Bleacher Report - Articles by Lockdawg

Confederations Cup: USA Shocks Spain, Advances to First Final

Lockdawg — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:46:17 -0400

The United States men's national soccer team stunned the world of soccer Wednesday evening with a sparkling 2-0 defeat over No. 1 ranked Spain in their semifinal match of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium in South Africa.

The win earned the Americans their first trip to the cup final in team history.

"The U. S. put in a tremendous team effort and were all over the field," said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque in defeat. "We were surprised by how well they played and we have to take our hats off to them."

The Beatles classic song "Come Together" came to mind as news of the amazing American victory filled the airwaves. "Here comes old flattop, he come grooving up slowly..."

Losers of their first two cup matches against Brazil and Italy, team USA was doing just that, moving up slowly, scoring just one goal in those matches together while playing with very little passion making careless defensive miscues.

Amazingly, behind the leadership of head coach Bob Bradley, they found a way to "come together" at just the right time with an excellent balance of timely offense and stifling defense.

"When you play a team like Spain you have to work very hard and defend as a group," said Bradley. "We made a special effort to try to control their midfield and not let them get comfortable. When we got the ball we knew we needed to be aggressive."

Facing cup elimination team USA dumped a valiant Egyptian team 3-0 to secure the runners-up berth and stamp their ticket to the semi-final match against the reigning European champions from Spain by virtue of goals scored.

With virtually no one but their coaches, family, and friends believing in them, team USA pulled off what has to be the "biggest win" in American soccer history to earn a shot at the country's first FIFA title on Sunday.

"This win is huge for American soccer. It's the first time we've gone to the final of a major competition," said USA midfielder and Budweiser Man of the Match Clint Dempsey. "We were down and out and no one expected us to win. Everyone back home is going to be excited about this and we're all thrilled."

Goalkeeper Tim Howard was a beast again between the pipes standing on his head devouring 29 furious shots on goal from the mighty Spaniards for his second consecutive shut-out in this year's cup helping team USA become the first team to beat Spain since Romania in 2006.

Coming into the semi-final the Americans were 0-3 all-time versus Spain and for the casual American soccer fan like your writer, most are proud just to know that America has a team representing the country but not many, if any, place expectations like winning, on the team. After all futbol is not football in the United States.

But, the way this American team rallied together to triumph over the Spaniards in such a dominating dramatic fashion ending both their 35-match unbeaten and 15-match consecutive winning streaks respectfully, is truly out of this world.

Team USA can savor the taste of this historic victory for only a short time. After the winner of the second semi-final is decided between host country South Africa and perennial favorites Brazil, the Americans will still have one final match to play.

However, team USA does not appear to be afraid or intimidated by pressure heading into their first final of a major competition.

"We just beat the best team in the world, so we're going to be very fired up no matter who we meet in the final," said an elated USA forward Landon Donovan after the match. "It's great to reach a FIFA final for the first time, but we've played a lot of finals in our region. We won't feel any new pressure in this final here. We'll be ready to go."

Lakers-Magic: Los Angeles One Win Away from 15th NBA Title

Lockdawg — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:03:33 -0400

The Los Angeles Lakers are now one game away from the 15th NBA title in franchise history after a thrilling 99-91 OT comeback victory in Game Four of the NBA Finals that put the Orlando Magic on the brink of elimination in a 3-1 series hole.

The Lakers could not play defense without fouling in the first half, and the Magic took advantage.

But Orlando's perimeter shooting would be strongly affected by the return of the Lakers' defense in the second half.

After the Magic set NBA records for all-time Finals shooting percentages in Game Three, they appeared tight in Game Four missing several wide open jump shots en route to shooting just 41.9 percent.

Trailing by 12 points at the halfway mark, the Lakers got a much needed boost from the unproven hand of fourth-year forward Trevor Ariza (16 pts, 9 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls) to get back in the game.

In the pivotal third period, Ariza caught fire, scoring a baker's dozen on a pair of three-pointers, a dunk, a layup, a running jump shot and three out of four free-throw attempts. He also had a steal and two rebounds, helping the Lakers to impose their will and forge ahead.

The Lakers outscored the Magic 30-14 in the quarter and took a 67-63 lead into the final period of regulation that set the stage for the spectacular finish and eventual overtime session.

Orlando was also handcuffed by 15 missed opportunities at the free-throw line and 19 turnovers, which contributed significantly to their woes.

The Magic's superman of a center, Dwight Howard, had a huge night scoring 16 points, grabbing 21 rebounds and swatting a NBA Finals-record nine blocks, but he was also responsible for more than half of the team's misses at the line with eight and he also had seven crucial turnovers.

Howard tossed his two biggest bricks of the night in the final seconds of regulation with his team ahead by three. Had he made one of them, the Magic could have iced the game, but instead allowed L.A. to breathe one final breathe of life.

Enter Laker guard Derek Fisher.

Fisher's playoff resume is riddled with big shots to win games for the purple and gold but to rise to the occasion with the pressure on then calmly swish a desperation three-pointer with 4.6 remaining to tie the game, takes the heart of a champion. He was 0-for-5 from deep before hitting the basket that ultimately swung the momentum to the Lakers for good.

