Your First Team in the NBA Finals is……

For the 2nd time in 2 seasons the Los Angeles Lakers are champions of the NBA’s Western Conference. A 119-92 destruction over the Denver Nuggets. Kobe Bryant put up 35 points on 12-20 shooting, 9-9 from the stripe (the Lakers as a team did not miss a free throw). That was nothing short of embarrassing for Denver, and even worse for the birthday boy Carmelo Anthony, who shot just 6-17 as he turned 25. Kudos to the Nuggets fans though for giving a standing ovation for their team, as they really had a special season. I guarantee you not many people expected them to go this far. They really should be looked upon as strong favorites to make the NBA Finals next year.

I’ve got to eat some crow since I picked the Nuggets to win. The Lakers finally showed up and wiped out a great team on the road in an elimination game. Kobe was fantastic. Trevor Ariza is earning his starting spot with the way he is shooting and playing solid defense. Luke Walton is doing a fantastic job at being a warm body.

Of the 3 remaining teams, the Lakers and Magic look the strongest. Cleveland has really been exposed and frankly I think Orlando would match up well against LA.

Congratulations to the Lakers on a repeat, and now we await the winner in the Eastern Conference.

What the Losers Are Saying #3

This is a new segment called What the Losers are Saying, which features links and quotes from an array of sports blogs talking about the team they cover or the team they support……laying a giant egg and losing. Look for this to be more frequent come NFL season.

Due to a lack of  major losers last night, today’s edition of WTLAS will cover an entire week of failure. Trips will be made to Raleigh (again), Manchester, Chicago, Denver, and Orlando. Our Manchester stop will be the first one outside of the United States, but instead going across the pond to England.

Raleigh

The Carolina Hurricanes seemed to be a team of destiny.  They survived two game 7’s on the road, repeatedly overcame deficits in each previous series, and went on to defeat heavily favored opponents in rounds one and two.  But the storybook postseason came to an end against the Pittsburgh Penguins last night as last year’s Eastern Conference Champions captured the Prince of Wales Trophy once again by sweeping the Hurricanes at the RBC, 4-1. – Bubba from Canes Country lamenting on the Hurricanes’ season ending 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penuins on Monday.

As soon as I saw Cam Ward misjudge where the puck was I knew it was over. It was already a lot to ask to come back from a 3-0 deficit, but the Hurricanes finally ran out of luck against a superior team. There will be no repeat of 2005-06, and there will be no third miracle. It was a great season for Carolina, but it’s somewhat disappointing to have it all come crashing down in 4 games.

Manchester

In the wake of what was bad night for United, not unexpectedly, the critics and enemies of the club in the media have enjoyed a field day. The BBC sport website used the headline “United outclassed”, which is stretching the facts somewhat. United were not outclassed at all, yes they lost the game and mistakes were made, but the champions of England were NOT given a football lesson. – James Ryddel from A Kick in the Grass on Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Final on Wednesday

I will gladly disagree. Barcelona outclassed, outhustled, outpassed, outran, outcrossed, outthrowined, and every other made-up word involving “out”  in that match. While Anderson/Park/Giggs is the worst possible midfield combination to stop Barcelona, there was nothing generated offensively after the 10th minute.

Chicago

I have volunteered to try and sum this up tonight.  I could go into a breakdown of the game, but would you really want to read it?  Yeah, me either.  There was so much good:  The fight, the effort, Huet.  But some bad too:  Far too many turnovers in our own zone, another bench minor, and of course, a loss.

I’m sure there will be some people rushing to say this absolves Huet of everything, and he was great.  And I’m sure there will be others who will remain unconvinced, and that’s fair.  All I’ll say is I’m fully confident that Huet can match what Khabby did this postseason, and if the players in front of him improve, maybe it’s enough for a Cup.  Maybe it’s not, time will tell. – SamFels from Second City Hockey after the Chicago Blackhawks saw their season end 2-1 in OT to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

It’s okay Chicago…..I’m rooting for the Red Wings to be swept in the Stanley Cup too. This Blackhawks team should be scary good next season, which is why the Canucks should avoid them for as long as possible.

Denver

The Denver Nuggets suffered a heart breaking 103-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in game five of the Western Conference Finals, the question we will not know for a another couple of days is if it was a back breaking loss as well.

The sad thing is it was Denver’s game to lose.  After going up 71-64 and 7:23 remaining in the third quarter Denver crumbled like a week old muffin. – Jeremy from Roundball Mining Company after the Nuggets fell 103-94 to the Los Angeles Lakerse in the WCF…..again on a Wedsneday.

I don’t know what to think. Part of me says that the Nuggets will force game 7 and win at the Staples Center, and another part says Denver will fold. JR Smith still can’t shoot consistently and Chauncey Billups has been hot-and-cold. But Chris Andersen blocks everything and you can always expect something from Carmelo Anthony. Time for the Nuggets team that stifled just about everyone not named Kobe Bryant to show up for game 6 tonight to see if they have what it takes to destroy the NBA’s ratings as we know it.

