NBA 2023 CAPSTONE **DENVER NUGGETS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP**

[Jamesman42]

Yo!
Just chilling while my kids and wife sleep, hoping my team makes it to the Finals

[King Postwhore]

Watching the game outside at my brother's house. He has a projector. 

[Jamesman42]

That sounds fun. I also just realized who you are 

[King Postwhore]

Who else would watch!  Lol.

[TAC]

[King Postwhore]

Rabbit ears are strong tonight eh?

[Jamesman42]

I can't stop clenching

[gmillerdrake]

Tuned in to watch the last few of the game. Too many fouls. What’s the point of shooting? Everything is a foul. And, butler didn’t have control of that ball.

[gmillerdrake]

Wow

[faizoff]

What a crazy finish. Insane ending to that game 6.

[Jamesman42]

I cannot believe that ending.

[King Postwhore]

Holy shit!

[faizoff]

White releases the ball with just 0.1 sec left

[jingle.boy]

That was fuckin bonkers.  Boston's gonna pull it of - just for the sports Gods to spit in my face.   

[KevShmev]

Lost in the ending was what a terrible play the Celtics ran.  Your season is on the line and the play you draw up is to have Smart heave up a 3 right away?  White bailed the whole team and coaching staff out. 

[King Postwhore]

They didn't draw it up for Smart. They double teamed Tatum.  Leaving Smart open. It was the right call for the Heat. Just didn't box out on the rebound.

[jingle.boy]

I think it was a smart play actually (no pun intended). If they don’t heave it straight away, here’s no chance for the put back. The Celts had 2 guys in the air at the rim with 1 second left to put any rebound back. That was clearly (to me) part of the play design.

[pg1067]

Lost in the ending was....

The Horford foul that gave the guy on the Heat 3 free throws to take the lead.  NOT smart defense.

And I agree with Joe and Chad.  They had to put it up immediately.

[KevShmev]

It all worked out, so I get being a slave to the results ("it worked out, so it was the right play"), but had the rebound bounced to no one or the Heat got it, their season would have ended on a desperation heave gone wrong.

[King Postwhore]

Definitely. I could also say they gave up a double digit lead that they shouldn't have. Butler got to the line for 12 points (around there)

Plus, the C's should have never gone 0-3.  I thought they were done. I hope they prove me wrong tomorrow.

[TAC]

Celts starting out with some ugly shooting.

[bosk1]

Boston looks completely lost on both sides of the ball.  Everybody is standing around waiting for somebody else to make a play.  They don't deserve to move on.  Boston fans should be extremely angry at this team right now.

[Jamesman42]

Tatum just came down from a dunk and it just hurt to look at.

[KevShmev]

Tatum rolling his ankle sure didn't help, but we saw the difference in coaching again. Every time Boston would make a couple shots in the second half to get the deficit down to 8-10, Spoelstra would call a TO to settle things down and the Heat would always come out of it and take control again.  Mazzulla was put into a position he wasn't ready for due to Udoka's suspension, so it is not fair to be too hard on him to be honest, but he was simply out of his element. 

[King Postwhore]

Also, they were a better team defensively last year and Mazzulla was emphasizing Offense first compared to Defense last year with Udoka.

[Samsara]

I hate Jimmy Butler. For what he did to the Wolves, not to mention throwing a game (his last game with them) to make a point. I can't support a-holes like that. So, while I am a New York guy, through and through, I rooted for the Celtics all series long. They just didn't want it as much. Bad shot selection hurt them. Part of that was the push for "more dynamic offense" which they've done all year. But I honestly feel like the defense suffered for it, which TAC pointed out. Tatum getting hurt on the first play didn't help, and Brown having a bad game obviously hurt. But the shot selection was just so bad. I forget what quarter it was, it was one of the pushes by the Celtics somewhere where they got it down to six points, and it was because they drove to the hoop. Smart hit this floater in the lane, White posted up someone in the lane and got one...that is how you beat Miami, particularly when Bam is out of the game. Instead, Boston just went back to chucking up three pointers. Really bad game plan. They never switched it up and started doing something different.

Anyway, I expect Denver (ugh) to beat Miami. Denver has a much better coach than Boston does, and I feel like while the series will be gritty, Denver's role players are superior to Miami's. I feel like Joker and Bam will cancel one another out, as will Murray and Butler. From that point, I think Denver is deeper, more experienced, and Miami blew its load in the ECF.

[bosk1]

Not only chucking up three pointers, but HOW they went about selecting their shots.  There were so many possessions where the ball handler just stood there on the perimeter just letting time tick off the clock, and there was no off ball movement to set up a shot whatsoever.  Just all five guys standing in place for most of the 24 second clock, until there were only about 4-5 second left, and then not much that could be done at that point other than throw up a three.

[Azyiu]

Not only chucking up three pointers, but HOW they went about selecting their shots.  There were so many possessions where the ball handler just stood there on the perimeter just letting time tick off the clock, and there was no off ball movement to set up a shot whatsoever.  Just all five guys standing in place for most of the 24 second clock, until there were only about 4-5 second left, and then not much that could be done at that point other than throw up a three.

Sadly it sounds like our offense when we are struggling.  Usually LBJ or Schroder would be holding onto the ball for however long, and everyone would just stand there waiting for someone to do something. Oh well...

[dparrott]

Let's go Heat!!!  They've been working miracles all postseason.  Team of destiny!!!

[DragonAttack]

Before the Finals start, let me just say that those last few moments of Game 6 of the Heat-Celtic series was epic.  As a sports fan, with no dog in the hunt, it was quite the viewing.

Now, as to seeing history made in Game 7, well, this sums it up well




(it's photoshopped from the ending series finale scenes from 'Succession' for those who shall remain nameless )

[Jamesman42]

Let's go Heat!!!  They've been working miracles all postseason.  Team of destiny!!!

Go Heat! Hoping Butler plays out of his mind this series.

I read somewhere that if Denver was in the East, they'd be the 4th seed. The road through the East has been harder (based on only that fact, I should look up actual stats) and hopefully that has prepared Miami for this Nuggets team. Though their games against Denver have not been good in recent times.

[Jamesman42]

Shutting down Jokic's assists seemed to help Miami nail this game. Still very close but there's a lot to hope for in Miami.

[Lonk]

Don't know how tonight will go, but should be interesting.

[Jamesman42]

It'll be interesting to see what adjustments (mainly defensive) Denver makes. They had a huge offensive rating last game, just Miami's was higher.

[Azyiu]

800-year-old Chris Paul is now an unrestricted free agent after he was waived by the Suns.