Real Deal

People were all over Westbrook getting hit at the start of the game, but apparently, they don't watch Kobe when he drives to the rim. He gets bumped quite a bit, with no calls...and as Lakers fans, we are all immune to it now, and when others complain about their players, we just sit back and shake our heads. There are two reasons why Kobe drives less. One is because of his loss of athleticism (and the injuries he has right now), and the other is because he doesn't get the calls he deserves. Hell, he gets more calls on his jumpers that have less contact than his drives to the rim. Plus, Gasol gets murdered down low quite a bit, and still nothing. Not the case all the time, but it happens here and there.

All of that is fine with the exception of the fans. Their fans are some of the rudest and most immature I've ever seen at a game. Ask Derek Fisher how they responded to his daughter's eye cancer, and how there were a few fans who brought blow-up dolls to the game and taunted Kobe with them back in 2003 or 2004. Definitely not the case with their entire fanbase, but there are a ton of them who don't deserve to even watch the game of basketball, let alone be happy about a title.

Don't see any favoring when the Lakers are at home. GAME 1 Lakers 22 FTA Thunder 24 FTA GAME 2 Lakers 32 FTA Thunder 33 FTA GAME 3 Lakers 12 FTA Thunder 34 FTA GAME 4 Lakers 28 FTA Thunder 48 FTA GAME 5 Lakers 31 FTA Thunder 24 FTA Everyone who watched the game last night knows LA was at the rim and more aggressive than they have ever been...so it makes sense that they finally get to the line...but I don't see the home-cooking everyone else seems to have seen in those first two games...yet, those two in OKC look really weird.

Don't worry...he was in shape for a while, and he still sucked, even in practice. Most of his problems had nothing to do with our o-line. When he had time to throw the ball, he'd "cannon" the football out of his arm and overthrow our receivers by about 25 yards, and usually to the left or right of them. He'd also scramble into the defense, no idea why, and in one practice, while scrambling (if that's what you want to call it with him), he actually hit the football out of his own hand with his thigh...twice. They called it rookie nerves, I called it lack of talent and scared to be in the NFL. With all of that said, I have no idea. Leaf was pretty bad, and he shot his mouth off for no reason at all. If his receivers were being under-thrown, they just weren't running their routes correctly, and he thought he was going to be the best QB in the league. Russell is starting to look like Oliver Miller, and that doesn't do anything for his lack of talent, so it's a coin-flip for me.

TIME: 10:30 PM EST TV: TNT

TIME: 8:00 PM EST TV: TNT

Haywood should always start. The Mavericks need all the defense they can get.

I'm assuming you would've said this about the Rockets in Round 2 last season, also.

I'm still picking up my jaw after seeing Ron Artest dunk a ball, let alone score.

Best offensive game we've played in a LONG time. And I'm so glad Bryant is on Westbrook most of the time. I said he would probably get burned by him, but I was dead wrong.

It's his elbow, I believe. Hope it's nothing bad.

Chicago is truly getting robbed. Brad Miller and Joakim Noah were defending Shaq by the textbook, and there were three fouls called on them in consecutive possessions, putting Miller in foul trouble and giving Noah his fourth. Pathetic, and I'm glad Reggie Miller called them out on it.

Haha...says the guy that's shooting 34% from the floor, 30% from three, and still attempting 11 shots per game in 27 minutes in this series. Shut the hell up, role player.

Not only is Heinsohn the most biased commentator on Earth, but he's also the most idiotic. I can't believe he played in the NBA.

Was it Garnett? For some reason, my NBATV keeps blacking out.

Hope Boston just closes this out so they don't have to go six or seven before playing Cleveland.

Not going to let this garbage start again. You don't believe in God, he doesn't, she doesn't, all of those people do, evolution is real to some, not real to others, who cares... Thread closed.

If Kobe is healthy enough, there's no way he'd allow the Lakers to go down 3-2 in this series. He would score 60 and disregard everyone else on the team just to win, if it got that bad (and it won't).

WOW.

I didn't think it was really funny. I'd kick him in the jaw if he was acting like that around me.

Nice. Yeah, dude is literally eating his money, Oliver Miller style. I actually love it. The heavier he gets, the less time he sees on the field, and the more completed passes we'll see. Chubby Russ is doing us a favor.

That's actually pretty good. I don't know about Thabeet, though...expectations weren't exactly THAT high, and the fact is that he's a rookie.

Considering the last time he shot 40+ times was on January 14th, 2008 (when he dumped 48 points, 48% shooting on Seattle, ironically), I guess it should surprise everyone.

LOL. First team out! Too many bad shots down the stretch, in every single game, and Nelson tore them up whenever he wanted. Orlando did them in without Dwight, most of the time, even though his presence was significant on the defensive end.

TIME: 10:30 PM EST TV: TNT