NBA Playoffs 2023

[Edward Sargent]

Philadelphia got "jobbed." This place is awesome.

Boston is so much better than Philadelphia but they have been absolutely terrible in key moments and we have a 2-2 series. Mazzulla has been . . . not great in end of game situations. Nothing like putting up the game winning three with 0.00 on th

Are you saying that’s Mazzula’s fault?

 

[mussels]

And Harden commits about a dozen offensive fouls every game and never gets called. Never seen anybody get away with the push offs he does.

The Tatum 3 at the end of OT ?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Are you saying that’s Mazzula’s fault?

Are you asking me if I think it’s Mazzulla’s fault that Philadelphia scored with 18 seconds left on the game clock, Mazzulla did not call a timeout, and Boston didn’t get a shot off before time ran out?

 

[navery12]

Jokic getting suspended for game 5?

 

[bballgrda]

Jokic getting suspended for game 5?

Would be an absolute joke

 

[superjohn]

Jokic getting suspended for game 5?

Nothing would surprise me from the NBA.

The league is an absolute joke when it comes to that stuff.

 

[superjohn]

Jokic averaged 42 points, 11 rebs, and 14 assists the last two games and they lost both of them. Crazy

 

[bballgrda]

Jokic averaged 42 points, 11 rebs, and 14 assists the last two games and they lost both of them. Crazy

And if they lose this series people will be questioning his playoff resume and 2 MVPs.

 

[Deleted at users request]

And if they lose this series people will be questioning his playoff resume and 2 MVPs.

As a TMac fan I feel no pity.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Tatum should have taken a mid range jumper or at least put something up in traffic and hoped for a foul. He made his move late enough in the clock to know better than to do what he did. I expected the buzzer to go off right as he passed the ball to Smart. He’s gotta want the shot.

Tatum made the right hoops play. That’s how they play. He went too late, which is smart’s and Mazulla’s fault.

I guess you want Tatum to not pass it to a capable wide open shooter? Smart nailed the shot the second time too. It was just late.

Hindsight is he shoots it because of time. But he doesn’t know the clock is that deep.

Jordan passed to Paxson, Kerr and Armstrong. Bird passed to Ainge and DJ. Shaq passed to Robert Horry.

You must make the right basketball play. Timing was off because the coach blew it.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I missed the entire game until the last 2 or 3 minutes of OT.

I used to like the Celtics but I really don't like this group. Smart and Grant Williams spend half the game on their backs for years now and always seem to get rewarded for it. Media has been hyping Tatum as the man for a while and he really never wants the moment. They certainly have the talent to win it all and probably should win it all but I don't like watching them. I don't like watching Philly either.

Tatum had a nightmare first half, finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and two blocks.

Not his fault Brown cheated off Harden, or that Mazulla left two timeouts on table.

 

[bballgrda]

Tatum made the right hoops play. That’s how they play. He went too late, which is smart’s and Mazulla’s fault.

I guess you want Tatum to not pass it to a capable wide open shooter? Smart nailed the shot the second time too. It was just late.

Hindsight is he shoots it because of time. But he doesn’t know the clock is that deep.

Jordan passed to Paxson, Kerr and Armstrong. Bird passed to Ainge and DJ. Shaq passed to Robert Horry.

You must make the right basketball play. Timing was off because the coach blew it.

The fact that he went too late makes it the wrong play…

 

[superjohn]

Tatum made the right hoops play. That’s how they play. He went too late, which is smart’s and Mazulla’s fault.

I guess you want Tatum to not pass it to a capable wide open shooter? Smart nailed the shot the second time too. It was just late.

Hindsight is he shoots it because of time. But he doesn’t know the clock is that deep.

Jordan passed to Paxson, Kerr and Armstrong. Bird passed to Ainge and DJ. Shaq passed to Robert Horry.

You must make the right basketball play. Timing was off because the coach blew it.

Wow, the right basketball play.

