Bunch of good matchups the next 7 days

[Reality]

San An @ New OrL tonight
San An @ Det
San An @ Philly on Satarday.  Lets see how the Sixers are rt, altho Spurs are notoriously slower on b2bs.
Boston @ San An Monday

Lakers @ New OrL Fri
Lakers @ Houston  Sun
Lakers @ Dallas Tues
Lakers @ Utah Thursday
Altho Stern allows plenty of rest in between, about time they played some tough SWest Division teams.  This may well be with Houston going for 22 straight.

Boston @ Houston Tue
Houston @ New OrL Wed b2b + away for Rockets

Spurs.  Entirely possible they could temp lose the SW Division lead.  B2Bs they have not been good.  As long as they finish 1-4 seed and host a would-be Jazz series I'm good.  Prefer 2 or 3, 1 is fine also but not interested in being reg season champs only, the Spurs know the rote.

Lakers  Will be tested for sure with this stretch.  Realistically even a split would be fine.  After this they can return to their Pac cushy end of season schedule with fewest back to backs in the NBA.

Houston  No way they can continue this coma?  If they do sweep this 4 game stretch, and i do not think they will, but if they do, they are co-favorites with Spurs.  A lot will have them surpass the Spurs for favorites.

New OrL  Youth should serve them well here.  Have legit shot at SW title.  Can't wait to see the rematch game vs Houston.  Houston handled them a week ago.

Boston  we saw what happened to your glittery record the last time you came out West.  Should be some great games tho.

Philly.  Well rt they have been blowing teams away, lets see what they can do with the tired Spurs.

[westkoast]

Might be the only time of year that I'd pay for that NBA League Pass for that crazy amount of money they charge (or whatever the name is now).  This is going to be a great week for basketball and with no other sports on except hockey we all should be able to get most of the games.

I love how you still think theres some kind of crazy schedule  conspiracy going on lol  Did the Lakers all the sudden only have to play the Spurs twice this year?  Did they get to play EC teams 3-4 times instead?  Are they playing LESS games?  Or maybe they are playing LESS games AND they get longer to finish off their season so they are plenty rested...oh wait, that sounds F'IN RETARDED.

[Reality]

Thanks FRAN
http://forums.phillyarena.net/index.php?topic=4273.0

This would be the time to purchase league pass.  I think they pro rate it.

[westkoast]

Thanks FRAN
http://forums.phillyarena.net/index.php?topic=4273.0

This would be the time to purchase league pass.  I think they pro rate it.

Anytime TBYP 

I don't even want it for the rest of the season though.   Just this week.  It would be nice if they were able to let you purchase the service for just the week.

Of all the matchups for the Lakers im looking forward to the Jazz game the most.  These two teams have really smacked each other up so far this season.  The last Jazz 20+ point victory was brutal.  On top of that I would like to see Carlos Boozer have to work hard against a REAL PF this time around as oppose to getting the night off on defense when Kwame was at that position.

[rickortreat]

The matchup fun started on Monday when the Sixers had their comeuppance at the hands of the Celtics.  I was disappointed in the Sixers effort against the Celtics, even though I really didn't think they could win, I thought they could have played better.

Tonight they go up against the Pistons, also a team known for it's defensive prowess and rebounding.  Due to an injury, Cheeks may be forced to go with a lineup that will actually match up with the Pistons- Miller and Igoudala at guard, Thad Young at Sf, and Dalembert and Evans. It will help the Sixer cause greatly if Rasheed Wallace stays on the sideline.

Both the Sixers and Spurs will be coming off of a game the night before.  The Spurs play Detroit - a tough matchup to be sure, and the Sixers play Chicago who just knocked off Utah.  Although they had a bad game against Boston, the Sixers have been good in back to backs.

Best games in a while, and a lot of them together.  Some teams are really going through a difficult run of games that will impact their records and standings.

[WayOutWest]

Altho Stern allows plenty of rest in between, about time they played some tough SWest Division teams.  This may well be with Houston going for 22 straight.

The Spurs only have themselves to blame.  After last years gifted series vs the Suns, the Spurs asked for an easy early schedule gift.  They should have waited for another playoff gift instead of an easy early schedule gift.  Now they are going to pay the price for an easy cream puff early schedule that has inaccurately inflated their record.  If the Spurs would have had as tough a schedule and road trip as the Lakers they would probably be 5th or 6th in the West.

[rickortreat]

Thanks FRAN
http://forums.phillyarena.net/index.php?topic=4273.0

This would be the time to purchase league pass.  I think they pro rate it.

Anytime TBYP 

I don't even want it for the rest of the season though.   Just this week.  It would be nice if they were able to let you purchase the service for just the week.