When Mickael Pietrus' last second off-balanced fling clanged off the rim and the regulation clock expired the teams headed to overtime, well at least the Lakers did, not so sure where the Magic went to play for the final five minute frame.

Rashard "sweet Lou" Lewis (6 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts, 2 stls) invisible for most of the game stroked a huge three pointer off an assist from Turkoglu to start overtime and Orlando appeared to regain their sea legs taking the early lead 90-87. But, the Magic would only score one more point for the remainder of the game.

The Lakers used a surgeon's precision on their offensive possessions to stay close and ultimately win the game. On back to back drives Kobe took what the Orlando defense gave him and he stroked back to back jump shots to give L. A. a one point lead at 91-90.

After D. Howard went 1-for-2 at the line to tie the game at 91, the Lakers were again able to reach into their Fisher basket for another clutch three.

With 31.3 seconds remaining, Kobe and the Lakers executed the triangle offense to perfection. Bryant (32 pts, 8 asts, 8-8 FTs) drew a crowd of Orlando defenders, then, after clearing out Jameer Nelson with an inadvertent elbow to the kisser, he looked left and was able to find a wide-open Fisher at the top of the key, who drained his second three-pointer of the game for a 94-91 Lakers lead that they would never relinquish.

This Orlando Magic team has been written off for dead many times before throughout the regular season and playoffs, but barring a total collapse from the Lakers they won't be making any miracles happen or writing any new chapters in history ,even if they are able to force a return trip to L. A. with a victory in Game Five.

No team has ever come back to win a series in the finals after going down 3-1 in league history and the Lakers now stand on the cusp of regaining their rightful place atop the NBA.

With one more win Kobe will win his fourth title and make his most definitive statement as a player, proving once and for all that he is deserving of being considered among the best of all time.

Magic-Lakers: Orlando Finds Magic Touch

Lockdawg — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:40:06 -0400

Staring down the barrel of a 0-6 record in finals franchise futility, the Orlando Magic found their stroke offensively, hit their free-throws down the stretch, and stiffened defensively writing a new chapter in franchise history defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 108-104 in Game Three Tuesday night before capacity Amway Center crowd that was raucous and rowdy from the start.

"The one thing that you can't question about our team is our resiliency," said a visibly elated Stan Van Gundy during his post-game news conference after his team narrowly escaped with the four-point must-win at home that turned a 0-2 deficit into a 2-1 sparkling glimmer of hope that extended the championship series.

Orlando's lights-out shooting performance from the field set NBA records for accuracy with an astronomically high 75 percent in the first half and a 62.5 percent average for the game.

It was tale of two halves for Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. His championship dreams turned into a bit of a nightmare, after a stellar 21-point shooting display in the first half, the perennial All-Star was ineffective in the second scoring only 10 points thanks to improved close out Orlando defense and an inexplicably poor performance at the free throw line.

In his post-game press conference a contrite Bryant confessed, "My rhythm was off at the charity stripe." Kobe not only led his team in scoring with 31 points and four three-pointers but he also tallied team dishonors in turnovers (four), fouls (five) and free-throws misses (five). "It was a bad night."

After withstanding a ferocious onslaught from the Magic and with only seconds to go the Lakers stood on the brink of putting the Magic into a 0-3 abyss that 88 others before had been unable to overcome in NBA history.

For the second consecutive game the best closer in the league could not deliver in the winning moments of regulation.

With 66 seconds remaining, the referee's correctly overturned Rashard Lewis's three-point shot making the score 104-101. Kobe took the ball at the half court line worked inside against Dwight Howard (21 pts, 14 rebs) got a foul but failed to convert both free throws.
Pau Gasol (23 pts, 3 rebs, 2 blocks) made one of few great defensive plays by the Lakers, turning away Rashard Lewis' jumper with 37.8 seconds, the Lakers still had life. That's when a stoic Mickael Pietrus stole the show.

On the ensuing Laker drive, Pietrus (18 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts, 3 stls) blanketed Kobe up the court then miraculously poked the ball away from Pau Gasol two different times on the same play, then drew Bryant's fourth foul before calmly stepping to the line to sink two gigantic free-throws giving his team a two possession advantage at 106-102.

The Lakers would not have an answer wasting their final two timeouts and missing four straight three-pointers as the final seconds ticked down to .05 before Bryant finally got a layup to fall to make it 106-104. With no timeouts Bryant was forced to foul with .02 remaining sending Rashard Lewis to the line who provided the final two magical strokes to seal the victory.

Thanks to Orlando's French Connection there will be no Laker brooms at Thursday's Game Four which just got a little more interesting!

Can Magic Turn the Trick or Will Kobe's Focus Be Too Much Again?

Lockdawg — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:51:00 -0400

After the 25 point thrashing in Game One at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe "Bean" Bryant, the Orlando Magic players and coaches are telling anyone that will listen that they will rebound in Sunday's Game Two at the Staples Center.

