So much to choose from tonight. The NHL has two game 7s: Rochester’s Brian Gionta and the New Jersey Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals will do their best to not welcome Rochester’s Ryan Callahan and the New York Rangers.
On the hardwood, Boston’s Fleet Center will be hoppin’ as the Celts look to go up 3-2 on the Chicago Bulls. Will these two titans go into overtime again? Will Ben Gordon suit up? If so, how will he Ben to be inappropriate tonight?
Dwight Howard and the Magic will look to take advantage of the home court to jump on the Sixers 3-2.
Also in the NBA, the Mavericks hope to eliminate the Spurs in 5. The same goes for the Rockets lookin’ to take a game in Portland.
What will you be watching? Let us know.
Believe it or not, I’m watching Caps-Rangers game 7. I want to see Ovechkin for myself and still think elimination hockey cannot be beat.
As far as Ben Gordon, have you heard the rumors on his real injury? He pulled his groin after hitting that big shot in game 4 🙂
HELMET STICKER!!!!
INSIGHT OF THE WEEK!!!
Rey – that was a full belly laugh.
I thought you’d like that. I wish there was a sound effect on here so you heard the joke drum ditty after reading it. I was pretty proud.
I am drawn to the Celts – Bulls game if for no other reason than it is on TNT. I love the studio commentary of Barkley and Kenny Smith. Is there a more entertaining studio pair in sports television?
Gordon is 3-13 at end of third. I know people are going to say he is injured, but is he the most randomly great player we’ve seen? He’ll explode on a great shooting night and no one can stop him, then play like crap the next. I’ve never like him because of his inconsistency.
Capitals win on a Sergei Federov game winner with 5 minutes to go. I can’t believe this guy is still playing!
Gordon settles for an 18 foot jump shot on the game winner. Why don’t more guys attack the basket? Rondo did the same thing in an earlier game. Rose is the other extremity; he’ll dribble in circles on some possessions and try to find a hole through any kind of traffic.
Celts and Bulls go ot again. Hurricanes score two in the final 2:00. I am going to get vertigo trying to keep up with this.
Is it just me or does the relationship between Popovich and Parker seem contentious?
The Canes decided to wait until 1:20 left to work some magic! Canes send the Devils home 4-3. Now the Canes get the Bruins in the next round, which should be a heck of a series.
Not surprised by Fedorov at all. Alot of the Russian players have been able to play for a long time. I am pretty sure Igor Larionov and Slava Fetisov played into their 40s. Fedorov is just one of those hockey players who make skating look effortless.
When you get a chance, check out the dork move by Dwight Howard – flagrant elbow.
Did anyone else notice Ben Gordon push the board out of the way from Del Negro’s hands in one of the huddles, then go out there and hog the ball for the final shot only to chuck up an 18 foot brick at the end of regulation? I swear it looked like it. The reason I don’t like him, he touches the ball every possession in the fourth and takes a shot almost every possession in the fourth quarter. Paul Pierce made the most out of his touches where as Ben Gordon kept shooting wild shots instead of maybe getting teammates involved. Tony Allen made a great defensive play then made a stupid foul which gave Gordon 3 FTs. But still, Gordon had already dribbled himself almost out of bounds and was bailed out by an overly aggressive defender.
Pierce is so deliberate in his moves and has to have a higher percentage when it comes to high quality shots per possession. If I got to chuck up a shot every possession for my team, I think I’d average close to 15-20 a game too.
What a stupid play by Howard. A tight playoff series and you are going to throw an elbow – and that was thrown – that wasn’t part of his natural motion. That is signs of a player not ready to be one of the elite in the game. You just don’t make stupid decisions like that when you want to be an NBA champion. Now he might have to – and the NBA had better suspend him for Game 6.
Rey – Agree with you on Gordon. Notice on the couple of shots that he hit off balance, that nobody from the Bulls was trying flash to him or trying to bail him out? They were all just standing around. Is that because the players on the floor just expect him to try and do it by himself – or did “My cousin” Vinny Del Negro just not have the right personnel on the floor?