Of all the matchups for the Lakers im looking forward to the Jazz game the most.  These two teams have really smacked each other up so far this season.  The last Jazz 20+ point victory was brutal.  On top of that I would like to see Carlos Boozer have to work hard against a REAL PF this time around as oppose to getting the night off on defense when Kwame was at that position.

What are you going to do when Boozer posterizes Pau? 

[Randy]

Rick,

The Jazz have lost 3 times over the past 10 games -- the Lakers have only lost 2 times over the past 10 games.  That obviously proves that the Lakers are far superior to the Jazz, doesn't it?   


As for the rest of this thread: there is going to be some GREAT basketball in the next few weeks -- most of the time we have seen teams winding down for the playoffs but with things so tight in the Western Conference, teams can't take off a night or rest their best players -- it's going to make for some exciting playoff type basketball in the next few weeks.

Does anyone else think that it's pretty twisted that the Celts and Pistons can coast into the playoffs beating up on the Leastern Conference bottom dwellers while the Western Conference playoff teams have to give 120% each night into the playoffs?  The Celts and Pistons won't even have to work hard until the Eastern Conference Playoffs -- pretty sad!!!

[SPURSX3]

Didn't catch the game but the Hornets put a pounding on us last night.   

Hope my squad pulls it together before the playoffs start...

[Reality]

missed it all too.
Looks like the Big 3 did okay and everyone else stunk on O.

Bowen catching some flack for kicking Chris Paul, but look closer, looks like Paul tried giving Bowen a nutt shot ala Jason Terry.

[Randy]

Bruce Bowen is a dirty player -- along the same lines as Dennis Rodman -- they like to take EVERY opportunity for a cheap shot.  Just go to You Tube and type in Bruce Bowen and you can find:  Bowen knees Steve Nash, Bowen kicks Wally World, Bowen kicks Ray Allen, Bowen kicks Chris Paul, Bowen puts foot under Ray Allen, Bowen puts foot under Vince Carter, on and on and on.

You can try to excuse the guy because he plays for the Spurs but the fact is that he IS a dirty player.  It's not just once -- it's over and over and over again.  He is a great defender but he is a dirty player.

[SPURSX3]

missed it all too.
Looks like the Big 3 did okay and everyone else stunk on O.

Bowen catching some flack for kicking Chris Paul, but look closer, looks like Paul tried giving Bowen a nutt shot ala Jason Terry.

of all the realityisms, I think "nutt shot" has to be the funniest thing I have seen you write...

[SPURSX3]

Bruce Bowen is a dirty player -- along the same lines as Dennis Rodman -- they like to take EVERY opportunity for a cheap shot.  Just go to You Tube and type in Bruce Bowen and you can find:  Bowen knees Steve Nash, Bowen kicks Wally World, Bowen kicks Ray Allen, Bowen kicks Chris Paul, Bowen puts foot under Ray Allen, Bowen puts foot under Vince Carter, on and on and on.

You can try to excuse the guy because he plays for the Spurs but the fact is that he IS a dirty player.  It's not just once -- it's over and over and over again.  He is a great defender but he is a dirty player.

You can also search for this by typing in "WAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"   

[westkoast]

Thanks FRAN
http://forums.phillyarena.net/index.php?topic=4273.0

This would be the time to purchase league pass.  I think they pro rate it.

Anytime TBYP 

I don't even want it for the rest of the season though.   Just this week.  It would be nice if they were able to let you purchase the service for just the week.

Of all the matchups for the Lakers im looking forward to the Jazz game the most.  These two teams have really smacked each other up so far this season.  The last Jazz 20+ point victory was brutal.  On top of that I would like to see Carlos Boozer have to work hard against a REAL PF this time around as oppose to getting the night off on defense when Kwame was at that position.

What are you going to do when Boozer posterizes Pau? 

Wait until Pau responds on the other end cuz Boozer couldn't guard Manute Bul 

And to be 100% honest..Bruce Bowen is a top defender still, even tho physically he has lost it, because he gets away with SO much on that end of the floor.  Once you establish yourself as a good defender it's like the refs just automatically figure that you don't foul or something.

[Randy]

Bruce Bowen is a dirty player -- along the same lines as Dennis Rodman -- they like to take EVERY opportunity for a cheap shot.  Just go to You Tube and type in Bruce Bowen and you can find:  Bowen knees Steve Nash, Bowen kicks Wally World, Bowen kicks Ray Allen, Bowen kicks Chris Paul, Bowen puts foot under Ray Allen, Bowen puts foot under Vince Carter, on and on and on.

You can try to excuse the guy because he plays for the Spurs but the fact is that he IS a dirty player.  It's not just once -- it's over and over and over again.  He is a great defender but he is a dirty player.

You can also search for this by typing in "WAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"   

It's okay -- I didn't expect homers to be "realistic" in their viewpoint.  It's obvious what you can't see.  Anyone who thinks that Bowen isn't a dirty player is a Spurs fan.