Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Amar'e Stoudemire, Bobby Knight, Rajon Rondo and Wednesday's Top Sports Stories

Last night, with Amar'e Stoudemire dealing with back spasms, the New York Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics and are now in a 2-0 hole in the series. With the shift to New York, can the Knicks come back or are they done?

Meanwhile, Bobby Knight is at the center of another controversy as he took some shots at John Calipari and Kentucky by insinuating that the Wildcats had players who didn't go to class during the spring semester. Should ESPN fire Knight for his comments or is this just part of doing business with the legendary coach?

Finally,Rajon Rondohad a magnificent game last night, carving up the Knicks as New York faltered under the pressure from the veteran Celtics. Is Rondo the x-factor in this series or will the Celtics look to rely on another star?

If you have any thoughts on these stories, or any of the others we talk about today, be sure to leave them in the comments below.

05:18 PM ET Rajon Rondo: Point Guard Torches the Knicks, Is He the Key to Boston's Success?

Rajon Rondo Was Electric Last Night, But Will Boston Need More of that To Win A Title?

With Chauncey Billups out of the lineup, Rajon Rondo took over.

Rondo, the dynamic point guard for the Boston Celtics, finally exploded, scoring 30 points on 13 of 23 shooting and dishing out seven assists. Without Billups there to check him, Rondo slashed to the rim at will, at times making it look like a layup line.

As long as Billups is out, Rondo has to assert himself just like that, because if he doesn't, the Celtics will struggle to beat the Knicks as this series shifts to Madison Square Garden. Rondo is the youngest member of this core, and he has to be the spark plug.

He has to make teams respect him on offense and when that happens, it will open up everything for the rest of his teammates.

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If the defense is collapsing to get to Rondo, it opens up Ray Allen and Paul Pierce for three along with Kevin Garnett from the elbow. The Knicks are a terrible defensive team and if Rondo is firing on all cylinders, there's no way they can handle all of those offensive threats.

Not many teams respect Rondo's shot, but his slashing ability is one of the best in the league and he has to use that to open up the Boston offense.

It's not just the key to beating the Knicks, but getting past the Miami Heat and into the Eastern Conference Finals. This isn't the same group that shocked everyone, making it to the NBA Finals. Without Kendrick Perkins, Rondo has to emerge as a leader and become more of a tone-setter with his offense.

The Celtics are a scary team when Rondo is in a groove on offense.

04:55 PM ET Cleveland Browns: Is This the Year the Browns Make the Leap to the Next Level?

Cleveland Browns Made Progress Last Year, But Will The Team Continue To Build On It?

It has been a long, long time since the Cleveland Browns were relevant.

This is a franchise that has gone through a revolving door of quarterbacks ever since it was brought back to life as an expansion franchise and it has shown in the records as the Browns have flirted with becoming a team that is a force on a yearly basis, only to disappoint their fans.

Last year, this was a group what with Colt McCoy and Peyton Hills, pulled shocking upsets of the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints. Despite that, it was still another mediocre year, but with a year under McCoy's belt, is this the year the Browns make the leap?

To be blunt, no.

That's not to say this is a team that's going to be a doormat, because they won't. The Browns play hard and will every week, but the issue is that McCoy is still coming into his own as a pro quarterback and is going to be the type of player that needs to really become more well-rounded under center.

This is also still a team without a major target for him to throw to and that's going to hinder the efforts of the Browns. Throw in a whole new coaching staff and that's only going to make a massive turnaround much harder.

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Cleveland will show flashes of potential, as we saw last year, we'll think it's time for them to take it to the next level. However, that day is a year or two away from coming to fruition. This is a group with a lot of potential and a lot of talent, but it's still very much a work in progress.

I'm sure that provides no solace to the tortured fans of the Browns, but hey, at least it's something.

04:41 PM ET New England Patriots: Will This Year Be the Year the Patriots Return to the Top?

New England Patriots Shocked Everyone Last Year, But Is This the Season They Win Another Super Bowl?

No one expected the New England Patriots to do what they did last year.

