NBA 2011 Play Offs Thread

[giggsy11]

I aint go lie after my Sixers, I will have to adopt Chicago as my second team. I just love how they play, just love it! They also seem like a real set of likable fellas.

[giggsy11]

Anybody else does feel disappointed when Craig Sager shows up wearing a relatively normal looking outfit?





Oh yeah, After a good start by Miami, Chicago beginning to dominate the boards again

Nah Bitter that is a walking Pepto Bismo look. I think he does get real discount on the material that everybody refuses to buy.

[Bakes]

Anybody else does feel disappointed when Craig Sager shows up wearing a relatively normal looking outfit?





Oh yeah, After a good start by Miami, Chicago beginning to dominate the boards again

Lol... yeah Craig come out kinda tame dey.


All de "dominate" yuh say dey dominating and game still tight.  Difference?  3-point shooting.

[Bakes]

Do away with the anomalous stats and it's a different ball game.  And before anybody talk about Haslem, anybody who's watched this dude's career would know this is what he gives you... that mid-range 'J' is his game.  That and rebounding.

[futbolfan]

Haslem back series tie, back to South Beach.....

[futbolfan]

Do away with the anomalous stsats and it's a different ball game.  And before anybody talk about Haslem, anybody who's watched this dude's career would know this is what he gives you... that mid-range 'J' is his game.  That and rebounding.

Yeah...Haslem was a thorn in Dirk's side when Miami beat Dallas for the championship. High energy all game,
now if Bosh could play with half of his intensity.....

[giggsy11]

Alright I am done throwing in my 2cents, just going to watch and enjoy.Plus I think I jumbied the Bulls. 

[soccerman]

Yea I enjoy Haslem's game....imagine if he played all season.

[Bakes]

Yea I enjoy Haslem's game....imagine if he played all season.

Fuh Heat fans... the worry is that he's been out all season.  So is he really in form, or did he only ketch lightning in a bottle fuh dis game.  The concern has to be for Sunday's game, the downside is that he isn't fully fit, and may not be fully back to his true abilities.  The upside is that he getting what, 4 days to rest and recover?

I just like Haslem... he reminds me of another dude who played PF for the Heat, Brian Grant.  The dudes are straight up warriors on the court and true civic-minded gentlemen off the court.  I remember Haslem from his days at UF, and I was never a fan... largely because of his coach, Billy Donovan... I never liked dude, and never liked any of his teams... not Providence back in the day, not any of his ass't stints with Pitino.  So I used to "hate" (mildly) on Haslem and his teammates.  Mike Miller was his teammate at Florida... I still hating on him for that to this day, lol.  But Haslem is a good guy, grow up right there in Miami and decided to stay there instead of leaving for more money.

[Bakes]

My boys took it on the chin tonight... but good game from a neutral standpoint.   The huge talking point of course is the benching of Westbrook... is about time.  I like the kid, would definitely call myself a fan, but he has to learn the position.  Not really his fault, he was a shooting guard at UCLA and left after his sophomore season if memory serves correct.  He was never a PG.  Sometimes the toughest lessons are the best lessons.  Get the ball to Durant, you have to subjugate your own game when you have a supernova talent like that waiting on a pass.

What I say about James Harden??  Fear the beard.

[soccerman]

Yea I enjoy Haslem's game....imagine if he played all season.

Fuh Heat fans... the worry is that he's been out all season.  So is he really in form, or did he only ketch lightning in a bottle fuh dis game.  The concern has to be for Sunday's game, the downside is that he isn't fully fit, and may not be fully back to his true abilities.  The upside is that he getting what, 4 days to rest and recover?

I just like Haslem... he reminds me of another dude who played PF for the Heat, Brian Grant.  The dudes are straight up warriors on the court and true civic-minded gentlemen off the court.  I remember Haslem from his days at UF, and I was never a fan... largely because of his coach, Billy Donovan... I never liked dude, and never liked any of his teams... not Providence back in the day, not any of his ass't stints with Pitino.  So I used to "hate" (mildly) on Haslem and his teammates.  Mike Miller was his teammate at Florida... I still hating on him for that to this day, lol.  But Haslem is a good guy, grow up right there in Miami and decided to stay there instead of leaving for more money.

