Year of the Upset

[Mavinator]

This may be the year of the playoff upset in the NBA. We all know the Mavs could win the series against the Jazz maybe more easily than the Jazz could against the Mavs. The Suns have quietly amassed one of the best late-season records in the NBA recently, and they could easily knock Sacramento out in the first round. The only team the Blazers seem to play well against is their first-round opponent, the Lakers. The Timberwolves seem to give the Spurs a lot of trouble, with one win and one tight overtime loss that was largely due to a terrible call in the last minute. The Pacers are a much better team than the Sixers over the past few weeks. Miami, despite having maybe the most talented starting lineup in the east, has had few opportunities for its guys to play together, lacks chemistry, and they've already been blown out by Charlotte in the opening game. The Raptors lead the season series against the Knicks 3-1, and the only reason they lost today was because Carter was way off his game. The way things look, it's doubtful that many homecourt-advantaged teams will make it out of the first round at all...

[Mavinator]

Plus, it looks like kobe may have just injured himself again... Word from the locker room is he bent his fingernail backwards and he thinks he'll be out for the rest of the playoffs...

[djb]

As much as I hate Kobe and the Lakers, I hope he's not out the remainder of the playoffs. The last thing we need is for those LA bandwagonners to label this season with an asterisk after they lose to the Kings or Spurs.

[Mavinator]

Don't worry, kobe is back... turns out he just had to go to the locker room for a few minutes after he bruised his rib. I can't believe he's playing through it. I'll bet his skin is already turning slightly purple. kobe is tough as nails.

[Mavinator]

Isn't it interesting how when kobe is having a bad shooting night, suddenly he suffers an injury, goes to the locker room, and tells the media that he's "not 100%"? The team doctor is convinced that there is nothing wrong with kobe, and that he does not have to be x-rayed. Why did kobe go to the locker room? Why does he keep grabbing his hip? I thought it was a bruised rib!

[Flying Tiger]

hahaha...cut him some slack, he didn't go to college ya know. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[scooterj5]

Hmmm lemme think... nah.

[Evilmav2]

Kobe deserves some sympathy for the nagging hang nail injury that he has been suffering from all year long. I've heard that he has had a terrible bout with athlete's foot as well...

[scooterj5]

Good point. I heard he had a wicked case of jock itch on the off-season

[djb]

I know Pippen's a total ass but I think he's right on about this. Just like when Kobe was accused of fixing his highschool games so he could win the game in a heroic fashion.

Pippen says Bryant faked rib injury

LOS ANGELES – Portland Trail Blazers forward Scottie Pippen accused Lakers guard Kobe Bryant of faking his rib injury in Sunday's game so that he could draw comparisons to Michael Jordan and lead the team to victory while less than full strength.

"He's trying to be like Mike," Pippen told reporters in Los Angeles on Monday. "He wants to have a heroic performance. They said he had bruised ribs. Come on. It didn't look like he had bruised ribs. He didn't find a shot he didn't like."

Bryant left practice Tuesday before speaking to reporters, but teammate Rick Fox stayed behind and laughed at Pippen's comments. "We're all trying to be like Mike," Fox said, smiling. "Who doesn't want to be like Mike? Scottie may have tried to get Kobe going. I'd leave Kobe alone if I were Scottie. But, that's Scottie's choice."

Meanwhile, Pippen told The Oregonian he is not happy with his role with the Blazers and said he has spoken with coach Mike Dunleavy about it "a few times."

"I'll leave it at that," Pippen said.

"I can only do what I want on the defense end. On the offensive end, I'm not involved; I'm in isolation a lot. I'm used to touching the ball and getting involved."

In Sunday's 106-93 loss to the Lakers, Pippen had 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting in 40 minutes. Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

"I'd love to be more aggressive, but just the way we started the game. I mean, I started in isolation," Pippen said. "How can I be aggressive when I'm standing out there? That took a little bit of my aggressiveness away."

Source: Pippen says Bryant faked rib injury

[Hales233]

I couldn't agree more with what Scottie said. I watched the entire game, and Kobe was like "I hope I'm allright" and then he goes back out on the court and starts doing all sorts of crazy ass moves. What a liar.

Good man Pip, you're saying what everyone else is thinking.

[scooterj5]

Yeah huge props!

[giostar]

Hate to disagree with you all, but why in the world would Kobe take himself out of a game in the playoffs just to show himself off? Maybe if this was done in the regular season, but not a playoff game. And miss a whole half too?

I dont like Pipen too much. I think he lived on MJ's curtails, and is showing what a true crybaby and average player he really is. People always said he was the best SF in the league. I dont think he is in the top 10. Well maybe number 9 or 10. It's all the media trying to creat controversy anyway.

[Mavinator]

kobe only missed a few minutes of the game, and considering he used to sabotage his high schools to make himself out as a hero and that he was obviously more interested in winning the lakers scoring title this year than in winning games, it doesn't surprise me at all that he has been faking injuries all year long...

[scooterj5]

Does anyone know why he demanded the trade from Charlotte??

[djb]

Charlotte's breaking out the brooms!

[Hales233]

good question, scooter. i have no idea why, anyone have any ideas?

[djb]

At the beginning of the season who would have thought the Blazers and Heat would be the only teams swept in the first round!

[giostar]

Who demanded a trade from Charlotte?

[scooterj5]

Kobe Bryant

[Big Boy Laroux]

I think it was one of those "if you draft me, i won't play for you" scenarios. obviously, the hornets didn't want to get nothing and see kobe walk, so they made the trade with the lakers. suddenly, everyone in Lakers Management looks like a genius, but no one mentions the fact that the whole trade happened because Kobe was a whiner. Steve Francis got loads of bad press for his move with Vancouver. Why didn't it happen with Kobe?

and it does sound like Pippen is whining, but there is more than a hint of truth in what he is saying. I think if anyone but Pippen (whose team was losing the series to Kobe's Lakers) had said that, I would agree 100%. you can't make that many crazy ass shot attempts with bruised ribs.

[scooterj5]

What a wuss. Would a real superstar do that??

[Murphy3]

well...does anyone remember john elway?
how much heat did he ever catch?

[Big Boy Laroux]

yeah, we've actually discussed the elway vs. francis thing here before, and (at least for me) i think it's wrong on both counts. suck it up and play. you know, most of us can only dream of getting paid millions to play the sport we love.