LeBron & Shaq: A Closer Comparison Than Anyone Thinks

Miami Heat's superstar LeBron James has a major decision to make this offseason. He could opt out of his contract and try to get a restructured deal with his current team or move on to another team. Many people believe if James leaves Miami, he will get absolutely crushed by the media, and people will criticize LeBron of being a front-runner, not wanting to face a challenge. Personally, LeBron wants to win as many championships as possible.  Shaquille O'Neal was the first modern day player to do this begging the question, "Why aren't more people comparing LeBron's career arc to Shaquille O'Neal? If LeBron decides to leave, their arcs become eerily similar.

Obviously, people do not compare LeBron and Shaq because they are two very different players. LeBron doesn't play in the post like O'Neal, and Shaq is the interior player of this generation where James will be known as the wing player of the generation. It is so easy to compare James to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant because they play the same position. Although if we go through what happened in their careers, James is much more comparable to what O'Neal through his career. Shaq was never considered a front-runner, why should James?

Maybe it is the hatred and disdain of James which causes it, but Shaq should have gotten the same sort of criticism. If anything, O'Neal's antics were far worse than anything James did so far in his career. Shaq forced his way out of Orlando and Los Angeles because he fractured relationship with guards, Anfernee Hardaway and Kobe Bryant. James might decide to leave when his contract is up, isn't that his given right as a professional athlete?  It is not like LeBron is napalming the entire franchise before he leaves the franchise. LeBron is moving on to see what's next for him.

What's weird about comparing the early arcs of Shaq and LeBron is with O'Neal, he left Orlando after four years while James left Cleveland after seven. O'Neal moved coasts from Los Angeles to Miami after seven years and if James decides to leave, it will be four years. Therefore by their eleventh year, both players were on their third franchise if James heads out of South Beach. There are a lot of different options for LeBron including a return visit to Cleveland, Los Angeles Clippers or Houston Rockets are probably all on the table for The King. It would add to the eeriness if LeBron chose Los Angeles making the arcs of him and O'Neal even more similar.

Personally, I think it is a 50/50 thing whether James leaves or not. People will obviously hammer LeBron for his choice if it is not with Miami. There will probably be a jersey burning like what happened in Cleveland. But at the end of the day, what people have to realize is this has happened before with the best player in the league. No one was better than O'Neal after Jordan left the league, and he bounced all over the league. We really shouldn't make a big deal about James leaving but it will inevitably happen given all of the different media outlets ready to pounce on James.

Charlie.

NBA Playoff Recaps: KD Takes Over, Pacers Hold On

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

A late Thunder roll in Los Angeles pushes Oklahoma City to victory 
It seemed like we were heading to at least one Game 7 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Los Angeles Clippers got out to a 16 point lead in the early stages of the game, but Oklahoma City slowly but surely came back pulling away late in the game with a huge effort from Kevin Durant.  When people talk about the best players in the world, they want them to come up big in the big moments no matter what the sport can be, and Durant did just that after a bad start. He picked up two fouls early on with 1/7 shooting meaning KD shot 7 of 29 in about six quarters. He turned it on from there going 11/16 for the rest of the game finishing with 39 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Hell of a stat line from Durant when the team needed it the most. Additionally, this leads to people forgetting all about the fact Russell Westbrook shot 4/15 in a Game 6.

Valient effort by Los Angeles, but they got tight at the end of the game. They didn't really attack the basket when Serge Ibaka left the game with a calf injury, and it didn't feel like anyone wanted to take that big shot when Los Angeles needed it the most. They also were on the bad end of the officials multiple times down the stretch with consecutive offensive foul calls with one being bullshit on Chris Paul and the other, a clear foul on Blake Griffin. As for Paul, he fails to make the Western Conference Final and this will become a narrative like it did for many of the other greats whom had postseason struggles. He played well in the game going for 25 points, eleven assists and seven rebounds, but in the end, Oklahoma City will face off against San Antonio, a rematch of the 2012 Western Conference Finals.

Pacers Continue Winning Road Ways 
You know how there are things in sports that end up being the most difficult to explain. I think that's what we have with the Washington-Indiana series. The road team ends up winning five of the six games and the Pacers move on to a rematch against their rival, the Miami Heat. Nothing is more Eastern Conference than Indiana finding their way into the remaining two. A team with a great deal of dysfunction is in the final two, but to their credit, they withstood a hell of a fight from Washington. The Wiz took the lead in the fourth even, but Indiana stood tall getting back the lead with two big David West jumpers. West played great with 29 points and six rebounds. Lance Stephenson bounced back from three straight rough games to have 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds including only missing five shots all game. Might not be able to understand Indiana, but got to respect them a bit.

Charlie.

NBA Playoff Recaps: Ref Controversies, Confusing Pacers Strike Again

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

Thunder Somehow Beats the Clippers 
We have our first playoff referee controversy.  There were a couple blips here and there, but nothing compared to what we saw last night between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.  Clippers blew seven point lead with 49 seconds left which included a no-call on Matt Barnes, the officials keeping the ball with Oklahoma City even though it was clearly the Clippers ball and the phantom bail out call on Chris Paul with Russell Westbrook's three-point attempt. This sequence is probably the only thing in life that still gives Jim Burr a hard-on. It was terribly bad, but Los Angeles has no one to blame but themselves.  Oklahoma City went on a 17-4 run to end the game including Kevin Durant coming up with Chris Paul adding another lowlight to his playoff career.

There have been times in his career where Durant has come up short in the fourth quarter. He disappears, defers to Westbrook or all of the above yet Durant hit the two biggest shots in the game even though Westbrook nailed down the final three free throws to win the game.  To that point, Durant had a horrible game. He would have probably received a ton of criticism for how bad he played in Game 5 with the whole Mr. Unreliable bullshit resurfacing as Durant went 6/22. But he hit a huge three to pull the Thunder within four points then recovered a loose ball with a hard take to the lane following it.  It shouldn't be forgotten that Westbrook played an awesome game with 38 points on 11/23 shooting with six rebounds and five assists. He has thrown out some great gems in this playoffs.

