Melanie's Bulls dynasty... start a new Bulls dynasty?

nice congrats in taking the eastern conference finals....... you almost swept them....... goodluck in facing the spurs...... this will be a great match-up

Are you going to play this first game tonight?

I'll go with Bulls in 6.

You should be able to score on their center with Amare even if Duncan is a force
at PF

Yeah, that's what I'm counting on. Not sure about the other matchups, though...

I wished Denver was at the Finals, would be a cooler matchup than Captain Spock, oops Duncan ano Ginobili the flopper.

True, Ginobili is a flopper (although not in the game). We'll try to send them home for you...

this will be a great match-up

yeah, i'm really looking forward to it... good matchups at all the positions...

Are you going to play this first game tonight?

I don't usually play on Saturdays...all the other days, though. Don't post on the weekend, though... too busy

Thanks to everyone for the predictions. I'll say Bulls in 7...

latest fake ESPN Insider article:

Playoff preview: Bulls vs Spurs


Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

2004-05 history:
The Bulls swept the season series 2-0, winning by an average of 42 points [but that was with much easier sliders].

Key injuries:
Spurs - none.
Bulls - none.

Matchups:
Center
Spurs' Nazr Mohammed lacks quickness and a reliable shot. His biggest strength is intimidation in the paint. Bulls' Amare Stoudemire was absolutely dominant in the conference finals, averaging 43.6 pts and 7 rebounds.
Advantage: BULLS

Power forward
Tim Duncan is one of the best players in the league, an all-around talent. Dirk Nowitzki is a great player but he's no Duncan.
Advantage: SPURS

Small forward
LeBron James will have his hands full with lockdown defender Bruce Bowen. James should rise above but the saying always goes that defense wins...
Advantage: BULLS

Shooting guard
Manu Ginobili can drive and break down the defense or shoot it from outside. He has great quickness and court vision, and is an intense competitor. Colicky Boy is similar, but Ginobili is the master while Colicky Boy is still just a student.
Advantage: SPURS

Point guard
Tony Parker poses matchup problems with the Bulls' Dwyane Wade defensively. Parker is fast and can find the open man. Wade is an infinitely better scorer than Parker, but Wade may get worn out trying to guard Parker on the defensive end, which could affect Wade's ability on offense.
Advantage: BULLS

Bench
Spurs' Robert Horry is a three-point threat although he is fairly immobile as a defender. Brent Barry adds a scoring threat off the bench. Nesterovic brings physical play off the bench. The Bulls have no one to match up.
Advantage: SPURS

Coaching
Greg Popovich has been through the championship before and knows what it takes at this level. Scott Skiles has never been there and will have hands full with a bare bench.
Advantage: SPURS

Intangibles
Robert Horry brings crucial championship experience to this stage. Spurs are balanced and deep. They can not only keep up with the Bulls' starters but they can also wear down the Bulls' reserves.
Advantage: SPURS

Predicted winner: San Antonio in seven.

latest on the fake ESPN site:

Flop on the Big Stage
Bulls blown out in return to NBA Finals
Sun, June 12, 2005


Duncan denies Nowitzki

---------------------
Game 1:
112
98
---------------------

The Bulls returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in seven years. The way they played Sunday, they probably won't be back for another seven.

San Antonio raced to a 36-19 first quarter lead en route to a 112-98 romp over the Bulls at the United Center.

Tony Parker led all scorers with 31 points. The Spurs also got 30 points from Brent Barry, as well as 16 points from Manu Ginobili and 20 points from Tim Duncan.


Duncan scores over Colicky Boy and Stoudemire


Colicky Boy fires a three over Ginobili

"We missed too many shots," said Dwyane wade, who kept pace with Parker by netting 25 points, 7 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists. "We missed nine layups in the first quarter. We can't afford to do that in the Finals."

