Swish Appeal

Thanks Mike!

Will look forward to reading about your experience in Pauley Pavilion!

Howdy Mike!

Enjoy the game! Looking forward to your on-the-scene reports

On-the-scene report #1

I literally have my own press box. All the major media outlets are below me. I’m at the press version of the little kids’ table… and I’ve got it all to myself! Not bad digs, except for the feeling of complete ostracization.

Oh, how about some basketball? Sparks look loose in warm-ups. Goofing around during drills. Lots of smiles. Merc? Straight drillin’, yo.

That's crazy man...

Only been to Pauley once…

How’s the atmosphere?

Meh.

Well, it’s at maybe 1/3 capacity, but it is the loudest 1/3 capacity crowd I’ve ever heard. Sparks fans be fired up. It’s actually my inaugural visit.

I went back in the day when Baron Davis/Earl Watson were playing for UCLA… that was amazing….

Whoa… I might be old…

64 points for Det

It must be half time

Seth Pollack - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

Wow

Thought Indy played defense. They’ve given up

Seth Pollack - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

Off to a sad start

Just took a moment of silence for the Lakers’/Sparks’ official scorer of 49 years, John Radcliffe (sp?). Mercury intros, done. Onto the Sparks, which features a terrible cover of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

And yes, I will totally be live-blogging.

It’s just what I do. This will also double as my official game notes.

And did Ced Ceballos start the whole MC-at-a-basketball game? Cuz if so, I kind of hate him and the Suns a little bit for ushering in the shrill “Stand Up and Roar” nonsense I just had to endure.

That is a great start to a "where are they now feature"...

Make sure you write that down. ;)

Size matters.

If these first couple possession are any indication, the Sparks size advantage in the paint could make this a long day for the Phoenix frontcourt.

if the merc

can win this series I might become a believer in 7SOL

OK...why did I never realize that Gaines played with Reggie Miller?

I’m a closet Miller fan…

come out of the closet

and into the light

I owned two jerseys growing up

Miller and Jason Kidd…. but if you can score 8 pts in 19 secs and beat the Knicks, you’re the favorite of all time..

No no no

Merc giving up 4 OReb in 1st two possessions? That’s not going to cut it. Time to bench Coe

and Penny Taylor has a broken finger! That’s news to me. wow

Stop hating on Willingham

She is a beast on that hi-low (!!!) ;)

she can score in the

paint…great feet. great hands. Can’t rebound against this team

OReb, SchmoReb...

At the 5:31 mark and the Merc are running the Sparks off the floor. Doubling’em up 16-8. Cappie P. came to play tonight.

Cappie is hot

yes, I said it

whoa... this is ridiculous....

Pace is in Phoenix's favor...

LA needs to just slow the F down….

If they are going to put

Parker on Taurasi then LeCoe can stay in the game :)

Hey Mike

did you get a chance to meet Eric?

No, I forgot to call him.

He's there

if you go to the locker room or post game press conf you will see him

The Merc

perimeter D is pretty good. I’ve said that for a while now

Well......

When the Sparks guards choose to dribble around and not even look in the post, it’s easy to guard them….

Think Cappie wants to return to the Finals?

She’s everywhere….

Curious

Wonder if the Mercury can stay hot with Poindexter taking a breather? Seems unlikely.

Get that weak ass shit outa here!

Ahem.

This is a family site…isn’t it? ;)

Taurasi doesn't think so

that was a direct quote from her

Whatever DT wants...

DT gets.

Nah, all good...

I can live vicariously through you

Two straight shots by TSmith

Is that a set play?

She's shooting 50%

from 3 so…you know

Confusing end to the quarter..

Why didn’t the Mercury hold on for the last shot? And how do you give up a wide open 3 with the clock winding down?

Mercury...and hold on to the ball?

Paradox?

Good start for the Merc

they are shooting lights out but getting killed on the glass…..I don’t like it.

But I can’t dislike it

They are actually playing frighteningly well...

I mean you can’t beat a team playing like this…

Agreed

They are doing a good job of preventing the Sparks’ bigs from getting their hands on the ball… until a shot goes up from the perimeter. Then it’s all Sparks, all the time.

