Ballin’: The Michael Jordan of Turkey and His Merry Band of Chuckers Eliminate the Defending Champs
NBA, Video May 18th. 2009, 10:00amOrlando 101, Boston 82: Hedo Turkoglu is a closer? Boston’s down 15 with 4:30 to go and Ray Allen hits a transition three. Beginning of the rally? Nope. Hedo – referred to this postseason as the “Michael Jordan of Turkey” by the terrific TNT crew, coolly hit a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor and deflated any chance of a Celtics rally. When TNT was recapping the highlights, that Turkoglu shot was accompanied by Chris Webber softly saying, “sometimes I dream …”
Wow? Wow. Wow! In games 4-6, the Magic shot a combined 16-for-69 (23 percent) from three; last night, they were 13-for-21. The trigger-happy Magic, known for frustrating fans with a bad shot selection at the worst possible time, started hot and stayed hot and now they get to play the Cavs (whom they’ve beaten eight of the last 11 times – not too shabby!).
The lone Boston highlight: Rondo’s dunk, almost on Dwight Howard. The Celtics have some planning for the future to do – Rondo and Perkins look like keepers, but their core is ancient: Allen’s 34 this summer, KG’s 33 tomorrow, and Pierce is 32 in October. How much $ will Big Baby want? As for Boston bowing out of the playoffs prior to the Eastern Conference finals … yup, somebody predicted that (too bad that same person had Philly in the ECF).
LA Lakers 89, Houston 70: Since there will be plenty of Denver-LA analysis prior to Tuesday’s game, we’ll focus on the Rockets. Franchise at a crossroads? Artest is a free agent. He turns 30 in November, and he’s coming off – statistically – a poor season (40 percent FG, scoring and rebounding down). After Yao went down, so did Artest’s series against the Lakers. His shot selection was horrible, and he shot 35 or worse from the field in the final four games. Brittle Tracy McGrady has one season left (at $23 million). Mutombo’s gone. Did Von Wafer have a good enough postseason to warrant a big(ish) contract? Next season is the last on Scola’s deal, and he’s currently a steal at $3.3 mil.
Artest will probably be the first domino to fall, and then they’ll have to worry about T-Mac (who turns 30 next week).
77 Responses to “Ballin’: The Michael Jordan of Turkey and His Merry Band of Chuckers Eliminate the Defending Champs”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:04 am
if the magic want to have a chance in a 7 game series against the cavs, dwight’s going to need more than a really, really bad running hook shot in the post.
cavs in 5…magic get super hot one game and blow the doors off the cavs, but i think it’s an ugly series the rest of the way.
hedo on lebron for 7 games? MWAHAHAHA.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Congrats Magic. Good Luck.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Patrick Chewing was right. Air France was huge last night
32-1. So much for that record Boston
May 18th, 2009 at 10:07 am
that makes Ewing 1 for 20 on his predictions?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Wafer averaged 13 minutes a game in the playoffs. He is who we thought he was.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Answer: Thousands of green-clad massholes in stunned silence, AND KG not screaming or looking smug on the sidelines.
Question: Where did amazing happen this year?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Knicks are looking at bringing Wafer in at $10 mill a year.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:09 am
I love that commercial.
Wow didnt see Boston getting their asses kicked like that. Ray Ray blew his load in round one.
These 2 Conference Finals are gonna be great…At least the West will be.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:11 am
“I must be blind, cause I sho didn’t see that ass whoopin’ coming!”
/Boondocks’d (more specifically, Riley Freeman’d)
May 18th, 2009 at 10:11 am
you didn’t see a team with dwight howard and two 6′10″ gunners beating an undermanned and gassed boston team with big baby and scalabrine to a bloody pulp?
that series should’ve been over in 5. i like the magic, but they didn’t take care of business like they should have.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Magic took over Boston.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Exactly. Magic shoot lights out and steal one, maybe two. Other than that Cavs should roll.
Can’t believe it took the Lakers 7 to finish that terrible team off, that series shouldn’t have been close once Yao went down.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Isn’t the smart move for Houston to offer Artest a 1 year deal, and roll the dice with McGrady, Artest and Yao again? For sure the smart move wouldn’t be to sign anybody to any long term contracts before the summer of 2010 where the consolation prizes are so wonderful, and the grand prize is, well, probably not going anywhere.
