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Round 1 was like this: ======================= Detroit Pistons defeat Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 Miami Heat defeat Chicago Bulls 4-2 New Jersey Nets defeat Indiana Pacers 4-2 Cleveland Cavaliers defeat Washington Wizards 4-2
San Antonio Spurs defeat Sacramento Kings 4-2 Phoenix Suns defeat LA Lakers 4-3 LA Clippers defeat Denver Nuggets 4-1 Dallas Mavericks defeat Memphis Grizzlies 4-0
Round 2 so far ======================= Pistons lead Cavaliers 2-0 Nets and Heat are tied 1-1
Spurs and Mavs are tied 1-1 Suns and Clippers are tied 1-1
Good times so far!
Posts: 2756 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I would've said the Heat would take out the Nets, but after that first game, I'd say anything is possible. Not that it makes a difference, the Pistons will take either of them out in six games at most.
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If by going all the way you mean going to the conference finals and then losing to the Heat, then I agree.
Posts: 2756 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Pfft. We're better than last year, and we beat them then didn't we?
Edit to add: We're 4-1 versus Miami for the season, and the only game we lost, was lost by a single basket. Doesn't bode well for Miami by the numbers.
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Pistons are one of the top 3-point scoring teams this year, that wasn't the case in the playoffs the last two years. Two years that we went to the Finals. Plus we've added depth to our bench in the last year.
Good luck to a fully healthy Heat, but health won't help them. Pistons are going to the finals.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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If the 3 pointers aren't falling -- the Pistons will be in trouble. The Heat offesnively dominate the paint, those shots will always fall. I like the Heat's chances if they play some perimeter defense.
Posts: 2756 | Registered: Jul 2002
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I'll cheer for the Mavs, if only because Phoenix has a better chance against them than the Spurs in the next round (if the Suns manage to win one of the next two games that is).
Oh, and being from Dallas there is a LITTLE bit of loyalty left. Go Mavs (for now)!
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Is it just me, or have the playoffs been really freaking good this year? I don't remember being near as interested in the games last year.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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They have been better indeed... All games seem to come down to 1 to 7 point victories, with a fair amount of overtimes and double overtimes.
All in all, much more enthralling than they were last year. Also, the favored teams seem to be having to come back from behind more often than not in the series, which is always entertaining.
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I never watch NBA basketball, really. I'm much more of an NCAA guy.
However, I stumbled across a few interviews with LeBron James and stories about him, and I think I'm becoming a fan. Unfortunately, I don't really like anyone else on the Cavs - never liked Drew Gooden in college, either.
So, while I've started to take an interest in the game, and was rooting for the Cavs to win last night, I can't get behind the team. With college, I get to know everyone and root for the whole team to succeed - but I can't seem to do that with the NBA.
I'm hoping that the Cavs draft my college's star player Quincy Douby this year, which would give me a real reason to pay attention, but it's a long shot. I guess we'll see.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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He originally predicted the Pistons would beat the Mavs in the Finals, hell, the way things are going now, it might be the Mavs who beat the Heat in the Finals.
I have faith that the Pistons CAN break out of their three game funk and finish the Cavs, but it depends on what team shows up in Cleveland tomorrow night. Billups will have to step up and play a more frontline captain like role, the same role he's made for himself throughout the entire season. Ben Wallace showed he can do his part (minus free throws) last game, now it's time to get the mojo working again.
If the Pistons win tomorrow night, they'll win game seven back at home. But with the lack of follow through in the last week of play, I'm not convinced they'll make it that far.
Still, my dad has been telling me for the last couple days to keep the faith, it's time to go to work. Maybe he's right. Pistons have been here before. Heck, last year they came back from a 3-2 deficit in the second round and went on to play the Heat. Maybe we'll get a repeat. Though last year they didn't face a LeBron James who gains confidence with every game he plays in these playoffs. It could go either way.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Pistons win game six and force game seven. I think we'll pull it off in Detroit.
Now they just need to work on the free throws, my God they've stunk up the court with bad shooting these last couple games. We bill ourselves as a great shooting team, and have the stats to back it up, but you wouldn't know it from earlier tonight.
Go Pistons on Sunday!
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Every single series is going into game 7 while the Heat watch and laugh at them . That's actually kind of bad that they have a long rest, IMO, because look what happened in game 1 with New Jersey after a similar situation.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I kind of like the long rest they're getting, because the team is rather old. Shaq gets to rest, Zo gets time for his calf injury, Williams gets to rest his knee tendinitis, etc.
And since game 1 will probably be in Detroit, if they come out slow and lose that game, it's no big deal -- however if they would come out slow in Miami (if the Cavs win) that would be indeed be a huge deal.
