Official Thread of the 2008 NBA Playoffs

[MDA_Tycoon]

Discuss the 2008 Playoffs of the National Basketball Association here - from games to players to teams and more!!  

[MDA_Tycoon]

Games

(1) Boston vs. ( 8 ) Atlanta
Game 1 - Boston Celtics 104, Atlanta Hawks 81 (Boston, 1-0)
Game 2 - Boston Celtics 96, Atlanta Hawks 77 (Boston, 2-0)
Game 3 - Atlanta Hawks 102, Boston Celtics 93 (Boston, 2-1)
Game 4 - Atlanta Hawks 97, Boston Celtics 93 (Series tied, 2-2)
Game 5 - Boston Celtics 110, Atlanta Hawks 85 (Boston, 3-2)
Game 6 - Atlanta Hawks 103, Boston Celtics 100 (Series tied, 3-3)
Game 7 - Boston Celtics 99, Atlanta Hawks 65 (Boston wins series, 4-3)

(2) Detroit vs. (7) Philadelphia
Game 1 - Philadelphia 76ers 90, Detroit Pistons 86 (Philadelphia, 1-0)
Game 2 - Detroit Pistons 105, Philadelphia 76ers 88 (Series tied, 1-1)
Game 3 - Philadelphia 76ers 95, Detroit Pistons 75 (Philadelphia, 2-1)
Game 4 - Detroit Pistons 93, Philadelphia 76ers 84 (Series tied, 2-2)
Game 5 - Detroit Pistons 98, Philadelphia 76ers 81 (Detroit, 3-2)
Game 6 - Detroit Pistons 100, Philadelphia 76ers 77 (Detroit wins series, 4-2)

(3) Orlando vs. (6) Toronto
Game 1 - Orlando Magic 114, Toronto Raptors 100 (Orlando, 1-0)
Game 2 - Orlando Magic 104, Toronto Raptors 103 (Orlando, 2-0)
Game 3 - Toronto Raptors 108, Orlando Magic 94 (Orlando, 2-1)
Game 4 - Orlando Magic 106, Toronto Raptors 94 (Orlando, 3-1)
Game 5 - Orlando Magic 102, Toronto Raptors 92 (Orlando wins series, 4-1)

(4) Cleveland vs. (5) Washington
Game 1 - Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Washington Wizards 86 (Cleveland, 1-0)
Game 2 - Cleveland Cavaliers 116, Washington Wizards 86 (Cleveland, 2-0)
Game 3 - Washington Wizards 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 72 (Cleveland, 2-1)
Game 4 - Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Washington Wizards 97 (Cleveland, 3-1)
Game 5 - Washington Wizards 88, Cleveland Cavaliers 87 (Cleveland, 3-2)
Game 6 - Cleveland Cavaliers 105, Washington Wizards 88 (Cleveland wins series, 4-2)

(1) Los Angeles vs. ( 8 ) Denver
Game 1 - Los Angeles Lakers 128, Denver Nuggets 114 (Los Angeles, 1-0)
Game 2 - Los Angeles Lakers 122, Denver Nuggets 107 (Los Angeles, 2-0)
Game 3 - Los Angeles Lakers 102, Denver Nuggets 84 (Los Angeles, 3-0)
Game 4 - Los Angeles Lakers 107, Denver Nuggets 101 (Los Angeles wins series, 4-0)

(2) New Orleans vs. (7) Dallas
Game 1 - New Orleans Hornets 104, Dallas Mavericks 92 (New Orleans, 1-0)
Game 2 - New Orleans Hornets 127, Dallas Mavericks 67 (New Orleans, 2-0)
Game 3 - Dallas Mavericks 97, New Orleans Hornets 87 (New Orleans, 2-1)
Game 4 - New Orleans Hornets 97, Dallas Mavericks 84 (New Orleans, 3-1)
Game 5 - New Orleans Hornets 99. Dallas Mavericks 94 (New Orleans wins series, 4-1)

(3) San Antonio vs. (6) Phoenix
Game 1 - San Antonio Spurs 117, Phoenix Suns 115 (2OT) (San Antonio, 1-0)
Game 2 - San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 96 (San Antonio, 2-0)
Game 3 - San Antonio Spurs 116, Phoenix Suns 99 (San Antonio, 3-0)
Game 4 - Phoenix Suns 105, San Antonio Spurs 86 (San Antonio, 3-1)
Game 5 - San Antonio Spurs 92, Phoenix Suns 87 (San Antonio wins series, 4-1)

(4) Utah vs. (5) Houston
Game 1 - Utah Jazz 93, Houston Rockets 82 (Utah, 1-0)
Game 2 - Utah Jazz 90, Houston Rockets 84 (Utah, 2-0)
Game 3 - Houston Rockets 94, Utah Jazz 92 (Utah, 2-1)
Game 4 - Utah Jazz 86, Houston Rockets 82 (Utah, 3-1)
Game 5 - Houston Rockets 95, Utah Jazz 69 (Utah, 3-2)
Game 6 - Utah Jazz 113, Houston Rockets 91 (Utah wins series, 4-2)  

[MDA_Tycoon]

Dallas leads New Orleans, 30-23 after one, but New Orleans has quickly tied it up at 32 a piece.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

99-94, New Orleans. Wow. The Hornets win the series, 4-1.. and just days after the game, Avery Johnson was fired. Though he was a successful coach and the fastest coach in NBA history to get to 150 wins... he certainly has not brought the team much playoff success. I will miss him on the Dallas bench. sad

 

