Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 5

Memphis Grizzlies 103 San Antonio Spurs 116

Kawhi Leonard may have been given the mantle of superstar for the San Antonio Spurs after the retirement of Tim Duncan and is destined to be their go-to star for years to come, but in this case it was "grampa" who lit the spark that set the Spurs in motion. Manu Ginobili, who may very well be playing his final profesional games of his long and storied career, scored 10 points, dished out three assists, and made three steals in 18 minutes of play. While those stats don't necessarily jump out in light of play from other teammates like Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, he threw himself on the court with abandon rarely seen since his earliest NBA playing days. Ginobili's inspired play rubbed off on the rest of the team, as they would shoot 53% from the floor. They would need that, though, as the Grizzlies also played at a feverish pace, shooting 52% from the floor.

Nevertheless, the Spurs would gradually pull away to earn the victory. Kawhi Leonard finished with 28 points amd six assists. Patty Mills scored 20 points on 7 for 10 shooting from the floor including five 3-pointers. Tony Parker scored 16 points and dished out six assists while LaMarcus Aldridge added 12 points and nine rebounds and David Lee added 11 points and eight rebounds. Mike Conley Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points, six assists and four steals while Marc Gasol added 17 points. The Spurs now look to close out this series in Memphis.

San Antonio leads series 3-2.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 5

Utah Jazz 96 Los Angeles Clippers 92

In what turned out to be a grinding, physical, and sometimes testy game, the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz would battle down to thw wire. Gordon Hayward, still feeling the effects of food poisoning he suffered prior to game 4, still managed to have a solid game, scoring 27 points, grabbing eight rebounds. and dishing out four assists. More importantly, he got help from his supporting cast, who took advantage of the absence of Blake Griffin by dominating inside the paint. grabbing 43 rebounds compared to the Clippers' 34 rebounds.

Utah would lead by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers would rally back to tie the game, thanks to Chris Paul, who scored 28 points and dished out nine assists. They managed to keep it close in the fourtth quarter by shooting 12 for 15 from the free throw line. But the Jazz would keep the Clippers at bay by shooting five 3-pointers, including three from Rodney Hood, who finished with 16 points. They also got some huge shots down the stretch from Joe Johnson, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. But Chris Paul hit a huge 3-point shot to pull the Clippers within two with five seconds remaining in the game. But after a couple of Jazz free throws, Paul was unable to handle the inbounds pass, thus allowing time to expire without a shot and securing the victory for Utah. George Hill scored 12 points for the Jazz while Rudy Gobert added 11 points and 11 rebounds. J.J. Redick scored 26 points for the Clippers while DeAndre Jordan scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. The Jazz now look to close out this series in front of their home fans.

Utah leads series 3-2.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 5

Atlanta Hawks 99 Washington Wizards 103

The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks have each won their games in this series at home, yet it has been physical and testy at times, with each team getting in foul trouble and one team accusing another player of being a crybaby. Nevertheless, the Wizards were returning home where they won 30 games this season, second best in the Eastern Conference. But the Hawks would not make winning this game easy.

Once again the game was physical, with the Hawks' Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard and the Wizards' Markieff Morris each getting into foul trouble. But the Wizards would jump out to an 11 point lead in the third quarter only for the Hawks to close back in to tie the game thanks to Tim Hardaway Jr. who scored eight of his 15 points in the game during that 11-0 run.

But in the end it was the backcourt of Bradley Beal and John Wall that would lead the Wizards to victory. Beal finished with 27 points and five rebounds while John Wall scored 20 points, dished out 14 assists, and grabbed six rebounds. Otto Porter Jr. scored 17 points while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. Dennis Schroder scored a game high 29 points for the Hawks while also dishing out 11 assists while Paul Millsap finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Even though they got within two points of the Wizards with 70 seconds remaining in the game, they were unable to stop John Wall and Marcin Gortat off the boards. Washington now can close out this series with a win in Atlanta.

Washington leads series 3-2.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 5

Chicago Bulls 97 Boston Celtics 108

The Boston Celtics were able to even up the series by jumping out to explosive starts in both games 3 and 4, and they were hoping to do the same upon their return home. But the Chicago Bulls had other plans, jumpimg out to an early eight point lead in the first quarter while the Celtics struggled from the floor, shooting just 18% in the first quarter. Nevertheless, they managed to get back into the game, even taking a two point lead at the end of the first quarter.

