DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK

Quotable:"We just wet the bed. A nice big one, too. One of the ones you can't put a towel over. It was terrible." Kobe Bryant (sans Game 4 Lakers loss)


The Boston Celtics got banged around, outscored, and outrebounded but in the course of one quarter, the third quarter, they managed to bring an 18 point deficit within two points heading into the fourth quarter. This series the Celtics have dominated the third quarter making it a pivotal time in which to secure a win for 3 out of 4 games. Strategy? Not hardly.

The Lakers took an early lead, steadily keeping the Celtics at bay by as much as 24 points. With Lamar Odom and Paul Gasol playing off each other in a sequence of touch passes and pick and rolls combined with key plays by Kobe, Sasha Vuyacic, Vladimir Radmanovic and Derek Fisher, Lakers’ offense seemed unstoppable. That is until Paul Pierce launched a three with 6:56 left to go in the 3rd quarter. Watching what transpired from this point on was far from watching paint dry and more like a descent into every Lakers’ fan own personal brand of hell when talking about the rivalry between LA and Boston. Cringe! Another consecutive Boston win and on Lakers’ turf that is.

So where did the Lakers’ go wrong and when did the Celtics’ go right? Point blank when Boston’s status as number one defensive team in the league came rushing back to them. In a chain of events made up of drives to the hole by Ray Allen and off the bench 20 foot plus jumpers by Eddie House of all players, Boston put LA’s legendary triangular offense on LOCK, forcing turnovers and taking advantage of LA’s lack of interior defense. Some questionable calls by Phil Jackson such as benching Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom just when they got the hot hand only fueled the Lakers’ scoring drought. The buckets that previously rained in Southern California dried up as Kobe’s 8 assists for crucial shots by Derek Fisher during the first half just weren’t enough to keep the Celtics from gaining the momentum that the Lakers’ possessed throughout most of the game. Ray Allen was enigmatic and tireless, Paul Pierce caught a second wind that proved crucial to the Lakers’ demise.

The honorary Lakers’ fan in me is as stunned as any other Laker enthusiast. Not only did Boston manage to raise the stakes in the series and gain the competitive advantage but the son of guns overcame the largest half-time deficit in the NBA Finals history in the shot clock area at 18 points. Previous records had been set at 14 points by get this, Lakers’ opponents! If anyone should be calling foul on game rigging should be Jerry West. Take notes Tim Donaghy, no team down 3-1 in the Finals has ever come back to win the championship. With a 5 out of 6 win-loss record against the Lakers’ during the regular season, is it any wonder really that history was made Thursday night? Things don’t look pretty in the City of Angels as Game 5 takes place in the Garden in Boston Sunday. With the Celtics being one game away from their first championship in 21 years, the 0-6 road record epidemic, inconsistent scoring by Big Three members, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in addition to the perils of having a young bench seem almost irrelevant.

Well the bench and Big Three certainly showed up in Game 4. As part of a 21-3 run, Eddie House hit two shots from three point land followed by a 10-1 run highlighted by a dunk by P.J.Brown to close the third quarter. A jumper by Leon Powe tied the game for the first time since the first quarter at 73. Saying it was all downhill from there would be a firm grasp on the obvious.

“We sucked it up. We said we weren't going to back down. At the end of the third quarter I looked up at the scoreboard and told the fellas. We just have to go out there and compete and let the chips fall where they may.'' Paul Pierce said.
While the odds are certainly stacked against them, the Finals’ favorites find themselves in a precarious position to have their asses handed to them yet again. Though the same analysts and fair weather fans are already jumping ship calling for a Lakers’ concession … “It Ain’t Over ‘Til The Fat Lady Sings!”