The comeback kids from O-town have somehow been able to find their stroke all season after games when they have lost, only losing consecutive games twice all season with their longest losing streak stopping at three. Unfortunately, the Magic franchise has an 0-5 losing streak in the finals.

"Every team has nights, where you know, you just don't have it," said a confident yet repentant Dwight Howard who only managed a puny 12 points and 14 rebounds in Game One. "I'm pretty sure we'll bounce back with great energy and effort."

Odds on, he is speaking the truth. There is no way the Magic will shoot 29.9 percent from the field, eight for 23 from 3-point range and give up 40 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds to Kobe again.

Right?

When asked about playing point-guard Jameer Nelson, who has recently recovered from shoulder surgery, coach Van Gundy relented, "It was a mistake to play, in his first game back, to play Jameer 12 straight minutes. I thought he played extremely well and that's what kept him out there, but I think we should have kept him to about six or seven minutes regardless of how well he played."

Ya, think?

Meanwhile, the veteran-laden Lakers, hardened by last year's defeat in their quest for championship gold, have their game faces on.

"Just can't wait," said an anxious Kobe Bryant to the media on Saturday speaking about his desire to play Game Two. "Been waiting for this moment for a while so, everyone's just anxious, ready to go for Game Two."

The Lakers know full well the caliber of opponent they are matched up against and have witnessed what the Magic have been able to do in the playoffs this season dispatching both the Cavaliers and Celtics en-route to claiming the Eastern Conference title.

Orlando's accuracy from beyond the arc had been deadly, before Game One.

"This is a team that can get blistering hot," said a supremely focused Bryant who has now led his team to three consecutive wins. "We understand that, know that, and we just have to be ready for it."

The Magic will undoubtedly perform better in Game Two, but don't expect the Lakers to notice. The Lakers will continue their dominating defensive performance against Howard in Game Two and take a 2-0 lead to the City Beautiful on their way to their 15th NBA title in team history.

NBA FINALS: Lakers and Magic Begin Final Act Tonight

Lockdawg — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:48:17 -0400

Ah yes, we've finally made it.

When the NBA Finals tip off tonight in Los Angeles, the world will be watching as both team's take center stage in the final act of this year's epic NBA playoff chase.

Both of this year's finalists, Orlando and LA, traveled very different routes to make it to the championship round. A year removed from the defeat in their 29th Finals appearance, the Lakers return for their NBA record 30th trip in hopes of reaching the promise land for 15th time in team history.

Phil Jackson goes for his 10th title as a head coach and superstar Kobe Bryant seeks his 4th title and first without the "Diesel" Shaquille O'Neal.

The upstart Orlando Magic and head coach Stan Van Gundy, have been underdogs for the entire playoffs and have been making believers throughout the league by defeating last year's champs Boston, and this season's NBA and media darlings Cleveland.

After trailing by two to one deficits in the first two rounds the Magic never trailed in the Eastern Conference finals dispatching King James and his band of Cavaliers four games to two in dominating fashion.

Honestly, no one outside the city of Orlando and the Magic locker room, thought when the playoffs began that the Magic would be representing the Eastern Conference in just their second finals appearance in franchise history.

After point guard Jameer Nelson went down with a shoulder injury in the regular season the odd were decidedly stacked against the Magic to even make the playoffs.

However, on the strength of dominating play from their big man Dwight "Superman" Howard and lights-out shooting from behind the arc, they have done it and now face one final hurdle to complete the final chapter of their story book playoff run and secure their place in NBA history.

Though, denying Kobe Bryant and his Laker team won't be an easy task.

The Lakers have several long defenders such as Walton, Gasol and Odom, that will surely make things tougher for the Magic's Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus to remain so sure-handed from behind the arc and in the paint around the rim.

Dwight Howard should continue his impressive play inside as he will surely become a household name after these Finals.

However, the most telling matchups will occur with the stars on the bench.

In the end, the team with the strongest supporting cast will hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy and claim the NBA title.

PREDICTION -

The country's first fan, President Barack Obama picked the Lakers to win in six and many others are trumpeting the same sentiment with one notable exception.

Seven-time champion Robert "Big shot Bob" Horry went against the grain with his prediction forecasting a Magic victory in six.

I won't go as far as predicting a Lakers sweep but I don't believe the Magic have enough to stop LA especially since the Lakers hold the home court advantage.

All of the games will surely be interesting from start to finish, but I'm going with President Obama, Lakers will triumph in six.

Cavs Stop Believing—Magic DethroneThe King 103-90 Earn Trip to Finals

Lockdawg — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:36:05 -0400

The Orlando Magic built on a 16-point to start the fourth quarter of Game Six then unleashed a lethal assault dethroning King James and the Cavaliers 103-90, earning the right to play in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Well I just think this team all year long has shown an incredible amount of heart coming back," said an impassioned Stan Van Gundy as he accepted the Eastern Conference trophy. "When people...you, know Jameer went down everybody thought, we were done. And we were behind in the first two series' everybody thought were done. This team just keeps fighting back. They deserve it."

