UPDATED: STEPH STEPS UP THEN CELTS (AND LAKERS) FALL INTO GAME SEVEN, CAVS AND NUGGETS MAKE NEXT STEP AND CUBAN TAKES STEP FOR FORGIVENESS

MARBURY FINDS STROKE AT RIGHT TIME (May Need To Do It Again To Advance To Conference Finals)

Updated: Celtics play tight game six but fold down the stretch as the Magic find their shot and disintegrating Leprechaun interior defense. Game seven in Boston on Sunday. Fanatics, led by O&B, may have a Live Blog Event for this game. Stay tuned and attuned. The Rockets clamp down on the wanna be Champion Lakers for a game seven. Lakers better play big or it will be a Rockets-Nuggets Western Conference Finals. Can you say Chauncey v. LeBron? Stay cool Stern, it hasn’t happened yet.

The best series so far, Celtics v. Magic hits Orlando tonight @ 7pm EST.    This series has provided the most drama and best story lines during a playoff season that seems a bit tired but for the Celtics’ games.  Despite Prince Charles Barkley’s pre-series proclamation of Magic superiority,  the Poweless Celtics aren’t quite as powerless as he thought, even without their defensive general and leader Kevin Garnett.   The Celtics bigs have been able to contain Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard during key stretches with very physical basketball.  For all the talk about how the game has changed, it seems to spring back to old school NBA bball in the playoffs.  Just like last year, the Celtics are being allowed to play a very physical brand of ball and old school Doc makes sure that his bigs (Scalabrine, “Big Baby” Davis, KPerkin and sometimes Mikki Moore) use their fouls.  It is their defensive philosophy that is winning games for them. (Yes, Tman, D’Antoni needs to listen). My favorite storyline though is the barely surprising (to me at least) resurrection of Stephon Marbury on the court as a contributor to the Boston Celtics.  I enjoy it because once again it shows how irrationally hateful and emotional some Knicks fans can be when discussing Marbury.  It certainly is one thing to be critical about his stint in New York which produced more disapointment than cheers, but too many Knicks fans are hateration extremist led by “professional” local reporters or better termed New York “Beat-em up” writers.

When it came to Stephon, Marbury haters claimed that no team would ever want him.  They ignorantly claimed that Marbury was hurting his cause by fighting with Dolan over his money and not giving in.  Yet, Marbury is enjoying the post-season with the World Champions while we are once again coveting OPP (Other People’s Players) and praying that D’Antoni bumps his head on a rim and erase his confusion regarding offense being defense.  Marburyhaters claimed that Marbury was too stupid to deal with Old School Walsh who sports a law degree against Marbury’s Street Graduation Diploma and 20 credits at Georgia Tech.  Yet, Marbury, without an agent or an attorney to take a percentage of his salary, understood enough to know that he would eventually be released so that the Knicks could avoid the luxury tax and that the $400,000 fine was a ruse to try to recoup some chump change at the negotiation table.  Marbury won his freedom right on schedule and  rightfully jetted out of the finished negotiations realizing that he had beaten the big boys despite the naysayers and rantings of Cablevision’s recent acquisition — the sports staff at Newsday.

The Marbury haters then claimed that Marbury would curse the Celtics and drag them down, yet with two of their most important pieces out for the playoffs, the Celtics have not fallen.  In fact, there is a strong chance that they will beat the odds and face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, in part because of the contributions of Stephon Marbury.   Without a doubt, Marbury’s contributions have not been what one would expect of a starting,  so-called “franchise” point guard, but they have been more than one should expect from player who hadn’t played professional ball in almost two years. Marbury has played with consistent defensive effort, although he has looked lost at times.   But, arguably he has provided the Celtics far more than old man Sam Cassells provided during last year’s championship run.  Albeit inconsistently, Marbury has provided Doc with an option to rest Rondo without giving away the game every time.  (I wonder why Doc does not use Mikki Moore more.)

Finally, Marbury’s shot has been terribly off — he is clearly over-thinking, nervous, without his normal confidence and not balanced when hoisting shots — but he focused enough to keep the Celts in game five before they won it down the stretch with their defense.  His final line was 12 points on 50% shooting , two assists and no turnovers in 15 minutes.  Not bad for a nights work in a playoff series most claimed Marbury would never be in.

I’m betting there is more playoff heroics in store for Starbury.

CAVS AND NUGGETS ADVANCE

The Cavs are still resting and awaiting for the winner of the Celtics-Magic series.   I am sticking with my Celtics in six prediction.  Assuming the Celtics win, their series with Cleveland should be a compelling slaughter.  While the Celtics have enough defense to beat up the Magic, a team that tends to disappear for 8-10 minute stretches, they will not be able to contain LeBron & Company.  I do wonder, however, how well the Cavs will defend against the shooters particularly House and Allen; and also whether Pierce will be aggressive long enough to get a couple of wins.

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Chauncey Billups has turned the Denver Nuggets into a legitimate Championship Contender, but the real surprise has been Chris “Birdman” Andersen who has made the Nuggets front line stronger and more physical.  The combination with Nene, Kenyon Martin, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith my prove to be a significant obstacle for the Lakers (should they beat the Rockets as expected).  The Lakers, after last year’s whuppin’ at the hands of the Celtics, have tried to become more physical.  However, physicality is not really the Lakers game.  Gasol, Bynum and Odom may find themselves out muscled by Kenyon, Nene and Birdman.

