Boston was 5-6 at home in the playoffs. That’s atrocious. No way a championship caliber team can’t even split games on their home court and be considered a threat.
@Tschmack posted:Boston was 5-6 at home in the playoffs. That’s atrocious. No way a championship caliber team can’t even split games on their home court and be considered a threat.
If Tatum doesn't get hurt Game 7 is probably completely different, but the Heat took advantage of breaks throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs (Giannis getting hurt, Tatum and Brogdon getting hurt). Just like the Bucks took advantage of their breaks in 2021 (Harden and Irving getting hurt).
I think this is where Miami's success ends though. Giannis played like crap for him and he still averaged 32-15-8 in the two games he played at not 100% against the Heat. Adebayo is a good defender, but he's 6'9" and Jokic will wear him out in a series. Miami has nothing behind Adebayo for interior defense. The bigger thing is Jokic is a much better playmaker than anyone the Celtics have. Unlike Boston, Denver will be ready for the Miami zone and will pick it apart. The wild card is whether Jimmy Butler can be controlled. Jrue got emasculated in the Bucks series, but if Aaron Gordon can keep him under control it's the Nuggets in 4 for 5.
I thought Sir Charles summed it up well at half time, that the Celtics were playing stupid basketball with launching all those threes.
Denver blows out Miami in Game 1. The final score doesn't reflect that it was never closer than 9 points after the first quarter. Denver didn't even shoot well from three. Let's see how Spoelstra adjusts, but this could be over quick.
Miami might win a game but top to bottom Denver is just deeper and better. I also think Malone is pretty underrated as a head coach.
Miami v. DENVER -- Game 2
Miami is just shitting themselves right now. They played about as good an opening quarter as they can play and Denver weathered the storm and now up by 4.
Denver pretty much just said .. 🖕🏼 Miami
Miami has no answer - long way to go in game 2 but Denver is clearly the superior team and I fail to see how Miami could win this series unless major injuries happen.
Wow.....what a shit call on the clear path foul.
Adebayo with his back to the basket is a clear path now.....ok 😄
Spoelstra has shortened his bench. That got Miami back in it - let's see if the Heat have enough to win this game.
If the Heat lose this game, they are most likely done - they cannot play any better
Heat up by 8. If they lose this, they are done for the series.
1 minute left. Miami up by 3. Denver fouls Bam.
Setting up for a great finish
Miami hangs on for the win. Adabayo had a "block" (goaltend) not called. In the end it didn't matter.
They had to win. If they lost they're done. They cannot play any better than this.
Meanwhile they should be terrified. Because Denver had a bunch of turnovers 17 I think? Haven't checked the final stats.
Onward to Game 3. Should be interesting
Miami won Game 2 mainly because they went 17-35 from three. The only way Miami wins more games in this series is if they shoot that level from three again. I don't think there is any way they do it for another 3 games.
In the first two wins against the Bucks, the Heat were 15-25 and 16-33 from three. if they shoot their season average in those games, the Bucks are probably in the Finals right now.
Give the Heat credit for beating who they did to get to the Finals, but they beat the Bucks without Giannis out for 3 of the games with outlier 3-point shooting, a very weak Knicks team, and a Boston team with some of the worst team chemistry you'll ever see.
If they restarted the playoffs now, the Heat would probably still be at most the 4th most likely team to make it out of the East. They are one of the weakest Finals teams talent-wise we've seen in a while.
Anyone think the Heat can beat the Nuggets three straight??
Yeah.....I didn't think so......
What really sucks is we are all robbed of seeing probably what would've been the best basketball ever with Milwaukee vs. Denver.
I'm not certain Milwaukee would beat the Nuggets but we would've seen 7 excellent basketball games.
The story of the playoffs has been how well Miami has shot the 3. I mean, they were one of the worst teams in the NBA from long range this year.
We all remember Fred Van Vleet going nuclear against the Bucks but hell the whole damn Heat team has gone Fred Van Vleet this postseason.
And let’s be clear it’s not like Miami has gotten all uncontested looks. Some of their shots (made) were Globetrotters like.
