Cavs (They’ll win games 1 and 5)
Under

It’s 6:30 Israel time.

And I like the Wiz here too.

Just logging on, but I got up at 3:30 for some reason…..

I’m picking the Wiz and under. I say we punch them in the mouth to start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j0mjA06Y9M

maybe its because its finally the playoffs. maybe its because its the cavs. maybe becuase we actually are (somewhat) healthy, but im siced as hell rite now too.

and yea i think we split the first two, but i say we win today.

Apparently it is 7:30 here, as I’m in Jerusalem.

Where is everybody?

We have to do our Passover Seder right at the time of the game. I better be able to check the score.

Let’s do this thang.

Too many jumpers to start.

Those jumpers will need to start falling. Enter Gilbert Arenas.

Just putting it out there, Brendan…much like you keep putting it in the basket.

Nice move there to get under Ilgauskas.

Do you think that’s by design?

How far was that????

nice

He missed some jumpers, but 10 rebounds? How about that?

In other news, I’m liking Blatche taking on the enforcer role so far. If you’re a foul prone player, at least make ‘em worth it.

He’s the Sidney Deane of the NBA. Talk makes him play better.

Also I really like Blatche roughin up bron-bron. Every player has shown up so far today.

The hot start by Arenas is going to force Cleveland out more which will hopefully open up those lanes for easier baskets later in the game.

Oh, the irony.

CAPS goal – on a 5-3 advantage. 1-0.

That LeBron dunk was Nasty with a capital N. I mean, only two guys could’ve caught that ball, him and Dwight Howard.

I’m watching this on ESPN 360 so I’m wondering, have they shown the Wiz-Cavs split-face ad yet? If so, who’s in the ad?

This is gonna be one intense series…. I just hope that our guys can keep a clear head in those situations so no one gets ejected or suspended…

The offensive foul call on BTH was just…but in my opinion, LeBron should have allowed Haywood to carefully get out of the way before trying to get up through his legs.

Man, even though Stephen A. Smith is praising the Wizards, I still cannot stand that man.

Dickie V on NBA…exactly. I’ll die if Steven A. Smith ever goes into the HOF though.

The tech on AJ was unnecessary – he was only running there so quick to play peacemaker.

What is Gilbert’s + / – up to the 5:36 mark of the 3rd quarter??

I’m thinking he’s close to +20 right now

Is it too early to get BTH back in with 4 fouls? Just over 9 minutes left? Andray can’t hang with Z.

Be careful please.

Pretty dumb foul call there. West loses his balance, so it’s obviously Gil’s fault…?

on offense or defense…Mase OFF.

Talk about clutch.

Physical game…wish Antawn had followed that one shot from the right wing.

we could have closed the deal right there but AJ missed 3 straight shots. Everyone looks a bit gassed – emotional game. This one is going to the wire now.

That’s how the NBA do.

I know we had plenty of opportunities to score without any calls, but I really can’t believe that Gilbert didn’t get fouled on ANY of those last few drives to the basket… if their superstar can get touch fouls called, why can’t ours?

it was the defiency in free throws that did us in.

too many tryin to thread the needle passes too.

An closely contested, emotional first game with Cleveland taking game 1 at home. Everyone’s going to get their holier-than-thou “Don’t mess with the King” articles out of the way, and after that, the emotions will settle down and the Wizards will even it up on Monday night.

can anyone get onto nba.com? I’ve been trying to get on there for awhile now but it won’t load for me.

Only won by 7 despite having a +20 advantage in free-throw attempts.

Still think the Wiz will win this series.

When opportunities like the Wizards had in the last 4 minutes of this game happen, you’d better damn well take them. Cleveland looked like they were taking the game off until the 4th quarter, and I don’t think they’ll play so badly in Game 2. Everybody here doesn’t seem worried, but I am. LeBron reinforced his confidence in his shot and his game, knowing that the Cavaliers can play like crap for 3 quarters and still beat the Wizards. The Wizards, on the other hand, tightened up when it counted most. Those are the kind of things that play on your mind. In the playoffs, anything playing on your mind is a bad thing.

Antawn had a good game in the stat sheet, but stats aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on in the postseason. I see he got 23 points and 19 rebounds. Who gives a rat’s ass? He choked when it counted the most. He was 10-24 from the field, 1-8 from the arc, and it felt like he went 0-50 in the last 4 minutes, when he could have iced the game. I found myself screaming at the television, “just make a f@%king shot!” If just one of those 3’s had fallen, I think the Wizards win that game. But the only stat that matters in the playoffs is result, and Jamison deserves a lot of the blame for the big “L”.

We can talk strategy and coaching and defense and rebounding and passing and all of that other bullsh!t until we’re blue in the face, but in the playoffs it comes down to who is going to step up and make buckets when they matter the most. LeBron stepped up, bad back and all. Antawn layed so many bricks that he ought to join a bricklayer’s union. Caron, meanwhile, ... Where the f^#k was Caron Butler? He played over 40 minutes and yet he seemed completely invisible. All you BFers who keep saying that Gilbert is not the Wizards best player, that they’d be better off without him, tell me why the Wizards looked so absolutely lost when Gilbert didn’t have the ball in his hands! Oh, but Gilbert is supposed to play like a true point guard and dish the ball even though nobody else could make a shot to save his mother’s life. Gilbert is supposed to play more like Antonio Daniels, who managed all of 1 assist and two turnovers in 20 minutes of play (supposedly his strength). Gilbert must have been listening to all the criticism about how much of a ball hog he is, because he kept giving up the rock late, even though it was clearly costing the Wizards.

OK, so I’m being overly critical of the Wizards right now, but I’m not happy with what transpired. The pressure is now completely on Washington on Monday. Who knows if they’ll get the same opportunity in the 4th quarter that they had today? What if they’re down 15 points to start the 4th, instead of up 4?

If the Wizards can respond to their choke-job today, then everything will be fine and they’ll probably win this series. But if Cleveland comes out on fire and puts the Wizards away, then I doubt the Wizards will be able to dig themselves out of the hole. LeBron has proven he can step up when things matter most. It’s the Wizards that have something to prove Monday. It’s time to get it together.