in 6 games and that can't happen now. However, Denver can still win this series and will get another shot at the Lakers Friday night (May 29th.)
A lot of the talk before Game 5 centered around Kobe Bryant. Local talk radio in Denver said they could see Kobe trying to go for 45+ in last night's game. The Nuggets had been doing a good job of making their playoff series ... Chris Paul vs. the Nuggets, Dirk Nowitzki vs. the Nuggets, and Kobe Bryant vs. the Nuggets.
But if you watch the Lakers ... they are at their best when Kobe is acting as a facilitator and not trying to carry the team. It's been a role that has taken him some getting used to, but when he trusts his teammates and they play how they are capable then the Lakers are very tough to beat.
Tonight Denver played Kobe like he was going to try to beat them himself ... in a way he did. Denver looked to double Kobe quite a bit and to double the ball quite a bit and the Lakers made Denver pay for that strategy.
The Lakers racked up 25 team assists and Kobe turned in a series high with 8 assists himself. He did a great job of passing the ball out of the double team all night and of passing up shots to get the ball to teammates open in the paint.
In an email exchange earlier in the game-day I said that if Kobe went for 22 points that Denver would be in great shape. I said this thinking that if Kobe only got 22 points that it would mean he was missing a lot of shots. Well, Kobe did only score 22 points (his series low), but he did so on 6-13 shooting. Those 13 shots were also a series low for Kobe as he averaged 20+ shot attempts in the first four games of the series.
I thought Kobe played a very smart game by getting his teammates involved and letting them win the game for the Lakers in the box score. Kobe's unselfishness on the offensive end won this game for the Lakers ... he created opportunities for guys to get into the paint and even got himself into the lane throughout the game.
On the flip side ... the Nuggets played more of a selfish brand of basketball as they only collected 17 total team assists with no player recording over 5 (Billups.) The Nuggets will often get themselves into trouble on the road by turning into a jump shooting team and tonight was no different.
For more on the Nuggets woes, follow the jump ...
Denver had another miserable shooting game going 38.6% from the field, including 7-24 from three-point land (29.2%.) The Nuggets had some open looks and took some contested outside shots, but they need to realize that getting to the paint is how they find success.
The Lakers showed it tonight and the Nuggets did it in Game 4. Being aggressive does so many things for your team. It'll usually get you more foul calls and it'll open up your outside shooting. Shooting from deep rarely leads to things opening up on the inside.
Crucial Stretches in Game 5:
- In the 2nd Quarter the Nuggets' Anthony Carter hit a three in the corner to give Denver a 54-49 lead with just 1:00 minute left in the half. Instead of going into the half with a 3 or 5 point lead, the Nuggets surrendered a layup to Pau Gasol, (Nene) committed an offensive foul, gave up an offensive rebound and put back lay in, turned the ball over instead of getting the last shot (on another bad inbounds play), and gave up a three-pointer to a wide open The Machine. Just like that L.A. goes on a 1:00 minute 7-2 scoring run and we have a tied game at the half 56-56. OUCH!
- In the 3rd Quarter Dahntay Jones missed his second free throw attempt (made the first) and Birdman gobbled up the offensive rebound ... dished it to Melo where he made the shot and drew a foul ... Melo completed the And-1 play to give Denver a 71-64 lead and what looked like a bit of control in a game that had been even all night ...
But that's when the wheels fell off. The Lakers went on a 23-7 run and were up 87-78 with 7:52 left in the game after Melo's free throws provided Denver's first points of the fourth quarter. The Nugget offense seemed rattled and refused to take the ball strong to the rack. - Linas Kleiza though (in the fourth quarter), went on a one-man mission (typically reserved for J.R. Smith) scoring Denver's next seven points (after being down 87-78) with fearless shooting and drives. It was nice to see that LK had some confidence going and he helped the Nuggets cut the Laker lead to 4 points at 91-87.
The Nuggets would never get closer as L.A. closed the game on a 12-7 run. - With things knotted up at 76-76 heading into the final 12 minutes the Nuggets needed an early spark. They had none. During Denver's 4+ minute scoring drought to start the final period ... the Lakers had 5 guys score the ball and ran up an 11 point lead. You just knew that which ever team got that early 4th Quarter spark would win the game and once again it was the Lakers winning the final period and the game.
