NBA Playoffs Thread

Memphis has proven to be a mentally strong team and they are worrying the hell out of San Antonio fans still tonight.
Great game to be at, though, and what a night in the Alamo City.
Game 6 will be a bear for the Spurs, for sure.

 

At the end of the Grizzlies-Spurs game, why are there even any Grizz players below the 3 pt line? Even Battier did it, allowing Neal to get a clean look. Shouldn't the Grizz just let them go to the 2 pt line, I mean time goes off the clock as the ball is in the air after the shot. Stupid.

 

I know that this is supposed to be about the playoffs, but can anyone explain why the Knicks would pick up the $14.2 million Billups option?

 

Expiring contract for next year which they can flip for something?

If they don't pick it up, they lose his salary but gain nothing in return.

 

That was their only flexibility to improve for next year, he's a bad fit for D'antoni's system, and seems to be falling apart. Is he that much better than Derek Harper of the old Knicks? Now they are stuck with the exact same team.

 

Nuggets had an opportunity to put a huge scare in the Thunder and simply blew it. Yes Durant was huge down the stretch (I think that's what people thought should have happened in Gm. 4) but the Nuggets could not finish. After seeing Nene throw down huge dunks earlier in the series, what happened in Gm. 5? Ibaka blocked about 2 or 3 Nene attempts in the last 3 mins; Nene needs to draw the contact and protect the ball instead of getting blocked. Weak. Ray Felton is pretty loose with the ball as well; I give him big credit though for coming back and sinking two huge FTs after turning his ankle.

Would love to see OKC v. Spurs. That Perkins/Obaka combo is pretty awesome inside defensively; wonder if Perkins will ever come out with any offensive game.

 

Horrible defensive lapse by the Hawks to leave JJ Reddick wide open for a tying 3 in the final seconds. Fortunately for the Hawks, Reddick missed it. Hawks stepped out of bounds on the rebound though, so the Magic have another shot.

 

Last chance blocked. The Magic go down in Round 1.

Is Stan "The Master of Panic" Van Gundy on the hot seat now? Three years in a row he's had a championship-caliber team that has been undone at least in part because of his incompetence. Not to mention the way his tactical gaffes in Game 7 of the conference finals against the Pistons in '05.

 

The Magic did not have a championship caliber team this year.

 

Van Gundy could take some heat for losing to the Hawks but they definitely weren't championship level. They didn't have a chance against the Top 3 in the East, not when Jameer Nelson is your second best player.

With the victory tonight, the Lakers are now 11-1 in closeout games since the 2008 playoffs.

 

Mavericks lead by 15 points in the third quarter.

The Trail Blazers have 'em right where they want 'em.

 

Because Chris Paul still has another year left on his Hornet contract?

Knicks want Paul, so makes little sense to sign another point guard whose contract will run past the upcoming season. Billups' option gives em a competent veteran PG for next year, then expires just in time to go after Paul.