The NBA

[Jx223]

The Sixers have traded Nerlens Noel to Dallas Mavericks, Justin Anderson and a protected 2017 first round pick. I wonder what other trades may end up being made before the trade deadline. There are still reports that the Celtics/Pacers are in talks for Paul George. It's being reported that the Lakers are also interested in Paul George and that he wants to either stay with Indy or eventually play with the Lakers. There is concern that he may not stay with the Celtics long term if he is traded to them. But maybe he might change his mind if he's traded there and they come close to winning a championship (or actually win one).

I think that Boston is more appealing than the Lakers at this point. I do think that the baby Lakers have talent but that they are a ways off from really contending. Boston is in a much better position to contend right now. But Paul George is from LA and he would be a big star for that team if he went there. I am interested in seeing how things shake out regarding him.

I also wonder where Andrew Bogut will end up and see if the sixers will trade him or buy him out. And I want to see if OKC picks up anyone to help their team out. I want them to get Russell some help.

Edited February 23, 2017 by Jx223

[AyeshaTheGreat]

On 2/18/2017 at 10:45 PM, Jx223 said:

I've have been enjoying watching the All-Star events this weekend.I thought that Eric Gordon did a good job in the three point contest. The Dunk contest wasn't as good as last year's but I am happy for Glen Robinson III for winning and being the first Pacer player to do so. I thought that the the tribute to Craig Sager tonight and raising money for his foundation was very nice and entertaining. I liked seeing the different players, including Reggie try and raise money for his foundation. 

I don't know why this came to my mind so quickly but when I read this comment, I immediately remembered that Fred Jones was with the Pacers when he won.  After I looked it up, it seems he won in 2004.

Overall, I didn't care for All-Star Saturday.  The newly formatted Skills challenge doesn't work for me and the 3-Point Shootout lacked consistent shooting.  And we all know the dunk contest fell flat.  The Sager Strong tribute saved the night and I loved it when it got to Reggie bringing everyone in to help.

The game hasn't be interesting for years but I did like the intro.  I haven't watched the halftime performance but it looked like it was good.

As for the trades, I am not up to date with the NBA so I will see what the guys have to say on Inside the NBA.

[Magog]

In a surprise to nobody, the Clippers got their ass kicked again by those Warriors 123-113. Even though the Clippers were up by 12 at halftime, I still thought that they're going to lose. The Clippers got massacred in the 2nd half & let those Warriors score 50 on them in the 3rd quarter. Stephen Curry was mocking these losers as usual. If their NBA Title contention hopes wasn't dead & buried already, then tonight's game should put an definite end to it. The Clippers season is basically over. 

Edited February 24, 2017 by Magog

[Jx223]

I was hoping that the Clippers would pull out the win tonight against the Warriors but the Warriors are just too much for them. (And they are just too much for other teams in general). DeAndre, Blake and Austin tried, but they were once again overmatched by the Warriors. The Clippers definitely miss Chris Paul and his presence on the court. Maybe he will be return for tomorrow's game. 

I wonder if Houston might be able to challenge the Warriors if they meet up in the playoffs. The Rockets played really well tonight and the addition of Lou Williams has made them even stronger offensively. I could see them trying to match the Warriors offensively. 

Also, I was glad to see OKC make some moves today and acquire Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. I think that the trade they made with the Bulls was a good trade for them. I would have liked to have seen Boston make a move and make things more interesting and competitive in the East. I read somewhere that Larry Bird was trying to chase away the offers for Paul George from other teams, even though the Pacers ownership was open to them.  I do think that Paul George is going to end up leaving the Pacers and go to the Lakers, because Indy isn't going to be able to build a team around him that he thinks is really going to be able to contend for a championship.

And I wonder which players will be picked up from the buyout market. I read that Deron Williams is interested in going to the Cavs and that Bogut might end up there as well. Or that Bogut may go to the Rockets or Spurs who are also reported to be interested in him. I think that if the Cavs could get one or both of these players that would be good pickups for them. 

