The playoffs are on right now as the Nuggets & T'Wolves fight it out for the final spot in the crazy Western Conference. It's a tight one so far.

phunkdaddy said:

Do you wish Pittsburgh had an NBA team?

Before the playoffs start, I want to recognize Russell Westbrook for averaging a triple double for the second straight season. 25.4 points; 10.1 boards; and 10.2 dimes per game. IN.CRED.I.BLE.

This means that he busts his ass every game, just like Oscar Robinson did when he averaged a triple double in '61-'62. BTW, Robinson was a hair away from averaging a triple double in every other of his first five seasons. Especially in '63-'64, when he missed a triple double because his rebound average was 9.9. He got 9 rebounds in his last game that season. Had he gathered in 8 more in that game, or somewhere along the way, he'd have average a triple double in that year, too.

At any rate, Westbrook plays incredible basketball. He's 29, conceivably right in his prime. I highly recommend watching him play as often as possible. The Thunder open the playoffs against the Utah Jazz this Sunday at 5:30 PM Central (I think) time.

A potential Rockets/Thunder match-up looms in the second round.

This is going to be an exciting playoffs!! I don't see either Cleveland or GS in the final - Yay! This will be a nice change. I also want to offer my congratulations to the Toronto Raptors who had an incredible season finishing 59-23. Their bench was second to none and their fans, well, we are the best!

Go Raptors! You have an entire country rooting for you.

[Edited 4/12/18 10:03am]

RodeoSchro said:

Before the playoffs start, I want to recognize Russell Westbrook for averaging a triple double for the second straight season. 25.4 points; 10.1 boards; and 10.2 dimes per game. IN.CRED.I.BLE.

This means that he busts his ass every game, just like Oscar Robinson did when he averaged a triple double in '61-'62. BTW, Robinson was a hair away from averaging a triple double in every other of his first five seasons. Especially in '63-'64, when he missed a triple double because his rebound average was 9.9. He got 9 rebounds in his last game that season. Had he gathered in 8 more in that game, or somewhere along the way, he'd have average a triple double in that year, too.

At any rate, Westbrook plays incredible basketball. He's 29, conceivably right in his prime. I highly recommend watching him play as often as possible. The Thunder open the playoffs against the Utah Jazz this Sunday at 5:30 PM Central (I think) time.

A potential Rockets/Thunder match-up looms in the second round.

Thunder should have finished higher. Chauncey Billups was breaking down their late-game execution, and it was woeful. Sometimes they revert to hero ball on offense and fall asleep on defense. They better clean it up if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Knicks will be looking for their 11th head coach since 2001. What a garbage franchise.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2312 ... f-hornacek

Man, you people started this thread without me. But I am back to assume my duties as failthful NBA correspondent for the Org.

The 2018 NBA Playoffs



#8 Washington Wizards vs. #1 Toronto Raptors
#7 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #2 Boston Celtics

#6 Miami Heat vs. #3 Philadelphia 76ers
#5 Indiana Pacers vs. #4 Cleveland Cavaliers



#8 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. #1 Houston Rockets

#7 San Antonio Spurs vs. #2 Golden State Warriors

#6 New Orleans Pelicans vs. #3 Portland Trail Blazers

#5 Utah Jazz vs. #4 Oklahoma City Thunder


This may be the most wide open playoff we have seen in many years. Thanks to a rash of injuries to some teams, a series of trades of superstars to other teams which actually made some of the teams who lost these superstars better in their absence, and the NBA version of "Moneyball" being played out in Philadelphia which may actually be coming into fruition, the potential for teams not expected to make the NBA Finals actually making the Finals is greater than ever before. Due to injuries to Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors are a little more vulnerable than they were last steason while at the same time the Boston Celtics go into the playoffs without their leading star Kyrie Irving. The Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors may have been the most consistent teams in the NBA this season, but the hottest team coming into the playoffs is the Philadelphia 76ers, who won their final 16 games thanks to Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons. But they are a young team who for the most part have not experienced the pressure of the NBA Playoffs. Will this be the last title chase for Lebron James in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform? Stay tuned...

kpowers said:

phunkdaddy said:

Do you wish Pittsburgh had an NBA team?

It would have been nice but I've been a 76ers fan since 1976

and a Steelers fan since 1975.

phunkdaddy said:

kpowers said:

Do you wish Pittsburgh had an NBA team?

It would have been nice but I've been a 76ers fan since 1976

and a Steelers fan since 1975.

What about these guys?

phunkdaddy said:

kpowers said:

Do you wish Pittsburgh had an NBA team?

It would have been nice but I've been a 76ers fan since 1976

and a Steelers fan since 1975.

Staying true, can respect that.

