Re: Playoff thread 2023

by **dboss** Fri Apr 21, 2023 9:06 am

The Sixers are just about finished with the Nets. Their game #3 win was ugly.

The key to beating them begins with making life miserable for Tyrese Maxey.

by **dboss** Fri Apr 21, 2023 9:15 am

I did not watch Suns/Clippers and only a part of GSW/Kings

Clippers competing without Leonard but Booker's 45 piece was too much to overcome.

I know the Kings are the darling team but their defense stinks. If GS wins game 4, they will win that series. The experience factor cannot be overlooked.

by **cowens/oldschool** Sat Apr 22, 2023 12:10 pm

Cavs in big trouble, get killed by Knicks in a game their best player Randle goes 3-15….???

by **gyso** Sat Apr 22, 2023 1:18 pm

Joel Embiid C Apr 21 Out
Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will not be able to play in Game 4 against the Nets on Saturday according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

https://www.espn.com/nba/injuries

by **bobc33** Sat Apr 22, 2023 3:41 pm

Now that’s a cool avatar GYSO!

by **steve3344** Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:03 pm

gyso wrote:Joel Embiid C Apr 21 Out
Embiid suffered a sprained right knee and will not be able to play in Game 4 against the Nets on Saturday according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

https://www.espn.com/nba/injuries

None of the Nets were able to play in Game 4 either.

by **cowens/oldschool** Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:06 pm

bobc33 wrote:Now that’s a cool avatar GYSO!

I like yours better

by **gyso** Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:32 pm

bobc33 wrote:Now that’s a cool avatar GYSO!

Green Team 6th Man Award winners.

by **bobheckler** Sun Apr 23, 2023 3:02 pm

Victor Oladipo is out for the rest of the season/playoffs with a torn patella (knee cap) injury.

This happened with 4 minutes left, @ 112-88, in Miami's 121-99 loss to Milwaukee. Think Spo would like to have tossed in the towel a little bit earlier? They were down 24 when it happened. Now they have even less of a chance than they had before and they didn't have much of one then.

Lesson to be learned here. When the game is out of reach, either ahead or behind, pull the players you will need next game and let the scrubs get some experience. Losing a single game by 22 vs losing by 32 makes no difference. Losing the rest of the series, and ending your season because you've just lost a significant player, does.

Bob

.

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon Apr 24, 2023 9:51 pm

Holy sh!t Jimmy Butler still has it!!

by **bobc33** Mon Apr 24, 2023 9:58 pm

Jimmy Butler is a BAD, BAD MAN! Wow.

by **RosalieTCeltics** Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:26 pm

Well, this is one shocker, Bucks down 3-1 to Miami, Jimmy Butler had 56 points and they beat them again. This is without Herro, Oladipo, unbelievable

by **Ktron** Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:27 pm

Unfriggin believable! He is so big time.

by **gyso** Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:35 pm

This is why most of us were glad that the Hawks won the play in game vs. the Heat. The Hawks offer much less resistance in a best of seven.

Will we see the Heat in the EC Finals?

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon Apr 24, 2023 11:04 pm

He set a Miami playoff scoring record on a franchise that had some very decent players and hit 2 3’s back to back to give them the lead for good in crunch time!!!! Who does all that in a playoff game? Amazing

by **RosalieTCeltics** Mon Apr 24, 2023 11:36 pm

They will still have to beat NY who are really going strong. It eventually may catch up with Miami. Or, yes we may see them, remember, we will still have to beat Philly

by **dbrown4** Tue Apr 25, 2023 8:54 am

Yes, Rosalie, no chicken counting here! PHI HAS TO get to the ECF or Armageddon will come and it will take out EVERYONE in it's path...Elton Brand, Darrel Morey, Doc Rivers and James Harden. So they have proper motivation to kick our behinds. We only have a po'ed Dukie who took responsibility for missing the mark in the Finals where Celtic teams of the past and fans are not accustom to coming up short upon arrival. Add a first year coach. Is that enough to get us out of the 2nd round? We're about to find out.

Plus, as you pointed out, they are waiting. We're still playing because we had our first brain fart of the playoffs. PHI hasn't had any yet. They look good. Hopefully they are posing as Buster Douglas. But if things go like it is looking, one of those two teams will lose 4 times over the next 2 1/2 weeks. It could be just as devastating for us if we don't get to the ECF and the Finals for that matter. But it appears MIA is opening some possible doors. And they'll want to see us in the ECF as well to take care of some unfinished business, so don't think they are anymore intimidating than MIL would be.

