NBA Playoffs - 2022

Not to put the cart before the horse, but currently things around us are beginning to open up.  ATL stares the death knell in its face and says "No". Butler was clearly PISSED!!  He had 3-0 on his mind ALL GAME and almost had it except for not showing up on, surprise surprise, no D.  For those of you that watched the last 6 minutes last night of this game saw some RIDICULOUS, toe-to-toe, playoff bball.  Chris Middleton also injured himself and no telling exactly when he will come back.  

Something I really like is the way Ime is playing things early on.  For G1, it was, "OK, we're going to let your two two guys have the chance to go off and see if you can win.  Almost.  Close. But we ain't playin' hand grenades.
No go.  In G2, we're going to completely remove your top two guys from the equation and let the rest of the team beat us.  Another no go.  Worse than G1 outcome.  Plus, we're going to play far below our potential in both games and see how you do.  That's gotta hurt big time.  Hence me calling for the breakout game tonight of the now Fully Operational Death Star with RWIII "surprisingly" back in the line up.  Also, surprisingly the line went up by 1/2 point for BKN (-4.0) upon RWIII's return.  I'm with dboss.  Push all-in. BTW, RWIII is still "out" on ESPN Injuries.  ESPN website must take the weekends off.  

Usually Vegas ain't wrong.  That's how they stay in business and you and I go broke.  But tonight, they may be a bit off.  Bring RWIII off the bench.  They probably didn't check with our Godfather.  I know.  I need a better name.  I'm working on it!  Give me some time.  I can come up with just about anything!

db

Embiid has a right thumb injury. He says he will play through the pain. If the MRI shows that surgery is necessary he says he will wait until after the playoffs.

He's right handed. It's his right thumb. Philly now looks very vulnerable, and Milwaukee will be without Middleton.

Let's just stay healthy.


Bob


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Toronto won today, so their series is 3-1, Philly in the lead

Hawks got smacked around at home and now are down 3-1 heading back to Miami

Both Celts and Bucks are looking really good, just that the Celts are doing it against the "supposedly" best team. Close out the series guys and then lets have an epic Round 2.

To paraphase the inimitable Jackie Gleason, "How sweep it is."

Zach Levine is now in the Covid protocol for the 3rd time. He may not be available for game 5 on Wednesday.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33810108/chicago-bulls-zach-lavine-enters-health-safety-protocols-ahead-game-5-vs-milwaukee-bucks

Bucks vs. Celtics it is...  I'm not even expecting Buster Douglas to show up for CHI for G5. It's over.  When's ECSF/G1 for us?  

db

Here's a link that (hopefully) keeps updating as results present themselves.

https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2022/east-semifinal-2

There are links to many Celtics - Bucks matchup articles.  Enjoy!

The big game tonight has to be PHI vs. TOR. One more loss by PHI and the pressure would be so enormous in/on PHI for G7 that no team could withstand it.

Let's face it, Doc has been teetering with the 3-1 fold up for years. But a 3-0 tsunami would be the end of the Philly franchise. They have to win tonight in TOR. GOOD LUCK with that!!

I don't think I have ever anticipated a game like tonight for the possible ensuing train wreck than this one.

db

Memphis will be looking to join the elite 8 with a win tonight. So far the top teams have advanced. No upsets.

John Karalis
@John_Karalis
And let's check in with Danny Ainge...

https://twitter.com/i/status/1519897882509336577


Bob


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bobheckler wrote:John Karalis
@John_Karalis
And let's check in with Danny Ainge...

https://twitter.com/i/status/1519897882509336577


Bob


.

Too funny. Saw Danny at game last night. Jazz are just stuck in good mode but not good enough.

Danny has to get the best deal he can for Gobert, everyone in the league knows he is a good limited player, but also the kind of piece that can only get you so far. He needs longer high level 2 way wings on that roster, the 3 ball system they have is okay in regular season, doesn’t get them far enough every playoff.

Cow,

I know you have been lusting after Gobert for years.  You used to go on and on about how Danny should have contrived to get him in the draft.

IF you could trade RWill for Gobert straight up (can't happen because the difference in their salaries, $10.7M for RWill vs $38M for Gobert) would you do it?  If Gobert agreed to a paycut from $38M down to 10.7M (also, NOT going to happen) so he was the same price as The Time Lord, would you pull the trigger on that trade?


Bob

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When talking about the upcoming PHI vs. MIA series, Eric Spoestra said when asked the following in an ESPN article:

So what is it going to take to slow down the Sixers big man?

"One, I don't have that answer right now," Spoelstra said. "Two, I don't know if we'll get that answer. It's not like we're going to be able to stop a guy who is an MVP player.

Hmmmmm.  We did.  Some would argue we did it against the best player on the planet.  And to be honest, it wasn't that hard.  Or at least the Celtics made it look that way. Head of the snake.    

db

Embid out indefinitely.

Celts will take down the Heat after dispatching the Bucks.

Can you see how things are setting up for us?

Embiid out indefinitely!!!!

ESPN
8:57 PM ET1 Minute Read
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and mild concussion in Thursday night's Game 6 win over the Toronto Raptors and is out indefinitely, the team announced Friday night.


Embiid was hit in the face by an inadvertent Pascal Siakam elbow late in Philadelphia's series-clinching, blowout win.

He already had been playing through a torn ligament in his right thumb suffered earlier in the Toronto series.

Philadelphia is set to begin its second-round series with the Miami Heat on Monday.

The yoyo master should be fired.

There is no good reason to keep Embid in the game deep into the 4th QTR in a blowout game
He already was playing with a bad thumb and now he got a broke face.

Why doc, why?

bobheckler wrote:Cow,

I know you have been lusting after Gobert for years.  You used to go on and on about how Danny should have contrived to get him in the draft.

IF you could trade RWill for Gobert straight up (can't happen because the difference in their salaries, $10.7M for RWill vs $38M for Gobert) would you do it?  If Gobert agreed to a paycut from $38M down to 10.7M (also, NOT going to happen) so he was the same price as The Time Lord, would you pull the trigger on that trade?


Bob

.

Yes that was at a time we didn’t even have either J, it’s a new era now. I like Gobert, but unfortunately he’s the type of great defensive center in the paint with not good enough all around game to be impactful anymore in today’s game. Ofcourse I wouldn’t trade Timelord for Gobert now at this stage in their respective careers.

dboss wrote:The yoyo master should be fired.

There is no good reason to keep Embid in the game deep into the 4th QTR in a blowout game
He already was playing with a bad thumb and now he got a broke face.

Why doc, why?

I can’t believe Doc was asleep at the wheel and kept Embid in the game….most idiotic move of all time.

Gobert had one of his best years, a career high 14.7 rebounds a game, 2nd highest ppg of his career with 15.6. Poor guy, he is the only defense on that team. With Conley, Mitchell and Bogdanovic at the 1-3, that team has virtually no defense, except Gobert. How fortunate are we that Danny had his vision on what to put together and actually did it?

With Memphis closing out Minny last night we have 1-4 in both the East and West moving on. I am a little surprised that there were no upsets.