I did
my mini preview of the NBA story-lines that intrigue me this year in the association. The Miami Heat begin their ride as the most hated team in the NBA tonight facing off against the NBA championship runner-up Boston Celtics. Then later on in the night the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers begin their title defense against the Houston Rockets. Both games are especially interesting tonight. The Heat-Celtics game is interesting for obvious reason. I'm interested in the Rockets-Lakers game because tonight marks the return of Yao Ming. Yao returns to the court since breaking his foot against the Lakers in the 2008 playoffs. How will Yao be used this season? How will his return affect the Rockets? Are the Rockets good enough with Yao playing limited minutes to reach the NBA Finals? That's just one storyline from this NBA season. I've never been this excited to watch an NBA season until this season. It should be fun. As always, leave comments and don't be a troll.
Announcing Schedule and pairings courtesy of
The506 forum.
Heat-Celtics: 7:30, TNT (Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Mike Fratello, Craig Sager)
Rockets-Lakers: 10:30, TNT (Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Cheryl Miller)
The Suns-Trail Blazers also play tonight at 10 ET. As always we get a week free preview of all the NBA games on NBA League Pass so we'll be able to also watch this game.
Kevin McHale on NBATV: "Vince Carter isn't half-man, half-amazing anymore. He's just half a man."
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Steve Kerr returned to broadcasting. No more Reggie Miller ruining a Marv Albert broadcast.
ReplyDeleteMarky Mark shoutout by Marv.
ReplyDeleteYes, I said I wasn't gonna watch this game, and now I'm watching. So what, big whoop, wanna fight about it?
ReplyDelete@RJBO: I'm glad someone joined me. I was starting to get depressed.
ReplyDelete16-9 Celts after 1. The only thing not brutal about the 1st Quarter was Hannah Storm's outfit.
ReplyDeleteHannah Storm is dressed to go out clubbing tonight.
ReplyDeleteHannah Storm in that outfit looked like she was ready for Marv Albert to bite her.
ReplyDelete/Too Soon'd?
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ReplyDeleteHahaha, Keith.
ReplyDeleteI know the Heat need some more practice time & cohesion, but 13 points so far? Yeech.
Boise missed a chippy FG. Still no score on the smurf turf.
ReplyDeleteThe Heat have more turnovers than field goal.
ReplyDeleteMarv going to the "Jeff Van Gundy School of Random NBA Rules" over the Summer.
ReplyDeleteLOL Marv. Talking about how coaches shouldn't be able to stand near the scorer's table because the announcers can't see the game.
ReplyDelete31-15 Celtics. This is the only time I'll ever cheer for Boston.
ReplyDeleteOrder restored in Boise. Broncos lead 7-0 over the fighting Terry Bradshaws.
ReplyDelete38-20 Boston. Erik Spoelstra's gonna get fired at halftime.
ReplyDeleteI thought Spoelstra was just a voodoo doll with Riley pulling the strings from the owners box?
ReplyDeleteLouisiana Tech & Boise tied at 7, with Tech failing an onside kick attempt.
ReplyDeleteMiami has no rhythm at all.
ReplyDeleteLeBron needed that fast break dunk.
ReplyDeleteI love Marv Albert. He attempts comedy, but it comes off so cheesy that it's cute.
ReplyDelete"He lost 40 pounds."
ReplyDeleteFratello: "He said 25 a week ago."
Weight loss & gambling debts: things Barkley easily loses track of.
Fratello: "They don't want Cleveland fouling (Shaq) intentionally."
ReplyDelete21 combined points for The Big 3 in the 1st half.
ReplyDelete/will not make a bad "bailout" joke
Czar is confused.
ReplyDeleteAbout time there's a Tron sequel.
ReplyDelete/Kidding
"Freaky like my lady pyramid."
ReplyDeleteI snipe at a lot of commercials; that was funny.
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ReplyDeleteKenny Smith: "What's left on the bus, on their FedEx package, is their game."
ReplyDeleteI was about to crack on that, but that's still clearer than the labor analogy he gave to Rome lo all those years ago.
EJ: "Tuesday Night is Fan Night on NBA TV."
ReplyDeleteKenny: "Nerd Night."
I agree with the Heat staff. That 1st Half was atrocious. #CaptainObvious
ReplyDeleteKerr: "The Celtics are like the Steelers. They just come and just grind you out defensively."
ReplyDeleteThis game has a Redskins-Bears feeling: someone's gonna win, although they don't deserve to.
Agreed RJBO. Sloppy, boring game.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with most of Mookie's post on the start of the NBA season.
ReplyDeleteCould ESPN (or even TNT) hook us up with a Hannah Storm or Wendi Nix cam online? I'm tempted to watch the World Series of Poker....
ReplyDelete@RJBO: I sorta agree with Mookie. I enjoyed last year's finals, but he's right about 2003 and 2005. But look at who was playing in those finals.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Mookie though about NBC/Marv Albert/ESPN/ABC. That's why I love these TNT games. We get Marv, Charles, Jet, and EJ.
Hannah Storm is giving a lap dance right now in the Boston Common.
ReplyDeleteOh God. Robert Smith in a lab coat with a John 3:16 guy imposter. Bleh.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit. That guy was a Boise State Professor??? "Dr. Pickelstein???"
ReplyDeleteI rewound that. That was the worst "Mr. Wizard's World" recreation ever.
Sounds like I should stick with basketball while that game is at half.
ReplyDelete/I'm going to check out the Port-Phx game as soon as it starts on NBA League Pass.
Boise is close to Oregon's UCLA-ing of Louisiana Tech with a 21-7 lead and driving late in the 1st Half.
ReplyDeleteMy new "Reverse Mirror" bitch & complain is Comcast's not offering any of the sports packages (NHL, NBA, MLB) in HD. Not wasting any cash on them until that's rectified.
As bad as the Heat have played, they're only down 10 late in the 3rd.
ReplyDelete@RJBO: Don't get me started about the sports packages not in HD. I had some extra cash I could have used to buy NBA League Pass, but they weren't offering it in HD. I'm thinking about switching to Direc TV.
ReplyDeleteKeith, not that you were wondering, but WKNR in Cleveland declined to run the ESPN Radio broadcast of Heat-Celtics, instead replacing it with local programming. #notasurprise
ReplyDeleteHa! Cleveland still is steamed.
ReplyDeleteI dialed up the online stream of ESPN Cleveland: They're not steamed. They're stoned. "45 wins?" "Anthony Parker = Mike Miller?" Sometimes I wonder why I listen to a station 200 miles away: the lack of perspective is hilarious.
ReplyDelete73-64 Celtics. Had Boston been able to execute, this would already be a laugher.
ReplyDelete@RJBO: It's funny listening to local stations out of area sometimes. You say to yourself, "These guys are worse than my local station hosts."
ReplyDeleteThat better not have been "M-V-P" chants for Pierce while he was at the line. It's Game freaking 1!
ReplyDeleteMarv: "EJ coming off the outstanding job on American League baseball."
ReplyDeleteYou could say he was 'Top drawer.'
Watching the Blazers game, their announcers may be the biggest homers in the league. Even Tommy Heinhson is embarrassed by them.
ReplyDelete8-0 Heat run cuts the Boston lead to 5.
ReplyDeleteLeBron has 31 points (somehow). The Celtics lead is only 3.
ReplyDeleteBlazers might be 'Not Afraid' of anything except a Greg Oden injury report.
ReplyDeleteLOL RJBO.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Ray Allen couldn't make any of those 3-pointers in the NBA finals.
Thank you Ray Allen for the probable dagger.
ReplyDeleteLoving the "Overrated" chants. If this keeps up, the TD Garden crowd's gonna rush the court. #collegebasketball
ReplyDelete"This has been a playoff atmosphere in here." Drink.
ReplyDeleteCeltics win 88-80.
So much for 72 wins for the Heat.
ReplyDelete/It's still very early........
Sager: "Is Miami the team to beat in the East?"
ReplyDeleteRondo: "I think we are."
The Trail Blazer graphics are weird.
ReplyDeleteThey've been that way for a few years, Keith.
ReplyDelete"There's never been an arena as full as the Trail Blazers.'" Bleh.
"Violet wanted to see if her whistle blew."-Mike Rice the Blazers color commenter.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, the Portland announcers are homers.
Charles: "No disrespect to Carlos Arroyo, but they need a different point guard."
ReplyDeleteWith all the turnovers, I thought Jay Cutler was running point for the Heat. #I'mahack
Poor Terry Porter. From Bucks/Suns head coach, to Trail Blazers sideline reporter.
ReplyDeleteKeith, I'll just be bumping around here probably until the end of the LaTech-Boise game.
ReplyDeleteTech now just with their best Wade Phillips impersonation not taking the FG deep in the Red Zone.
That's fine RJBO.
ReplyDeleteJeanine Buss looks like she's been rode hard and put away wet by Phil.
Hahaha to the guy with no acknowledgment next to Kareem during the ring ceremony.
ReplyDeleteThe Lakers whore wrangler should get a ring as well.
ReplyDeleteHaha Keith. This ceremony is clunky at best. Geez.
ReplyDeleteLifting that ring caused Bynum to break his hand. He's out 3-4 years.
ReplyDeleteMr. Sharapova!
ReplyDeleteSteve Nash is still playing at a high level. I'm convinced he's on roids.
ReplyDeleteTrail Blazer announcer Mike Rice almost made a women needs to stay in the kitchen joke about NBA ref Violet Palmer.
ReplyDeleteDamn. I've been watching this cheesy ceremony on TNT....
ReplyDelete42-13 Boise after 3. No more of that.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna duck out now. Half-tired; half-avoiding the Millers. See ya in the World Series live-blog (for me, live + 3 seconds; thanks, WJBK).
ReplyDeleteGoodnight RJBO. Talk to you tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteYou mean none of you care about the Heat-Sixers game tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteI hear the whole Evan Turner pick might have been a bad idea.
ReplyDelete/Thank God the Sixers weren't the only team that passed on Cousins.
@ Keith: Honestly, I have not been following him and the Sixers that much. I could not tell you much about Turner. Jrue Holiday is looking good though from what little I read.
ReplyDeleteThat being said about the Sixers, seeing as tomorrow is their opener and it is a home game against Miami, I might watch a bit.
At least until the World Series game.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite the masochist, aren't I?
Come on Justin. You have to watch the Sixers a little bit this year. Liberty Ballers is a good site from what I've read.
ReplyDeleteBrando tweet from a couple hours ago: "Gee now that I'm home I'm amazed to find that a few whacked out Elitists are watching Boise St. You mean no Dancing with the Stars Tonight?"
ReplyDelete@ Keith: On nights when I am bored and no one else is on I might watch some Sixers. Liberty Ballers is a fine site, it is where I infrequently visit to get my infrequent Sixers updates.
ReplyDeleteKevin Harlan is the hardest working man in announcing these days.
ReplyDeleteCome on Reggie Miller. You would have had a ring back in 05 if Artest didn't go crazy.
ReplyDeletei have to admit i'm shocked Battier is still in the NBA
ReplyDeleteDerek Fisher might be a nice guy off the court, but on the court he's one of the dirtier players in the league.
ReplyDelete@KT: I'm not. Battier is one of the best defenders in the league. That will take you a long way. Look at Matt Barnes.
ReplyDeletesigh. I thought I was done with Matt Winer
ReplyDelete@Keith I meant coming out of Duke, I wouldn't have expected Battier to survive for 10 years
this discussion on how to pronounce Budinger is riveting...
ReplyDeleteThe NBA, it's fantastic!
ReplyDeleteCheryl Miller to David Stern:
ReplyDelete"Is there going to be a lockout shortage?"
Aaron Brooks is fantastic to watch.
ReplyDeleteGood Lord, the Wizards are on TNT Thursday Night? Is Marv going to baptize John Wall into the NBA
ReplyDeleteAs long as Wall doesn't dress up like a gimp, I have no problem with Marv calling that game.
ReplyDeleteThe Lakers just turn it on so fast..
ReplyDeleteand the first Harlan "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" of the season
sigh. Steve Blake with the dagger
ReplyDeleteLakers win. Pretty good game
ReplyDelete