Game 5 Sunday – Lakers at Boston @ 8:30PM EST

Related Links:

Lakers Have A Collapse For The Ages
Phil Jackson Master of Disaster?
Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals Coverage
Top 10 Best Moments in Celtics-Lakers Post Season History

LEBRON OVERRATED? JAY-Z "BLOWS THE WHISTLE"

Quotable:"Who the f*** is overrated? If anything, they under paid him. Hate him, that’s only going to make him spend the night out of spite with the chick you’ve been dating..." Jay-Z Stevenson Diss Freestyle "Blow The Whistle"

It seems that another chapter has unfolded in the DeShawn Stevenson (Washington Wizards forward) diss against Lebron James (Stevenson commented on March 17th after a a loss to the Cavaliers that Lebron was overrated.) that has Jay-Z “blowing the whistle.” Perhaps Jay-Z has a personal interest vested in Lebron beyond friendship. Maybe he has secretly signed him to endorse Rocawear in a future campaign? Or could it be he is buying another stake in a ball team, namely the Cleveland Cavaliers? Putting a ring on his finger? Say it ain't so Hov! While Jay has not contested Lil’ Wayne’s crusade against him, he has put on the gloves and battled rap heavyweights 50 Cent, Nas and Jim Jones/Dipset then stooped to giving the Deshawn Stevenson the 15 minutes of self promotion he was looking for in a war of words.
Back in December 2006, Wayne lashed out at Hova boasting, “I don’t like what he’s saying about how he had to come back because hip-hop’s dead and we need him. What the fuck do you mean? If anything it’s reborn, so he’s probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, ‘Yo, this is Jay’s house. He’s the best.’ Now he comes back and still thinks it’s his house. It’s not your house anymore, and I’m better than you. I’m better than him, I’m 24 years old. ... I’m 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold.”

The not so young Hov has joined the “Defend Lebron” campaign releasing a diss track entitled “Blow The Whistle” with the help of Damon Jones, James’ Cavaliers teammate, blazing Stevenson with lines like "Who the f*** is overrated? If anything, they under paid him. Hate him, that’s only going to make him spend the night out of spite with the chick you’ve been dating..." You’re really showing your age on this one Jigga. While I respect Jay as an artist and businessman, shouldn’t his energies be focused on his new bride, Beyonce, his growing mega empire and finalizing a historic multi-million dollar deal with LiveNation? The only two capitalizing on the he said, she said mud-slinging are DeShawn Stevenson, a streaky shooting Washington Wizards forward, averaging 11.2pts,2.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists and gimmicky teen rapper, Soulja Boy (Yahh, trick Yaaah!). All these pock shots for publicity are a pathetic attempt by Stevenson to put his name out there like the bricks he puts up off the backboard, oh excuse me his threes (BALLINNNNN'!!!!)

In a retort to Stevenson’s attempt to diminish Lebron’s franchise player status, Lebron blasted back at DeShawn stating, “Responding to Stevenson would be like Jay-Z coming back at Soulja Boy.” So what’s Soulja Boy’s take in all this? Already heralded as a potential “one hit wonder”, Soulja Boy is laughing all the way to the bank with hot singles annoying but infectious “Crank That”, “Yaah Trick!” and “Get Silly” (single he produced for upcoming rap artist, V.I.C) soaring up the charts. He certainly is expanding his portfolio outside the rap game early with the launch of his cartoon, sneaker and clothing lines on the horizon. Call him enterprising, call him wack, Soulja Boy ofcourse didn’t care for “King James” choice words but he did find the inclusion of his name in his metaphor humorous. "If you go to YouTube, you can see LeBron doing my dance," Soulja said. "So what is he trying to say?"

Soulja Boy At Game 3 Cavs vs. Wizards

Perhaps a Crank That contest between DeShawn and Lebron showing who can rock the dynasty the best will settle the score. YYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

When asked about the Lebron/Deshawn rivalry, Lebron simply snickers,"I said what I've had to say and I've moved on. There is no rivalry. Seriously. There is no rivalry. There will never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."

Granted this is entertaining basketball in an otherwise yawn inducing series between two lackluster teams,STILL DeShawn vs Lebron = OVERRATED!

Jay-Z - "Blow The Whistle" (Deshawn Stevenson Diss)

READ MORE ABOUT LEBRON VS DESHAWN RIVALRY
Jay-Z Joins Lebron/Deshawn Feud