This game would go back and forth, with a nuge number of ties and lead changes. The Celtics would struggle to make shots but made up for that with trips to the free throw line, offensive rebounds, and points off Bulls' turnovers, some of them unforced. The Celtics would put this game away midway throuigh the fourth quarter, as they went on a 13-0 run to seal the victory. Isaiah Thomas overcame a poor shooting night to finish with 24 points. Even though he shot only 6 for 17 from the floor, he made up for that by shooting a perfect 11 for 11 from the free throw line. Avery Bradley matched Isaiah Thomas' point total while Al Horford scored 21 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. Kelly Olynyk scored 14 points off the bench for the Celtics. Dwyane Wade led the Bulls with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists yet Jimmy Butler struggled in this game, scoring just 14 points of 6 for 15 shooting from the floor. Robin Lopez also scored 14 points while Isaiah Canaan added 13 points.

Boston leads series 3-2.

Dasein said:

I live in Boston, which is still heavily segregated and can be racist as fuck.

NYC is no different.

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

J.A. Adande had a great article on that very subject in 2007.

A lot of it has to do with the city of Boston, which has a long checkered past when it comes to race. Bill Russell dealt with it (when the Celtics fielded an all-black starting five, the wonderful folks in Boston said the team was "too black"), and then you had the busing issue in the 1970s, which got very ugly. Many black folks perceive Boston as a city hostile to them. Back in the day, all the brothas & sistas I knew who lived there rooted for the Lakers. The Celtics were looked at as a "white man's team". They hated Bird, the Celtics and the Red Sox (the last MLB team to integrate).

Thing was, Larry Bird wanted no part of the "great white hope" crap the media and fans tried to put on him. It made him uncomfortable talking about it (the Magic & Larry special goes into this). All he wanted to do was whip your ass on the court. Dude always gave black ballplayers their due. I hated him because he was a Celtic and always killed my Knicks, but he had my respect as a baller and as a man.

[Edited 4/26/17 15:54pm]

BELIEVE ME . . . as a lifelong Lakers fan and C's hater, I know. As Adande points out, Bill Russell's comments on Boston did a lot to harden opinions about the Celtics. It's always been telling to me that, for all of the barriers the Celtics broke in drafting the first black player, fielding the first black team, and hiring a black player-coach (and 2 other title-winning coaches after that), the Celtics fanbase often seemed to outsiders to celebrate like Havilcek and Bird were the only players that mattered.

You're exactly right about Bird. His friendship with Magic says it all. They never seemed to internalize the large debate around them, they just wanted to beat each other.

namepeace said:

uPtoWnNY said:

A lot of it has to do with the city of Boston, which has a long checkered past when it comes to race. Bill Russell dealt with it (when the Celtics fielded an all-black starting five, the wonderful folks in Boston said the team was "too black"), and then you had the busing issue in the 1970s, which got very ugly. Many black folks perceive Boston as a city hostile to them. Back in the day, all the brothas & sistas I knew who lived there rooted for the Lakers. The Celtics were looked at as a "white man's team". They hated Bird, the Celtics and the Red Sox (the last MLB team to integrate).

Thing was, Larry Bird wanted no part of the "great white hope" crap the media and fans tried to put on him. It made him uncomfortable talking about it (the Magic & Larry special goes into this). All he wanted to do was whip your ass on the court. Dude always gave black ballplayers their due. I hated him because he was a Celtic and always killed my Knicks, but he had my respect as a baller and as a man.

[Edited 4/26/17 15:54pm]

BELIEVE ME . . . as a lifelong Lakers fan and C's hater, I know. As Adande points out, Bill Russell's comments on Boston did a lot to harden opinions about the Celtics. It's always been telling to me that, for all of the barriers the Celtics broke in drafting the first black player, fielding the first black team, and hiring a black player-coach (and 2 other title-winning coaches after that), the Celtics fanbase often seemed to outsiders to celebrate like Havilcek and Bird were the only players that mattered.

You're exactly right about Bird. His friendship with Magic says it all. They never seemed to internalize the large debate around them, they just wanted to beat each other.

from Bleachreport:

Bird later remembered playing pick-up basketball as a teenager against the black employees of a hotel in French Lick. He was looking for competition, and they were the best players around. They accepted him without question, Bird said, and he generally thought that if you could play, race shouldn’t factor.

phunkdaddy said:

TD3 said:

This is what happens when your coach is the point-guard. The Bulls should be grateful that Rondo wants to comeback. Coach Fred Hoiberg is a fucking joke, he need to go. But Johny Pax's and the Bull owner would rather have a yes man coach on the payroll.