CP3 hates the whole narrative about him failing in the playoffs, but games like these ones will not help his case. Paul struggled down the stretch with a couple missed shots, two turnovers and a big foul. Complain about the refs all you want, but Paul tightened up late in the game leading Los Angeles losing to this game. Paul has won Los Angeles games therefore he needs some criticism when he cost the Clippers the game as well. It will be interesting to see how he responds in Game 6. That's a huge game for Paul. If he goes off for 25 plus and leads them to a Game 6 win, I don't think anyone should be continuing the playoff narrative.

Wall and Gortat Keep Wiz Alive
With how bad the Los Angeles-Oklahoma City finished, everyone sort of forgot how Indiana got blown out at home in a close out Game 5. That's horrible. Indiana continues to be the most confusing team in all of basketball. Maybe the most confusing team in the last decade. Just when you think everything is all good, they get boat raced at home by 23 with meager efforts from Paul George and Roy Hibbert. Marcin Gortat and John Wall dominated the game with a a great inside/out game. Gortat had 31 points and 16 points scoring 13 of 15 shots, but Wall is probably the biggest story. He had 27 points which is in far contrast to Wall's first four games where he is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 turnovers. Wall sliced and diced the Pacers which is huge because people would have came down hard on Wall if he didn't have this one.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Episode 88

Charles and Mitchell return for the latest and greatest (Not really) edition of Tapping The Keg podcast. We lead off the podcast with talking about smartphone etiquette around friends and others, this leads to another conversation regarding Tinder which is always good.  We move to talk about the Milwaukee Brewers more so about Rickie Weeks role with the team right now. Why we both agree left field would have been a bad idea. Matt Garza is also discussed. Topic moves to recapping Green Bay Packers draft selections which we both like a lot. NBA Playoffs discussion about the drama at the end of Los Angeles-Oklahoma City game and why we think two series are ending tonight. We finish with NBA head coaches with some hockey talk because why the hell not.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Weekend: Collapses, Threes & Spurs Dominance.

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

Clippers stun Thunder, tie up the series.
It really seemed like Oklahoma City was heading home being up three games to one. ABC showed a
graphic about the Thunder never losing with a 3-1 lead. Los Angeles kept battling back though in the fourth quarter taking their first lead of the game with about three minutes left in the game. Darren Collison came out of the shadows with eight points in the final three minutes of the game leading the furious comeback. Clippers had 38 points in the final quarter with Collison playing a large part in the effort with 18 total points. Jamal Crawford also added 18 off the bench hitting his usual big buckets. Chris Paul started the comeback early on as he finished with 23 points, 10 assists and five rebounds with Collison and Crawford finishing sending this series to a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant's stat line looks pretty good when you see he had 40 points with eight rebounds including going 50 percent from the field. But there is a dark underbelly with KD's performance yesterday afternoon. He had eight turnovers and a big free throw miss with 100 seconds left. That cannot happen. I used to rag on LeBron James for the same thing. As an MVP players, free throws are something that cannot be missed in the late game situations.

Paul George's big second half pulls Indiana past Washington
There are sometimes when a star player takes over and becomes the story of the game. Paul George is a fringe superstar. He is starting to get the media attention and doing more commercials. Games like this one is why he gets commercials. George had 28 points in the second half leading a furious comeback as the Pacers trailed by 19 points in the second half. George added 12 rebounds as well only missing eight of his 20 shots on the night. He looked great out there becoming the key cog to the game. Indiana needs more from their bench though. Only two points from their second unit is not going to win many basketball games. Pacers are lucky to pull this one from their teeth. It does seem like the Wiz received a knockout punch. I don't know how they recover from this one.

Brooklyn's outside arsenal sinks Miami
After two games where the Heat found a way to get full control in the second half, Brooklyn delivered a taste of their own medicine by pulling away with a huge 3-point effort with the Nets making 15 threes going 60 percent from the outside. Mirza Teletovic had a big second half making him one of the difference makers in this game with 12 points including four big threes. Keep an eye for Teletovic for the rest of the series. He had 20 points in Tuesday's loss as well. Miami needs to find a way to keep him contained because he seems like the type of player if he gets hot, Teletovic could make 20 threes. Joe Johnson also had a nice day at the arena with 19 points sinking in five threes. Joe Cool continues to have a good playoff performance.

I am a little puzzled why James Jones didn't get more time last night. He had nine points in nine minutes making three 3-pointers. It seems like a guy you would want out there more than nine minutes. Jones has went from playing around 16 minutes a game in the Charlotte series to only playing five minutes. I don't know what Erik Spoelstra has in mind right now.

Spurs found their mojo again... ruh roh
Poor Portland. They are getting completely steamrolled by San Antonio. The Spurs have won the first three games by a combined 18.6 points. That's not even close. Like is this Portland team that bad or are the Spurs that good again? Should we be even more impressed with what Rick Carlisle did taking the series to seven games? I really cannot explain it. We talked about at the beginning of the series, Tony Parker could expose their bad perimeter defenses and that's what's happening. Parker scored at least 29 points in three of the last four games. It is pretty clear how good San Antonio is when Parker is healthy. Portland's bench has been downright terrible. Minus Will Barton's 13 points in garbage time in Game 2, the Trail Blazers' bench has 21 points through three games... Not good.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recap: OKC's 1-2 Punch Delivers & Return of Roy

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

KD & Russ: OKC's Watch The Throne  
A day after Kevin Durant won an MVP and gave an emotional speech that made every mom fall in love with KD, he came through with his pal Russell Westbrook with near triple-doubles from both of them (Russ technically had a triple-double but that was a weak 10th assist). It was like watching Kanye West and Jay Z on the basketball court. We can debate which one is whom. Durant looked completely in control early on with 17 first half points and Westbrook finished them off in the second half. He helped them pull Oklahoma City away in the second half. Huge effort from Westbrook in terms of energy and what he brought to the table. If we keep getting this version of Russ, Oklahoma City will be hard to beat for the rest of the playoffs.