Last year was supposed to be a bridge year, nothing more than a season to get the Patriots to where they ultimately wanted to be.

Yet somehow, someway, this team had the best record in football and was a game away from the AFC Championship Game. Bill Belichick put together a young defense and that unit came together a lot quicker than expected and the offense continued to roll despite trading Randy Moss to Minnesota.

With two first-round draft picks this year, the Patriots have a great chance to continue to build that defensive unit and possibly get Tom Brady another high-profile target at the wide receiver position.

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Throw in a relatively easy schedule to start the season and we're looking at New England getting the year started with a lot of momentum and a chance to continue building on it as the bigger contests come up.

This is a team that will be playing deep into the winter and has as good a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy as anyone.

Then again, with this current Patriots group, that's almost a given. What I'm more intrigued about is New England's ability to keep the New York Jets at bay in the AFC East race.

As we saw last year, you can never sleep on the Jets and I think this is the year that Rex Ryan and company get over the top in the division while the Patriots grab a Wild Card birth.

That is going to be one race that stays compelling from start to finish, assuming we have a season.

03:07 PM ET Shaquille O'Neal: Star Center May Miss Playoffs, Is It Time to Retire?

Shaquille O'Neal Has Had A Legendary Career, But Is It Time To Hang It Up?

Remember when Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most feared players in the NBA?

Those were good times.

Now, Shaq is nothing more than a pathetic shell of his former self, nothing more than a glorified ring chasers after stops in Cleveland and now Boston.

With today's news that O'Neal might miss the remainder of the postseason, finally, mercifully, maybe his career will finally come to an end.

PerBill Burtof the Eagle Tribune:

The Celtics came to this conclusion after Shaq failed to complete one simple sprint up and down the court during a "conditioning test" on Saturday, before he limped off the court in Waltham.

The Celtics held out a slim hope Shaq would be able to make his return in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Knicks or possibly in the conference semifinals, if they advanced.

"If he were to come back, it would have to be a miraculous recovery," said the source, who requested anonymity. "And at his age (he turned 39 on March 6) and physical condition, the Celtics have planned accordingly."

Look, it's time this come to an end. The man barely played this year and never kept himself in the type of shape that lends itself to playing well long into a career.

To be blunt, he was fat, slow and careless during the prime of his career, simply because he could. There wasn't a center alive that could check him in his prime and he let himself become a mess off of the court.

Now he's paying the price, as he has lost most of the skills he had when he was the most dominant player in basketball and can't stay on the court long enough to be worth anything to anyone.

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Once this season ends, it's time to call it a career. If he doesn't, it's only going to get worse.

In reality, this charade should have ended years ago, as he pretended to be something he wasn't, greedily chasing rings.

For a man that has been so proud, it's been a sad finish to his career.

01:55 PM ET Manu Ginobili: Spurs Star Upgraded, Will San Antonio Win Game 2?

Manu Ginobili Has Been Upgraded To A Game-Time Decision, Will San Antonio Win Tonight's Game 2?

In Game 1, the Memphis Grizzlies shocked the San Antonio Spurs.

Powered by strong frontcourt play, the Grizzlies kept it close all game long and then finished the top-seeded Spurs off with a big shot by Shane Battier, giving the franchise its first playoff win in its history.

The Spurs were without Manu Ginobili, who was dealing with an elbow injury he suffered at the end of the regular season. Coming into today, Ginobili was listed as questionable, but according toPete Pranica, the play-by-play man for the Grizzlies, the San Antonio star was upgraded to a game-time decision for tonight's contest.

That's huge for San Antonio, because this game is going to be won or lost with the guards. Memphis has shown it can assert itself in the frontcourt, but if the Spurs can get to the rim, get contact and get guys like Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in foul trouble, then they're going to have a distinct advantage in the later stages of this game.

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Frankly, the Spurs will win this game because they have to. This is going to be a compelling series, but this is a game San Antonio simply has to win to avoid full-on panic mode. A loss here, and the Spurs' title hopes take a monstrous hit.

This is a veteran team that needs to maximize each series, and having a drawn-out fight with the Grizzlies is not something the Spurs were planning on.