The gamesmanship should be equally exciting in the backcourt with savvy Chauncey facing the vet Derrick.  Edge Chauncey.    But the real edge is that the Lakers have Kobe and that should be all they need if he is truly Jordanesque.  Kobe increases the intellectual edge that Yoda Jackson has over George Karl since Kobe can be plugged in to accommodate any adjustments needed.  Eventually, I think Kobe or Treva may be used to slow down Chauncey  who is a playoff pro having  appeared in conference finals for seven consecutive years.

I still like the Lakers.  But, I like this series.

APOLOGIA?

What is it with all these playoff apologies? All this “sorry” shyte is. . . well. . . .SORRY.

The media is turning this playoff season into a simulation of a political campaign during which everyone is looking for the slightest bit of controversial spoken word so that someone can demand a public apology for a perceived or insignificant slight.  I can understand the Republicans demanding that Wanda Sykes apologize for comparing Rush Limbaugh to a terrorist who should be tortured.  Surely in a venue where a comedian is supposed to do her thing and crack on politicians who provide enough material for 230+ years of reality TV, there must be some limits.  You can’t have a comedian, an uppity black woman at that, using 9/11 as the punchline for a radio talk show host who patriotically and publicly wished that the president would fail to bring the country back.  How could she dare insinuate that Limbaugh wants his fellow citizens to suffer harm just because he doesn’t support the president? That’s nothing like Terrorism. Terrorists want our nation to collapse and for some of US to lose our lives. Rush simply wants the nation to continue collapsing and for many of US to lose our livelihoods, be unable to feed our children, lose our homes to foreclosure, or not be able to obtain health care or a good education. Shucks, Rush may be terrible but he is no terrorist. He’s just blowing up airwaves with his verbal farts, not controlling the airwaves to blow up buildings. Apologize Wanda, just apologize. . . . Syyyyyyke.

No, no, really, I understand why the Republicans would demand an apology — the main reason is that demanding apologies is a recent marketing technique which provides conflict and content for the media.  Today “apologies = content or compensation”; for the media, “content = compensation”; for Republicans it’s another throw-shyte-on-the-wall-and-see-if-it-turns-into-votes effort at getting some positive recognition. Republicans, you go guys (note women are leaving the party in droves). Just, go.

However I can’t support ESPN making a big deal about Dwight Howard complaining about his coach’s substitution patterns which contributed to a game five loss.   Howard was forced to apologize for being right. What rule book says that he must criticize himself publicly if he calls out his coach? And then the press wasted time and space reporting that the Magic-fan father who was sitting court side demanded an apology from “Big Baby” Davis for running into his kid in excitement after he hit a spectacular game winning shot.  Can we say “Apology means give me free tickets or a pair of autographed shoes.”   Why in the hell should  “Big Baby” apologize?  Dad should ask for an apology from the Magic organization for allowing his azz to sit so close to the action with an imagined expectation that the invisible force field in front of him will keep players from bumping into him and his son.  Or maybe, Big Baby should give him an autographed shoelace to demonstrate how much an apology is warranted in this instance.

Oh and let’s not forget the apology from Mark Cuban after he played the unilateral-dozens with Kenyon Martin’s mama who was just watching her son beat some Maverick booty.  That did not warrant an apology either.  Stern should simply tie Cuban to a backboard and let Kenyon shoot about two hundred jumpers toward the net.  Cuban should get a few welts and bruises for that fopaux.  I love Cuban but that boy gets carried away with his sports toy.  Supposedly getting married and becoming a dad calmed him down — but for a team owner to scream at a player’s mama is unacceptable and instigates more bad behavior.    Still the incident is only significant in that the media needs content and they’ll even take garbage to fill the time.

I am demanding apologies too, goddarnit:

I demand that God apologize for creating the Boston Celtics;
I demand that David Stern apologize for not rigging the lottery so the Knicks could get LeBron earlier;
I demand that James Dolan apologize for being born to Charles Dolan;
I demand that Statesman apologize for being wrong 70% of the time;
I demand that Charles Oakley apologize for growing old and leaving the Knicks;
I demand that En Vogue apologize for ignoring my phone calls and cat calls;

[Oh, I apologize for pointing out that Marbury is smarter and happier than some of his hating Knicks fans.  I really do feel bad that Walsh wasted so much time getting rid of Marbury when he could have done it in the pre-season and damaging our playoff hopes in the process with trades purportedly designed to improve the D’Antoni offense. I am sorry we are not in the playoffs instead of Marbury. ]

Quote of the Day

“Mark has apologized on his blog and he will be reaching out to Kenyon personally. We are confident that this will be brought to an intelligent close with an adult conversation.”

[Almost sounds like something the FBA (Fanatics Blog Association) would say about a confrontation between Peaceman and African. “PEACEMAN has apologized on his blog and he will be reaching out to AFRICAN personally. We are confident that this will be brought to an intelligent close with an adult conversation.”)  KNOT. ROFLMAO]

KNOTES

Getting bizzy in the hizzy: DLT, O&B, Tman, Steady, Cooleyhigh, Peaceman, IGM, Post-Up Prince, Modi & Lives . . . New Tweeple following the Fanaticals –Welcome @teetee65. . . .David Lee got four points in the All-NBA team voting. . . . The first team included center Dwight Howard (Orlando), forwards LeBron James (Cleveland) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), and guards Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dwyane Wade (Miami). James, the league’s most valuable player, was named to the first team on all 122 ballots. . . . You can read about Isiah’s interview  on the Dan Patrick Radio show here.