A Great 24 Hours of Sports (and the bad officiating that went with it)

Thursday night and Friday morning were what being a sports fan is all about.  Two huge games that were battled to the very end by teams that left everything they had on the court (or pitch).  Since it came first, lets talk about the NBA Finals Game 7 first.  I haven't written about this series at all, so let me go ahead and say I desperately wanted the Celtics to win.  Not because I really like the Celtics, but because I just really don't like the Lakers.  But regardless, this game was exactly what defensive basketball is all about.   That is why it pained me as a sports fan to see the horrendous officiating in the 4th quarter.  The Celtics couldn't help but foul the Lakers with the way the refs were calling the game.  Towards the end there was a possession where Garnett "fouled" Gasol even though he had his hands tucked into his chest to avoid fouling at all costs. And this was far from an isolated incident.  I'm not saying the Lakers didn't deserve the title, I'm just not happy with the way it happened.  I've got a couple other observations from the game as well.  Even though he played well, the Celtics did the smart thing by putting the ball is Artest's hands in the 4th quarter.  If you watch him for any length of time, it becomes clear that he is not fundamentally good at the game of basketball.  Yes, he is a great defender and very athletic, but when it comes to shooting, passing, and dribbling, Artest is a gamble every time he touches the ball.  Also, even though he is an awful shooter, Rondo's 3-pointer at the very end of the game was absolutely incredible.  He got the rebound about halfway between the basket and the 3-point line, dribbled out, and immediately turned around and drilled a huge shot without really squaring himself up.  If he can ever develop a jump shot, he could entire the Lebron-Kobe-Wade level of superstardom

I was going to make this post all about the NBA Finals, but then I watched the USA soccer game today.  That game serves as a perfect example of how our team operates.  We always play to the level of our opponent.  And we can only play well when no one believes in us.  During the first half, when we were supposed to be doing well, our team was just short of terrible.  Slovenia easily had the game in hand.  But in the second half, with the game already out of reach, we came out and absolutely dominated.  That was a second half for the ages.  Donovan's goal was exactly the type of performance we need from our best player if we are going to be serious contenders.  And Altidore's header to Bradley's foot for the second score was one of the prettiest goals I've seen since I started really watching soccer.  And then there was the third goal.  The goal that was going to cap off one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history.  The goal that would have propelled us into the knockout rounds.  The goal that got absolutely robbed from our boys.  I totally agree with the referee that there was holding on that play (I really don't think play is the right term, so if someone know better, please let me know).  And it was on Slovenia.  Bob Bradley says he saw three separate US players being held by Slovenian players.  I don't know enough about soccer to recognize that many, but I know what the Slovenian player was doing to Michael Bradley stopped just short of assault.  And much like in football where holding happens on every block during every player, in soccer holding happens on every player during every set piece.  The rule for the refs is you only make the call if the penalty is blatant.  And there is no blatant USA holding on that play.  Regardless of the fact that it should of been a win, we should still be proud of our team's comeback in the second half.  We are still in a great position to advance and make it to the knockout rounds, where anything can happen.  Go USA!

What a set of finals!

This is going to be a short, excited post today. Short because I am packing and leaving for the beach today. And excited because wow, what a turn the conference finals have taken! Last time I wrote about the Suns and Magic, they seemed dead in the water. Since then so much has changed. In the East, momentum is wholly in Orlando's court. Jameer Nelson is showing that it is possibly to outplay the fantastic Rajon Rondo. Rashard Lewis has re-discovered his 3-point shot and is once again an offensive force. And Dwight Howard is bullying every big man the Celtics throw at him. [Isn't amazing that they are accomplishing all of this without any major contribution from Vince Carter. Imagine if they still had the Hedo Turkoglu.] Last time I wrote about them, I said the Magic had a 5% chance of winning this series. After watching the last two games, they now have an even 50% chance of winning the East. And out West, the Suns have captured lightening in a bottle. Beyond a rejuvenated Amare and they absurdly deep and talented bench, the Suns swept the Lakers in the desert and came within 2 points of stunning the champs at home. Still, LA is undefeated at home and when both teams play to their full potential is vastly superior, so they stil must be considered the heavy favorite. The Suns new odds to win are 35%. However these two series end up, it should be an incredible ride!

Can the Suns pull the upset?

Short answer, absolutely. The way these playoffs have been going, anything is possible (as KG would say). However, for things to break the Phoenix way, a couple things have to happen.

First and foremost, they are going to have to find a way to steal at least one win in LA. Obviously, the Suns have to win at least one game on the road to win the series. Realistically, the Suns are going to need to win two games in Hollywood because the Lakers will inevitably have a tour de force game on the road in Phoenix. The Celtics-Cavs series showed many times over what a great team can do if faced with a must win game. That being said, Phoenix can win this series if they find a way to win on the road.

To have any shot in this series, the Suns are also going to have to run the Lakers off of the court, and then run some more. Luckily, these Suns are built to win exactly this way. The OK City Thunder showed that the Lakers can be beat by a running team. Unfortunately, the Thunder were eliminated because they couldn't sustain their fast break dominance over an entire series. If the Suns can find a way to do what the Thunder couldn't, a shot in the finals will be theirs.

Finally, the Suns need for Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire to have the series's of their lives. Lets deal with Nash first. The only position on the floor where the Suns maintain a clear positional advantage is point guard. Therefore, they need Nash to dominate his matchup with Derek Fisher. There are rumors that the Lakers will attempt to negate this advantage by guarding Nash with Kobe. However, Nash's three-headed skill set of shooting the three, nailing free throws, and threading the needle with his passing should allow him to play at a high level regardless of who is covering him. Plus, if Nash can occupy all of Kobe's energy, one of the Sun's outside shooters (most likely Jason Richardson) should be able to heat up.

More importantly, the Suns NEED Amare to turn in a truly dominating performance. The Lakers greatest strength is their gigantic front court. If Phoenix can get their offense up and running, they may be able to send 7-footer Andrew Bynum to the pine, leaving Stoudemire to match up with 7-footer Pau Gasol. However, if they are forced to play a half-court game, Amare is going to need to hold his own versus both big men. Throw in 6-foot-10 Lamar Odom and it becomes apparent how daunting of a task Amare faces (Note: if Robin Lopez can play, that gives the Suns a 7-footer and true center to help them battle the Lakers' twin towers).

While these points are the most important, the Suns need some other things to break their way as well. Specifically, the Suns could use some top-shelf defense by Grant Hill, a couple hot outside shooters, and at least some minutes from Lopez. Considering all of these factors, I must pick the Lakers despite my desire to see Phoenix win. I think Phoenix will steal one on the road, but ultimately it will be Lakers in 6.