Intriguing Morning Read: Excerpts From Tim Donaghy’s Book Blowing the Whistle

Spent a little time this morning reading the excerpts from Tom Donaghy’s book Blowing the Whistle that currently is without a publisher.

It is important to remember while reading the excerpts — which cannot be described as anything other than explosive and damning, but not totally unexpected — that Donaghy is a convicted felon who seemingly spent a good portion of his career engaged in deceitful, unethical professional acts.

Thus, weigh how much validity his word carries.

It is also important to remember, however, that the NBA has been dogged by claims of rigged games and less-then-objective officiating for years. In fact, I’m sure my friends down here in Dallas will have a thing or two to say about Donaghy’s book as they recall Dwyane Wade’s star-making appearance against the Mavs in the NBA Finals…which was, of course, marred by controversial officiating.

Either way, the excerpts are intriguing enough to pass along, in addition to a terrific music video retrospective on one of the most controversial NBA games ever, and the subject of one of the excerpts: the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings.

… Continue Reading

2009 NBA Finals: Lakers-Magic Game 1 Odds and Series Prediction

You.

Hey YOU!

I know the NBA Finals odds aren’t your dream Kobe-LeBron matchup; you’re probably pissed that you don’t get Federer-Nadal in the French Open odds too, right? But seriously, put down the box of tissue. You’re getting Superman vs Kobe, for cryin’ out loud, It’s not like we’re watching Spurs-Pistons here!

The Lakers vs Magic odds, even without King James and the Cavs, still pit two of the hugest stars in the sport against one another. It’s the best big man in the business, Dwight Howard, versus the best scoring machine this side of LeBron, Kobe Bryant. Interestingly enough, though, the series will be decided by the supporting cast, not the stars.

Lakers-Magic odds: Game 1 Thursday, June 4 at 9:05 p.m. ET
Lakers NBA Finals odds: -280
Magic NBA Finals odds: +230

Follow the link to view the complete 2009 NBA Finals TV Schedule.

Many offshore sportsbook bettors are plenty excited about the NBA Finals odds, as they feel the Magic offer nice value and have a real chance to upset L.A. After all, few pundits expected them to get past the Celtics and, especially, the Cavaliers, so isn’t it time to give them respect? They also swept the Lakers 2-0 in the season series, winning a game at Staples Center. So why can’t they beat the Lakers now?

I’ll tell you why.

First off, home-court advantage will play a role in this series. Yes, the Magic won in L.A. during the regular season and, yes, they won a Game 7 on the road against the Celtics, and those are impressive accomplishments. However, no team in NBA history has won two road Game 7s in one playoffs, so the hoops betting odds are stacked against the Magic. The Lakers have had their hiccups here and there but they’re still dominant at Staples Center. Should the series go to a Game 7, they’d have a decided advantage.

Some basketball betting fans feel we can’t dismiss the Magic’s great regular-season play against the Lakers, especially with Jameer Nelson possibly returning for the series. However, the playoffs are a different beast and the Lakers are much more seasoned in that regard, as Kobe and Derek Fisher’s ring collections suggest. As for Nelson, he may not be 100 per cent if he plays and there’s no telling what could happen to the team chemistry upon his return. Can you say Ewing Theory?

The most important misconception among NBA Championship odds bettors is that the Magic have the advantage in the paint because of Dwight Howard. He is undoubtedly Planet Earth’s undisputed king of the paint, but he’s just one man. After him, the Magic seriously lack toughness and scoring depth inside; that’s a major problem considering how often Howard gets into foul trouble. He had 32 fouls in the Cavaliers series. The Lakers have Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. How can Howard stop all three?

The Magic’s outside shooting has been amazing, with Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and even Rafer Alston draining three-balls like crazy. But outside shooting can go cold; inside scoring is much more consistent, so the scoring edge has to go to the Lakers.

THE VERDICT

The Magic are a cohesive team that spreads the ball around well, so they won’t go quietly against the Lakers. Two or three wins are entirely possible. However, the Lakers have what Cleveland had – an All-World scorer in Kobe Bryant – plus much more depth, especially inside. They’ll be too much for the Magic to handle, as they can beat them in so many ways.

Best sportsbook pick: Lakers in six

Follow the link to join BetOnline and get in on the betting action for the 2009 NBA Finals and receive a $125 initial deposite bonus.

