NBA Finals

[MilliniumPrince]

I'm glad I asked, I thought you were saying Donyell was a good pro.

He did lead the league in 3pt% that season.

 

[the Q]

Raptors Offense is beyond ugly.

Why the hell did Nurse call a timeout when his best player was cooking and his team rolling?

Why didn't he call a timeout to set up the last possession?

By league rules it was a use it or lose it timeout.

Awful rule. Having use it or lose in timeouts in pro basketball is silly.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

By league rules it was a use it or lose it timeout.

Awful rule. Having use it or lose in timeouts in pro basketball is silly.

So lose it!

 

[bballgrda]

Curry and Thompson were great last night. Thompson is one of the smartest, most fundamentally sound players in the NBA. Cousins looks out of shape, but with all the cap space around the league this summer, he will get a max deal.

You think Cousins will get a max deal?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You think Cousins will get a max deal?

I thought that when I was watching the game, but he really is a fat . He looks more like a slow pitch softball player than an NBA player. He might not get max, but the numbers will be big.

 

[HooperScooper]

You think Cousins will get a max deal?

Yeah, I highly doubt it. He hasn't shown he's recovered from his injury yet. Plus he's a total head case. Which is O.K. when you're putting up 25 points and 13 rebounds. I'd be shocked if someone spends that kind of money on that risk.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Raptors Offense is beyond ugly.

Why the hell did Nurse call a timeout when his best player was cooking and his team rolling?

Why didn't he call a timeout to set up the last possession?

I think this is a bit hyperbolic. The Raptors are up 3-2 in the NBA finals with just one premier scorer and with just OK 3 point shooting. They are doing something right.

 

[Dogdeacon]

What do the Knicks do now?

It is absurd that Knicks truthers were liking their team's 'future' as well as anyone's in the east, despite a losing team, at best a few good role players on a playoff team and the unknown of draft picks + cap room. I guess given how confident the Knicks were in their 14% chance to get Zion extending this same confidence to their future (equally unlikely that they are a contender) makes sense. The Durant injury illustrates how flimsy their actual prospects (86% that they are bad) for next year & beyond actually are.

 

[Rocktheworld]

So lose it!

Apparently Lowry was calling out for a timeout

 

[Waquoit]

He did lead the league in 3pt% that season.

And he went 20-20 from the FT line in MSG just a couple of months before the Florida game.

 

[tzznandrew]

I bet Steve Kerr was just thinking to himself, how do I get these guys motivated to play hard in the NBA finals.

Yes. Because there aren't examples of players rallying around a place or an injury and giving extra effort in the face of adversity in sports.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Yes. Because there aren't examples of players rallying around a place or an injury and giving extra effort in the face of adversity in sports.

Right. The Golden State Warriors, in their 5th straight NBA title, are going to really turn it on now to defend Oracle Arena.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm sure I'll be wrong about this, but my first thought when the game ended last night was "Toronto just blew the series."

 

[Dogdeacon]

Right. The Golden State Warriors, in their 5th straight NBA title, are going to really turn it on now to defend Oracle Arena.

It is not about motivation to play harder or defend home court or be loyal to a building. These are human beings with emotions. The core group (Curry, Draymond, Klay) has played at Oracle for their entire careers and this is the last game ever in that building. That is absolutely going to provide an emotional lift. If you don't see that you might not understand sports and especially not basketball.

 

[superjohn]

I'm sure I'll be wrong about this, but my first thought when the game ended last night was "Toronto just blew the series."

Normally I would say yes but I just don't think the Warriors have enough firepower. They have holes all over the place and Steph and Klay are the only guys who can score. If they somehow pull this off...

 

[Hoophound]

I'm sure I'll be wrong about this, but my first thought when the game ended last night was "Toronto just blew the series."

I can’t help but feel the same. Now they have to try and go unbeaten at Golden State for the series, that is a tall order. If the Raptors don’t win game 6, then they’ve got to beat a very experienced playoff team full of stone cold killers back in Toronto in game 7. I kind of feel like Toronto losing last night almost assured us of a game 7. I don’t want to face Curry and Thompson in a game 7.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Normally I would say yes but I just don't think the Warriors have enough firepower. They have holes all over the place and Steph and Klay are the only guys who can score. If they somehow pull this off...

