NBA Playoffs Thread

You won't find very many San Antonians who aren't worried now with Memphis. That team's already beaten the Spurs twice in the regular season and now today's result ... this one, sadly for the older Spurs, might drag out to 6 or 7 games.

 

I'm an OKC fan, and if the Thunder make it past Denver, I'd rather see it play San Antonio than Memphis. Grizzlies scare me, too.

 

Fouls are always going to be cause for controversy. When do you call hand-checking, when don't you? Charge or block? How much do you let them get away with in the post? Refs should get a pass for missing some calls with those.

What you can't miss is an obvious offensive goaltending that gives a team a one-point lead with about a minute to go, which is what happened in the OKC game. Denver blew three straight possessions when they had the chance to up the lead to 3, but they should have had a fourth opportunity but for the missed call.

 

How do you define the "really, really good teams"? Because a lot of them are playing each other right now, even though it's the first round, which leaves little room for this supposed sleepwalking that you're referring to.

The Lakers having little trouble winning their first-round series, I'll believe that when I see it.

 

Yeah, that was clearly a call that had a pretty direct impact on the game. The other stuff in the Knicks-Celtics game were borderline judgment calls far away from the basket, but that one in OKC-Denver was a blown field goal-deciding non-call late n the game that had an impact on how the final possessions played out.

 

What a first two days. Unbelievable.

Melo, as has been noted, was the goat for the Knicks; not because of his ill-advised final attempt, but who dribbles toward the sideline instead of the center? It was a fatal play from the moment Melo started dribbling.

Also, at what point does Amar'e start demanding the ball? This is HIS team. He needs to act like it. Why he's been sitting back and letting Melo assume what's not rightfully is is, not only disturbing as a Knicks fan, but restricting New York from having any shot in this series.

And yeah, Memphis scary. Even with Manu, that doesn't change the fact that Memphis will make the Spurs absolutely work for anything inside. Man, I really wish the Grizzlies had Gay. They could really shock a lot of people with him on hand.

And this weekend confirmed what we already knew. This is one of the most wide open races in recent playoff NBA history. It's gonna be fun watching how this all goes down.

 

That was inexcusable.

 

These games ones are a nice palate cleanser after the shit sandwich that was this year's NCAA men's final. The OKC-Denver game could have provided every play for the ESPN Top 10 all by itself. If you say you like basketball, you owe it to yourself to watch these games.

 

The West could end up looking like the NHL playoffs where the 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds win the first round. Sure, Dallas and OKC won their openers at home, but that's no guarantee.

The Hornets may have hit on a formula that finally works this year: Let Kobe score his, and stop the other four. And I was at no point this year blown away by the Spurs.

 

But, but, but... purity of the game! Sanctity of amateur athletics! And everyone in the NBA is a thug! And no one plays any defense! And all they do is clutch and grab and play defense! I don't like how Kobe Bryant scowls! And... And... And...

/head explodes...

 

As JC said on the hockey thread, people draw entirely too many conclusions based on game one of a long series.

 

A hot Aaron Grey is not the same as a hot goalie?

The one lower seed I still think has the best shot of winning is the one that lost the first game, Portland. The Manu injury changes things, but I still see the Lakers and Spurs series going the way of the lower seed stealing Game 1 but ultimately falling in five or six. I think every game of OKC and Denver will go down to the wire and Denver's as tough as anyone at home, but finally that lack of a real go-to guy will hurt them. Last night in the last three minutes they couldn't figure out where to go on offense, even though they have a ton of options the first 45 minutes.