Tag: Lebron James

So Many Sports, So Little Time

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

gausman

Wednesday was a busy day in the sports world. Too much for one person to handle some might say. But I’m here, so I may as well give it a shot….

NBA

Wednesday night showcased two NBA playoff matchups. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers steamrolled the Toronto Raptors (125-103), taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Lebron did what he does, scoring 39 points while adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Just another day at the office huh?? Lebron’s 39 points were special because he passed Kareem-Abdul Jabbar for 2nd all-time on the playoff scoring list. Bad became worse for the Raptors as Kyle Lowry went down in the 3rd quarter with a left ankle injury. Lowry would return to the game, but with a noticeable limp, so I’d call Lowry questionable at best for Game 3.

The late game Wednesday night was Game 2 of the Houston Rockets vs. the San Antonio Spurs. The storyline here was simple: after a lopsided Game 1 win by the Rockets, how would the Spurs respond? And they responded exactly as I expected, with a 121-96 victory. Kawhi Leonard showed the world why he is an MVP candidate. Leonard dominated the offensive side of things with 34 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Tony Parker also had a good game, however, he had to be carried off the court during the 4th quarter when his left knee buckled. The real story of Game 2 was Leonard’s defense, as he showed why he is the 2-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He locked up James Harden for the majority of the game, holding Harden to 13 points on 3 of 17 shooting. I guess Leonard doesn’t fear the beard.

NHL

The NHL also put forth two playoff games on Wednesday night. The Anaheim Ducks won an overtime thriller over the Edmonton Oilers (5-4). After an awful giveaway in his own zone by Adam Larsson of the Oilers, Ryan Getzlaf fed a wide-open Jakob Silfverberg right in front of the net.  Silfverberg drove home the one-time winner just 45 seconds into overtime, and this series is now tied at two games a piece.

Earlier in the evening, the Sydney Crosbyless Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Washington Capitals in Game 4. Crosby is still out after leaving Game 3 with a concussion. I guess the Capitals felt bad for the Penguins, so they decided to score for them. Oh yeah, you heard that right. In the 2nd period, Pittsburghs’ Jake Guentzel sent the puck in front of Washington’s net and defenseman Dmitry Orlov thought it would be a good idea to kick that puck into his own net. Nice work! The Penguins went on to win 3-2, and now hold a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

MLB

There was a full slate of MLB games on Wednesday night, but there was one game that dominated the headlines. The Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles have an on going feud that began on April 11th. It all started with a hard slide from Manny Machado into 2nd base that took out Dustin Pedroia’s legs. Since then, the Red Sox threw at Machado’s head, the Orioles plunked Mookie Betts, and Machado was thrown at again (this time going behind him). These actions resulted in a conference call between the Red Sox and Orioles organizations, the MLB Commisioner, and the MLB Players Association calling for the feud to be put to rest. Well you guessed it, the feud was not put to rest. Wednesday night, Kevin Gausman hit Xander Bogaerts, albeit with a curveball, as some form of sneaky retribution. Gausman was immediately ejected. I view Gausman and the Orioles as the immature person who must get the last word in no matter how wrong they know they are. But at the same time, can we not throw baseballs at people’s heads at 100 miles per hour? Okay cool, thanks. Good Talk.

In New York baseball news, the New York Mets continued their roller coaster season, beating the Atlanta Braves 16-5. As for the Yankees, they continued their winning ways, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6. Aaron Judge smashed his MLB leading 13th home run of the season, and I’m quite certain he grew a foot taller last night as well.

BOXING

I’m assuming you haven’t watched a boxing match since Evander Holyfield was in the ring, but let’s talk about it anyway. This Saturday, May 6th, Canelo Alzarez (48-1-1, 34 KO’s) will take on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KO’s) in an All-Mexican Showdown in Las Vegas. Coincidentally, this match will take place just one day after Cinco de Mayo. Canelo, the Junior Middleweight Title Holder, will move up a weight class to fight Chavez Jr. at a catch weight of 164.5 pounds. Canelo’s only loss to date remains a unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2013. Canelo is the odds on favorite to win this match and for good reason. I see Canelo winning fairly easily in a unanimous decision.