He he was offered a big pay day elsewhere and declined it to stay in Miami for about 5mil, so I hope things workout for him. Ah wonder if he won a title at UF?

[soccerman]

My boys took it on the chin tonight... but good game from a neutral standpoint.   The huge talking point of course is the benching of Westbrook... is about time.  I like the kid, would definitely call myself a fan, but he has to learn the position.  Not really his fault, he was a shooting guard at UCLA and left after his sophomore season if memory serves correct.  He was never a PG.  Sometimes the toughest lessons are the best lessons.  Get the ball to Durant, you have to subjugate your own game when you have a supernova talent like that waiting on a pass.

What I say about James Harden??  Fear the beard.

Harden was a stud last night, I didn't even know the dude had all that ball handling skills. Plus he proved that he can definitely create his own shot, as yuh say fear the beard....

[capodetutticapi]

this dallas okc series real exciting,2 ah the best scorers goin head to head.meh money on de texans.

[Bakes]

Harden was a stud last night, I didn't even know the dude had all that ball handling skills. Plus he proved that he can definitely create his own shot, as yuh say fear the beard....

I watching Harden ball since he was at Arizona St... dude is a legitimate scorer.  Can get any shot he wants virtually whenever he wants it.  The PAC-10 wasn't nutten to watch while he was there, only real players of note were him, Dermar Derozan and Mayo at USC, Chase Budinger at Arizona and the dude who runs point for the Sixers now, Holliday (Westbrook mighta still been there too, can't remember).  Sadly what most would have remembered Harden for was when he ran over and stepped on Budinger (on purpose) and get suspended.  Even so, OKC took him with what... the 3rd pick?  Can handle, defend and shoot... everything but post-up and rebound, and even then he not terrible.


As for Haslem, nah... Noah, Horford and Brewer (Dallas) won back to back titles in 2006/7 I think it was.  Haslem was done in the League with Miami (winning a ring in 2006) by that time.

[soccerman]

Harden was a stud last night, I didn't even know the dude had all that ball handling skills. Plus he proved that he can definitely create his own shot, as yuh say fear the beard....

I watching Harden ball since he was at Arizona St... dude is a legitimate scorer.  Can get any shot he wants virtually whenever he wants it.  The PAC-10 wasn't nutten to watch while he was there, only real players of note were him, Dermar Derozan and Mayo at USC, Chase Budinger at Arizona and the dude who runs point for the Sixers now, Holliday (Westbrook mighta still been there too, can't remember).  Sadly what most would have remembered Harden for was when he ran over and stepped on Budinger (on purpose) and get suspended.  Even so, OKC took him with what... the 3rd pick?  Can handle, defend and shoot... everything but post-up and rebound, and even then he not terrible.


As for Haslem, nah... Noah, Horford and Brewer (Dallas) won back to back titles in 2006/7 I think it was.  Haslem was done in the League with Miami (winning a ring in 2006) by that time.

Doc Rivers even came out and admitted that the Cetics wanted Harden for Perkins but OKC wouldn't give him up so they took Green instead. Plus they confessed the deal was a bad one.

[Bakes]

This game underscores the challenge faced by the Bulls... again they kept Wade and James in check and Bosh went off like he did in Game 1, scoreline is similar too, meaning defense ruled... and yet they lost.  Boozer even came out of witness protection to make an appearance with 26 pts.  He even played into the 4th quarter, lol.  Miami just have too much talent and athleticism for them.

[daryn]

anybody else notice Miami's crowd? It have times that you can hear a loud "Let's go Heat" chant yet none of the fans that you can actually see are particularly animated. People with good seats don't like to make noise in Miami? Are they piping in artificial fan noise?

