# The Never-ending NBA Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 16, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295 "2009-04-16T15:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/381 "2009-06-10T16:48:12Z")
I have no particular rooting interest in either team. My team is the T-Wolves. They suck. I’ve had a hard time rooting for Kobe ever since the rape charges, so it isn’t like I’m a big Laker booster. I think it’s just that the Lakers are like the Yankees. Everybody outside of LA hates them and wants them to lose. I also think that the perception that LA gets favorable treatment from the officials is exaggerated. I think _home_ teams get the calls in the playoffs, and Orlando got some last night. It wasn’t egregious, but it was enough in a close game to really help. The two free throws Dwight Howard got after getting a call in his favor that should have been a charge were the difference in the game. So was the goaltend he got away with. In LA, I think it would be the opposite, though. And I do think they started stiffing Kobe a little bit after he gave them that staredown. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/382 "2009-06-10T16:49:33Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > The only egregiously bad calls i noticed this last game were the non travel on Pietruss (although he was intentionally fouled right before and they missed that one also) and the foul when Kobe went up against Howard and got blocked that should have been a jump ball. That wasn’t egregious, just a tough call that was missed (Kobe sold it like he got hacked in the face. It looked convincing in real time). How about that charge that Howard got away with? ---
**Author:** ![HeavyDuty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@HeavyDuty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeavyDuty)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/383 "2009-06-10T20:01:28Z")
If any of you missed it (or for Magic fans trying to relive it) last night’s [highlights are up](http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2009/06/09/nba_lal_orl_0040800403_recap.nba/?cid=playoff1). ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/384 "2009-06-10T20:05:29Z")
I’ve read several “The Magic shot 63% and barely won” stories/comments this morning. Does no one remember they shot 40% and had a chance to win on a Courtney Lee oop in Game 2? It’s not as if they need to set shooting records to get back into this series; it just happened that they did. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/385 "2009-06-11T00:23:51Z")
> [@Birdmonster](#): > > I’ve read several “The Magic shot 63% and barely won” stories/comments this morning. Does no one remember they shot 40% and had a chance to win on a Courtney Lee oop in Game 2? It’s not as if they need to set shooting records to get back into this series; it just happened that they did. That’s what I wanted to bring up. LA won game 2 but needed Odom to go 8 for 9, Gasol to put up 24, and LA shot 86% from the foul line and made seemingly all of them down the stretch. And they needed every bit of that to win at home to avoid losing by a layup at the end of regulation. As an aside, is Andrew Bynum one of the most overhyped players ever? He gets more fouls a game than rebounds and is only in there for about 15 minutes. LA is demonstrably better playing Odom than they are him. I just don’t get. If he didn’t play for LA and wasn’t mentored by Kareem, would we really even know who he is? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/386 "2009-06-11T00:30:08Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > That’s what I wanted to bring up. LA won game 2 but needed Odom to go 8 for 9, Gasol to put up 24, and LA shot 86% from the foul line and made seemingly all of them down the stretch. And they needed every bit of that to win at home to avoid losing by a layup at the end of regulation. > > As an aside, is Andrew Bynum one of the most overhyped players ever? He gets more fouls a game than rebounds and is only in there for about 15 minutes. LA is demonstrably better playing Odom than they are him. I just don’t get. If he didn’t play for LA and wasn’t mentored by Kareem, would we really even know who he is? Man during game two i was hoping Bynum would stop picking up fouls so he would stay in instead of Odom. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/387 "2009-06-11T00:47:48Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > As an aside, is Andrew Bynum one of the most overhyped players ever? He gets more fouls a game than rebounds and is only in there for about 15 minutes. LA is demonstrably better playing Odom than they are him. I just don’t get. If he didn’t play for LA and wasn’t mentored by Kareem, would we really even know who he is? Odom is all or nothing. Bynum is not much or some. Right now, Odom’s in “all” mode, but he could disappear at any moment. ---
**Author:** ![HeavyDuty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@HeavyDuty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeavyDuty)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/388 "2009-06-11T21:54:28Z")
5 Keys to tonight’s huge game: [http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/06/11/kareem.dwight.criticism.ap/index.html?cid=playoff1](http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/06/11/kareem.dwight.criticism.ap/index.html?cid=playoff1) ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/389 "2009-06-11T22:26:46Z")
> [@HeavyDuty](#): > > 5 Keys to tonight’s huge game: > [http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/06/11/kareem.dwight.criticism.ap/index.html?cid=playoff1](http://www.nba.com/2009/playoffs2009/06/11/kareem.dwight.criticism.ap/index.html?cid=playoff1) Wrong link. The linked article is to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s analysis of Dwight Howard’s offensive game. (Kareem doesn’t like it much.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/390 "2009-06-12T00:40:40Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Wrong link. The linked article is to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s analysis of Dwight Howard’s offensive game. (Kareem doesn’t like it much.) Well, to be fair, Dwight’s offensive game is “dunk, alley-oop dunk, putback dunk, ugly skyhook”. If he added a short-range jumper or a couple other post moves he’d be virtually unstoppable. If he added a midrange jumper he’d be absolutely unstoppable… and he’s only 23, so he’s got plenty of time to improve. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/391 "2009-06-12T01:02:18Z")
I don’t think Howard is all that powerful either. He can slash to the basket, but he gets pushed around a lot underneath it. He can’t just plant and power to it like a Shaq, and he doesn’t have a reliable short-range shot like Kareem’s skyhook. He’s a good rebounder and he’s fast, but I think he plays more like a forward than a classic center. I wonder if he’s in the right position. I don’t think he’ll ever be physically dominating under the basket. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/392 "2009-06-12T03:41:35Z")
Orlando doing their best to lose this one at the free throw line, looking at you turk. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/393 "2009-06-12T03:46:10Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > looking at you turk. All is forgiven. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/394 "2009-06-12T03:51:22Z")
Hard to shoot freethrows with your hands around your neck. Now it’s time for Kobe to cut their hearts out. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/395 "2009-06-12T03:53:38Z")
Fish. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/396 "2009-06-12T03:56:16Z")
Lakers better watch out for that damn lob again. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/397 "2009-06-12T03:59:36Z")
Unbelievable. Wonder how many players will foul out before this is over. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/398 "2009-06-12T03:59:51Z")
I am rooting for Orlando, but I give them little shot in this OT. They had their chance in regulation. Kobe will probably take over now. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/399 "2009-06-12T04:02:48Z")
That three by Fisher might have been the dagger ☹ ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295/400 "2009-06-12T04:08:28Z")
The Lakers better put it away now. They will lose the game of attrition in another OT. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-never-ending-nba-playoffs/493295.md?page=21)