It's going to be a close one, but I expect Ginobili to gut it out and play and help lead the Spurs to a Game 2 victory, tying the series at one.

01:35 PM ET Bobby Knight: Legendary Coach Criticizes Kentucky, Should ESPN Fire Him?

Bobby Knight Went Too Far At A Speaking Engagement And Fired Serious Accusations At Kentucky's Program

Bobby Knight is known for being outspoken, but at the same time, saying and doing stupid things.

That didn't change last night as Knight, while fulfilling a speaking engagement, lobbed some very serious accusations at John Calipari and the University of Kentucky.

PerESPN.com:

"Kentucky the year before last started five players in the NCAA tournament games that had not been to class that semester," Knight said over the weekend. "That's that one-and-done philosophy."

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart responded on Monday evening, saying the school took "great offense" to Knight's "blatantly erroneous" accusations. He said all five starters last year finished the season in good academic standing.

What does Knight have in terms of evidence to back up his claims?

Nothing.

Does the former Indiana coach have any association with the program?

Nope.

While he may be an ESPN personality and analyst, the number one thing you have to do is give fair and balanced coverage of your sport and not just make things up. If anyone other than Bobby Knight just made something up and stated it as a fact, they'd be fired.

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Yet cause Knight is a legend, and furthermore, is a very opinionated person, he's going to keep his job as ESPN hopes this all blows over. I know that the NCAA culture is toxic, but it doesn't give you the right to say things about a program out of nowhere.

If I'm at ESPN, this is the last time something like this can happen.

If you're a company that specializes in bringing valid sports discussion and insight to the table, you can't have a blowhard former coach just spouting off random things in public. It's bad for business and no matter how legendary he is, Knight is not above good business.

It's only a matter of time before he crosses the line again, it's just up to ESPN how they want to handle it, and my guess is poorly, like most scandals.

01:05 PM ET Amar'e Stoudemire: Knicks Star Injured Last Night, Does Injury Signal the End?

Amar'e Stoudemire Is Dealing With A Back Injury, Will It Doom the Knicks in the Playoffs?

Last night, without Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire, the New York Knicks still had a chance to win the game.

Despite being down 2-0 in a seven-game series, I'm extremely confident if I'm the Knicks.

It's hard to beat a veteran team that has been to multiple Finals and has a ring to its resume. But to get that close without two of your top three players says something. It says something about the heart New York has to keep fighting and it says something about the vulnerability of the Celtics.

If Stoudemire can be healthy and productive, then the Knicks have a chance to even this series up and send it back to Boston. However, I'm more concerned about Billups, who is the floor general and gets people in the right position.

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It's concerning that he needs an MRI and if he can't come back, I have no faith in Mike D'Antoni to get his players in the right spot to make plays. We've seen him choke in both of these games in terms of decision making and he's looking like he simply is not the guy to be coaching this group.

His teams play no defense and if you can't even run your offense right, there is no point of you being on the bench calling the shots.

D'Antoni is the guy that's going to doom this Knicks team sooner or later, regardless of injuries. It's sad, but true.

If New York had a better coach, it would have stolen one of the first two games.

12:38 PM ET Pittsburgh Steelers: Will the Ravens Challenge for the AFC North Crown?

Pittsburgh Steelers Are the Defending AFC Champions, But Will They Repeat in the AFC North?

Last year, expectations were lowered a bit for the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger was suspended to start to the season and because of that, most people expected this team to have a slow start.

Well, the Steelers stormed out to a great start and eventually made the Super Bowl, losing to the Green Bay Packers.

This time, there will be no sneaking up on people early. The Steelers meet the rival Ravens to start the season and these two teams are the class of the AFC North. Both have easy schedules, but in the end, this is Pittsburgh's division to lose.

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It's not just because the Steelers seem to have the Ravens' number, but because some of Baltimore's opponents present some challenges you may not expect.