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part I

Boston vs. Atlanta The top seed in the East, the Boston Celtics, and the bottom eighth seed in the East, the Atlanta Hawks. After Boston outscored Atlanta 200-158 in the entire first two games in Boston, I was thinking this would be the playoffs' only 4-0 sweep-Because then, I was thinking the Nuggets would win at least once against the Lakers, but I was wrong. Denver ended up getting swept by the Los Angeles Lakers, but we'll get to that later. Anyways, the Boston/Atlanta series actually ended up as the only playoff series to go to the full seven games. It turned out that every home team won. So of course, Boston eventually won the series on May 4th, after a convincing 34-point Game 7 defeat over the Hawks in Boston, 99-65. But the Hawks gave it their all. Most of the Atlanta roster, anyways, had no career playoff experience. But just like the New Orleans/Dallas series, (young vs. experienced) any team is capable of anything.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part II

Los Angeles [Lakers] vs. Denver Many people thought this series would be a sweep. I - I thought the #8 seeded Denver Nuggets would at least win one game, most likely at home, but I was wrong. (again!) The Los Angeles Lakers proved why they were the top seed in the Western Conference, after sweeping the Denver Nuggets in four games. The Los Angeles Lakers overall outscored the Denver Nuggets, 459-406, and as I have noticed, were the only team in the playoffs to score at least a hundred points in every game and win. Kobe Bryant was fantastic, which is a first for me, because I always used to think of him as a ball hog.. but now he has Pau Gasol.. Lamar Odom, as well as many other Lakers stepping up this season.. Kobe, apparently, the most likely player to be MVP this season - has been shooting the ball well, and passing the ball well. Not only did he score a point off his playoff career high of fifty points, by scoring forty-nine.. he had ten assists in the game as well. Denver, did a decent job. Offensively that is. They scored a hundred plus, in three of the four games, but uh, didn't they forget something? Oh yeah, DEFENSE. They allowed the most points in the playoffs, 114.75.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part III of XIV

Detroit vs. Philadelphia This was another example of Experienced vs. Young. Detroit, they've been in the playoffs the last eight plus years, while Philadelphia is returning to the postseason for the first time since 2004, I believe. Game 1.. an upset as a Philadelphia 76ers, the ones I wanted to win the series, defeated the Detroit Pistons, the team I thought was going to win the series, 90-86, in Detroit. The 76ers were only one of two road teams, including the Utah Jazz, to win game one. The Jazz were the only road team to win both games one and two. Anyways, the Detroit Pistons did respond in Game 2 though, winning, 105-88. Despite the seventeen-point win, the Detroit Pistons had just tied the series up, 1-1. Plus, the 76ers made a comeback in Game 3, winning in convincing fashion as well, 95-75! I was amazed, and I believed Philadelphia could win this series. But nope. The Detroit Pistons won the last three games, outscoring the 76ers, 291-242 in them. They won the series 4-2, and quieted the sad Philadelphia fans, including me. And note, this was the only first round series that both teams split the first two games.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part IV of XIV

New Orleans vs. Dallas This was the third example in four parts of Experienced vs. Young. This was Dallas's eighth consecutive fifty-win season, being in the playoffs, of course, in each of those years. The New Orleans Hornets were in the playoffs for the first time since the team relocated from Charlotte to New Orleans. Chris Paul, the all-star point guard, dominated his playoff debut with what? 33 points, I believe. And although the New Orleans Hornets were the number two seed, and the Dallas Mavericks were the number seven seed, New Orleans ended up "upsetting" Dallas. Many people, including me, underestimated the Hornets because they had less playoff experience than the mighty Dallas Mavericks, but they didn't care. Taking a 2-0 lead into Dallas, they lost their only game of the series, 97-87.. then they broke a streak that had lasted 10 years of consecutive home win victories for the Dallas Mavericks over the New Orleans Hornets. The last time the Hornets won in Dallas? In 1998, when they were the Charlotte Hornets.. and by less than five points. After that devestating 97-84 home loss the Hornets, they found themselves down 3-1 in the series, and despite a run in the late part of the fourth quarter in which they had made the four threes they attempted in the last three minutes or so... the Dallas Mavericks lost Game 5, 99-94. It was the only game determined by single digits but not enough. The game was over when the Mavs could not get the defensive rebound when they needed it when there was less than ten seconds remaining, and the Hornets with only a three-point-lead. Out of the 240 minutes total played, I watched about 220 of them, and for about 60 of them, I was praying to God. Eventually after the second straight first-round-elimination, head coach Avery Johnson was fired.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part V of XIV

Orlando vs. Toronto Both of these teams are pretty new to this league. The Orlando Magic were established in 1989. The Toronto Raptors were established in 1995. Neither of them have gotten deep into the playoffs, but after this 4-1 win by Orlando, it looks like the Magic can do some Magic. Yes, I gave the results away early. Oh well. This will be a short summary.. the results were exactly like Dallas and New Orleans. The top seed, (3) Orlando Magic, won the first two games at home, then the lower seed, (6) Toronto Raptors, won their first home game, than the top seed Magic won the next two - one on the road and one at home. Impressive work by Dwight Howard, and many other players on the Orlando Magic team. I was neatural in this matchup because these are my favorite young teams.. that's it for now.  

[MDA_Tycoon]

My Opinion by MDA_Tycoon: Part V of XIV

San Antonio vs. Phoenix It first started out with the San Antonio Spurs coming back from a huge first half deficit to go to overtime, tied, 93-93. One overtime was not enough as Tim Duncan, yes, TIM DUNCAN, hit the game-tying three pointer with three seconds left in the first overtime. Score - San Antonio 104, Phoenix 104. Manu Ginobili eventually hit the game winning layup with 1.8 seconds left.. and San Antonio won, 117-115. The next two games, somewhat easy victories for the Spurs. 102-96, and 115-99. San Antonio eventually won the series, 3-1.