Lakers head back to Finals

The storybook season continues for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, as they put away the Spurs 100-92 Thursday night. But one important question remains: Why did Sasha Vujacic shoot that 3 at the end of the game? I cringed as I watched that and thought "oh he better not shoot that..." I'm sure he'll hear all about that from the veterans. Not the most honorable or professional way to go out, but hey - everyone makes mistakes, especially when emotions are at an all-time high. The guy is only 24, after all.

The Lakers now await the winner of the Boston/Detroit series, which resumes Friday night with game 6 in Detroit.

Boston @ Detroit - 8:30et ESPN

Game 6 Tonight

The Lakers have the Spurs on their heels, but I don't think anyone is counting San Antonio out just yet, despite the 3-1 deficit. The Spurs have so many weapons and trust each other so much, it is surprising that they have blown big leads and lost 3 out of 4 games in this series. Phil Jackson has done a fantastic job with his player rotation, keeping everyone fresh and matched up effectively against any Spurs lineup.

Bruce Bowen is doing his usual defensive drill on Kobe, but just how good does your defense have to be to stop the best player in the league at the peak of his career? I simply don't think it's possible to shut Bryant down. Not at this point in his career. And now that he has two big contributors in Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, and has brought back his wingman Derek Fisher, it is clear that stopping this Lakers team may be more difficult than it's been since 2002.

LAKERS @ SPURS 9:00et TNT

Turiaf Robbed of Camera Time!

Leave to NBA.com to ignore hard data.

After a strong (and apparently successful) effort to get Ronny Turiaf on the YellowBook Cam for the fourth quarter of Game 4, YellowBook decided to go with Kobe for yet another quarter on the stream.

At the beginning of the 4th, Michael Bivins came on and said "we will be going with Kobe and Parker as they try to lead their teams to victory." At the same time, the poll results on my screen said Turiaf beat Bryant in the voting 54% to 30%. Video proof --->

Check out the results in a screen shot below (taken as the fourth quarter began). As much as I tried, even with hard evidence and stats backing me up, I couldn't get Kobe off the screen.

Yellowbook Cam Glitch

How long before nba.com recognizes the fact that you can vote as many times as you want for a Yellowbook Cam "star"? I have voted about 50 million times for Ronny Turiaf and Ime Udoka, just to throw a wrench in the system. Actually, there are reasons I picked them. I love Udoka's defense, and Turiaf is a one-man show, even on the bench. Anyway, going into the fourth quarter, I have single-handedly brought Turiaf from 3% to 54% so far (8:07pm). Kobe is down from 74% to 30%, all since I started voting like my carpal tunnel depends on it!

But seriously, how can 74% of people want to see Kobe Bryant? TNT should have one quarter be a non-Kobe-cam quarter, if that's what it takes. Don't get me wrong - I love watching Kobe and getting the close up behind-the-curtain view of the game, but let's mix it up a little bit.

Also: Am I the only one sick of ABC forcing Eva Longoria into NBA coverage?

Boston wins Game 1

Just two days after sending the Cavaliers back to Cleveland, the Celtics hosted Detroit in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Right off the bat, Kevin Garnett came out ready to score. He opened the game by hitting three jump shots, really the only Celtic hitting from outside. Meanwhile, the Pistons starting backcourt had only 7 points at halftime. But Detroit was able to keep it close by getting the Celtics into the penalty with over 7 minutes to play in the second. The Pistons also turned the ball over just once in the second quarter, Boston five times. But in the end, it was the Detroit who ended up turning the ball over when it hurt the most, and Boston kept hitting shots to keep them between 6 and 12 points in front through the fourth quarter. Also worth noting: the Celtics got nearly twice Detroit's assist total (27-15). Besides that, these are proving to be two very evenly matched teams. Game 2 is Thursday 8:30et on espn.

New Orleans, Cleveland eliminated.

In each NBA postseason, there are two or three series that get remembered. Matchups that stick in our minds because of superstar matchups, developing rivalries, or an intertwining of a number of subplots surrounding the teams involved. More often than not, it's not the Finals that falls into this category. This year, it has been the Cavs/Celtics matchup that peaked my interest and passion for great basketball. This was a series that started off slow but ended with a legitimately heroic performance from Paul Pierce in game 7. Somewhere in watching game 5 I realized that this series had gone to another level. Just as one team figured out how to break down the other's defense, the defensive strategy adjusted and the process had to be repeated. Sometimes teams can't adjust their defense well enough to get stops at all in a game. But this quick adaptation was something to behold in the last 2 or 3 games of the series. In the end, the Cavs could not contain Paul Pierce, who was hitting anything he wanted. And although the Celtics could not hold down LeBron, Pierce had other guys to fill in the scoring gaps if need be. The biggest story on the Cavs side: LeBron has no help. That revelation is going to shake up Cleveland in the offseason for sure.

