One of many things that bothered me during this film is the final seconds of the basketball game. When a team is up seven points with :17 seconds left, they dribble the clock out and do not attempt another shot. Would have been better if they tried to make it realistic. Overall I thought the movie was average.
sharethey did it for drama.
I agree in real games they don't take that final shot
That was a plot point. The deal with Lamar was that he could win the game but by no more than seven points or Jim was getting killed by Neville.
The audience wasn't sure if Lamar was on board with the plan and so the tension was when he took a shot in the closing seconds that would have taken his team over the spread. The shot missed, presumably on purpose but for show for the crowd, and everyone went home happy.
Except Jim who was never happy.
I not much a basketball fan though thought Lamar was on board as soon as he accepted the bag of cash prior the game. He even intentionally got himself benched mid game. He saw how Jim had been roughed up and I'm sure Lamar had the street smarts to not accept that $ then not deliver. He also made the comment suggesting (not in these words) that shaving points is no big deal as long as you win.
He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.
That was a plot point. The deal with Lamar was that he could win the game but by no more than seven points or Jim was getting killed by Neville.
U nailed it. The BB was horribly done....but they ALWAYS are!
First of all, the premise that Lamar needed to turn pro before his senior season was idiotic. The best players who go in the first round are done after their freshman season...and only because the NBA no longer takes guys straight out of HS. No more Lebron's. Kobe's. or Garnetts in the foreseeable future. They all go to places like Kentucky for a one and done.
Furthermore, Lamar discusses his bad knee but says know one knows about it because he is keeping it a secret. Well good luck with that! Once again, the screenwriters are completely oblivious to the physicals, tests, exams and drills that draft prospects are put through before a team makes a multi million dollar investment in them.
Screenwriters are just terrible when it comes to sports reality.
Like another poster stated.....a game that close would be a foul shot fest at the end. Yet not one foul in the last minute. Don't give me.."trying to make it real and dramatic". That's just stupid!
Now.....about blackjack.....in one scene MW doubles down on a hard 18......no wonder he was in so much debt to these guys...!!!!!!!!!!
Agree. I need to move to Hollywood and offer my services as a sports consultant to these artsy fartsy movie makers who have no clue about sports.
The part where Lamar said his coach told him his market value would go down if he didn't stay and finish his senior year? And he wants to go pro but can't because he's only a junior? Laughable. This is the equivalent of having Walhberg's character not know that an ace can be worth 11 or 1 in blackjack.
Oh, and apparently Walberg's character must train for marathons off screen. Probably gets up early and does it. That's the only way he'd be able to run as far and as fast as he did in the final scene.
The film is a very ironic comedy, try it again not expecting goodfellas
sharenot only that, but a few other things had me scratching my head.
why did that african american mobster boss want allen to be taken out of the game and why was he rooting for him to stay on the bench? wouldnt it be in his best interest to have allen in the game so that he couldnt manipulate the scoreboard as planned?
and why was it so easy for allen to drive the lane and dunk it at will on virtually every play?
and youre right. if the team is up by 7 with :17 seconds why would anyone try to be scoring? if anything, trying to score more in that situation arises more suspicion to his movtives.
*could manipulate
shareMy take on it was that Lamar was showing off. He knew he had to be under 8 points so he wanted to show just how much control he had over the game by making them sweat and putting it just under the 8 point mark.
My Vote history: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur1914996/ratings
In reality, the other team would have fouled so he couldn't dribble out the clock. There are usually a bunch of fouls and freethrows in a close game like that.
shareExactly! Lamar's team would have been killing the clock and the opponents would have been fouling them. They should have had Lamar at the free throw lone for the key shot in the movie, but that would have confined the result to a win or push.
shareYeah I noticed the same thing. When I think it was a 1-3 point game with a minute or so left, 99% of basketball games the game won't end with the team winning by 8+. They dribble out the shot clock, they don't go fast tempo and try to score. The fact the guy was yelling about BS in the final minute was stupid for many reasons, the +8 was won at that point.
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