What a Shot

LeBron James has just evened up the second round series with the Chicago Bulls with an amazing shot at the buzzer. James game winner not only ties up the series, but it also gives Cleveland hope for this season. LeBron's chance of getting Cleveland its first championship is still alive this season. To all who "witnessed" the shot could probably have seen it coming. James was given the entire side of the court to step back catch and shoot a fade away shot in the corner. To most a very difficult shot. Not that it was not, but James is one of the few ever to make it look so easy. Game five should be a treat.

Baseball?

So, the Boston Red Sox kind of suck this year. I've been all wrapped up in the NBA playoffs, and have not been keeping up too much with baseball, but I know that much. The team has really struggled with pitching. The team has already fired their pitching coach and hired a new one. The offense for the most part has been pretty good, but not as great as expected thus far.
I'm not the only one in this situation, as many others like me have been less and less interested in baseball. It is simply not as entertaining as it used to be when players were on steroids. I think the game needs some adjustments to bring in more young fans like myself. I'm not quite sure what that is, but it needs to happen fast. If your team is not in the race most people simply are not interested in the baseball.

It's Time for James Harden to Step Up

For all the people who wanted to see James Harden win this years MVP award, tonight is the night he needs to prove he deserved it. With an almost must win game tonight in Los Angeles, the burden falls on Harden to tie up the series at two games a piece. Harden has to step up the scoring that made him such a tough player to handle throughout the regular season. Harden has been doing a great job of getting everyone else involved this series, but it might take one of those 40 point efforts from him tonight, if Houston wants to get back in this series.
With Chris Paul back in the lineup for the Clippers, life does not get any easier for the Rockets. One thing that has been really tough for Houston has been the point guard play. Jason Terry has done a great job of knocking down threes, but Harden does most of the play-making on offense, like he has much of the season. The big issue is defense. Without Patrick Beverley, Houston does not have a point guard capable of playing lock down defense for stretches. Terry is almost a liability on that end of the court.
I'm not sure that the Rockets can win game four if Harden does not go off. I think too much Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will be enough to beat Houston tonight.

LeBron Time

This is a defining moment for LeBron James and his second stint in Cleveland. A game four on the road. Trailing the Chicago Bulls two games to one. This is also a big game for Kyrie Irving. We have seen James come through in these situations so many times before, but will he be able to do it again with an undermanned squad. The Bulls may not have Pau Gasol this afternoon which would be a huge break for the Cavs. Even if he is absent, the pressure will still be on James to put on one of those vintage LeBron performances. Chicago has to be careful for this reason. The mindset has to be the same as it was in game three if they want a chance at winning this game. You know that LeBron will do whatever it takes. I think it's inevitable that the Cavaliers will tie up the series today and it will be because of LeBron James. The Cavs will win today 100-93 with LeBron going for an easy 30 and many rebounds and assists to go with it.

The NFL's Uneccessary Attack on Tom Brady

I hope the NFL realizes that by suspending Tom Brady for anything more than a game (and there are reports of 6-8), the league is opening a door for many NFL teams to do exactly what the Indianapolis Colts did. By accusing the Patriots of deflating the footballs during the AFC championship game, they created a mess in football. It has become clear to me over the past few months that all quarterbacks like to adjust their footballs to their personal liking. Brady apparently deflates, while other quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers prefer inflating. The point is it seems most if not all quarterbacks in the league do a little tinkering before the game starts. So, because it seems probable that Tom Brady did this the league is going to suspend him half the season? It's ridiculous. Ray Rice just last year initially was suspended just two games for assaulting his then fiance. So, to think that the NFL will suspend one of the faces of the league for probably telling the ball boys to slightly deflate the balls is beyond me. The NFL better get this right.

What the Rose Shot Means

Last night many witnessed the greatest playoff moment to date for Derrick Rose. In a tie game after a game-tying three from J.R. Smith, Rose stepped back from way downtown and banked in a shot at the buzzer to give Chicago a two games to one lead in this second round series. 99-96 was the final, and it ended any talk of a statistic being thrown around a lot this week. The Bulls twice in the past four years have won game one against a LeBron James led team in the playoffs, and both times went on to lose the next four and the series. That won't be happening this year, as Chicago has taken control of the series with a game four on tap for Sunday afternoon.
So far in the series Rose has not shot the ball particularly well, but in the teams two wins he has been very aggressive and created a lot of scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. If the game last night had gone to an overtime I would've put my money on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to close it out after forcing an extra period. However, Rose's shot shows both the city of Chicago and the rest of the league that this team is for real. A team that many picked to make it to the Finals at the beginning of the season has caught an undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers squad. They have four games to win two more, let's see what happens. I'm starting to think that Rose may have opened the door to the rest of the eastern conference, not just this year but for years to come.

Have the Warriors Been Exposed?

Last nights win for the Memphis Grizzlies was a shocking one. We all know how good the Golden State Warriors have been this season, and especially on their home court. So, for Memphis to go into the Bay area and steal a game two on the raod was ultra impressive. The manner in which they did so was the most impressive. They were able to dictate the tempo of the game, and hold the Warriors to only 90 points. Stephen Curry, who had been named MVP earlier that night, went only 2-11 from three adn finished with 19. The Grizzlies had their point guard Mike Conley back in the lineup, and he delivered with a very efficient 22 points.
Now the question is, can Memphis do this again? Because if they in fact can, than the Warriors are in big trouble. They way Memphis won last night is the blueprint for beating Golden State. Slow the game down, be efficient on offense, and limit the Warriors three pointers. Easier said than done, and especially tough to do all three in the same game.
Have these Warriors been exposed? I guess. The thing is we already knew what it took to beat this team, it was a matter of can anyone execute, and the Grizzlies could on Tuesday night. This shows that it can in fact be done, but I still think the Grizzlies win lose this series. The Warriors are too good on both ends, and have been all season both at home and on the road. The "Grind House" won't be an easy place to get a win, but the Warriors have what it takes. Curry will not go 2-11 again, and I can't see the Warriors being slowed down again, at least not as much as they were.
Game three sure will be interesting, and a must watch for basketball fans. We'll see how Golden State responds to its first taste of adversity this season