Amare Stoudemire dominated Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed. Stoudemire had 28 points, a game-high 15 rebounds and 5 assists while the Spurs centers combined for 0 ponts and 7 rebounds. Colicky Boy kept up with Ginobili and Barry, scoring 24 points with 6 rebounds for the Bulls.

But Duncan limited Dirk Nowitzki to 10 points and 2 rebounds, and Bruce Bowen bottled up LeBron James into 9 points ono 4-of-13 shooting.

"This was on me," said James, who missed five consecutive layups to open the game. "Never in my dreams would I miss all those layups."

In addition, the Spurs bench outscored the Bulls' counterparts 31-2.

"We didn't come to play," lamented Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. "And now we've lost our home court advantage. We have to play more focused or this will be a short series."

Tough loss against the Spurs, they really took it to you. Hopefully the Bulls offense can break the Spurs defense, good luck in game 2.

Barry had 30 from the bench and the rest of the bench had one? Just hold Barry to zero points, then...

wow..... the spurs destroyed you.... too bad... but you could still turn this around, it's just one game.... goodluck on game 2

Tough loss against the Spurs, they really took it to you.

That they did. I really do hate slippery guards.

Barry had 30 from the bench and the rest of the bench had one? Just hold Barry to zero points, then..

Actually, Barry was starting and Ginobili was on the bench for Game 1 . I changed that for Game 2, so Ginobili is starting from here on out.

goodluck on game 2

thanks. recap coming shortly...

latest on the fake ESPN site:

Homeland insecurity
Bulls lose again at home, down 2-0 in Finals
Wed, June 15, 2005


Ginobili attacks the basket

-----------------------------
Game 2:
114
111

Bulls trail series 2-0
-----------------------------

The Bulls found the wrong time to lose two straight at home.

Having lost Game 2 of the NBA Finals 114-111 at the United Center to trail the series 2-0, the Bulls now face the prospect of going to San Antonio for Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, Game 5.

"We're not playing good defense," said Dwyane Wade, who had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. "Our scoring is fine. We just can't stop these guys."


Duncan flushes home two

Despite trailing the entire game, the Bulls actually took the lead, 109-108, with 57.3 seconds left when Stoudemire fed Nowitzki for a dunk. Bowen nailed a three to put the Spurs back up, 111-109, with 48.5 seconds left. Nowitzki found Wade cutting underneath to tie the game at 111 with 32.5 seconds left. But Bowen drilled his second consecutive three-pointer to reclaim the lead for the Spurs, 114-111, with 9.6 seconds left. Colicky Boy missed a three to end the game.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 22 points, Tim Duncan added 18 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. Brent Barry scored 23 off the bench. And Bruce Bowen dropped 18.

The Bulls' Amare Stoudemire once again dominated the Spurs centers, almost notching a triple-double with a game-high 31 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. All Bulls scorers hit double-digits, as Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points (along with 5 rebounds and 8 assists), LeBron James scored 15 points (with 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals), and Colicky Boy scored 17 points (with 6 rebounds and 5 assists).


Colicky Boy feeds Wade inside for two

But once again, the Spurs bench was the difference in the game, outscoring the Bulls' bench 46-2.

"Of course, we'd like some help from our bench," said James. "But even so, we were almost able to pull it out tonight. We just failed."

"We can play better," Colicky Boy said. "And we will."

Lol Spurs in retros, they've had their best years in the past few years so they don't want to go back. But seriously, this is no laughing matter you're down 2-0, good luck in Game 3. If you win the next 4 games, I'd be right on on my predictions.

wow tough loss man....... you better step it up on the following games.......... good luck

That's tough, and yeah, it seems you have to play better D. But, all your starters are on a lot of pressure to score lots against a team like the Spurs.

The CPU seems to prefer Barry over Ginobili.

If you win the next 4 games, I'd be right on on my predictions.

Four straight against the Spurs is a tall order, but I'ma try it...

you better step it up on the following games..........

