The NBA

[roamyn]

Kicks, Wow!  They haven't beat the Celtics, Cavs or Thunder all season.

I don't feel so bad now.

[Salacious Kitty]

Damn. I feel sorry for all you east coasters who missed the end of the Denver/OKC game. Wow. 

[twoods]

Wow, just saw the score and bummed I missed the end of the game. Hopefully the Thunder don’t lose both at home.

[roamyn]

All three of the top teams that won 60+ went down in their respective Game 1s.  I think the Cavs are in the most trouble w/Hopkins and Mobley being injured and Garland still out with a sprained toe.

Edited May 6 by roamyn

[Marley]

What a great game between Denver & OKC. I almost gave up hope for a bit. I'm not rooting for either of them really I just love an exciting game & wouldn't mind if either of them advances.

[Black Knight]

17 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

Him and Jonathan Kuminga are both kind of busts. Both very athletic and exciting prospects who never developed the BBIQ and finesse.

Different situations. Jalen Green has had a ton of playing time, while Steve Kerr is not interested in developing young and/or big players at the expense of playing time for small veterans. The departure of vets like Klay Thompson and Chris Paul opened a regular role for Kuminga this season, and he was doing very well until his injury. During his recovery period the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler, and it doesn't work to have both Butler and Kuminga on the floor, so Butler has been prioritized. At this point Kuminga is rusty. If he had been on the Rockets instead of Jalen Green, he'd be quite a bit further along in his development. Next year he'll be on a new team and he'll likely flourish in a different kind of offense than the small-ball motion offense Kerr runs and is unwilling to adapt.

It's impressive that the Celtics could miss SO many 3s and still only lose in OT. That tells me that despite the opening loss, this series will be basically a cakewalk for them. They're obviously not going to be this ice-cold shooting again.

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't get why when you really go cold you don't run some pick and rolls to get some easy looks. 

I don't think Boston is going to shoot that poorly again. 

What's the criteria for 'clutch'?

[baldryanr]

15 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

What's the criteria for 'clutch'?

If you're a star, be the opposite of James Harden.

If you're not a star, be Robert Horry.

[atomic]

I am really happy for Aaron Gordon having multiple heroic moments in this postseason run. By all accounts he seems like a great guy and it's pretty remarkable how much he was able to improve his shooting this past offseason while dealing with the unexpected death of his older brother. Also, Jokic's dominance is just unreal. 42 points and 22 rebounds on a day's rest with travel. Best player in the world and it's not even close.

[DoctorAtomic]

1 hour ago, baldryanr said:

If you're a star, be the opposite of James Harden.

If you're not a star, be Robert Horry.

Big shot BOB!

I was wondering because I didn't think blowing a bunny at the end of regulation counts as clutch. 

[Carey]

NBC Sports Bringing Back Jim Fagan NBA On NBC Promo Voice Via AI

Amid the possibility that the family (or Fagan before he died) okayed the move, maybe the use of real voice actors moves toward normality.

As mentioned elsewhere, I do love the nostalgic decision, but to an extent. While paying tribute to the past is great, so is moving forward

[twoods]

Unreal ending to that Pacers/Cavs game. Basketball is definitely not for the faint of heart. 

[DrSpaceman73]

That's a killer for that cavs....that gane was over. 

 

Pacers this year doing that again and again

3rd last second gane winning shot for Halliburton jn 6 weeks

[roamyn]

It's a f*g failure of a season.  I'm sorry, but you can't win 60+ games and dominate all season and then lose in the 2nd round.

I could've handled losing to the Celtics in the East Finals, but not this.  And since the F*g Pacers are the reason for DeAndre & Evan's injuries with their dirty play, I hope the Celtics cream them in four.

[DoctorAtomic]

Cavs blew a lot of defensive rebounds in that last minute. You don't see it as much anymore, but I think the Cavs got caught off balance because the Pacers went for a lot of quick 2s when the Cavs looked like they were setting up for a kick out 3. 

 

[Is Everyone Gone]

Wow. The Pacers are a hard team to beat. They're very fast, very sneaky, all starting 5 are good shooters. They're not a top top tier team, but on any given day they can give every top team a hard time.

Haliburton is insane. Two clutch game-winners in one playoff series. 

In other news, @Magog will be happy that Steph went out with a hammy injury.

Edited May 7 by Is Everyone Gone

[twoods]

Lucky for the Warriors that the Twolves have forgotten how to shoot a basketball. 31 points at halftime is pathetic.

[Salacious Kitty]

I too thought of @Magog when Steph got hurt. Hopefully, he won't miss more than tonight. 

Playoff Jimmy, time to show everyone what you've got. 

[Carey]

On 5/3/2025 at 8:48 AM, baldryanr said:

That's quite dismissive of the top seeds in both conferences.