Each team that has won the fourth quarter has won the game. L.A. won the fourth 27-18 and now has the upperhand heading into Game 6. This series has been a see-saw battle and Denver will have a chance to push this thing to the limit.
It'll be very interesting to see how Denver is able to respond in Game 6 ... the crowd will be ready and Carmelo Anthony sounded confident in his post-game interview.
The Officiating:
Is NBA officiating good? No. Is it deciding games? No.
In the game thread and in George Karl's post-game interviews there was a lot of talk about the officiating. Carmelo Anthony said it best in his interview stating that, the Nuggets can't worry about the calls that happen. Nothing is going to change what happened and you must focus on the road ahead.
Going into the 4th Quarter the personal fouls sat at 19 for Denver and 18 for the Lakers. Denver was whistled for 11 fouls in the final period and the Lakers were whistled for 4 bringing the totals to 30 for Denver and 22 for the Lakers.
Los Angeles finished the game just +3 in makes at the foul line (25-36 for L.A. compared to 23-30 for Denver.)
The bottom line is that the refs did not cost Denver the game. Did L.A. get away with some physical play in the paint? You bet. Did Denver get away with some physical play in the paint? You bet.
The Nuggets should not have taken so many long shots and gone away from aggressively attacking the rim. Too often did I see Nuggets go into the paint and not attack the rim. You are never going to get calls when you double-clutch or turn down a dunk for a lay in attempt. There is a difference between getting into the paint and attacking the rim and Denver must get back to knowing that difference in Game 6 at The Can.
You want more calls? Go get them. Attack the rim and force your opponent to foul the crap out of you. We saw Trevor Ariza make a beautiful dunk in this series and when he went for another one a few minutes later KMart put him on his backside with a hard foul. Denver understood this in Game 4 and attacked the rim relentlessly. In Game 5 Denver went away from really attacking the rim. Had Denver used the same strategy as they did in Game 4 ... they would have won the free throw battle and probably had a chance to win the game as well.
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The truth hurts
but you’re right, Nate, the Nuggets played selfishly and failed to attack the rim with any consistency. And, like you pointed out “Kobe played a very smart game by getting his teammates involved and letting them win the game for the Lakers”. Karl said after Game 4 that the way for the Nuggets to win Game 5 was to continue to play defense and BE SMART. Nene needs to put his head in the game and grow up emotionally. Nene’s technical was uncalled for. (Carmelo gets it and talked about it in his post game interview.) After a great night in Game 4, Nene played like **** tonight. It was great to see Kleiza step up in the 4th quarter – like you said, he really looked like he was on a mission. It was hard to watch the final minutes… when the Nuggets closed the gap within 4 points I still thought they might be able to pull it out, but it just wasn’t going to happen as LA just couldn’t be stopped. I’m still pulling for the Nuggets in 7.
by DenverNative on May 28, 2009 2:40 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
“Nene’s technical was uncalled for.” In the ref’s defense, Nene had been jawing at the ref after receiving a foul call in the first half.
The ref simply walked away and did not issue a tech even though Nene probably deserved it.
“The bottom line is that the refs did not cost Denver the game. Did L.A. get away with some physical play in the paint? You bet. Did Denver get away with some physical play in the paint? You bet.”
Lamar, Melo, Kobe and Bircman were just some of the few that got knocked arround under the basket. though this style of play probably favors the nuggets i was glad to see the officials “let the boys play”. as long as it’s called consistently at both ends and throughout the quarter(at least), then it makes the game funner to watch
by UnleashTheMamba on May 28, 2009 2:54 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
as long as it’s called consistently at both ends and throughout the quarter(at least), then it makes the game funner to watch
If that were the case, I’d agree. There were 6 or 7 plays in the 4th that went LA’s way, on both sides of the court. There were some questionable calls against the Nuggets (Nene’s 5th and 6th, the no call on Odom when K-Mart went in for the dunk, Kleiza’s “foul” on Ariza to a lesser extent, to name a few). It was very frustrating. I’m all for let the boys play, but then there should have been more no-calls and Nene should have finished the game on the court, not the bench.