Edited February 24, 2017 by Jx223

[DrSpaceman73]

Well Paul George went nowhere and Pacers made no moves in free agency, which surprised me.  It seemed one or other other would happen. 

Latest I read is George wants to stay with the Pacers or go to the Lakers after next season.  If he wants to leave, completely up to him.  But if he wants to leave and win a title, I fail to see how the Lakers makes much sense.  Sure they have Magic in charge now and have the traditional LA market to attract other free agents, but still seems like they are a long way from competing for a title.  Plus they are in the same conference as Golden State, a young and loaded team that seems set up to be successful a long time even if they lose one of the big 4 at some point.  On the other hand, in the east, Lebron is, what, 32, he is a lot closer to the downside of his career and opening up the east for being more competitive again once that happens. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Warriors set a record for earliest ever team to clinch a play-off spot. The old record was set by.... the Warriors last year :D

[topanga]

On 2/23/2017 at 1:29 PM, Jx223 said:

The Sixers have traded Nerlens Noel to Dallas Mavericks,

The poor 76ers can't seem to catch a break. They've been tanking for years to try to rebuild. They finally get the #1 draft pick, and Joel Embiid is healthy. Then Simmons breaks his foot--he's out for the entire season, according to reports. But Embiid is an exciting and passionate player who rallies the team to start winning--and now he's hurt again.

It seems like they're returning to tank mode. 

[Jx223]

After injuring his knee last night it is reported that Kevin Durant will be out indefinitely with a Grade 2 MCL Sprain and bruised tibula. He will be re-evaluated again in four weeks. I wish him a healthy recovery. I see some people speculating that the Warriors may not be able to if he doesn't come back full speed, or if he ends up not coming back this season. It does seem as if the team had become KD's team and he's very efficient and a great scorer. But I think they could still go far and make it out of the west. They were a very good team before they got him and are still a very good team. Also, they have decided to acquire Matt Barnes while KD is recovering. 

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18795950/kevin-durant-golden-state-warriors-miss-least-four-weeks-bone-bruise

Edited March 1, 2017 by Jx223

[roamyn]

Cavs have acquired Andrew Bogut.  Good for our defense, esp while Kev is out.

Last night they set the regular season 3-pt record at 25 against the Hawks - without JR & Kev.  Incidentally they also hold the post season 3-pt record...against the Hawks....at 25.

Edited March 4, 2017 by roamyn

[Magog]

Quote

Last night they set the regular season 3-pt record at 25 against the Hawks - without JR & Kev.  Incidentally they also hold the post season 3-pt record...against the Hawks....at 25.

I'm very impressed by that performance. Almost gave the game away, but thankfully, the Cavaliers got it done in the final moments. 

Quote

Cavs have acquired Andrew Bogut.  Good for our defense, esp while Kev is out.

Bogut is a good pickup & will be a big help in the Playoffs. Deron Williams was rusty in his first couple of games, but hopefully he will get it going. 

I still can't believe that they made 25 3 pointers. I'm certain that Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson took notice of that & will try to get the record by beating the crap out of Carmelo Anthony & the sucky Knicks tomorrow. 

 

Speaking of those Warriors, Kevin Durant will be out for several weeks (knee injury), they lost a few games, & ESPN is acting panicky about their Warriors. They're acting like the Warriors are going down without Durant & that the Spurs could overtake them. Frankly, those Warriors should not be worried about the Spurs because they can take them down with or without Durant. I still find them big favorites to win the Western Conference. 

[roamyn]

1 hour ago, Magog said:

I'm very impressed by that performance. Almost gave the game away, but thankfully, the Cavaliers got it done in the final moments. 

Bogut is a good pickup & will be a big help in the Playoffs. Deron Williams was rusty in his first couple of games, but hopefully he will get it going. 

I still can't believe that they made 25 3 pointers. I'm certain that Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson took notice of that & will try to get the record by beating the crap out of Carmelo Anthony & the sucky Knicks tomorrow. 

They gotta do something abt these lackadaisical 4th quarters.  Ty was right to not be happy abt their performance. 

Think how many 3s they may have gotten with Kev!

I fully expect the Warriors esp, to knock down the regular season record.  Maybe not the playoff one, because that's harder to do.

