NBA Playoffs 2023

[nelsonmuntz]

10 fouls called on your beloved Cs last night. TEN. Total. Not in a quarter, not in a 1/2. 10.

That’s 1/2 of what they called against the other team.

Yup, an absolute conspiracy.

They are definitely not my "beloved" C's. I was being sarcastic. The Celtics have been getting a friendly whistle in the NBA since the beginning of the Stern era.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Does anyone else want to jump on the "Refs are out to get the Boston Celtics" bandwagon?

10 fouls called on your beloved Cs last night. TEN. Total. Not in a quarter, not in a 1/2. 10.

That’s 1/2 of what they called against the other team.

Yup, an absolute conspiracy.

I didn't say the calls made were an issue. Just that Philly ran an endless stream of illegal screens for Harden, who then also pushed off. Guess what, they did and he did. With Embiid in the game, they probably don't do that.

Both teams got away with fouls on drives. That's just playoff basketball.

 

[tykurez]

Every time I think about that game last night I get annoyed and have to force myself to think about something else.

How are you going to let Game 1 get away with the likely MVP sitting out? How are you going to continue to play so poorly at home in the playoffs? They were gifted home court advantage when the Bucks went down but now it doesn’t matter. Where is the defense that made the C’s such strong contenders in recent years?

Methinks maybe now with these guys becoming “veterans” in the league they’re becoming too big for their britches. The Celtics were so successful in recent years because they moved the ball so well and played hard nosed defense. Seen so little of that in this year’s playoffs.

 

[Husky25]

I didn't say the calls made were an issue. Just that Philly ran an endless stream of illegal screens for Harden, who then also pushed off. Guess what, they did and he did. With Embiid in the game, they probably don't do that.

Both teams got away with fouls on drives. That's just playoff basketball.

Embiid flops like it's going out of style. It's only going to get worse.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

They are definitely not my "beloved" C's. I was being sarcastic. The Celtics have been getting a friendly whistle in the NBA since the beginning of the Stern era.

Fortunately their window closed last season.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Fortunately their window closed last season.

Nah. They can still win this thing. There aren't any great teams out there.

 

[gioff2323]

I didn't say the calls made were an issue. Just that Philly ran an endless stream of illegal screens for Harden, who then also pushed off. Guess what, they did and he did. With Embiid in the game, they probably don't do that.

Both teams got away with fouls on drives. That's just playoff basketball.

Thankfully the Cs set perfectly legal screens and do not create space with their body. Truly an admirable team all should celebrate. 10 whistles - no hacking in lane, no traveling in lane (actually whistled Philly for foul on that). Stop the whining - you got almost every call and still lost, at home.

Blame a lot of things, but make the refs excuse #5468

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Fortunately their window closed last season.

Someone has to win this year's NBA Championship. I checked.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Nah. They can still win this thing. There aren't any great teams out there.

I was being sarcastic. That was Nelson's take last season about a team whose two best players were, at the time, 24 and 25.

With that being said, they've looked bad thus far. And Mazzulla is not inspiring a ton of confidence. I'd be surprised if they make it out of the East.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I was being sarcastic. That was Nelson's take last season about a team whose two best players were, at the time, 24 and 25.

With that being said, they've looked bad thus far. And Mazzulla is not inspiring a ton of confidence. I'd be surprised if they make it out of the East.

If Embiid can’t return they really should make it back to the finals. They have about as easy a road they could’ve asked for.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If Embiid can’t return they really should make it back to the finals. They have about as easy a road they could’ve asked for.

And yet . . .

They made Atlanta look formidable and that should have been at worst a 5 game series.

 

[HuskyHawk]

And yet . . .

They made Atlanta look formidable and that should have been at worst a 5 game series.

The defense has been an issue, along with late game leads. Philly shot 17-38 from 3 (about 45%). Boston was at 58.7% overall FG% thanks to all those open dunks and layups in the first half. Derek White had a rough game, but everyone else was pretty phenomenal on offense. But they traded 2s for 3s and that was the difference. Can't have Harden going 7-14 from 3.

I expect them to bounce back and win the next one. Thought this was a 7 game series no matter what.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

And yet . . .

They made Atlanta look formidable and that should have been at worst a 5 game series.

Agreed, they’ve been underwhelming. Just at the outset if they were to choose a path it couldn’t have gotten much better.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I was being sarcastic. That was Nelson's take last season about a team whose two best players were, at the time, 24 and 25.

With that being said, they've looked bad thus far. And Mazzulla is not inspiring a ton of confidence. I'd be surprised if they make it out of the East.

