BAH! Okay, all the negativity out of system

[sly]

I feel better and it always brings perspective. That's why I love forums.

Okay, listen. Let's stop freaking out. Sure the Mavs are up against two teams but they are good enough to beat both.

THE HEAT HAVE ONLY WON ONE GAME.

Game 3 the Heat just kind of pick pocketed. Last night is the first game out of FIVE that they have just beat Dallas and it was by our allowance even still. The Heat only are in a game if we suck... and if we are empty jerseys like last night Poteet High School could beat them.

The way the series has been played it looks 3-1 to me.

Don't pay attention to the number. Count the quarters. The Mavs have only been bad for five quarters out of 20.

[mary]

I assure you the Heat have won two games. Two went down in the left hand column for them, and that's really all that matters.

Unfortunately, I still have truckloads of negativity this morning, and I didn't even listen to ESPN on the way to work.

Its going to be a long weekend.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Why should it be Mary? Momentum means nothing. Dallas has just an equal chance of winning Game 5 as Miami does. It means nothing, remember? Even though Dallas has looked like crap the last two games and Miami looks unbeatable. It means nothing.

[mary]

Give me a break Bayliss. Losing last night didn't have anything to do with losing Game 3. If you want to explain to me how game-to-game momentum works, then why don't you go back to the original thread and answer my questions that I posed. I noticed you didn't have any answers for them last night, and I'm sure you still don't this morning. Why? Because its a stupid concept to begin with.

And please can it with the "I told you so" act. You've repeatedly declared the sky is falling during first halves in just about every regular season GDT you've participated in.

Feel free to start some crap with me this morning, but I am in NO mood for it.

Edited: To clean up my language, because I'm going to TRY to somewhat nice this morning.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Give me a break Bayliss. Losing last night didn't have anything to do with losing Game 3. If you want to explain to me how game-to-game momentum works, then why don't you go back to the original thread and answer my questions that I posed. I noticed you didn't have any answers for them last night, and I'm sure you still don't this morning. Why? Because its a stupid concept to begin with.

And please can it with the "I told you so" act. You've repeatedly shit your pants during first halves in just about every regular season GDT you've participated in.

Feel free to start some crap with me this morning, but I am in NO mood for it.

Right now... which team is brimming with confidence? Which team feels like they have control of this series? Which team is searching for answers and questioning themselves?

That is why momentum is important. And yes, Shaq hitting free throws is a result of his confidence boost. Dallas missing theirs is a result of their shaken confidence. Miami playing well last night was a result of their confidence. And why do they have confidence because of the huge momentum swing in Game 3.

Put that's cool Mary... believe that Dallas has Miami right where they want them... believe that Dallas has an equal chance of winning on the road as Miami does at home... believe that the Mavs are just fine. Go ahead.

But yall say I'm not dealing with reality.... yall need to check yallselves... because right now MIAMI has control of this series. Not the Mavs.

[mary]

So the Lakers didn't have momentum when they were up 3-1? Can you answer that one simple question? Did the Lakers have momentum or not?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

No. Because Game 5 was on the road.

And when Phoenix won Game 5... the momentum shifted. It was what gave them Game 6. They ran on that momentum. Then Game 7 was a blowout because Phoenix was rolling.

[mary]

The momentum shifted? How did it shift if the Lakers didn't have to begin with - after winning three games in a row?

Did the Lakers have momentum? No, but in Game 5 it shifted back to Phoenix! Huh? The Lakers didn't have it to begin with but it shifted back to Phoenix in game 5?

Did the Lakers have the momentum or not?

Aren't the Mavs on the road?

You're tripping over your own answer.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

The momentum shifted? How did it shift if the Lakers didn't have to begin with - after winning three games in a row?

The Lakers were on the road for Game 5. They won Game 4 with the help of the refs. Phoenix should have won Game 4. They didn't. So they went back home... Phoenix plays much better at home than on the road. LA plays much better at home than on the road. Phowenix won Game 5. That was a huge momentum swing in which Phoenix used to carry themselves for the next two games.

Game 3 was a huge momentum swing that Miami has used to win Game 4. And possibly Game 5.