Orlando

This game resembled the previous two games in this series held in Cleveland, as the Cavs–possibly aided by a raucous crowd at Quicken Loans Arena–got off to a hot start before regressing sharply to the mean. In this instance, “hot start” means hitting 10 of their first 11 shots, and leading by as many as 22 points. Indeed, the score at the 1:47 mark of the first period showed the Cavs had a 34-12 advantage. Thing is, they didn’t do anything differently on offense, except for the whole “ball going in the basket” part. Same drive-and-kick action. It added up to non-James Cavaliers shooting 27-of-52 from the field and 9-of-16 from three-point range. Cleveland has waited all series for its role-players to show up. Unfortunately for Orlando, tonight was that night. Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson combined for 35 points on 19 attempts, with 2 turnovers. They accounted for all 9 of Cleveland’s three-pointers. Good luck beating the Cavaliers when they have the drive-and-kick going. – Ben Q. Rock from Third Quarter Collapse talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers staving off elimination from the NBA Playoffs with a 112-102 win over the Orlando Magic.

Orlando is going to win game 6. But when will they start to consistently show up in the first quarter on the road? They can’t pull off this Houdini stuff all of the time. Last night was somewhat of an example. A 22 point deficit turns into a 6 point lead, which turned into a 10 point loss. The three point shot didn’t fall, and so did Orlando in game 5.

LeBron James = Legend. Tell me he’s not 24 and he’s not taking over down the stretch both assisting and scoring in the 4th quarter. That was amazing to see. I thought he was out of gas after his 4 previous performances in this series. Alas, he found a second wind and with the help of Daniel Gibson and Mo Williams, got a season-saving win.

With all that said, Orlando is still winning game 6.

That is all! WTLAS will be back next week, and after the NBA and NHL playoffs are over will take a vacation until football season comes around.

Martin Tyler and Andy Gray: Now in Remix Form!

The Rematch is Confirmed

Memphis Accused of Major NCAA Violations

College basketball season is about 5 months away and already we’ve got a bombshell. The NCAA has accused Memphis of major violations during the 2007-08 Final Four season under John Calipari. According to the AP, this includes some good ol’ SAT lying!

The allegations include “knowing fraudulence or misconduct” on an SAT exam by a player on that season’s team, which finished runner-up in the NCAA tournament, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis reported on its Web site. The university received the notice on Jan. 16.

Lamar Chance, spokesman for the basketball program, declined comment Wednesday night when contacted by The Associated Press.

Kentucky, where Calipari became coach on March 31, said Calipari “was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time.”

In a statement late Wednesday, Kentucky said Calipari had received a letter from the NCAA saying he was not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in the case.

What is not noted is that if they are guilty, they may have to forfeit their fantastic season in which they were made free throws away from being national champions. I’m quite sure Kentucky will still want to keep an eye on Calipari, as they already have a history of committing violations (see Eddie Sutton).

Way to screw up a good thing. What schools will do to get their top players and eventually money. In the end it’s all a business isn’t it?

Time to Play Conspiracy Theory!

The 2009 NBA Playoffs to me has been somewhat off, especially the conference finals. At this point the only way the NBA can prove to me that this league is not fixed, is by having an Orlando/Denver final. Not only will it probably have XFL-like ratings (not really for those who are willing to jump on that), but it will deny any possibility of having a Kobe vs. LeBron showdown.

Right now the Orlando Magic are deservedly up 3-1 over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the series. It’s a precarious position. The officiating has been remarkably bad for 4 solid games. Dwight Howard was erroneously fouled out in game 3, so they decided to have him not foul out at least 4 times last night. What used to be a charge is now a blocking foul. The calls for both teams have been pathetic.

However, my conspiracy is that the NBA (more specifically ABC) is probably satisfied with either outcome of the Eastern Conference finals. Here’s why:

• If Cleveland wins then they will be guaranteed a superstar matchup. It would be LeBron vs. either Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony.
• If Orlando wins they will have killed any dream matchup, but it’s party time for ABC. Not necessarily the network itself, but the owners. ABC/ESPN is Disney-owned. They’ve been, for lack of a better phrase, “whoring out” Disney resorts in Orlando for years now. That includes something as simple as having ESPN host programs and contests in some Disney place. What I’m sure the Disney folks are hoping is that hosting the NBA Finals could see tons of Disney-related possibilities, marketing potentials, and a lot of revenue. With school just about over they’ll be crapping out cash when they go to the bathroom with kids and adults alike. Orlando is virtually ABC’s home away from home. This will only apply if Denver doesn’t make it as well. Whether or not it is good for the ratings remains to be seen, which leads me to my next point….

The Denver Nuggets are tied the Los Angeles Lakers 2-2 in the Western Conference finals heading into tonight’s game 5 in Los Angeles. Denver is probably two proper in-bounds passes away from sweeping LA. Then again, you could say if the refs correctly called JR Smith for stepping into the jump circle way too early in game 2 that the Lakers could be up 3-1.