But alas, this is all conjecture. We get to watch this all from the comfort of our homes!! Sounds like a blast!! I'm in!!

db

by **bobheckler** Tue Apr 25, 2023 10:19 am

Jimmy went nuclear. That's why I wanted Atlanta in the 1st round and not Atlanta. Trae can go off too, but he can also be tortured on defense. Jimmy is solid on both ends.

Giannis with a triple-double, and it wasn't enough. Wow.

Bob

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by **gyso** Tue Apr 25, 2023 11:13 am

Fun fact: If the Bucks lose to the Heat, the Celtics will have home court for the rest of the playoffs.

by **RosalieTCeltics** Tue Apr 25, 2023 12:03 pm

So much for coming in #1

by **bobheckler** Tue Apr 25, 2023 12:20 pm

There's going to be some pretty decent veterans and World Champion players available in the off season if Miami finishes the job and knocks off the Bucks in the 1st round. The Milwaukee front office will be forced to confront the fact that they're too old as a team. I wonder who we can get for Payton? He'll be gone anyway, let's do a sign-and-trade. BobC will absolutely lose his mind if we can get Pat Connaughton. Laughing

Most of their oldsters are past their prime, for sure, so whomever we might get (pure speculation going on here) will have to accept that they're a bench player no matter what their current role is. I admit that is a harsh statement regarding players like Jrue Holiday, who has been magnificent so far, but he's almost 33. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Bobby Portis. He's a freaking lunatic, but is he a lunatic you'd like to have on your team? Well, it depends upon whom you ask. Giannis would say 'yes'. Nikola Mirotic? Probably not. Portis plays hard and attacks the basket and I like that.

Bob

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by **RosalieTCeltics** Tue Apr 25, 2023 12:30 pm

i believe the first one they will be looking to get rid of is Middleton, the problem is, injury prone and his big contract. This is the second year they have had to do without him for long stretches. But, let's not throw dirt on them yet Giannis will try his hardest to carry this team, but coming back from a 3-1 deficit is almost impossible

by **bobc33** Tue Apr 25, 2023 12:41 pm

Pat C. To the Celtics??? I’m hip, that would be awesome!

by **RosalieTCeltics** Tue Apr 25, 2023 12:49 pm

Oh, I am so surprised you would be so receptive BobC!!!!!

by **dboss** Tue Apr 25, 2023 1:09 pm

It seems that every year we see a top 4 seed go down or we see juries to key players that can have a dramatic impact on their team's prospects for winning.

I watched the Heat game last night. Jimmy Butler's performance was one of the best that I have every seen.

I would have preferred a Celtics/Heat 1st round matchup. As it turns out the Heat lost a 20 PPG scorer in Herro and BU Olidipo is also gone. They are making mince meat out of the Bucks but the Bucks are less than 100%. We would go in healthy while playing at a high level. Anyways some things are just not meant to be. It will be interesting to see if the Buck can make a series out of their mess by winning game 5 at home. I still expect the Heat to win the series. It is pretty close to a fait accompli.

The EC finalists are coming into focus. It will be the Celtics vs....drum role please...NYK.

After the Heat knock off the Bucks they will face the Knicks. The Knicks will have home court and I think they will beat the Heat. The team with the most tough guys will win the street fight. I expect to see the Knicks suffocate the Heat like some serial killer from one of the five burrows, named 'The Pillow'

The Lakers will be moving on to the 2nd round after securing one more win.

The darling Kings have a broken finger (Fox) and that may define their ability to take out GS . Learning GSW in 6 on this one. More experience and no fox gives them the edge.

The Nuggets should complete the gentlemen sweep vs the T'Wovles in the next game in Denver.

The Suns just need clean up all the clippings from their final game against LAC. Message to LAC, with both Leonard and George missing in action, it occurred to me that there is a definite pattern.
Both of them have identical player options available this summer for $48.767 million. You need to move one of them over the summer. The Rockets have money to spend and over 20 picks in the bank. Assuming of course that neither one opts out of their $48+ million payday.

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