NBA thread 2017-18 v. I dub thee champions

[Azyiu]

Raptors, lol!!! What a weak play at the end... 

[jingle.boy]

4th quarter defense let them down tonight - whereas the Cavs defense in the fourth was like a blanket.  Solid comeback win by the Cavs. 

The whole fourth quarter I had a bad feeling.  While Love shat the bed, Green, Smith and Korver were on fire.  The Raptors should've put it away at the end of regulation - they had what... 4 additional putback attempts?  Again, way too many turnovers giving Cleveland a 21-4 point advantage; plus the Cavs won the 3-point shots by 15.

Raptors, lol!!! What a weak play at the end... 

Perhaps you're not giving Cleveland's defense enough credit?  They were a swarm at the end of Q4 and OT.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I think that both the Cavs and the Raps played well. Hurt to see JV and co. miss so many chances right at the end. Game 2 will essentially decide the series. Weird that it starts at 6 PM...

[jingle.boy]

Indeed.  Down 2-0 going to Cleveland would be devastating.  I disagree that both played well though.  Cleveland got excellent contributions from Korver/Green/Smith to support Lebron.  Love was shit, but overall it was a very good team effort (after Q1 that is).  Toronto was strong on the boards and from the free throw line, but again ... lost it from turnovers, and 3pt-land.  They can do better - and will.  Cleveland has not shown they can put forth this kind of team effort consistently for some time.  I just hope that the Cavs aren't Kryptonite for the Raptors.

[bosk1]

So disappointed in the Raptors.  They just didn't look like they were all there. 

[jingle.boy]

So disappointed in the Raptors.  They just didn't look like they were all there.

Q1 they were.  Q4, not so much.

[Nekov]

What a weird game last night. The Jazz started firing on all cylinders, then blew up a huge lead but somehow stopped the bleeding and ended up taking it home. I thought the Rubioless jazz could take one or 2 games in the series, but I never expected them to do it in Houston. This year is proving to be full of surprises.

[Azyiu]

What a weird game last night. The Jazz started firing on all cylinders, then blew up a huge lead but somehow stopped the bleeding and ended up taking it home. I thought the Rubioless jazz could take one or 2 games in the series, but I never expected them to do it in Houston. This year is proving to be full of surprises.

I re-watched the game, and I thought in the first half up until the 6 minutes mark, the Rockets played like they could win Game 2 by simply showing up. The game became more interesting once they got their acts together. It is not surprising a team couldn't hang on to their huge lead, especially if the lead was done in the first half. This is the NBA and teams make runs, and it is hard to keep up with the same kind of intensity and maintain a huge lead through out the entire game. Still, the Jazz hung on to beat the Rockets. Don't forget, the Jazz went 31-10 in the "second half" of the season, just behind the Rockets, I think. The rest of this series will be tight!

All in all, Mitchell, wow! Though he didn't score a ton, but his decision making and passing looked like works of a 5-year vet, not a rookie, man! 

[jingle.boy]

What?  No 'Lol-Rockets'?   

[bosk1]

Lol-Rockets!

[Samsara]

*anyone but the Warriors or Cavaliers*

 

[bosk1]

YOU JUST SHUT UP RIGHT NOW! 

[Samsara]

GO PELICANS! (although they are going to get swept)

[bosk1]

*warning issued*

[KevShmev]

We were talking hoops at work the other day and my conclusion was simple: if Curry is healthy, no team has a shot to beat them, including Houston. 

Now, I don't mean "Houston will get swept" no shot...they might win a game or two.  But they have no shot at beating them 4 out of 7 if Curry is healthy. 

Remember, this team is coached by Mike D'Antoni, whose teams are never as good in the playoffs as they are in the regular season.

[bosk1]

Houston genuinely does worry me though.  Objectively speaking, I tend to agree with you.  There is every reason to believe that that conclusion is the correct one.  But Houston is a genuinely talented team, and they are scary good when they catch fire.  I would be disappointed, but not at all surprised, if they got on enough of a hot streak to take 4 out of 7.  They shouldn't.  But they could.

[bosk1]

So, apparently, even if Toronto goes down 2-0 after tonight, Max Kellerman believes they will come back and win the series.  I think he makes good points about how close game 1 was, and how it took them uncharacteristically missing their last 11 shots AND a flagrant against Kevin Love NOT being called, AND the Cavs playing perhaps their best ALL SEASON, to have them lose by 1 point in overtime.  I get all that.  BUT notwithstanding all of that, if they go down 0-2, having dropped 2 games AT HOME, and then having to win the next 4 out of 5 against a LeBron-led team...I dunno.  I'm not sure I can agree.  I know this isn't exactly a controversial call, but I think they are in serious trouble if they drop tonight's game and have to go into Cleveland 0-2.