But I still want to see Wade and Lebron in the conference finals.
Posts: 2756 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Heat were hoping that the Cavs would finish off Detroit in Game Six. They liked the rest they had, but don't want to rest for too long. They're practicing for playing the Cavs, and they remember well what their long rest did to them last year.
I think regardless of the wonders it might do for the health of the Heat, it works as an advantaget o whoever plays them.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Watching the Cavs was like watching a Rutgers game from this year. One scorer, and the rest of the team couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
And that scorer from Rutgers (Quincy Douby) is eligible for the draft, and could possibly be available when the Cavs get their pick. If the Cavs had a second option, say an outside threat who could shoot the lights out from anywhere on the offensive side of the court, giving LeBron another option... it would definitely be a different ballgame.
I'm crossing my fingers that their scouts see it the same way, and that Douby's available when they get their choice late in the first round. I really would like an NBA team to follow, and I'm not the biggest fan of the Nets, Knicks, or Sixers (my local choices).
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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11 guys on the Cavs should be very embarassed with themselves for their performance (or lack thereof) in game 7. Ilgauskas and Hughes, especially, who are supposed to be the number 2 and 3 scorers, stunk it up.
That game was a snoozefest.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Hooray, the matchup I wanted for the Western Conf. Finals. I'd rather the Suns win (and they have a chance against the Mavs), but I'm more than willing to cheer on the Mavs in the NBA finals as well.
Poor Suns though, wonder if this series will go to 7 games as well. Something like 14 playoff games in 26 days with a 7 player rotation... Talk about attrition.
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:Poor Suns though, wonder if this series will go to 7 games as well.
I don't see that happening. The Suns just can't maintain their style of play long enough to get to a seventh game. Dallas is just too balanced offensively and defensively this year. They can compete in both a high scoring shootout and low scoring game. I say Dallas in six games, maybe even five considering how tired the Suns are going to get.
I'm much more intrigued by the Pistons-Heat series. Even though the Pistons dominated the Heat during the regular season, the fact that they had so much trouble with LeBron makes me wonder how they'll handle both Wade and Shaq. And as much as I like Flip Saunders, I just don't know if he has the ability to out-coach Pat Riley in a playoff series.
Posts: 1256 | Registered: May 2005
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I'm more worried about their rate of attrition too. They'll be playing a lot of games without more than a day of rest in between. And despite their wins in the regular season, Detroit has been....quirky in the post season.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Pistons defend against Cleveland, and it's poor Cleveland offense.
Miami defends against Detroit, and it's strong Miami defense.
I'm all for credit going to where it's deserved, but only a part of that is Miami defense. 6 games in 11 days contributed to those crappy shooting percentages. They shot for crap, sometimes even with totally open shots.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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It's not a surprise that they won. It's a surprise the way they won. Wade played 27 minutes, Shaq scored 14 points, and I don't think the Pistons ever led. They better make some shots or they're in trouble.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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That's the problem with a jump shooting team -- sometimes the shots aren't going to fall. The Heat made sure the pistons were pretty much shooting all jump shots, be it open or not.
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Looks like Pistons will probably take game 2. I didn't realize how much I'm hoping the Heat will win the championship until now. I was a die hard Heat back in the Tim Hardaway-Alonzo Mourning days with the huge Knicks rivalry. My cousin was a die hard Knicks fan and we used to have so much fun watching the playoff series togethor. Then I got bored of basketball, started getting interested in different things and different sports. This year I was casually watching the regular season and the playoffs have just completely hooked me out of nowhere. I really want the Heat to win because I think Mourning, the Heat, and the fans deserve it afer all of these years of fighting so hard for it.
Edit: ehhhh, ok that last sentence sounded really corny. Abd I realize the Heat are a team that have just recently been added and there are alot of teams that have been fighting alot longer for a championship, but since I'm a renewed Heat fan, the Heat deserve it more .
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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I don't know why I'm surprised that the Pistons almost threw it away at the end there. If only that team could play at their best for an ENTIRE game, we'd never have to worry.
Should be a fun game three.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I'm curious what would happen if both teams decided to show up on the same night. Maybe we'd actually have a good game.
Posts: 5462 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Could the Mavs have done anything more to give game 1 away to the Suns? It reminded me of game 7 against San Antonio, except that the Mavs failed to overcome their end of the game meltdown this time.
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Abd I realize the Heat are a team that have just recently been added and there are alot of teams that have been fighting alot longer for a championship, but since I'm a renewed Heat fan, the Heat deserve it more 