RodeoSchro said:

Before the playoffs start, I want to recognize Russell Westbrook for averaging a triple double for the second straight season. 25.4 points; 10.1 boards; and 10.2 dimes per game. IN.CRED.I.BLE.

This means that he busts his ass every game, just like Oscar Robinson did when he averaged a triple double in '61-'62. BTW, Robinson was a hair away from averaging a triple double in every other of his first five seasons. Especially in '63-'64, when he missed a triple double because his rebound average was 9.9. He got 9 rebounds in his last game that season. Had he gathered in 8 more in that game, or somewhere along the way, he'd have average a triple double in that year, too.

At any rate, Westbrook plays incredible basketball. He's 29, conceivably right in his prime. I highly recommend watching him play as often as possible. The Thunder open the playoffs against the Utah Jazz this Sunday at 5:30 PM Central (I think) time.

A potential Rockets/Thunder match-up looms in the second round.

Westbrook is in a real Kobe Zone right now. And that's not all good.

[Edited 4/13/18 14:03pm]

RodeoSchro said:

phunkdaddy said:

It would have been nice but I've been a 76ers fan since 1976

and a Steelers fan since 1975.

What about these guys?

Remember back in the day when HBO would play that movie 10 times a day

[Edited 4/13/18 12:47pm]

RodeoSchro said:

phunkdaddy said:

It would have been nice but I've been a 76ers fan since 1976

and a Steelers fan since 1975.

What about these guys?

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

San Antonio Spurs 92 Golden State Warriors 113

The Golden State Warriors began their NBA title defense looking more vulnerable than they have looked in several years, losing 10 of their last 17 games of the regular season and playing without Stephen Curry due to injury. Nevertheless, coach Steve Kerr promised that his team would be ready and amped to play come playoff time.

And they did just that. They came storming out of the gate and never trailed in this game, leading by as much as 28 points while cruising to victory. Klay Thompson led all scorers with 27 points while Kevin Durant added 24 points and Draymond Green added 12 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed eight rebounds. Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 15 points off the bench while LaMarcus Aldridge and Bryn Forbes each added 14 points. However, this was San Antonio's most lopsided loss in a postseason opener since Gregg Popovich coached the team. They shot only 37% inside the paint and had no second chance points.

Golden State leads series 1-0.

[Edited 4/14/18 18:20pm]

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Washington Wizards 106 Toronto Raptors 114

The Toronto Raptors came into this year's NBA Playoffs with their first number one seed in Eastern Conference Playoff history, yet while they have been one of the most consistently good teams in the NBA during the regular season in recent seasons, they have struggled in the playoffs at times, and they came into this series with 10 consecutive losses in the opening game of an NBA playoff series. Much of that had to do with the struggles of their backcourt stars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and the failure of their supporting cast to pick up the slack. It wouldn't get any easier with their top bench player Fred VanVleet sitting out this opening game with a shoulder injury.

And early on, after an initial hot start by the Raptors, it looked as though history would repeat itself. The Wizards led for most of this game thanks to John Wall and Markieff Morris. Wall would score 23 points in this game while dishing out 15 assists. Morris would finish with 22 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Once again, the backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan would struggle to score, as Lowry was limited to 11 points though he did dish out nine assists. DeRozan would finish with 17 points.

But the game turned midway through the fourth quarter, when the Wizards' Mike Scott was called for a flagrant foul on Kyle Lowry. The following two free throws by Lowry would spark a 15-5 run that put the Raptors up for good. It would be led by C.J. Miles, who hit a couple of 3-pointers during that stretch, finishing with 12 points. But it was Serge Ibaka who played the dominator for Toronto, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while Delon Wright added 18 points, 11 of which came in the decisive fourth quarter. O.G. Annouby added 12 points for the Raptors. Bradley Beal scored 19 points for Washington while Mike Scott added 14 points and Marcin Gortat added 12 points but was in foul trouble late in the game.

Toronto leads series 1-0.

[Edited 4/14/18 19:04pm]

[Edited 4/14/18 19:05pm]

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Miami Heat 103 Philadelphia 76ers 130

The Philadelphia 76ers were making their first playoff appearance since 2012, and during that stretch they had the worst record in the NBA as the organization began practicing its own version of "Moneyball", ditching high-salaried talent and accumulating lottery and draft picks in what they deemed "The Process." This really tested the patience of long-time fans, but it began to show some fruition last season as Joel Embiid had an exceptional rookie season before a late season-ending injury. They also drafted Ben Simmons with the number 1 overall pick in 2016, but he sat out all of last season due to a nasty ankle injury suffered in the preseason. They would draft Markelle Fultz with the number 1 overall pick in 2017, but he also sustained an injury during the preseason, keeping him out of the lineup for most of the regular season. But that would not be a problem for the Sixers this season, as Joel Embiid became the dominant big man in the Eastern Conference and the team's leadiing scorer while Ben Simmons showed the promise the Sixers had bet on two years ago and became the runaway candidiate for NBA Rookie of the Year. The Sixers finished the regular season by winning their last 16 games, but the question coming into the postseason was whether the youth-infested squad could handle the intense pressure of the playoffs.