PerMatt Venselof the Baltimore Sun:

On paper, the Ravens’ schedule is one of the NFL’s weakest, but don’t sleep on some of their road games. The Ravens are 2-5 all-time in Jacksonville. They haven’t fared well in prime-time games in Pittsburgh. The Seahawks (somehow) have one of the NFL’s rowdiest crowds. And their Sunday night showdown with the Chargers is on West Coast time.

Furthermore, this is a team that we've seen come up just a bit short over the past couple of years. It all culminated in that epic meltdown against Pittsburgh in the playoffs and this just isn't a team with the killer instinct needed to be a legit contender in the AFC.

Throw in a quarterback with questionable big game skills, an aging defense and a shoddy secondary, and you have the perfect recipe for a Steelers team that is loaded to take the division crown yet again en route to a deep playoff run.

Baltimore will win a lot of game, but the Ravens will be fighting for a Wild Card.

12:07 PM ET LA Lakers: After Game 1 Loss, Can Kobe Bryant and the Lakers Even the Series?

LA Lakers Were Upset In Game 1 Against the New Orleans Hornets, But Can Los Angeles Rebound?

If you're looking for the keys to Game 2 in Los Angeles tonight, look no further than Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol.

In Game 1, Chris Paul destroyed Fisher, blowing by him at will and creating offense off of the dribble. Fisher has to do a better job of checking him tonight and the Lakers have to be prepared to rotate quickly with help defense. Otherwise, it's going to be a repeat of Sunday afternoon.

Gasol, on the other hand, has to toughen up and put a statement performance out there. The big man was a non-factor in Game 1 and the Lakers simply cannot have that and expect to win this game. He looked soft and didn't have the competitive fire to win in the playoffs. If he comes with full intensity and asserts himself against a weaker frontcourt, then Los Angeles has a great chance to win this game.

Sure, Kobe Bryant is the centerpiece, but it was his teammates that dropped the ball in Game 1 and gave the Hornets a reason to believe after stealing home court advantage from the two-time defending champions.

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The Lakers have to make a statement of their own tonight and crush the Hornets. If Los Angeles can slow Paul down, the rest of the team will stagnate with him. Fisher has looked like he was standing in cement and he simply has to play better.

If he doesn't the Hornets can steal Game 2 as well and head back to New Orleans with a 2-0 lead and the defending champs will be on the ropes.

Then, and only then, will it be time to press the panic button. However, this is a game the Lakers have to win and will do so. New Orleans has to be satisfied with the split and the desperate team usually wins.

The Lakers are desperate tonight.

11:38 AM ET Celtic FC: Bomb Threat Rocks Club, When Does Fandom Go Too Far?

Celtic FC Has Been The Subject of Bomb Threats, Have Sports Fans Lost Total Control?

The insane things that people do baffle me sometimes.

Everyone knows how passionate soccer fans are, it's one of the reasons the sport is so fun to watch. However, we've also seen the ugly side of that passion, with riots in the stands and all sorts of awful behavior by fans of soccer clubs.

There are fans all over the world that have bad apples, but in soccer it seems, it's always taken to another level.

Just ask Celtic, who has been at the center of a bomb threat scandal during the aftermath of a match with rival Glasgow.

Per theAssociated Press:

While police didn’t discuss the motive behind the mail bombs, sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland and Glasgow are regularly played out between Celtic fans, who are mostly Catholic, and Rangers fans, who are mostly Protestant.

The first parcel bomb targeting Lennon, a Catholic from Northern Ireland, was found on March 4 and a second was intercepted at a sorting office outside Glasgow on March 26.

Another package destined for Celtic-supporting Scottish lawmaker Trish Godman was intercepted at her constituency office two days later. A fourth package destined for Paul McBride, a lawyer who has represented Lennon, was intercepted earlier this week.

Stewart Regan, the English chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said the sport “must not be used as a platform for religious intolerance or hatred.”

Look, this is insane.

Sure, there are religious undertones here, but that doesn't excuse any sort of behavior like this. When will people start acting like mature, responsible adults and stop making entire fanbases look like utter lunatics?