Sparks just need to be more patient...

They’re getting caught up in the ridiculous pace… I mean it has to be dizzying… but you can’t get caught up…

the Merc

zone is helping as well…it is a good defense against the Sparks

Yes, that's true....

The Sparks look lost in the face of zone d tonight…

Gotta hit the gaps when they open up…

End of 1Q - Mercury 26, Sparks 19

DT is unreal.... this is insane...

4-6, 2 3’s, 3 assists, 1 blk, 10 pts….

ho hum

And did you see that drive?

I could watch her play all day.

Hell yes.

I don’t understand how people don’t like her…. I mean other than just hating…

We have DT and you don't

Looks like that’s the story of the game so far …

Maybe story of the season....

Not to get too far ahead of myself or anything…

and that cappie

girl isn’t bad either…..

Still a bit concerned. Merc are bound to slow down for a stretch at some point

We have MJ and you don't worked for the Bulls for 6 rings.

Don’t see why it shouldn’t work for the Mercury.

Merc w/ 2 OReb!

Go Nicole!

She and Bonner are MUCH bigger and stronger than Smith and Coe

I think Magic Johnson

might be bigger than Chuckster at this point

That's just mean.....

Suddenly sloppy Merc have let the Sparks back in.

Should credit some hustle D to the Sparks.

Active hands are coming up with all the loose balls.

Wow...

the fact that the Sparks are even in this game after that first quarter is remarkable…

Thompson was not playing in the post

that was a strong move…

Tamika Johnson stops the bleeding for PHX

Meek is going to have to hit that shot

they are leaving her wide open

Phx

just wants to keep the game close and fast until the 4th and hope the Sparks wear down and the Merc depth will pay off

Sparks and ORebs

I think the only time the Mercury have touched the ball under the basket they’re defending is on a Sparks make. They can do nothing right under that rim.

And in light of that..

It will be interesting to see who gets worn down first — the Mercury getting beat up in the paint or the Sparks trying to run in transition…

Also, Poindexter has been invisible this period.

Thompson looks like the mismatch du jour...

Enjoying it

Just some phenomenal basketball out there right now. How about the looks from Leslie to Parker and then Taurasi to Willingham?

Left hand hook???

Seriously….?

Wow… Parker is ridiculous…

and let us take a moment

and recognize the officials for calling a good playoff game

[silence]

….

knocking on wood

shhhh!

This deserves a long moment…

From where I'm sitting (7 miles from the court)

…I thought they were calling some ticky-tack stuff on the Mercury. But if you say so.

you are a partisan observer

I don't follow them enough to be partisan. Those first 3 fouls were invisible from here.

Sparks look

like they took a bit of time to adjust from the Storm to the Merc but have got their heads in the game defensively

Announcer Pet Peeve

Every time there is a foul, the in-arena announcer says “Foul charged to so-and-so.” It took me a few minutes to figure out that I wasn’t in some bizarro universe where charging was a defensive foul.

lol

Pace does

favor Phx…remember the over 80 line

MFH sighting!

She didn’t play at all in the Storm series, did she?

don't think so

they went 7 deep against Seattle but with this pace they are going to need more and she’s played well against Phx all year

She did not play.

Maybe coop was trying to be fair to the banged up Storm…

Sick. Just sick.

DT 4 prez.

And one!

that's just absurd...

MVP. I’m set.

I know it’s not based on post-season… but she’s just absurdly good…

Two for one

Of course Taurasi was thinking let’s score, get a steal and then score again.

Do not piss off Diana Taurasi

she’s like Kobe…the more you hit her the better she plays

We have now compared Taurasi to Kobe and MJ in one thread...

Is that allowed?

How about LeBron?

We are all witnesses?

My head is on the verge of exploding...

Minn’s Jim Peterson compared her to Jerry West one time…. that doesn’t work for me though…

DT got the most votes

for All WNBA team. That’s got to mean she gets the MVP, right? Same voters

Yeah guess so...

But you never know how people will vote for that award…

Ok, Le'Coe my bad

your 5/5 for 10 points and 3 reb are making me eat my words (and the pixels aren’t very tasty)

I want a formal apology on our site tomorrow.