It is, but I've seen this story before.  In sports generally speaking.  When the champs aren't as good in a typical season (lower seed), all of the top seeds, or really "both" are in position to win, except they don't.  Happened with Houston in 2018, I think the Suns, Jazz, maybe even the Knicks couldn't conquer Chicago a long time ago.

In the NFL, same story with New England (2004, 2018) and Kansas City (2023).  Still, hats off to those teams finding solutions within adversity.

I guess I can forget Cleveland, and OKC is still a year or two away.  Way too long.  I think if Boston were to lose, assuming they don't lose in this round again, it would be to a team that's battle tested.

I think Denver might be the only one.  Without Curry, that might help Minnesota, but I'd rather not see the latter "COOL off" against Golden State of all people.  Apparently mid season HC firings wins championships (Pens 2009, 2016, Cavs 2016).

Maybe Indiana is the team this time around, but the fact is Boston isn't going to be that horrible again.  Question is if they're half-bad, can a Pacers team or someone capitalize

[Marley]

Cavs choked. Pacers are good tho.

Glad the Warriors won hopefully Steph isn't gone for long.

[Salacious Kitty]

Kerr's postgame presser stated that Steph will probably be out for game 2. Games are every other day until game 6 (if the series goes that far). I guess we'll just have to see what the MRI says. 

[baldryanr]

Sports hating someone is all in good fun, but only a complete asshole celebrates a player getting hurt unless we're talking about someone dirty (i.e. those guys who deliberately stick their foot out whenever a guy jumps).  Hopefully Steph recovers quickly, but hamstring injuries are pretty fickle. 

Edited May 7 by baldryanr

[Carey]

Yeah, laughing at an injury is not cool.  Plus, Karma is a real thing.  That's not to say that it doesn't happen behind closed doors.  It's best to keep it quiet, and really I don't think a professional celebrates it.  A fan might, and as mentioned, the fans would be relieved in private since a great playing not being there might make the difference between winning & losing.

For those involved, it goes both ways.  A Curry-less Golden State might mean good news for Minnesota.  Injuries are part of the game; other teams have those.  Instead of rejoicing, they'll do their best to take advantage.  After all, this might be the only/best shot to get the title.  On the other hand, the greatest & the best stars would love to beat the Warriors with Stephen playing.  Of course there's the part where they lose without the star available, so that's embarrassing.

[Magog]

12 hours ago, twoods said:

Unreal ending to that Pacers/Cavs game. Basketball is definitely not for the faint of heart. 

 

I thought that Sunday was excruciating. Last night was straight up appendicitis-inducing. (😠 🤬 🤬) I am so infuriated right now that the Cavaliers were up by 21 midway in the 3rd & up by 7 (119-112) with 48 seconds left & just flat out choked. Freaking brain cramp after brain cramp in the last minute of the game & it all burnt to a crisp. I was so angry about the ending that I smashed & broke an air freshener canister. (🤬 🤬) Even with the injuries, that game should of been won. No Excuses!! I felt like that I got sprayed by a skunk. 

Speaking of getting sprayed by a skunk, it happened to me again thanks to those scummy Warriors winning Game 1, 99-88. (🤬) I didn't see that same anger from Ant Man last night like he showed against the Lakers. He better have that anger on those Warriors in Game 2. Overall, my whole day is currently ruined & I'm still fuming in absolute anger over last night. I should be grateful that I didn't vomit last night. Even the Oilers winning in the Hockey Playoffs last night didn't come close to making me feel better.

 

11 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

In other news, @Magog will be happy that Steph went out with a hammy injury.

 

11 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I too thought of @Magog when Steph got hurt. Hopefully, he won't miss more than tonight. 

I am too pissed off right now about the Cavaliers choking to even think about Steph hurting his hammy. BTW, he will be fine. He got a boo boo on his pelvis a month ago & he came back pretty quickly with no problems.

Edited May 7 by Magog

[DrSpaceman73]

It's playoff basketball. Teams aren't going to be 100%  no one is playing dirty just aren't going to let any easy scoring though.  Nothing dirty about the Pacers and they're not the reason cavs are injured. 

 

Cavs have been outcoached two games in a row.  Why they lost. 

[Is Everyone Gone]

Ngl, I like the Pacers because I feel like they've done the most with the least. They have Haliburton and Siakam as borderline All-Stars, but everyone else is just a very skilled role player. 

[DrSpaceman73]

11 minutes ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

Ngl, I like the Pacers because I feel like they've done the most with the least. They have Haliburton and Siakam as borderline All-Stars, but everyone else is just a very skilled role player. 

They are a deep team 1-10.  

They have no one player that can take over a full game and score 40+ consistent like Mitchell. 

