Scheduling. Oh and Det-Cle zzzzzz

[Reality]

Why does Cleveland series end 3 hours before the Spurs, yet the Spurs were and are scheduled 36 hours later Sunday, then 48 hours after that -Tue being Gm 2 while Det and the Lebrons got Mon-Thurs.
Okay the Sunday one was for tv ratings?  I dont think so.  The Lebrons are much higher rated then the Spurs.
As to the 2nd game of each series:

Why do the Spurs and Utah have to go again on Tue, with NO games scheduled for Wed night?  Gm 3 in Utah is not until Sat.
Meanwhile Det-Lebrons are 3 days apart.

I'm hoping some weak legs were in part what led to San Ans 4th quarter short rimming shots including free throws by Parker-Gnob.
No reason at all the NBA could not have Spurs-Jazz Gm 2 on Wed.

[westkoast]

I have to disagree...I think the WC playoffs have been more entertaining and had to have had higher ratings which prompted the Sunday slot.

Honestly the EC playoffs have been pretty ZzZzZ IMO.  I have almost 0 interest in the Det/Cle series.

[Lurker]

Also a big part of scheduling depends on when the arenas are available.  Sunday afternoon was slotted to be a western conf game...either game 7 of Spurs/Suns or game 1 of next round.

[Reality]

So why Gm 2 on Tuesday?
No NBA game on Wed.
The Lebrons vs Det on Thurs.

[Lurker]

So why Gm 2 on Tuesday?
No NBA game on Wed.
The Lebrons vs Det on Thurs.

Without knowing all of the other things that may be scheduled for the arenas no one on this board can answer your question.  But here is an ansswer you may like...


Sternfish has a conspiracy to make the Spurs play when tired.

[Reality]

A steer riding convention at the A t&t dome on Wed eve?

[Joe Vancil]

Actually, I heard it was a Nash-wrestling and Stoudemire-riding contest.

But I may have my dates mixed up;  that might have been last week.

[Lurker]

here's one from the Cleveland paper...

One reason the Cavaliers and Pistons must wait until Thursday for Game 2: The NBA apparently doesn't want to compete with "American Idol," which airs its finals today and Wednesday.

[Reality]

Other then Lakers posters and Laker fans, which NBA followers keep up with American Idol?

Simon Colwell and Stern go way back?

The NBA apparently doesn't want to compete with "American Idol," which airs its finals today and Wednesday. 

  So they can have the Spurs-Jazz compete with AI, but not The Lebrons.  O-kay.
(I realize you are just helping by posting this Cleveland paper article lurker, not directed at you.  The steer riding, directed at you.)

[Lurker]

(I realize you are just helping by posting this Cleveland paper article lurker, not directed at you.  The steer riding, directed at you.)

Not sure if this is steer riding but...

Wed, 05/23/07
07:00 PM San Antonio Silver Stars vs. Connecticut Sun

[Reality]

we couldn't deprive San Antonio and nay the basketball watching world a San Antonio Silver Stars vs. Connecticut Sun Tuesday matchup.

Hey speaking of missed shots, anyone think Lebron should have taken that final drive all the way to the shot attempt?  He had Tayshon Prince beat.  Whats up with passing cross court to Marshall?

[Lurker]

we couldn't deprive San Antonio and nay the basketball watching world a San Antonio Silver Stars vs. Connecticut Sun Tuesday matchup.

NBA is NOT going to pre-empt a WNBA game.  They have enough trouble making the women's league popular without sabotaging it.  Goes back to the scheduling...the WNBA game was scheduled before the NBA knew if SA would advance this deep in the playoffs.

Hey speaking of missed shots, anyone think Lebron should have taken that final drive all the way to the shot attempt?  He had Tayshon Prince beat.  Whats up with passing cross court to Marshall?

And if Marshall had hit the shot?  LeBron has a triple double and is heralded as "coming into his own".  IMHO James made the right play.  Most likely he wouldn't have gotten the layup to tie anyway.  Pistons would have made him earn it at the line.

[Reality]

Spurs take day off; pay $50,000 fine for missing media session
The Spurs had played five games in nine days to wrap up a gruelling Western Conference semifinal against Phoenix.

"You do what you think is best for your team and whatever comes about, comes about, and you move forward,'' Popovich said Tuesday. "That's nothing we'll spend a lot of time thinking about.''

A year ago, in a similar scenario, the Spurs won Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, but were routed in Game 2.

"We had no energy," guard Tony Parker said in the San Antonio Express-News. "We basically just gave them the game. We lost by (22) and that's not good because you give them confidence and then they go back home."

[Reality]

Hey speaking of missed shots, anyone think Lebron should have taken that final drive all the way to the shot attempt?  He had Tayshon Prince beat.  Whats up with passing cross court to Marshall?

And if Marshall had hit the shot?  LeBron has a triple double and is heralded as "coming into his own".  IMHO James made the right play.  Most likely he wouldn't have gotten the layup to tie anyway.  Pistons would have made him earn it at the line. 

  Not a testimony to your clutchness when you would exchange 2 sure fts to tie for a trey from the corner.  If Bron wants to breathe the same air as Magic, Bird, Johny Stockton and GNob he's got to gain confidence on these end of game plays.

[Lurker]

Hey speaking of missed shots, anyone think Lebron should have taken that final drive all the way to the shot attempt?  He had Tayshon Prince beat.  Whats up with passing cross court to Marshall?

And if Marshall had hit the shot?  LeBron has a triple double and is heralded as "coming into his own".  IMHO James made the right play.  Most likely he wouldn't have gotten the layup to tie anyway.  Pistons would have made him earn it at the line. 

  Not a testimony to your clutchness when you would exchange 2 sure fts to tie for a trey from the corner.  If Bron wants to breathe the same air as Magic, Bird, Johny Stockton and GNob he's got to gain confidence on these end of game plays.

And what makes the FTs a sure thing?  James shot 70% for the season and 78% for the playoffs from the line.  And that assumes the refs would reward him and give him the attempts...something that hadn't happened in the first 47:50 of the game.

Not to mention the conventional wisdom that you go for the win on the road and the tie at home.