It is worth mentioning the developing storyline of Serge Ibaka's defense against Blake Griffin has been stellar for the first two games of the playoffs. Griffin scored 13 points in the first two games of this series against Ibaka's defense. He needs to figure it out against Serge and be a factor because if not, the Clippers inside presence isn't really there.

ROY HIBBERT LIVES 
I struggle with Indiana in the worst kind of way. One minute, they look like complete hell and the next, Roy Hibbert drops 28 points with nine rebounds to go along with it. According to Hibbert, he went fishing with Paul George whom had TMZ-esque rumors about him with Hibbert's wife, and helped clear his mind. Also Andrew Bynum left the team as well. I think we need to look at Indiana from a one game a day. We shouldn't expect this in Washington, and sort of wait and see. I will add this about the game, it was an old-school Indiana win.

Old school is only a year ago, but Indiana won this game by playing defense. Paul George and David West combined for 20 points and they still won this basketball game.  That's extremely impressive.  Additionally, Lance Stephenson was 3/12 on the night which all seem like recipes for failure, but not for Indiana as their defense willed them to the victory along with a few big shots.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recaps: Game 1 Road Warriors

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

What injuries? Chris Paul takes control in Game 1

For the first round of the playoffs, much of the discussion with Chris Paul had to do with his injuries bothered by a hamstring and a hand injury. Paul did not really play well in the seven games against Golden State, but he stepped up in Game 1 against Oklahoma City. Paul drilled six straight threes in the first half propelling him to 32 points with 10 assists only missing two shots for the entire game. Additionally, the six threes were a career-high, he finished the game with eight threes. Paul added an element to his game, and if this becomes consistent, the rest of the league is in trouble. Blake Griffin had a nice night with 23 points on 7/16 shooting making most of his free throws from the line. This was an ass-kicking from Los Angeles, and I don't know how exactly Oklahoma City responds to it.

Oklahoma City needs to do something else on defense because they aren't playing Memphis anymore. They gave up 69 points in the first half. 69!  They have done this before as the Thunder do not have the best defense in the world, but at the same time, you aren't winning championships by giving up that many points in one half. It could be a case of Oklahoma City playing more in the halfcourt to slow down the potent Clippers offense.  

Wizards continue their road dominance 

This is starting to get silly for The Wiz Kids. They have won their last seven road games if you include playoffs and regular season plus they exorcised a demon by beating Indiana on the road, something they hadn't done in the last 12 tries. Bradley Beal does not really seem like a second option. Like it feels offensive to call Beal the meatballs to John Wall's spaghetti.  He is a star in the making and will only get better. Beal made a statement with 25 points, seven rebounds ans seven assists. But the thing that impressed me about this Wizards win was how the role players showed up in this one, and if that happens consistently, we could be heading to a real strange place with the Wiz. 

Trevor Ariza hit six threes channeling his days as a Los Angeles Laker in the postseason where he just became a difference maker from the outside.  He also did a pretty good job on Paul George as he went 4/17 from the field, obviously Ariza wasn't the only one guarding George but had a hand in it. Drew Gooden had 12 points with 13 rebounds including seven offensive rebounds. They both added a new element to Washington's game. Oh and Roy Hibbert... 0 points with two rebounds. YIKES.

Charlie. 

SnoTap's NBA Second Round Preview

2014 NBA Playoffs delivered the best first round in NBA history. The second round is filled with a great deal of intrigue and drama. We break down both conferences in the same way we did the first round looking at a reason each team will win plus an X-Factor with a prediction. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1.) San Antonio Spurs vs. 5.) Portland Trail Blazers 
Game 1: Tuesday May 6th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 2: Thursday May 8th 8:30 pm ESPN2
Game 3: Saturday May 10th 9:30 pm ESPN
Game 4: Monday May 12th 9:30 pm TNT
Game 5 (Wednesday) Game 6 (Friday) Game 7 (Sunday) -  If Necessary

Reason Spurs win: Tony Parker plays like he did in Game 7 against Dallas for the whole series. A dirty little secret about Damian Lillard is he does not really play much defense. Wes Matthews is their stopper, and he did fine against James Harden yet I don't know if he can keep up with Parker for a whole game so I will expect to see

Reason Blazers win: I am trying to figure out who guards LaMarcus Aldridge in this game. Tiago Splitter? Tim Duncan? Probably a combination of those two guys, but LMA can take these guys outside of the post which is huge for the team allowing Lillard and Matthews to get into the lane. He can also get both of them in foul trouble which is equally important. I could see another big series for Aldridge. He averaged 21 points a game with eight rebounds a game in three meetings with the Spurs this year.  

X Factors:  Spurs - Tim Duncan,  Blazers - Thomas Robinson - We haven't really seen a vintage Duncan performance yet in the playoffs. 17 points is one of his lowest average of his playoff career and only pulling down around eight rebounds is his lowest rebound total since the 2009 season. I am throwing T-Rob in there because he showed some flashes against Houston, and Portland will need a better post effort from a guy not named LaMarcus. I am throwing T-Rob out there. 

Prediction: Spurs in six - Do I want to pick Portland?  Yes, yes I do. But I am trying not buy into the hype because they beat a poor defensive team in Houston where in multiple games, they came back late in the game. I doubt Portland will be able to do that against San Antonio. One name we haven't mentioned is Danny Green and he could be someone lying in the weeds for the Spurs.

2.) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 3.) Los Angeles Clippers 
Game 1: Monday May 5th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 2: Wednesday May 7th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 3: Friday May 9th 9:30 pm ESPN
Game 4: Sunday May 11th 2:30 pm ABC
Game 5: (Tuesday) Game 6 (Thursday) Game 7 (Saturday) - If Necessary

Reason Thunder win: Durant continues to light the world on fire. Reggie Miller said on the Dan Patrick Show today that 'The newspaper thing could be the best thing for him (Durant).'  I agree with him, and it would make me very nervous if I were a Clippers fan. Durant averaged 32 points a game in four matchups with the Clippers which is one of the highest outputs against teams KD played four times this season. I think we could see an inspired Durant's performance where he takes over multiple times, and Russell Westbrook takes a little bit of a backseat.  