[Nekov]

If the Raptors go 0-2 against Cleveland they might as well start thinking about the next one. They are a better team that Cleveland, but I don't think they have the mental strength to come out of that hole. Watching the 4th quarter the other day I noticed that Dwayne Casey was getting too caught up in Toronto's awful shooting, he seemed distraught and that is probably trickling down to the players.

As far as the Houston talk, I don't think they can beat a healthy warriors team, I don't even think they can beat the warriors with Curry at 50%. They've shown to be an erratic team and as Kev says, D'antoni's teams are not as good in the playoffs, mostly because he's not such a good coach in my opinion.

[KevShmev]

So, apparently, even if Toronto goes down 2-0 after tonight, Max Kellerman believes they will come back and win the series. 

Max Kellerman willingly does a show with Stephen A. Smith, therefore he is not to be taken seriously.

[jingle.boy]

Well, I hope the dude knows what he's talking about, cuz it looks like the Raptors are about to put his theory to the test!  Last time they lost 2-straight at home.... to the Cavs last playoffs.   

[King Postwhore]

He's been saying Tom Brady will hit the cliff the last 4 years.   He's always wrong.

[Azyiu]

Rockets?! LOL @ Rockets! 

What?  No 'Lol-Rockets'?   

There you go, lol! 

Man, what happened in Toronto tonight? I feel bad for those Raptors fans, it is time to either break up that team or hire a different coach.

[jingle.boy]

Well, I'm hoping he knows something here.  Cavs are having their way on offense, and playing like a Championship caliber team (finally); Raptors are not.  They've been out-played, and out-coached.  31 points by Love tonight!?!  8 straight playoff losses to the Cavs - I think they are kryptonite to the Raptors.

I'm kinda glad it was a bit of a blow-out loss, and it snaps the Raptors back to form.

[KevShmev]

I felt bad for Raptors fans in the second half of the game.  Their team looked totally overmatched.

[King Postwhore]

22 points down and came back to win this game.  Hell of a comeback C's.

[bosk1]

I hate basketball so much.  Worst sport ever.

[Nekov]

Man, what happened in Toronto tonight? I feel bad for those Raptors fans, it is time to either break up that team or hire a different coach.

I would go with a different coach before dismantling that team. Casey has done good revamping their system but he clearly falters under the pressure of the playoffs.

[jingle.boy]

Man, what happened in Toronto tonight? I feel bad for those Raptors fans, it is time to either break up that team or hire a different coach.

I would go with a different coach before dismantling that team. Casey has done good revamping their system but he clearly falters under the pressure of the playoffs.

They've got the players, and they've got the talent.  Last night their defense crumbled - way to many easy buckets for the Cavs.

And this series should be 1-1.  Nice of the NBA to assess a Flagrant-1 to Love THE MORNING AFTER!  Sure would've been nice to get free throws AND possession with a 4-point lead and just over a minute to go.   

I'm not calling ref-conspiracy (and it certainly wouldn't have made a difference in last night's game), but Cleveland is getting some favorable calls on both ends of the court.  The block called on Lowry (for his 3rd foul) at the end of the 1st half was CLEARLY a charge.  Then he grabs an early foul in the 3rd, and he now has to be a little more conscious of how he attacks and defends.  Like I said, it wouldn't have made a difference last night.  Maybe I'm being a Homer, but it looks like borderline calls are going *for* the Cavs more often than not.

[bosk1]

I'll tell you what--if someone had told me that 3 of the four semis playoff series would be 2-0, the only one I would have gotten correct would be the Warriors/Pelicans series.  Honestly, who saw the Cavs going 2-0 on the road????  Or the Celtics, even though at home?  And as much as I hate it, LeBron is the playoffs MVP right now, without question.

[jingle.boy]

And as much as I hate it, LeBron is the playoffs MVP right now, without question.

That's a given.  Without him, they don't advance past Indiana.  The Raptors focused too much on him, and still he put back 43 ... along with 14 helpers.

[bosk1]

I was so looking forward to Raptors making the finals too. 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I was genuinely sad watching the game last night. The Raptors are a good team that cares. No one was phoning it in. But DeRozan and Lowry simply aren't top-20 caliber players and the Cavaliers clearly have a mental edge over them. I don't want to say the series is over, but it ain't looking good right now.

[bosk1]

I would love to be surprised, but I have no problem saying it's over.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I would love to be surprised, but I have no problem saying it's over.

You don't know that. Canadian customs could prevent LeBron from entering the US in time for tip-off.

[Samsara]

The Raptors will win two games this series. And that sucks, because seriously, someone please bump Lebron the hell off his high and mighty perch.

I have crazy respect for how good Lebron is...but I just don't like the way he conducts himself on the court (every time the whistle blows, God forbid he commits a foul), and his smugness in interviews. Dude is one of the best guys to ever play the game, but he doesn't need to parade around like he knows it.