A long series, well played, and the Lakers have stolen home court from Denver after losing it in game 2. My next conspiracy!.

• If the Lakers advance to the finals with Orlando than the NBA will be happy and ESPN/ABC would be in heaven. A Magic vs. Lakers matchup may not be the dream final of Cavaliers vs. Lakers, but it’s potentially a win-win. I’ve already mentioned the Disney money-earning potential on the Orlando side, but they would get their ratings from the 2nd largest television market in the country.
• Should Denver advance, there is no way they’ll let Orlando win. They’ll stretch that series to a 7th game if they have to.

It all seems scripted. I just have a feeling that Cleveland is going to rally, win game 7, while the Lakers do what they need to do, so that the NBA won’t look like total idiots in having countless commercials involving Kobe and LeBron even in puppet form. The ideal matchup is Cavaliers vs. Lakers. It’s no secret that’s what they want. But even if they try and fix it and one of them fails, they’ll still try and maximize ratings. They want nothing to do with Orlando vs. Denver regardless of the potential top quality and high-energy play they bring.

Personally, I think Orlando/Denver would be fun to watch. They’ve played some of the best basketball and have played equal (in Orlando’s case better) basketball than their supposedly superior opponents.

But the NBA, like any other North American league, is about politics. I will guarantee you that they’ll do everything within their power to avoid a Nuggets vs. Magic series.

I want to think that this isn’t fixed. But with the close games and poor officiating it all seems as if I’m being played for a fool.
My respect and love for the NBA dropped off somewhere after the Lakers won their last championship. No more NBC, no more best-of-5, the Tim Donaghy scandal, and now the advertising of Kobe and LeBron when they may both not reach the finals.

It all seems very suspicious to me.

OMG, Cam Ward

Rematch anyone? With a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ remarkable turnaround season marches on to the Stanley Cup Final. In all likelihood they will face the Detroit Red Wings, the team that beat them in 6 games to claim the cup last year. Last night the Penguins sealed their fate with a 4-1 win in Raleigh. The game-winning goal was scored by Maxime Talbot with under a minute remaining in the first period. It’s not what you think though, it’s one of the softest goals you’ll ever see conceded by a goaltender.

“OMG.” – Daryl Reaugh

“That stands for ‘Oh my god’ right?” – Joe Beninati

One of the cruelest of ways to go out, isn’t it? Congratulations to the Penguins for somehow getting back to the SCF, because not too long ago they were out of the playoff picture. Under Dan Bylsma they climbed their way to the #4 seed, rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to beat the #2 seed Washington Capitals, and now take care of the Cinderella #6 seed Carolina Hurricanes.

More thanks to Pittsburgh for ending this series early, as Joe Beninati on Versus, and Bob Cole on the CBC no longer have to make us cringe listening to them on the TV.

Nasty Sports Injuries: Buti Ngulube

WARNING: If you’re the squeamish type then do not continue after the jump. This is a horrifying injury.

Dennis Eckersley is the Most Hilarious Analyst on TV

Newcastle and Middlesbrough Relegated From the Barclays Premier League

Huge drama today in the final round of the Barclays Premier League season. Literally dozens of you who check this site have seen all the coverage of the relegation battle.

Hull City, in 17th place, needed a Newcastle loss to Aston Villa to guarantee them safety. Even better, if Hull defeated Manchester United they would be playing Premier League football next season. However, in the 24th minute disaster struck for Hull when Darren Gibson’s wonderstrike gave the champions (who were fielding players from the practice squad and benchwarmers) the lead.  Only 8 minutes later, at Villa Park, an own goal by Damien Duff meant Aston Villa were ahead.

Middlesbrough were needing a miracle to stay in the Premier League. Instead they lost 2-1 and were relegated. Their outcome was somewhat inevitable. Boro fans were only wasting their time looking at the other scores.

The tension continued at the KC Stadium and Villa Park. Newcastle would’ve stayed up as a weird Jose Enrique cross went just inches wide of the post with minutes to go. Never meant as a shot, but as long as the ball ends up in the net. It didn’t for Newcastle, Canadian defender David Edgar was sent off with his second yellow card in stoppage time, leaving them with 10 men. The final whistle blew at the KC Stadium, Hull losing 1-0 to Manchester United. The PA announcer said all they needed to know, and that was Newcastle had also lost.

Hull are safe. Newcastle are down after 16 years in the top flight. Middlesbrough are down after 12 years.

Hull’s fans stormed onto the pitch in celebration. In their first ever year in the top division of English football, they survived the relegation battle.

There will be more thoughts on this on Tuesday (you thought I’d be posting on Memorial Day didn’t you?). But for now, Newcastle, once one of the elite teams in England not even a few years ago, are out of the Premier League on an own goal.

BREAKING NEWS: Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia is stepping down, having just kept them in the Premier League minutes after. They were unlikely to go down, they did lose to Chelsea 3-2 today but were safe with Hull and Newcastle losing. Big big news and the offseason hasn’t lasted all of 30 minutes!