The dick move, if you’re Houston is a straight swap of McGrady for Chris Bosh. Send T Mac back to Toronto. I wish that would happen.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:14 am
@Sparty- loved that Red Auerbach pic. good stuff
May 18th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Who gets the lottery pick?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:15 am
totally forgot to include the ewing stuff. dammit!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Other than that Cavs should roll
brahahahahahahahahaha. Just wait and see Cavs fans
May 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I was just pissed that only two teams showed up yesterday and they weren’t playing each other. Two disappointing game 7’s.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:17 am
i want to paste in spencer from last night
spencer096 Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
[Gravatar image]
celts win by double digits
May 18th, 2009 at 10:18 am
mcgrady isn’t going to do shit next year…he had microfracture surgery in february and that’s usually a year long sentence.
and even with 2010 looming, the economy has wrecked the majority of the NBA and i would imagine taking on a $20+ mil contract, even for a part of a year, isn’t really that interesting.
artest is a nice piece and a 1-year deal would be perfect. no idea if it’s feasible tho.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Cavs in 4.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:19 am
dirt…yea, i was pretty off on that. i guess i assumed the celts had more gumption than they showed last night.
what’s the bet for this round?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:19 am
well I’d just like to take this time to say…
FUCK
YOU
BOSTON.
That is all.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Fuck feeling sorry for Boston. Boo hoo, they had two hall of famers instead of three! Woe is Boston! It was nice to see the Gahden emptying out with 3 minutes left. Fuck those bandwagon pieces of shit.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
@Bo: I have been lamenting on here for the past week that Orlando has gotten straight up outplayed by a wounded, tired team. It’s good to see them finally wake up and take care of business. Cavs take them in 5…. and Orlando will just get the ball last in one game.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Cavs in 2.
/Fact
May 18th, 2009 at 10:21 am
someone is gonna get mcgrady at a steal in 2010.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Shatner why didn’t you have a role in the Star Trek movie?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Rooting for the Magic, but am doubting that they have enough to beat Cavs 4 times. Would love to see the Nuggets and Magic.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:23 am
BOSTON!!! More like Fraudston!!!HHAHAHAHAHAH!,Right!?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:23 am
and even with 2010 looming, the economy has wrecked the majority of the NBA and i would imagine taking on a $20+ mil contract, even for a part of a year, isn’t really that interesting.
He’s an expiring contract for the summer of 2010, the biggest free agent moment in basketball. Near the trade deadline, Houston’s phone will be ringing off the hook, for sure. The question is, do they trade his expiring contracts for players, or wait and see what they can get. If you sign Artest to a 1 year deal, or sign and trade him to somebody who needs to get tougher (Philly for Dalembert?), you might could make something next year. Or, do you wait.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:24 am
It was nice to see the Gahden emptying out with 3 minutes left. Fuck those bandwagon pieces of shit
hell yeah Clown. Fuck those insufferable Boston fans
@spencer- nothing yet. I will think of something by Wed
May 18th, 2009 at 10:24 am
They said they wanted someone who didn’t ham it up acting wise, but they let Leonard and his droopy face depress the hell out of the crowd, yet again.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:25 am
who’s feeling sorry for boston? paul pierce deserves a postseason of suck…greatest player in the nba my ass.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Cubs fans too! I was at the bar last night and this chick was like “Im not a baseball fan but if I was I would be a Cubs fan” I should have punched that bitch in the face. Or spit Everclear on her and lit her on fire.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Um… Relax people. Orlando was the better team. That’s all there is to it. Shit, i thought as a Bostonian I had a lot of hate in my heart. But muthafuckas on TBL need to chill.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:33 am
BeetlePierce is only 32?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Spencer – The Irish Open trumped the Texas yesterday… Much more entertaining. You catch any of it?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:35 am
@Dirt- haha if they’re stupid enough to trade him for dalembert, philly will take him. I don’t see any reason why anyone would want his bullshit. He is awful and makes 10 a year for the next 3 years i think
May 18th, 2009 at 10:35 am
FUCK YOU! FUCK BOSTON! I mean FRAUDSTON!!!!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:37 am
66 percent of LeBron James’ shots were from outside the paint during this past season. Against the Magic, 83 percent of James’ field goals were outside jumpers. Is that a coincidence? Absolutely not
It’s on
May 18th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Who is going to guard Dwight one on one? Big Z? brahahaha too slow. Sideshow flopper? too weak. Bring on Joe Smith and Ben Wallace
May 18th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Check out Tampa, full of hate on a Monday morning.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:39 am
ill…yea i caught some of it. i was kinda salty rock lost, but it’s always cool seeing an amateur win a professional event.