Reason Clippers win: Blake Griffin takes over in multiple ways. Oklahoma City does not have much post depth past Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Steven Adams. Blake found ways to exploit Golden State's weak interior play, and he could do the same with Oklahoma City even if Ibaka is a better player than anything the Dubs had in Round 1. How the games are called will be a huge factor in Griffin's success because if they let Oklahoma City beat him up, he will need to adjust his game. 

X Factors:  Thunder - Reggie Jackson, Clippers - DeAndre Jordan - Couple obvious ones but they are equally important to the team's success. Jackson needs to equalize Darren Collison. He also bailed out Westbrook and Durant before, and can do it again. Jordan makes Los Angeles a different team when he is scoring and rebounding in double digits especially with his scoring. Jordan seems like he has some confidence and could handle the Thunder's inside group. 

Prediction: Clippers in seven -  Easily, the best series out of the four in the second round. Los Angeles can win on the road. I think they will do it in seven given their inside game with Griffin and Jordan. The only thing that worries me is Chris Paul's health against Russell Westbrook. Odds are he will not pick us Russ very often, but Paul could become very worn down. If that happens, Oklahoma City might just win the war of attrition.   

1.) Indiana Pacers vs. 5.) Washington Wizards
Game 1: Monday May 5th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 2: Wednesday May 7th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 3: Friday May 9th 7:00 pm ESPN
Game 4: Sunday May 11th 7:00 pm TNT
Game 5: (Tuesday) Game 6 (Thursday) Game 7 (Saturday) - If Necessary

Reason Pacers win: They play like a team. It is that simple. This team won their first 33 of 40 games for a reason. They played like a cohesive unit. I realize they won back-to-back games to finish off Atlanta, but I am still not convinced this team is truly united right now. Indiana plays like one and not individuals, they will blow through this series.  

Reason Wizards win: Bradley Beal and John Wall come up massive. Paul George will likely pick up one of the them, but can he keep up with either of them in terms of quickness? Same goes for Lance Stephenson. If they play up-tempo and make Indiana play Washington's game, they could really do some big things. I really do think the guards of Washington could have some real big series. 

X Factors:  Pacers - Roy Hibbert, Wizards - Trevor Ariza - Yes we need to see Roy Hibbert come to play finally. He played well in Game 7 and against the bigger Wizards team could give Hibbert more an opportunity to work yet Marcin Gortat and Nene are badass dudes meaning Hibbert needs to keep his composure out there. Ariza could be huge for this team. We talked about his postseason performance last time around too, but what makes him important this round is the fact, he will be on Mr. George and containing him will be a tall task. If he does it well, Wizards have a good shot at winning the series. 

Prediction: Wizards in six -  Given the personalities in this series, I think we are going to see some chippy stuff from each side of the aisle in these games. I like the guards of Washington better than I do, Indiana's and I don't think Hibbert is all there. Until Indiana proves me otherwise, I am not ready to buy in to this team. If they light the world on fire, we can have a new discussion. 

2.) Miami Heat vs. 6.) Brooklyn Nets 
Game 1: Tuesday May 6th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 2: Thursday May 8th 6:00 pm ESPN2
Game 3: Saturday May 10th 7:00 pm ABC
Game 4: Monday May 12th 7:00 pm TNT
Game 5 (Wednesday) Game 6 (Friday) Game 7 (Sunday) - If Necessary

Reason Heat win: They need to have a good Chris Bosh come alive. What went under the radar is Bosh only averaged 14.5 points a game in their sweep against Charlotte. He can bring the big bruisers of Brooklyn outside of the paint creating more opportunities for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to slash into the paint. He has seen Kevin Garnett in May before, and this time, Bosh is the much better player.  

Reason Nets win: Deron Williams becomes Deron Williams of old. Honestly, this Nets team can win the series. Paul Pierce and KG need to be big yet Williams actually having a say in the offense is the biggest key. Mario Chalmers is a decent enough defender, but Williams can still do some things to cut out what Chalmers wants to do on the defensive end. In three games against Miami, he only averaged seven points a game. That cannot happen if the Nets want to advance. 

X Factors:  Heat- Mario Chalmers, Nets - Marcus Thornton -  Heat need to find more scoring. They always seem to go through this at one point of the playoffs where only the Big Three are scoring and no one else. Chalmers did nothing in the four games against Charlotte and that cannot happen again if this team wants to win. Thornton is a microwave. If he gets hot, look out. And they might need a 'Marcus Thornton game' where he has 30 points making seven threes to win the series, he has found his way into some moments in the playoffs thus far.

Prediction: Heat in seven -  This will also be a nasty series with a ton of chippiness given the rivalry between Pierce and Garnett versus LeBron and Ray Allen. Also the fact Brooklyn won all four times they met this year doesn't sit well with the Heat either. Game 1 is huge. If Miami comes out tired from the layoff, Brooklyn will think they belong in the series. I think it goes the distance with LeBron James shutting the door in Game 7 with an iconic performance. 

Charlie.

NBA Game Seven Weekend: Big Stars Shine the Brightest

Every night there is some sort of drama about the NBA Playoffs. Every game is worth talking about even if it is just to make fun of somebody. The recaps look at the game itself and what could be upcoming for the teams.  


Brooklyn hangs on after a near-collapse in Toronto
The poor Raps. They battled like hell back in the fourth quarter after being down 10, and it seemed like there was no chance they could win this basketball game yet Toronto came back to make it a game in the final minute. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry did not have a defining Game 7 performances for the right reasons. DeRozan took it to the tin with three minutes left drawing an offensive foul and then a technical. Thankfully, Brooklyn came up empty on both attempts, but still, you need to keep their composure. Lowry had the final shot for a win and Brooklyn collapsed on him with three defenders yet he didn't pass the ball. That needed to happen, but instead Lowry tried to be the hero which did not work out for him.

Amid the comeback, Joe Johnson came to play on Sunday. We talked at the beginning of the series about how Brooklyn had closers on their team with Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Joe Cool stepped out to close out this basketball game. He had eleven straight points for Brooklyn at one point in the fourth. Solid performance from Johnson.