Chicago had a good coach in Tom Thibodeau but when Chicago had injury issues all of a sudden

he couldn't coach. Some of yall Bulls fans wanted change. Well you got change Fred Hoiberg. He makes Nate McMillan look like a genius.

Yet thats not how it went down.... why Coach Thibodeau was fired.

Coach Thibodeau was fired because he didn't get along with the Bull's front office; The beat reporters in Chicago claimed Thibodeau wasn't congenial to his superiors. Yep, good office politics... The relationship between the front office and head coaches and assistance coaches has always been fucked up, isn't new.

Notwithstanding...

I heard this over and over again Coach Thibodeau was a great or damn good coach. I'll agree with that, but last time I checked good coaches win championships, does Thibs have any rings? More importantly for all of Thibs defensive greatness, his offensive schemes became predictable, he couldn't think on his feet, he never mastered the clock, how to pace the Bulls players through a 82 game season. Rice body as we now know couldn't take the riggers of a 82 NBA game seasons. Noah and later Deng suffer injuries in part because Tom never rested his players. Don't get me started on how Doug McDermott was under used and rode the beach in his rookie season. Dumb as hell. Yeah, I was glad to see the guy go. Unfortunately, the reasons why the Bulls front office kicked Tom Thibodequ to the curb was for petty jealous reasons.

I'd be shocked if Rondo will be asked back.... he wasn't congenial enough. You see why Chicago teams win every other century.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Toronto Raptors 96 Milwaukee Bucks 92

The Toronto Raptors were determined to close out this series tonight after struggling in a few of their matches against the Milwaukee Bucks. They came thundering out of the gate, led by DeMar DeRozan, who would score 32 in this game. and itr appeared this game would end up being a laughfer, as the Raptors jumped out to a 25 point lead with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But then, depending on how you see it, eithert the Bucks made a comeback for the ages, or Toronto had a monumental collpase. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the comeback for Milwaukee, as they both hit critical shots down the stretch to cut the Raptors' lead. They also went to the free throw line numerous times but shot only 8 for 17 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, which would come back to haunt them in the end. The Bucks defense held Toronto to just six points in the first ten minutes of the fourth quarter, and they capped off their amazing comeback with a 3-pointer from Jason Terry that gave the Bucks a two point lead with 3:05 remaining in the game.

But the Raptors found that last bit of gas and went on a 9-0 run that would regain the lead and seal the victory and the series. It was sparked by Cory Joseph, who scored five points during that run The Bucks would cut the lead to one with 3 seconds remaining, but DeMar DeRozan put the game on ice with a free throw on the other end. He finished with 32 points. Kyle Lowry scored 13 points while Serge Ibaka scored seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Toronto. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Khris Middleton added 19 points and Matthew Dellavedova added 12 points for Milwaukee. The Raptors now move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

Toronto wins series 4-2.

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Toronto Raptors 96 Milwaukee Bucks 92

The Toronto Raptors were determined to close out this series tonight after struggling in a few of their matches against the Milwaukee Bucks. They came thundering out of the gate, led by DeMar DeRozan, who would score 32 in this game. and itr appeared this game would end up being a laughfer, as the Raptors jumped out to a 25 point lead with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But then, depending on how you see it, eithert the Bucks made a comeback for the ages, or Toronto had a monumental collpase. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the comeback for Milwaukee, as they both hit critical shots down the stretch to cut the Raptors' lead. They also went to the free throw line numerous times but shot only 8 for 17 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, which would come back to haunt them in the end. The Bucks defense held Toronto to just six points in the first ten minutes of the fourth quarter, and they capped off their amazing comeback with a 3-pointer from Jason Terry that gave the Bucks a two point lead with 3:05 remaining in the game.

But the Raptors found that last bit of gas and went on a 9-0 run that would regain the lead and seal the victory and the series. It was sparked by Cory Joseph, who scored five points during that run The Bucks would cut the lead to one with 3 seconds remaining, but DeMar DeRozan put the game on ice with a free throw on the other end. He finished with 32 points. Kyle Lowry scored 13 points while Serge Ibaka scored seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Toronto. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Khris Middleton added 19 points and Matthew Dellavedova added 12 points for Milwaukee. The Raptors now move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

Toronto wins series 4-2.