However, the refs did NOT cost the Nuggets the game. The 23-7 run fueled by sloppy offensive play, poor shot selection and lazy defense cost the Nuggets the game, the refs just assured that the Nuggets couldn’t recover.
by ymiinjersey on May 28, 2009 8:26 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Denver changed, not the referee's in the fourth
You may want to get a better TV and watch it in slow mo on Tivo, Martin’s drive was just like his two little flip shots, bad choices. It you watch the replay he shoves the ball into the backboard, Odom didn’t even block it and Martin initiated all the contact. Simply put the Nuggets could not match the Laker’s fourth quarter energy, they ended up acting like they were chasing a dogs tail and that ended up in foul calls. You are however correct that a couple calls on Nene should have been none calls, those were missed. Yet what keep the Nuggets from recovering was their lack of defense and drive for the ball, every other game and what has been their strong suit is that they have wanted the ball more, this game the Lakers did.
by Old time fan on May 28, 2009 9:33 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for not blaming the refs...
This game was won by the Lakers because they played with the energy and focus necessary to win games down the stretch. Were some of the calls bad? Yeah, probably. Nene’s sixth was kind of lame given the pace of the game, but I’m convinced the only reason the ref called it was because he tried to flop and draw the offensive foul. If you have 5 fouls you should not be flopping in the paint trying to draw charges. Plenty of calls get missed on both ends and likewise bad calls get made. It’s part of the game. Most players understand that and most coaches do too, but still try to lobby for things to go their way.
In the heat of game four I thought some of the reffing was suspect, but when I looked back on the game I realized the Lakers didn’t play in such a way that would let them win against an elite team like Denver (20 offensive rebounds). For three and a half quarters Denver played like they came to win tonight, but like I said down the stretch the Lakers were the better team.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
by Justin N. on May 28, 2009 2:56 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
That last Nene foul was very tough ...
I really thought that Pau should have received the offensive foul there … Nene was sliding and received an elbow to the chest that knocked him down … I didn’t think Nene flopped there, but that’s a 50/50 call either way.
But nit-picking fouls is never going to solve anything, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be discussed by the fans.
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 9:06 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
The last two were very tough.
It’s possible that the 5th foul (the offensive foul) was obvious, but as the cameras never replayed it and it sure as hell looked like he was just fighting for position (which you see on every single possession) it’s tough. Especially after Shannon Brown pushes Birdman into Odom (who not only fends off Birdman with his left arm – which is a foul – but clocks him in the back of the head with it) and gets an and1.
The Nuggets didn’t go hard to the rack in the 4th quarter, but when they went hard earlier, they weren’t getting the calls. 12 blocked shots by the Lakers? Many of those came from a guy leaving the ground from the restricted area and knocking a guy off course. Body contact that is sufficient to knock a player off his intended course is a foul, as was so politely pointed out by the Laker fan yesterday.
But obviously, you play the game the way it’s called. The Nuggets had opportunities to put the game away and did not. When they had the 8 point lead in the 2nd quarter I said to my buddy, “now they have to continue to take the ball hard to the rack, no 3-point daggers on the road.” What happens? They brick a 3 and the Lakers cut the lead. The Nuggets get a steal and are out on a 3-on-2. What do they do? They pass out to the three point line and brick a 3 — nullifying the turnover and the man advantage. Nene gets a bullshit call against him. What does he do? He makes it worse by picking up a tech. Now you’re on the wrong side of the referee and when there’s a play that’s even slightly questionable, he picks up the foul when it should have been Nuggets ball.
Play smart. Play smarter.
by NuggBuckets on May 28, 2009 9:32 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nene's fouls were of the cheap variety (and typically are)
I was just referencing his last one as the post above discussed it.
But yes, Nene gets called for a lot of ticky-tack fouls. He gets very frustrated by it because as a big man you need to be able to bang down low, but he doesn’t seem to have the same freedom in the post as other bigs. I don’t know if it’s anything other than Nene hooking arms or something that truly is a foul or if Nene just doesn’t get the respect from the officials. Sounds funny that you need respect from the officials to be able to play in the paint … but it’s been happening with Nene all season.
Karl has stated that perhaps next season Nene will earn that respect from the refs (and if he does play the same way next season, but earns calls then that just continues to show there is a problem with favoritism or rather seniority in the NBA.)