They didn't even get a shot off because of Tatum and it's certainly not the first time that's happened.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Are you asking me if I think it’s Mazzulla’s fault that Philadelphia scored with 18 seconds left on the game clock, Mazzulla did not call a timeout, and Boston didn’t get a shot off before time ran out?

In college, I don’t like calling a timeout in that situation because I think stopping play and setting up helps the defense more than the offense. I think it is close to 50/50 in the pros, so I still have no problem with teams like the Celtics that play it out in that situation.

 

[gioff2323]

Celts fans are funny. You complain about whistles even though, again, u got fewer. Then u complain about push off when Tatum literally throws maxey to floor to hit late 3. Do u watch the game or just whine about everything that doesn’t go your way?

 

[Travelman6]

Not so sure the Warriors advance after that beatdown in game 3 but can someone, anyone please just take down the Lakers, .

 

[Scoe]

Celts fans are funny. You complain about whistles even though, again, u got fewer. Then u complain about push off when Tatum literally throws maxey to floor to hit late 3. Do u watch the game or just whine about everything that doesn’t go your way?

It’s the whining culture Johnny Most and Tommy Heinsohn created.

 

[Waquoit]

Nothing like putting up the game winning three with 0.00 on the clock.

Kinda like the Creighton game, sorta.

 

[REB1094]

Are you asking me if I think it’s Mazzulla’s fault that Philadelphia scored with 18 seconds left on the game clock, Mazzulla did not call a timeout, and Boston didn’t get a shot off before time ran out?

Tatum made the right hoops play. That’s how they play. He went too late, which is smart’s and Mazulla’s fault.

I guess you want Tatum to not pass it to a capable wide open shooter? Smart nailed the shot the second time too. It was just late.

Hindsight is he shoots it because of time. But he doesn’t know the clock is that deep.

Jordan passed to Paxson, Kerr and Armstrong. Bird passed to Ainge and DJ. Shaq passed to Robert Horry.

You must make the right basketball play. Timing was off because the coach blew it.

I don't think it was an issue to not call the timeout. You have Tatum and Brown on the floor. Let's be honest the final play was going to be one of those 2 goes iso, whether they used the TO or not..

The first issue was that Tatum started his move 45 feet from the hoop with 5 seconds left, even though there was no ball pressure the entire way up the court and he got the ball with around 7. Tatum got Maxey on him on the switch. Even got past him and turned the corner. Everything went right, except that instead of hitting the open guy on the double (White) or taking the shot once he was in the lane (Embiid was still rotating over), he took that extra dribble, found himself 1v3 under the hoop, and whipped a 28 foot pass with 1 second left

I think that one is 90% on Tatum, and 10% on Smart for not getting Tatum the ball until 7s left

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Tatum 3 at the end of OT ?

Yes. Was a foul. But Philly wasn't "jobbed" based on that, since Harden does something similar a dozen times a game with no call. The refs were very favorable for Philly overall in that game.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Are you asking me if I think it’s Mazzulla’s fault that Philadelphia scored with 18 seconds left on the game clock, Mazzulla did not call a timeout, and Boston didn’t get a shot off before time ran out?

Biggest mistake was JB doubling Embiid and leaving Harden open. Mazzulla should have been crystal clear - no 3s in that situation. If Philly gets a 2, who cares? You get the ball in a tied game with a shot to win.

 

[Husky25]

I hate when a jump shooter like Tatum tries to win a game with anything but a jump shot.

He was shooting horrendously all game. Good on him to recognize it, if not but for being too late to recognize it. If he did at any point or if Mazzulla calls his number on a drive to the basket in the 2nd Quarter as opposed to coming out of halftime, Boston wins, going away.

I remember a bunch of sports pundits roasting Philly when they traded for Harden.

Those hot takes are not aging so well right now.

Harden was coming off two stinkers and the 6ers were desperate. It's 2-2 and Boston regained home court advantage after Game 3. The Celtics were way too lax in Game 4. They could have really put Philly on the ropes and they blew it.