[capodetutticapi]

mavs on fire tonite.dirk is ah scorin machine.

[sinned]

dirk was just amazing down the stretch. okc really missed harden when he fouled out.

[Bakes]

My head in books... miss it.

[futbolfan]

OKC are choking dogs. KD is a great player, but like Derek Rose, he not ready.
Westbrook has received alot of criticism and deservedly so, but ah tired ah hearing people use him as an excuse when they lose. The coach have to take some blame for this one, yuh cyah have a 15 point lead with 5mins to go at home and lose.
Hats off to Dallas 

[Arazi]

OKC are choking dogs. KD is a great player, but like Derek Rose, he not ready.
Westbrook has received alot of criticism and deservedly so, but ah tired ah hearing people use him as an excuse when they lose. The coach have to take some blame for this one, yuh cyah have a 15 point lead with 5mins to go at home and lose.
Hats off to Dallas 

I don't think you could label them chokers yet tho, they are a young team but I agree Brooks have to take blame for this. As do Durant and Westbrook.

I blame Brooks for not drawing up good plays for the team that would have killed the clock and stretched the floor. He could have put in Maynor or even Nate Robinson to make the Mavericks think about having to guard another shooter but instead he kept with the obvious offense.

I blame Durant for making bad decisions on shots, but as Mark Jackson pointed out, the officials were letting the Mavs get away with a lot more on Durant than the Thunder did on Nowitzski, especially when you look at the very soft call Dirk get to tie the game to send it to OT. But superstars hadda learn to overcome that.

and I still blame Westbrook, as a point guard, his decision making far too suspect. In the first when Thunder couldn't miss, it was Westbrook who started to ice his own offence by making poor shot decisions then poor transition passes. Durant started the game 6 of 6, then only got two more shots for the rest of the quarter! You have look at what your point guard is doing if that happens, is not coincidence that Dallas started to chip at the league during that stretch. He started to play better in the 3rd and they got a run then he reverted again. Plus before Dirk really got out of hand, Westbrook missed two free throws that would have stretched the lead and possibly killed the steam Dirk was trying to build late.

All in all it has Harden fouling out kill the Thunder, because after his playmaking went, their offense died.

I like this Thunder team I hope they don't become perennial chokers because of this.

[Bakes]

People overreacting by calling OKC chokers... just as they did when Dallas took a 2-0 lead against the Heat five years ago, only to lose four straight and cede the title.  I ent no expert, but playoff basketball is a different breed of monster and it's next to impossible for inexperienced teams to win.  Is not me, is history say so... and for good reasons.

[sinned]

but as Mark Jackson pointed out, the officials were letting the Mavs get away with a lot more on Durant than the Thunder did on Nowitzski, especially when you look at the very soft call Dirk get to tie the game to send it to OT. But superstars hadda learn to overcome that.

I agree the last call was 'soft' (Collison had his arm draped around his waist though) but look at the shots dirk hit down the stretch - easily could have been 'and-1s'. The one from the left side, he got whacked right on his elbow as he was shooting. no call. His shot fakes at the top of the key and then fade-away j. Got hit on that too.

[Arazi]

but as Mark Jackson pointed out, the officials were letting the Mavs get away with a lot more on Durant than the Thunder did on Nowitzski, especially when you look at the very soft call Dirk get to tie the game to send it to OT. But superstars hadda learn to overcome that.

I agree the last call was 'soft' (Collison had his arm draped around his waist though) but look at the shots dirk hit down the stretch - easily could have been 'and-1s'. The one from the left side, he got whacked right on his elbow as he was shooting. no call. His shot fakes at the top of the key and then fade-away j. Got hit on that too.

tha's what made even more baffling, the facts that the ref let sooo much go prior, no just on Dirk but on both ends just the call that crucial play..but my partialism to OKC aside..Dirk went nuts..some of those shots he hit were crazy, he deserve to win if you play like that..