[Jx223]

Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibula tonight in the Cavs game against Miami.

http://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/articles/the-locker-room-486404-486404/andrew-bogut-breaks-tibia-in-first-15620683/

I wish him a healthy recovery.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Jx223

[roamyn]

2 hours ago, Jx223 said:

Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibula tonight in the Cavs game against Miami.

http://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/articles/the-locker-room-486404-486404/andrew-bogut-breaks-tibia-in-first-15620683/

I wish him a healthy recovery.

And it was and it was his first game as a Cavalier, too.

so much for shoring up the defense.

[Fukui San]

It'd be wild if the Celtics wound up as the #1 seed. They still wouldn't be 100% to make it out of the first round as they're still a limited team.

[topanga]

On 3/6/2017 at 8:53 PM, Jx223 said:

Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibula tonight in the Cavs game against Miami.

http://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/articles/the-locker-room-486404-486404/andrew-bogut-breaks-tibia-in-first-15620683/

I wish him a healthy recovery.

Ouch. The tibia is a hard bone to break. It's one of the thickest bones in our bodies, so that must have been a hard impact. 

[Spunkygal]

Congrats to the Big German on joining the 30,000 club. What a long way he has come...arrived in Dallas as a gawky kid who knew minimal English and now is one of the most beloved sports figures in the area. He is such a great guy, so humble, funny and a great husband and daddy. I'm glad Holger was there to see the milestone. I am sure they will have an awesome statue of him made when he retires. Love you, Dirk!

[Jx223]

Lamarcus Alderidge is out indefinitely due to minor heart arrhythmia. I hope he ends up being okay and continues to do what he needs to do to take care of his health. 

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18883035/lamarcus-aldridge-san-antonio-spurs-indefinitely-experiencing-minor-heart-arrhythmia

With this news coming out, that now means that him and Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Klay, Steph, Andre, and Draymond will all not be playing for tonight's televised game.  I wonder who will win tonight, the Spurs or the Warriors. It will be interesting to see how things shake out for both teams in the next few weeks and see which one of them clinches the #1 seed. The Warriors are struggling right now after losing KD, and the Spurs will be will be without their 2nd highest scorer. I think that the Warriors might be more concerned with getting the #1 seed than the Spurs are. Though I think that both teams will still advance to the next round.

I am also interested in seeing who ends up in the 8th spot in the West. The Nuggets are currently there, but it is a close race between the 8th and 11th spots with like 2.5 games separating teams in these spots. Maybe Portland or Minnesota who have been playing well lately will sneak up and grab the last spot.

In the east things are tight between the 6th and 10th spots, with no more than 2 games separating everyone in those spots. The Cavs are also in a little bit of a rut right now, but I think they will pull out of it. 

Edited March 11, 2017 by Jx223

[Magog]

Quote

With this news coming out, that now means that him and Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Klay, Steph, Andre, and Draymond will all not be playing for tonight's televised game.  I wonder who will win tonight, the Spurs or the Warriors. It will be interesting to see how things shake out for both teams in the next few weeks and see which one of them clinches the #1 seed. The Warriors are struggling right now after losing KD, and the Spurs will be will be without their 2nd highest scorer. I think that the Warriors might be more concerned with getting the #1 seed than the Spurs are. Though I think that both teams will still advance to the next round.

I wonder if people are going to be making a big deal about the Warriors starters skipping a game for rest like they did to LeBron when he skipped a couple of games for rest (last December at the Grizzlies & last Saturday Night against the Heat in Miami). Kyrie Irving also skipped that game against the Heat. 

Frankly, I can careless if LeBron skipped a game because he needs rest. He's 32 & got a lot of mileage in the NBA. He's not getting any younger & who knows how long he can keep this up. I don't know why Stephen A Smith keeps bitching about him skipping games for rest & that he doesn't care about the road team fans paying just to see him instead of their team winning a game against the Cavaliers. Stephen A Smith is still salty that LeBron left the Miami Heat behind & that he hasn't visit South Beach since LeBron left Miami. I guarantee that he would be absolutely thrilled if LeBron ever decided to play for the Lakers. 