Philly was up by 15 in the 3rd, had the crowd and momentum, and needed overtime to win. Dare I say Boston beat themselves in both losses. They are getting killed in the local media this morning.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Biggest mistake was JB doubling Embiid and leaving Harden open. Mazzulla should have been crystal clear - no 3s in that situation. If Philly gets a 2, who cares? You get the ball in a tied game with a shot to win.

1000%

 

[superjohn]

It shouldn't need to be said but good on Ishbia for saying it...

Mat Ishbia on Twitter: "Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!" / Twitter

 

[JohnFSilver]

I don't think it was an issue to not call the timeout. You have Tatum and Brown on the floor. Let's be honest the final play was going to be one of those 2 goes iso, whether they used the TO or not..

The first issue was that Tatum started his move 45 feet from the hoop with 5 seconds left, even though there was no ball pressure the entire way up the court and he got the ball with around 7. Tatum got Maxey on him on the switch. Even got past him and turned the corner. Everything went right, except that instead of hitting the open guy on the double (White) or taking the shot once he was in the lane (Embiid was still rotating over), he took that extra dribble, found himself 1v3 under the hoop, and whipped a 28 foot pass with 1 second left

I think that one is 90% on Tatum, and 10% on Smart for not getting Tatum the ball until 7s left

100% on Mazulla for not calling a timeout and actually coaching. They intentionally ran clock down in a game they were losing. We can blame players, sure, but that is actually coaches job to call timeout and set up late game scenario. Even Brian scalibrine, who is friends with Mazulla, killed him on the radio.

Essentially, you have to extend the game, always, when you are down.

 

[superjohn]

100% on Mazulla for not calling a timeout and actually coaching. They intentionally ran clock down in a game they were losing. We can blame players, sure, but that is actually coaches job to call timeout and set up late game scenario. Even Brian scalibrine, who is friends with Mazulla, killed him on the radio.

Essentially, you have to extend the game, always, when you are down.

Some coaches trust their players to play it out and don't like calling a timeout where the other team can take out their defensive liabilities and scheme to get a stop. The question is why was the strategy to wait until the very end to get a shot off when you are down? Listening to Tatum's postgame that was clearly what they wanted, but just a second faster.

They're a great team but when it's a close game at the end this sort of thing seems to happen a lot to them and then it's Tatum saying he needs to be better after the game. Maybe they'll do what UConn did and blow everyone out from here on out so their close game struggles won't matter.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don’t think Ishbia deserved the Mark Stevens penalty, but $100k and a multi game suspension would have been a reasonable consequence for an owner getting into a physical interaction with an opposing player. Instead, Jokic gets fined.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Some coaches trust their players to play it out and don't like calling a timeout where the other team can take out their defensive liabilities and scheme to get a stop. The question is why was the strategy to wait until the very end to get a shot off when you are down? Listening to Tatum's postgame that was clearly what they wanted, but just a second faster.

They're a great team but when it's a close game at the end this sort of thing seems to happen a lot to them and then it's Tatum saying he needs to be better after the game. Maybe they'll do what UConn did and blow everyone out from here on out so their close game struggles won't matter.

Mazulla was wrong. I am big proponent of not calling A timeout if you are tied. But, considering they had two timeouts, you have to play the clock. They needed to advance the ball, efficiently take a good shot quickly And prepare to either foul or play defense.

It was malpractice.

 

[Hoophound]

Tatum made the right hoops play. That’s how they play. He went too late, which is smart’s and Mazulla’s fault.

I guess you want Tatum to not pass it to a capable wide open shooter? Smart nailed the shot the second time too. It was just late.

Hindsight is he shoots it because of time. But he doesn’t know the clock is that deep.

Jordan passed to Paxson, Kerr and Armstrong. Bird passed to Ainge and DJ. Shaq passed to Robert Horry.

You must make the right basketball play. Timing was off because the coach blew it.

It was a horrible play. He made the pass with almost no time left. On top of that, they only needed two points to win and one to tie. He should have shot it. He's a great player and he didn't blow it on purpose, but it clearly was not the right play. You don't make the right play and not get a shot off in time.

 

[Rocktheworld]