Mutombo is out, there gonna be a small team now.

Bynum should be "drewling" right now...

I really liked the way guys are playing in this series, hates the refs though. They're breaking the flow of the game too much. Artest shouldn't have been thrown out both games especially game 2 (tech 1 would be adequate). Don't think Fisher's foul should've been a suspension either.

Definitely a dissapointment with Yao out of it, definitely changes up the series and in all honestly I'd much prefer everyone playing.

gotta checkout Yao photo on the NBA website too. No offense but it looks horrendous. Just finished watching game 3 too, Kobe's been amazing over the last two games if he keeps it up we'll be hard to beat without Yao.

Also remember somebody asking how the stats would count for Kobe throwing off the backboard shot. In my mind it should just be a FGM. For a FG to be counted it has to hit the rim. In air ball situations it becomes a turnover if the other team gets the ball. Also think about an alley-oop pass if the passer accidentally hits the rim it'll count as a FG.

Lakers where going to finish it off anyway. They were going to win the next game and then finish it off in LA.

Rockets might actually steal the next game now as LA might come out complacent and the rockets will come out with nothing to lose with a more up tempo game.

yao's soft. Didnt he drink milk when he was a child? that guy breaks more bones than the rest of the league put together

u'd break your legs too if u had 7feet and 6 inches of man mountain to lift off the ground

LaBoy, how could Fisher's action not warrant a suspension. It was intentional and unneccessary. Have you actual seen the video clip of the incident? Fisher clearly sees him, lines him up and puts him on the deck. The manner in which he done it also indicates it was intentional! I look back and Fishers incident was worse than Howards elbow!

SKUX101 are you immune to the acting job by Scola? The guy is 8 inches taller and 15kgs bigger and you think he should go flying down like that??

It probably just warranted a suspension to stamp that sort of play out but no way was it worse then Horwards elbow.

I realise that Scola may have acted just a little. However, Fisher hasn't made a complaint and he hasn't had anything to say since the incident and only he truly knows how hard he hit Scola. If it was an acting job by Scola, you would think Fisher (The veteran who demands respect) would have come out and said something or made a fuss..He hasn't, therefore you can infer that he hit Scola pretty damn hard!

Fisher's one of those guys who have class and not winge like other. Following him for over 10 yrs now I can't even recall him to have ever made a negative comment; even when the time he lost the starting job to GP. He acts lot more than talk. You clearly don't know much about him.

What you also have to take into account was the intense nature of this series. Game 2 and 3 has been played this way and there was incidences where Scola slapped Gasol's face and got away with just a foul. Then by your standards Artest should really be suspended next game too.

Ejection and a fine should have been adequate. Playoff basketball's different to regular season.

SKUX101- yes I have seen the clips and in fact I've watched the whole game of 2 and 3 have you? If not you won't understand the physical nature of the series.

Are you serious LaBoy? There's a difference between been physical and been stupid..Fisher was skating on thin ice. Any smart team will know how to play physical basketball, whilst keeping their cool and their head. Look at the Cavs..Perfect example. They play tough, physical basketball yet they play hard using their brains.
The Cavs are my pick to win the Championship, because of that exact reason. They play so hard defensively every night, yet they don't commit flagrant fouls or foul excessively.
LaBoy, your using the token reasoning for Fishers actions.."It's just part of the physicality of playoff basketball". Whilst the physicality might increase, the referess main aim is consistency---They will, and so they should, make the same calls they would in the regular season.

How exactly is playoff basketball different to regular season? i freakin hate that comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cZB9O_LkE

My favourite Derek Fisher highlight

Now that my team, the Pistons, are out, I was getting behind the Rockets to win the title. I thought they had a chance to knock the Lakers off, but without Yao, it'll be too hard for them IMO.

yo buddy, it ain't just me not liking the suspension, it's something talked about in the states too. but I don't really care about that now, we got the w.

LA boy, why are you avoiding my question? How is playoff basketball different to regular season?

C'mon ELG... Playoffs are way more intense than the regular season, well the first 85% of the regular season. Things fire up around the 70 game mark and teams are battling for home court advantage, or are on the playoff bubble.

You think Kobe, Lebron, Wade, hell any NBA player really cares if they drop game 24 or game 48 of a 82 game season? They all give a damn if they drop a home playoff game.

Regular seasons see the majority of the bench getting a crack, during the playoffs most teams are running a 8 man rotation.

More on the line in a playoff game than some crappy regular season game where you know you'll be playing again next week to make amends if you lose the game.