 

Quote

Andrew Bogut fractured his left tibula tonight in the Cavs game against Miami.

http://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/articles/the-locker-room-486404-486404/andrew-bogut-breaks-tibia-in-first-15620683/

I wish him a healthy recovery.

That sucks for the Cavaliers & it sucks even more for him. Hopefully, he will recover from this. It just makes repeating a championship a bit more difficult. 

[mojoween]

Sir Charles has called out Lonzo Ball's dad to a one on one contest and please someone make this happen.

And from what we've seen of Mr. Ball, if he heard this, he will want to do it.  

[Ohwell]

The last thing I want is more publicity for Lonzo Ball's daddy.

[Silver Raven]

5 hours ago, Ohwell said:

The last thing I want is more publicity for Lonzo Ball's daddy.

Didn't see all the news today about his house being burgled huh?  :)

[FuriousStyles]

The season is almost over and I dont think I've watched more than a half of any game this whole season. I just havent been interested.  I just turned on tonight's game to hear Jeff and co. complain about the Cavs players sitting out this game.

Usually Im not one to get on players about rest and all that....but this is ridiculous.  This is 2 Saturday night games in a row where marquee players have sat out.  This is going to force Silver and the league to do something.  Either issue refunds to fans or something.  You cant advertise a product to fans and charge hundreds of dollars for seats and then intentionally (these players arent injured after all) give them a sunstandard product.  Jeff even mentioned that some teams make fans buy tickets to non marquee matchup games in order to buy the marquee game.  Like what!??  Are you kidding me?

What bothers me most is that this rest crap has been going on for years....but they never did it during a prime time game. Players wanted that spotlight so it seems they dont even care about the competitive aspect either....especially with games like tonight's where its cross conference teams playing and they only see each other twice a year.

[Magog]

Quote

The season is almost over and I dont think I've watched more than a half of any game this whole season. I just havent been interested.  I just turned on tonight's game to hear Jeff and co. complain about the Cavs players sitting out this game.

Usually Im not one to get on players about rest and all that....but this is ridiculous.  This is 2 Saturday night games in a row where marquee players have sat out.  This is going to force Silver and the league to do something.  Either issue refunds to fans or something.  You cant advertise a product to fans and charge hundreds of dollars for seats and then intentionally (these players arent injured after all) give them a sunstandard product.  Jeff even mentioned that some teams make fans buy tickets to non marquee matchup games in order to buy the marquee game.  Like what!??  Are you kidding me?

What bothers me most is that this rest crap has been going on for years....but they never did it during a prime time game. Players wanted that spotlight so it seems they dont even care about the competitive aspect either....especially with games like tonight's where its cross conference teams playing and they only see each other twice a year.

Once I found out that LeBron, Kyrie, & Kevin Love were sitting out last night, I went right back to watching some more March Madness. If it wasn't for March Madness, I would of went to bed early. Frankly, it didn't bother me very much. If this help get the Cavaliers healthy & ready for them to repeat as champions, then its worth it. The Clippers should be happy about this, especially their coach. Doc Rivers need to stop griping about this (like he did last night) & start worrying about that ass-whooping that those Warriors going to give them come Playoff time. 

I still don't know why ABC/ESPN are still making a big deal out of this nonsense. Its not like they want the Cavaliers to repeat. I know who they're rooting for in the Playoffs & it is definitely not the Cavaliers. 

Edited March 19, 2017 by Magog

[Silver Raven]

Shaq thinks the Earth is flat, too.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/shaquille-oneal-agrees-with-kyrie-irving-believes-the-earth-is-flat/

[Magog]

Its 59-39 at halftime and Stephen Curry & those Warriors are mocking the Thunder as usual. This game is pretty much over & if it wasn't for this game being on TNT, I would of turned it off right now. That last play before halftime (leaving Curry wide open after the jump ball & letting him sink the 3 pointer at the buzzer) shows why the Thunder have absolutely no chance against the Warriors in the Playoffs.