It's disgusting, immoral, reprehensible behavior and it makes fans of the sports look like nothing more than maniacs who have nothing better to do than terrorize people all because of their fandom and religion.

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Hopefully they catch the people that sent these bombs and it's scary to think that stuff like this actually happens. Imagine if that happened over here, and fans of the Red Sox and Yankees were sending bombs to each other, members of the team and notable supporters of the teams.

People may complain about rowdy fans here, and rightfully so, but this incident has shown us that it can always be much, much worse.

10:46 AM ET Chicago Bears: Does Schedule Signal a Step Back for the Bears in 2011?

Chicago Bears Made A Surprising Run Last Year, But Can Jay Cutler and Company Continue To Win Games?

Last year, no one believed in the Chicago Bears.

Even as the Bears continued to win games, people wrote them off as an afterthought. Despite making it to the playoffs, people gave up on Jay Cutler and company. Through it all, Chicago managed to make a deep playoff run before losing to the Green Bay Packers and barely missing the Super Bowl.

While it was a great step forward for the franchise, the fans should get ready for disappointment next season.

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Matchups against teams in the NFC South and the AFC West are going to wreak havoc on the Bears and Cutler, who has shown that he struggles against aggressive teams.

In fact, look for an 0-3 start out of the gate as they take on Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay all in the first three weeks of the season.

Good luck with that.

While there are winnable games on the schedule, this is a team that's going to hover around 9-7 and 8-8, finishing in the middle of the pack and possibly sneaking into a Wild Card spot if they're lucky.

I still don't believe in Cutler, despite finally tasting playoff success, nor do I believe in Lovie Smith and Mike Martz to put their team in the best position to win football games. Coaches can't win you games, but they can certainly lose them for you, and this is a staff I don't believe in.

Last year was a perfect storm for the Bears, but with an inept offensive coordinator, a shoddy offensive line and a quarterback coming off of a knee injury, it's not looking good in terms of Chicago's chances to make another deep playoff run.

10:20 AM ET Troy Polamalu: Will Steelers Schedule Equal a Title for Star Safety?

Troy Polamalu and Company Are Trying To Make It Back to the Super Bowl, Will Their Schedule Help That Cause?

Few teams have a more winnable schedule than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Any time you have matchups against teams like Arizona, Carolina, Cincinnati twice, Cleveland twice, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee and Washington on your schedule, you should expect to not only make the playoffs, but have a first-round bye.

That is 12 games that you have a great chance of winning and 12 victories will almost always get you into the playoffs. Throw in a win or two from Baltimore and games against Kansas City and Atlanta, and you have the chance for an amazing run.

This is a team that will have Ben Roethlisberger for the first four games, as opposed to last year. The Steelers will be a force in the AFC, as they are every year, and will be in great shape to make another run at a championship.

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With a strong defense and a potent offense, there's no reason the Steelers shouldn't have home field advantage in the second round of the playoffs and possibly throughout the postseason. This is a cakewalk of a schedule and it's hard to see many games this team could lose.

Sure, this all depends on injuries and some other factors like emerging contenders in the AFC, but this is a veteran squad with a ton of talent and a bitter taste in their mouths from losing the Super Bowl to the Green Bay Packers.

Look out for the Steelers, because they are going to be a team on a mission next year and a group that should be an early favorite in the AFC.

10:02 AM ET Dallas Cowboys: Why Five National TV Games Is Too Much for America's Team

Dallas Cowboys Were a Mediocre Team Last Year, Yet They Get Five Primetime Games

If you look at the primetime television schedule for the NFL, one thing is noticeable.

The Dallas Cowboys are everywhere.

Yep, the Cowboys, who were a 6-10 team and a laughingstock at one point, are all over our primetime television schedule with matchups against the New York Jets, the Washington Redskins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys got the maximum amount of primetime games and they didn't even make the playoffs, all because they're America's Team.

Well let me tell you something about America's Team. It stinks.

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It's a franchise that has only won a single playoff game since 1996. It's a franchise who has been in the news more for drama behind the scenes than victories on the football field. Yet somehow, someway, we get to see them lose games with mediocre quarterback play and inept coaching on a yearly basis.

