NBA Playoffs

[Supersi32]

Toronto had the chance. Just couldn't take it at the end. They seem to have a big girl's blouse playing centre also. Softest 7 foot guy eva!

Must admit, enjoying the western conference games more. Thunder - Clippers should be a belter of a series.

As an OKC fan, this matchup worries me greatly, Clippers play a totally different offense than the Grizzlies, more of a running, gunning type team with good 3 point shooting. Whilst the Clippers on paper don`t have anyone to stop KD, if they keep knocking down the three`s like last night OKC are in big trouble!! Mind you there is no way CP3 can shoot that many three`s again......yikes!

 

[Misfit]

As an OKC fan, this matchup worries me greatly, Clippers play a totally different offense than the Grizzlies, more of a running, gunning type team with good 3 point shooting. Whilst the Clippers on paper don`t have anyone to stop KD, if they keep knocking down the three`s like last night OKC are in big trouble!! Mind you there is no way CP3 can shoot that many three`s again......yikes!

Yes. It seemed to my almost virgin NBA eyes that the clippers are a strong team with a consistent gameplan executed by a genuine grade-A PG in Paul. The Thunder have 2 of the 3 best athletes and talents in the league and just ride them throughout. I'd be kind of worried about this series too tbh.

That's all well and good when munching on EC teams to get a nice cushy regular season record but the best of the west show up in the playoffs. I'm just not sure the Thunder are built for a championship. They could still do it of course because Westbrook and KD are outrageously good. It's going to be tough sledding is all, even if the Clippers aren't bombing it from deep again.

Hoping for another 7 game nail-biter.

 

[nferno]

KD's MVP speech

What a guy, really hope he can lead the Thunder to the championship. It's criminal how they didn't win anything with him, Harden and Westbrook on the same team... Like us with Modric, Bale and VdV!

 

[Misfit]

Durant and Westbrook (Although Durant has stunk the place up in game 5, Westbrook has gone HAM) are clearly exceptional talents. OKC just don't look as strong as a team as the Clippers for me right now. If Adams can progress quickly enough then next yr they'll look difficult to see past tbh but they need more than just 2 two stars, albeit outrageously good stars, and a bunch of relative scrubs to win it all, imo. Especially when they have to go through the rigours of the WC playoffs to do it.

Game 5 not over yet, 2 minutes left but if the Clippers take a 3-2 lead and with Popovich and the Spurs looking to be rested and waiting in the WC final, it's not looking great even if they win this series.

 

[Partizan]

Bloody hell

 

[Misfit]

Looks like you can ignore everything I just said as OKC take the lead. Dodgy dodgy reffing throughout all the series in the playoffs. Is it always like this? Still, credit to OKC and Westbrook in particular if they pull this off.

 

[Misfit]

Wow. Paul loses the ball. What an ending. Dodgy to my eyes tbh but not the first game or series you can say that about this yr.

Westbrook is something else.

 

[Partizan]

Very dodgy indeed, even with the instant replay you could see there was enough evidence that it came off Jackson last, but it seems strangely enough they saw in the replay they missed the blatant foul (which the refs can't use to overturn calls) and and I can only assume they decided to compensate. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

That incredible Durant 3 was massive. Paul really fucked up at the end though. Turns over possession and then fouls on Westbrook on a poor 3 shot attempt, ridiculous.

 

[Misfit]

Very dodgy indeed, even with the instant replay you could see there was enough evidence that it came off Jackson last, but it seems strangely enough they saw in the replay they missed the blatant foul (which the refs can't use to overturn calls) and and I can only assume they decided to compensate. 2 wrongs don't make a right.

That incredible Durant 3 was massive. Paul really fucked up at the end though. Turns over possession and then fouls on Westbrook on a poor 3 shot attempt, ridiculous.

Exactly right on the replay. Doc Rivers still has steam coming out of his ears about that. Admitted it was a foul and basically said the refs used the replay to try and make up for missing it and that it was utter bullshit. I wonder which of these teams will decide to choke away a big win in the next game? They're tied at one each right now in that respect.