and zach johnson is a top-15 player now. i take back every bad word i said about him in the past. if sergio had ZJ’s brain and composure, he’d be an all-time great.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:43 am
as long as dwight keeps putting up that HIDEOUS running hook as his only post move, mike brown could put swamp thang on him for all i care.
who’s going to guard lebron? who’s going to guard Z 18 feet from the hoop? again, who’s going to guard lebron?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Let’s fucking go Nuggets!!!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:46 am
as long as dwight keeps putting up that HIDEOUS running hook as his only post move
Kendrick Perkins and Yao Ming defend Howard really well. Kendrick Perkins did a great job this series using his strength and big body. The CAvs have no answer for Dwight
who’s going to guard lebron
Hedo. Jump shot heaven for Lebron. He wont drive to the hoop against Orlando. look at comment #41.
who’s going to guard Z 18 feet from the hoop?
Rashard Lewis. You only have to worry about Big Z in the first quarter. He sucks ass. He wont be able to hang with Dwight
May 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
whom they’ve beaten eight of the last 11 times – not too shabby!)
Look at the past history. Orlando owns Cleveland. I have been waiting for this series all year
May 18th, 2009 at 10:50 am
regular season means dick, irish. lebron has turned it up, and the way he’s been hitting his intermediate jumpers and 3’s this postseason, i don’t think you really want him getting comfy with that.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:51 am
These are gonna be two really good series. Peace out to Boston and have fun Houston. Cant wait for tommorrow night.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:51 am
@Dirt- haha if they’re stupid enough to trade him for dalembert, philly will take him. I don’t see any reason why anyone would want his bullshit. He is awful and makes 10 a year for the next 3 years i think
Houston needs a backup center, and Dalembert is pretty much available. It’s only 2 more years for him at regular bad contract money (12 & 13). The trouble is, there’s nobody else to take if you’re Houston. Yao Ming’s feet are fragile, the poor giant bastard. Maybe you trade TMac for Dalembert and Andre Miller, giving Philly a shot at the summer of 2010, but why?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:52 am
regular season means dick, irish
Cleveland and Orlando have never met in the playoffs. People can sit on here all they want and doubt the Magic. People have been doing it all year and they won’t stop now. We have a great chance
May 18th, 2009 at 10:53 am
I love the Cavs fans’ bravado.
“The LeBronoliers just dominated a below .500 team and a team that wouldn’t have made the playoffs in the West, so it stands to reason that they’ll easily take care of a 59 win team.”
May 18th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Spencer, you’re always making excuses for Sergio. ZJ is boring as hell to watch. I was rooting for that guy threw a 62 up early and sat around for an hr before the playoff.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:58 am
um…yea? key word is DOMINATED. the cavs didn’t have stupid lapses in focus like the faggy lakers or the magic did so why shouldn’t we expect that?
no making excuses for sergio, just saying he’s a dumbass who could learn something for a clearly inferior player like ZJ. and driscoll’s 62 was nice…ZJ’s saturday 60, with a shot at 59, was nicer. and i can’t call ZJ boring because his short irons are like precision bombs. he might be the best short iron/wedge approach player in the game, and i mean that.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:02 am
he might be the best short iron/wedge approach player in the game, and i mean that.
He’s definitely top 5. But he left birdie putts short all day yesterday. How the fuck do you leave the one on 18 short? You can’t do that. BTW, I hate the sunglasses w/ the hat look.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:06 am
yea, his putting is really streaky…when it’s on, it’s fantastic, but he has a really unorthodox style where his hands are actually behind the ball, which can lead to too much loft on his putter, hence the short putts.
plus he uses a see-more…which is ghey as fuck.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Agreed. I hate that putter.