On paper I agree and I'll still be somewhat surprised if they do it. But I just think they're as mentally tough a team as we've seen in American sports. And if they can somehow win at home they are not going to rattle in a game 7 on the road.

 

[Walker11]

I'm sure I'll be wrong about this, but my first thought when the game ended last night was "Toronto just blew the series."

Toronto is my favorite team in the league and GSW is my least favorite so you can say I am a tad emotionally invested. I definitely have a pit in my stomach and felt the same last night. I am trying to feign confidence to trick myself.

I do think Toronto is definitely the better team without Looney and especially KD but strange things happen.

I think this is a bit hyperbolic. The Raptors are up 3-2 in the NBA finals with just one premier scorer and with just OK 3 point shooting. They are doing something right.

I agree with your sentiment, i.e., the other guy being wrong but the Raptors have been the best 3 point shooting team in the NBA since the Gasol trade

 

[Walker11]

It is not about motivation to play harder or defend home court or be loyal to a building. These are human beings with emotions. The core group (Curry, Draymond, Klay) has played at Oracle for their entire careers and this is the last game ever in that building. That is absolutely going to provide an emotional lift. If you don't see that you might not understand sports and especially not basketball.

Before the last 2 minutes, Game 4 was the last game in Oracle and we saw how that went. If anything was going to provide an emotional lift it would be the injury and the Toronto fan reaction IMO. Klay is a stoic dude and you can tell he was livid.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It is not about motivation to play harder or defend home court or be loyal to a building. These are human beings with emotions. The core group (Curry, Draymond, Klay) has played at Oracle for their entire careers and this is the last game ever in that building. That is absolutely going to provide an emotional lift. If you don't see that you might not understand sports and especially not basketball.

I actually think it's mostly sports talk radio BS and doesn't impact the game the way you think it does.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Before the last 2 minutes, Game 4 was the last game in Oracle and we saw how that went. If anything was going to provide an emotional lift it would be the injury and the Toronto fan reaction IMO. Klay is a stoic dude and you can tell he was livid.

They had KD coming back, they are the champs, they expected to be back and also expect to win the series. There is no way game 6 is anything but the last game ever at Oracle and that is a simple fact, very different than game 4. Can't believe I had to write that.

I don't think any of the so called motivational stuff, this included is determinant. Klay wants to beat the Raptors to inflict emotional pain on fans that jeered?! I know he was mad and motivated last night, but of course it is impossible to prove that this enable him to make either of those last two threes. Yes the Warriors want to win it for Durant, but equally impossible to say if that elevates their play or makes a difference vs the other reasons the Warriors want to win or compares favorably or unfavorably to reasons why the Raptors want to win.

I'm not listening or defending a sports radio talking point that the Warriors are going to win or are extra motivated b/c of Oracle. I did listen to various espn radio outlets this AM all making an incredible big deal about the Nick Nurse timeout - all agreed that it unequivocally was a bad move and cost them the game, which is of course impossible to prove, hindsight and thus perfect fodder for sports radio.

I just think the Oracle thing makes a small psychological difference and I'd bet the Warriors are focused, maybe sharper, maybe shoot a little better % in this game. I don't think its determinant, or means they'll try harder etc.. at most it is a 2-3pts in the spread type of factor.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I think this is a bit hyperbolic. The Raptors are up 3-2 in the NBA finals with just one premier scorer and with just OK 3 point shooting. They are doing something right.

You can trip your way to success, to a point. They don't hand out trophies for being up 3-2. This ain't Syracuse.

Their Offense is ugly and Nurse tends to wet the bed a bit in big moments. Nothing hyperbolic about it.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

And he went 20-20 from the FT line in MSG just a couple of months before the Florida game.

What was he shooting for the season?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You can trip your way to success, to a point. They don't hand out trophies for being up 3-2. This ain't Syracuse.

Their Offense is ugly and Nurse tends to wet the bed a bit in big moments. Nothing hyperbolic about it.

I like the offense, but will agree on Nurse. He has been in panic mode since the second round.

 

[Walker11]

You can trip your way to success, to a point. They don't hand out trophies for being up 3-2. This ain't Syracuse.

Their Offense is ugly and Nurse tends to wet the bed a bit in big moments. Nothing hyperbolic about it.

Their offense is so bad that they put up a 50 40 90 2 games ago. They couldn't hit an open 3 last night. When that happens, things tend to look ugly. Incorrect take by the cumulative eye test and the numbers.