Cleveland vs Washington

[Andrew]

Arenas didn't have much of a game either. It'll be interesting to see if there'll be more verbal sparring or if the Wizards will try and let their game do the talking.

[BIG GREEN]

I love how people like young buck and the other morons talking shit in this thread decided to shut the fuck up now. Anyway....on to detroit and/or boston we go...

[L10]

Strong first half for the Wizards, they are beating the cavs by 16!

[Lamrock]

Good insight there. There is no way we could have figured that out without your post. God forbid actually contributing to the conversation.

So, with Washington up 26, looks like its 2-1. Not surprising, since I'm sure all but 2 of the Game 3's will go to the teams down 2-0. Only checking up on the game occasionally, since it hasn't been interesting.

Can Washington keep this up and make this a long series, or even win it, or is it another easy first round win for the Cavs?

[Emiliano]

Sorry, double post.

[Emiliano]

It shocks me to see the score of this game. Really. How can a team that has Lebron James, that is up 2-0 in the first round, that won the second game by 30 points, be losing a game by more than 30?? Did they forget it's the playoffs??
They better take a plane right back to Cleveland 'cause they seem to have forgotten their hearts in the locker room.

[L10]

23 turnovers can be the answer for their bad game!

[Chaser7]

Yo Emiliano, you know you can delete a double post if no one comments right? Just click on the "x" option to the right of the exclamation point on the top right corner of each post. I mean its too late now, but just a future heads up.

It was one bad game by Cleveland, I'm predicting a close game in game 4, but I think/hope Washington will prevail.

[Emiliano]

Yo Emiliano, you know you can delete a double post if no one comments right? Just click on the "x" option to the right of the exclamation point on the top right corner of each post. I mean its too late now, but just a future heads up.

Ah damn, thanks a lot though man. Shit. Sorry guys.

[Lamrock]

23 turnovers can be the answer for their bad game!

But that's not what he is talking about. He wonders why after 2 huge wins, the Cavs have an absolutely pathetic game. (hence the 23 turnovers)

In series like this that are considered close, talent-wise (i.e. not going to be a sweep), if the home team wins games 1 and 2, its almost a given when it goes back to the other team, the other team will win, usually by double digits. It just seems to be the trend.

Why it happens? Well, the team thats down 2-0 is obviously a lot more frantic than the team with a 2 game cushion. Additionally, there is the factor of homecourt as always, and the travel. Losing by 30 is unacceptable, but the Wizards were always going to win.

[mvpshaq32]

Lebron just took OVER this game after he got whacked in the head by Stevenson. And Stevenson is still taunting Lebron in the 3rd quarter....
This rivalry just keeps getting more interesting every time they are matched up against each other in the playoffs.

[Andrew]

On some level, Stevenson's confidence/cockiness is admirable and like I said before there's nothing wrong with a bit of verbal warfare but at some point it just gets childish especially when you're down 3-1 and you're nowhere near the level of player as the person you're mocking.

[Andrew]

Brendan Haywood joins in

CLEVELAND (AP)—Overrated hasn’t worked. Now one of the Washington Wizards is calling LeBron James another name: Crybaby.

Following Cleveland’s 100-97 win in Game 4 on Sunday, James, who has absorbed two flagrant fouls in this rough-and-tumble playoff series and has been banged around by the Wizards, was asked about Washington’s tough-guy tactics.

“I guess that’s what they want to do,” he said, “hurt LeBron James in this series. It’s not working.”

On Monday, Wizards center Brendan Haywood, countered.

“Awww,” Haywood said, in a whiny, high-pitched voice to mock James. “They are trying to hurt me.”

That's not going to be the most noteworthy quote of the series, however.

“It’s never over until it’s over,” said Gilbert Arenas, playing with a bone bruise in his knee. “They said there are eight teams that have done it (come back from 3-1). We are going to be the ninth.”

That one will either go down in NBA history as a bold yet accurate prediction of the future along the lines of Bill Russell telling his teammates that the Lakers' victory celebration would have to wait because the Celtics were winning that seventh game, or as famous last words before an early playoff exit.

[Drex]

I'd be ashamed if I was a Wizards fan. Why don't they just shut up and play?

[GoHornets]

They're trying to make the series more exciting.

[Andrew]

I'd be ashamed if I was a Wizards fan. Why don't they just shut up and play?

Maybe they're just trying to boost their own confidence, though it's definitely put up or shut up time. I don't think they're going to succeed in getting in LeBron's head if they haven't already.

[Mayerhendrix]

The Wizards have some truth in the fact that Lebron James gets a ton of favor, but that's no reason for them to lose the entire series. You don't see Kobe's Lakers, Wade's Heat, or James' Cavaliers going even close to 82-0.

[Andrew]

Maybe there's an element of truth in what they're saying but when you're on the wrong side of 3-1, as Drex said it's time to shut up and play. They're talking a good game, but they're not getting the job done.

[Andrew]

I doubt the talking is going to stop now that the Wizards avoided elimination on Butler's late basket and LeBron's miscue. I stand by Cavaliers in six, especially with Arenas done for the year.

[Lamrock]

Yay! Go Wizards! This bodes well for my Cavs in 7 prediction, though Gil is done for the season.

[Drex]

Why does LeBron even bother dribbling? He still takes between 17 and 38 extra steps every time he goes to the hoop.

[BIG GREEN]

Who's the cry baby now lebron haters? This was a nice closer and his best performace since he played the piss-tons last year. On to atlanta hawks we go!

[Matt]

Too bad Arenas had to shut it down, but it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. My pick was just wishful thinking. Washington sure talked more than they played.

That D Songaila suspension was BS though!

[shadowgrin]

If you’re the most hated player in Cleveland, that’s a great thing. I mean, come on. One whole city who hates you. No matter what team you ever play for, you’ve got 20,000 people booing you. That’s a good thing: 20,000 people who actually know you.”

Arenas said that to Stevenson. At least DeShawn is relatively famous now.

[Andrew]

That D Songaila suspension was BS though!

It wasn't much but given what else has happened during the series it was obviously enough for the NBA to feel they had to step in and make an example of someone to ensure things didn't go overboard.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbcp40CEfzg[/youtube]

Whether or not there Songaila intended to strike LeBron, I can see why the league made that ruling when they reviewed the footage but I think everything else leading up to that point was the main reason for the suspension and Songaila just happened to be the guy who took the fall.