NBA Finals: OKC v Indiana

[Waquoit]

This is 1000% the NBAs own fault. Hard to feel bad for them. No one can afford to actually watch games and get to know teams. Who is paying half their salary for 46 different streaming platforms?

Silly. I get all the Celtics and playoff games on YouTube TV.

 

[Waquoit]

So you're telling me, you would watch a Kansas City/Arizona World Series over a Yankees/Dodgers one?

The question is moot. That's baseball. I'll take Pacers/OKC over Knicks/Lakers all day long. Especially if it looks like the league is manipulating the competition. You guys remind me of the dudes that tell me what soccer needs to do improve the game every 4 years.

 

[husky429]

Silly. I get all the Celtics and playoff games on YouTube TV.

Yup. And If I wanted to watch the Thunder or Pacers this regular season I wouldn't have been able to. Making it impossible to watch great players or teams isn't a recipe for building your fanbase.

Kids love Ant, Ja, and SGA. They don't have the ability to watch their games unless it pops up on TNT

 

[gtcam]

If you like basketball you like the finals no matter who is playing.
If you can't tolerate teams other than the ones you cheer for than you don't care
I love seeing the series w/o Lebron, Steph, Doncic, Giannis etc.
Mix things up
Can't stand how the MLS grandstands Miami - too much of one thing is usually no good

 

[Matrim55]

I guess we shouldn't care because we have no stake in it but Adam Silver sure seems to care. Why is that since there's a new 10 year media rights deal?

It's literally his job to care. He gets paid millions of dollars to figure out the direction media is heading, and how to best position the org to take advantage of that. I'm sure he's got a 1-year timeline, a 5-year timeline, a 10-year timeline and a 20-year timeline.

 

[Deepster]

The question is moot. That's baseball. I'll take Pacers/OKC over Knicks/Lakers all day long. Especially if it looks like the league is manipulating the competition. You guys remind me of the dudes that tell me what soccer needs to do improve the game every 4 years.

What do you mean? I don't think this has anything to do with the discussion of watching OKC/Ind vs a larger market with bigger name franchises.

 

[aceboon]

Thunder looking like the Knicks/Cavs before them, only one day off in between games 3&4, let's see how they hold up in the 4th on Friday.

 

[HooperScooper]

It's literally his job to care. He gets paid millions of dollars to figure out the direction media is heading, and how to best position the org to take advantage of that. I'm sure he's got a 1-year timeline, a 5-year timeline, a 10-year timeline and a 20-year timeline.

Yes, of course, which is why the ratings matter. But if the commissioner cares about the health of the NBA then why is it "weird" that other people care about it also? You said, "The ratings couldn't possibly matter less." That was not a smart comment. You were wrong so just take the loss and move on.

 

[Matrim55]

Yes, of course, which is why the ratings matter. But if the commissioner cares about the health of the NBA then why is it "weird" that other people care about it also? You said, "The ratings couldn't possibly matter less." That was not a smart comment. You were wrong so just take the loss and move on.

The only thing thing weirder than caring about it 10 years from their next deal is arguing about whether or not it's weird to care online. Which we're both guilty of.

Anyway, that was an incredible game, and the playoffs as a whole have been unreal. Honestly don't think the NBA has ever been in a better spot.

Wonder how many people are watching?

 

[bendm]

Any team in a finals isn’t a crap team.

Big market finals teams are more fun than small market finals teams.

Besides the name in the front of the jersey the market has nothingggg to do with the teams actually playing

 

[Deepster]

Besides the name in the front of the jersey the market has nothingggg to do with the teams actually playing

The ratings say otherwise.

 

[aceboon]

good breakdown for those interested in the actual hoops and not playing the role of a fake ass advertising exec

 

[bendm]

The ratings say otherwise.

That’s my point, people are simple. If these exact rosters were in NYC and LA the ratings would be sky high.

 

[aceboon]

Elite hoops on display once again

 

[aceboon]

Pacers pretty much gave away the series with that 4th quarter meltdown. There was a 2-3 minute stretch in the 3rd quarter where the Pacers had a 10 pt lead and then a pair of missed Toppin FTs and multiple scoreless possessions blew a chance to really blow the game open. Came back to haunt them.