Chris Paul with epically bad decisions and plays down the stretch there. And I see what people mean about Westbrook not being the smartest peanut in the turd. I guess when you're as insanely athletic and talented at scoring you tend towards hero ball naturally but that 3 at the end was nearly another air ball.

Watching the EC playoff games is a chore in comparison. Why the hell is there such a disparity between the two conferences?

Been most impressed with the Spurs tbh. They have the players, the experience and the coach right now. I think they might be the team to rep the West again in the finals.

 

[Misfit]

NBA Official Rules Rule No. 8, Section 11. Page 30

http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/Official-NBA-Rule-Book.pdf

If a player has his hand in contact with the ball and an opponent hits the hand causing the ball to go out-of-bounds, the team whose player had his hand on the ball will retain posession.

So, uh, I guess it was the correct call. Maybe? Confuddled by this tbh. Had the refs seen that Barnes hit his hand and not the ball that would have been a foul though right? So yeah, they missed a call and looks like they ignored protocol and gave OKC a make-up call. The right decision in the end was the wrong thing to do. They fucked up twice.

Leaves me questioning what the hell is a foul now tbh. I've only been at this NBA thing for 5 minutes. My brain hurts.

Whatever, Clippers shat themselves. Off to work I go...

 

[nferno]

I was watching the whole game and shut it off with about 6 minutes left in the quarter thinking OKC dun goofed, kicking myself now!!!

 

[Misfit]

Yeah. You missed a hell of a finish. Despite being confused by some of the reffing, not necessarily because of conspiracies or anything but the nuances of the rules etc, the Clippers choked massively. Paul at least admitted it and said it's on him and really dumb basketball decisions from him in the last minute of the game. Credit to him for that but man....messy game all round.

Good drama though. Liking this NBA stuff so far.

 

[nferno]

Tbf, both chokes have been cancelled out now. I expect Clippers to win the next one and take it to game 7 where hopefully KD turns on his MVP winning form, been all Westbrook so far.

Also I feel the same way about refereeing decisions, as a casual NBA fan it doesn't half get confusing sometimes lol

 

[Supersi32]

Durant and Westbrook (Although Durant has stunk the place up in game 5, Westbrook has gone HAM) are clearly exceptional talents. OKC just don't look as strong as a team as the Clippers for me right now. If Adams can progress quickly enough then next yr they'll look difficult to see past tbh but they need more than just 2 two stars, albeit outrageously good stars, and a bunch of relative scrubs to win it all, imo. Especially when they have to go through the rigours of the WC playoffs to do it.

Game 5 not over yet, 2 minutes left but if the Clippers take a 3-2 lead and with Popovich and the Spurs looking to be rested and waiting in the WC final, it's not looking great even if they win this series.

There is absolutely nothing between OKC and Clippers, two of the best three teams in the NBA right now, both with contrasting styles of play, the ball moving, running, gunning Clippers against the KD and Russ show. OKC are built on tough defense and quick transition basketball, hell we have a non scoring shooting guard ffs (Sefolosha). I`d back either of these teams to get past the Spurs in the WC finals, OKC swept them in the regular series. I don`t even dislike the Clippers, I like Doc Rivers, I like Blake Griffin and I like CP3. That game 5 last night, you just couldn`t make that shit up, Westbrook gets slammed constantly for taking too many shots & making poor decisions, trust me if OKC are to win a championship, Russ needs to keep doing exactly what he`s doing, there isn`t a PG in the NBA who can guard him when he attacks the rim.

And just on the part I bolded, Serge Ibaka says hi :-0

 

[Supersi32]

Durant and Westbrook (Although Durant has stunk the place up in game 5, Westbrook has gone HAM) are clearly exceptional talents. OKC just don't look as strong as a team as the Clippers for me right now. If Adams can progress quickly enough then next yr they'll look difficult to see past tbh but they need more than just 2 two stars, albeit outrageously good stars, and a bunch of relative scrubs to win it all, imo. Especially when they have to go through the rigours of the WC playoffs to do it.

Game 5 not over yet, 2 minutes left but if the Clippers take a 3-2 lead and with Popovich and the Spurs looking to be rested and waiting in the WC final, it's not looking great even if they win this series.

