Is it just us?  If we see another black and white clip of a Celtic vs. Lakers playoff game from the past, we're gonna puke.  Anyone who is a fan of the NBA has seen them a million times (just this past week alone).  We can appreciate the history as a fan as much as the next man but enough already.  And is it us or does Stuart Scott work too hard?   No, we didn't get goose bumps watching Bill Russell interview KG, we got goose bumps watching KG dunk with 2 hands in Pau Gasol's mug in Game One.   Russell wants to give KG one of his rings if they loose, our question is, why talk about loosing at all.  And Stuart, please stop with the goofy stats and observations, like, "the team that has 2 vowels in their name, wins Game Five 90% of the time if that game is played while there is a full moon" . . .  .  Stop your killin' us with this crap.  You have 2 great teams with great players, the story lines and hype will take care of itself.  Just play ball!

We got an idea, if you can't get Kenny, Charles, and Ernie to do the pre, halftime, and post game pieces cut those segments altogether and start the game an hour earlier.  Then we can have a winner before midnight and actually see the ending live instead of on SportsCenter the next morning.  Game Over.

Hello boys and girls.  Had a good vacation?  It seems like that since we last saw Paul Pierce writhing on the floor during perioid 3 of Game 1 on Thursday.  We know that the NBA are the masters of econnomic manipulation but did we really have to wait until tonight to see Game 2?

Lets see, wouldn't want to miss that date with the hot super-model on Friday evening.  Saturday is the horse race and we have $2 down on Big Brown (Oops, our bad).  Yep, Sunday night works.

We're old enough to remember when the NBA had so much respect by the Networks that CBS aired the Finals on tape delay after your local 11 P.M. News.  We had to watch Dr. Jay do the impossible against Kareem and the Lakers until 1:30 A.M.  Times have changed (excuse the pun).  Then we could watch the games on in the afternoon (lost many a good weekend inside with Mom saying: "What are you doing inside on a beautiful day like today?").  Then came Michael and Prime Time to exploit the advertisers.  Now, the marketing machine has it to such a science that it picks the best dates.

Hope Paul's ankle is up to it, or we can move it back to Monday night.

Just one other note.  Sure you heard this one the past few days as we were waiting for Game 2:  Why does the NBA use the 2-3-2 format for Final games?  Used to be a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better regular season record starting at home with 2, the opponent getting two games and then alternating until a champion is crowned.  Well back in the 80's it was thought to help with the fuel crisis (sound familiar?) the NBA would do its part for less traveling.  David Stern was on the talk box this week, waiting like the rest of us - Hey, can't he do something about that? - and being asked about the format.  His answer - back when the Celtics and Lakers last hooked up there was concern about the travel on the athletes back and forth, coast to coast.  Hey David, first off, these teams travel by charter on planes that are air-borne hotels.  Second, that doesn't seem to be a concern when our lowly Knicks travel west and have to play 3 games in five nights during the regular season (we would say post season but we can't remember the last time), and third, just move the games back one more day after flying.  We'll wait.  We do now.  Game Over

For what seems like an eternity, espeically when we said this is where we would be, with the Celtics and Lakers meeting for the 11th time in the Finals, we are here.  The MVP versus the best help defense in the league.  The Big Three (if this is the Big Three - Garnett, Allen and Pierce, what were Bird, Parrish, and McHale?) versus Kobe and Gasol.

Its almost unbelievable to thin that the Celtics and Lakers combined have won 31 of 60 NBA Championships, with one guaranteed to add to that statistic.  So who do we like?  After watching tapes and throwing darts at the two logos, the consensus here is the Celtics in six.  Ray Allen has to reappear or at least make Kobe disappear for some stretches (our money would be on Kobe).  Kobe needs help from a group that he himself put down at the end of last season.  Granted, since the acquisition of Pau Gasol they have lost only 7 times, But the remainder of the crew, without a big threat inside (Will Bynum out for the season) will be their undoing.  And if we are wrong, we like the Lakers.  Game Over

There's so much to discuss about Game 4 between the Lakers and Spurs we don't know where to begin.  But it all comes down to the last play of the game.  The Foul.

Yes, Virginia, it was a foul.  The call would have been made in the first minute of the game, why not the last?  With all the years of coaching and playing experience here at Game Over World Headquarters, we can only say, "Whatthe****?"

One theory around the company watercoller is that Joey Crawford, referee at large, is on the take like his indicted bretheren, Tim Donaghy.  A foul that obvious, has to be called.  Even if the unspoken rule in the NBA is "let the players decide the game".  If that is the case, and it was, they DID.  Brett Barry drew a foul (and elbow to his face) for the sole purpose of going to the line to shoot foul shots.  A legitimate strategy.  One that has been practiced by members of our world office in coaching their teams.  "Go to the hole strong and draw the foul".  Ever hear that from your coach?

Now it seems that absent, as we would say in the Bronx, "No autopsy, no foul", you can do anything in the NBA with the game on the line to secure the victory.  We are not talking about a block/charge judgment call here.  Barry was hammered.  And counting teeth.

Hey David Stern - you need to check your refs again, cause we think the game was fixed.  Game Over.

We have received several calls over the past few weeks inquiring as to whether Game Over is still involved with the NY Knick's Summer Basketball Camp.  The answer is no . . . Game Over was not asked this year to be the camp gear provider.  When Game Over CEO E Hicks was asked how was he informed about the change?  His response was simply (To quote Donna Summers) "On the Radio! Oh oh oh oh ooooh On the Radio!"  I am forbidden to comment.  Game Over!

At the beginning of the NBA Playoffs we here at Game Over Central predicted a Celtics-Lakers Final.  So far, we are on point.  Granted, the Celtics are only up 2-1 in the series with the Pistons and the Lakers havea 2-0 lead on the defending champion Spurs, but we are sticking to our guns.

Interesting observation.  Did you see the little stat that showed that when Ray (Disappearing Act) Allen scored 20 or more points the Celtics lost each of those 3 games in the playoffs?  Of course, let us also note they were against the Hawks in the first round, and on the road.  Do you think Doc Rivers is holding Ray out of the offense to ensure victory?

Did any of you see what we saw at the end of Game 7 between the Celtics and Cavs?  What looked like a happy and jovial Wally Szerbiak kicking it with some Celtics as if he just lost a pick-up game instead of having his season end 30 seconds before.  We weren't the only ones to notice, as we here at Game Over World Headquarters do check out the radio every now-and-then, heard the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN radio in New York on Monday morning.  They pointed out the same gross observation we made the day before.

We know that Michael Jordan wouldn't be laughing it up with Patrick Ewing if the Knicks (as if) had just beaten the Bulls to move on in the playoffs.  He would have been respectful, wished them luck, and gone into the locker room.  He worked hard to try to reach the ultimate goal, win an NBA Championship.  There are countless others that would have felt defeated, dejected, and even angry.  You couldn't imagine a warrior like Bill Russell laughing it up minutes after losing a Game 7, let alone with the opponents, like he was at a backyard barbeque.

And yet that is our lasting image of  Wally Szerbiak, a one dimensional player that showed his true dimension.  He's no warrior.  Reflecting back on his career, its now understandable why he was a throw-in by the Warriors (It's too easy to make the joke so we'll skip it here) at the trading deadline.  On King James court, he's the Court Jester.