Official 2013-2014 NBA Playoffs Thread

[dougp]

He was obviously tripped. When you are running full speed and your foot gets caught, that happens.





35 points, eat it hater.








Unrelated, I have less respect for Wade after that flop on the Ginobli swipe on the sideline.

Seriously, a lot of people in this thread have tried to say that Lebron could play football, and that he's this super agile athlete with superior muscle control, yet he barely touches toes with Manu and he gets tripped enough to fly like that? Bullshit,a notorious flopper doing what it takes to let the refs call the foul they want. There were times, like when Lebron stripped Duncan, a foul should have been called yet it was ignored, for a reason I don't understand.



You can't have it both ways.

 

[vi edit]

Officiating was annoying last night. Calling ticky tack (or completely non-contact stuff) while guys get absolutely mauled and no calls. I felt SA had more calls go against them.

That being said...missing 4 free critical free throws was brutal. There was a 7 point swing (I think) in a matter of seconds there. Parker missed the tech calls FT's, Duncan missed his FT's, and then Lebron sunk a 3. Game, set match.

 

[edro]

Seriously, a lot of people in this thread have tried to say that Lebron could play football, and that he's this super agile athlete with superior muscle control, yet he barely touches toes with Manu and he gets tripped enough to fly like that? Bullshit,a notorious flopper doing what it takes to let the refs call the foul they want. There were times, like when Lebron stripped Duncan, a foul should have been called yet it was ignored, for a reason I don't understand.

You can't have it both ways.

Ball slaps that also glance the hand rarely get called. That happens a million times a game.

Driving the basket, getting tripped and falling on your face does get called.

I do not call that a ticky tack foul.

Manu's foul on Wade WAS ticky tack and WAS a flop.
Lebron's was not.

 

[darkewaffle]

I hope someone hires Mark Jackson and soon because he is the most fucking annoying announcer I've heard in a long time.

'OH MAMA THERE GOES DAT MAN'

'YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, HAND DOWN MAN DOWN'

'THATS A GROWN MAN MOVE'

Like, one of those three preface every single commercial break. Christ.

 

[dawheat]

http://gfycat.com/EmbellishedHoarseLarva

Ginobili fouling Lebron on the drive that Leonard fouls out on.

Thanks - at first glance I thought it was a bad call but this is definitely a foul, though it was on the wrong person.

I think Leonard's contact could go either way depending on how the refs are calling it, but Ginobili's reach in was a legit foul, definitely not ticky tack.

Wade though should be embarrassed.

On the other hand, I also laughed at Parker's delayed reaction when he got clean stripped by Lebron (leading to the long review).

 

[dougp]

I know you racists think black people look alike, but Manu hit Kawhi's hand, and didn't touch Lebron with other than his toes.

 

[lupi]

Ref went very lite on the whistle all night. Given how much more time miami spenting driving through the paint they could have easily had many more free throws going their way.

 

[lupi]

Don't forget duncan doing the wade mystery swipe which led to the james technical.

 

[IAteYourMother]

I know you racists think black people look alike, but Manu hit Kawhi's hand, and didn't touch Lebron with other than his toes.

Hey doug, stop being a wise and beautiful woman

 

[smackababy]

Good game last night. Leonard getting into foul trouble really hurt the Spurs. He needs to not have that happen anymore and shut down Lebron as much as possible. Granted, he won't be able to shut him down completely, but definitely slow him.

Also, Duncan has no tied Magic for playoff double doubles. I think it is very likely he breaks the record in the coming games.

I think Miami wins the series now. I just don't know if the Spurs can win on the road, even once, against this team. Should be close though.

 

[DesiPower]

But in all seriousness, I still think the Spurs take the series. Execution beats individual brilliance over time and SA simply has to keep passing and cutting and not inexplicably go away from it for periods in the game. Even with that, it took an amazing performance from LeBron for the Heat to stay in the game. I don't think it's sustainable, but it's going to be fun to watch.

 

[vi edit]

Leonard has been virtually non-existant this series so far. Danny Green is also incredibly quiet...other than an outburst in the 4th quarter of Game 1 he's been horrible. Airballs, foul troubles, ect. He just looks very uncomfortable.

Oh and I think at one point last night the Spurs set the record for most diverse team ever in a Finals (any?) game.

At one time they had this combo on the floor:
French (Boris)
Brazillian (Splitter)
Austrailian (Patty Mills)
Argentenian (Manu)
Italian (Marco)

Crazy.