 

[3rdbass]

Wow this series is crazy. OKC only makes 3 3 pointers and still wins. Shows great fight and SGA stepped up when they needed him to win it for them. This is a great series and has a chance of going 7.

 

[huskyfan224]

Wow this series is crazy. OKC only makes 3 3 pointers and still wins. Shows great fight and SGA stepped up when they needed him to win it for them. This is a great series and has a chance of going 7.

Yea, try 4 steps and shove off before that

 

[REB1094]

Pacers pretty much gave away the series with that 4th quarter meltdown. There was a 2-3 minute stretch in the 3rd quarter where the Pacers had a 10 pt lead and then a pair of missed Toppin FTs and multiple scoreless possessions blew a chance to really blow the game open. Came back to haunt them.

It’s “only” 1 game but the difference between 3-1 and 2-2 is MASSIVE. If the Pacers lose the series, they just have to look back at this game as the beginning of the end. Huge missed opportunity

 

[Jaydumo20]

It’s “only” 1 game but the difference between 3-1 and 2-2 is MASSIVE. If the Pacers lose the series, they just have to look back at this game as the beginning of the end. Huge missed opportunity

Yep. It feels like something shifted last night. I see series like this as based largely on momentum. It seemed like indy had momentum for 1 3/4 game. And the series is tied. It's OKC's turn to get hot and Indy cant afford that.
But I've been wrong about almost every facet of these playoffs. Def one of the best in recent memory.

 

[husky8273]

Yep. It feels like something shifted last night. I see series like this as based largely on momentum. It seemed like indy had momentum for 1 3/4 game. And the series is tied. It's OKC's turn to get hot and Indy cant afford that.
But I've been wrong about almost every facet of these playoffs. Def one of the best in recent memory.

12-1 run in the last 3 minutes!!

 

[TroyHall98]

12-1 run in the last 3 minutes!!

In my view, 2 big things led to the momentum shift. 1. Indiana spent, it felt like, 10-15 seconds of the shot clock in their 4th quarter possessions trying to deal with pressure/ball denials before they could even set their offense up. It led to iso ball and no ball movement. 2. Holmgren energy in addition to Caruso energy. Those guys made big plays all game.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The calls I saw clips up were simply awful. The foul bating by SGA, coupled with ridiculous travels that aren’t called, just has to stop. The ratings probably have more to do with the NBA looking more like pro wrestling than an actual sport. Call traveling, get rid of the continuation, call the frequent offensive fouls on the offense. Chet runs over a stationary Nesmith and they call it on the defense. Come on. This was even worse.

 

[aceboon]

Kinda wild how similar the Nuggets/Thunder and Pacers/Thunder series have gone. Nuggets were also up 2-1 with a 4th quarter lead in game 4 and then folded down the stretch. At the time it felt like the Nuggets gave away the series with that game 4 loss, similar feeling last night.

 

[superjohn]

The calls I saw clips up were simply awful. The foul bating by SGA, coupled with ridiculous travels that aren’t called, just has to stop. The ratings probably have more to do with the NBA looking more like pro wrestling than an actual sport. Call traveling, get rid of the continuation, call the frequent offensive fouls on the offense. Chet runs over a stationary Nesmith and they call it on the defense. Come on. This was even worse.

Thunder are awful to watch, it's wild how the refs treat them. Dort and Caruso get away with constant clutching and grabbing while Gilgeous-Alexander constantly pushes off and foul baits.

I love the midrange game and love that it's being brought back by Gilgeous-Alexander but not like this. He isn't too athletic so he uses every trick in the book to create space and to foul bait. Shame on the refs/NBA for allowing it. Reminds me of how unwatchable Harden made things.

 

[aceboon]

Thunder are awful to watch, it's wild how the refs treat them. Dort and Caruso get away with constant clutching and grabbing while Gilgeous-Alexander constantly pushes off and foul baits.

I love the midrange game and love that it's being brought back by Gilgeous-Alexander but not like this. He isn't too athletic so he uses every trick in the book to create space and to foul bait. Shame on the refs/NBA for allowing it. Reminds me of how unwatchable Harden made things.

BIg sequence in the 4th