SOCCER

Juventus is very good.

 

What did you watch on Wednesday night? Let me know all about it in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

 

 

Lebron James Is Decent At Basketball

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

lebron

There is a short list of things better than sleep. Watching Lebron James play basketball is one of those things. So, if Thursday was your go to bed early day, I feel bad for you. In case anyone had forgotten, Lebron James is still the best player in the world. He reminded us by leading his Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest comeback win in NBA playoff history. Thanks to his 41 point, 13 rebound, and 12 assist triple double, the Cavaliers became the first team to ever comeback from a 25-point halftime deficit. I knew the Indiana Pacers were in trouble when their 20-point lead shrank to 10 points in a 1:55 span of the 3rd quarter. The Cavaliers now hold a commanding 3-0 lead over the Pacers. And in case you hadn’t noticed, first round loss and Lebron James don’t often collide in the same sentence. Thursday night’s victory extended Lebron James’ winning streak in first round games to 20. That’s insane!

Side note: Can anyone guess the last team to win a first round game against Lebron James? If you said my 2012 New York Knickerbockers you’d be correct. Thanks Melo’.

This streak is tied for the longest since the 1983-1984 postseason, where the playoffs expanded to 16 teams. Last night’s performance also put Lebron in rarefied air. He passed Kobe Bryant for 3rd on the all-time postseason scoring list.

One of the most impressive things about last night’s comeback was Lebron did it by himself. Occasionally in the past, Kevin Love would grab a crucial rebound or JR Smith would decide it’s time to snap out of an 0 for 17 shooting slump. And of course there was the NBA Finals clinching 3-pointer hit by Kyrie Irving last year. However, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue decided to sit Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for THE ENTIRE 4th quarter. So much for the Big Three. Of course, Lebron can’t win a championship by himself. We don’t have to look far to find proof of that. Insert cough here, 2015 Finals, cough again, 2007 Finals, cough cough.

As for the task at hand, I believe the Cavaliers are 1 of only 3 teams that can realistically win the Championship this year. The other 2 would be the New England Patr….oops I’m sorry, I’m just so used to them winning I figured they may win the NBA Championship too. The Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs are the only other teams who have a chance this year. Personally I don’t envision the Warriors losing more than 2 games to anyone en route to another Championship. But as long as Lebron James is still lacing up his Nike sneakers, I won’t be counting him out.

Who do you think will win the NBA Championship? Let me know in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Lebron James Makes History in Game 2 Victory

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

dellavedova

There is an inexplicable aura around Lebron James.  For Lebron to do what he did last night and still be criticized is hard to understand.  In case you fell asleep on the couch at halftime, here is a quick recap of what happened.  Last night, Lebron James took the cast of characters that is known as the Cleveland Cavaliers into Oracle Arena, and came out with an enormous victory (Cleveland 95 – Golden State 93 F/OT).  This series is now headed back to Cleveland tied at one game a piece.  If you didn’t see Lebron’s performance, allow his stat line to enter the room: 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists.  Oh hey history, how ya doin??  Does anyone know how many times those numbers have been accomplished in the playoffs, let alone in the finals?!  That’s right.  The answer would be 0 times.  Yes, Lebron seemed to “lose” his touch in the second half (missing 14 of his final 18 shots), and yes, he did get stuffed a few times driving the lane down the stretch, but there is NO denying his greatness.  The craziest part is Lebron CAN actually play better.

We should all understand the Cavaliers would not be in this position without Lebron, but the real MVP of game 2 was Matthew Dellavedova.  The tenacious, hounding defense he played on Stephen Curry was the real reason the Cavaliers stole home court advantage in the series.  When being guarded by Dellavedova, Curry was 0 for 8 from the field.  Curry was the MVP of the regular season, and is an amazing player, but he could not handle the physical nature of Dellavedova’s defense last night.  It would not be wise to write off any team that has Lebron James’ name on the roster, but I still don’t believe his demi-god like performances will be enough to win this series.  Side Note: This series can obviously go either way though.  This is the first NBA Finals Series to have its first two games decided in overtime.