Meh. Cavs over Raptors in 6.

Way to go Raps! Bring on LeBron!

Empress said:

Way to go Raps! Bring on LeBron!

Ibaka will have to have a monster series, and punish the Cavs inside.

uPtoWnNY said:

Empress said:

Way to go Raps! Bring on LeBron!

Ibaka will have to have a monster series, and punish the Cavs inside.

The entire Raptors team will have to bring their A game. It certainly would be nice if they beat the Cavs. I know they can, but will they??

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

San Antonio Spurs 103 Memphis Grizzlies 96

The San Antonio Spurs were looking to close out this series and didn't want to face another bruising battle in game 7 against Memphis, but Memphis would not roll over and die in this game. It was a tight game throughout, with 16 ties and nine lead changes. Buth the fourth quarter would be pivotal, as the Grizzlies went up 88-81 on three free throws from Mike Conley Jr. with 6:29 left. Then Kawhi Leonard took control, scoring eight straight points for San Antonio, starting a 22-8 run to finish the game and win the series. Leonard finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Tony Parker scored 27 points while LaMarcus Aldridge added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Conley Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points while Marc Gasol added 18 points, Zach Randolph added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Vince Carter added 12 points. The Spurs now go on to face the Houston Rockets in the conference semifinals.

San Antonio wins series 4-2.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Washington Wizards 115 Atlanta Hawks 99

The Washington Wizards were hoping to close out the series against the Atlanta Hawks tonight, and they wasted no time in trying to set the tone. They jumped out to a double digit lead in the first quarter and went on a 19-4 run to take a 65-46 lead at halftime. They also forced a bunch of turnovers during this run, and turnovers would plague the Hawks the entire game, and they gave away the ball 22 times. The Wizards would lead by 22 early in the third quarter.

Buit reminiscient of last night's game between the Raptors and Bucks, Atlanta would make a furious comeback. They were sparked by Dennis Schroder, who scored 26 points in the game while also dishing out 10 assists. The Hawks came back to within three points of the Wizards in the fourth quarter when Schroder stole the ball and took off for what looked like an uncontested layup. But John Wall swooped in from behind and batted the ball off the backboard, and he than drove to the other end and hit a shot while stumbling to end the Hawks' rally. He then took control and put the Hawks away for good. John Wall finished with 42 points, 8 assists, and four steals. Bradley Beal scored 31 points while Markieff Morris added 17 points and eight rebounds. Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 31 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 13 points. But it was Washington that made plans to move on to the next round.

Washington wins series 4-2.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Boston Celtics 105 Chicago Bulls 83

The Boston Celtics were rattled at the start of this playoff series by the tragic death of Isaiah Thomas' sister the day before game one, and it had a psychological effect that the Bulls managed to take advantage of, as they won the first two games of the series. But in the following three games the Celtics began to look like the team that finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

They were looking to close out this series with momentum, and they wasted no time doing so. The Celtics led from the very beginning and pulled away in the second quarter, leading by 13 at the half and by as much as 30 before cruising to an easy victory to close out this series. Avery Bradley led Boston with 23 points while the rest of the starters finsihed in double didgits in limited minutes. Gerald Green scored 16 points while Isaiah Thomas, Al Horford, and Jae Crowder each added 12 points. Jimmy Butler tweaked some injuries in the game but still led the Bulls with 23 points, yet the rest of the team struggled. Robin Lopez was the only other player who finished in double digits, scoring 10 points. Dwyane Wade had a miserable night, shooting just 1 for 10 from the floor before reaggravating his injured elbow and suffering an ankle injury. The Celtics now go on to face the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference semifinals while the Bulls ponder what their future may hold.

Boston wins series 4-2.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 6

Los Angeles Clippers 98 Utah Jazz 93

The Utah Jazz had a golden opportunity to close out this series in front of their home fans while a loss by the Los Angeles Clippers would most certainly mean the end of the Lob City roster as we now know it. But the Clippers refused to go down without a fight, and they came out determined to set the pace. They kept serve with the Jazz in the first half, but they gradually began to pull away in the third quarter led by Chris Paul, who scored 29 points and dished out eight assists in this game. The Clippers would lead by 14 points with just under four minutes remaining in the game.

