Peeler's gonna get suspended alright.  Unfortunately, they'll still probably fine Garnett as well, just 'cause they can.  I think the two (unnoticed) elbows by Peeler and Garnett were really a wash.  Peeler's came first and was worse though.  But when you take the additional punch to Garnett's face, even if it was more of a forearm than a fist, that's more than enough to put a guy on the shelf for at least a game.  Stupid, stupid move by AP there...

You guys better start praying out there!  Hopefully home court really does win out here, and your fans can really motivate your team, 'cause Sacto's dangerous.  To be honest, I'd much rather face the Wolves than the Kings.  They can be streaky, and you can get into their heads pretty easily, but when they've got their A game and their heads screwed on properly, they're a tough, tough team to beat.  So many weapons, great passers, excellent athleticism...  Go Wolves, go!!!  

Nice to see Detroit force a Game 7 as well.  I'm rooting for them, just 'cause the Nets fired my boy Byron, and they're all too cocky.  Don't like Kenyon at all either...  Of course, I hate rooting for a team with Rasheed Wallace on it, but it's the lesser of two evils I suppose.  Hope Miami can force a Game 7 tomorrow night as well!

I was actually hoping the refs would hit their fans with a technical, for delay of game, or whatever.  That's happened a few times in the past, and I think the more those cow tippers keep at it, the more they finally deserve one.

Any word on Troy Hudson out there?  Is he definitely out all of the playoffs, or is he like the Kings Bobby Jackson, who's still working out and hoping to come back soon?  Both of those guys would make a HUGE difference for their respective teams.  Hudson's a Laker killer too, so I'd be interested to know if there's a chance he might come back while we're slapping you guys around in Round 3...  

Still pretty bummed about yesterday's game.  I probably tend to get a little too emotional when watching, but I was really getting mad at the Kings yesterday.  Things many of you guys mentioned...Peeler, the fans throwing crap, and I have lost a lot of respect for Brad Miller.  That guy is a dirty player.  Maybe he always has been and I just didn't care as much until he was playing against my team.  Either way, he reminds me a lot of Bill Laimbeer when I started following the Bulls before they could get past Detroit in the late 80s.  A good player, and someone you'd probably want on your team, but a pain in the ass to play against.  I really hope they can pull it out at home in game 7, but Scott is right I think, if Cassell isn't closer to 100%, the Lakers will probably cruise.

Although I will admit I am not the biggest Lakers fan, big congrats to Matt and all the other Laker fans out there.  It was impressive what they were able to do to San Antonio.  Going into the playoffs, I really thought that they would be the team to beat...but they pretty much took it to them after those first two games.  I hope that this second round sets some great conference finals match ups.  I'm on board too, hoping that the Heat can force a game 7 as well.  It has turned into a pretty good playoffs, hopefully it continues all the way to the finals (can we have a nice, competitive finals for once?  probably not )

P.S.  In case you didn't notice, the Lakers are genuinely uninterested in the regular season.  They proved all season that they could give a rat's ass about it.

This is a true statement most definitely Matt.  To me, as a lifetime basketball (particularly NBA) fan and follower, this is one reason that despite all the championships and success, it kind of tarnishes their standing in the "all time great teams" categories in my eyes.  No disrespect to the team, or any of its fans, because they are very, very good...and could be on their way to another title this year (should be with 4 HOFers   ), but I think the great teams bring it every game...regular season, playoffs, etc.  You look at the Jordan led Bulls for example...you pretty much knew in the nineties, they were probably going to win the title every year (with the exception of the years Jordan was gone)...but they still played their butts off during the regular season.  I mean, heck, they went 72-10 with a team that wasn't nearly as talented as this Lakers team.  I was a HUGE fan of the Bulls from 88 until Jordan and the team was broken up, and was able to watch almost every single game on a channel known as the "Chicago Sports Network" I believe (we got it on our satellite)...and outside of Jordan and Pippen, those teams were completely role players.  The argument could even be made that Pippen wasn't nearly the same player once he and Mike were seperated.  It was that drive and constant competitiveness that earned Jordan (and his teammates) the respect and success they had.  A lot of the same reason I really like Kevin Garnett...whether he plays the best or not (turnovers yesterday...arrrgh), he is still playing to the point where he is leaving it all on the floor.  I guess I'm just saying it is disappointing the Lakers aren't the same way...for a team that is so successful and probably one of the all time great teams as well.  I think Kobe is that way, most of the time, but he might be the only one.  He is highly competitive, and greatly talented, and the only thing that hurts his rep at all is his occasional trips where he decides to be a baby and either not shoot, or shoot way too much (or play selfishly).  Anyways, sorry about the rant, just thinking about this yesterday.  Like I said...great team, just more so disappointing they don't play like they care year round...and have that passion.

WHat the NBA needs is longer time between Games

Lakers could go to Hawaii and hang out waiting for the 2nd Round to End

Hmm... fascinating to come on and read the opinions of the non-Kings fans... I am of Sacramento origin, and with that a Kings fan indeed. OCB - do not scourge the entire city of Sacto for the negligent idiocy of a few who decided to throw items onto the court. Those aren't the real Kings fans; we are, with high percentage, quite a sophisticated and dedicated group.

