Real Deal

Good point. I'd rather play Cleveland anyway, or get our revenge on Boston before they all retire. We already took care of Orlando last season, despite the 0-2 record against them in the regular season. As much as I'm worried about the Cavaliers (they are the team that can beat us in seven, IMO), I'd still rather have that match-up. I want the best Finals possible, and you really can't get any better than that.

He was a [expletive] all game long. His hand hit Bryant's face, and even if it barely brushed against his cheek, he shouldn't have fallen right in front of Bryant, an inch away. Stop being so biased and admit Barnes was being a [expletive] to everyone on the court. Mark Jackson was pointing it out, JVG even asked why the hell Barnes was bumping into everyone like he did. The ball fake right in Bryant's face, then he bumped into him right after that...just another example. Illegal screen on Fisher. I wonder what Stu Jackson will do about that ball fake, though. I mean, that's actually considered an unnatural basketball act. Probably nothing.

Ah, well that's cool. So does anyone think Orlando can catch Cleveland?

Forget the thread. Barnes doesn't deserve a topic in this forum. Bryant put him to sleep in the 4th anyways, and it was just a miss by Bryant on that last game-winning shot attempt, definitely not on the level of Wade's shot-contesting, or what elite defenders have done against Bryant in the past. As long as the video is out there, it's all good. Topic closed.

I don't even know why I waste my time on people who root against the Lakers every single game of the season, no matter who the opposing team is. Don't bother looking, because I rarely complain about no-calls. You WOULD say something like that, though. On with the next game.

Go to the rest of the Lakers games this season and show me where I've complained. Find me a few other times, and I'll agree that I'm wrong. Or, just don't bother commenting again.

Wait, what? Barnes elbowed Kobe on the way down from that dunk, clear as day. If you didn't see that, you need to take your star-studded blue glasses off. And the clip doesn't show Barnes drilling Fisher with an illegal screen and knocking him to the floor. That screen was almost as bad as those that Kevin Garnett was laying on smaller point guards, and it was obviously intentional. Punk move by a punk player, who will get lit up, eventually, just like he did in that fourth quarter. Gonna be fun. EDIT: Forearmed him in the face, or hammer fist, whatever you want to call it...right in Kobe's face. Clear as day.

I'm sure a lot of athletes have the same "drinking troubles" as Iverson. It's convenient to write articles like this, and cover this worthless piece of news, when the man is about to lose his wife and possibly his kids, and maybe watch his own daughter die in the process.

Too bad Courtney Lee wasn't defending Kobe. He actually played good defense against him, good physical and legit defense, without the garbage in between. Even Pietrus does it without the baggage. Barnes is a fool.

@Mike_Bresnahan

Haha, okay.

See it for yourself, and listen to Mark Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSxgTJQvzXg And I absolutely love the ball fake, right in Kobe's face, and Bryant doesn't even flinch. Foreshadowing to him dominating Barnes' life the next time they meet.

Bryant = jersey-holding Artest = arm-tapping Garnett = illegal screens Yeah, combine all three and you're correct. Barnes got away with all of that, more than twice for each, today.

The rest of the Magic weren't like Matt, though. I did see the Dwight and Gasol incident, but that's just something that happens every game. Barnes was a mess.

Three Kansas players (meaning Kansas AND K-State) in the Big 12 first team. Sick.

Hardly ever complain, but the refs let Barnes get away with way too much. He set FIVE illegal screens in the game, should've been tossed after two techs, and he was grabbing at Kobe's jersey and holding him twice, hit his arm two times (that I can remember) on jumpers. WEAK. Kobe is going to light him up if they meet in the Finals. You already know it.

Epileptics usually have more seizures than anyone else (that's what epilepsy is), but they have to control it with meds, or else they won't live long. Diabetics have seizures when their blood sugars drop too low, but that's not good at all. I've had six seizures in 16 years from it. Seizures will kill you. They do damage to your brain and/or heart every time. If nobody is around when someone has a seizure, that person is in deep trouble, and you might as well say they would be on their death bed at that point.

Oh well.

Why whine about the calls? The goaltend was legit. It hit the glass first. Two angles, Jermaine's fingers bent at the point of impact after the ball changed direction. It's a goaltend off the glass. The charge was legit. He was there in time, waiting for it, and Kobe went for the foul on the layup. The out-of-bounds call against the Heat was actually out off Gasol's knee. But, the following foul was legit, even if Artest stuck his arm out. They drew contact first. The refs did a great job. On the other hand, Kobe and Artest were the only ones to do a great job in this game. Everyone else needs to practice their defense or go shoot 1,000 shots in the dark tonight.

I think Bryant was already #1 in jersey sales right before he switched to #24. Bryant's reasoning behind the change was because if it being another chapter in his life, to drop the eight that he wore during the worst of times in his career (minus the championships, of course, but you know what I'm referring to) and to dedicated 24 hours a day to the game. And I don't see the big deal with the change for LeBron, either. It's a number, and it's his Olympic number, at that. The way I see it, LeBron thinks Jordan's number should be retired throughout the league. By picking his own number, he's hoping to earn that same respect 20 years from now. And, as far as him changing the number early and indicating he's staying with Cleveland, that's not what it means. He could be undecided right now (as he has stated before), and because of that, he has to request the change when he can, just in case he does stay in Cleveland. Doesn't mean much, so don't look too deep into it, fellas.

Who Will Win? Kansas Who do you want to win it all? Kansas We lost to Tennessee and Oklahoma State. We'll be fine.

If you're going to be here again, don't start out the way you ended.

A sign that Kevin just needs to pass the ball sometimes. http://i50.tinypic.com/ip47ld.jpg

...lol.

It'll be his site the day I die saving the Earth, in 2012. He's in the admin group because he's far less active right now, but still needs that access for multiple reasons.