If the Playoffs Begin Today...

Eastern Conference
1. 1 Detroit Pistons vs 8 Chicago Bulls (Pistons lead series 4-0)
2. 2 Miami Heat vs 7 Washington Wizards (Heat lead series 4-0)
3. 3 New Jersey Nets vs 6 Indiana Pacers (Pacers lead series 2-1)
4. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs 5 Milwaukee Bucks (Cavs lead series 3-1)


Western Conference
1. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs 8 Sacramento Kings (Spurs lead series 2-1)
2. 2 Phonix Suns vs 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Suns lead series 3-0)
3. 3 Denver Nuggets vs 6 Los Angeles Clippers (Clippers lead series 3-1)
4. 4 Dallas Mavericks vs 5 Memphis Grizzlies (Mavs lead series 3-1

(Some) NBA Team Images

I found some useful signature images you can use on your favorite NBA boards you're posting around. These images are from userbars.com and they offer a wide variety of images, ranging from brands, images, others and of course sports.

Anyhow, I'd like to put some NBA teams here (because not all teams are available) and you can copy them and put it in your signature to save some space. Because some posters these days have signatures that takes more than half of their post and it's irritating sometimes.

NBA FAN


Altanta Hawks


Boston Celtics


Charlotte Bobcats


Chicago Bulls (not available)

Cleveland Cavaliers


Dallas Mavericks


Denver Nuggets


Detroit Pistons


Golden State Warriors


Houston Rockets


Indiana Pacers


Los Angeles Clippers


Los Angeles Lakers


Memphis Grizzlies (not available)

Miami Heat


Milwaukee Bucks


Minnesota Timberwolves (not available)

New Jersey Nets (not available)

New Orleans/Oklahoma Nets (not available)

New York Knicks


Orlando Magic (not available)

Philadelphia 76ers


Phoenix Suns (not available)

Portland Trailblazers (not available)

Sacramento Kings (not available)

San Antonio Spurs (not available)

Seattle Supersonics (not available)

Toronto Raptors (not available)

Utah Jazz (not available)

Washington Wizards (not available)


There's a tutorial on how to make one. If you can create some images to those teams that's not available for the moment, can you please email to me so I can put it here. Credits will be given. Thanks.

Ron Artest Redefining Free Agency

Read whole article here

This isn't like free agency; this is better than free agency. With free agency, if nobody wants to sign you, you don't play and don't get paid. With Artest free agency, you get your guaranteed money plus you wield the power to ensure the most personally beneficial deal.

...

Give it up to Artest, though.

He has turned into a master puppeteer. He's playing the NBA like a cello. Intentionally? Unintentionally? Genius is rarely understood in its time.

Of course, all of this could change in a heartbeat. For all I know, the minute this column goes into print and lands with a thud on your doorstep, Artest will have straightened out this whole thing and Stojakovic will have put a down payment on a condo in Geist.

Ron Artest is a real freak. A player with a brain like a 4 year old. I hope if the Pacers can't get trade soon, which I doubt by the way, they'll put him the inactive list all through his contract years. Or better yet, the league should step in and ban this backstabbing moron from playing in the NBA.

Don't get me wrong. I like Artest as a player. He's unstoppable when he puts his mind in the game. But I think his mind ran out faster than our unreliable vending machine rans out of soda.

Smokin' Sunday

The NBA had one of its best games last night. If they want a thrilling, high-scoring night, then 2 of the 9 featured games last Sunday might be one of the most explosive games we've seen to this date, this modern times.

Seatte Supersonics 152, Phoenix Suns 149

What happens when two hot-shooting teams running up and down the court and shooting a lot of 3s regardless of the defense they put up with each other? The result: an old-fashion high scoring, fast-paced game at the Suns' valley.

Allen shoots one of his fadeaway jumper

Take for example the double time win of the Seattle Supersonics over the hosting Phoenix Suns. For this type of game, the more shots you knock down the better chances of winning. And with both teams doing fairly well lighting up the scoreboards as they shot over the 500 mark with a combined 32 3-point shots made, breaking the previous record of 31 set by the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia Sixers last March 31st of last year.

Ray Allen's 30-foot jumper broke a 149 deadlock and an impending triple overtimes earning the Sonics a well deserved win. And the Sonics know that when you're playing the Suns, there's no stopping them from scoring. And the only way to beat them is really outscoring them from all over the floor. And I mean even at the mid-court with time winding down at the second extra period.


Los Angeles Lakers 122, Toronto Raptor 104

If the Suns and the Sonics put up a great show for both of their fans, this time it's all about Kobe Bryant. It's a one-man show, like Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports said.

Kobe against a phalanx of Raptor defenders

Bryant scored 81 points, 19 shy away from the impeccable 100-point record of Wilt Chamberlain, and most importantly won this game for his team.