Forgot that the sliders were the ones I dialed up during the Cleveland series. I just set them back to the ones during the Indiana series (your original sliders).

But, all your starters are on a lot of pressure to score lots against a team like the Spurs.

Yeah...Brent Barry getting Iverson-type numbers

latest on the fake ESPN site:

Home court disadvantage
Bulls swarm Spurs in San Antonio
Fri, June 17, 2005


Stoudemire prepares to rattle the rim

-----------------------------
Game 3:
120
94

Bulls trail series 2-1
-----------------------------

SAN ANTONIO - Home, not sweet, home.

The home team has lost every game so far in these NBA Finals, as the Bulls surprised San Antonio with a 120-94 triumph at the SBC Center.

"We finally played some decent defense," said Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. "For a while, I thought we were a high school team."


Wade flashes in for a dunk

The Bulls only allowed three players in double-digits. Manu Ginobili scored 27 and Brent Barry had 12. But Tony Parker's 14 was offset by only 2 assists and Tim Duncan was limited to 6 points and 5 rebounds.

"Dirk [Nowitzki] did a great job tonight," said Bulls guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 18 points with 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. "And LeBron [James] came up big tonight."

Indeed, James shook off Bruce Bowen to score 25 points with 4 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists while limiting Game 2 hero Bowen to only 8 points. Nowitzki, meanwhile, poured in 29 with 6 boards and 5 assists to dominate Duncan, including a three-pointer.

"We needed that," said James. "If we went down 3-0, this series would be over for sure. Before we celebrate too much, we still need to win Game 4."

The Bulls held the Spurs to only .278 (5-of-18) from beyond the arc and Amare Stoudemire once again just missed a triple-double, getting 27 points, a game-high 17 rebounds and 8 assists in bullying the Spurs in the paint. Colicky Boy added 15 points and 9 rebounds.

"We still want to do a better job on their reserves," Skiles said of the Spurs' 35-6 advantage in bench scoring. "But if we can hold their starters down like tonight, I'll take that."

Last edited by colickyboy on Thu Sep 22, 2005 6:14 am, edited 2 times in total.

Yes, you're staying alive and beat the Spurs in convincing fashion. Hopefully the team can continue to play this way and win the series.

Great performances by James and especially Nowitzki. Hopefully you can win the next game.

thanks, Sensation, air!

the fake ESPN site is in read-only mode so I won't be able to update it for a couple days. so here's a fake ESPN SportsCenter update to tide you over:

Cohn: 1 and stunned, people. The Spurs have put the Bulls on the brink of elimination with a stunning 127-109 win over Chicago in Game 4 at the SBC Center.


Duncan denies Stoudemire, who still scored a game-high 37

Davis: After a miraculous season, the Bulls are one loss away from losing the NBA Finals. They couldn't defend, and they couldn't take care of the basketball. Simple as that.

Cohn: The Spurs shot the ball 94 times, compared to only 71 shots for the Bulls. The Spurs had 9 blocks (to 2 for the Bulls), and tied the 1975 Golden State Warriors for the NBA Finals steals record with 17. Adding to the mess, the Bulls committed an uncharacteristic 22 turnovers.

Davis: The Spurs shot the lights out.. hitting 11-of-19 threes for a sizzling .579 3-point shooting percentage. The Bulls controlled the Spurs' threes in Game 3 and the Bulls won. The Bulls didn't control the Spurs' threes today and guess what? They lost. Shocker, isn't it?

Cohn: The Spurs' Tony Parker was the Player of the Game with 32 points and 10 assists. He got lots of help, with Tim Duncan adding 20 and 6, Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry each scoring 19, and Bruce Bowen throwing in 23 points and 4 steals, including 5-of-8 from downtown.

Davis: If the Bulls don't stop the Spurs' three-point exhibition, they'll be watching the Spurs celebrate after Game 5 Wednesday night.