But hey... if the Mavs lose Game 5... will you still doubt momentum? What makes you think that all of a sudden Dallas will play better in Miami? They haven't yet. If Game 5 was in Dallas... I'd agree with you that Dallas can regain momentum. But it's not in Dallas. That's the difference. That is why momentum is important.

You don't give teams hope. Dallas did. And they are paying for it in this series.

ESPN next Friday will run:

Dallas are the biggest chokers in NBA history. They are the only team in NBA history to allow a team to come back from an 0-2 deficit in the 2-3-2 format. No team in the history of the league has done what Miami did to the Mavericks.

And the sad thing about it is... Dallas was 6 minutes away of ending this series. Of ending it. Let that soak in because many on this site don't realize that. Now Miami has the edge. When Dallas was 6 minutes away from ending this series.

[victornewman]

Last night, the Heat played as good as they are capable of playing.
The Mavs played their worst basketball by a mile.
If the Mavs had just played "decent" basketball, we would have won.
The fact is--The Heat HAS to play at their absolute top level to beat us.
All the Mavs have to do is play decent to win.

This Mavs team has a lot of heart. We will come out on fire for game 5. I am confident of that.

[mary]

That was a huge momentum swing in which Phoenix used to carry themselves for the next two games.

So just so we are clear, if it was a momentun SWING, then clearly the Lakers must've had momentum on THEIR side before game 5?

I would like a straight answer. Did the Lakers have momentum, when they were up 3-1?

How can you say there was a momenum swing without conceding that the Lakers must have the momentum in the first place.

See the fallacy?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

And at the end of Game 3... everyone said Shaq played as well as he possibly could... that Wade won't have a great game like that again... that Miami played as well as it could and only won by 2?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

I would like a straight answer. Did the Lakers have momentum, when they were up 3-1?

No.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

No.

That's really fascinating. So the momentum shifted back to PHX in game 5. I believe you called it a momentum swing.

So who had the momentum before game 5 if it wasn't Phoenix and it wasn't L.A.?

Who did the momentum swing from in game 5?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

That's really fascinating. So the momentum shifted back to PHX in game 5. I believe you called it a momentum swing.

So who had the momentum before game 5 if it wasn't Phoenix and it wasn't L.A.?

Who did the momentum swing from in game 5?

Yes. Phoenix started running in Game 5. They were playing their game. LA could not stop them again. It was a momentum swing.

That is why Game 3 was a momentum swing for Miami. Miami is playing with all the confidence in the world right now at home. Why? Because Dallas let them back in the series. They should be dead. And Miami (and Wade) are playing their game. It isn't Dallas's game anymore. They are not dictating this series. Mwiami is dictating it.

(Btw, LA was disctating that series too until Game 4. Phoenix had that game won. The refs gave it to LA. Phoenix understood that. They were playing just fine in Game 4. The shackles of LA's defense on Phoenix was off. In Game 5 at home, Phoenix just used it to smash them. And for the next 2 games after that.)

[mary]

I didn't ask a yes or no question.

Who did the momentum swing from in Game 5?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

I didn't ask a yes or no question.

Did the Lakers have momentum, when they were up 3-1?

Huh?

And go back and reread what I wrote.

And Mary... who has momentum right now in this series? The series is tied. Does any team have momentum?

[mary]

I think my question is still pretty damn clear.

Lets try multiple choice. In game five there was a momentum swing in Phoenix's favor, according to your logic. So if Phoenix didn't have momentum before game 5, then which other team playing in the first round with Phoenix did have the momentum?

If there was a momentum swing, then who did the momentum swing from?

Possible Answers:

A) Lakers
B) Lakers
C) Lakers
D) The team that Kobe plays on

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

And Mary... who has momentum right now in this series? The series is tied. Does any team have momentum?

[mary]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

And Mary... who has momentum right now in this series? The series is tied. Does any team have momentum?

I've already stated my opinion about game-to-game momentum. Its overrated and mostly bullshit.

So...who did the momentum swing from in game 5?

I'm trying to follow along here. If there was a momentum swing in game 5, then who did the momentum swing away from?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

I've already stated my opinion about game-to-game momentum. Its overrated and mostly bullshit.

So I guess no one has momentum then?

And I've already stated that momentum is important.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

So I guess no one has momentum then?

And I've already stated that momentum is important.

But you still haven't told me who momentum swung away from in Game 5 of the PHX/LA series.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

But you still haven't told me who momentum swung away from in Game 5 of the PHX/LA series.

