NBA Playoffs Thread

I've been to several Spurs games during the season and have gone-in with a friend to buy some tickets to all rounds of the playoffs.
I'm not a native Texan but have lived in SA for over 3 years and could sort of see the writing on the wall early with this team. It's their year to win the West and it's not the Lakers year. Too much internal problematic stuff dogging the LA team.
But now with Phil Jackson being fined and Kobe bashing gays, a lot more people are looking at The Lakers and (finally) allowing themselves to give San Antonio some credit.
So be it ... the bandwagon is plenty big.


Memphis ... might win one game.
The other series ... simply part of the procession to the Finals.

OKC ... not quite ready.
Denver ... grossly exaggerated with regard to ability to win in the playoffs.
Lakers ... did it to themselves. (Who's taking over out there next year? Brian Shaw?)
Dallas ... hasn't ever gotten it done at crunch time.
Portland ... up-and-coming for sure but not this year and not in a 7-game series with SA.

Enjoy it, Charles Barkley! This one's for you, bitch.

 

It's amazing how little I care about the NBA playoffs when I don't have a dog in the fight ... since the Suns, playing with 13 small forwards, a center and Steve Nash couldn't make the playoffs.

I'll hitch my rooting wagon to Oklahoma City, though, just to be cliche.

 

I realize the Pacers might not be the best defensive team in the league, but HOLY SHIT did Derrick Rose just own that last minute or so.

 

The Pacers have been taking dumps in the fourth quarter all year. But the difference was that the Bulls had Rose, and the Pacers didn't. Rose was making plays no mere mortal could make.

Also in the playoffs, every team needs a badass who can tell everyone to get out of the way so he can take over. Rose is that, big-time. Danny Granger -- not so much.

Still, I have to take bad every bad thing I said about Tyler Hansbrough. He had a very good game, and is probably the only Pacer at this moment with the will to get bigger with the stakes.

 

That was about the most predictable ending in the world. Pacers hit a million shots all game, Bulls just take over when they needed to. 76ers are about to do the same thing against the Heat.

 

I never want to live in a city where everyone wears the same color to a game.

 

Thunder all the way, baby! Looking forward to tomorrow. My girlfriend (a Colorado native / Rockies fan) and I are going to the Cubs/Rockies game (I'm a Cubs fan).

After, we're heading to a bar to watch the OKC / Denver game (I'm a Tulsa-born Thunder fan).

Nothing like fighting with your partner with pretty much every pro sport you watch. A house divided, my friends.

 

Exciting, maybe? Interesting? Not by a longshot.

Most interesting would be Lakers-Heat. And I'm not sure there's anything close to that.

 

Speaking of which, anybody notice the Wade/Lebron Heat enjoyed a 39 to 15 free throw disparity today? Let the conspiracy mumblings begin.

 

The East seems really wide-open between those three teams. I'm picking Boston.

 

Was one team driving to the basket and the other team relying on jump shots? (I dunno, I didn't watch the game).

 

Apparently, I'm late to the party, BUT ...

I think Memphis will give the Spurs hell. If they had Rudy Gay, they'd be my pick to win. Grizzlies are a horrible matchup for San Antonio.

I have the Lakers beating the Bulls in the Finals; the Lakers making it that far because I don't think anybody can beat them in a seven-game series, and Chicago because they have the best defense and best PG in the league, AND homecourt advantage all throughout.