Dirk & Sig

I'm surprised it took me until now to realize this, but how many of you have noticed that Deadliest Catch "star" Sig Hansen bears striking resemblance to Dirk Nowitzki? Think about it - have you ever seen both of them in the same place at the same time? For you doubters, I offer proof:

In any case, only one of them is working right now, after Dirk showed his postseason soft side yet again. When did he stop demanding the ball when his team needed a leader? He appeared to be letting the game come to him in the fourth quarters of the New Orleans series, playing like it was the first quarter of game 2 when a playoff exit was in fact minutes away. But that story is but a sidenote to the recognition the Hornets are finally receiving. Playing this well is nothing new to them - New Orleans has been pounding teams all year with flurries of defense and total dismantling of the most effective interior defenses in the league. Chris Paul has the ability and control to get to any spot on the floor, much like a Steve Nash or Brandon Roy will. And Paul has the vision to be able to see every scoring opportunity for both his teammates and himself. Now that's a high basketball IQ, and I don't mean in the way Tim Legler or Brent Barry have high basketball IQ. During a game, it seems Paul can actually make any play he wants.

+ =

The new breed of NBA stars is here, and I'm not talking about Mello and D-Wade, or even LeBron. Yes, you heard me. I'm talking about Paul, Deron Williams, Roy, Dwight Howard, Al Horford, Greg Oden, etc. These are the guys you will hear about after April in the next 8-10 years. The rough draft version of this influx of players doesn't exhibit the leadership and patience to get their teams to the title. Don't get after me about Wade, either. What has he done lately? I'm not sold on his lasting value yet. He still might be the next Penny Hardaway. Yes, I really think so.

Lakers in Utah tonight - 9et, espn

Blazers final home game ends on high note

On "Fan Appreciation Night", the final home game for the TrailBlazers, Travis Outlaw gave the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland fans a little highlight reel material in the final minute: Two half-court alley oops in a row.

"Round X"/Playoff ad campaign

Call it "Round X": the last week or two of the NBA regular season. This year more than any other, teams fighting for position are within striking distance of top seeds. I mean, the distance between 1st and 8th place is only 4 games. Perhaps the biggest game for Friday night is New Orleans(1) at Los Angeles(2), as a Laker win would bring them within a half game of the Hornets in the loss column.

On another note, I'm not sure what to make of the new NBA ad campaign for the playoffs. You can view the ads to the right. It is a really good idea, I think, and well planned out and executed. But the videos do freak me out a little. Judge for yourself.

Ginobili minus flopping = Good Player

You know, I've got to say that if Manu Ginobili cut all the flopping and exaggerating out of his game, I wouldn't mind having him on my roster. He's a very good, smart player that doesn't need to make those plays. I wish an official or two would grow a pair and start ignoring Ginobili's fish-out-of-water routine. Case in point, this "professional" move by Ginobili, drawing a foul on Bonzi Wells. Enjoy.

Coming soon to eat your frontcourt players

Is there anyone that doesn't expect Greg Oden to come in next season and destroy the big men of the Association? Does anybody doubt that he will make an immediate impact for the TrailBlazers, and be THE dominant force in the league for the next 12 years?

He's on deck for next season, and very much on track to eat the opposition alive in a few months - check out what Portland fans saw in a local broadcast a couple weeks back during pregame warmups:

Attention NBA: Enough is enough.

Okay, enough already. It's getting ridiculous. Are we really supposed to enjoy watching games that include these types of plays? If the League has any intention of winning back their lost fan base, this type of thing needs to stop. Last season's strategy of using quick-fire technical fouls to cut down whining and complaining has been effective. For next season, let's hope the Association has a plan to drastically cut these calls out of the equation. We have had enough of it. Watch this if you want to know what we mean:

9 examples from 1 playoff game...

There is a reason the nation got behind Golden State in last year's playoffs. They were beating teams, and they were doing it without grinding the action to a standstill with fouls. The tide is turning - many NBA fans are sick and tired of players using fouls as a game strategy. Drawing fouls has become such an integral part of the league that drawing contact and getting to the foul line as a result is now a commendable "skill" that some players have mastered. The problem is that this style of play is excruciating to watch. Leading up to this year's playoffs, we will look at the last couple of postseasons to point out what is frustrating to us, the fans, in the hope that the league will take notice and bring excitement back to the playoffs. Today, let's check out this video compilation from Game 7 of last year's Western Conference Semifinals...

In anticipation of today's game...

How about a little video poll to get you by until the game is on? Watch the action below!

San Antonio @ Dallas - A Lesson in Patience

When I saw this matchup, I didn't think "Oh, how exciting it will be to watch two powerhouses battle for Western Conference playoff position!" My reaction was more like this: "Hmm... There's a game I can spare myself the agony of watching. Seriously, does the League and ABC really expect me to get fired up to watch Manu Ginobili "try to draw the contact" every three possessions? Or endure Tim Duncan getting a whistle every time he turns around? How about watching Dirk flop around like he's having a seizure and complain about lack of a foul? Attention, Dirk: If you get some body control and try to make a simple layup without losing your balance, you won't need a whistle to bail you out. Just play ball for once. Do it for the people, fellas... For the people.

What is the Media Bench?

The NBA regular season is nearly concluded, and with the arrival of the postseason comes the inevitable parade to the foul line that has gradually become an integral part of professional basketball. While the NBA tries to figure out how to combat declining television viewership, low scoring games, and negative public opinion, we at Media Bench are using a different approach to the league’s concerns: Identifying problems and finding solutions that will satisfy us as fans. Join us as we take an honest and scrutinizing look at the way the game is played today. We will analyze statistics, strategies, officiating, new rules, and other aspects of the game that do not have a real public forum. We are not professional media. We are quite simply passionate, informed fans that feel the need to speak our minds. Think of us as benchwarmers for the conventional media, observing the league from the sidelines and forming our own opinions and solutions from the Media Bench.