 

Edit for the final score : In a final score that should be a shock to nobody, Warriors 111 - Thunder 95.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Magog

[isalicat]

And that (last night's Thunder vs. Warriors) game is ample proof that Russell Westbrook is no candidate for the MVP award. He can't defend, and won't defend - just sits and watches for rebounds to pad his stats rather than actually trying to help his team WIN THE GAME.

....sad.

[Jx223]

I think that Russell works very hard to help get his team involved. But this current version of OKC is nowhere near as good as last year's team was. They are one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the league and they are also one of the youngest teams. Without him this team is one of the worst teams in the league. He's trying but the team isn't consistent. The last five games prior to last night's they all got involved more and helped. But there are games like last night's where they don't and there is only so much he can do.

Steven Adams had zero rebounds throughout most of the game, and ended up with like one. Taj Gibson who has been playing well struggled last night when he missed several shots in the earlier part of the game. The team as a whole didn't play well and I believe that Billy Donovan sat Russell for a lot of the second half because he felt the game was out of reach. Just like he did a few weeks ago, when they were playing against the Wizards and the Wizards were beating them by a large margin. Granted Russ didn't play well himself, but there are nights when he plays very well and OKC still doesn't win. 

Russell often gets accused of being selfish/padding his stats. People say he's selfish, whether OKC wins, lose, he gets Triple Doubles or doesn't get Triple doubles, etc... But I have watched several Thunder games this year and he tries to get his teammates involved, especially earlier on in games. A lot of times though their shots don't fall and then he tries to make something happen. He is trying to do more with less and doesn't have a lot of All-Stars/help like a team like Golden State has. I'm not sure if he will win MVP, one reason because I'm not sure if the Thunder will have a good enough record to help sway voters who factor that in. But I think he is a worthy candidate along with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. I hope Thunder can end up with the 5th seed, I think they may have a shot against the Jazz in the first round.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Jx223

[mojoween]

I normally do not root for or agree with LeBron James about anything (and his interview about "you didn't talk about resting until I did it" sounded like whining of the highest order) but in the match between LBJ and Lavar Ball...well someone get me a retro 23 Cavs jersey.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Last night I attended my first NBA game in about 35 years (with tickets I won-- really great seats--  in a contest at work), Pistons vs. the Magic.  While I enjoy watching the college game especially this time of year I've never really been interested in pro basketball so color me surprised by the atmosphere at the game and in the arena.  Is it common to play really loud music from a courtside DJ throughout the game?   I don't mean during time outs or between quarters but while the game is being played.  It seemed like a circus atmosphere at times with so much going on off court that I would forget to watch what was happening on court. 

[xaxat]

3 hours ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

Is it common to play really loud music from a courtside DJ throughout the game? I don't mean during time outs or between quarters but while the game is being played.  It seemed like a circus atmosphere at times with so much going on off court that I would forget to watch what was happening on court. 

Maybe not with a DJ, but yes. The Knicks recently played a game at MSG without any music or dancers or. . . stuff and pretty much everyone there thought it was a weird experience.

Quote

“I didn’t like it,” Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis

[MVFrostsMyPie]

It's become common in the past few years I think. Some players have said it actually amps them up more, so who knows. I've only gone to Warriors games though, so I don't know what other teams do.

[Fukui San]

"Game Presentation" has been crammed into every nook and cranny of NBA games for certain.  Stuff on the court during every break, loud music cues to prompt applause, video jumbotron, etc.  Other leagues too, but NBA is the most packed I think.

[DrSpaceman73]

Lebron is the king of all floppers. 

Barely got hit last night on that play and out of the game?  Right.  I am sure it had nothing to do with the game being over since the first 5 minutes of the game.

[twoods]

How much longer can Westbrook's body take the amount of minutes he's clocked this season? Not to mention putting the burden of the entire team on his shoulders- it must be exhausting. Saw highlights of his unreal triple double last night but I hope he doesn't get injured soon. 

[Jx223]

1 hour ago, twoods said:

How much longer can Westbrook's body take the amount of minutes he's clocked this season? Not to mention putting the burden of the entire team on his shoulders- it must be exhausting. Saw highlights of his unreal triple double last night but I hope he doesn't get injured soon. 