A chorus of the famed "Na, na, naaa, na, na, he,y hey, hey good-bye" chant could be heard ringing throughout the Amway Center as the final seconds of the fourth quarter ticked off the clock.

The final buzzer sounded, confetti filled the court and the Orlando Magic became the 2009 Eastern Conference champions!

Guess Nike will have to stop running the cute MVP (most valuable puppet) ads since No. 23 will be fishing for the Finals.

Superman Lives!!

Dwight Howard was truly the Man-o-Steel tonight with 40 pts, 11-15 FTs, 14 rebs, 4 asts, his spinning slam with 1:49 remaining in the fourth pushed the lead back to 16 all, but sealing the win but he also had a host of help from his fantastic super friends as the Magic lead the game wire to wire.

Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Rafer Alston, combined 10-21 from the three-point line and snagged 17 rebounds and dished five assists.

"We came up short because we didn't execute on both ends of the court," said a beaten Mike Brown in his post game news conference.

LeBron James (25pts, 7rebs, 7asts) simply ran out of gas. He gave it the best he had in the first quarter with 13 points but didn't get any of the help he saw in Game Six and never got his motor past third gear.

After briefly speaking with this team mates James left, slipping out the back of the Amway Arena with his tail between his legs and without speaking to reporters after the game.

The Cavaliers limped through the game like a team that no longer had the stamina to stand against the bevy of Orlando shots.

This will be Orlando's second trip to the Finals in their franchise history and the first time since the Shaq and Penny days in the mid-90s, Orlando will represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals. That 1995 team was swept by Houston.

However, the 2009 Magic have been giant killers in the playoffs this season taking out the team that won the title last year, the Boston Celtics, and the team with the best regular season record this year the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now they face a Lakers team who have zealous thoughts of winning their 15th NBA title.

The Magic defeated the Lakers 2-0 in their regular season head to head meetings but will start their run for the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the Staples Center on Thursday night June 4th. Orlando earned it with team chemistry on defense and a ton of three's on offense and if they will have to continue to drain those shots against a longer and stronger L. A. squad if they hope to win their first championship.

All of the world will be watching to see if the Magic can continue to slay the favorites. Many will think they can't do it but that won't stop them from going out to make everyone believers. They've already done it once, they can do it again.

Avalanche in Denver: LA Demolishes Nuggets 119-92, Take Series 4-2

Lockdawg — Sat, 30 May 2009 11:12:47 -0400

The Los Angeles Lakers are going back to the NBA Finals.

The arms of destiny pummeled the upstart Denver Nuggets from start to finish. Nuggets' fans watched helplessly as their team crumbled 119-92, against the relentless pressure of the Lakers, before a capacity crowd at the Pepsi Center Friday night.

When LA was thrashed about by 19 points in Game Four against the Nuggets in the same arena, many in the media and press thought the Lakers were vulnerable to the athletically talented Denver squad.

Playoff coaching legend Phil Jackson all but chuckled after the Game Four blowout loss, because he knew his team had the upper hand. Denver had awakened the sleeping giant.

Kobe was pissed.

Bryant summoned the best from his Lakers team in Game Five leading the charge to victory taking hold of the series at 3-2, and setting up the feast that would come in Game Six.

Still Denver head coach George Karl felt this was his best team and he said before Game Six that he believed in them. Who could doubt him? The way his Nuggets started the playoffs, especially at home, was a thing of beauty.

But alas, it was not to be.

Coach Karl's "best team" had kicked sand in the face of the baddest kid on the block and he took noticeable offense.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter of Game Six.

With about 1:36 remaining and the game well in hand, Bryant (35 pts, 10 asts, 9-9 FTs) left the game to hugs all around from the Lakers reserves as the celebration began.

Conventional wisdom says that a game of four quarters can't be won in the first one but with a 25-20 lead, the Lakers put their foot on the gas and did not look back seizing the Nuggets by the throat effortlessly squeezing the will to win out of them.

The predatory Lakers smelled blood in the ocean and like a frenzy of sharks they methodically beat down their opponent, slowly stealing the breathe and finally the hearts and minds of the Denver players and fans. The silence at the Pepsi Center was deafening.

At first the crowd hung tough but soon the stands began to empty as the Lakers continued to make shot after shot. Paul Gasol (20 pts, 12 rebs, 6 asts) publicly complained after the Game Four loss that he needed to have more touches.

When given the opportunity the Spaniard did not disappoint coming into his own while simutaneously shredding the "Ga-soft" label he'd earned in last year's Finals.

The Western Conference champion Lakers now await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Only the Cavaliers have a better regular season record than LA. If they somehow come all the way back to win, they will have the homecourt advantage in the Finals.

Either survivor will have to be ready to face an onslaught from a team driven by greatness.

This Lakers team is primed and ready to complete their quest for championship gold.

Orlando Magic Sparkle from Deep, Put Cleveland Cavaliers on the Brink, 116-114

Lockdawg — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:56:24 -0400

"Let the naysayers rail, sing and shout, but let your play on the court dispel any doubt." —Lockdawg

Say what you will about Stan Van Gundy's teams of the past, but the 2009 Orlando Magic have done the unthinkable and put the NBA's No. 1 overall team, MVP, and Coach of the Year against the playoff wall.

