18 replies to this topic

[emplay]

Hey all,

It’s been quite a rush trying to keep up!

Here’s my preview for Tuesday:

NBA Finals Preview Game 3
http://www.hoopsworl...?story_id=12891

Sorry Laker fans, I’m thinking this is an Orlando blow-out. At some point their guards are going to start hitting shots! I'm not hating just applying my experience to the series - and hoping to be wrong!

I’ll be hosting my weekly chat Tuesday at 1:00pm Pacific/4:00pm Eastern:

http://www.hoopsworl...T_TOPICS_ID=321

You can send in questions now and I’ll do my best to get to each and every one of them.

Finally, you can find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/EricPincus

Thanks for all the support!

Eric

[Lakersfan1211]

I understand too, I would like a sweep for Lakers but doubt it'll happen since its the NBA Finals, anything can happen. Magic are really good at home.

[hi_ma]

Why we win:
1) We always start road trips strong (this year)
2) By the Numbers the magic had a great game yet still couldnt go through us
3)We have won every big game this post season
4) Home teams usually struggle the first game back after a long road trip
5) The magic will assume the crowd and energy will help them
6)Our guys circle the wagons better than anyone and IMO the result wont be as lopsided but close to game 6 in denver. A much tougher place to play
Lakers by 4+

Also, i think never winning a finals game is a huge burden. They have given up leads all playoffs and all year. Even if they jump on us we can still tighten their sphinkters and snatch it late

Edited by hi_ma, June 08, 2009 - 04:57 PM.

[West Coast]

I will respectfully disagree with you Emplay. I don't think the Lakers will get blown out. You can say at some point their guards will hit their shots, but I truly believe Van Gundy screwed with Alston's confidence. Pietrus is a player I think can go off but he had the same difficulty against us during the regular season as well.

I also don't think the Magic will get as many open looks as they did this time around. If the Magic win, it will be close.

[Bynumite17]

I will respectfully disagree with you Emplay. I don't think the Lakers will get blown out. You can say at some point their guards will hit their shots, but I truly believe Van Gundy screwed with Alston's confidence. Pietrus is a player I think can go off but he had the same difficulty against us during the regular season as well.

I also don't think the Magic will get as many open looks as they did this time around. If the Magic win, it will be close.

That was the biggest mistake. Alston was playing unbelievable basketball and he messed up the chemistry and Alston's confidence by bringing back Nelson.

[West Coast]

That was the biggest mistake. Alston was playing unbelievable basketball and he messed up the chemistry and Alston's confidence by bringing back Nelson.

And here's the thing about Alston. He is a street ball legend. Skip to my Lou. And with all these street baller legends and players, comes big ego's.

This guy, like you said, was playing great basketball. His confidence was up, he was taking advantage of his time to shine. And he gets to the biggest stage to further build his legacy, and his minutes are shortened.

[nlbford]

Blown out?

Possibly, but my guess is it is closer than a blow out because I think this Laker team, while still finding it's Championship legs, has grown a lot.

I do agree that the Magic win game 3. As far as I am concerned it's essentially a given.

Not because I have doubts about the Lakers. Only because I know the Magic aren't a team that is going to allow themselves to go down 0-3.

They are too good. Too poised. Too confident.

They'll find a way to get it done on their home court, but I think this Lakers squad has come too far and learned too much to let themselves get blown out in game 3.

[emplay]

we shall see! sometimes it's good to be wrong - we'll see where my prediction lands in the end

[Grandpa Herman]

I somewhat agree with you. If it's one game in this series we're gonna lose it's gonna be Game 3. But if we do win tomorrow there's almost a zero percent chance we lose Game 4.

[lyk13]

The thing in previous series is that after 2 games, we are tied 1-1, less Utah series, when we are 2-0, we lost in the 3rd game. Otherwise, we won 3rd game to go up the series.

So according to past tradition this postseason, there is reason to believe we may lose game 3. But no one fan will hope for their team to lose games. We stand by our belief that our team can find a way to win the ballgame. Same goes to this game 3.

If Kobe and co. has to be ruthless, it's this game 3 to suck the air out of the Orlando Magic. Motto of the team this finals is to be cold blooded.

Bottom line, just believe.

[netlord]

Hey all,

It’s been quite a rush trying to keep up!

Here’s my preview for Tuesday:

NBA Finals Preview Game 3
http://www.hoopsworl...?story_id=12891

Sorry Laker fans, I’m thinking this is an Orlando blow-out. At some point their guards are going to start hitting shots! I'm not hating just applying my experience to the series - and hoping to be wrong!

I’ll be hosting my weekly chat Tuesday at 1:00pm Pacific/4:00pm Eastern:

http://www.hoopsworl...T_TOPICS_ID=321

You can send in questions now and I’ll do my best to get to each and every one of them.

Finally, you can find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/EricPincus

Thanks for all the support!

Eric

don't have to be sorry, they have to get a good game in, and I'm sure it will be this one.

[MAMBA24ILL]

If Orlando wins any games this series, it's gonna be this one.

[fido]

The magic isn't capable of "blowing out" the Lakers.

Even if they hit their shots, a blowout, per say, just isn't going to happen.

[Game]

i don't see us getting blown out. if orlando couldn't blow out cleveland or boston (correct me if i'm wrong, but i don't remember them blowing any of those teams out) they're not going to blow us out in the nba finals with phil jackson at the helm and kobe bryant on the wing...

but yes, this is the game we have the highest %age chance of losing, and it is what many refer to as the biggest game of mosts series', and we should get the magic's best shot tonight, which is why the blowout theory makes sense. on the flipside, the magic may shrink under the pressure and we may very well blow them out as we did in the final game in denver that was a must win for them. as far as our performance is concerned, i think we've been through too much in these playoffs to have that big of a letdown in this game, especially coming off of a sub-par performance in what should have been a loss in orlando.

kobe rarely has two off games in a row as well, i look for him to score in the 35 range in a W

[hi_ma]

similar to us when Orlando gets up big they relinquish leads. We will never be out of this if they come out hot, but I expect a replay of game6 in denver

[Grandpa Herman]

I somewhat agree with you. If it's one game in this series we're gonna lose it's gonna be Game 3. But if we do win tomorrow there's almost a zero percent chance we lose Game 4.

Again, tonight was the one game Orlando was suppose to win. Even after playing arguably the worst 24 minutes of defense in NBA Finals history, we still had a chance to win at the end. Kobe made some critical errors that put us in a tough spot, but the important thing is that we had an opportunity at the end to win.

The difficult part now is finding a way to win Game 4. Orlando winning this game gives them the momentum and a belief that they still have a chance to win this series. Winning Thursday would be a crushing blow to their psyche and would all but assure a win in Game 5.

Just flush this one down the toilet.

[emplay]

a couple of plays like a Battie basket - a missed ft - on the weighted scale a managable loss - but Game 4 becomes more important

[nlbford]

a couple of plays like a Battie basket - a missed ft - on the weighted scale a managable loss - but Game 4 becomes more important

After what we saw tonight, I think the poise factor is still in the Lakers court.

You predicting a Magic blowout in game 4?

[fido]

Again, the Magic is incapable of blowing the Lakers out.

It took an historic shooting performance for them to win the game by 4 (although it should have been even less, 2). The Lakers still maintain control of this series and now they get the extra kick in the pants to get Game 4.

Sure it sucks losing, but really, this loss doesn't, didn't and won't bother me. It was simply a matter of desperation from the Magic. And again, despite playing the game of their lives, they barely eked out a win.