The Sixers began the game without Joel Embiid, who sat out the game with a fractured orbital bone in his face. However, the Miami Heat would take the early lead in this game and led for much of the first half. But the Sixers would take over in the second half, and they would be spurred by the few veterans on their squad. J.J.Reddick led Philly with 28 points while Marco Belinelli scored 25 points and Ersan liyasova added 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Ben Simmons scored 17 points while dishing out 14 assists and grabbing nine rebounds. Dario Saric added 20 points and six rebounds. Kelly Olynyk led Miami with 28 points while Goran Dragic scored 15 points and James Johnson added 13 points. Dwyane Wade scored 11 points off the bench for the Heat.

Philadelphia leads series 1-0.

[Edited 4/14/18 20:44pm]

The Phantom of the Process (A.K.A.: Joel Embiid) rang the pregame bell

[Edited 4/14/18 20:57pm]

Smitty‏Verified account @SmittyBarstool Apr 12

^

Philly looks STRONG.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

New Orleans Pelicans 97 Portland Trail Blazers 95

The Portland Trail Blazers surprised a few people with their higher playoff seeding this season while the New Orleans Pelicans were making their first playoff appearance since 2014. The Blazers got here thanks to their explosive backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but in this game they would be severely tested.

In fact, the Pelicans' defense would be stifling in this game, as New Orleans led by nine points in the first half and limited the total scoring of Lillard and McCollum to just three points. Anthony Davis was on fire in this game, scoring 35 points and grabbing 14 rebounds while also blocking four shots and making two steals. Nikola Mirotic also joined in on both sides, scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and also making four blocks and two steals. Jrue Holiday also was huge, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Yet Rajon Rondo was a monster distrbutor in this game, dishing out 17 assists while also adding six points and grabbing eight rebounds. The Pelicans would lead by as much as 19 points late in the third quarter.

But the Blazers would stage a mighty comeback. The backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, having been shut down for much of the game, suddenly exploded down the stretch. Lillard would finish with 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while McCollum finished with 19 points. The Blazers would cut the lead down to just one point with under a minute remaining. But the Pelicans would hang on due to a couple of huge defensive plays by Jrue Holdiay, who stole a pass intended for Lillard in the paint and made a huge block on a Pat Connaughton layup with six seconds remaining. Evan Turner finished with 13 points for the Blazers while Jusuf Nurkic finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort.

New Orleans leads series 1-0.

RodeoSchro said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Milwaukee Bucks 107 Boston Celtics 113 F/OT

The Boston Celtics came into the playoffs with the second best record in the Eastern Conference but also with a chip on their shoulder, as they were playing without two of their premier stars Kyrie Irving, who was declared out for the season a month ago due to an knee injury which became infected, and Gordon Heyward, who suffered a gruesome ankle injury on the very first game of the season. In addition, backup guard Marcus Smart is out indefintely with an injury. Nevertheless, the show must go on.

This game would go back and forth all the way through regulation, as the Celtics jumped out to an early lead after forcing a bunch of turnovers from Milwaukee only for the Bucks to come back later and even take the lead. The Bucks were led by their superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 35 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out seven assists while Khris Middleton scored 31 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists. But Boston would respond with a more balanced attack, as Al Horford led the Celtics with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Three other Celtics players scored at least 20 points, and one fell just short of that mark, scoring 19 points. Terry Rozier, playing in place of the injured Kyrie Irving, scored 23 points, Jaylen Brown scored 20 points, Marcus Morris added 21 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Jayson Tatum added 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Things got wild in the closing seconds of the fourth quarterwhen Terry Rozier froze the Bucks' Eric Bledsoe on a dribble just inside the 3-point line when he stopped and dribbled back to hit what appeared to be the game-winning 3-pointer with just a half second left in the game. But Khris Middleton would hit a miracle 3-pointer from near half-court to force the game into overtime.

The overtime period played much like the crazy fourth quarter until Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled out going for a rebound with a little over a minute remaining. The Celtics would then pull away for the victory. Malcolm Brodgon, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year who missed most of this season due to injury, scored 16 points for Milwaukee in a losing effort, all of which came in the second half.

Boston leads series 1-0.