Clippers close out Warriors with a big second half
What a great game this was to close us out on Saturday night. Golden State had an early lead, but slowly, but surely, Los Angeles started to put themselves back in the game with some tremendous performances by the primetime players for the Clippers. Once again, DeAndre Jordan played terrific making all six of his shots, having 15 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. I have said this once, will say it again, if Jordan provides this kind of production, Los Angeles is the best in the West. Chris Paul had a great game after some concern about him with his injuries to his hand and hamstring. Paul had 22 points with 14 assists. J.J. Redick came up big late in the game which helped send Golden State home.

I am trying to figure out what Golden State's management's issue with Mark Jackson. Stephen Curry wants him to keep his job which would probably be my indicator he should stay put, but if Golden State forces him out, it will be interesting to see what it does for team chemistry.

The best shine through in Oklahoma City. 
We tend to see big players step up to the plate when it comes to Game 7's. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are two of the best in the league, and they showed it on Saturday with major performances. Durant had 33 points with 12/18 shooting with eight rebounds. In the last two games since the whole newspaper snafu, he has been excellent. But the bigger story was Russell Westbrook. He had another triple-double with a bananas stat line. Westbrook finished the game with 27 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds including a couple steals and blocks to go with it. He really looked strong out there, and if Russ is playing at this level with the good 90 percent, not the bad 10 percent, Oklahoma City is a scary, scary team. I like everything they are doing right now.

Pacers handle their business, dispose of Atlanta 
ROY HIBBERT FINALLY SHOWED UP. Well kinda. He had 13 points with seven rebounds making six shots which is more than what Hibbert has done in this whole series. Have to respect Frank Vogel for still trotting him out there and trusting him when literally no one had his back. Paul George was the bigger story. A primetime player stepped up in the big moment with 30 points taking over in the second half. George finished off the Hawks with great ease and looked great out there. Even though Indiana's story has been about their struggles, George is excelling in the playoffs. The numbers are up in both points and rebounds with George averaging a double-double with him being the top player on this team. Also worth noting how well Lance Stephenson played with an efficient scoring night with 19 points 14 rebounds and five assists.

Spurs wake up and finish off Dallas with ease 
Many people wondered how the Mavericks got to seven games with San Antonio? It seemed like Dallas could maybe get one or two games, but no one thought this team could bring it to seven games. San Antonio shot over 70 percent in the first two quarters meaning it was complete curtains for Dallas' chances to pull the upset. Tony Parker was excellent with 32 points with making eleven shots on 19 attempts with none being from outside the arc. Parker dressed down this Dallas team, and it is fair to say, he is healthy from his ankle injury which could be big trouble for Portland. Another thing to keep an eye on is Danny Green's performance, he had been struggling, but last two games, he is averaging 16.5 points with 6/8 from three. If Green comes to play, this is a different San Antonio team.

Charlie.

NBA Playoff Recaps: WE'RE GOIN' TO GAME SEEEEEVEN!

Every night there is some sort of drama about the NBA Playoffs. Every game is worth talking about even if it is just to make fun of somebody. The recaps look at the game itself and what could be upcoming for the teams.  

Indiana's furious late comeback saves their season 
It appeared like Atlanta was going to do it. They were up five points with three minutes left to go in the game, but then the #lemonbooty hit the Hawks like it has so many times before. Indiana went on a 14-1 run to force a Game 7.  Much of it was led by David West who played terrific with 24 points, eleven rebounds and six assists including some key shots to finish off the Hawks. Paul George had 24 points as well, but most came in the first three quarters of the game although he hit a big 3-pointer late to help push Indiana past Atlanta. For George, more is being talked about him leaving the bench during the George Hill and Mike Scott scuffle. Technically, George could be suspended for Game 7 for leaving the bench. I doubt Adam Silver will bring the hammer here eve though people will cry out conspiracy if George does not get suspended. George barely leaves the bench and he doesn't try to start the fight. Best game of the night in my opinion.

Mike Scott v. George Hill


DOY: Mike Scott - Probably the best one of the playoffs thus far.


Durant drops 36 in a blowout road win 
Earlier on Thursday, a  newspaper, The Oklahoman came out with a headline that read 'Mr. Unreliable' referring to Kevin Durant and his struggles against Memphis. Durant's people including his brother and mother took offense as well as others in the media. This led to the paper saying they overreacted a bit, but Durant shrugged it off. But you cannot tell me Durant had some added motivation dropping 14 first quarter points and finishing with 36 in a convincing 20-point win over Memphis plus he added 10 rebounds. He played with a chip on his shoulder that we haven't seen in a little bit from Durant. He seemed angry and wanting this game more than anyone on the court. He dazzled out there. Russell Westbrook wasn't shabby either as he went for 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The bash brothers were back, and I have a feeling they are sick of everyone's shit which could be trouble for Memphis.

Warriors hang on in an ugly, choppy game 
There is nothing from the box score that makes you happy. Three of the major players fouled out in the game - David Lee, J.J. Redick and Blake Griffin. Each team shot horribly from the free throw line with Golden State missing 14 attempts while Los Angeles missed eleven. Neither team shot the ball well either. But someone had to win the game, Golden State took it as they got a boost from their crowd and Andre Igoudala. In games where nothing seems to work, if you have a raucous crowd behind you, it can be the difference in the game. That's what it felt like on Thursday night at the Roracle.  Also it didn't hurt Iggy had seven big points down the stretch for the Dubs.  Out of the three Game 7's on Saturday, this might be the most unpredictable. I am not sure what exactly will transpire, but it has the potential to be a great finish into the wee hours of the night.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recaps: Clippers Come Up Big, #THUNDERGRIZZLES & Wiz Kids Alive!

Every night there is some sort of drama about the NBA Playoffs. Every game is worth talking about even if it is just to make fun of somebody. The recaps look at the game itself and what could be upcoming for the teams.  

