Where LeBron and Kobe Happen … Hopefully

How sick are you? Lebron vs. Kobe. This has to happen. Or I will be sad.

Initial thoughts from this weekend’s NBA playoff series between the Lakers and the Thuggish Ruggish Nuggets, and the Cavs and Magic (and man, have these been a couple of damn good series):

• Why isn’t Chauncey Billups imbounding the rock late in those games? Did you really have Method Man K-Mart throw that ball in? Really?
• How sick of a defender is Trevor Ariza (did you know he finished the regular season ranked second among small forwards in steals per minute)?
• Was it just me, or did the Lakers totally ditch the triangle tonight? They’re scrambling. But it worked. Get Kobe the damn ball, Phil!
• Why didn’t Orlando put someone lanky on the ball (with one second left?) like the Lakers have been doing with Lamar Odom? That’s brilliant.
• How do you have a job Doris Burke, ABC’s sideline reporter on Saturday.  Kobe’s doubled over, looking like he’s on his deathbed afterward and you don’t think to ask him why? … And I like how after the game, Stu Scott and Co. were saying it was probably because he was tired. We’d probably know if someone asked the F-ing question.  … It’s probably the altitude, but it could be the swine flu for all we know. Good reporting EastSidePN/AlwaysBiasedCo.
• Speaking of shitty TV news crews, how about these bozo news anchor/homers losing it live after LeBron hit his trey. TV journalism is the biggest oxyMORON of all time. The funny thing being their motto afterward. “We’re on your side, Cleveland.” No shit you homers.
• Maybe Kobe Bryant isn’t the greatest closer in the league.
• Lebron James’ walk-off, fade-away 3 with one second left was one of the sickest, clutch plays I’ve ever seen. Right up there with Jordan’s against the Cavs. Right up there with Kobe’s oop to Shaq against the Blazers.
• Actual text messages I received after LeBron hit that 3 in the waning seconds against Orlando, a shot that likely saved that series:

Beau C: Crazy.
Rusty: He does stuff that isn’t humanly possible.
Lambo: That is why I watch this game. Amazing.

OK, so one shot doesn’t make you the world’s best closer, but dude still has a lot more basketball to play in his career. And it’s not like this is the first time he’s closed out a game. He’s done it before, in the playoffs. Don’t forget about that night he scored 29 of the Cavs’ final 30 points against the Detroit Pistons. That was one of the most craziest performances I’ve ever seen. It’s one thing to dominate a game. It’s another to continue dominating the game when everyone and their mom knows you’re going to shoot the rock … and everyone and their mom is hanging on your jock, defensively.

Dude is sick.

• Oh yeah, one last thought. Today, I feel a whole lot better about going to Vegas next month, because I feel like we might be chilling at the ESPN Zone watching LeBron-Kobe in the Finals, rather than Orlando-Denver — which wasn’t exactly the case 24 hours and one second ago.