On local radio they pointed out that loose ball foul that Nene picked up when he and Derek Fisher were both going for the ball. The radio guys (1510 am) said in the previous game that Melo picked up a loose ball foul when he and Ariza were going for the ball because Melo was the second man to the ball … but Nene was the first man to the ball and got the whistle last night. They were very perplexed by this.
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 9:48 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Non-call preffered here
If they just called nothing and said your both not playing basketball
and let it result in a turn over, maybe they’d both stop acting.
by Old time fan on May 28, 2009 9:35 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I felt it was a non-call both ways.
Which would then turn it into a travel.
The elbow was hidden to well to notice. The refs missed it, but the real problem was Nene only taking 3 shots. 3 shots? then going out of his way to get T’d up in a competitive game. he was close earlier. He had to know one was going to come.
This game we we got our hands on a lot of lay-up attempts, as opposed to previous games, in which we simply conceded dunks and lay-ups. It has been working for you guys, and we’re just glad we finally decided to contest those shots.
Nate,
Nice job in your write up.
The Lakers are 13-3 against the Nuggets in the past 2 years.
by wondahbap on May 28, 2009 11:14 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
GREAT postgame
most honest postgame I’ve seen from a losing team since the Spurs were in the playoffs (man I miss those guys).
by tandur on May 28, 2009 3:39 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Yep.
The Nuggets lost this one for themselves. They need to learn to value their possessions more, especially when they’re not on home-court and Birdman/Nene dunks can’t rev up the crowd and their momentum.
Also, a note to JR:
It doesn’t pay to try to shoot your way out of a cold streak.
"I was playing in the streets one time and my friend broke off a leg to a chair and threw it at another guy through his heart and he died." - Ron Artest, QB's finest
by endverse on May 28, 2009 6:49 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
I respect this thread
Thank you for not blaming the refs, I’ve seen worse Denver fans looking for excuses whether it’s a bad call or a bad non-call. This is by far the best blog entry about this game that wasn’t made by a Laker fan.
It’s going to be a rough game come game 6, regardless of the result, I’m just hoping for a great game.
by Bassman500 on May 28, 2009 8:43 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Refs did not cost Nugs the game
But they did contribute to the Laker dominance in the fourth quarter. When the Nugs did attack the rim, they didn’t get the calls. When the Lakers attacked the rim, they got the calls, even ones that didn’t exist. I would say the Nugs poor play cost them the game more, but I for one just can’t ignore such obvious one-sided officiating. No way in Detroit (hell) was the real foul count in the 4th 11-4. Not even close.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on May 28, 2009 10:04 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Location bias
You’re obviously clouded in your judgement, just like the Boulder skies.
It’s this kind of bias and flat out ignorant statements that make some of these posts laughable.
Nuggets played out of control in the fourth and were scrambling to meet the energy of the Lakers,
that’s it, plain and simple. Is there always a justification for a lose by any team? Seems so by the posts.
by Old time fan on May 28, 2009 7:16 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can someone please tell me what happened to Chauncey?
Last night might be the worst I’ve ever seen him play. After that (admittedly terrible) offensive foul call that took away the and-1, he completely disappeared. Couldn’t hit from outside, wasn’t driving to the basket, wasn’t getting to the line, not to mention a series of absolutely backbreaking turnovers during that stretch in the 2nd half when we’d actually started to build a lead.
Never thought I’d say this, but freakin’ AC was actually our best point guard last night…
by CraftyB on May 28, 2009 10:06 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Lakers defense is what...
…specifically Kobe. Kobe is not getting the credit he deserves for his stellar defense. His defense on Billups and Smith particularly is absolutely stifling. Look what happens to Smith when Kobe is on him, nothing but clankers and long rebounds. And much the same when he moves to cover Billups – turnovers and bad shots.
Denver is playing well but they do not appear ready to move on. Yes its true that the Lakers appear somewhat uneven but the Nuggets do not seem to be able to keep their collective cool (resulting in technicals and bad shot selection in crunch time) and they seem to lose focus late in the game too often. The Lakers meanwhile, as they have done all season, play their best in must win situations.
Game 6 should be a barn burner – GO LAKERS!
by Lakers Rule on May 28, 2009 10:57 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kobe's defense has been pretty good.
I think Denver should keep attacking him though as J.R. has shown the ability to get around Kobe, but it’s true that who he is covering seems reluctant to drive the ball on him and would rather just settle for the jumper much of the time.
