British Expatriate Network

Calling all basketball fans.... I know Nigel must be excited - do you have season tickets this year Nige?

How 'bout them Mavericks? I am sure that they are going to lose to a terrible team - I thought that they would lose last night, but they fought hard and scraped by.

Boston tomorrow night - if they can suppress The Truth then they can win. How long will it last? They face the Lakeshow on the 19th and, if Shaq is back, that's probably the safest bet for them to lose.

How far will Dallas go this year? They have so much depth and everybody on the team can shoot the lights out. For real, even Bradley has stepped up!

Any comments?

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Laurence
One World, One Life, One Love

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by Laurence on 2003-05-20 1044 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by Laurence on 2003-05-30 1044 ]</font>

I've really got into this season's NBA but totally biased to the Trailblazers of course.

Now I saw the Mavs pretty much obliterate us last week and fair do's as they looked class and we were struggling that night but then I hear that they let the Lakers come back and beat them shortly after which should be a capital offense.

Blazers destroyed Miami last Friday, then did the Wizards over at their place on Tuesday (I like MJ now he's slow) but couldn't quite manage it against the Nets last night, who also beat us at our place the other night.

There were 10 seconds to go and we had possession, 2 points down but the incoming pass got fumbled and they went up the other end so we had to foul them. If they had missed just one of the two free-throws but of course they got them both so now we are four points down with 0.7 seconds to go. Somehow the ball got chucked in and then launched from miles out by Damon Stoudamire who is surely the smallest player in the NBA and he gets it in the bucket for three, right on the buzzer - so brilliant ending shot but we lost by one. I was well guttted but you couldn't help but love that last shot.

How did the Mavs do last night? Their game was on ESPN after mine but I'd had enough by then. For games in the east, I have to watch the first quarter on the Internet, listen to the second quarter on AM radio on my way home and then catch the second half on TV when I walk in the door.

Last season, less than half the Blazers games were on local TV but this season, Fox Sports Northwest have bought out every game the local channels wouldn't show which is fantastic. Having said that though, I did enjoy it on ESPN last night because they use the full digital surround sound which Fox and the local channels don't bother with. Sounded like I was courtside smile

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Shooting from downtown....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by pilgrim_007 on 2002-12-12 1935 ]</font>

Only just saw this Pilgrim! So don't know which Mavs game you were referring to although they probably won. Seeing as how they are still the best team in the NBA and even though their offense is not as potent as earlier in the season and their defense has slacked off.

The Blazers need a clear out. The Lakers will make the playoffs. The Mavs should win it all, but won't. I predict Mavs vs Kings in the West and Nets vs Celtics in the East with a Celts/Kings finals.

Have you voted for your allstars yet? Are there any Blazers that will not be in Jail for the allstar game?

Dallas still look to be the best side in all the conferences so far.

I think that the Lakers might miss the play-offs this year and they will be the better for it. Tedious, two and a half man team....

I actually like the Blazers squad - there are no real prima donnas and they genuinely seem to act like a team of equal - well perhaps not Pippen but I make allowances for him smile

Kings are doing well but Blazers have beaten them already and I don't see why they can't continue in that vein.

I voted for Wells and Sabonis in the Allstars - Wells is one of my favourite players anyway and Sabonis cracks me up - so slow and it is painful to watch him run but his passing can be really slick.

Have to agree, the Blazers players brushes with the law are a bit worrying. Stoudamire had to cough up $250,000 to charity, in additon to fines from the club, to try to fix some of that damage.

So, Agent Pilgrim, seeing as how you're all in to basketball now, will you be watching the Mavs/Kings game tonight on ESPN? Surely a preview of the Western Conference championship game. I say Mavs, 114-110

No - I will be watching Blazers against Memphis but I will keep an eye out for the end result.

It was pathetic, very sad.

Did you watch Mavs vs. Blazers Laurence?

I won't rub it in too much but definitely a game of two halves. Your big, blonde guy was dangerous but everyone seemed to forget he was playing 2nd half.

Blazers have had a great road trip, even without Rasheed Wallace who was suspended for seven games for breathing smile

Saw Nash miss a rare free throw - bet he doesn't do that very often.

Blazers are not necessarily pretty but they have a lot of drive and determination this year and have been muscling past teams who on paper are technically better.

Should be some interesting play-offs yet to come but I still think it is more open than Dallas and Sacramento.

BOYS PLAYING WITH BALLS

say no more

I didn't see it all Mark, but I saw enough to be very disappointed. Not to take anything away from the Blazers right now, who are playing well, but the Mavs can do better than that. The way they demolished Houston last night was phenomenal.

My prediction at this point is that, if the Mavs can get to the conference championship, they still could beat the Kings in a best of 7. We shall see.

I agree - it was not what I was expecting either.

We got our come-uppance last night at Utah. Disasterous 2nd half. Hopefully do better against the Bulls tomorrow night. Rasheed Wallace is back too!

With regular NBA season ending tonight, I finally made it up to the Rose Garden last night to catch the Portland Trailblazers beating the Phoenix Suns.

Great experience, wall-to-wall hype, noise and action. My mate got two decent tickets for half price and a free parking pass through e-Bay which is a novel way of getting tickets.

We had 100 points before the end of the third quarter and at the Rose Garden, that means free Chaluppas from Taco Bell so I got a voucher for that. They also gave us about five Blazers posters each.

Great game but even if you don't really like basketball, they put on quite some show and it's very family oriented.

Highlights for me - Scottie Pippen's return, the airship that they fly around inside the arena with a crowd camera on it and the Blazers Dancers - mmmmmm!

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Lodged in The Tunnel of Goats....

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by pilgrim_007 on 2003-04-16 1337 ]</font>

you guys out west...
It is about time a team in the East won it.
oooh look Detroit appear to be No.1 in the east this year.

Don't matter I'm sure they'll get Pist' on in the second round like last year.

We'll have to see what fate awaits the Mighty Mavs in the first round - right now it would appear they will face the Lake Show. Ouch! Not a ticket to the second round at all.

As for Detroit, or any other team from the Least - whatever! They may as well not show up. Mark Cuban has it right - seed the 16 teams inin order based on their winning percentage - then you're guaranteed the best two teams in the final.

I agree with that to be honest, In Hockey the 8 best teams in the league are in the West (with the exception of the Wings who are pants right now)
The Stanley Cup winners will come out of the west.