Thats because they play a totally different offensive game, OKC don`t have a halfcourt game ( never so evident as in the series with the Grizz), its all about quick transition or isolation, everyone will tell you that you can`t win a championship without a good halfcourt offense, lets hope OKC blow that myth.

 

[Misfit]

Thats because they play a totally different offensive game, OKC don`t have a halfcourt game ( never so evident as in the series with the Grizz), its all about quick transition or isolation, everyone will tell you that you can`t win a championship without a good halfcourt offense, lets hope OKC blow that myth.

Well, they're making hard enough work of it to kinda prove the point already.

And yeah, scrubs is a little harsh but not too far off. It's obviously effective to just rely on ISOball and two all world talents but so far that strategy has netted them zero rings and fucking hell they're huffing and puffing their way through another playoffs with that philosophy. It would be great for Westbrook and KD to have their talents fulfilled early on with a championship so from that perspective it would be good to see. Not looking like another dynasty at the mo though.

I don't mean this as an attack btw. Just observations from a newcomer. I don't really enjoy watching the OKCs or Houstons that much either. The individual skill on show is all well and good but the games themselves aren't the nicest to watch. Very little rhyme or reason.

Onions

 

[Supersi32]

Well, they're making hard enough work of it to kinda prove the point already.

And yeah, scrubs is a little harsh but not too far off. It's obviously effective to just rely on ISOball and two all world talents but so far that strategy has netted them zero rings and fucking hell they're huffing and puffing their way through another playoffs with that philosophy. It would be great for Westbrook and KD to have their talents fulfilled early on with a championship so from that perspective it would be good to see. Not looking like another dynasty at the mo though.

I don't mean this as an attack btw. Just observations from a newcomer. I don't really enjoy watching the OKCs or Houstons that much either. The individual skill on show is all well and good but the games themselves aren't the nicest to watch. Very little rhyme or reason.

Onions

I didn`t take it as an attack lol! OKC get slammed a lot for their style, no more so than by Charles Barkley, though when you have two superstars in your team its much easier to just let them do their thing rather than try and run triangles and pattern half court offense, a bit like how Spurs played under AVB with Bale lol! Hope you get into NBA, its fast, its furious and its exciting.... Oh and I know what you mean about OKC huffing and puffing although the WC is loaded with good basketball teams...

 

[Misfit]

I didn`t take it as an attack lol! OKC get slammed a lot for their syle, no more so than by Charles Barcley, though when you have two superstars in your team its much easier to just let them do their thing rather than try and run triangles and pattern half court offense, a bit like how Spurs played under AVB with Bale lol! Hope you get into NBA, its fast, its furious and its exciting.... Oh and I know what you mean about OKC huffing and puffing although the WC is loaded with good basketball teams...

That is actually a very fair point. Just read earlier that Phoenix with 48 wins didn't even get a playoff spot. Wowsers! And anyway, I was mesmerised by Westbrook last night. He simply put the team on his back and kept them within shouting distance. Even KD who was laying logs all over the place last night found his inner MVP in the last few minutes with 10 huge pts when it really mattered.

Watching most EC games is a little bit of a bore in comparison to the WC games so far. Any reason for the difference in style/quality there btw? Or just a natural cyclical thing that happens in sports?

 

[Supersi32]

That is actually a very fair point. Just read earlier that Phoenix with 48 wins didn't even get a playoff spot. Wowsers! And anyway, I was mesmerised by Westbrook last night. He simply put the team on his back and kept them within shouting distance. Even KD who was laying logs all over the place last night found his inner MVP in the last few minutes with 10 huge pts when it really mattered.

Watching most EC games is a little bit of a bore in comparison to the WC games so far. Any reason for the difference in style/quality there btw? Or just a natural cyclical thing that happens in sports?

I`m not really sure why that is to be honest, the West has had a grip on the Championship for more than a decade and all the star power seems to be in the WC bar Lebron of course. I don`t even think the EC 8th seed had a record above 0.500

 

[Misfit]

Aye. Just my luck to have plumped for a EC team to root for in the Raptors a few weeks back. I didn't know! I. Didn't. Knoooooow!