But Utah would stage a huge comeback. They cut the Clippers' lead to 10 points with a minute and a half remaining in the game, and then Gordon Heyward would score seven of his 31 points in this game in the final minute, cutting the lead to just three points. Joe Johnson attempted a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game, but it hit off the rim and was rebounded by the Clippers to seal the victory and force a decisive game seven. DeAndre Jordan scored 13 poiints and grabbed 18 rebounds while Luc Mbah a Moute and Austin Rivers matched Jordan's point total and Jamal Crawford scored 12 points off the bench. George Hill scored 22 points for the Jazz while Rudy Gobert added 15 points and nine rebounds.

Series tied at 3-3.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 7

Utah Jazz 104 Los Angeles Clippers 91

If the Los Angeles Clippers were finally going to defeat the upstart Utah Jazz, they absolutely needed to come out on fire in front of their home crowd, or else the current roster of stars could be broken up this offseason.

Unfortunately, the Clippers came out flat and listless. After trading the lead in the first quarter, Utah would pull away in the second, and they were never seriously threatened after that. The Jazz would go on a 23-9 run in the third quarter to lead by 21 points. Though J.J. Redick would hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Jazz's lead to single digits, the Clippers couldn't stop Gordon Heyward, who scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. They also could stop George Hill, who scored 17 points, and they were only able to stop Derrick Favors, who matched Hill's point total, by getting him to foul out early in the fourtth quarter. DeAndre Jordan led the Clippers with 24 points and 17 rebounds but shot only 6 for 15 from the free throw line, which was devastating to them in the fourth quarter when they desperately needed points. Jamal Crawford scored 20 points, but Chris Paul struggled in this game, scoring onl;y 13 points though he dished out nine assists. In what may have been his final NBA game of his career, Paul Pierce scored six points in 22 minutes of play. The Jazz won their first playoff series since 2010 and now face the Golden State Warriors in the western Conference semifinals. The Clippers, on the other hand, face an eventful offseason which may change the direction of the franchise for years to come.

Utah wins series 4-3.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Washington Wizards 111 Boston Celtics 123

Isaiah Thomas returned from the funeral of his late sister who was buried yesterday only to face more adversity in the beginning of this game. The Washington Wizards jumped out to a 16-0 lead to start the game, and on top of that he had one of his front teeth knocked out after a collision with another player.

But the Celtics would rally back and take control in the second quarter. The bench would spark the comeback, as Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, and Terry Rozier erased the Wizards' lead, and from there Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford took over, hitting some huge shots from the 3-point line to put the Celtics up for good. Washington would rally in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the scrappy Celtics squad. Thomas had a game-high 33 points while Jae Crowder scored 24 points and Al Horford fell just short of a triple double, scoring 21 points, dishing out 10 assists, and grabbing nine rebounds. Avery Bradley added 18 points while Kelly Olynyk added 12 points off the bench. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 27 points while John Wall scored 20 points and dished out 16 assists. Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter Jr. each added 16 points while they grabbed 13 and 11 rebounds respectively.

Boston leads series 1-0.

TD3 said:

phunkdaddy said:

Chicago had a good coach in Tom Thibodeau but when Chicago had injury issues all of a sudden

he couldn't coach. Some of yall Bulls fans wanted change. Well you got change Fred Hoiberg. He makes Nate McMillan look like a genius.

Yet thats not how it went down.... why Coach Thibodeau was fired.

Coach Thibodeau was fired because he didn't get along with the Bull's front office; The beat reporters in Chicago claimed Thibodeau wasn't congenial to his superiors. Yep, good office politics... The relationship between the front office and head coaches and assistance coaches has always been fucked up, isn't new.

Notwithstanding...

I heard this over and over again Coach Thibodeau was a great or damn good coach. I'll agree with that, but last time I checked good coaches win championships, does Thibs have any rings? More importantly for all of Thibs defensive greatness, his offensive schemes became predictable, he couldn't think on his feet, he never mastered the clock, how to pace the Bulls players through a 82 game season. Rice body as we now know couldn't take the riggers of a 82 NBA game seasons. Noah and later Deng suffer injuries in part because Tom never rested his players. Don't get me started on how Doug McDermott was under used and rode the beach in his rookie season. Dumb as hell. Yeah, I was glad to see the guy go. Unfortunately, the reasons why the Bulls front office kicked Tom Thibodequ to the curb was for petty jealous reasons.

I'd be shocked if Rondo will be asked back.... he wasn't congenial enough. You see why Chicago teams win every other century.