The Celtics are the best team left by a mile given Embiid's and Butler's injuries, and the mediocrity (Nuggets) and old age (Suns, Lakers, Warriors) in the West. It would be a major failure by that team, its coaches, its organization, and its fans, if they do not win the NBA Championship.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

An absolutely inexcusable missed call where the ball hit the rim on a Miami possession that ended with a shot clock violation. I can live with missed foul calls because those are always subjective, but a simple missed call about a fact, like the ball hitting the rim on the shot, should never happen, especially in the playoffs. The ball clearly hit the rim and that is something the refs should be looking for.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Until Tatum plays like the MVP candidate the media talks about him being, the Celtics won’t win it all.

9 points in the 2nd half last game after going for 30 in the first. Unacceptable in a close game like that.

 

[REB1094]

I'm enjoying a lot of the subtle adjustments going on in the Warriors/Lakers game.

Lakers perimeter defenders are top blocking Curry/Klay so they can't get handoffs at the three point line. Trying to funnel players to the paint where AD is waiting. Warriors started cutting backdoor or rejecting off-ball screens for good looks since the defenders are playing over the top

Poole hit threes 3's by running to a handoff on the perimeter and pulling immediately since AD was sagged off into the paint. Lakers adjusted to that and are now playing a more traditional P&R defense, but now he's hot and just hit a 4 point play

Amazing first half but unfortunately I need to get some sleep to get to the office tomorrow morning

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is strangely accurate.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

This is strangely accurate.

Hate that saying. The other team won, they beat you. It’s so arrogant

 

[superjohn]

I'm enjoying a lot of the subtle adjustments going on in the Warriors/Lakers game.

Lakers perimeter defenders are top blocking Curry/Klay so they can't get handoffs at the three point line. Trying to funnel players to the paint where AD is waiting. Warriors started cutting backdoor or rejecting off-ball screens for good looks since the defenders are playing over the top

Poole hit threes 3's by running to a handoff on the perimeter and pulling immediately since AD was sagged off into the paint. Lakers adjusted to that and are now playing a more traditional P&R defense, but now he's hot and just hit a 4 point play

Amazing first half but unfortunately I need to get some sleep to get to the office tomorrow morning

Some really bad coaching by Kerr. He waited until midway through the 4th quarter before he had Curry handling the ball. Playing Draymond and Looney together you have 2 of your 5 players with no scoring ability, it enables the Lakers to throw doubles at Curry constantly. I also don't understand Kerr's continuing refusal to play Kuminga. JaMychal Green was also +5 in his 7 minutes...

It felt kind of like Kerr treated it like a throwaway game to figure some things out for the rest of the series. I swear I think he's done that before. Can't mess around with this Lakers team, their acquisitions have fit in seamlessly and completely made them a different team. With AD playing like this they're scary.

I knew Warriors would have no answer for Anthony Davis but good lord he ate them alive on offense and defense.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Chris Paul injury update: Suns star ruled out for Game 5 vs. Nuggets

Paul exited Game 2 in the third quarter after injuring his groin

www.cbssports.com

Paul out for potentially 3 games. This could be the nail in the coffin for Phoenix’s season. I always thought that Durant going to Phoenix was an odd move by KD. Paul is ancient, and these kind of “old man” injuries are inevitable with a player with that much mileage. Durant doesn’t have that many bites left at the apple himself, so why demand to join a team that is dependent on another player at the finish line of his career?

 

[REB1094]

Some really bad coaching by Kerr. He waited until midway through the 4th quarter before he had Curry handling the ball. Playing Draymond and Looney together you have 2 of your 5 players with no scoring ability, it enables the Lakers to throw doubles at Curry constantly. I also don't understand Kerr's continuing refusal to play Kuminga. JaMychal Green was also +5 in his 7 minutes...

It felt kind of like Kerr treated it like a throwaway game to figure some things out for the rest of the series. I swear I think he's done that before. Can't mess around with this Lakers team, their acquisitions have fit in seamlessly and completely made them a different team. With AD playing like this they're scary.

I knew Warriors would have no answer for Anthony Davis but good lord he ate them alive on offense and defense.

Went to bed at halftime, but my Warrior fan friend was also upset because Kuminga wasn’t playing, and also said that Kerr was probably using game 1 as a “feel it out” game. So you’re probably right on both fronts there

Not sure it’s a good idea to use games as throwaways against former champions that feature Lebron James and Anthony Davis lol

 

[JohnFSilver]

Yes but unwatchable is ridiculous and it’s so obvious to what people mean by that. Would you really rather watch a guy like Russell shoot 42% from the field as a center? Or bash ball like the 80’s and 90’s were played?

And skill level should account for a huge chunk of watchability. The ball movement, shooting, finishing and isolation play is miles ahead of the past.

Most people think of nba as isolation basketball of the 90s combined with bully balls much like vintage Duncan.

The last beat them up defensive series was the 2010 Lakers Celtics final. Since that, the NBA has been pace and space

 

[Huskyforlife]

Embiid had the worst flop of all time in this game.

 

[Ratso]

take him out of the game!

wait until friday