rick1991
04-20-2012, 03:46 PM
nbagurupanel.blogspot.com
As the NBA regular season hits its final stretch, teams are battling for playoff position and are playing for their lives. Yesterday's games provides a taste of what lies ahead in the playoffs, given proof by three ejections- Larry Saunders, James Jones, and Robin Lopez. With a week left in the regular season, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and the Houston Rockets are essentially playing games with a playoff-like intensity.
As a huge NBA fan, I love to see players playing with emotion, especially when there is a lot on the line. Games played between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, and the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers showed fans what playoff basketball is all about as tensions flaired to irregular levels.
With Milwaukee slipping from the playoff race, Larry Sanders decided to take his frustrations out on the Indiana Pacers. After bulldozing through Danny Granger, Saunders was confronted by George Hill and other Pacer players unwilling to let Saunder intimidate them. Fortunately for the Pacers, they have an enforcer for these kind of situations- David West. West had to be restrained as he was going to show that he was not going to let Mr. Sanders show up his playoff bound team.
Out in Phoenix, physical play was also in play as the Suns battled the Los Angeles Clippers, as the Suns are determined to lock in the eight seed in what can be Steve Nash's last season in Phoenix. Fighting for their playoff lives, the Suns stepped up to the plate and pulled out a much needed victory.
Unfortunately, for the Clippers they experienced more than a regular season loss as the Suns provided yet more proof that Blake Griffin is unable to carry his team on his back late in games. Furthermore, Griffin's psyche must be in disarray as he has more evidence to believe that he is a target of hard fouls especially as he tries to posterize opponents. With the Clippers up by three in the middle of the fourth quarter, Mo Williams dished a behind the back pass to Griffin who went up for another poster, but met strong resistance as Robin Lopez met him midair and essentially pulled him down by the neck. Undoubtedly, Lopez's play was completely uncalled for and does not belong in the game. The problem with the Clippers is that Griffin's teammates are not matching their opponent's "dirty" play towards Griffin. I completely agree with Charles Barkley's assessment stating that "you cannot be a punching bag." The Clippers have the personal to mix things up if teams continue to attack Griffin, so hopefully Kenyon Martin, DeAndre Jordan, or Reggie Evans steps up to the plate and defend Griffin in the playoffs because quite frankly Chris Paul is too small for that role.
In Miami, the Bulls and Heat added another page to their new rivalry as James Jones was ejected for throwing his elbows in Joakim Noah's face and Dwyane received a technical for throwing down Richard Hamilton. Additionally, John Lucas III was blindsided by a vicious, but clean, backcourt screen set by Lebron James. Although stars Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh did not play, this exhibition game is definitely a sign of things to come as the Bulls and Heat are likely in a collision course in the Eastern Conference. As a fan of the game, you have to love the bad blood between the two teams especially the way Noah loves to run his mouth.
In a less physical but equally important game, the Houston Rockets fells to the New Orleans Hornets in overtime marking their sixth loss in a row. Once comfortably sitting at the sixth seed, the Rockets are on the outside looking in trying to grab the last playoff spot in the West. You can argue that the Rockets are not worthy of a playoff spot since they lost to the Hornets in essentially a "must win" game, but the Hornets have been playing some good basketball with the return of Eric Gordon to the lineup.
The NBA Playoffs are right around the corner, and if they are like the action we saw on April 19th, fans better hang on for a fun ride. Watch any regular season game in the next week and you will see that the stakes are high, the intensity has raised, and Playoff basketball is here.
nbagurupanel.blogspot.com
As the NBA regular season hits its final stretch, teams are battling for playoff position and are playing for their lives. Yesterday's games provides a taste of what lies ahead in the playoffs, given proof by three ejections- Larry Saunders, James Jones, and Robin Lopez. With a week left in the regular season, teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and the Houston Rockets are essentially playing games with a playoff-like intensity.
As a huge NBA fan, I love to see players playing with emotion, especially when there is a lot on the line. Games played between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, and the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers showed fans what playoff basketball is all about as tensions flaired to irregular levels.
With Milwaukee slipping from the playoff race, Larry Sanders decided to take his frustrations out on the Indiana Pacers. After bulldozing through Danny Granger, Saunders was confronted by George Hill and other Pacer players unwilling to let Saunder intimidate them. Fortunately for the Pacers, they have an enforcer for these kind of situations- David West. West had to be restrained as he was going to show that he was not going to let Mr. Sanders show up his playoff bound team.
Out in Phoenix, physical play was also in play as the Suns battled the Los Angeles Clippers, as the Suns are determined to lock in the eight seed in what can be Steve Nash's last season in Phoenix. Fighting for their playoff lives, the Suns stepped up to the plate and pulled out a much needed victory.
Unfortunately, for the Clippers they experienced more than a regular season loss as the Suns provided yet more proof that Blake Griffin is unable to carry his team on his back late in games. Furthermore, Griffin's psyche must be in disarray as he has more evidence to believe that he is a target of hard fouls especially as he tries to posterize opponents. With the Clippers up by three in the middle of the fourth quarter, Mo Williams dished a behind the back pass to Griffin who went up for another poster, but met strong resistance as Robin Lopez met him midair and essentially pulled him down by the neck. Undoubtedly, Lopez's play was completely uncalled for and does not belong in the game. The problem with the Clippers is that Griffin's teammates are not matching their opponent's "dirty" play towards Griffin. I completely agree with Charles Barkley's assessment stating that "you cannot be a punching bag." The Clippers have the personal to mix things up if teams continue to attack Griffin, so hopefully Kenyon Martin, DeAndre Jordan, or Reggie Evans steps up to the plate and defend Griffin in the playoffs because quite frankly Chris Paul is too small for that role.
In Miami, the Bulls and Heat added another page to their new rivalry as James Jones was ejected for throwing his elbows in Joakim Noah's face and Dwyane received a technical for throwing down Richard Hamilton. Additionally, John Lucas III was blindsided by a vicious, but clean, backcourt screen set by Lebron James. Although stars Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh did not play, this exhibition game is definitely a sign of things to come as the Bulls and Heat are likely in a collision course in the Eastern Conference. As a fan of the game, you have to love the bad blood between the two teams especially the way Noah loves to run his mouth.
In a less physical but equally important game, the Houston Rockets fells to the New Orleans Hornets in overtime marking their sixth loss in a row. Once comfortably sitting at the sixth seed, the Rockets are on the outside looking in trying to grab the last playoff spot in the West. You can argue that the Rockets are not worthy of a playoff spot since they lost to the Hornets in essentially a "must win" game, but the Hornets have been playing some good basketball with the return of Eric Gordon to the lineup.
The NBA Playoffs are right around the corner, and if they are like the action we saw on April 19th, fans better hang on for a fun ride. Watch any regular season game in the next week and you will see that the stakes are high, the intensity has raised, and Playoff basketball is here.
nbagurupanel.blogspot.com