Re: 2016 Playoff Thread

[Outside]

All season and all playoffs, LeBron's jumper has been so broken that he avoids shooting outside three feet. Last night, he rains threes and long twos through the net like cruise missiles.

This series, Kyrie is criticized unmercifully for going one-on-whatever and playing hero ball. Last night, the shots went in and he's a hero.

Last night, the Cavs had 15 assists, below their series average of 17. LeBron and Kyrie were doing the same thing that got them behind 1-3 in the series, but the shots went in (and in, and in, and in). Of course, it helped that the Warriors were cold in the second half and that their defense without Draymond Green was markedly worse.

So if in two more games, LeBron can make 16 out of 30, including 4-8 from three, and Kyrie can make 17 out of 24, including 5-7 from three, then the Cavs can win. My guess is that they just got the Cleveland fans' hopes up, only to suffer another disappointment.

[NYCelt]

I play basketball a couple of times a week and I play in a men's league.
Calls are missed all the time when we play.
Go watch any basketball game in person and see how hard it is to officiate.
Even watching games at LA Fitness, it would be so hard to officiate if I had to.
Magnify that by the size, strength and speed of NBA players, and it is easily the hardest officiating job out of any sport.

tj,

I would agree; tough sport to officiate.

Overall, I thought last night's game was well called.

Regards

[RosalieTCeltics]

Lets get one thing straight right now, I DO NOT WANT CLEVELAND TO WIN.

The removal of Draymond Green from the lineup last night was a gift all wrapped up for the Cavs. No way they would have been driving the middle the way they did last night. I said last night that Lebron and Kyrie had magnificent games. They certainly did not give the ball up to teammates at all. Love was horrible. DANNY, PLEASE DO NOT GO AFTER THIS GUY, HE IS NOT A LEADER.

Worcester, you have a right to your own opinion. I think you know by now what mine is.

What the hell was going on with Curry last night? For a team that shares the ball so well, why, why was Klay Thompson the focus in the second half. He was so hot in the fires and Curry was not. This was hero ball on his part I am afraid. I think he was reading his reviews before he played the game.

TJ, you may play basketball, but it is not for the Championship. Ref's missed so may calls last night it was sickening and they kept reviewing it to boot and still missed it. I will not say that is why GSW lost, they lost because the other team was better last night. Time will tell. Green is back in the lineup, the league has what they want, an extended playoffs. This will go seven games, but GSW will not lose at home again.

Rosalie

[steve3344]

Lets get one thing straight right now, I DO NOT WANT CLEVELAND TO WIN.  

The removal of Draymond Green from the lineup last night was a gift all wrapped up for the Cavs.  No way they would have been driving the middle the way they did last night.  I said last night that Lebron and Kyrie had magnificent games.  They certainly did not give the ball up to teammates at all. Love was horrible. DANNY, PLEASE DO NOT GO AFTER THIS GUY, HE IS NOT A LEADER.  

Worcester, you have a right to your own opinion.  I think you know by now what mine is.

What the hell was going on with Curry last night?  For a team that shares the ball so well, why, why was Klay Thompson the focus in the second half. He was so hot in the fires and Curry was not.  This was hero ball on his part I am afraid.  I think he was reading his reviews before he played the game.  

TJ, you may play basketball, but it is not for the Championship.  Ref's missed so may calls last night it was sickening and they kept reviewing it to boot and still missed it.  I will not say that is why GSW lost, they lost because the other team was better last night.  Time will tell.  Green is back in the lineup, the league has what they want, an extended playoffs.  This will go seven games, but GSW will not lose at home again.

Rosalie

Rosalie is on the record!! "This will go seven games, but GSW will not lose at home again." Good to know. Now I don't have to watch anymore. I only watch when I don't know the outcome. God knows I've got better things to do...

[cowens/oldschool]

so when Rondo goes up for a lay up and gets raked across the face at a key end of game play in a one point game.....the fix was in

we were the bullies, Lebron had never won anything yet, hes the biggest draw, KG curses alot....lets give it to the Heat, Pat Riley calls the office alot

[tjmakz]

I play basketball a couple of times a week and I play in a men's league.
Calls are missed all the time when we play.
Go watch any basketball game in person and see how hard it is to officiate.
Even watching games at LA Fitness, it would be so hard to officiate if I had to.
Magnify that by the size, strength and speed of NBA players, and it is easily the hardest officiating job out of any sport.

tj,

I would agree; tough sport to officiate.

Overall, I thought last night's game was well called.

Regards

I thought is was called almost as well as they could.
Do we want to watch games when they call fouls on every play like they could? I don't.
They did a great job with the many non calls.

Some watch the games just looking for issues with referees.

Cleveland won that game fair and square.
Why are the referees even an issue at all in last nights win by Cleveland?
Every time GS got close, LeBron or Irving symbolically punched them in the mouth.

[RosalieTCeltics]

Glad to oblige Steve!!

[tjmakz]

Will Draymond Green play less aggressive in game 6 to prevent another issue/suspension for a possible game 7?
I expect Cleveland will be aggressive toward Green in game 6.

[Outside]

I was bewildered by strikes to the head on multiple occasions not being called a flagrant, and Mark Jackson plus Joe Borgia at the replay center saying there's was no contact to the head was delusional. There was the usual collection of missed or bad calls, but overall, it cut both ways and the refereeing wasn't an issue.