There are good coaches and NBA players whom never won a title. Thibs has only coached 5

or 6 years in the NBA. It took Larry Brown 3 damn decades before he won an NBA title. His status as a great NBA coach would not have been lessened by not winning an NBA title. You look at a Phil Jackson and he inherited great talent at Chicago and L.A. Look at Phil now his pedigree as a good coach isn't helping win shit as a GM with the Knicks.

TD3 said:

phunkdaddy said:

Chicago had a good coach in Tom Thibodeau but when Chicago had injury issues all of a sudden

he couldn't coach. Some of yall Bulls fans wanted change. Well you got change Fred Hoiberg. He makes Nate McMillan look like a genius.

Yet thats not how it went down.... why Coach Thibodeau was fired.

Coach Thibodeau was fired because he didn't get along with the Bull's front office; The beat reporters in Chicago claimed Thibodeau wasn't congenial to his superiors. Yep, good office politics... The relationship between the front office and head coaches and assistance coaches has always been fucked up, isn't new.

Notwithstanding...

I heard this over and over again Coach Thibodeau was a great or damn good coach. I'll agree with that, but last time I checked good coaches win championships, does Thibs have any rings? More importantly for all of Thibs defensive greatness, his offensive schemes became predictable, he couldn't think on his feet, he never mastered the clock, how to pace the Bulls players through a 82 game season. Rice body as we now know couldn't take the riggers of a 82 NBA game seasons. Noah and later Deng suffer injuries in part because Tom never rested his players. Don't get me started on how Doug McDermott was under used and rode the beach in his rookie season. Dumb as hell. Yeah, I was glad to see the guy go. Unfortunately, the reasons why the Bulls front office kicked Tom Thibodequ to the curb was for petty jealous reasons.

I'd be shocked if Rondo will be asked back.... he wasn't congenial enough. You see why Chicago teams win every other century.

The Bulls' FO rep is almost the stuff of legend now, but you noted Thibs' weakness -- he ran his players into the ground. That was one of the sticking points with the FO, IIRC.

Rose suffered his catastrophic injury when he was left in a blowout playoff game with just a few minutes remaining. That's on Thibs.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Toronto Raptors 105 Cleveland Cavaliers 116

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into this conference semifinal series not having played in eight days, and while the days off were good for resting their aching bodies, it brought up the possibility of them being rusty for the start of this series. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors had come off a bruising series against the Milwaukee Bucks and were hoping to stop their streak of losing the opening game of a playoff series.

As it turned out, the Cavs didn't feel any rust at all. They jumped out to an 18 point by the second quarter, and while the Raptors did make a furious push to get witihin two points towards the end of the first half, the Cavs would regroup and reassert themselves, expanding their lead and eventually cruising to victory. Lebron James led all scorers with 35 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 24 points while also dishing out 10 assists. Kevin Love added 18 points and nine rebounds while Tristan Thompson added 11 points and 14 rebounds. Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Raptors while DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Serge Ibaka added 15 points, P.J. Tucker added 13 points, and Nate Powell added 12 points.

Cleveland leads series 1-0.

The Rockets put an epic beat-down on the Spurs.

RodeoSchro said:

The Rockets put an epic beat-down on the Spurs.

What's San Antonio's problem this year?

Are they just too damn old? Parker, Ginobili, Lee, and Gasol are finished. Toss in a bum of a pick up
in Aldridge and you have the 2016-2017 Spurs, eh?

728huey said:

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 7

Utah Jazz 104 Los Angeles Clippers 91

If the Los Angeles Clippers were finally going to defeat the upstart Utah Jazz, they absolutely needed to come out on fire in front of their home crowd, or else the current roster of stars could be broken up this offseason.

Unfortunately, the Clippers came out flat and listless. After trading the lead in the first quarter, Utah would pull away in the second, and they were never seriously threatened after that. The Jazz would go on a 23-9 run in the third quarter to lead by 21 points. Though J.J. Redick would hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Jazz's lead to single digits, the Clippers couldn't stop Gordon Heyward, who scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. They also could stop George Hill, who scored 17 points, and they were only able to stop Derrick Favors, who matched Hill's point total, by getting him to foul out early in the fourtth quarter. DeAndre Jordan led the Clippers with 24 points and 17 rebounds but shot only 6 for 15 from the free throw line, which was devastating to them in the fourth quarter when they desperately needed points. Jamal Crawford scored 20 points, but Chris Paul struggled in this game, scoring onl;y 13 points though he dished out nine assists. In what may have been his final NBA game of his career, Paul Pierce scored six points in 22 minutes of play. The Jazz won their first playoff series since 2010 and now face the Golden State Warriors in the western Conference semifinals. The Clippers, on the other hand, face an eventful offseason which may change the direction of the franchise for years to come.