Los Angeles shakes off distraction, takes Game 5 
People wondered what the state of mind would be for Los Angeles as they played their game at home since the Donald Sterling scandal. Los Angeles took advantage winning Game 5 and taking advantage in the series with a 113-103 win. Clippers had a spirited crowd behind him, and a big game from DeAndre Jordan proved to be the difference in the game. Jordan's strong season went a bit under the radar with the play of Blake Griffin all season, but he made a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year. Jordan had 25 points with 18 rebounds and four blocks. He dominated the whole game long and looked completely engaged. If the Clippers get half of that from Jordan in the coming games/series, Los Angeles can win the NBA Finals.

As for Golden State, is it time to start wondering about Stephen Curry? I know we all love him but besides Game 4, he's been pretty average at best. Tonight, Curry only shot the ball 10 times with seven of them being from behind three.  He also added eight turnovers. This hasn't been a great series for Curry and it could be dealing with a mean three-headed monster of Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison yet it is worth paying attention to it.


Appropriate picture: Clippers banded together to say 'We Are One'

Thunder and Grizzlies play another classic 
THIS SERIES.  Four straight games with an overtime period, and the Grizzlies came out victorious with a 100-99 win taking the 3-2 advantage heading back to the Grindhouse for Game 6 Thursday night. The bizarre thing about this series is every game it is nearly the same. Memphis buries Oklahoma City early, Thunder make a comeback that includes a four-point play and force overtime where it is 'may the best man win.'  Mike Miller rose from the dead to hit two huge threes in overtime and had 21 points for the game leading the Grizzlies in scoring. Miller has become a vital part to this Memphis team and helped them out when the rest of the team was not cooking on all cylinders. But let's be real, the talk is about Oklahoma City.

This was a Russell Westbrook game. We thought it would be one where we are talking about Russell for the next week because he played out of his mind with a triple-double having 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists plus a big steal to tie the game with four seconds left. Westbrook looked like himself more than ever before, but as you would believe it, people are starting to come around with Kevin Durant criticisms. He didn't touch the ball in the fourth quarter letting Westbrook work, but that wasn't good enough for people. Then he missed a key free throw with under 30 seconds keeping the lead at one. The debate will be Joey Crawford making an icing attempt at Durant by taking the ball and going to the scorers table, but that's a cop out for Durant (Crawford is such a mental midget, acted like someone had sex with his daughter in front of him).  He needs to find a way to be better or else this team is done on Thursday.

Appropriate Video: Westbrook cookies steal.



Wiz Kids are nothing to F' with
Sure they only scored 75 points tonight in a close out win, but they also held Chicago to 69 points so I guess there is that as they sent Chicago packing. It is memorizing to see this Bulls team go from being a top four team to the East then falling to complete shambles in five games with Washington winning all three games in Chicago. They are legit. I don't think they could get to the NBA Finals, let's not get crazy, but at the same time, Washington can handle everything thrown at them in the next series whether it be Indiana or Atlanta. Here are the bright spots for Washington... John Wall has been inconsistent through the first five games, and him having 24 points with seven assists is really encouraging. Nene and Marcin Gortat continued to make Joakim Noah look like a small child. Nene had 20 points with seven rebounds while Gortat didn't do much on offense yet still grabbed 13 rebounds. The Wiz Kids are a bandwagon we can all get on, folks.

Approrirate Song: Bullets... er Wizards Fever!!!!!



Charlie.

Adam Silver's Strong Response to Donald Sterling

Adam Silver stepped to the podium to make this first big decision as NBA Commissioner. Silver didn't even
get to give away the Larry O'Brien Trophy yet before dealing with a massive crisis. Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling banned for life from the NBA, fined 2.5 million dollars and Silver requests the owners will make him sell the basketball team. Silver brought the hammer gaining immediate respect from the players, but you have to wonder what kind of precedent he setting going forward, Doc Rivers playing the 'Boy who cried wolf' and what would have David Stern done?

Silver had to make a statement.  He has been commissioner since February 1st which is almost three months for those who care curious. If he came out and looked weak, other owners and players would want to take advantage of him. If Silver came in slight favor of Sterling saying 'We are going to continue to review it and suspend Sterling for the playoffs,"  Silver would lose the players in his first three months of having what could be a long-term job. Did he really want to go against the players in this case?  Absolutely not.

He knew gaining their support would mean the world for other ventures Silver is planning in the coming years. Sure, it is about what Sterling said and did and how it cannot be tolerated yet at the same time, Silver knows damn well he now has some leeway with the players. He isn't a dumb man. Silver becoming a friend of the players and former players will help him in so many ways, and he can regain the owner's trust even though I really don't think many owners are thinking this morning that Silver went against them unless they are worried about the idea of 'forcing someone out for a private conversation.' And if that's the case, Silver needs to reassure them this is an extreme situation.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spoke out yesterday disowning Sterling's comments, but recognizing there would be a 'slippery slope' if the NBA forced an owner out in this type of situation. We first have to know if V. Stiviano had permission to tape things due to what Sterling told her, or if she did this out of spite because she finally had with his racism. It could be a mix of both honestly. But now owners might have to be even more careful with everything they say or do whether it be interactions with people, extramarital affairs (If you think Sterling is the only owner with a sidepiece, you are naive) and all sorts of business whether it be team-related or not. Owners will now be on red alert knowing they could get 'Sterling'd' if they take a wrong step in their private life.

It is such a tough line to walk here because you want everyone to be good, and if they are a piece of shit, there is no reason they should own a professional sports franchise. But at the same time, not everyone is a good human being. If you think otherwise, you live in a world where everyone eats candy all the time and unicorns roam freely. The fact of the matter is there are a lot of owners who know in their heart of hearts that they're kind of an asshole when not in the public eye. Maybe not a racist, but they probably have some awful things. As Kareem Abdul Jabbar put on Monday to TIME, 'This girl will get a book deal, reality show...' And guess what someone else will want to be the next V. Stiviano whether she or he is personally involved with the owner.