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 11:15 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
CraftyB ... you may be correct.
Billups had a great start and it looked like he would carry Denver much like he did in Game 1 of the Hornets series. He started off with 9 points in the first quarter and looked unstoppable.
I don’t know what happened to him from there. He had some very UN-Chauncey like passes directly to Laker players and passed up shot opportunities when he should have fired away. By far his worst game of the series.
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 11:13 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Chauncey, along with those 3s
also picked up 2 fouls — one being a VERY questionable offensive foul where Ariza slid under him in the restricted area — and that sent him to the bench. Then he came out cold. The two turnovers in the 3rd were mind-boggling, but no Nugget moved to try to make the pass easier.
by NuggBuckets on May 28, 2009 12:37 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
The officiating was bad, but not any worse than it has been anywhere else this season. It didn’t cost us the game period.
The first 4.5 minutes of the 4th lost us the game. Karl and Billups both I blame for it…they should have seen what was happening and told the team to take it to the rack. Those jump shots were just horrible shot-selection (most of them being 3s…one of which was a decent open kick-out). Absolutely horrid offense from our guys…Martin and Nene both missed opportunities for easy dunks in the 4th.
Grr
I don’t want breakaway speed. I want break-some-poor-fool-as-I-bowl-you-over power getting 6 yards off a play that should have been stopped for 2 at most.
by sadaraine on May 28, 2009 11:14 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Without reading any of the above comments, I would just like to say Karl blew it at the beginning of the fourth. Like the post above says, going into fourth, almost everyone knew whichever team got ahead a bit was probably going to win the match. Thats just how the game was going. And Karl sat Anthony to begin the fourth for a long long time!
I am a spurs guy here and wondering frantically where Melo is on the floor finally realizing he is on the bench throughout the Laker run. In the playoffs, Lebron is playing whole halfs, Kobe is…Karl should have let Melo play. Nuggs just couldn’t find a scorer. LK was their most enthusiastic player in the fourth. Slightly disappointed by Karl’s coaching there.
by LionZion on May 28, 2009 12:07 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Couldn’t agree more. He’s done that a lot this series too. I just don’t understand it!
by ymiinjersey on May 28, 2009 12:10 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
saw the exact same thing
happen on the other side of the court in game 4. Jackson sat Kobe and Gasol for the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, completely squandering any opportunity they may have had to close the gap and make a game of it.
I can only guess that the coaches are trying to save their stars for a big push in the closing minutes…but that can only work if the rest of the team can keep themselves in the game long enough to make it worthwhile. Obviously the “strategy” has now backfired for both coaches.
by MileHighAir on May 29, 2009 12:17 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Also, Phil typically changes coverage strategies in the fourth in almost ALL critical series. How could Karl or even Chauncy not know that? He sends double coverage against ball handlers early in the shot clock with really tall guys and Chauncy kept passing to ghosts…ugh. And Martin of all ppl decided to gobble up two or three possessions…with flip shots. No chance of a trip to the lane..nothing.
Last nights game, they simply got outcoached and out prepared imo. Sucks..but everyone by now should know how Phil likes to show his cards really late, whether it works or not.
by LionZion on May 28, 2009 12:12 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe it's time to take a page out of the Bill Simmons playbook
FULL COURT PRESS TO START THE 4TH!!!
The Nuggets have the high energy guys necessary to do it, the Lakers would never see it coming and wouldn’t know what to do!!
by ymiinjersey on May 28, 2009 12:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
On the glass half-full side...
I think in some ways losing game 5 helps us. Taking three in a row off LA was always an unlikely proposition, and we all know how the Lakers like to half-ass it on the road following a victory. Conversely, a Nuggets win last night would undboutedly have riled the Kobe & Co. and in many ways put more pressure on us for Game 6 than we’re facing now, setting us up for the kind of performance we turned in for Game 3. If we’re gonna go seven games, I’d rather be going into it with a win and some degree of momentum on our side.
Bottom line: win tomorrow (which I truly believe we will) and we’re back to playing with house money, with all the pressure on LA to close out. And if Orlando can win a game 7 on Boston’s home court (a far more intimidating arena, imho), we can steal one at Staples.
by CraftyB on May 28, 2009 1:01 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
but...