[Arazi]

People overreacting by calling OKC chokers... just as they did when Dallas took a 2-0 lead against the Heat five years ago, only to lose four straight and cede the title.  I ent no expert, but playoff basketball is a different breed of monster and it's next to impossible for inexperienced teams to win.  Is not me, is history say so... and for good reasons.

I agree, tha's why I rel like this team. Is a youth team and they battling out against veterans who honestly they shouldn't have any chance against, AS YET. Rel man ask me why I backing this side out of all of them, but I just love how much resilience they had shown up till last night. In game 1 and game 3 they fought to the wire despite Dallas dominatiing for most of the game forcing Dallas to play to end. I fed up see bigger stars and bigger teams give up on games like that, so it refreshing to see a young side play like that.

[futbolfan]

People overreacting by calling OKC chokers... just as they did when Dallas took a 2-0 lead against the Heat five years ago, only to lose four straight and cede the title.  I ent no expert, but playoff basketball is a different breed of monster and it's next to impossible for inexperienced teams to win.  Is not me, is history say so... and for good reasons.

All de choke and gag talk aside, yuh miss ah classic game last night. Dirk and Kidd took over the game and it was compelling to see the fan reaction after the game.....

[futbolfan]

People overreacting by calling OKC chokers... just as they did when Dallas took a 2-0 lead against the Heat five years ago, only to lose four straight and cede the title.  I ent no expert, but playoff basketball is a different breed of monster and it's next to impossible for inexperienced teams to win.  Is not me, is history say so... and for good reasons.

I agree, tha's why I rel like this team. Is a youth team and they battling out against veterans who honestly they shouldn't have any chance against, AS YET. Rel man ask me why I backing this side out of all of them, but I just love how much resilience they had shown up till last night. In game 1 and game 3 they fought to the wire despite Dallas dominatiing for most of the game forcing Dallas to play to end. I fed up see bigger stars and bigger teams give up on games like that, so it refreshing to see a young side play like that.

OKC is a good young team and I respect them. But like all the great teams of yesteryear they have to pay dey dues. Nothing comes easy. Good luck to them in the future 

[weary1969]

I stop checkin d net when they were up 15 in d 4th. That is y bb is so excitin. Dirk all yuh go bring it bck 2 d west so Kidd can get his ring wit d team he strted wit.

[Bakes]

All de choke and gag talk aside, yuh miss ah classic game last night. Dirk and Kidd took over the game and it was compelling to see the fan reaction after the game.....

I know yuh wasn't being too serious... was more a general comment b/c facebook was lit up with pretty much the same sentiments.  It takes time for teams, especially teams without veterans, to learn to win in the playoffs... I've always heard it, but I've also seen it for myself.  It takes poise to run your sets and execute down the stretch, to tune out the crowd, especially on the road, to tell yuhself "no sweat, remember when we was down (      ) and we come back tuh win.  Well all of that requires that you draw on experience, the type of experience you only get thru trial and error.  Now, it's entirely possible that a team of neophytes could come and win it all in their first try... except it's never happened, in large part because experienced teams just have that edge and confidence. 

I like OKC ever since they was in Seattle... true talk, no bandwagon thing.  People like soccerman who know my college basketball loyalties would understand why I am a Jeff Green fan.  When they drafted Durant, and got Green and West in a trade I started to take notice.  They also had Chris Wilcox on that team Durant's first year (team's last in Seattle) and I remember thinking how unique it was that they had 4 players from the DMV (DC-MD-VA).  Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka means that they have a solid core of young players, and have Perkins, Mohammed and my man Collison for good balance.  I think Cook and Sefalosha is some oxygen thieves... but maybe they bringing something to the table that I ent really seeing yet.  OKC will be fine... but as I said two weeks ago

OKC is ah frigging waste... I like Westbrook but he needs discipline in order to grow and Scott Brooks just not providing that right now.  Poor coaching cost them that game... no other way to explain the lack of execution down the stretch.

Scott Brooks is not the coach to lead that team.