Doc Rivers has become a sympathetic character in this whole scenario because he didn't tow the company lie and said what he felt about the situation plus him being a black head coach adds a complete other element. But for Rivers to say, he didn't really know about Sterling's background is wrong and ridiculous. Doc knew damn well the owner he was working for when he inked the deal to be the Clippers coach. He just saw it as 'out of sight, out of mind' sort of thing. And then for Rivers to speak after Los Angeles' win against Golden State about Donald's wife, Shelly, who isn't not clean in this situation by any means about her 'love for the players' seems so flawed. Once again, Rivers escapes criticism because he is a lovable media type and went off the beaten path enough.

I keep coming back to David Stern.  What would he have done?  Stern and Sterling weren't enemies during his long tenure. Stern let him get away with MURDER in owner terms by allowing the Clippers to be hapless for so many years and all of his digressions throughout the years. No one will probably ever know as Stern remains completely mum on the situation. But there is a part of me that thinks he would not have went to the extremes of which Silver did on Tuesday afternoon.

It's a new era in Los Angeles.

Charlie.

What's Magic Johnson's true involvement in Donald Sterling Situation?

Conspiracy theories can be some of the best cocktail party fodder while at the same time, it can drive you insane trying to figure out a rhyme or reason as to why something happened usually a major event. Conspiracy theories more times than not make the person whose making the case for it look complete crazy leading to all sorts of criticism. But the best is when someone floats out a conspiracy situation that ends up coming true in the end after all. The Donald Sterling situation presents itself to a conspiracy and makes me wonder if Magic Johnson could ever own the Los Angeles Clippers.

Adrian Wojnarowski came out with a story late Sunday night that Johnson and his investment group, the Guggenheim group had been trying to buy the Clippers. He went after their neighbors, the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Buss family rejected their group meaning Magic had to look to the Clippers about becoming the owner and taking over the city once and for good.  Johnson denies he wanted to own the Clippers, but just think about how much of this is all falling into place for him. 

Everyone knew Sterling was a racist before the tapes came out, but it did nothing to cause him to lose his NBA franchise. There is no reason why Sterling should have a basketball team before this issue even happened with his estranged girlfriend Adam Silver meets with the media in three hours, and it seems like Sterling will be suspended b the league with the intent that he sells the team. Several owners have spoken out against his words plus many advertisers have either pulled out for the rest of the games this season or for following year. The latter could be the biggest reason why Sterling loses this team is if the ad money disappears, the NBA nor does the team makes any money. NBA doesn't want to deal with Sterling in the coming years meaning this is the perfect excuse to get rid of them. 

Magic's group features many multi-millionaires and some billionaires as well meaning there are a ton of people whom know what it takes to make business deals happen even if it takes extreme measures. V. Stiviano, Sterling's ex-girlfriend said Sterling asked her to tape what he said allowing him not to forget the different things he said on a daily basis. This makes sense seeing as Sterling is 80 years old and probably senile. It did feel like she baited him a bit into answers, but that's not to be debated here. We all agree Sterling is a racist, but Stiviano pushed him in the direction. What question needs to be answer to clear conspiracy thoughts is Magic's relationship with Sterling's ex-girlfriend. 

If it is the only one time meeting, then it probably was all her doing without any involvement from Johnson. But if they somehow knew each other throughout the years which is entirely possible given Sterling having a relationship with Magic throughout the years. She could have played the tape for Magic and he could have been the leak, not her. That we will never find out, but think about how well of a position Magic is in if Sterling does get the ax.  The league will take control of the team and look towards Magic and his group given all their success with the Dodgers. If people think the NBA would ignore Magic's desire to buy a team, you have no concept of how important and powerful it would be to have one of the best players in league's history to have his own team. 

It also very possible Stiviano got sick of Sterling's shit and made sure he would save the racist things to ignite an outrage. That's the fun part about conspiracies.  You never really know how the outcome will play out in your favor. This is not a hit job by Johnson and his group rather it don't think it is unreasonable to think Magic had his hand somewhere in here. He is one of the most revered men in sports as many see him in such a high regard which leads people to not dig around very much. Johnson denies wanting to own the Clippers, but you cannot tell me he wants a piece of the pie.

Charlie. 

Eight Thoughts About NBA Playoffs Weekend

Even though I am taking a slight break form SnoTap, I still am watching as much sports as possible. I had work through the weekend so I DVR'd a ton of NBA programming much to the dismay of my 'roommates.' What a weekend for the NBA on the court. Obviously, what happened off the court is terrible for the league, but we can make the argument, has the league ever been better than right now?  Every night is must-see television with four series and a possible three more going sixth games (Sorry Bobcats) is fantastic for the product.  Let's talk about some of the things that happened this weekend. 

1.) Rockets-Blazers is the best 3-1 series I have ever seen - WHAT A SERIES. Three of four games have went to overtime. Each game has been must-see television and will be again when Portland tries to close them out in H-Town on Wednesday night. Once again, Houston had Portland where they wanted them until a late run yet Houston battled back finding a way to earn it at the free throw line giving them a quick lead before Mo Williams happened. Jeremy Lin is the obvious goat in this game. All he had to do was pass the ball ensuring Williams would not cause the turnover and then he had a putrid close out against Williams which allowed the long-time veteran to force overtime Wes Matthews had two clutch steals in the extra period to ensure victory for Portland. Four Trail Blazers had 20+ points.

2.) Reggie Jackson is owed millions of fruit baskets - Game 4 was a true turning point in the Oklahoma City-Memphis series because the Thunder won an overtime game where Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined 30 points. 30!  That's usually a point total for either Durant or Westbrook so the fact they won forcing another trip back to Memphis is unbelievable. All the credit goes to Reggie Jackson with 32 points and nine rebounds with 11/16 from the field. Jackson is a true slasher but he did add two threes in this one. He played 21 more minutes than he did in Game 1 or 2 so I will be interested in seeing how much run Jackson gets from the rest of this series.