Utah wins series 4-3.

Blow this team the fuck up already.

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Washington Wizards 111 Boston Celtics 123

Isaiah Thomas returned from the funeral of his late sister who was buried yesterday only to face more adversity in the beginning of this game. The Washington Wizards jumped out to a 16-0 lead to start the game, and on top of that he had one of his front teeth knocked out after a collision with another player.

But the Celtics would rally back and take control in the second quarter. The bench would spark the comeback, as Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, and Terry Rozier erased the Wizards' lead, and from there Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford took over, hitting some huge shots from the 3-point line to put the Celtics up for good. Washington would rally in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the scrappy Celtics squad. Thomas had a game-high 33 points while Jae Crowder scored 24 points and Al Horford fell just short of a triple double, scoring 21 points, dishing out 10 assists, and grabbing nine rebounds. Avery Bradley added 18 points while Kelly Olynyk added 12 points off the bench. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 27 points while John Wall scored 20 points and dished out 16 assists. Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter Jr. each added 16 points while they grabbed 13 and 11 rebounds respectively.

Boston leads series 1-0.

I see no reason why Cleveland ought to fear either of these teams.

Where's Calbert Chaney and Juwan Howard when you need 'em?

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Toronto Raptors 105 Cleveland Cavaliers 116

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into this conference semifinal series not having played in eight days, and while the days off were good for resting their aching bodies, it brought up the possibility of them being rusty for the start of this series. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors had come off a bruising series against the Milwaukee Bucks and were hoping to stop their streak of losing the opening game of a playoff series.

As it turned out, the Cavs didn't feel any rust at all. They jumped out to an 18 point by the second quarter, and while the Raptors did make a furious push to get witihin two points towards the end of the first half, the Cavs would regroup and reassert themselves, expanding their lead and eventually cruising to victory. Lebron James led all scorers with 35 points while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving scored 24 points while also dishing out 10 assists. Kevin Love added 18 points and nine rebounds while Tristan Thompson added 11 points and 14 rebounds. Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Raptors while DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Serge Ibaka added 15 points, P.J. Tucker added 13 points, and Nate Powell added 12 points.

Cleveland leads series 1-0.

I see Cleveland dropping only one game in this series if they can play like they did last night. But
the Raptors, who don't strike me as being offensively efficient, putting up 105 points is kinda alarm-
ing.

Dasein said:

RodeoSchro said:

The Rockets put an epic beat-down on the Spurs.

What's San Antonio's problem this year?

Are they just too damn old? Parker, Ginobili, Lee, and Gasol are finished. Toss in a bum of a pick up
in Aldridge and you have the 2016-2017 Spurs, eh?

You answered your own question....they don't have enough on offense (another lights-out scorer). Leonard can't do it all.

Folks can hate on LeBron all they want - he's not as great as Jordan, but the man is an NBA immortal. You can give him the MVP every year. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough to beat Golden State this year.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Houston Rockets 126 San Antonio Spurs 99

The San Antonio Spurs have won five NBA titles under the tenure of Gregg Popovich, and they have consistently ranked among the top teams in the NBA's Western Conference. BUt in recent seasons they have found themselves getting stopped in the second round, usually to some up-and-coming athletic squads. This time around they face the Houston Rockets who at times can score at will.

And in this game the Rockets exploded at the start. They became a 3-point launching machine, scoring 22 times from beyond the arc. They led by 30 points at the half and as much as 39 points before easily cruising to victory. Trevor Ariza led the Rockets with 23 points. James Harden scored 20 points and dished out 14 assists while Clint Capela scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Ryan Anderson added 13 points while Lou Willams added 12 points off the bench. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points for the Spurs while also grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists but shot just 5 for 14 from the floor. Tony Parker and Johnathon Simmons were the only other San Antonio players to score in double digits, scoring 11 points each.

Houston leads series 1-0.

I wouldn't write the Spurs off after one game. They've been there done that.

I see it as more of Game 1 rust however the last time I've seen LaMarcus Aldridge

is on the back of a milk carton. This guy needs to show the hell up.