The difference in this series is Denver is healthy and top to bottom they are just a better and deeper team. When Jamal Murray is 100% and focused that team is nearly impossible to beat, not unlike when Middleton was on fire a couple of years ago in the playoffs. Jokic (like Giannis) is an easy 30PPG guy, but if other guys step up the Nuggets are the team to beat.
Every series Miami has pretty much lived and died with their 3 point shooting.
Heat are 2-6 in their last 8. May have just run out of juice.
@H5 posted:Heat are 2-6 in their last 8. May have just run out of juice.
They might be one of the least talented teams to make the Finals in a long time. If you play stupid basketball, Spoelstra is good enough at making you pay, but the Heat only got out of the first round because Giannis got hurt and then choked at the FT line and a bunch of role players got hot from three.
So far, the Heat are benefitting A LOT from the way Game 5 is being officiated.
Another terrible call goes against the Nuggets. This appears to be one of those games where you are not allowed to play defense against Jimmy Butler.
Heat up 10 in the second quarter. I'm watching without being invested in either team, but the officials have dominated this game. Gordon has 3 fouls halfway through the second quarter. At least one was a terrible call. Jokic had two fouls in the first quarter. Murray has two fouls and both looked to be all ball. Heat are basically hacking at the other end with no calls going against them.
Until a minute ago the Heat were playing better too. Nugs picking it up now. Some weak calls for sure.
Denver with 10+ turnovers and the Heat playing very physical with no calls on them. All calls going the Heats way.....Heat up by 7 at the half.
They're up by 7 and should be up 20+
Let's see if Denver picks it up in the 2nd half.
Miami playing great. Porter finally nails a 3 for Denver.
Miami calls timeout....
Looking at the score....
60-60.
Miami is so outclassed in this matchup - it's simply a matter of time. Not "IF" but "WHEN"
Denver is 3 for 23 from three and only down 1 going to the 4th.
Jimmy Butler jumps for a three, kicks a Nuggets player in the family jewels right in front of the officials, and the officials call a foul on the Nuggets player. Good thing Malone still has his challenge left. They'll win this. If anything, that might be a flagrant one on Butler.
What the actual Fuk? How is that a foul on Aaron Gordon. Butler threw his foot into his groin and flopped?
The NBA better hope the Nuggets pull this out. To miss that call despite having a chance to review it is absolutely egregious.
Good thing Aaron Gordon has balls of steel
That call was simply awful. Especially after reviewing it.
The correct team won as much as the NBA tried to extend the series. Jeezus Christ that was beyond awful.
Yay! Kiss the wife Nikola!
Jokic daughter wearing that hat. Friggin priceless 🤩
🖕🏼🖕🏼NBA🖕🏼🖕🏼
I lost it on that call. It's one thing to miss it in real time, another to miss it on replay. But they did it!!!! Tough tough game to watch as a Nuggets fan. We haven't had to watch many defensive wins this season, usually it's the offense that carries them. But they f*cking did it!
I still can't believe it. I've been a Nuggets fan since I moved to Denver in 1994 and our highlights are beating the Sonics as an 8 seed in round 1, and two Western Conference Finals losses to the Lakers 10 years apart. That's it.
Congrats on the Nuggets win CUPackFan. The Bucks title two years ago included a couple of games that I was more exhausted after watching than after I go on a 6 mile run. Game 7 of the Nets-Bucks series that year was one of the most exhilarating and exhausting things I've experienced as a sports fan.
Denver was a great team that deserved a better opponent in the Finals. The Heat beat who was in front of them, but they were a fluke Finals team. Giannis missed 60% of the Round 1 series and Jayson Tatum getting dinged in Game 7 of the ECFs were big contributing reasons why they got here. Instead of a Giannis-Jokic or Jokic-Tatum matchup with good supporting casts, we got the Heat hacking and flopping to stay in games. It worked in the East, but not against the Nuggets, so give the Nuggets credit.
Game 5 was a terrible game to watch and a lot of that was how it was officiated. The officiating basically took Jokic, Murray, and Gordon out of the first half and robbed the game of any flow. It was a slog because that's the only way the Heat had a chance. I hope we get some more Finals games for Jokic and Giannis to get more true signature moments. Not reruns of Bam Adebayo flopping for fouls on Jokic or Jimmy Butler selling contact to get to the line.