Up 23 heading into the 4th.....better not blow this lead at home.
Playoff switch flipped ON!!
Dagger!!!
My favorite Golden State team was that 2014-2015 squad. They might not have had Durant, but their teamwork and overall depth made them just about the most fun team to watch in a long long time.
They may be more talented now with Durant in the mix, but I think that 2014-15 team wanted that title more than the teams that came after them. Durant was certainly on a mission last year though!!
I agree. They became everything that’s wrong with the NBA when Durant joined them. If Curry isn’t hobbled in their second trip before Durant, they don’t lose to the Cavs.
Also, your favorite player, (Draymond) getting suspended for game 5, helped the Cavs immensely in that series.
Looking forward to game 3 tomorrow night!
Klay Thompson with the Back Breaker @ 9:28 left from El Paso, TX (35 feet). 8:46 left W's up by 12. Then Music City's favorite player with the KIND IRON for another 3.
4:00 left - up by 17 - Durant & Livingston both tweaked ankles - seem ok.
This one is pretty much over....then OHHHH
Quinn Cook with the DAGGER!! Up by 18 under 2 1/2 minutes left
The Spurs lack of firepower is just so apparent. Gay is useless, the whole team can’t shoot... it kinda proves that the Spurs are a good regular season team with good coaching, but come playoff time you gotta have players too.
Boy are they going to look different next year. No Manu, probably no Parker, and I am pretty sure Kawhi is gone too. And maybe Pop doesn’t want to keep going after the passing of his wife and knowing he has a complete rebuild on his hands.
Warriors turned it over 6 times already - still only down by 3.
Just stupid - C'mon guys - you need to sweep so you can get rest for the Pelicans
GS - SA playing an all time **** show. This is horrible basketball.
It’s maddening that Klay can decide on his own that he’s not on and systematically take himself out of the offense. Anyone that shoots like he does should never have 12 points. Ever. And he does this a lot.
That's why Curry is so important to this team.
They're a very good team without Curry - possibly could even win a Championship with the right set of circumstances - but with Curry they are without a doubt deadly Championship material.
Well....they just popped Champagne bottles in New Orleans - getting rest themselves while forcing the W's to play another game really sucks
Klay is maddening at times. He’s better than 12 in a close out game.
Welp....they tried to blow a 16 point lead at home but Durant was having none of it.
Onward to face the Pelicans which should be an amazing series, especially if Curry plays.
Ok so I waited for 2 games vs. the Pelicans to say something.
First - Warriors with more free throws than Pelicans. That doesn't usually happen.
Second - Draymond Green is playing insane right now. Defense vs. Unibrow, assists, boards & even popping the occasional 3!
Third - Durant even when he started cold, he made up for it in 4th. Big time!
Fourth - Am I missing anyone?? Oh yeah....this new guy they brought off the bench.
His first shot about a 25 footer....SWISH----OHHH!! Not enough?? Ok..... He dribbles up the right sideline, stops about 30 feet from basket & drains a 3!! This Steph Curry guy has a good shot to make the squad. Dude might turn out OK. Decent 6th man.
By the way....Klay was ice cold on Tuesday night. They still scored 121.
Pelicans played about as well as they can but the Warriors with Curry are invincible if they all stay healthy. Invincible!
Jrue Holiday shot 2-9 from 3pt range and Davis was 25/15. That won’t get it done against Golden State.
The Pelicans have no bench so if Davis isn’t going for 35+ and Holiday isn’t chipping in 25+ (while shooting a good percentage) they won’t beat those guys.
Golden State just has too damn much talent. Even when a guy like Klay has an off night they can still get away with it because you know that Curry and Durant can pick up the slack which they did.
Assuming they don’t get a rash of injuries there is no way any team will beat them 4 out of 7 games. It just won’t happen.
The four best teams equipped to beat them are Houston, Boston (when healthy), Philly, and believe it or not Milwaukee. You need to match talent with talent. Houston and Boston are the closest to them and if Philly and Milwaukee can add another player they have the pieces to match up.
The real wild card this offseason is what happens to LeBron and will the Spurs deal Kawhi. Boston getting back Kyrie and Hayward will help immensely but if a team like Philly lands LeBron or a team like Milwaukee adds Kawhi they will be right there.
Of course, plan B would be to sign Klay Thompson after this next season. He’d be the perfect fit for the Bucks.
Klay, LeBron & Kawai on Milwaukee with the Freak vs. the Warriors
WE WANT TO SEE IT!!!
Interesting comment on “the passage of time” the only thing that can derail the Warriors. Or Lebron and a lineup full of stars instead of kids...
Steve Kerr last night after the win
- My Pre-game speech will be You can either travel back to the central time zone & play another game or you can have a day off - either way the choice is entirely yours
Steve Kerr is excellent - he really is.
End of 3rd Q - W'$ with a 20 point lead. I don't think they'll blow it but stranger things have happened.
Rockets / W's in Western Conference finals. The 7 game series we've all been waiting for.
Can the Rockets' 2 future HOFers beat the Warriors 2 sure-fire HOFers and 2 other potential HOFers?
If the Golden State backcourt (Curry and Thompson) play even with Chris Paul and James Harden, I don't think the Rockets have a chance. It would basically come down to a matchup of Durant, Green, and Iguadala versus Capela, Ryan Anderson, Ariza, and Nene.
Are Capela or Mbah a Moute really going to bother Kevin Durant?
Basically, the Rockets starting backcourt has to massively outplay 2 of the best pure shooters of all time (not even counting Durant). I would think Paul and Harden would have to go for 70-80 points together for the Rockets to win games.
It's very difficult to beat the Warriors 4 out of 7.
If Rockets lose Game #1 - Barring injury to the W's big 4, They're in deep do-do.
