Author Topic: Strangest Playoff Game Ever  (Read 1999 times)

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Strangest Playoff Game Ever
« on: May 07, 2008, 10:51:47 AM »

Offline nickagneta

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As the events of last evening unfolded, I must say I was as wrapped up in the tension and excitement of playoff basketball more so than I have been for many a year. Probably not since the 2001 ECF have the Celtics played a team the caliber of Cleveland in the playoffs and the Celtics probably haven't faced a team the quality of Cleveland in the playoffs while also having championship aspirations since maybe Detroit in 1989.

So the tension and excitement was thick and got the best of my overall sense of how very, and possibly historically, strange this game was.

LeBron James is a rare talent that hasn't even hit his prime, and yet, could still be one of the greatest players to step on the court ever. So tell me, how often has anyone heard of a talent like LeBron having a game as bad as LeBron had last night in the playoffs?

Here's a kid that already averages 30, 8, 8 and may someday average a triple double and he threw up a stinker. 2 for 18, 0-6 from the 3 point line, 10 turnovers and 12 points from one of the best players ever, in a playoff game. Okay it happens, but not very often. Off games sure but games this bad are rare for an athlete of his quality in an important game.

Now let's look at another great player in his own right, Paul Pierce. Paul over his career is a 23, 6, 4 guy and has even orchestrated the biggest comeback in the 4th quarter in NBA history while also being one of the best last second shot winning players of his generation. He comes to play every night and at one point had an incredible streak of games where he scored in double figures. He might be the best pure scorer in Boston Celtics history.

His stats last night were embarassing. 2 for 14, 0 for 3 from the three, 6 turnovers, 4 points, and the lack of discipline to get in early foul trouble and force his offensive game. A horrible game from a proven, big time player in the playoffs is again rare. Not unheard of, but to the extent as to just how poorly the Captain played for him being the quality of player he is is very rare.

Now put that together with the fact that this happened in the same game as Lebron's game and we may be talking once in a lifetime rare. I personally have never heard of a playoff game where 2 such talents just had maybe the worst playoff performances of their careers.

It's obscenely rare.

Now let's couple that together with the fact that a player whom some consider to be one of the best pure shooters the game has ever seen laying a gooseegg in the same game. Ray Allen may not be as good as LeBron or Pierce but he can at least be placed in the same vicinity of quality player as the Truth. And in last night's playoff game he didn't score one single point.

Please think back, when was the last time you heard of a player of as good as Ray putting up a no show in the scoring column during a playoff game? I can't think of one off the top of my head but I'm sure it's happened. Not often, but it must have.

But combining all three performances and having them occur in the same game, nevermind same night or even same season, is just plain strange.

Maybe the strangest thing I have ever heard of in the game of basketball. Three superstars having the worst game of their playoff career in the same game?!?! That will probably never happen again in any of our lifetimes. I am convinced, and no one is going to convince me otherwise, that last night's game was as historic as they come.

Maybe not in a good way, but historic nonetheless. Historically strange.

3 superstars mailing it in, a 53-52 score opening up the fourth quarter, the Celtics being held to 28 points total in  two consecutive quarters, a team with a player as great as LeBron being held to 15 points in two quarters of the same game.

And it all happened in the same game.

There have been some real headscratchers this off season, but last night's game may be the biggest headscratcher in the history of the NBA.

Strange. Just really, really strange.