 

But they have a whole bunch of guys that can step up when called upon. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Steph has a Grade 1 hammy strain and is expected to miss at least a week. 

Oh well Dubs, it was fun. 

[Black Knight]

The Warriors only have to win one of the next four games without Curry to avoid elimination, which is very doable, and then they'll have him back. After next Wednesday's Game 5, there's an unusually long rest period, as Game 6 wouldn't be played until next Sunday. Being at worst 2-3 heading into Game 6 with a well-rested Curry isn't a terrible spot.

Kinda crazy that all of the home teams blew their series opener. But the NBA is no different from the NFL in the sense that any team can win on any given day. It's winning out four times that's the real test.

[Salacious Kitty]

Yeah, I heard last night that they were targeting Game 6 for Steph's return, but that was before he had an official diagnosis. I guess they could steal one at home to ensure they get that far. 

[Marley]

Well hopefully somehow the other guys on the Warriors can step up. It's gonna be difficult tho.

[DoctorAtomic]

Has Curry had the MRI yet? That's going to dictate the return. 

[Carey]

According to this article, the timeline for his return is based on the MRI he had earlier on Wednesday.

[Salacious Kitty]

35 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Has Curry had the MRI yet? That's going to dictate the return. 

Yes, he has the MRI this morning. I posted his official diagnosis. 

[Is Everyone Gone]

Hamstring injuries tend to linger. A lot of players came back early from them and suffered a lot. One was Tyrese Haliburton, who came back too early and paid for it last year.

[Marley]

Knicks win again wee!!

[Carey]

Either a massive upset in the making or the first ever 3-0 comeback.  Great money on the latter!

[DrSpaceman73]

Horrible 4th quarter and final minute by Boston

First quick score plenty of time for nyk 

 

Then no time out and you get nothing on the last play. 

Horrible. I can't believe they're defending champs doing this. 

[Magog]

23 minutes ago, Marley said:

Knicks win again wee!!

Just when things in this 2nd round couldn't get even more worse than it already has. (🤬 🤢)

 

[Carey]

For what it's worth & for the record, Boston is a very good road team.  That 0-3 to 4-3 may not even come to fruition if they get back on track in a big way.  Similar to Phoenix vs Houston over 3 decades ago, it wasn't ideal to go on the road down 0-2.  Fortunately Sir Charles knew that, but unfortunately despite treating a 2-0 lead like an 0-2 deficit, it didn't matter.  Phoenix went from hosting Houston up 2-0 to later hosting them facing elimination, needing to win just to stay alive.

I could see the same thing for Boston.  Although it's a road game for New York, those big wins were still close

[twoods]

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see Celtics/Warriors in the Finals. Keep your end of the bargain Knicks! 

[Magog]

6 minutes ago, twoods said:

I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see Celtics/Warriors in the Finals. Keep your end of the bargain Knicks! 

The Knicks being in the Finals wouldn't make things any better. I much rather get sunburn for a week than having to tolerate Stephen A Smith, Spike Lee, & the rest of the Knicks fans getting all giddy & in your face about the scummy Knicks possibly winning it all. First Take & that stupid Breakfast Show on FS! will be straight up torture if the Knicks get there. Both of these shows are already currently migraine inducing.

Edited May 8 by Magog

[atomic]

 

[Salacious Kitty]

I'll have to set up the DVR to see if he follows up. 😂

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't get it. Is Boston just mentally wiped? It's coaching too. I probably would have called time out for the last shot to not waste the time advancing the ball. 

I think if Tatum actually went in to shoot instead of jump in the air and hang there to pass the ball back to the wing, they might have called a foul. 

I'm not a fan of either team, but I'm not a fan less of Boston. 

[mojoween]

All the series are crazy right now.

Edited May 8 by mojoween

[Fukui San]

If you asked me in January, I would've said that the Celtics were playing like they wanted to get beaten in the playoffs. But then they started playing better.

What is it now? I mean, Porzingis isn't playing well, but he was out most of last year's playoffs. Jrue is older. Horford is beyond old now. While Peyton P is improved, the tradeoff is probably down a bit in terms of overall team depth from last year.

But mainly Tatum has played horrible and the three hasn't been falling teamwide. When the volume threes fall, it's devastating. But live by the three, die by the three. They shot 25% from 3 in both games, so if that's Plan A and Plan B, then maybe they're screwed. It's like they made the whole team out of James Harden.

[Marley]

Embarassing for Denver damn.

[Carey]

So much for thinking Denver might be that so-called Dark Horse.  Though that's silly from me since the best player is on that team.  However, I think they had found something new recently.

At least they were on the road

[DoctorAtomic]

Denver is only 1-1 though. 

For Boston, they played better on the road than at home. I don't think the series is over, but the staff needs to make some adjustments if the 3s aren't dropping out of the gate in game 3.