Believe it or not, Russell is actually ranked at #17 for minutes played this season. I think that Billy Donovan has done a nice job of making sure he gets rests in games. He will sit Russ for significant periods at a time in a game, no matter how good or bad the Thunder are performing. Sometimes he will sit him a whole quarter or a more (especially if the Thunder are down by a lot of points.) I hope Russ stays healthy and I am really enjoying how well he is playing and how he is carrying OKC. I hope he can get them to the 5th or 4th seed, so they can play the Jazz or maybe the Clippers which I think would be better matchups for them than if they played Houston. I think OKC's best shot of getting the to the second round is playing the Jazz who they have already beat three times this year.

I think that things are getting really interesting right now with the NBA. The Cavs are struggling especially defensively and have just lost to the Bulls for the fourth time this season. The Bulls are trying to make the playoffs and I think it would be interesting if they did and had to face the Cavs in the first round. The Spurs are playing well, and the Warriors have been looking really good lately. Steph is playing well like he did before Kevin Durant joined the team. And Kevin Durant looks like he is making a speedy recovery. I am definitely interested in seeing how everything shakes out during this last stretch of games and in the playoffs. 

Edited March 31, 2017 by Jx223

[twoods]

I didn't realize he was only 17th in minutes- figures with his numbers he's playing a lot of minutes. Hope he still stays healthy.

[roamyn]

The Cavs haven't looked good since Love went out, even tho he's back.

I'm hoping they're just Lolly gagging to get into the playoffs healthy.

But Spring Training is here, and frankly I'm more anxious/interested in my beloved Indians.

[xaxat]

I'm kind of sympathetic to ESPN/ABC/TNT's complaints about stars being rested for nationally televised games.

But they have only themselves to blame for scheduling the freakin' Knicks every other week. 

[Jx223]

I thought that the Pacers/Indy game tonight was a good game. I thought Paul George played well and I liked seeing him go toe to toe with LeBron. I wish Indy would have gotten the win. They are currently in one spot out of the playoff seeds as 9th place. I think it's going to be a fight between them, Miami and Charlotte to get that 8th seed. I think that Bulls will either get the 7th or possibly 6th seed. The Bulls remaining schedule is easier than the Pacers/Heat/Hornets schedules. The Bulls could legitimately win all five of their last remaining games. So that will leave Pacers/Heat/Hornets scrapping for that last spot.

Also, I am disappointed that OKC lost another game today. I don't think they will be able to clinch the 4th or 5th spot. I think they needed to win 6 of their last seven games to do that, and I don't believe that is going to happen. They might could have clinched the 5th spot with 5 wins but both the Jazz/Clippers would have to lose most of their remaining games in order for that to happen and not get more than 48 wins for the season, (Then OKC could have possibly beaten one of them with a tiebreaker.) 

I think that OKC will either remain as the 6th seed and get bounced early and quickly in the first round by the Rockets, or they could even fall to the 7th seed. I actually think they would have a better shot against the Spurs in the 7th seed, if they can't move up to the 5th.

I also think that the Cavs/Celtics may continue to run neck and neck until the end of the season for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Edited April 3, 2017 by Jx223

[xaxat]

So the Sixers tank and all of the talking heads declare end times in the NBA universe. Fire Sam Hinkie! Change the draft to stop tanking! Give the fans refunds!

Phoenix fields a team that is younger than those in the Final Four, comes up with a gameplan designed to get a player as many points as possible instead of winning and shuts down a player who says he physically capable of playing. The Lakers are now using DNP-Old on every player over the age of 25 and are finding minutes for a D League promotion over their vets. 

Crickets.

(The Nets? They really are that bad. Tanking wouldn't help them since the Celtics own their pick.)

[topanga]

9 hours ago, xaxat said:

So the Sixers tank and all of the talking heads declare end times in the NBA universe. Fire Sam Hinkie! Change the draft to stop tanking! Give the fans refunds!