Game 3 will be played in Cleveland on Tuesday night @ 8:30 P.M.  You can tune in to ABC to watch the drama unfold.  What do you think will happen?  Can Lebron James continue his historic play and bring the city of Cleveland its first championship in 51 years?  Or will the Golden State Warriors’ team effort prove to be too much for the Cavaliers to handle?

Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

One-Liner Fridays

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

lebron haters

 

Helllllooooo sports fans!!  It’s Friday again.  I know you thought it would never get here, but the weekend is right around the corner.  I will get your weekend started a little early with a weekly segment I like to call: One-Liner Fridays.  You know how it goes.  Today, I will wrap up the past week in sports in One Line and One Line only.  Enjoy!!

 

You know the dog days of summer have hit you square in the face when GOLF is the most exciting thing on TV.

 

Oh no wait, I forgot, you can always turn on some WNBA action……

 

So I heard some clown on ESPN radio last night talking about how betting on the Mets to win the World Series this year (at 200 to 1 odds) wouldn’t be the dumbest thing that has ever happened before…….NO????

 

I mean I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m pretty sure laying that bet would put you in the running for dumbest person ever.

 

So Chad Johnson (yes Ochocinco), is playing in the CFL now, and he just scored his first touchdown the other day, but if you haven’t seen it check out the ref who is clearly not the hugger Derek Jeter is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EGDt07j7sA

 

I know I know, everybody just LOVES Lebron James again, but as you know from my article I know everyone read (https://davetalkssports.com/2014/07/11/lebron-james-returns-to-cleveland/), I’m not buying the bullcrap salad that he’s selling.

 

But seriously, Lebron just placed first in the Harris Poll, which determines the most popular athlete in the United States, I bet The Joker wishes he could figure out how to go from the villain to everyone’s hero in just 1 year.

 

Which brings me to another basketball player, Carmelo Anthony, also known as the most generous and most selfless man in the world.

 

He’s not in it for the money man, he’s all about pay cuts.

 

This man took $7 million less on a 5-year, $129 million contract, if that is not a sacrifice that screams TEAM than I don’t know what is.

 

More basketball??

 

Okay.

 

I only have one thing to say to the Los Angeles Lakers: “HAHAHAHAHAHA….Carlos Boozer….HAHAHAHAHAHA….Jeremy Lin….HAHAHAHAHAHA….okay maybe that was more than one thing, but you get the point.

 

When Tracy McGrady got signed by the Sugar Land Skeeters (insert immature laughter here), I figured he would have a long, illustrious career….and I was right, he pitched 6 and 2/3 innings, recorded 1 strikeout, and then said I think I’ve had enough.

 

So he retired.

 

Major League Baseball definitely handled Derek Jeter’s final All-Star Game very tastefully, but man is that game terrible.

 

If it wasn’t for Derek Jeter, I think there would have been 4 viewers of that game (yea, I said 4).

 

The only thing worse than the All-Star Game itself is the Home Run Derby, that right there is 4 hours of my life that I can NEVER get back again.

 

Here is a simple formula of how to fix the Home Run Derby: you give Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa a bunch of steroids and give them each their own personalized club (you know like a caveman club) and watch them bash 600 foot home runs for an hour, this way everyone’s happy and these clowns get 15 more minutes of fame….oh, and feel free to throw Jose Canseco in there if you want.

BarryBonds

 

Tiger Tiger Woods y’all is back, it’s crazy how much one man can effect an entire sport.

 

So now that the worst time of the year in sports is upon us is it too early to ask everyone’s favorite question: ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?! 

 

 

This has been another edition of One-Liner Fridays.  I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have a One-Liner of your own please post it in the comment section below.

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!  

 

Lebron James Returns To Cleveland

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 1 Comment

lebron

 

The wait is over!!  The most anticipated sports story possibly of all-time has culminated in 3 simple words: “I’m Coming Home.”  As you all know, these words were spoken today by basketball’s best player, Lebron James.  This announcement came not in the form of an ego driven, poorly thought out press conference, but in an essay, written for Lebron, by Lee Jenkins via SportsIllustrated.com.  The essay can be found here: http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers   There is so much to dissect and express from this situation it is hard to know where to start, but let me try starting with Lebron the player.