ELG- missed your question. Playoff basketball is when player show lot more passion and seriousness into the game. from players to preparation staff the whole preparation is different. eg. at Phoenix we use to have 2 30min and 1 20min shootaround sessions before the game during playoffs and it's just 2 45min during playoffs. While players also gets two movement screen before the game as oppose to one.

Once you go into the arena the atmosphere is all different, it's undescribable unless you've been there. Even as a spectator you'll feel a difference. And because in general you're competing against one team for at least 4 straight games, whilst you'd still "respect" your opponents off the court but on-court hatred is something that only develops during playoff time. Think about it, the difference for somebody to play a team they're neutral minded to a team they hate...Which is why the deeper the playoff progresses the better the game become.

I remember back in the 2004 Playoffs, the second round Western Conference Lakers v Spurs; after game 2 Horace Grant went out to dinner with Steve Kerr and a few other guys tagging along (btw the Lakers lost that night), the next day Magic came in to morning briefing trashing people saying he couldn't believe they'd go out with their opponent and start referring to back in his days he sees everyone on the other side as enemies and hated them so much that he wouldn't even talk to them. Then the team went on 4 straight win to close out the Spurs.

So playoffs is truely a different game from locker room to game time the whole mentality is all different.

sorry I mean 2 45min shootarounds during regular season

oh yeah and during the playoffs some owners buy all players and staff lunch throughout; in actually good restaurants :-P (it was the case with the Lakers and I think Philly use to do the same).

Ok so if you intentionally hit someone in a regular season game, and then intentionally hit someone in a playoff game, the penalties should be different? (which is what you are alluding to re. Fisher's suspension)

well yes when you factor in the number of fouls that goes uncalled during playoffs (otherwise everyone would be fouled out), if it was regular season those would've been called. eg. the shot Kobe made over Yao with his self alley it was really a shot and 1 but wasn't called, and there are plenty other examples. I know miscalls also happen during regular season but far more frequent during playoffs. We can also recall back to Celtics-Lakers series last season, on both end how many calls went by? As good as Celtics defense were, there were definitely fouls on Kobe that just went by. The list will go on...

also sorry I think I misread your question a bit. With 'intentionally' fouling somebody you'll also have to consider the degree of that intentional foul. you won't suspend someone for an intetional foul who's just to prevent a lay up. Eg. grabing their waist to hold them back.

I'm talking bout Fisher's suspension, when he obviously and maliciously hit Scola in the chest.

'Ejection and a fine should have been adequate. Playoff basketball's different to regular season.'

so because its playoffs and so called more physical, he shouldn't be reprimanded for his hit?

Quagmire will be devastated with Yao out...means the Rockets have no hope.

The Rockets had no hope from here on anyway.

Real shame, and at the risk of sounding like a dick, i did right in this forum mid-year that no team led by Yao could win it all coz his body would never survive the intensity of the play-offs.

I also asked in another thread if i was the only guy just waiting for him to break down again....

Real shame coz Houston was doing great despite playing a laker team with stern on its side.

Hate to sound like dcanwade, but it seems to me the cavs lakers series is assured. Just waiting to see the promotions - Lebron and his cavs taking on a laker team with a star just past his prime...bulls first championship anyone????

What does Houston do now though? Yao is over, done and dusted. Same as T-mac. Artest is awesome and worth keeping, but too chaotic to be counted on consistantly. Tough times ahead for sure. How they manage the divorce from T-Mac is critical. Maybe get Curry and Huges from the knicks?

Quagmire- I don't think there were any unfairness in refing this time for you to make that call of "Sterns by Lakers side". And I think Kobe's still in his prime and will be for the next 3 years. I know he's had much more milage for his age but the advancement in performance enhancement and better recovery knowledge have players these days lasting longer than ever. Also Houston played great in one game (when Kobe was sick), over the last 2 they've had no answer for Kobe.

It's tough in Houston's situation right now, I've heard things that the owner is still in love with T-Mac and wants to keep him while many others don't. While Yao Ming too should be untouchable regardless of what happens, because of him Rockets are now in a much more financially favourable position, the man brings at least 3 times his wage in profit for the team. I wouldn't be surprised Rockets are once again left unchanged this summer as far as their "core 3"

Just wanted to say that Derek Fisher video highlight was great! Too tired to add anything intelligent to the Houston question, sorry.

No way was Scola acting in that incident. Definitely an over the top move from Fisher.

One player from this thread has been blocked and had their comments deleted - play the ball, not the man.

kobe was going to kick their butts anyways - so don't make a dufference - besides Artest is starting to get on Kobe's nerves so that makes the butt kicking even worst - besides the Wonky Wockets weren't passing to Yao in the paint anyways - Yaos way of sayin i ain't getting a butt kicking for you guys if you don't pass the ball !!