Minimum 500 words.

Halftime: Mercury 53, Sparks 49

Beer time!

I have to say the worst part of covering NBA/WNBA games live is not being able to have a beer during the game…

I wish this was 1963 and drinking on the job was acceptable

Tell it son!

I might have actually attacked a ref on Sunday though… so it’s probably for everyone’s good that it’s denied….

I can see it now ...

“Sunday’s game was marred when a reporter jumped over the scorer’s table and …”

Sobriety = Freedom

Taurasi, beasting

At the half: 15 points (6-10 FG, 2-6 3pt.), 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 TO.

"Beasting" is insufficient

We might need a new language to describe her performance tonight…

Alterbeasting might work...

but the kiddies might not get the reference… ;)

Ok = best moment of the game so far?

Cappie score that last layyup. I cheer. My 3 y/o Tessa cheers too. She loves going to the games

Fast-break points

12-0 Phoenix. That’s good even for the Mercury.

"It looks like we're scared"

Wouldn’t that be a rational response though?

That was a GREAT play to star the half

Just rewatched it… the Sparks are in a 2 – 3 zone and they used a couple of players in motion and then Meek setting a solid pick on Leslie to force the Sparks to switch Quinn on the Le’Coe and then hit her in the post for the easy bucket…..

Tina Thompson hit that 3 from just in front of my seat in the press box.

Dude Perfect.

Thompson

Gotta cover her to 25 feet. She’s been killing from downtown in the postseason.

Meek is off tonight

she’s been money so far in the playoffs

Bobbitt

Nothing if not confident.

You must have forgotten

The marquee matchup in this series is Bobbitt (Tenn)- Swanier (Conn)

Cooper: That's not the shot Bobbitt, That;s not the shot

Scotter - September 23, 2009 reply

Wait

Did Michael Cooper like that three attempt? I couldn’t tell.

Cooper is always good for a quote, huh?

;)

Candace Parker

would like to remind you that she too is capable of going off at a moment’s notice.

58% ft aint gonna cut it for the sparks...

I refuse to have any

hope of Phx winning this game

Again, nothing wrong with therapy man..

Oreb and the yell from CP3

This is a very very good game….

Candace Parker, also beasting

17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists. That would be 8 more rebounds than MJ/Kobe/Lebron/Taurasi.

"That's not the shot, Bobbitt. That's not the shot. That's not the shot."

lol

Sorry if I'm behind...watching online...

You guys are great

Please keep it up—you’re crackin’ me up :)

garzai38 - September 23, 2009 reply

Feel free to contribute!

I’m sure there’s like one or two hall of famers we haven’t compared Taurasi to…

John Havlicek

Scotter - September 23, 2009 reply

Yes...

We did miss him… :)

Magic talking about Artest and Kobe?

where’s the mute button

Once you become a hall of fame journalist...

People will give you unlimited time on the mic too….

Off the ball

Delisha Milton-Jones was giving Penny some shoulder love. This game is about to get chippy, y’all.

PFT!!!! for 3!!!

Magic's quote

Was it “If you’re not here, you’re missing out”? That should get on twitter.

OR...

it could just replace Expect Great?

Magic for new WNBA prez!

Sparks are coming alive.

Mercury need to knuckle down if they don’t want to get bulldozed out of the building here.

Taylor thought she was DT on that drive

Ha.

It’s like she was pretending to be DT in her driveway, counting down the clock to herself: “3, 2, 1, in the lane, spin and Taurasi hits the game winner! Crowd goes wild! (cups her hand and makes crowd noise)”

The Sparks are too big inside

for Taylor’s drives…she’s going to need to find another way to score the ball

What's the score?

Sorry, following y’all on iPhone.

presbot - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

72-68

End 3rd.

Thanks!

Who’s winning? ;)

presbot - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

Merc

Will make sure to get you the score updates periodically...

Btw, how’s the site working on the iPhone?

I don’t have one of those newfangled things…

Thanks a lot!

It works great on iPhone. You can post now and everything. The only thing is it doesn’t auto scroll to the bottom when I refresh. It’s awkward to scroll through 100+ posts.