Lebron James is the best player in the world and has been for quite some time now.  Lebron James would have been welcomed with open arms anywhere he decided to go, except for maybe Cleveland (which is what some of us thought before this decision).  We now know that is untrue.  Despite the most complicated player-city relationship in the history of sports, despite the burning of his jerseys, despite the angriest letter (compliments of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert) we’ve ever seen, and despite The Decision 4 years ago, every person in Cleveland seems to be ecstatic, and there is a 100% approval rate that Lebron is returning to Cleveland.  Maybe I’m being too negative, or maybe I’m not giving people enough credit, but I’m SHOCKED that there isn’t ONE person that is pumping the brakes and saying, woah woah woah, you may be great, but we aren’t about to forget what you did to us just 4 short years ago.  Trust me, I understand the expression: ‘Forgive, but never forget’, but it seems like Cleveland has already done both instantaneously.  Now I also understand that Cleveland is not a city rich in championships, and they are a passionate sports city that would do virtually anything to end that drought, but where is the self-respect?  Do none of you remember those feelings of hatred and anger that filled your souls in 2010?  Again, Lebron James is the best player in the world and this move makes The Cleveland Cavaliers instant competitors, but something about it leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach.  As far as where the Cavaliers stand now, the Las Vegas odds makers have already thrown Cleveland to the top of the favorites to win the 2015 NBA championship list (they are going off at 3-1 as of right now).

Next, let’s talk about Lebron James the man.  By all accounts he seems like a really good guy.  He came straight out of high school to the NBA (which doesn’t always end so well) and adjusted to that seamlessly.  He has never been arrested.  He isn’t running around drinking, partying, and getting in trouble all the time.  He seems to be all about basketball all the time.  And for those reasons, I, along with the rest of the sports world, love and appreciate his passion and dedication to the game.  When it’s all said and done he will be one of the top 10 players of all-time and potentially top 3 of all-time.  However, I am seeing a different side of this story than virtually everyone else in the world.  Sports writers, sports radio hosts, ESPN insiders, and just about everyone in the world are calling this a great day for sports.  I’m here to tell you why I’m not buying it.  Go ahead everyone, start killing me for it; I don’t mind.

Obviously this is certainly an amazing day for the Cleveland Cavaliers, that’s a no brainer.  There is just something about Lebron James, the actor, that doesn’t sit right with me.  I think that The Decision 4 years ago was a horrendous, slow-motion train wreck that should have been avoided.  It was a selfish act by the self-proclaimed king, who cared more about getting the ‘win an NBA title’ monkey off his back, than he did loyalty.  I know real loyalty doesn’t really exist in sports, but it does when you’re born and raised somewhere, drafted in that city, and then marked as the savior there as well.  I see today as a selfish act as well.  I think his essay was calculated from the title, all the way down to every last dotted i and crossed t.  He said what he had to say to Miami to keep them from jumping down his throat for leaving, and he definitely told Cleveland everything they wanted to hear for why he is “returning home.”  I believe he cares more about his image here than anything else.  If he truly cared as much about Cleveland as he claims, he wouldn’t have left in the first place.  Yes, everyone makes mistakes, which even he acknowledged, but I know what it’s like to have an allegiance and loyalty to your home, and I can’t picture ever leaving.  And I am not Lebron James (shocker I know).  I don’t effect my towns economy and the state of mind of every person in it.  Even a selfish, misguided, immature 25 year old can understand that.  As for the basketball moves he’s made over the past 4 years, first he said I can’t win a title by myself.  Okay fine, maybe that one isn’t so bad.  Almost no one has won an NBA championship by themselves, but did he really need to create his own personal all-star team just to capture his elusive first title?  And what I see today, rather than let me try to win a title for my city, is now that I finally have my own championship rings, let me make my way back home where suddenly my hometown is good enough for me again.   Again, maybe I’m reaching, nitpicking, and scrutinizing Lebron James’ every move too much, but I’m sorry, I’m just not buying what Lebron James is selling.