LeBron James (44 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists) and the Cleveland Cavaliers went down in a humbling overtime defeat to a three-happy Orlando Magic team, 116-114, at the Amway Center in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Magic set a franchise playoff record with 17 makes from downtown, but it was Rashard Lewis' shot late in the waning seconds of the regulation period that all but sealed the win for Orlando.

With the Cavaliers clinging to a 98-97 lead with 4.1 seconds to go, Sweet Lew stepped and drilled a three-pointer on a catch-and-shoot play off an inbounds pass that put the Magic ahead by two, 100-98.

Not to be denied, King James would step up again and put his team on his back. On the next play, James took the ball hard to the rack and was fouled with 0.5 seconds on the clock.

James had his struggles from the line, going 14-for-18 for the game, but he calmly swished both to tie the game at 100. The Magic couldn't get the ball into Dwight Howard under the bucket because of Anderson Varejao's sticky defense.

Overtime

In the overtime period, Howard (27 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, three blocks) became Superman. He scored 10 of his points in the overtime period with two monstrous dunks and two clutch tosses from the stripe when his team needed them most.

Not to be denied, LeBron did his best to keep it close after the Magic pushed ahead by six with 1:11 to go in overtime. He scored seven of the Cavs' final nine points in the game, pushing the score to 115-114 with 3.2 seconds left.

Lewis was fouled on the inbounds play and missed one of two free throws, giving Cavs fans a sliver of hope with 3.2 ticks remaining.

The Magic learned their lesson in Game Two and doubled LeBron from the moment he touched the ball. He managed to get off a clean look at the basket, but unfortunately for Cavs fans, there would be no "The Shot Part Deux."

Do Or Die for Cleveland

After steamrolling through the regular season (66-16) and the first two rounds of the playoffs (8-0), the Cavaliers find themselves in a precarious situation.

Only the Orlando Magic and their fans could have envisioned the mighty Cavs heading home for Game Five, having to find a way to do what only eight teams in NBA history have ever done, come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the playoffs.

Barring LeBron's miracle shot with one second remaining in Game Two, the Magic would have swept Cleveland in four games.

A confident Mo Williams (18 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals) before the game predicted a Cleveland victory in the series, because the Cavs "are the best team in the league."

Now that the self-proclaimed "best team in the league" is down to its final game, they must now to stop talking and let their play on the court dispel any doubt, if they are to extend the series to a Game Six back in Orlando.

Too bad that goose is cooked.

See you next season No. 23. Hopefully you'll still be a Cavalier!

Blowout in Denver Nuggets thump L.A., Evens Series At 2-2

Lockdawg — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:38:07 -0400

Denver rocked and rolled their way back into the Western Conference finals, dusting off the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers 120-101 in Pepsi Center on Monday night, to tie the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

J.R. Smith (24 pts, 2 rebs, 4 asts) banged on his chest and rattled in jumpers like a wild man.

Chris "Birdman" Andersen (6pts, 14 rebs, 2 blocks) scooped up rebounds and swatted away L.A. drives in the paint.

Nene (14 pts, 13 rebs) and Kenyon Martin (13 pts, 15 rebs, 2 blocks) helped secure the Nuggets dominance on the boards.

Visibly dejected, Bryant said after the game, "They whooped us period."

Playing with their backs against the wall, the Nuggets came out with high energy, positive emotions and fed off the roar of the home crowd. They were more aggressive than the Lakers from start to finish.

"If we were tired, you know, it was noticeable tonight," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "Their energy was better that's perhaps the only thing I can say, but that is not a very good excuse."

Kobe Bryant (34 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts) and Pau Gasol (21 pts, 10 rebs, 4 asts) carried the Lakers offensively.

Trevor Ariza lost his game contributing just three points in over 25 minutes of game action.

However, the rest of the team specifically bench players Brown, Vujacic, Farmar and Walton never found their rhythms.

"Basketball is a game where the aggressor gets the advantage," said a perturbed Jackson during his post-game press conference. "We didn't know what was a foul and what wasn't a foul out there tonight."

The Nuggets went to the foul line 49 times made 37 for a 76 percent average from the stripe.

After the game Jackson was quick to remind reporters that the Lakers had done what they wanted by winning a game on the road.

"I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it," Jackson said. "But, what we've done is we've won the road game and brought the home court back to L.A."

The series now becomes a best-of-three starting with Game Five in L.A. in Staples Center on Wednesday night.

2009 Dallas Cowboys: Draft & Free Agency Done, Boys Still Need Help

Lockdawg — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:51:26 -0400

The 2009 season promises to be interesting from start to finish, especially on the defensive side of the ball for the Dallas Cowboys. Secondary Coach Dave Campo, who re-signed with Dallas last year, will definitely have his hands full trying to get the team's secondary back on the right track.

Following the NFL's free agency and draft periods, the Cowboys still have several glaring holes to fill, chief among them are repairing and developing a quality secondary.

