NBA Playoffs - I Believe
I believe in the unthinkable. I believe in the surreal. I believe, and this is honesty coming right up, records can be broken ... even the biggest records of them all.
That's the kind of thinking that's going around the Orlando and Phoenix camps, more so within Magicland. Both teams are slowly turning both conference finals into dogfights, which just under a week ago seemed like a distant, impossible dream.
Let's start out west, where the series is now tied going back to LA tomorrow. Whoever does get the win could edge the momentum magnet in their direction. Do that, and all the pressure falls into the opposing team's lap. So who'll get the win? LA will have the crowd backing them, but if the Suns can pull off the three point / zone d combo that's been so dominant the past two games, plus the huge bench work, anything's possible.
The Lakers need to break down the zone, that much is clear. Kobe's had little protection or backup from Gasol, the three's are drying up, and the big man rebounding factor has all but evaporated ... huh ... dry ... evaporate ... interesting pattern. Maybe the Lakers just need more Gatorade.
Orlando's passion and aggression may not gain them new fans, but to those of us following the revival closely (yeah, me), it was welcome viewing. Howard and Nelson did what they had to do, backed up nicely by Lewis (who has some kind of viral infection, that might explain his poor outings up until today). In fact, everyone chipped in at some point.
Doubts might be slipping into the Celts ranks. They've suddenly gone from no hopers to cleaning out the Cavs and Orlando, and now back to no hopers. They've lost a handful of players to injuries and suspensions (silly ones at that), and only Pierce and Rondo seem to be playing at the same intensity as the first three wins, with Garnett pulling up the rear.
So is the impossible possible? Can Orlando become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after losing the first three games? As the commentators enlightened me, Boston's already lost such a series this year already ... okay, NHL Boston Bruin's, not the Celtics, but it's still Boston!
In short, and I do hope he reads this ... I BELIEVE, NELSON, I BELIEVE!
That's the kind of thinking that's going around the Orlando and Phoenix camps, more so within Magicland. Both teams are slowly turning both conference finals into dogfights, which just under a week ago seemed like a distant, impossible dream.
Let's start out west, where the series is now tied going back to LA tomorrow. Whoever does get the win could edge the momentum magnet in their direction. Do that, and all the pressure falls into the opposing team's lap. So who'll get the win? LA will have the crowd backing them, but if the Suns can pull off the three point / zone d combo that's been so dominant the past two games, plus the huge bench work, anything's possible.
The Lakers need to break down the zone, that much is clear. Kobe's had little protection or backup from Gasol, the three's are drying up, and the big man rebounding factor has all but evaporated ... huh ... dry ... evaporate ... interesting pattern. Maybe the Lakers just need more Gatorade.
Orlando's passion and aggression may not gain them new fans, but to those of us following the revival closely (yeah, me), it was welcome viewing. Howard and Nelson did what they had to do, backed up nicely by Lewis (who has some kind of viral infection, that might explain his poor outings up until today). In fact, everyone chipped in at some point.
Doubts might be slipping into the Celts ranks. They've suddenly gone from no hopers to cleaning out the Cavs and Orlando, and now back to no hopers. They've lost a handful of players to injuries and suspensions (silly ones at that), and only Pierce and Rondo seem to be playing at the same intensity as the first three wins, with Garnett pulling up the rear.
So is the impossible possible? Can Orlando become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series after losing the first three games? As the commentators enlightened me, Boston's already lost such a series this year already ... okay, NHL Boston Bruin's, not the Celtics, but it's still Boston!
In short, and I do hope he reads this ... I BELIEVE, NELSON, I BELIEVE!