What is your prediction for the NBA FInals?

Who will win the 2009 NBA Finals?

• Orlando Magic (32%, 109 Votes)
• Los Angeles Lakers (68%, 227 Votes)

Total Voters: 336

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2009 NBA Finals Preview: Lakers-Magic TV Schedule and Point Spreads

Throughout the week, we’ll be posting stories about the 2009 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. I have to admit that the series will be a little bittersweet for me with LeBron and the Cavs out of it. I had never actively rooted for a particular NBA team since Jordan retired, but LeBron has turned me into a Cavs fan, as well as my association with so many Clevelanders. Plus, the sports fans in me would have loved to see a LeBron-Kobe mano-a-mano matchup.

But it didn’t happen, and the Magic are a very deserving team. Dwight Howard is becoming a dominant force, and the white-guy-from-Indiana in me can’t help but love seeing how deadly the Magic are from beyond the arc. There is something special about watching LeBron try to do everything on his own, but the Magic obviously play a much crisper brand of team basketball and are entertaining in their own right. I give a lot of the credit for that to Stan Van Gundy, the Magic’s underrated coach.

Can they beat the Lakers though? That will be tough. No one can beat the Lakers when they come ready to play and function as a cohesive unit. I think they’ll do that in four of the games and come away with another championship, but after watching Orlando play against Cleveland I certainly would be surprised if the series went the other way.

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Click Here for Deals on Lakers-Magic Tickets for the 2009 NBA Finals

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Anyway, you’re here for information, and information you shall receive. The 2009 NBA FInals Lakers-Magic TV Schedule is below, with the complete TV listings (all games on ABC) including dates and times. Plus, I’ll hop on here regularly to update the point spread info and results of each game. Here ya go:

Check back throughout the week as, in addition to the Lakers-Magic NBA Finals TV Schedule, we’ll also be bringing you historical information about the NBA Playoffs, the Magic and Lakers, and betting tips if gambling is your thing.

It should be a great finals, but the best player usually comes out on top; which gives the Lakers a huge edge I think. What do you think?

Who will win the 2009 NBA Finals?

• Orlando Magic (32%, 109 Votes)
• Los Angeles Lakers (68%, 227 Votes)

Total Voters: 336

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2009 NBA Playoffs: Eastern and Western Conference Finals Series Odds and Predictions

Western Conference Finals Series Odds and Prediction: Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers
Nuggets vs Lakers odds: Lakers -270

The Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers come into this series on different ends of the spectrum. The Nuggets are winners of 22 of their last 28 games dating back to the regular season and are hot right now. Meanwhile, the Lakers stumble into this series after a careless seven-game series against the Houston Rockets.

The Lakers won’t take the Nuggets as lightly as they did the Rockets but more importantly, after facing such a good defensive team in Houston, playing against Denver’s weak defense should simple.

The Nuggets are a high-scoring but they simply won’t outscore the Lakers, who averaged more points per game in the regular season than the Nuggets. Unless Denver finds a way to slow down the Lakers, which is what the Rockets did, then this series could be a quick one.

The Lakers are 7-0 in the playoffs when scoring 100 points or more and are just 1-4 when failing to hit the 100-point mark.

Online sports bets pick: Lakers in five

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Eastern Conference Finals Series Odds and Prediction: Orlando Magic v Cleveland Cavaliers
Magic vs Cavaliers odds: Cavaliers -850

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a huge favorite to win the Eastern Conference Finals but they have a tough foe in front of them: the Orlando Magic.

The Magic won two of three regular season meetings and gave the Cavaliers all they could handle. The playoffs should be a little different because firstly, the Cavaliers should be fresh. The Magic played six games against the 76ers and seven against the Celtics. That’s a total of 13 games while the Cavs have only played eight in that span.

This series figures to be a long one so the Cavaliers should have the edge as the series progresses.

Furthermore, home court advantage should be key as the Cavaliers have an extra game at home. They only lost one game at home this season without LeBron James so if they can protect their court, they’ll advance.

Lastly, the Cavs play better overall defense. The Magic play good defense is spurts but they are as consistent as the Cavs. Those three factors should lead the Cavs to a series win.

Online sports bets pick: Cavaliers in six

Lakers-Nuggets Western Conference Finals Preview, Prediction, and TV Schedule

Obviously my primary focus during the NBA conference finals will be on the Cavs-Magic series. I don’t particularly have one NBA team that I follow, and haven’t since Michael Jordan retired from the Bulls and they completely blew up the franchise.