Go Merc!

presbot - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

If regular season trends hold

the Merc will pull away starting at about the 5 or 6 minute mark of the 4th. But this is the playoffs and I grew up with Magic and the Lakers destroying the Suns in the playoffs so I don’t think it will happen this time

Did they just say Thompson has a career playoff high?

That seems odd…

Perhaps because the initial viewing of women's basketball that made me a fan was the

1995 UConn/Tenn championship game, I have tendency to categorize teams and players as either belonging to the UConn group or the Tenn group.

These two teams fit very neatly into that dichotomy..

Scotter - September 23, 2009 reply

Elaborate for me...

Not as familiar with those teams…

I can right about this for a long time, but soem basics.

Tenn:
Great athletic scoring forwards (Holdsclaw, Catchings, Parker). Taller and longer than the other team. Chuck the ball and chase the rebound offense when the star frontcourt player isn’t able to create and get to the FT line. Mediocre guard play.

UConn:
Great guard play (Bird, Taurasi), attractive well run fastbreak and halfcourt offense with great movement and passing. Players are generally versatile offensively in terms of being able to shoot and pass/play on and off the ball. Usually an undersized team in the frontcourt compared to Tenn. Very little isolation play for the star players, the emphasis is on all five players sharing the ball and playing within the offense.

Scotter - September 24, 2009 reply

Would love to read more about that sometime...

Thanks!

End of 3rd Q: Mercury 72, Sparks 68

Taurasi is the key

If she stays out of foul trouble, I don’t think L.A. can come back.

This CP3 lefty hook isn't fair....

Yes.

She is killing the Mercury in the paint. It’s apparent they are helpless against her.

everyone is helpless against her

but she is no

Kiobe/Hill/LeBron/Taurasi

More of a Barkley/Malone/not Duncan

The future of Anthony Randolph

(Go Warriors!)

Dear Phoenix Stan,

These refs suck.

Regards,
Sparks fans in attendance

I doubt

it was that polite.

74-74

Easier than having to remember to give presbot a team name too…

Haha!

D’oh!

presbot - September 23, 2009 via mobile reply

Non B-ball note

Wish you could see the entertainment here. It’s like the Dove Naturals Dance Team. Good dancers, very natural bodies. None of them would have a chance on an NBA dance squad.

lol

79-74 Phoenix

LA Timeout… 7:29 left in the 4th

That last pass ...

Magic-esque. A shame Penny blew the layup.

Turnovers killing L.A.

It’s almost like it’s important to have good guards.

That's a tidy game summary right there.

CP3 and PT exchanged words.

Chippy, I tell you.

Le' Coe with some nice D on the last couple possessions.

Tina Thompson

Willing the Sparks into this one. Too bad they keep giving up WIDE OPEN 3s.

They need to hit TT in the post more...

It’s the mismatch…

85-80 Merc

4:14

Spend your timeout

Reading my LJ story. A SwishAppeal exclusive for now:
http://www.wnba.com/storm/news/jackson090923.html

We like exclusive things here...

thanks

So it seems to me the Storm can only get better next year...

they can’t get less deep…that’s for sure…

Phx three's are killing it!

How do you stop that?

Really, how do you stop that? You’re all up in DT’s grill, she gives half a head fake, buys her self 1 inch of real estate and buries a 3 while you’re practically inside her jersey? You don’t stop that. That’s just how it goes.

"My rec league team could beat those girls"

Or something like that..

2:51 4Q: Mercury 91, Sparks 84

Ugh

Can’t give up the three-point play there. Make the Sparks earn them two at a time.

91-87 Phoenix, 2:35 left.

ouch!

that looked painful….Penny is the nicest person in person but man is she tough on the court

I agree

she is SO clutch as well

Way to agree with yourself.

You know what would help the Sparks cause?

Someone besides TT, LL or CP3 giving an eff about this game.

DMJ heard you i think...

Can the WNBA just make a special exception and let this series go 7?

BIG STOP!!

1:00 4Q, Mercury 95, Sparks 93

On a huge Leslie 3.

that was a 2

Yes. Yes, it was.

