Catching up on Day 26-28 and the MVP Leader Board

May 18th, 2008, Author: robd

Day 26’s Playoff Votes
3 votes – Another day, another Celtics v Cavs game where neither team reaches 100 points. But this time there was one player worthy of the day’s 3 votes. KG had probably his best game of the playoffs so far: 26 points, 16 rebounds (playoff high), 4 assists, 3 blocks (equal playoff high) and 2 steals. The Celtics continue their bizarre mission of being the first ever team to win a championship while losing every road game – as Bill Simmons so amusingly captured here. What is also amusing is hearing Lebron James speak in the third person, something he seems to be doing a lot recently. After game 3 against Washington: “They’re trying to hurt LeBron James. But LeBron won’t buy into that”. After game 6 against Boston: “We’re a very good team at home. But a LeBron James team is never desperate”. I think Lebron’s been spending a bit too much time hanging around Jimmy…

2 votes – Kobe Bryant. Maybe Kobe’s best game ever taking 10 shots or less? I dunno, but it certainly showed the Lakers can be effective without Kobe being the leading shot-taker, or 2nd leading, or 3rd leading…or 5th leading as he was in this game. But he still had 26 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and hit the FTs that sealed the win. Deron Williams was again sensational with 27-10-5 and it certainly earnt the admiration – some would say man-love – of Kobe Bryant: “I love him” said Kobe. “He’s one of my favorite players in the league. I love his toughness. I love his competitiveness. I love his skill. I don’t throw accolades around too frequently. I really love him as a basketball player.” By the sounds of those comments, Kobe doesn’t just love Deron… he’s in love with Deron.
1 vote – Pau Gasol. Super all-round game from Pau at both ends of the floor: 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks. Honorable mention to Rajon Rondo who had his best game of the playoffs so far with 20 points and 13 assists. The only reason Pau gets the vote ahead of him is because I consider beating the Jazz far more difficult than beating the Cavs, although you wouldn’t know it from watching Boston lately.

For the record, Boston has now slipped to 3rd in my championship favorites. I have the Lakers at #1 and the Pistons #2. Boston is still a great team, but the ability to win on the road is a vital ingredient for any championship team. It’s not just the act of winning in another team’s building. Being able to win on the road is a sign of focus, a collective team belief that nothing is surmountable, no matter who you’re playing or where. Boston seemed to grasp that during the regular season, but now it’s gone missing. And when you’re playing teams that have been here a million times before (Detroit), or against players that want to murder you (Kobe), that collective belief is essential. Luckily for Boston things can quickly change – one big road win, whether its in Cleveland or Detroit, might be all they need to get back on track. But if it doesn’t, I guarantee you they will not win the title.

Day 27’s Playoff Votes
3 votes – Tim Duncan. This game was won in the first quarter when the usually slow-tempo Spurs scored 36 points and built a 12-point lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Duncan was instrumental in setting that early tone with 10 first quarter points, ending up with 20 for the game to go with 15 boards and 6 assists. He also brought David West back down to earth, holding the 17-foot assassin to 10 points on 4-14 shooting.
2 votes – Manu Ginobili. As I’ve said before and told numerous people, the Spurs have the massive advantage at the SG position this series – Ginobili should be dominating. But from the two games I’ve seen in this series (games 4 and 5) he hasn’t been. He did much better in this one finishing with 25 points on 9-15 shooting, and when CP3 started heating up in the second quarter it was Ginobili who steadied the ship with three treys.
1 vote – Ime Udoka. Mark this day down in your calendar, because it’s not often the Spurs Big 3 won’t steal all the votes in a San Antonio win. Ime gets a vote for a perfect 5-5, including 3-3 from downtown, all in a tidy 21 minutes off the bench. It’s the kind of bench production the Spurs will need to get past the real powerhouse teams (Detroit/LA) who have far superior benches.

On another note, it is puzzling that despite this series going to 7 games, there hasn’t been one game decided by less than 11 points – the average winning margin has been 17 points. No tight finishes, no clutch plays, no last minute heroics. It’s why this series won’t go down as a “classic” – every game has been so one-sided, the mutual observer has nothing to get excited about. In fact, I’m not sure if any series so far this playoffs would classify as a “classic”. If Lakers v Jazz goes to 7 games that would probably be the best candidate. But safe to say, the Conference Finals will not be one-sided, so our best two series might be yet to come.

Day 28’s Playoff Votes
3 votes – Kobe Bryant. The man with the bad back again carried his team with it, and added to his historic playoff campaign so far – I say “historic” because I heard Kobe’s playoff scoring average is the highest since MJ over a decade ago. When the Jazz cut the Lakers lead from 17-7 with five minutes to play in the fourth, Kobe responded with the dagger. He first nailed the three in Harpring’s face – “Man, oh man, that was a big shot,” Harpring said. “I’ve got to give him credit for that one. That’s one of those shots that if he misses, we’re golden. But he made it and that’s why he’s a big-time player”. Then he nailed the improbable jumper and the foul. BANG. Just like that, back to 13 points and the Lakers were safe. Well… almost safe. That last possession was frantic and was probably the most exciting last 15 seconds of a playoff game we’ve seen so far this postseason. If Okur or Deron had nailed a three and sent the game to OT, it could have been one of the biggest steals in playoff history. But as it is, Utah will have a little longer off-season than last year, a pretty disappointing result for a team I thought was equipped to win it all.
2 votes – Wow, another riveting game from this craptastic series. This time the score line was an amazing 74-69 – I’ve seen Western Conference half-time scores better than that. I sure as hell hope this isn’t a preview for the Boston v Detroit series, because that’s what we’ll be forced to watch on ESPN. But despite the ugliness, this game was probably Lebron’s prettiest game of the series and that why he gets the 2 votes. Lebron’s J still wasn’t firing – 9-23 from the field – but the rest of his game was perfect, and it couldn’t have come at a more worrying time for the Celtics. They’re already concerned about the fact they can’t win on the road – now they have to be wary of Lebron peaking. It all points towards one mammoth 7-game upset, doesn’t it?
1 vote – Pau Gasol. The big man imposed his will with 13 rebounds and 4 blocks, and was probably a big reason for Carlos Boozer having an extremely quiet game. Gasol is about to face a big challenge in the next round, whether its West/Chandler or Duncan, so the Lakers will be happy with his recent efforts. And looking even further ahead, the possibility of a Gasol vs KG matchup in the Finals is oh so tantalising – perhaps KG can get revenge for this facial? (note ridiculous reaction from Spanish commentator):

Playoff MVP Leader Board
17 votes – Kobe Bryant
13 votes – Lebron James
13 votes – Chris Paul
10 votes – Tony Parker
9 votes – Deron Williams
8 votes – Tim Duncan
8 votes – Rip Hamilton
8 votes – Pau Gasol