Cohn: Bulls forward LeBron James had a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 11 assists. The Bulls also got a game-high 37 points, 6 boards and 6 assists from Stoudemire, while Colicky Boy added 25 and 6. Dwyane Wade had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. And Dirk Nowitzki had 10 points, a game-high 7 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Cohn: But once again, once the Bulls starters rested, the Bulls would lose their grip on the game, as their bench was thoroughly outplayed by the Spurs' reserves in every major category: outscored 31-2, outrebounded 8-2, losing in assists 6-3, and losing in steals 6-1.

Davis: The Bulls are 2-0 in elimination games...just ask Indiana. But San Antonio is not Indiana and it'll be interesting to see if the Bulls can make it 3-0 in elimination games with a victory in Game 5.

Cohn: Pull out all the cliches...their backs are against the wall...it's do or die... we gotta bring the series back to Chicago. But how about this cliche: it'll be a tall order.

Wow, I can't believe the Dream team has gone down like this in the Finals. There is still hope, nice work on the SC by the way!

Good thing you didn't go down 3-0, Wade did not have a good game as i expected but Amare was a great contribution, Good luck next game hope you can tie up the series.

nice 2-2 comback, good luck against the Spurs.

What comeback are we talking about? Anyway, that's a really disappointing loss. I had a feeling you were going to tie the series. Wouldn't want this to end in five games, it's an exciting series..

Wow, I can't believe the Dream team has gone down like this in the Finals. There is still hope, nice work on the SC by the way!

Yeah, in real life, the Dream Team would rock on. Shows how much I suck with tough sliders. Thanks on the SC comment. It was time for a new ESPN visual anyway.

Wade did not have a good game as i expected but Amare was a great contribution

Just like in the real-life 2005 playoffs, Amare has been absolutely killer on the Spurs. And just like in the real-life 2005 playoffs, too bad Amare's dominance hasn't translated into wins.

nice 2-2 comback

I actually haven't come back yet. I'm down 3-1. But thanks for the well wishes...

I had a feeling you were going to tie the series. Wouldn't want this to end in five games, it's an exciting series..

After an easy Game 3 win, I thought I was going to tie the series too. Only one of the 4 games so far has been close.

the fake ESPN site is in still in read-only mode (meaning you can look at it but I can't update it). so here's another fake ESPN SportsCenter recap, with your hosts Stuart Scott and Rich Eisen:

Scott: For all of their accomplishments this season, the Bulls failed the most important one of all: winning the NBA championship. The San Antonio Spurs cruised to an easy 122-94 win over the Bulls in Game 5 at the SBC Center to win the series 4 games to 1.



Eisen: Spurs players stormed the floor to celebrate their second championship in three years. Tony Parker was the Player of the Game for the second consecutive game after posting his second consecutive double-double in these Finals with 21 points and a game-high 10 assists.

Scott: The Spurs held Colicky Boy to 2-of-8 three-point shooting and 4-of-14 overall, and they limited Dirk Nowitzki to 7-of-17 shooting. Overall, the Bulls only shot .447 in the game. Meanwhile, the Spurs shot a sizzling 13-of-20 threes and outrebounded the Bulls defensively 37-35.



Eisen: The Bulls hung their heads, and Dwyane Wade was particularly distraught. It was a crushing finish to their season.

Scott: Wade had 15 points, 6 boards and 5 assists. LeBron James had 16 and 6. Colicky Boy had 13 and a game-high 12 rebounds. Stoudemire led the team with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. And Nowitzki nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Lot of solid numbers.

Eisen: But the bench failed the Bulls again, getting outscored by the Spur' reserves 37-6, including 15 from little-used Beno Udrih. Manu Ginobili led all scorers with 33 points, and Tim Duncan got 10 and 11.

Scott: What must be scary for the Bulls is that they were blown out in three of the five games. It shows they're gonna need more than their starters if they want to compete for the title next season. It'll be interesting to see what they do in the offseason to improve.