Actually... I did. You just don't want to believe it because you don't believe in momentum.

[mary]

No, you didn't. And 23 posts later you still haven't.

Who again? I don't see your answer in this thread? Who did it swing away from?

Its not a what, when, where, or why question. Its a "who" question.

A one word answer will suffice.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

No, you didn't. And 23 posts later you still haven't.

Phoenix had momentum in that series after Game 5.

[mary]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

Phoenix had momentum in that series after Game 5.

Who had it BEFORE GAME 5?????????????

Did you not even bother reading my question once this entire effing thread??


Edited: I'm sure Bayless has already quoted my F-bombs, but I don't really care at this point.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Miami did.

[mary]

Well, thank you for finally giving up a proving what a retarded concept game-to-game momentum is.

Miami wasn't playing Phoenix.

[jthig32]

Bayliss your argument is so tired.

We had all the momentum after game two. All of it. They took it away in game three.

They have all the momentum right now. We can take it all back in game five. What is your point?

[TripleDipping]

LOL... omg this is becoming a comedy.

[LonghornDub]

Game to game momentum is so overrated. It's a concept that people assign in retrospect when a team wins 2+ games in a row, and people ignore the multitude of instances in which a team wins 1 game but is unable to win the next (even when they're both at home).

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Well, thank you finally giving up a proving what retarded concept game-to-game momentum is.

And thank you for putting your head in the sand when it comes to evaluating this series. Miami has all the momentum in this series. And Dallas let them have it.

[mary]

Thank you for avoiding the same question 20 times because you can't answer it without your entire premise turning into shit.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

And thank you for putting your head in the sand when it comes to evaluating this series. Miami has all the momentum in this series. And Dallas let them have it.

If momentum can simply be taken away, why is it important? What's more important right now, the fact hat Miami has the "momentum", or the fact that the series is now a best of 3?

Again, we had momentum after game 2. Where did that get us? Nowhere. If we win Sunday, what did Miami's momentum gain them?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

Bayliss your argument is so tired.

We had all the momentum after game two. All of it. They took it away in game three.

They have all the momentum right now. We can take it all back in game five. What is your point?

The Mavs were going on the road in Game 3. They had that game. But they allowed Miami to stay in it and win a game they had no business of winning.

And yes the Mavs can steal back momentum. Any team can. But it's going to be hard. Harder now because Miami is going strong at home. And the sad thing about that is it is because Dallas allowed it to happen.

(Btw, Miami has the best home record in these playoffs. That's just another reason why momentum matters and it will be hard in Game 5.)

[jthig32]

Yes I agree that Dallas blowing that game sucked. But it has nothing to do with momentum. It's a freaking made up theory.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

If momentum can simply be taken away, why is it important? What's more important right now, the fact hat Miami has the "momentum", or the fact that the series is now a best of 3?

Again, we had momentum after game 2. Where did that get us? Nowhere. If we win Sunday, what did Miami's momentum gain them?

Momentum is more important. Because Dallas cannot afford to go down 3-2 and have to win 2 at home to win the series. There is no margin for error in that.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

The Mavs were going on the road in Game 3. They had that game. But they allowed Miami to stay in it and win a game they had no business of winning.

And yes the Mavs can steal back momentum. Any team can. But it's going to be hard. Harder now because Miami is going strong at home. And the sad thing about that is it is because Dallas allowed it to happen.

(Btw, Miami has the best home record in these playoffs. That's just another reason why momentum matters and it will be hard in Game 5.)

It won't be any harder than winning any other road game against them.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Locked_Up_Tonight

Momentum is more important. Because Dallas cannot afford to go down 3-2 and have to win 2 at home to win the series. There is no margin for error in that.

How is that MOMENTUM????? How is having no margin for error momentum?

You just conflicted yourself (again). You said momentum was more important than the fact that it is now a best of three series, and then you said that they can't go back needing to win 2 at home.

You're just not making any sense.

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

I think it will be even tougher. Dirk's got a gimpy ankle and shooting like crap. Howard has been a non-factor for the whole series. Stack has been pitiful in Miami. And you think they are just going to turn it on?

Their best chance to win in Miami was Game 3. But Elvis has left the building. They blew their chance.