Dallas was ranked eighth in league in total defense and surprisingly fifth against the pass last season. But, any true-blue Cowboys fan will tell you, the 'Boys are one more Terrance Newman knee injury away from falling into the NFL basement in both categories.

In the last two seasons, Terrance has missed a total of nine games with injuries. The Cowboys were 3-3 (2008) and 2-1 (2007) in those games. However, his importance to the Cowboys defense can't be measured in wins and losses alone.

Newman, like his predecessor Deion Sanders, has the rare combination of lateral speed and quickness with glue-like hands that make him a shutdown corner against most NFL passing attacks, effectively changing the other team's game plan. But, when he is not on the field, opposing offensive coordinators can open up their entire playbook.

The Cowboys stand to be considerably more vulnerable this season against the pass with the departure of Keith Davis (SAF), Roy Williams (SAF), and Adam Jones (CB).

In Dallas' defense, they did make a few moves during the free-agency and draft periods that should offer a glimmer of hope to fans.

The veteran signings of safety Gerald Sensabaugh from Jacksonville and corner back Mike Hawkins from the Vikings were two key acquisitions made this off-season.

Gerald Sensabaugh, a fifth-year veteran from North Carolina, should provide immediate dividends at the safety position. Last season, in only 13 starts, he had eight pass deflections and four interceptions. He has cat-like reflexes, speed, agility, and packs a powerful punch, recording 70 total tackles, 59 solos.

Unfortunately, Mike Hawkins, a third-year player from Oklahoma, doesn't have the playing record of some veterans at the corner back position.

In just three seasons, Hawkins has played for three different teams: Green Bay, Cleveland, and Minnesota, but wasn't able to play his way onto the field last year with the Vikings. He is a home town prospect from R.L. Turner HS and has a lot of potential. In 2005, his most productive season, he had 13 tackles and two pass deflections.

Those two players alone will not be enough to turn the Cowboys from playoff outsiders into playoff contenders this season, but, they will go a long way to filling some of the holes left vacant in the defensive secondary by the last group of defensive players that were either unwilling or unable to get the job done.

Lakers-Nuggets: Trevor Ariza Steals Game One for Los Angeles

Lockdawg — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:04:43 -0400

Carmelo Anthony poured in his heart, both lungs, and his knees hurling in a heroic 39 points and making four huge three-pointers in a humbling defeat, as the No. 1 seeded Los Angeles Lakers held home court 107-105 before the usual star-studded packed Staples Center

As always, the Lakers took the early lead in a series that promises to live up to the hype.

Nugget-buster Kobe Bryant dropped in four dimes. But the play of the night belonged to an oft victim, Trevor Ariza (six points, five rebounds, two assists), who proved to be the victor his team needed most.

Ariza, a four-year veteran out of UCLA, had the dubious task of trying to match up against the fierce onslaught from 'Melo, who wouldn't be denied. Still with 30.5 seconds to go Trevor wasn't holding his head down.

After two clutch free throws from Kobe Bryant gave L. A. a slim lead 101-99, Ariza seized on the horrible inbound pass from Denver's Anthony Carter—going over and through the outstretched arms of Mr. Big shot himself, Chauncey Billups—then wisely dribbling out the clock a few precious seconds before finding Bryant, who was fouled and hit the final of his 40.

Young Fella's Got Heart, Lewis Hits Game Winner, Magic Take 1-0 Lead

Lockdawg — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:51:44 -0400

The fans in Cleveland are still in shock.

The Cavaliers played a perfect game for about two and a half quarters, then slowly melted away a 14-point lead and the home court advantage in their 107-106 Game One loss against Dwight Howard and the upstart Orlando Magic.

The Cleveland crowd watched helplessly as the game slipped right through the fingers of the Cavs.

Howard (30 pts,13 rebs) had a front-row seat after he fouled out late in the fourth quarter—but his services would not be needed.

After LeBron gave the Cavs the slim advantage 106-104, Rashard "Young Fella" Lewis provided the three-point dagger to silence the crowd and complete the jaw-dropping display.

The Cavaliers fell in love with the high-flying thunderous LeBron show early on—but when their MVP showed signs of mortality late, his teammates were invisible down the stretch.

James (49 pts, 8 asts, 6 rebs) did all he could to will his team to victory driving to the basket in the final moments of the game but the Magic's defense stiffened closing down the paint forcing him to kick the ball back out but the Cavs rotated the ball to Delonte West, who missed a wide open and unnecessary three-pointer. Two steps forward, he probably sinks the 20-footer and the home fans go home with smiles.

The Cavs would earn a jump ball after a scrum under their basket, but with only 1.0 remaining their hopes laid in an off-balanced heave from Williams that clanged the back of the rim, sending the Cavs to their first playoff defeat.

Orlando now holds the keys to the castle, ahead 1-0 in the series having at best already earned a split in Cleveland.

Can Jason Garrett's Offense Thrive without a Deep Threat?