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

One Liner Fridays

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

tanaka

Good morning everyone, and welcome to the end of the work week (for most of us).  Every Friday, I like to infuse a little humor into everyone’s lives.  Here you will find the past week in sports wrapped up in one line, and one line only.  Enjoy!!

 

No no no, it’s okay Lebron take your time, your decision probably doesn’t effect anyone else but yourself…..

 

Do you think that Chandler Parsons wakes up every morning and throws darts at a picture of Lebron James’ face?

 

Side note that is almost related to what we are talking about: Do you think Chris Bosh knows he is the ugliest man in the world??

bosh-face

 

All you could muster up was 41 consecutive scoreless inning pitched, Clayton Kershaw??

 

Man do you suck.

 

I just want to say something, I’m gonna put this out there, if you like it you can keep it and if u don’t just throw it right back, “I am ready to take Masahiro Tanaka’s spot in the Yankees rotation.”

 

Still wondering how someone can win a fight in just 16 seconds???

 

I would explain it to you, but I figured I’d just let Ronda Rousey show you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kp1iYmbWCo

 

Wait, you are going to subject us to more soccer??

 

NO!!!!!!!!

 

Which was worse, watching a 7-1 rout or watching probably the most poorly played World Cup Semifinal match in history resulting in 0 goals in 120 minutes??

 

Surprise Surprise, MLB has changed the format of The Home Run Derby….again.

 

They change The Home Run Derby more times than Richard Pryor changed wives (this guy got married 9 different times)!!!!

 

No story was more entertaining this past week than the fat bastard Yankees fan who is suing the Yankees and ESPN for $10 million because he decided to take a nap at a baseball game.

 

I’d continue to make fun of him, but I think his picture says it all:

fat man

 

Well this has been another edition of One Liner Fridays.  I hope you enjoyed them.  If you have a One Liner of your own you’d like to add, please leave one in the comment section below.  Thanks for reading!!

 

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!     

 

Any Day Now……

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

NBA: All Star Game

 

It’s funny how in the world of Social Media and the instantaneous reaction it feels like we’ve been enduring the process of NBA Free Agency for forever now, but in reality, teams have only legally been allowed to talk to players for 9 days.  And players are only allowed to officially ink deals as of today, July 10th at 12:01 a.m.  It only seems like forever since Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James opted out of their contracts because we talk about it every second of every day.  Between sports talk radio, twitter, and the nonstop “updates” from Chris Broussard, Brian Windhorst, and Marc Stein on ESPN every 4 minutes, we have had Lebron speculation shoved down our throats all day long.  And that’s all this is; speculation.  Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and the rest of this years free agents are taking their time with their decisions, and rightfully so, as this is potentially the biggest decision of their lives. 

 

We all know the rumors swirling around Lebron, Melo, and Chris Bosh:  Lebron could return “home”  to Cleveland (believe it or not Akron and Cleveland are not the same place), Chris Bosh could return “home” by going to the Houston Rockets (he’s actually from Dallas), and Melo can do the only thing he was ever going to do and stay in NY.   There are many other outside possibilities of what is going to transpire, but I unlike the rest of the world, am going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.  That show should start today when Melo re-signs with the Knicks.  I mean, cbssports.com already prematurely broke the story that Melo will be re-signing with the Knicks, but hey maybe he’ll go play for the coach-less Lakers (because that’s a real option).

 

The most unfortunate part in all of this is that when someone wins (as in winning their free agent of choice), someone else has to lose.  And this is the part where you can bust out your violin for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Cleveland is probably being duped once again.  Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice……you know how the rest of that one goes.  Not only is Cleveland banking on Lebron’s desire to return home, but they are clearing cap space to ensure that they have enough money to sign Lebron James.  Let me just say that the only way Lebron is going back to Cleveland is if Kevin Love somehow gets traded there this week and agrees to sign a long term deal.  Good luck.  As much fun as all this speculation is, we are just going to have to take a chill pill and wait out these decisions.  Once again, if you actually pull out the calendar, we haven’t been waiting that long.  The funniest part to all this is we are most likely going to watch all of this hype suddenly fizzle out when every major free agent ends up staying put.  That would be funny wouldn’t it?   