But I do love the playoffs from the perspective of a fan who enjoys watching the best in the world giving their maximum effort and playing at the peak of their abilities. And it is hard not to be completely enthralled with everything that LeBron James does on a basketball court.

Yet, the beauty of the NBA Playoffs is that you do not have to choose which conference finals game you will watch. You can watch them all. The NBA Playoff schedule is staggered with the Eastern conference one day and the Western conference the next, meaning that for a full fortnight (if each series goes 7 games) we should get an outstanding, competitive, intense basketball game each night.

That’s exciting.

And so, since I will be watching the Lakers-Nuggets series, and since our very own KVB is a die-hard Lakers fan, I figured I’d get you all of the information you need to know for the Lakers-Nuggets Western Conference Finals series, including the TV schedule and even links for tickets should you choose to attend the games in-person. All of that information is below, plus some other interesting tidbits and a completely meaningless prediction from me.

(Side note: In the link above on the words “our very own KVB” look at the filename of the picture you are directed to upon clicking the link. It is a photo of Kurt Rambis hosted at The Sports Hernia and the filename is “kurt-rambis-ass-sorcerer.jpg.” You know, I’d never thought about Kurt Rambis in those terms, but I have to say that looking at him in the black specs, mustache, and floppy mullet-like hairstyle, “ass sorcerer” does seem to fit.)

Here are your tickets links and the the Lakers-Nuggets TV Schedule.

And now, let’s take a look at some of the interesting news and notes regarding the LA-Denver Western Conference Finals matchup:

• The Lakers won the season series 3-1, with two of the wins coming by double-digits.
• This is truly a series between an NBA “have” and an NBA “have not.” The Lakers have won 14 championships including the five they won in Minneapolis, while the Denver Nuggets have never won an NBA championship. In fact, the Nuggets are the only active former ABA team to have never captured a title in either the ABA or the NBA. Interestingly, with neither Cleveland nor Orlando having captured the ultimate prize, the NBA will crown a first time champion unless the Lakers can grab title #15.
• The same 10 ESPN experts who were unanimous in choosing the Cavs to beat the Magic were split 7-3 in favor of the Lakers. All of them see the series going at least six games, and all three people who chose Denver picked the series to end in six, obviously because Game 6 will be in Denver.
• The Lakers outrebound the Nuggets 43.9-41.6 in terms of their season average. This statistic surprised me, as I would have thought that the rugged (thuggish?) Nuggets would have grabbed more rebounds than the laid-back Lakers.
• With one more title, Phil Jackson will surpass Red Auerbach as the coach with the most NBA titles in history.

Okay, so there you have a few interesting news and notes. Now time to offer up a prediction for a series that should be pretty intense…

Coming into the playoffs, I assumed that the Lakers would roll into the NBA Finals, but I had not seen Denver play. After getting a close-up view of the Nuggets during their series with the Mavericks, I came away extraordinarily impressed.

Are they a tough, rough, hard-nosed team that borders on dirty? Absolutely. Does that style of basketball succeed in the playoffs? Absolutely.

The Nuggets play with incredible energy, especially at home, and after watching the Lakers get waxed twice at Houston when the Rockets were without McGrady and Yao Ming, I don’t think the Lakers stand a chance of beating the Nuggets in Denver. Seriously.

So that just leaves the Nuggets needing to win one out of four in LA. I think they can do it, and I think they’ll do it in Game 1 or Game 2.

I know that with Kobe the Lakers are capable of playing superb basketball on any given night, but they do not seem to be able to consistently bring energy. Kobe alone is good for two wins in this series, but I think that’s all LA will get. Unless the Lakers step up their intensity and focus, this Nuggets team will run and pound them into submission by the sixth game. At their best, all else being equal, I think the Lakers are a better team. But I think the Nuggets play to their potential more consistently than LA.

I’m picking the Nuggets, and picking them in six games. Now let’s hear KVB’s rebuttal for why Kobe and the Ass Sorcerers can beat Denver and advance to the NBA Finals to be LeBron’s sacrificial lamb.

What do you think?

Who will win the Western Conference Finals?

• LA Lakers (45%, 5 Votes)
• Denver Nuggets (55%, 6 Votes)

Total Voters: 11

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