Phoenix fields a team that is younger than those in the Final Four, comes up with a gameplan designed to get a player as many points as possible instead of winning and shuts down a player who says he physically capable of playing. The Lakers are now using DNP-Old on every player over the age of 25 and are finding minutes for a D League promotion over their vets. 

Crickets.

(The Nets? They really are that bad. Tanking wouldn't help them since the Celtics own their pick.)

These are examples of why the NBA product is infuriating some NBA fans. 

[Jx223]

Congrats to Russell Westbrook for surpassing the Triple Double record set by Oscar Robertson 55 years ago. The Big O has given his support to Russell and I am glad he's around to witness Russell make history. I am also glad that Russ shot the game winning shot tonight, (even though the Thunder would have been locked in as the 6th seed even if they lost the game). The Nuggets are now out of playoff contention and we have the list of all 8 teams that will be in the playoffs for the Western Conference. (With Portland making it in as the 8th seed, with the Nuggets losing). Things still need to be sorted out for the final few spots in the East and I am interested in seeing which teams make it in the bottom half of the seeds. I am glad to see that the Pacers have made it back into the seeds at 7th. It looks like Chicago and Miami may end up fighting for that final playoff spot. 

Also, I thought that was a very good win today for Atlanta who came back from being 26 points down to beat the Cavs. They have beat the Cavs twice now in a few days time. I wonder what would happen if they did end up matching up with the Cavs sometime in the playoffs. 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Jx223

[xaxat]

The Lakers really suck at this tanking thing.

[twoods]

Ha! My husband is mad too but that's was some shot by Russell. The other Russell's shot was even better against the Nuggets, and it would be a travesty if he doesn't win MVP.

[mojoween]

Has it always been known that Westbrook is nicknamed "The Force"?

[xaxat]

The Nets are just straight up trolling Silver.

[Jx223]

I had noticed a bit earlier that some of this "resting" was impacting potential playoff seedings and situations. (like when the Cavs rested against the Clippers during the ABC game).We'll see how things shake out tonight for the final two playoff spots in the east. It looks like all the teams that are fighting for the last playoff spots (Indy, Chicago, and Miami) are going against teams who are resting starters so maybe that will balance things out. As a fan of the Pacers I hope they make it in, but I also would be happy for Chicago or Miami if they made it.

Miami started out really rough in the beginning but they have done a nice job in the second half of the season. I enjoy the way they play together and seeing how they support each other. They have the hardest path of making the playoffs because they definitely need Indy or Chicago (whereas Indy/Chicago just need to win to get in) to lose and could end up missing the playoffs even if they win.

I hope we get some interesting games from the NBA in the last day of the regular season. We got a lot of action going on tonight. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Jx223

[Jx223]

The NBA playoffs start today at 3pm on ABC. I am looking forward to the matchups and seeing if there are any upsets.

Here is the first round schedule:

http://www.nba.com/article/2017/nba-playoffs-first-round-schedule

[Magog]

Quote

The NBA playoffs start today at 3pm on ABC. I am looking forward to the matchups and seeing if there are any upsets.

Here is the first round schedule:

http://www.nba.com/article/2017/nba-playoffs-first-round-schedule

Finally. Hopefully, this will put an end to this resting crap that people are still crying about. They won't have to worry about the Cavaliers resting their players now. Heck, I know that some of the commentators are really hoping that the Cavaliers fall flat on their faces.

 

Speaking of the Cavaliers, hopefully today will be the end of their sleepwalking that they have been doing for the past 3 months. It doesn't bother me that the Celtics got the 1 seed as long as the Cavaliers beat them when it counts if they meet. 

[xaxat]

Any Kings fans here? I ask, because it must be weird figuring out what to cheer for in the lottery. 

The Sixers (4) have the rights to swap picks with the Kings (8). That would presumably only happen if the Kings make the top three in the lottery. Which would be a bummer for Kings fans knowing that they would be giving up a top three pick, but that swap would also bump them up to fifth (Sixers' pick would fall one) from their current eighth in the draft.

(And if all of that did happen, the Lakers would be at four and the Sixers would get their pick as well. Trust the Process!)