As with any outside shooter, Curry and Thompson are both streaky and can have games where they're off or games where they're on fire, and that's the way it goes, but Curry has been Curry-like only in glimpses in the playoffs instead of more often than not as he was during the season. He's not using the injuries as an excuse, but it's clear to me that they're affecting him. Just because he has a good five minute stretch or even a good quarter once in a while doesn't mean that he's healthy and the injuries are no longer an issue. He's skipping the Olympics to let his knee heal, and while some may say that's a way to avoid the Zika virus, Klay and Draymond have both said they'd like to play, and I think Curry would too if the knee wasn't an issue. In the past couple of games, I've noticed Curry repeatedly checking his right elbow, which is the one he hurt in the OKC series diving into the stands.

He's healthy enough to play, but I do think he's beat up. It's not so much that I think it provides justification to the Curry backlash and the Curry haters who have come out of the woodwork, it's more that I'm disappointed that he hasn't shown on the biggest stage what he showed all season, and frankly what he showed in the second half of the finals last year. I'd love to see him have that type of game in game 6, just for the joy of it.

[RosalieTCeltics]

I was disappointed that he did not defer to Thompson in the second half when it was obvious he was struggling. Thompson hardly handled the ball in the second half. This was a big mistake as he was hot in first half.

It was odd listening to these reporters talking about the great game LB and Irving had, which they did I will not discount that, but the fact that Green was not on the floor was a determining factor, period. They would not have had such easy shots with him in there.

Those lack of calls were a joke. I still do not understand how the job of analyst went to Mark Jackson.. He hardly views things when it comes to the Golden State team with an open mind.

[worcester]

For the record, curling is the toughest sport to officiate. You freeze your balls off (of your feet).

[dbrown4]

Well, CLE may have saved themselves from their management gutting this team in the off-season had they lost last night.  

Before everyone starts hoping CLE has found their stride and are going to be the first Finals team to win it down 3-1, remember that warts don't go away.  Not in a 7 Game series.  GSW will show their mettle.  Yes, the Globetrotter style does look ugly when the Washington Generals actually start playing offense and defense to win, but the Generals always come up short, as will CLE.  Probably won't happen in CLE because, let's face it, CLE is a better team than last year.  Losing 4-2 at home proves nothing and shows no progress over last year's finals.  So, see you on Father's Day for Game 7.  CLE probably in a blowout Game 6.  All bets are off Sunday, though.

db

[tjmakz]

I was disappointed that he did not defer to Thompson in the second half when it was obvious he was struggling. Thompson hardly handled the ball in the second half. This was a big mistake as he was hot in first half.

It was odd listening to these reporters talking about the great game LB and Irving had, which they did I will not discount that, but the fact that Green was not on the floor was a determining factor, period.  They would not have had such easy shots with him in there.  

Those lack of calls were a joke.  I still do not understand how the job of analyst went to Mark Jackson.. He hardly views things when it comes to the Golden State team with an open mind.

Rosalie,

Mark Jackson was a broadcaster for ABC for 5 years before he was hired by GS.
He got his old job back after they fired him.
He is generally very neutral to his old employer, Golden State, despite them going out of their way to talk about why they fired him.
Maybe you have examples, but I can't think of one time last night when Jackson seemed to favor Cleveland.

[dbrown4]

Have CLE lost last night, it would be very easy to argue that the team had regressed by an even earlier exit in the finals than last year with Irving and Love added. Gilbert probably would have blown this team back to the Stone Age.

db

[tjmakz]

It looks like Bogut won't play again in the Finals.

David Aldridge: Hearing Andrew Bogut will not require surgery, but projected recovery time will take him out for rest of Finals. – via Twitter daldridgetnt

[bobheckler]

Have CLE lost last night, it would be very easy to argue that the team had regressed by an even earlier exit in the finals than last year with Irving and Love added.  Gilbert probably would have blown this team back to the Stone Age.  

db

dbrown,

And Danny would be there to pick up the pieces of stone and fashion them into arrowheads, in exchange for some really pretty beads.




bob


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[dbrown4]

Bobh,

We probably could have gotten LeBron and Irving plus CLE's 1st Round picks for 2017-2020 for RJ Hunter. I'm just sayin'!!

db

[bobheckler]

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https://www.facebook.com/Sportsmanias/videos/1253317391347304/


bob


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[dbrown4]

I hate to say this, but the GSW seem to have Kendrick Perkins disease. I hope the result is not the same, but things are looking eerily similar to our fate a few years ago.

db

[dbrown4]

Strength In Numbers better show up soon! It seems to have worked pretty well as long as it's not DG that's out.

db

[RosalieTCeltics]

It seems to me that Curry is hurt, I do not care what they admit to. My only problem with the game the other night was that after Thompson started out so hot, they stopped going to him in the second half much. Curry, I am sure was trying to find his shot, but when it was obvious this was not his night, I kept looking for him to defer to Thompson. Let's hope they get it all together with Green back on the court tomorrow night. He was the difference the other night, they really missed him and I think Curry missed him the most.

[dbrown4]

GSW should take care of business tonight as a champion. Bogut, no Bogut, it shouldn't matter. Strength in Numbers needs to show up tonight. And that's the end of the story.

db

[RosalieTCeltics]

I agree, who knows what can happen in a 7th game, beat them on their court. And I hope Green has a monster game!

Bleacher Reports had a story saying that the Cav's wanted Green suspended two games. What the hell, why not try for three???????

Rosalie

[steve3344]

GSW should take care of business tonight as a champion.  Bogut, no Bogut, it shouldn't matter.  Strength in Numbers needs to show up tonight.  And that's the end of the story.

db

Bogut has only averaged 12 minutes a game for the first five games so it shouldn't make much of a difference. Ezeli, Varejao and Speights can each pick up four more minutes to make up for it.

[bobheckler]

Well, this certainly has gotten out of hand early.




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