ZJ looks too similar to Joaquin Phoenix for me. That dude bothers me in movies.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:13 am
yea, he’s definitely joaquin phoenix’s doppleganger.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am
If Johnson could hit a shot within a 3 minute window of pulling his club out of the bag, PLUS take off those douchbaggy glasses, I’d pay more attention to him. Until then, he’s another faceless, robotic, pre-shot routine, with a swing guru and sports psychologist on 24 hour call player on Tour.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:20 am
and what PGA pro doesn’t fit that description?
bubba watson? um…
May 18th, 2009 at 11:23 am
John Daly and Gregg Norman.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:26 am
and what PGA pro doesn’t fit that description?
spencer: exactly my point. that’s why it’s the Tiger and the Other Guys Tour
you don’t need a full-out nut-case like Boo Weekley, who is pretty funny, but mixing in a little personality and facial expression (and not the FIGJAM fake Gomer Pyle smile) once in a while sure wouldn’t hurt.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:52 am
greg norman was the prototype for the mechanical swing/sports psycologist movement. and john daly isn’t even a golfer anymore…he’s a sideshow.
jpq…agreed. and that’s why i love sergio, because he speaks his mind and doesn’t appear to be reading off of a teleprompter. but golf is so staid, it’s fucking horrendous.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
jpq…agreed. and that’s why i love sergio, because he speaks his mind and doesn’t appear to be reading off of a teleprompter. but golf is so staid, it’s fucking horrendous.
Sergio’s problem is that he’s like Nancy Pelosi. He should just keep his mouth shut. Every time he opens it, shit pours down his chin.
I think the Tour is going to be in a world of hurt over the next five years. Sponsors are going to be cutting back big time, course development is in the dumper, playing in the US has dropped after going up over the last 10 years, and a Tigerless Tour would make a Jordanless NBA and a Gretzkyless NHL look like the NFL in comparison. The PGA is not goiing to get behind a wave of Korean’s (other than AK) and the majority of the Euros. Look what it’s done to the LPGA.
I don’t see Tiger playing on into his 40’s like a lot of people say. I’d say 5-8 more years, and he’s in Operation Shutdown. His body will continue to break down, and he’s programmed to play to win. Once the AK’s, Lee’s and Rory’s of the world are 26 and Tiger’s pushing 40, he won’t dominate, and he’ll walk away rather than letting that happen.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
That’s racist. He’s from LA.
/sorry, had to
May 18th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
47-35 is below .500? Is that them there Texas math they teach ya’ll out there?
These southern folk sure are silly.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Pistons and Hawks. Try to keep up, Slowhio.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I dont get it
May 18th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
jpq…you couldn’t be more wrong about the current state of the PGA.
if anything, the focus is going to be even more intensified on the american side as the company that used to own the Race to Dubai just got bought out by the UAE…which is putting it’s future in serious doubt even after one year.
meanwhile, tiger is still stateside, which counts for A LOT. that, and there isn’t this wave of foreign, non-english speaking players like in the LPGA. there are way too many young superstars to attract a global audience, and regardless of how well the minor events are attended and sponsored (there are WAY too many events as it is…paring down would be a good thing), the majors are still going to draw ridiculously high ratings.
i’ll agree with you on tiger tho. i bet he gets to 20 majors and calls it a career. then again, with his current swing, winning another major would be a huge feat.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
spencer: I didn’t mean the PGA would be usurped by the players opting for the Race to Dubai or Euro Tours. I meant the popularity of the PGA Tour w/ fans/sponsors/ratings has a perfect storm for a decline.
Also, the wave of foreign/non-speaking winners isn’t here yet, but, again, was my point. They’re coming.(see Y.E. Yang winning Honda). KJ Choi, now Yang. Yang himself said there are literally thousands of guys waiting for enough signs that they could make it here. It’s happening, just like the LPGA 10 years ago w/ Se Ri Pak.
The US will not “buy” foreign superstars except for an occasional exception. Look at soccer, men’s tennis and hockey and it’s popularity in the US, with no “home-grown” superstars, none of these sports has developed any traction with fans/viewers, or advertisers.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
the korean wave of PGA golfers is coming? because a dude fluked a Honda Classic win and because KJ Choi had one fantastic year two years ago? color me skeptical.
yes, the pga tour is currently in a state of disrepair when tiger’s not in the field. but since he’s still around, there’s still a window to repair the game from the inside out and make it more exciting and different with different scoring formats and promoting different players.
honestly, i can’t imagine golf ever losing a serious amount of sponsors just because of the business ties these tournaments have. it’s not only the sport, but these companies who sponsor the tournaments use it to their full advantage, and as long as there are premium, well attended events to sponsor, the money will always be there because of golf’s networking aspect.
i just don’t think the tour is in that much trouble. sure we might lose a few fall or early spring events, but who gives a shit about those anyways? those are nothing more than for the fringe players to get their money list ranking higher…getting rid of those events would strengthen the game…which is great because there are far too many events on the calendar as it is.