 

[smackababy]

The best part is, Lebron has had more 35/10 performances in the playoffs since 2006 than any other player, but a long shot. He has proven his ability to play at that level, continuously. Thinking this was a one off is foolish and shows you haven't watched much Lebron in the playoffs.

 

[DesiPower]

http://gfycat.com/EmbellishedHoarseLarva

Ginobili fouling Lebron on the drive that Leonard fouls out on.

It does not matter, if someone comes near LeFraud James in two plays in a row, somebody need to take responsibility, your team should not be doing that. If you dont get the message, then your team will be hit where or when it hurts most.

 

[Blackjack200]

It does not matter, if someone comes near LeFraud James in two plays in a row, somebody need to take responsibility, your team should not be doing that. If you dont get the message, then your team will be hit where or when it hurts most.

 

[lupi]

Such bitterness after one lost. Too bad he had to skip most of the fourth or it could very well be a 0-2 hole fanning it.

 

[smackababy]

Such bitterness after one lost. Too bad he had to skip most of the fourth or it could very well be a 0-2 hole fanning it.

I don't know. Lebron played the majority of the 4th quarter in game one and the Spurs were dominating. They went from down 7 to up by 2 before he left. They didn't play like that at all in game 2. They were damn near perfect and ended on like a 31-8 run. Even if Lebron played and put up 10 points, that still doesn't neutralize the Spurs enough to win that quarter and the game.

 

[DesiPower]

Spurs lost game 2 because of their missed free throws and the refs. Those where the only to difference compared to game 1

 

[edro]

I think they'll split the next 2 games.

SA was just off last night in the fourth.
Game 1, they were ON huge.

You never know who will be on and when. This could go either way.
I hope it goes to 7, although I will have to take more Tums.

 

[dawheat]

The best part is, Lebron has had more 35/10 performances in the playoffs since 2006 than any other player, but a long shot. He has proven his ability to play at that level, continuously. Thinking this was a one off is foolish and shows you haven't watched much Lebron in the playoffs.

That's a superficial take on the series. Lebron is absolutely a proven playoff performer at this point (and has been for a while). But matchups are always different and playing the Spurs is nothing like playing the Eastern Conference.

Taking the 7 games from last Finals + G1 of this year, Lebron has averaged a 45.5% FG%. That's below his normal efficiency and a testament to the Spurs defence.

Last night Lebron shot 63.6% from the field, including 3/3 from the 3-pt line plus 10 rebounds. A masterful performance against an amazing team - and his best performance to date in either Finals. Yet the Heat won a squeaker, with 4 missed FTs in the 4th quarter having a huge impact.

Will Lebron drop 35/10 again? Probably. Will it be in such an efficient and dominating performance or will be be closer to the mean? I'd guess closer to the mean, though greatness can certainly surprise.

 

[lupi]

James actually only played a little over 5 minutes of the fourth in game one and the +/- was significantly in the heats favor when he was in the game.

 

[Blackjack200]

I don't know. Lebron played the majority of the 4th quarter in game one and the Spurs were dominating. They went from down 7 to up by 2 before he left. They didn't play like that at all in game 2. They were damn near perfect and ended on like a 31-8 run. Even if Lebron played and put up 10 points, that still doesn't neutralize the Spurs enough to win that quarter and the game.

He played five minutes in the fourth quarter, and I really doubt he was contributing in those minutes.

SA should get full credit for their fourth quarter in game 1, but it's not accurate to say that it was done with James on the floor.

 

[lupi]

When discussing whether he can do it again, I'll just paste this nugget:

Over the past four Finals games against the Spurs, James has racked up 32, 37, 25 and now 35 points. The 25 came in the cramp game over 32 minutes, had there been A/C who knows what James puts up that night.

 

[manly]

I hope someone hires Mark Jackson and soon because he is the most fucking annoying announcer I've heard in a long time.

'OH MAMA THERE GOES DAT MAN'

'YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, HAND DOWN MAN DOWN'

'THATS A GROWN MAN MOVE'

Like, one of those three preface every single commercial break. Christ.

I can almost live with the cliches, but he's constantly giving Captain Obvious commentary. I don't like the dynamics of this trio either. Breen is a little weak at play by play and the other two are trying not to talk over each other.

IMO Jackson's announcing leaves much to be desired for his coaching. There are some who think he's great at both lol.

 

[Blackjack200]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/s...tractors-cant-live-with-the-results.html?_r=0

Good writeup on the ridiculous criticism heaped on James.