3.) Washington might be the second strongest team right now... Wait what? - Dead serious man. It is Miami and then Washington. You could put Portland there too, but let's be real, they have played better in the final five minutes of the game rather winning complete games. Washington has it all right now ranging from scoring guards to tough interior presence as well as guys who aren't going to take any shit from anyone i.e. Nene getting popped for a game for head-butting Jimmy Butler and Bradley Beal getting in Kirk Henrich's face. I love the makeup of this team right now, and I think it is not unreasonable to think this team can end up in the Eastern Conference with ease.



4.) Vince, Monta... Dallas up 2-1?  How? - Man, I have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine. I thought when San Antonio played Dallas, it was better than facing Memphis. But these are a group of wily veterans who have been there before and Rick Carlisle is one of the most underrated coaches in professional sports are giving them all sorts of problems. Monta Ellis has been terrific thus far in the series creating all sorts of problems for San Antonio. I don't think the Spurs are in trouble, but this is definitely going six or seven games.

5.) Clippers too distracted to win the series? - We already talked about Los Angeles situation with Donald Sterling this morning, but now I am wondering if they are in a little bit of trouble with the Warriors. Los Angeles gave up 118 points on Sunday with Golden State going 55 percent from the field and nearly 50 percent from three including a red hot from Stephen Curry. Also Los Angeles had 19 turnovers. I am not saying they will mail the series in through the rest of the way, but I cannot help but think they are wondering 'Why am I playing for this team?'  It's a fair question to ask right now.



6.) LeBron's staredown of MJ is a full heel move and an awesome one  - Not much to say here, but it was a professional wrestling move from LeBron. He knows people compare him and Michael Jordan all the time where Jordan is still the fan favorite. LBJ gave him the 'I don't give shit who you are look, I am the king of this business.'  I loved it. Embrace the villain Bron, I have been saying that for years. Although now, I think Miami needs to win another championship or LeBron's staredown will be a popular meme this June.

7.) Brooklyn and Toronto looks like a hockey playoff series - This has become quite a physical series where the fouls are hard and scoring is not easy. Toronto held Brooklyn to 79 points on their home court with a strong defensive effort plus the one-two punch of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry combining for 44 points. Toronto also had a great night from the free throw line missing only four free throws while Brooklyn missed 10 of them which is an obvious difference in an eight point game. It will be absolutely bananas in Toronto for Game 5. I think this game gave T.Dot all sorts of confidence.

8.) Pacers are being held together by string - One of the big themes from this series is Indiana's slow starts in the first half of the games. Pacers only had 42 points in this one before coming on strong in the second half with Paul George and David West hitting big 3-pointers for them late in the game. Indiana is going to win this series, but if they were playing a high-quality, above .500 eighth seed, I don't think it is a given Indiana is winning the series.    

Donald Sterling - The Racist Clipper

People usually drop things to the media on Friday night to avoid the media buzz. Usually people do not talk about something as much on the weekend, and it can get ignored leading into Monday morning. Although there are things that are sometimes too big to ignore. An example would be Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, making racial remarks to his then girlfriend where Sterling does not want 'black people at his basketball games.'  This became a firestorm as everyone weigh in with their opinion, and while Adam Silver's first playoffs are a roaring success on the court, he has to deal with a black eye off it. 

None of this should be a surprise to people when it comes to Sterling. He is a known racist. After reading his rap sheet, it is mind blowing Sterling still owns an NBA team. The audio released by TMZ and Deadspin is stunning and disappointing a discussion like this is still needed on Wednesday.  It becomes even more laughable when you look at the picture that soured Sterling. If the NBA does not act, there will be terrible consequences.  

The fact notable names such as LeBron James, President Obama, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan all spoke against the Clippers owner as well as State Farm pulling their advertisements from the air featuring Clippers player Chris Paul. Sterling and his wife cannot attend Game 5 of the playoff game between Warriors and Clippers Tuesday night, and the belief is Sterling will be suspended by Silver indefinitely with probable suggestion Sterling should sell the team. But it is not that simple for the NBA as they do not have the same power that Major League Baseball did when it banned Marge Schott from baseball (I read this article about Schott six months ago which got her banned, absolutely fascinating and depressing stuff plus the fact Rick Reilly did a hell of a job reporting on it reminds you how good he once was a journalist). But could the Clippers possibly lose everyone and everything they have built in the last couple of years if Sterling remains owner? 

Blood is on the hands of David Stern for why the Clippers are the third seeded team in the Western Conference. Stern barred the trade sending Chris Paul to Los Angeles Lakers and instead he wound up traded to the Clippers forming one of the best duos in basketball with Blake Griffin. Stern doesn't allow it to happen, Griffin isn't on the team, Doc Rivers isn't the coach and this Clipper team is probably not a playoff team. Instead, they became one of the most public teams in basketball and professional sports as well as taking over the city of Los Angeles from the Lakers. Stern paved the way for his friend Sterling to get to prominence for the first time since the mid-80's. The fact Stern remained silent this weekend speaks volumes to how much Stern's hand was in the Clippers cookie jar. 

If Sterling remains as owner, I could see a mass exodus by the players. Paul, Griffin and Rivers are all under contract yet could all of them protest playing next season? I could see something where any of them could talk to their lawyers whom know a shit ton more than I do, could make a move saying 'This is an unsafe and unfair work environment.' My assumption is it will happen as the Clippers already made a statement on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, anyone whose a free agent next season is not coming back to Los Angeles if Sterling remains on as owner. All of this is more reason why Sterling should not be owning an NBA franchise in 2014-2015. 

But right now, Los Angeles has a critical Game 5 where they face a Warriors team that's beat them twice as well as once as Staples Center. There will likely be protests outside the arena as well as protests inside the arena. Clippers could use it as motivation finding a way to defy their owner and have all sorts of success without him getting to relish in the moments. Sterling loves the Clippers and thinks of himself as Mr. Clipper so if Los Angeles makes it to the NBA Finals without him sitting courtside would tear him apart in more ways than any of us probably know and might be the greatest punishment besides forcing him to sell the franchise.  

Sterling deserves to punished to the highest degree, and a part of me truly believes Silver will make a big splash as this is his first test as commissioner and if he screws up, it could be the avalanche of bad things to come in the next couple months. Hopefully Silver makes the right decision.

Charlie.