Speaking of Del Negro – did anyone see him complaining about the foul by Rondo at the end of the game? Let’s not concentrate on the fact that Miller missed the first free throw – he was more worried about whether a flagrant foul has been called.
And what has happened with the NBA. A guy is going up to basket for a layup at at the end of the game – shouldn’t he expect to fouled? Is the other team just supposed to step aside and say, ” our bad – you got us a on a great rotation. our off the ball defense was a little slow. Here is your easy lay up, go ahead. You want a pastry on your way up? ”
It happened on Sunday too when Brian Scalabrine was called for a runaway foul when he fouled Kirk Hinrich. Sure he gave him a bear hug, but there was no intent to injure and Scalabrine was looking to stop a breakaway to the basket. Is he just supposed to let him go and do not nothing? Just watch him go to the basket for a potentially a momentum changing dunk? I don’t get it. I can understand if a guy is going up for a basket and is fouled way too hard. That I understand and agree with. But when a defender is just trying to make a play – don’t penalize him and his team. Right now teams get 2 shots and the ball for the other team.
I remember that foul. I’ve never heard of a “break away” foul or whatever they call it. I laughed. What a joke. AND Hinrich got TWO free throws AND the ball. How absurd. Basically you are assessing the team a technical for protecting their basket. And like you said, Smitty, his intention was clearly not to hurt him. That has to be a better judgment call by the refs.
Everyone stands around for Gordon because he runs the team. I don’t think anybody respects Del Negro and Gordon sure as hell doesn’t listen to him. There is no way during that time-out that Del Negro drew a #7 on the board, and then 4 other numbers and said, “let’s watch what Ben does.” And of course everyone stands around; they know darn well that Gordon isn’t going to notice them cutting and if he does, pass it to any one of them. Del Negro has let Gordon take control of that team and now they are going to sink as Gordon sinks.
Can anyone tell that I can’t stand Ben Gordon????
Ben Gordon has loads of talent and has made several huge shots for the Bulls over the past few seasons. And, yes, he’s got a bit of a ‘tude problem. But the REAL problems with the Bulls are:
a) lack of discipline (blame coaching);
b) lack of intelligence with basic things (maybe you should guard Ray Allen when Boston needs a trey) and tactical things (like an opportunity to win game 5 in regulation … what’s the plan???) — again blame coaching; and
c) no real inside presence on offense or defense (blame the GM)
d) Del Negro??? REALLY?????? Give me a break!!!!!
The ONLY reason the Bulls are in this series is cuz the Celtics are hurting. Should’ve been over in 5 games. I won’t be surprised if the Bulls totally collapse at home in game 6 like the did in game 3.
Yes Ben Gordon has loads of talent…so do Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse.
My guess is Del Negro was brought in to counteract Scott Skiles who is not exactly a players’ coach. I never found out what went wrong during the Skiles tenure, but it probably had something to do with Skiles butting heads with Gordon and the likes of Ben Wallace. Hey – maybe it’s a Ben thing. 🙂
‘Bit of a ‘tude problem’ – I’m hoping that is tongue in cheek. Whether he is grabbing his crotch or mf-ing anyone that will pay attention Gordon loves bringing negative attention to himself.
All that said – he is one the three best shooting guards in the league right now.
Anyone catch the flagrant foul call on Dwyane Wade last night? Did the refs overreact a little? That call probably trumps the one made on Scalabrine.
Speaking of the Scalabrine play – that was a great example of poor defensive play. Instead of taking a line to the basket and taking away the lane, he goes at the player. I have seen jv players do a better job than that. Speaking of jv hoops – yeah the Bulls lost Allen on that one play. HOw about the Celtics losing Gordon on the inbound play? What is the rule of thumb when defending the sideline out-of-bounds play? Don’t lose track of the inbounder.