Lockdawg — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:23:04 -0400

DALLAS - In just two seasons leading the Dallas Cowboys offense, Jason Garrett has proven that with a solid running game and at least one decent deep threat at wide receiver his offensive scheme can be one of the most productive in the league.

The unceremonious dismissal of the Cowboys purest vertical offensive threat, Terrell "the terrible" Owens, earlier this year signified to this observer that change was coming.

Whether it's a change for the better or a change for the worst is still up for debate.

The aching feeling fans have in their gut over how last season ended with the 44-6 drubbing at the hands of the hated Philadelphia Eagles will only intensify if the Cowboys do not produce immediately in 2009.

Getting back a healthy Felix Jones at running back will help bolster the backfield and rejuvenate the mid-range passing attack. But, who will step up and help stretch the field 20 yards and beyond?

T. O., as unabashed as he may be about getting the ball thrown his way, did produce, the Cowboys offense ranked fifth in the league in passing in 2006 and fourth in 2007 respectfully.

The midseason acquisition of former University of Texas standout wide receiver Roy (double uno) Williams was supposed to launch the offense into the stratosphere.

Unfortunately, the Romo to Williams aerial assault never took flight due to injuries. In seven starts last season Williams had just two touchdowns and 19 receptions for less than 200 total receiving yards.

After the explosive 2007 season, Garrett was heralded by many in the press, as a future head coach of the 'Boys. Without a health Romo, last season was an aberration but without T. O. that may be putting it lightly.

The Cowboys 2009 expected no. 1 receiver, Roy Williams, many times looked like a square peg desperately trying to fit in a round hole last season.

And besides, Pro-bowl tight end Jason Witten (81 recs, 952 yards, 4 TDs) the other cast members of the "fearsome nobodies" that make up the Dallas passing attack, Austin, Hurd, Crayton haven't come close to making 100 receptions combined in the past two seasons.

Garrett, a innovative play-caller and youthful strategist, has been known to flirt with other organizations interviewing for head coaching positions around the league. He has remained with Dallas either out of blind loyalty or ego. However, this season will not only put his offense to the test but may put his head coaching future in the NFL in jeopardy as well.

Lakers-Nuggets: Los Angeles Takes 2-1 Lead in Western Conference Finals

Lockdawg — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:53:11 -0400

The Los Angeles Lakers arrived to the Pepsi Center with their minds focused on one thing.—regaining the home-court advantage in the Western Conference Finals.

Kobe Bryant, aka the "Black Mamba", was visibly drained and fatigued by game's end—but still managed to torch the Denver Nuggets for 41 points on 50 percent shooting, leading his team to the six-point Game Three victory over the Nuggets 103 -97 at the Pepsi Center.

It was the ninth time Kobe has reached the 40-point postseason plateau in his illustrious career.

The Nuggets' loss was their first in 16-straight home games.

The Lakers' defense helped Carmelo Anthony return to earth, holding Denver's only significant scoring threat to 21 points on 4-of-13 shooting, ending his streak of 30-point games at five.

Playing in their first Western Conference Finals home game in 24 years, the Nuggets were full of emotion and high energy—but too often their emotion was negative. This ultimately led to three costly technical fouls that amounted to three huge points for the Lakers.

"Emotionally, it wasn't a game we were playing very well offensively." said a disappointed and dejected George Karl during his post-game press conference. "It seems that our offensive frustrates us more than on defense. We didn't play with enough team [spirit]"

The Lakers' role players Trevor Ariza (16 pts) and Pau Gasol (20 pts, 11 rebs) contributed in a myriad of ways on both ends of the floor. Ariza had another miraculous steal in the latter stages of the game, racing into the back court beating Carmelo to the ball in the final moments that sealed the win.

Pau Gasol hit back to back jumpers to pace the team while Kobe got a much needed blow in the middle of the final quarter.

Bryant's 34th, 35th, and 36th points came at a crucial moment with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. With little lift remaining in his legs and the crowd chanting, "Kobe sucks! Kobe sucks!" Bryant somehow found the strength to launch a high-arcing three-point shot over a frozen and befuddled J. R. Smith, piercing the heart of the Pepsi Center crowd and giving the Lakers a one-point lead, 96-95, that they would never relinquish.

"It's a great feeling [silencing the crowd]...it's better than being at home and hearing the roar," said Bryant.

Phil Jackson became the all-time winningest coach in NBA playoff history with his 203rd victory.

Now down 2-1, the Nuggets have to find a way to rebound Monday night if they want to keep the series competitive. "[With either] a good win or a tough loss you have to have a short memory," said veteran guard Chauncey Billups (18 pts, 7 asts, 6 rebs). "We're gonna try to tie this thing up on Monday."

Do You Believe in Miracles?! King James Does, Cavs Win 96-95 and Tie Series

Lockdawg — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:48:42 -0400

Former U. S. Secretary of State Lewis Cass famously said, "People may doubt what you say but they will believe what you do."

After the Cavaliers lost the home-court advantage in Game One, on two missed shot attempts by guys other than the 2009 MVP, in the final seconds of the game, a throng of doubters sprang up questioning LeBron James' decision to pass the ball with the game on the line.