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!     

 

Eastern Conference Finals Recap: Game 1

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Image

 

Well, who saw that coming?  Who expected an offensive explosion from the often anemic Indiana Pacers offense?  I know I didn’t.  The Pacers starting five averaged just shy of 38 minutes each and all scored in double digits (yes, even Roy Hibbert scored in double digits).  This helped lead The Pacers to a 107-96 win Sunday afternoon over The Miami Heat.  History usually dictates that when Dwyane Wade plays well, the Heat win, however, it appears that just Lebron James and Dwyane Wade isn’t enough to beat a Pacers team when firing on all cylinders.  With that being said, let us talk about what The Pacers accomplished in Game 1.

 

The Pacers managed an astounding 42.1% shooting from 3-point range.  Their regular season average from downtown was only 38.2%.  They also only averaged 92.5 points per game during the regular season, so the 107 points they put up in Game 1 was also somewhat of an anomaly.  The entire Pacers roster played well, and they do have the size to counteract The Miami Heat’s smaller, more athletic lineup, however, I don’t foresee The Pacers sustaining this level of offensive efficiency.  I also don’t believe that Chris Bosh will score only 9 points per game and continue to go 0 for the century from downtown (he went 0-5 from 3-point range in Game 1).  The Heat also have a very solid track record when losing the 1st game of a playoff series.  In the 2013 playoffs, they lost the 1st game in 2 out of their 3 series (against The Chicago Bulls and The San Antonio Spurs).  The Heat went on to sweep the rest of The Bulls series and they went on to beat The Spurs as well to capture their 2nd straight NBA Championship.

 

Today, most people will be overreacting to The Miami Heat’s Game 1 loss, but I, as I’m sure you have already figured out, will not be.  As much as I would enjoy The Heat losing in The Eastern Conference Finals, not only for my own personal enjoyment but for the mass hysteria that would cause, I just don’t see it happening.  I believe Lebron James (aka the best player on the planet) will put his team on his shoulders, and on Wednesday morning, everyone will be seated (with arms and legs inside the vehicle) securely BACK on The Miami Heat bandwagon.  You can catch Game 2 of The Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night @ 8:30  P.M. on ESPN.  Can’t wait to watch more basketball until then?  Then tune into TNT tonight @ 9:00 P.M. to catch The Oklahoma City Thunder take on The San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of The Western Conference Finals.  That should be a highly competitive, fun series to watch as well.  Enjoy!

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! 

     

The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

roy hibbert

Monday night marked the beginning of the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs. Within the first 2 games, there were 2 emphatic statements made. One was better than good, while the other was ehhh for lack of another word, worse than bad. And Tuesday night, the other 2 games will get under way. Let’s start with The Good:

Chris Paul, and his Los Angeles Clippers, marched into Oklahoma City and sent a clear message to Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Chris Paul sent another message that I’m pretty sure his critics heard loud and clear as well. Paul put his Clippers on his back and led them to a decisive 122-105 victory to grab a 1 game to none lead in the series. Paul hit 8 three-pointers, that’s right, EIGHT three-pointers!! Yes, Paul went 8 of 9 from downtown and also added 10 assists to his stat line. He essentially contributed in half of his teams points Monday night. Paul, without a doubt will not continue to drain three’s at such a frenetic pace, however, he should be able to maintain his elite level of play throughout the entire 2nd round. This would get the monkey off his back and would land him in his first Conference Finals of his career. The MVP to be, Kevin Durant, may have something to say about that though, as I expect a bounce back performance in Game 2 from Durant and his trigger happy side-kick Russell Westbrook. By the way, imagine if Robin turned to Batman and said, “You know what Batman, I think we should change the name of this movie to Robin Returns.” Batman would have picked up Robin and put him back in his closet. Durant needs to man up and tell Westbrook to give him the damn ball and get out of his way! Anyone who knows basketball has been saying this for years, but I guess Durant doesn’t want to listen. Now, let’s move on to the bad….THE VERY BAD:

Roy Hibbert, oh poor Roy Roy. The stat line says it all: 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 5 fouls (in 18 Minutes). What in the blazing saddles is going on here?? Roy Hibbert is listed at 7’2″. 0 Rebounds?!?!?! You should get at least one rebound by accident….from the bench….when you’re 7’2″. I, along with the rest of the world do not understand what has happened to Roy Hibbert, but he better figure it out quick or else his Pacers will be watching the Heat steamroll the Wizards rather than having that dubious pleasure themselves. And last but not least, the unknown:

Only time will tell what will happen in the rest of the series’ that have yet to start, but the big conversation of the 2nd round thus far has been the Miami Heat vs. the Brooklyn Nets. A lot of people are jumping on the Brooklyn bandwagon because they swept the regular season series with the Heat this year (4-0). I for one am not buying into that. Yes, winning 4 straight games, no matter how close they were, against the two time defending champions is an outstanding feat, however, this is not the regular season anymore. The Miami Heat rest their players throughout the regular season, and from time to time honestly just don’t try sometimes. Come playoff time, Lebron, Wade, and company are all business, all the time. And frankly, they are just a better team than Brooklyn. The other question is, as a Knicks fan, if you had to root for one of these teams, who do you root for? This is not an easy question to answer, but I would have to root for the Heat. Despite what some delusional Knicks fans think, the Knicks and the Heat don’t have a rivalry anymore. The Knicks and Nets don’t have a rivalry yet either, but fuel will definitely be thrown on the fire if the Nets can somehow dethrone the Heat. Plus, Knicks fans can’t root for a team that employs Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (come on now!).

Stay tuned for my predictions going forward in these NBA Playoffs.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

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One Liner Friday’s

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

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Hello and welcome to another edition of One Liner Friday’s. Here you will find the past week in sports wrapped up in one line and one line only. Enjoy!!

Mark my words: Everyone at the Open Championship needs to watch out for Tiger Woods.

I know I know, that’s a really hard prediction to make, but I’m making it because he has found a nice rhythm and he’s got the putter working (he doesn’t lose when he putts well).

That’s a scientific fact!

Anchorman anyone?

The MLB All-Star Game is the only one of the major sports that I look forward to not watching.

It can’t be an exhibition and mean something at the SAME TIME!!

The HomeRun Derby is still cool though.

Watching human beings (albeit human beings on massive amounts of growth hormones) hit baseballs 500 feet never gets old.

Yoenis Cespedes is a beast!!

For those of who didn’t watch the ESPY’S (like me), you need to check out Lebron James’ outfit:

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Umm excuse me Mr. usher, can you help me find my seat?

Whatever happened to the regular old black tux?

So little Johnny Manziel is getting drunk, getting arrested, and is in the process of ruining his future, it sounds like he’ll fit right in in the NFL.

But, whatever you do John, just remember that NOBODY CARES!!

A-Rod says he’ll be back on the Yankees on Monday, I want to believe him, I just don’t.

Oh you want a $25 million dollar contract?

But you don’t have any major injuries?

Oh no I’m sorry I can’t give you a contract unless at least one of your body parts is falling apart.

What’s that, you do have knees that are deteriorating, by all means then J.R. Smith, please sign right here.

Jaws must have been smoking that good stuff when he made is QB list because there is no way in hell that Matt Ryan is better than Drew Brees.

Lebron, Kobe, and Melo are not going to wind up on the same team.

That’s crazy, that would be like Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk all teaming up to……..ahhh or maybe it could happen.

Does Kevin Garnett know that he’s going to have to coach the Nets while Jason Kidd is in jail??

I’d like to end on a serious note.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Jimmy V’s famous “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” speech.

I’d just like to say that we should never take anything, anyone, or any day we have for granted because you never know when it’ll all be gone.

Cherish your lives every day, and appreciate the life that you have.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend everybody!!

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!