Orlando is a stronger team mentally than Denver, so their ability to win on the road is not surprising. What was surprising was the fact it even took 7 games for Orlando to beat them.
It’s all about matchups. Last year, a healthy Boston team was taken to 7 games by a much weaker Cleveland team. This year, Boston, missing several players, takes Orlando to 7 games, which would imply that Orlando cannot beat Cleveland. And yet here we are, with Orlando on the verge of making the Finals in an amazing 5 games over the pre-postseason crowned champions. (Before you argue the Lakers were the pre-postseason crowned champions, consider that MANY people considered Houston, Denver, and ESPECIALLY Portland as teams that had a real chance to knock off LA before the Finals. Cleveland has been expected to wipe through the Leastern Conference, and has not.)
by tandur on May 28, 2009 1:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh...
and Orlando was a good road team. 27-10 during the season on the road, 5-3 in these playoffs.
Denver was a woeful 21-20 (not impressive in the least), and after beating up on two sad excuses for playoff contenders, they are a decent 3-4 in the playoffs.
by tandur on May 28, 2009 1:52 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
"Sad excuses for playoff contenders" huh?
Nothing like the “can’t beat a .500 team on the road to save our lives” Jazz or the Yao-less/McGrady-less/Artest-bricking everything-in-sight Rockets. Some real heavyweights you guys took down…
BTW, what’s the Lakers road record in the playoffs? That’s right, it’s 3-4 (soon to be 3-5) – same as the “woeful” Nugs. Lost more games at home too – 2 to our 1. I like our Game 7 chances just fine, thank you very much.
RE: Orlando being a stronger team mentally, maybe, maybe not. Good as they’ve looked the past few games, this is the same team that let the Sixers hang around well past their expiration date – we’ll see how they handle a close-out situation against Cleveland.
by CraftyB on May 28, 2009 2:12 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
The thing is...
home court during the finals is a whole different deal, because of the 2-3-2 format. It’s extremely difficult to beat a good team 3 times in a row, even if it is in your building. That format heavily favors the team with home court, so you have to look at it as the road team has to win twice in an opposing arena, because very rarely does the home team sweep the three middle games. Not saying Orlando can’t win twice in Staples (or that the Lakers even make the finals), but that format makes it incredibly difficult on the road team.
by gokobego on May 28, 2009 5:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank you for not blaming the Officiating.
You guys are good to not blame the officiating. I’m always puzzled by the conspiracists who claim the lakers paid off the refs. That’s interesting given that the Lakers went to the free throw line 5 more times than the Nuggets. The Nuggets went to the free throw line 14 more times than the Lakers in game 4, and nobody’s giving out conspiracy theories of that game.
Anyways thank you for not blaming the officiating on this one.
by laker on May 28, 2009 2:28 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
The Nuggets went to the free throw line 14 more times than the Lakers in game 4, and nobody’s giving out conspiracy theories of that game.
Except Phil Jackson. And it worked like a charm, imo.
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on May 28, 2009 2:46 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
The coaches were really working it in the Houston-Portland series also -- they both got fined.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
by timbo on May 28, 2009 3:26 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is there any way I could get my hands on some of this "fined" money? No? Ok.
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 3:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder what they do with it
use it to train their next crop of officials? :)
by tandur on May 28, 2009 4:04 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
They train officials?
MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.
by Bob in Boulder on May 28, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
did you see the Sports Guy article?
It’s funny, just a couple of days ago, Hollinger was defending the bad officiating, but today, both him and Simmons are blasting it.
Here’s the bit from the Simmons article I found hilarious:
The following is absolutely true: Last week, the NBA sent out a memo for its Development League Referee Tryout Camp, which is scheduled for June 19-21 in Los Angeles. Participants officiate two games with prospective D-League players and need a minimum of two years experience at the high school level or higher. Not only do the participants have to pay their own way to get there, but the NBA charges them a $550 fee that covers “lodging for two nights at the camp headquarters, transportation to and from the games, and a camp officiating jersey.” YOU HAVE TO PAY TO TRY OUT! The NBA, where amazingly dumb happens.
by tandur on May 28, 2009 4:23 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's go tryout!!!
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by Nate Timmons on May 28, 2009 4:35 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
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