Don't get me wrong, that's hilarious to watch, but at some point, you have to wonder when it's time to limit the primetime games the Cowboys get. Would Dallas get this type of exposure if they had a run of poor play like the Detroit Lions have? You have to believe so.

That's a major problem, but then again, it's all about the almighty dollar, perGregg Rosenthalof Pro Football Talk:

We used to be one of those fans that got annoyed at the non-stop Cowboys games shown on national television.   And then we looked closer at the ratings for Cowboys games, even when their games were totally meaningless.  It’s just good business to show “America’s Team.”

Sorry, but that's a problem. You know what else equals good ratings? Compelling matchups.

I have no desire to watch the Cowboys and the Redskins and I can't possibly be along in feeling this way.

These are games you should have to earn, and the Cowboys have never earned them. Until Dallas does that, its games should be limited.

I understand wanting to get one of the most popular teams in the game on national television, but giving the Cowboys five games is overkill for a team that frankly, isn't that good.

09:16 AM ET Green Bay Packers: Does Schedule Line Up with the Packers' Repeat Hopes?

Green Bay Packers Look To Repeat As Super Bowl Champions, Does Their Schedule Help That?

Last year, the Green Bay Packers shocked us all, winning the Super Bowl and defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the process.

Now that the Packers are the champions, there will be no sneaking up on anyone and there will be a massive target on their backs the size of that title belt Aaron Rodgers paraded around in the storm of confetti.

Yesterday, the2011-12 schedulecame out, and for the Packers, there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful looking towards next year.

With their schedule, there's no reason Green Bay can't easily go 11-5, especially with the Packers getting players like Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley back into the fold after losing them to injuries early on last year.

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Those returning players are going to be key in Green Bay's push to repeat as champions, especially with tough tests against teams in the AFC West and the NFC South on the schedule. Those divisions aren't pushovers and will give the Packers all they can handle.

Despite that, Green Bay will be able to beat teams like Minnesota and Detroit, along with matchups against Denver, the Giants and the Rams. Some of those aren't easy wins, but they're games the Packers have proven they should win.

Furthermore, f the Packers can stay healthy, something they didn't do last year, it's a scary thought for the rest of the NFC.

While it took a strong finish to make the playoffs last season, I don't see the Packers having to scrap for a Wild Card spot this time around. This is their division to lose, regardless of what Chicago did last season.

I'm interested to see what changes Green Bay makes once football returns from the lockout and how that will change our perception of this team.

But right now, Green Bay looks like a team that is poised to make another deep playoff run.

08:47 AM ET San Jose Sharks: Kings Blow 4-0 Lead, Lose in OT, Is the Series Over?

San Jose Sharks Rallied For An Epic Comeback Win Last Night, Is The Series Over?

Any time you're down 4-0 in the NHL playoffs, you don't have much hope to actually win the game.

Tell that to the San Jose Sharks, who came all the way back from that deficit in the second period of last night's contest to win 6-5 in overtime. It was a stunning, amazing comeback from the Sharks, who kept fighting on the road to take home ice back and a 2-1 series lead.

With this game in the rearview, let's be honest, this series is over.

There is no way a team can blow a lead that big, that quickly, and manage to somehow respond to this and win the series.

Overtime losses can always swing the momentum of a series, and to have lost in the extra frame twice, and blowing what should have been an insurmountable lead, is just too much for any team to overcome.

It was a choke job of massive proportions and there is no way this team can recover.

Los Angeles got lazy and let a San Jose back into it because the Sharks didn't roll over and die like the Kings thought they would.

Let this game be a lesson to everyone in the NHL playoffs right now, never assume you have a team beat, because if your opponent keeps scrapping and you get lazy, by the time you snap out of it, it's much too late.

Give credit to the Sharks for continuing to play hard when most teams would have folded it in and lived to fight another day. San Jose proved that good things can happen when you keep playing at maximum effort for a full game.

The Kings will head home after this series and they'll only have themselves to blame for their lazy, uninspired play after taking a huge lead.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com

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