Facing the same scenario in the final moments of Game Two, with the game and the Cavaliers' season hanging in the balance, King James left no room for doubters.

"I told Mo whatever it was going take for me, I was going get the ball," proclaimed Cleveland's superstar forward in his post-game news conference.

The Orlando Magic took every punch the Cavaliers had thrown, then threw a few back of their own surging back from a 23-point first half deficit to leading the game by two points 95-93, after Hedo Turkoglu (22 pts, 4 asts) swished a running jumper from the free-throw line leaving only a second remaining on the clock.

The reality of being down 0-2 was beginning to set in for the Cavs and their fans. You could hear a pin drop in the capacity arena as the deflated Quicken Loans crowd held their collective breathes in disbelief. Enter LeBron James.

"It was the biggest shot I've made in my career." said James (35 pts, 4 rebs, 5 asts) "Those are the moments you practice as a kid, a basketball player in the backyard or the gym and you just [countdown] 5..4..3..2..1 ...annnnkkk, swish! To hit a shot like that at the buzzer at home was like, wow!"

Cavaliers' head coach Mike Brown told his team in the practice before the game to make things tougher on Dwight "Superman" Howard in the paint. The strategy worked to perfection. The foul-line was Howard's kryptonite in the second game. He was 50% from the stripe hitting on only four of eight attempts.

The Magic dominated the Cavs in every statistical category after the first quarter but fell short and lost containment on "Big game" James on the final play and were made "witnesses" of his greatness.

"It was one second left and LeBron threw up a shot and it was crazy watching the ball when he threw it up", said D. Howard (10 pts, 18 rebs, 4 asts, 2 blocks) "It was like watching a movie the ball was spinning and he hit the shot."

The Eastern Conference Finals series now shifts down south to Orlando, FL for Game Three and Game Four. The first two games were decided by single digits on the final plays and the series promises to have more excitement and drama as these teams battle for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Denver Storms Back 106-103 Ties Western Conference Finals 1-1

Lockdawg — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:18:43 -0400

LOS ANGELES - Carmelo Anthony has officially arrived and the Denver Nuggets found a way to get tough down the stretch making a resounding a statement tying the best-of -seven Western Conference finals series at one game apiece with a 106-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

Carmelo out dueled his Olympic teammate Kobe Bryant tonight, with his second 30-point game of the series, scoring 34 points on 12-29 shooting. After the Lakers ran out to a fast 14-point lead in the first half but the offense of the purple and gold stalled, stiffened and sputtered in the second half.

They appeared to get cold feet with poor offensive rotations, costly turnovers and poor free-throw shooting ultimately making enough mistakes to lose the home-court advantage.

However, the Denver Nuggets' defense had a lot to do with the come from their behind victory, forcing three huge 24-second shot clock violations. The Lakers led the Nuggets in almost every statistical category, shooting 45.5 % from the field, 40% from 3-point land, forced 14 Denver turnovers and controlled the paint with 52 points (though 40 of those points came in the first half) but when it counted they could not hit the easy ones.

The Lakers failed time and again to hit their free throws in the crucial moments of the game going 27-35 overall.

With the game teetering in the balance at 95-95 late in the final period Lakers forward Pau Gasol stepped to the line with a chance to give the team the lead but instead, he did the unthinkable clanging two off the iron.

The Nuggets were only slightly better from the charity stripe going 29-37 but had a stretch of 16 straight makes in the fourth quarter. Kobe Bryant had another big 32-point night, but it was not enough to stifle the resilient Nuggets squad.

"We just had to find a way to get tough!", a confident Chauncey Billups said.

He was partially right, they also needed a lot from their young forward Carmelo Anthony. Melo has scored a eye-popping 71 in the first two contests on the road and the talented Lakers simply have no answer for the former Syracuse Orangemen.

The Lakers Trevor Ariza almost stole the game again pouring in a much needed 20 points, four steals and three rebounds but his three turnovers were second to Pau Gasols' four.

Combined they were almost half of the team's total 16. Ariza's last turnover occurred after the Lakers won a jump ball with seconds to go but he slipped losing the ball to the Nuggets.

However, Phil Jackson would beg to differ on Ariza's slip after the jump ball.

"To me it looks like he was pushed by Melo" said the nine-time championship winning coach.

Still with 4.3 seconds to go the Lakers struggled to get the ball inbound then just as Derek Fisher rose to heave a desperation three that would have tied the game, a Nene-eclipse occurred.

The 6'11" Brazilian used all of his frame to distract Fisher's shot just enough to force an air ball which fell right into the hands waiting arms of Billups who secured and cradled the rebound like a newborn baby sealing the Game Two victory for the Nuggets.

L.A. now faces a big challenge as the series shifts to the Mile High city. The raucous fans inside Pepsi Center will be salivating Saturday night for Game Three.

"We're not the best road team in the league for nothing," said a stoic Kobe Bryant during his post-game interview. "We'll go up to Denver and see if we can't get Game Three."

Labels: NBA%20Playoffs">2009 NBA Playoffs, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza