[WälseParticipant]

lol…it doesnt get any better than that!

[joecheck88Participant]

WOW!!! LeBron is now officially the MVP. He has officially arrived. I still want to see him take the shot more than he does but you now see the result he can provide. I think we are all now witnesses.

[michaelds911Participant]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ( I was waiting for you alpha)…… He made me proud tonight. I didn’t think he had it in him. I thought I was going to get on here a criticize his clutch ability again, but he shut me up……for now. I’m happy though, because we won!!!

[WälseParticipant]

dont lie player! you already knew he had it in him…now the world knows…

[michaelds911Participant]

I really didn’t, because I’ve seen him mess it up many times before. But there is one plus to this game…….I can bash Dwight Howard some more!!! Me and him were tied in 4th quarter points this game…..nuff said.

[WälseParticipant]

very true…but if we’re gonna bash people, let me take this time to criticize Kobe some more. Who’s the guy who has lost the ball in the most critical moments the last two games? Kobe is! That reach by K-Mart was not a foul and you know it! The guys got butterfingers. I think he’s nervous! lol…

[joecheck88Participant]

the amazing thing about this shot is that the cavs were down 2. they would have lost if he didnt hit it. that is the definition of clutch. The NBA where AMAZING happens!!

[michaelds911Participant]

The second game yeah lol, but the first game he did pretty good in my opinion. He should of got the ball on that last shot as well, he would have put up a better look than that hobbit Derek Fisher did! Also, don’t forget….Kobe had to get his fingers taped up, so that might attribute to his butterfingerness lol.

[HaleParticipant]

King James!

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Shot. He saved his arse for not guarding Hedo, he knew where the ball was going. It was an amazing shot, but he didn’t even think that shot was going in. “He looked nervous” to quote a LeBron fan (roommate). It was no more than a lucky sling, but he made it and thats what counts. Thats not his “arrival” though, when he makes PLAYS, thats when he arrives. Not some lucky sling at the goal. Good for him though, he’s came a long ways.

[WälseParticipant]

nervous? he shot that ball pretty confidently it seemed to me. did you want him to turn and start celebrating while the ball was in mid-air? lol…lucky sling? do you really believe that?….i know you’re disappointed that Lebron has surpassed Kobe as a player and has made a bigger “clutch” shot than Kobe ever has and has performed better in a big game than Kobe ever has (Detroit). but lets not talk crazy….meanwhile Kobe has fumbleitis in the clutch…i’m just sayin

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

It showed again last, poor Kobe will just never be a star and do anything in the final minutes. Kobe also hits his free throws in the clutch. Get real man, LeBron is close, but don’t get it twisted.

[WälseParticipant]

i remember Kobe missing 2 4th quarter free-throws….i remember seeing Kobe get manhandled under the basket by Melo. i remember him getting ripped at the end of the first 2 games. he has played a fine series, but get real, Lebron has surpassed Kobe and the whole world knows it now save for some hangers on like yourself. i’m in the majority finally and it feels good.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

The same majority that prefers soulja boy to real lyrics. Just because its trendy, doesn’t make it right. I figured with your knowledge you would understand this. I guess we’ll see when its magic vs. lakers wont we.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

LeBron looked really clutch at the line tonight. BTW, the biggest whiners thread, where is LeBron? He attempted 24 free throws and was still complaining the entire night. What does he expect? Be pampered since middle school is prolly the problem. He had a great game, but missed FIVE key free throws in the 4th.

[WälseParticipant]

there’s no excuse for the free throws. he’s gotta do better….i guess Jerry West & Mike Fratello like Soulja Boy.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Like the last guy who thinks the world is flat.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Are you two twins, or just on the same wave length. You two post in tandems, haha.

[michaelds911Participant]

They do lolololol.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

LeBron can trust the officials, but apparently Howard can’t. What a joke, this officiating has been awful throughout the playoffs. Not to mention, they’re out of control with T’s & flagrant fouls.

[llperez]

of tonights Magic/Cavs game in regulation were both controversial. I actually agree with the foul on Pietrus after I saw the replay. But Howard should have been going to the line as well. I think the refs made up for it a little bit with the bogus foul on Verajao in OT that fouled him out.

Great game, but I truly believe the Magic have a better team. If the Cavs can’t defend, they don’t have enough weapons outside of LBJ to keep up. Lebron is playing great, but those turnovers were crucial. He is always going full speed trying to get to the hoop and he either gets the foul call or ends up turning it over. That’s why he needs to trust his jumper more in the end of games instead of just playing full back busting through the defense.

[bryant markson1]

pietrus never fouled him..lebron fell into him without being touched..how is that a foul?…too bad KING JAMES will be watching the final in the stands or at home and things wont change next year unless they add another scorer

[llperez]

I thought the foul on Pietrus was legit. At first I thought was a typical bs superstar call, but on the replay you see him trip Lebron. LeBron was in fullbacker mode, but still you should make that call if you are the ref. It’s not like Pietrus was’nt moving.

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Something needs to be done with LeBron running into people, and the officials letting him go to the line for it. I used to get so pissed watching Shaq play, now their letting a wing do it. It’s frustrating and so far from basketball. Why not do it every play? They play him for it, and he still gets the call.

[Stanford hoopsParticipant]

what game were u watching?..go to youtube petrius never tripped him up..lebron tripped with no help from petrius then ran into him

[ch15r36isParticipant]

From ESPN.com…
After studying the data, I’ve come up with a formula that takes into account an NBA player’s statistics and combines them into a single number that summarizes his overall crunch-time performance. The numbers take into account both regular-season and postseason performance in 2008-09, but in order to be rated, a player had to have played a minimum of 50 crunch-time minutes in the regular season (a requirement that 201 players met this season).
Like 82games.com, which provided the data, I defined “crunch time” as when the score was within five points with five or less minutes left in the fourth quarter or overtime.
To derive the overall rating, I used a statistical method that weights a player’s basic statistics (points, rebounds, assists, turnovers, field-goal percentage, etc.) according to how they correlate with a team’s scoring margin while he is on the court. Basically, the rating counts a player’s “good” statistics (points, rebounds, etc.) positively and a player’s “bad” statistics (turnovers, missed shots, etc.) negatively, then adjusts for minutes played to get a single plus/minus rating (which I set to a scale of per 40 minutes). In advanced NBA statistics circles, this is known as a statistical plus-minus formula.

Now on to the part that really matters: the results.

2008-09 Crunch-Time Rating Leaders (through May 27)
Player Rating Crunch-time stats (per 40 minutes)
1. LeBron James, CLE +20.0 47.0 pts, 11.1 reb, 10.6 ast, 54.0 FG pct
2. Chris Paul, NO +11.4 37.3 pts, 8.7 ast, 3.6 stl, 90.0 FT pct
3. Kevin Garnett, BOS +10.6 64.7 FG pct, 11.3 reb, 3.3 blk
4. Dwyane Wade, MIA +10.4 41.0 pts, 7.8 ast, 4.1 blk, 2.5 stl
5. Carmelo Anthony, DEN +9.2 40.3 pts, 6.9 reb, 51.7 FG pct, 56.2 3-pt FG pct
6. Eddie House, BOS +9.1 25.8 pts, 54.4 FG pct, 59.9 3-pt FG pct, 0.0 TO
7. Jason Kidd, DAL +8.6 7.0 reb, 6.7 ast, 3.8 stl, 85.0 FT pct
8. Brandon Roy, POR +8.4 34.8 pts, 6.7 reb, 89.7 FT pct
9. Kobe Bryant, LAL +8.2 46.7 pts, 6.4 reb, 42.4 3-pt FG pct, 90.6 FT pct
10. Trevor Ariza, LAL +7.5 56.5 FG pct, 45.5 3-pt FG pct, 4.2 stl (best in NBA)

[nthegoodlifeParticipant]

Now back on topic, second time this series Howard fouls out on a BAD CALL. These officials are out of control. I guess its the NBA hype machine getting to them or their paychecks one.

[WälseParticipant]

i think win or lose Lebron has proven himself as the MVP, the best player in the world, and the future greatest player of all time. i’ve never seen a guy do so much on the court and i cant say it enough. the fact that he’s got room for improvement brings a smile to my face…

[llperez]

I actually did go to youtube to see the replay, and it was just like I saw it live, Pietrus was running alongside Lebron and tripped him. It was an arguable call because you could say that lebron initiated the contact and Pietrus was allowed to move his feet on defense. But it was clear as day that Lebron tripped on Pietrus’s foot. So for you to suggest that lebron was just a clutz and tripped over his own feet is incorrect.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Lebron and Shaq in his prime have to be the two of the hardest players to officiate in the history of the game…but you can’t penalize them for being so athletic for their size. They will get fouled like anyone else, but because they are so big, a lot of times, it will look more like they are the ones commiting the foul. Still, the questionable calls against those guys are better than the calls where guys pump-fake, then jump into someone to try to draw a foul.
The last call against Dwight was a little questionable, but I thought the replays showed he was moving when Lebron got to him, and was just too close to the basket.
I tend to say let the players play, but sometimes the refs call the game pretty tight, particularly in the closing minutes…but I believe they call it tight for everyone, not just for Lebron.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Is anyone else tired of these officiating arguments?

[WälseParticipant]

the refs know what they are doing…basketball is a very difficult game to officiate, so i think they do an outstanding job considering…

[bluedevils12Participant]

i still dont trust the guy. yea he made it happen in game 5 but thats not enough 4 me.i have 2 see him continue to do this to believe that game 5 wasnt just a 1 time deal.

[ch15r36isParticipant]

Are we not counting the first 4 games of the series?

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