What amazes me is that the Raptors didn't had a bad game either. And the Lakers we're even down 16 points at one point. Then Kobe's killer instinct and heart of a winner kicked off. He made 28-46 FGs (7-13 from rainbow teritorry) and 18-20 from the charity stripes. He also had 6 rebounds and 2 assists to go along with it.

Kobe looking at the scoreboard and making a mental calculation on how many points he needs to score 100+.. Hehe I'm just joking

I'm quite sure a lot of his critizer would surface again and would ridicule his one-man show last night. But who really cares? I mean they won and it was really a great display of individual talent. And you can't see that in modern times now. I always said I'm not a Kobe fan or basher, but with the way he's playing right, I think the guy needs the credit he deserved. And more significantly, the story now is not just all by himself, but his Lakers who are climbing up the playoffs ladder for the first time in 2 years without the Big Daddy.


credits: photos by Yahoo Sports

The Brawl Part 2?

Well, almost.

The incident that happened last night at the Bulls-Knicks game was a drunk fan confronting a player who rushed into the stands away from making it another Brawl, part 2.

Antonio Davis of the New York Knicks dashed from the court and entered the stands, apparently in the aid of his wife whom he saw was falling down and being heckled by a fan, in the overtime period which the Bulls won via a Ben Gordon buzzer-beater. Do you think he made a good decision? I say hell no.

We all know what happened and the effects of the infamous brawl that took place in the Palace one year and 2 months ago when Ron Artest of the Indiana rushed to the fans' territory after being hit by a cup thrown by a wild fan. Well, it has almost the same situation, only this time no one was hurt from punches or debris thrown. Though Davis' desire to protect his wife was very noble, it is very difficult to say what if some spectators decided to do something crazy, maybe worse than throwing a cup in his face. Good thing the fans just booed and pointed at him while he was making his way towards his wife. If he fears that there was no security, I believe it would be the Bulls' management fault if something happens to his wife. Moments like a wild game like this, the management should be in control of all fans reactions, and security personnels should be in sight.

As for his suspension, David Stern would probably give him a 5-game suspension at least for entering the stands, and risking a lot for him, his team, the players, the fans and the league. It's a simple rule not to ever go outside the court and that was proven dangerously a mistake to break it at The Brawl part 1.


Photos by: Yahoo Sports

NBA Games - Radio Broadcasts

Do you live in a country where basketball is as scarce as waters on deserts/outbacks? Or a place where football is much popular that it gets 99% of air time on your cable channels? Worse 1% of it is divided into tennis, golf, rugby and cricket. Rugby and cricket? Man, I don't know those stuffs.

Okay I’m just exaggerating here. Let’s say you’re a basketball addict who before coming here in my current location was seeing NBA games thrice a day and 7 days a week. Not including reading different sports magazines dedicated solely for the one game you always loved. My girlfriend even told me that I’m hard to talk to when my eyes are glued on the tube, whether it’s the NBA, the college ball or our local PBA games is on hand. But then the big adjustment came when I relocated. I’d be lucky if I can watch once a week of NBA games on TV and most of my basketball inputs are coming from a lot of internet sources. Watching it live (I mean on TV)is very much different from just looking at the stat sheets compiled by these sources. But wait, there’s a solution I can give you on it.

Internet radios. If you can’t watch it, listen to it. One site I most recommend it the TheGameLive. It has all the sports you need to listen and most importantly NBA basketball. Broadcasts right from the very action is and actually hearing all the dramas that takes place in and out the court. The site is very much easy to navigate and just click on your favorite teams and presto! Listen to the game as it happens.

Anyway, since I’m using this and maybe late on this one do you want to suggest any site much preferable to go and watch or listen for games? Please just leave a comment. Thanks.

Yet Another Case of a Nutcase

Steve Franchise Suspended Indefinitely
Yahoo Link

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic indefinitely suspended Steve Francis because he refused to play late in the fourth quarter of a blowout, two newspapers reported Friday.
...
Magic spokesman Joel Glass told The Associated Press on Friday the team had no comment on the reports. Orlando has said only that Francis was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team."
...
Video footage showed Hill pointing to Francis to check into the game. However, the point guard shook his head, said something to Hill and did not get up from the bench. Hill approached Francis and the two continued to talk. Stacey Augmon replaced
Turkoglu.

What the hell is happening to the players now. They're refusing to follow a simple coach's instruction of getting in the ballgame? Who cares if you're blown-out or not. As long as you're a player, the coach has every power for you to follow, maybe of course if it's not morally good (like hurting the opponent's best player). Players sometimes under value such instructions which can cause serious problems in team chemistry if allowed to continue.

Steve Franchise is a talented player, yes very talented. But his attitude is sometimes getting in his game. He's playing way below his average this season and don't be surprised if he ask to be traded sometime after this incident. I'm sure he'll be unhappy with his ballclub now that the suspension came out. Yet, another Ron Artest in the making dont you think?

Photos courtesy of Yahoo Sports