I guess we'll find out how much the NBA wants the Rockets to win or not. Over the 7 game series, how many more foul shots will the Rockets have over the W's?
I have over/under at 55
Can't wait to see it! Going to be fun.
I don’t think the two teams are evenly matched enough to have the officiating be a factor. The Warriors beat a very hot team and they made it look easy.
The east is another story. Lebron James getting this crew to the ECF is simply impossible. But no one in the east can win a game in the Finals...
I don't think the Rockets receiving 55 (or more) foul shots will matter either. I believe the NBA will give the Rockets every chance to dethrone the Champs.
That Boston / Bucks series was a friggin joke. Nobody outside of New England gives a flying **** about Boston. I really wanted to see someone new coming out of the East. Now we get to watch LeBron crush Boston's dreams....yay. instead of seeing Bucks / Cavs & Freak / LeBron which would have been wildly entertaining.
W's / Cavs for a 4th straight year...woohoo. get excited. Maybe welll get lucky & see Boston / Rockets. HahhahhHah
Brainwashed Boris posted:That Boston / Bucks series was a friggin joke. Nobody outside of New England gives a flying **** about Boston. I really wanted to see someone new coming out of the East. Now we get to watch LeBron crush Boston's dreams....yay.
instead of seeing Bucks / Cavs & Freak / LeBron which would have been wildly entertaining.
The way the Bucks pissed away that series should stick in their craw all off season. I know it’ll matter for Giannis- he’ll grind it out and get stronger... better. But the other 4- Bledsoe, Middleton, Parker, and Maker- this should light an unextinguishable fire in their belly. Talent wise, that 5 should come out of the east- but they didn’t.
Gotta get the coach right. Then they need to add talent to the roster.
Game 1 goes to the W's.
Earlier I said the Rockets MUST win game 1 if they're going to win the series.
Barring injury to the W's....is there any way the Rockets can Win 4 of the next 6 games?
The Rockets came out and punched them right in the mouth and they didn’t even wobble... that sh*t was over by q2. And the Warriors played OK. If they start humming on all cylinders, they’re blowing out everyone.
Brainwashed Boris posted:Game 1 goes to the W's.
Earlier I said the Rockets MUST win game 1 if they're going to win the series.
Barring injury to the W's....is there any way the Rockets can Win 4 of the next 6 games?
They would need Kevin Durant to somehow have 4 bad games out of the next 6. Even then, Steph or Thompson could go off.
I like how one of the articles on the Warriors I read recently put it. Their THIRD best offensive option once scored 37 points in a quarter, 60 points in 29 minutes in another game, and 41 in an elimination game in 2016 (Game 6 against the Thunder which included 19 in the 4th quarter).
I don't think the Rockets can win by trying to guard Durant with PJ Tucker, Mbah a Moute, etc. one on one. Durant is unguardable one on one by almost anyone (maybe Kawhi Leonard?) so you have to double him. He scored 37 last night and was 14-27, so he's likely to shoot at least that well in other games with that sort of defense. The problem is that doubling him probably leaves Klay or Curry with open looks.
So, would you rather take your chances with expecting single coverage on Durant and having him shoot about 30% (which is one way you could win) or forcing him to pass out of a double team to have Curry or Thompson shoot uncontested jumpers?
I'm trying to picture what the NBA Finals will be like if the Warriors play the Celtics or the Cavs. I actually think the Celtics match up much better with them, but I wouldn't expect any game in the Finals to be closer than 15 points.
All evened up. Will Houston win 1 in Oakland & take back home court? Stay tuned....
No one showed up for the Warriors save Durant. He scores 38 and they still lose by 22!
You have to try to match talent with Golden State and that’s usually a losing proposition. However, if you can keep up and get physical with them and goon things up you have a chance. That’s what Cleveland did 2 years ago to snatch the title. Obviously having LeBron and Kyrie helps but this is why I have hope with the Bucks. They have some firepower and put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses but they need a little more grit and toughness. That’s where Marcus Smart or Serge Ibaka or someone of that ilk would make a difference.
Game 6 in about an hour.
Is the season over for the W'$???
Stay tuned......
Rockets score 61 in first half.
25 in the 2nd half. #1 offense in the NBA got destroyed in the 2nd half.
Also, want to point out, the Rockets (#1 NBA Offense) have been held under 100 points for FOUR straight games. #DefenseWinsChampionships
See ya in game 7!!
Brainwashed Boris posted:Rockets score 61 in first half.
25 in the 2nd half. #1 offense in the NBA got destroyed in the 2nd half.
Also, want to point out, the Rockets (#1 NBA Offense) have been held under 100 points for FOUR straight games. #DefenseWinsChampionships
See ya in game 7!!
The Rockets offense is obviously dependent on two players. It's surprising they scored 61 in the first half without Chris Paul. The reason they did is that Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza got hot. For the Rockets to win without Paul, Gordon, Ariza, or PJ Tucker have to go crazy.
Chris Paul not playing
I hope he’s on crutches dude needs to try to go
Warriors down 11 at half. Getting beat by a Paul-less Rockets team would be a much more disappointing season than getting beat by LeBron, Irving, and Love from the Cavs two years ago.
Rockets-Cavs has the potential to be the most boring Finals in years. Not necessarily the fact it is not likely to be competitive, but setting picks until you get the switch you want and then dribbling the ball for 15 seconds before shooting isn't exactly aesthetically pleasing ball. Neither is LeBron doing the same thing without the picks.
Game over!
Houston Brickettes?
I could fire up my charcoal grill with those things.
Time to dispose of LeBron.....again
Best game of the playoffs Finals game #1.
Really good game. I expect the Cavs to play rough & tumble Detroit Piston '88-'89 style in game #2. Should be more fun on Sunday.
Don't think Cleveland can play much better but we all know the W's can play better.