In case you were wondering what the definition of bad foul is...

DMJ just demonstrated it.

yep...

What was DMJ thinking????

DT schooled her

pulled up right in front of her—-didn’t get her any chance

true...

But you gotta do better than that….

what sucks is

that I have a busy day tomorrow and can’t get to Merc practice / media avail

I still can't get over that the 2009

Mercury are the best free throw shooting team. Ever! WNBA OR NBA

Another BIG STOP

and the board…that’s the pace and their tiredness coming into play

0:32.1 4Q - Mercury 99, Sparks 93

You know

Gaines pointed out that the Mercury’s scoring was up in the playoffs and I was like…hmmm ok but wait until LA

guess he was right

If this game

was in San Antonio we would be doomed….Tim Duncan would come in and nail a 7 pointer

Pop Quiz

Can the Mercury hold a 5 point lead for 19 seconds without Kobe/MJ/Lebron/Taurasi?

Bad form, Mercury Fans.

Where was this BEAT LA nonsense when it was a tight game and not in the old deep freeze?

there is never

a bad time for BEAT LA chants!!!

The Sparks

I don’t know what Carolyn Peck is acting so surprised about. They passed up easier looks inside? Yeah, that’s been their M.O. all season. They played great against the Storm, but that wasn’t a panacea.

kpelton - September 24, 2009 reply

Gaines said

that when they go to mismatches like TT on Cappie it works to his advantage b/c they aren’t going to Parker…guess he was right again

I agree

George Karl was a big believer in that. Maybe more DeLisha Milton-Jones than Thompson, who is terrific in her own right, but there’s a lot to be said for making a team play away from its strengths.

kpelton - September 24, 2009 reply

It will always be surprising because it makes so little sense...

GREAT GAME

thanks everyone for the group sharing

Will LA fold in Phx? I doubt it but maybe

fold?

Let’s be more careful in our word choice.

kpelton - September 24, 2009 reply

yeah

not likely huh…but sometimes a veteran team will pack it in if they dont believe they can win. It takes youth to believe…

If the Merc can start strong in game 2 it could happen

on the same note

the Merc very well could go into game 2 feeling too good about themselves and slack off a bit and let LA get their confidence early…

so I guess I am saying that the start of game 2 will be important and that I don’t see either team coming back from an early deficit

I felt like going into this game that if the Mercury got this one it;s done in two games.

I don’t think LA will fold, but I don’t see them winning unles something really changes with the Sparks.

Scotter - September 24, 2009 reply

Enter the conspiracy theorists...

Who’s reffing that game? ;)

G'night guys.

Gotta skip the post-game presser to get home and get the re-cap done. Just found out I have an early day tomorrow.

ok -thanks

Mike. Hope you enjoyed the game!

and if you didn’t you are a fool! (and you are no fool)

Thanks Mike.

Good game. Good to see the Mercury still going strong, Stan. Congrats. :)

LatinD - September 24, 2009 reply

I caught pieces of it

but I’m sticking by what I told Stan several times:
if DT goes thug, we win. Good luck finding a way to defend her. Whats her playoff/tournament record? She’s only lost 1 series ever (back in 2k1).

We got DT, you don’t

Max Simbron - September 24, 2009 reply

yeah but

Parker also had 28…I would say it was more “We got Taylor and you don’t” in this one. The Sparks bench scored 4 points. 4. Total. All of them combined for 4. And by all of them I mean Betty Lennox who scored 4 in 19 minutes. The rest? zero.

The Merc bench scored 29 points w/ 18 from PFT.

And then look at their minutes. Parker, Leslie, Quinn and Thompson all had 35 + minutes. Highest total for Merc was Cappie w/ 31. Dee only had 29 (due to fouls).

If the Sparks did get into foul trouble with LL or CP or TT they would be hosed.

Also big ups to LeCoe who had her best game of the playoffs and I thought Swanier was great too in limited minutes pushing the ball. Meek’s shot wasn’t falling but I love that she’s aggressive taking the open looks b/c it pushes the tempo.

Oh and Tangela Smith? 11 points (including a huge late 3, 6 reb and 5 steals. She did well on Lisa