2024 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Porzingas's first game in 38 games.

White hits two 3s in a row to give Boston a 5 point lead. 15-20.

Porzingas is white hot! Celtics up 17!

Porzingas with his 3rd block! 11 points 3 rebounds and 3 blocks,in the 1st quarter for him.

20-17 Boston after 1.

Boston pulling away.

I can see the headlines after this series - "Boston Won the Dame Lillard Trade"

Porzingas, with a midrange jumper, puts Boston up 19. Porzingas then hits a long 2 to put Boston up 21. 48-27.

If you blink, you miss a Boston score. Boston up by 29.

Dallas is absolutely sloppy with the ball. Ball handling, shooting 3s or shooting FTs, they are stinking it up. Embarrassing to watch, right now.

63-42 Boston, at the half. Will this be a tale of two halves? We'll find out, soon enough.

Kyrie, dribbling the ball, bounces it off his foot. I had no idea he could imitate me!

Luka hits a 3. Lead down to 13. 72-59 Boston.

Boston lead down to 11, thanks to Kyrie. Doncic hits a 3. Mavs down 8, now!

Boston Lead back to 16, after some bad shots and travelling calls against the Mavs.

Jaylen Brown is playing tough defense, tonight.

86-66 Boston after 3.

Doncic has to be tired. He's carried his team all game long.

Doris Burke just said that Boston has more blocks than Dallas has assists.

107-89, Celtics take Game 1.

Just crown their ass and get it over with. Looks like it was quite the shit show game.

This is not a good matchup for Dallas at all. The Celtics are very good, but they'd be vulnerable to team with a good big guy. Giannis, Embiid, AD, LeBron, Jokic, and a few others would all be a challenge because they only have Horford to guard those types of guys and forcing him to play hard defense for 40 minutes would be pushing it.

On the other hand, the Celtics may have as good a set of on-ball defenders in the backcourt that we've seen in the NBA in a long time in Holiday and White. Jaylen Brown is very good as well. All Dallas really has is two iso scorers.

I think Dallas will sneak out a win, but that will require Luka and Kyrie to combine for something like 70 points. Gentleman's sweep - Celtics in 5.

You all are actually watching this??

Thanks to the NBA putting games on hold for a week I forgot it started last night until I was scrolling through scores on my phone.  It was halftime and the margin was 21.   Didn't watch one second of the game.   The series almost seems like an afterthought.

Dallas has some athletic bigs but they had no answer for Porzingis last night.  He was the best player on the court which isn’t a good sign for the Mavericks.  

@Boris posted:

You all are actually watching this??

Not me, just commented based on what was being posted in this thread.

If there is a ball or puck involved (not preseason) I’m tuning in.  I thought this would be close, still may be. Last tight, B looked rested and ready, D looked shaky and tired.

Game 2 - Celtics up 54-51 at the half. Jrue Holiday with 17 points on 7 for 9 from the floor.

The Celtics are 6 for 30 from three, Luka Doncic has 29-9-7 with three steals through 3 quarters.

But the Celtics are up 9 going to the 4th when Pritchard hits a 3 at the buzzer from the logo.

However, the real reason the Celtics are up is Jrue is 10 for 12 from the floor and is at 23-8-2. He may be a candidate to win Finals MVP if this keeps up.

And Boston wins the game 105 - 98, sounds like Holiday had a heck of a game.

Dallas cannot win this series with Kyrie Irving averaging like 15PPG.  Holiday has completely outplayed him through the first two games.

I’m so tired of ESPN’s coverage.  Doris Burke’s fellation of the Celtics brings Linda Lovelace to mind

@ilcuqui posted:

I’m so tired of ESPN’s coverage.  Doris Burke’s fellation of the Celtics brings Linda Lovelace to mind

ESPNs NBA coverage should be embarrassing to them its that bad. I am so-so on the NBA as it is but man there are terrible.

Celtics decided not to try in Game 4 and win the title on their home court. Down 41 in the 4th quarter.

And Boston loses like 122 - 84, who saw that coming.

@The Heckler posted:

ESPNs NBA coverage should be embarrassing to them its that bad. I am so-so on the NBA as it is but man there are terrible.

It's almost like everything else on ESPN for the last decade (and the rest of media). Everyone prioritizes people that will say moronic things and get people angry and tuned in. They have spent more time trying to make Stephen A. Smith a celebrity than actually cover the games.

Kendrick Perkins is similarly terrible.

When TNT loses basketball and Barkley, Kenny Smith, Johnson, and Shaq go away, there won't be a sports studio show worth watching. And most of the appeal of that show is Barkley, who is not afraid to say things other won't. Even if you disagree with Barkley, he at least tries to back up even his most controversial comments. Most of the others just say something stupid and then yell back and forth with the other people in the studio.

@DurangoDoug posted:

And Boston loses like 122 - 84, who saw that coming.

Boston will probably win by 20+ in Game 5, but if Dallas can pull that one off, the series gets interesting and the propensity of Tatum, Brown, and Holiday to get tight on offense and start missing shots comes into play for Games 6-7.

But I'll predict Game 5 might be over by halftime for a Celtics 20+ point victory.

More games = more TV money coming into the NBA's coffers. I'm pretty sure the NBA wants as many games as possible to sweeten their finances.

@DurangoDoug posted:

More games = more TV money coming into the NBA's coffers. I'm pretty sure the NBA wants as many games as possible to sweeten their finances.

Solid business plan there.

@Pikes Peak posted:

Solid business plan there.

Probably true, as well. Would it surprise anyone if they found out the NBA told Boston to tank in game 4?