i have no idea if i stayed on topic or not, or if this was just one big rambling mess, but im not concerned for golf’s future in the slightest.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
no more rambling than mine above ‘ya-lol
I guess we just look at it differently. I’ve read about the sponsors being forced to cut way back, even on the spreads themselves, so as to not look like they are wasting money
While I would NEVER advocate an article written in Pittsburgh, I just saw this one that really talks about the things I mentioned regarding sponsors and foreign golfers. From the article…
Some critics say the tours’ wounds have been self-inflicted, especially by the women’s circuit. They worry the LPGA runs the risk of expanding too far into South Korea, Thailand, Japan and China — moves that cut U.S. TV time and speed the influx of Asian players difficult to market to American audiences
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_612898.html
May 18th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
What a great call by Charles Barkley before the game too.
Orlando versus Lakers in the Finals. Orlando take Cleveland in 6, Lakers win again in 7. Oddly enough, Cleveland would have matched up better against Boston.
My over/under on number of players suspended or ejected in the Lakers-Nuggets series is 2. Any bets?
I am taking the under due to Stern’s likely meddling to keep the series going to seven games again.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
jpq…that was a pretty cool article, but the things that struck me most about it, were the problems that the LPGA had, that didn’t necessarily co-incide with the PGA.
this may sound insensitive, but i don’t care if the LPGA folds, and if it does, it’s for the better. the LPGA is a shittily run organization, with problems stemming directly from the top (commish bivens) that have trickled down in such an extreme manner that it’s killing the sport despite the fact that there are more quality players now than ever before. the LPGA DESERVES to fail, because of their narrow view on promotion and their abhorrance to put a premium quality product out there.
the PGA’s problems are a lot more cyclical in regards to the economy. yes, there are a few sponsors who are having problems that go beyond the scope of promoting an athletic event, but you know what? if the pros have to sacrifice a little bit, that could be GOOD for the game. PGA pros are pampered babies with disconnect to the real fan…maybe if they actally have to WORK for their paycheck, the game will improve tenfold.
but therein lies the biggest abyss between the PGA and LPGA…the PGA puts out a product that its target demographic eats up with a knife and fork…the LPGA has NO target demographic beyond butchy dyke golfers and the most masochistic golf fans. the article mentions that the PGA does a fantastic job pandering to the affluent 35-65 year old demographic, and there’s no way that’s going to change. just like college football will always have the regional ties, pro golf will always have the corporate ones.
the PGA, which includes the nationwide and champions tours under its umbrella, is just fine. when a sport is so tied to their sponsors, it’s only natural to see a little downturn when the economy is struggling, just like in the early 00’s when the tech bubble burst. did the PGA survive? absolutely, and that was during tiger’s drought when you had the shaun micheel’s, rich beem’s, ben curtis’ and todd hamilton’s winning majors with only vijay being a real perennial contender.
THAT’S why i think men’s golf is going to be fine. people always want to see the best players play on the best courses, and there’s always going to be an audience for that. the LPGA’s game is hermetically flawed, reliant on technology and, frankly, staid. the PGA doesn’t suffer from that as there’s a field of 150 players who have teh ability to win any given tournament, and the competition is typically intense.
even if there are cutbacks that kill off a number of tournaments, the big 20 or so that are truly can’t miss will survive with either their typical sponsors or new ones who’ll relish the opportunity to put their name on something. the majors aren’t going anywhere, neitehr are the players, quail hollow, memorial, arnie’s event at bay hill, the now four WGC events, the four FedEx Cup events, and the other five or so tour stops that annually end up rewarding their sponsors handsomely.
in short…men’s golf is fine with an influx of new stars and old. women’s is in shambles and will, most likely, die off in the next decade outside of their four major events. but, again, this is not a bad thing. while it’s nice for the ladies to have their tour, unless it’s run well and puts a premium on promotion and corporate relations, it’s eventual demise is somewhat welcome, as it’ll provide an example for the PGA to follow as to what NOT to do.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
jesus…i didn’t realize that was gonna be that long.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
looks like you just did your next post for tunagolf-lol
agree w/ you on some things. I just think the foreign thing is coming, and it will not help the Tour in US fan popularity. Like baseball and hoops, golf is growing more outside the US than inside it.
LPGA will morph into a “world tour” with events in the US and abroad (mainly Asia). It has to or it will be gone.