Regardless - the KG/Peeler thing: Yes, I think Peeler should have gotten suspended for two games (which is fine with me - I've been raving that Adelman has kept him playing with his horrible offense while players like Songalia and Buford sit out), but by the same token, KG should have gotten a one-game suspension for his own deliberate hit on Peeler. If Peeler is punished twice for his two hits, then by that token, KG should have one suspension for his one hit. A $7,500 fine is nothing.

I would like to believe that those officials at the NBA would overlook the fact that KG is the MVP and of greater importance to his team, but it seems as though that is not the case. Oh well.


Inbetween - I gotta say that Saunders' choice of Jabari Smith for the FTs on Sunday was one of the highlights of the season. Brilliant work.

Brad Miller: if you've watched Miller all season, you would know that his behavior as of late is not his usual fare; his aggressive behavior has come as a result of and response to a lot of the Wolves' own aggressive tactics (there's a lot of holding going on). You can see the frustration in Miller's face when he plays. These games are clearly getting more physical - as I expect the Western Finals will become, no matter who plays LA.

Who's going to win: Of course I'd rather a Sacramento win; we've been down this road many times and I really hope we can finally get through. Realistically, to me, despite the statistics behind the home court wins, I think this is a 50/50 chance for either team. Sacto on Sunday was the best they've been in the offseason, and they played much better than Minnesota has in this series. When their offense and defense come together and guys are (finally) making shots, Sacto is hard to beat. But there's the problem of their extreme inconsistency that has been haunting them ever since Webber's return, and I can't say for sure that it won't come back on Wednesday. Sacto has proven they can win at Target Center, but to me, it's up in the air. Minnesota is obviously able to beat the Kings, even if it's in the last four minutes of the game, but they've got some bad injuries right now. Cassell is nonexistent and Szerbiak (sp?) isn't up to speed yet. Sprewell has been on top the last two games, and KG has been nice, but their defensive problems and multiple turnovers have been disappointing.

I can't make a real pick. I'll go with my hopes of Sacramento holding over from their amazing job on Sunday with a close win - this one's gonna get ugly, but it will be brilliant basketball. Just wish it wasn't on TNT so I could watch it in HD...

Hmm... fascinating to come on and read the opinions of the non-Kings fans... I am of Sacramento origin, and with that a Kings fan indeed.

AAAHHH!!!  A Kings fan...  

::Throws all kinds of debris at Carpeteria::


Just kidding.  Glad to have some support for some of the other competition around here, so stick around Carpet!  Or at least until Game 7's over, when you'll hopefully be shown the door by the Wolves.    But like I said, if I had to put money on it, I'd probably go with the Kings at this point.

As for the Sacto fans, they remind me a lot of the UCSB Thunderdome college basketball fans of the late 80's/early 90's, and that's one helluva compliment.  I can only wish the Hollywood crowd that is Los Angeles sports fans, were even half the fans that the Sacto people are.  Staples Center is usually the quietest place in Los Angeles, even when there's a game in town.  It's almost as if it's considered "embarrassing" to cheer loudly for our team, unless it's a game winning shot at the buzzer type of moment.  I'd love it if our arena was crazy like it is up in Sacto.  That's a real home court advantage situation up there with their crazy, insane fans.  Yeah, we could do without the trash throwing, and maybe even the cowbell ringing, but aside from those things, the Kings fans are the best in the business from what I've seen.

L.A. fans are just like the L.A. teams - the regular season is boring and doesn't get them pumped up at all.  They really only seem somewhat interested come playoff time.  I saw a sports column a couple days ago on either ESPN.com or CNNSI.com, where the author was proclaiming L.A as the best sports city in America, 'cause the Lakers had just finished off the Spurs, and the Angels and Dodgers had the best records in their respective leagues.  I thought, what a joke.  If you want to be considered amongst the best cities in the country for sports, you have to at least have some decent fans.  Even though we're among the league leaders in attendance in both sports, our fans probably rank dead last when it comes to cheering, arriving on time and not leaving early, etc.  It's really pretty pathetic.  

But at least I'm here to cheer wildly (and talk smack) for my teams!  

::Throws all kinds of debris at Carpeteria::


Just kidding.  Glad to have some support for some of the other competition around here, so stick around Carpet!  Or at least until Game 7's over, when you'll hopefully be shown the door by the Wolves.    But like I said, if I had to put money on it, I'd probably go with the Kings at this point.

Sorry, pal. I am sincerely wishing for another Western Finals with Sacto and LA, if only for the pure revenge factor of it all. For my money, the only Western Finals should be between those two teams, what with the animosity we've had for so long. It makes for some gorgeous playing.

Yeah, Arco Arena is the loudest place possible, if only because it's one of the smallest arenas out there - I think it has like half the cubic space of Staples? And that's only ONE guy with a cowbell. If you want to see some exciting live basketball, visit Arco sometime. It's nuts.

So what about the East? What are the picks around here? I say Indiana versus Detroit with Indiana going all the way to lose to whatever Western team makes it through (Sacramento, rather).