[Edited 4/15/18 17:29pm]

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Indiana Pacers 98 Cleveland Cavaliers 80

No team came into the NBA Playoffs with as much drama or expectation as the Cleveland Cavaliers, who loaded up their squad with aging superstars like Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose and veterans like Jae Crowder only to struggle through the middle of the season and turn over nearly half of their ineup by the All Star break, getting rid of the aforementioned players as well as Iman Shumpert for George Hill, Jeff Green, and Larry Nance Jr. The Cavs would continue to be hot and cold through the remainder of the season, though they did win 11 of their last 14 games coming into the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers were expected to be a rebuilding lottery team after trading Paul Goerge for Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, and draft picks. But the Pacers surprised everyone, actually getting better without their former superstar Paul George. Oladipo had a breakout season for the Pacers, setting himelf up as the favorite for the NBA's Most Improved Player.

Indiana came out of the gate blazing, jumping out to an early lead and extending it to 23 points in the third quarter. Outside of Lebron James and some flahes from J.R. Smith, the Cavs looked lethargic and out-of-sorts for most of the game. However, they would make a thunderous run and cut the Pacers' lead to seven points in the fourth quarter before Victor Oladipo would spark another run which put the Cavs away for good. Oladipo finished with 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals while Bojan Bogdanovic added 15 points and six rebounds for Indiana. Myles Turner added 16 points and eight rebounds while Lance Stephenson added 12 points but more importantly played some stifling defense on Lebron James, who would finish with 24 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. However, only two other Cavs players finished in double digits in scoring, with J.R. Smith scoring 15 points and Larry Nance Jr. adding 10 points. The Cavs had won 21 consecutive 1st-round playoff games before today, and this was Lebron James' first opening 1st-round playoff loss since his last stint with the Cavs in 2010.

Indiana leads series 1-0.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Utah Jazz 108 Oklahoma City Thunder 116

The Oklahoma City Thunder made moves during the offseason when they traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony and tried to assemble a big three. However, it took some time for George and Melo to gel together with last season's NBA league MVP Russell Westbrook. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz lost their leading scorer Gordon Heyward to the Boston Celtics in free agency, but they struck gold with their draft pick of Donovan Mitchell, who was more than capable of filling in Heyward's shoes and is a leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year and would most likely be the runaway favorite for that honor if not for Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Thunder would take the lead early on, but the Jazz would hang in for most of this game. Seven players would score in double figures for the Jazz, but it wasn't enough to slow down Paul George, who would score a game-high 36 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Russell Westbrook would score 29 points while grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Carmelo Anthony would add 15 points and seven rebounds and Steven Adams added 12 points and seven rebounds as the Thunder steadily pulled away from the Jazz for the victory. Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 27 points and 10 rebounds though he suffered an injury in the fourth quarter yet still finished the game. Rudy Gobert added 14 points and seven rebounds while Joe Ingles, Jae Crowder and Ricky Rubio each added 13 points and Dante Exum and Alec Burks each added 10 points off the bench.

Oklahoma City leads series 1-0.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 1

Minnesota Timberwolves 101 Houston Rockets 104

The Hosuton Rockets came into this series with the top record in the NBA this season and the most consistent play thanks to the play of James Harden and Chris Paul while the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite being the team most likely to jump into the playoffs at the beginning of the season, had to play for their very lives in the final game of the regular season against the Denver Nuggets in order to make their first playoff appearance in well over a decade.

The Rockets would jump out to a huge early lead, but they would get sloppy from behind the 3-point line, shooting just 27% from behind the arc and allowing the Timberwolves to get back into this game. Houston would step up defensively on a couple of Minnesota's big stars, limiting Jimmy Butler to 13 points on 4 for 11 shooting from the floor and Karl-Anthony Towns to just eight points on 3 for 9 shooting from the floor, though he did grab 12 rebounds. But the Wolves would stay in this game with good play from Andrew Wiggins, who scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Jeff Teague who scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out eight assists. They even got some scoring off the bench from Derrick Rose and Jamal Crawford, who scored 16 and 15 points respectively.

But Minnesota had no answer for the likely MVP of the NBA this season, James Harden, who scored 44 points including seven 3-pointers, and they couldn't stop Clint Capela, who scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Chris Paul added 14 points but almost allowed the Wolves to tie the game in the closing seconds after making an errant pass down court with 8.7 seconds left. Jimmy Butler attempted a 3-point shot that bounced off the glass, and Andrew Wiggins was unable to corral the rebound and lost it out of bounds with just 3 tenths of a second remaining in the game, thus securing the Rockets' victory.

Houston leads series 1-0.

[Edited 4/16/18 19:37pm]

T'Wolves should have run the offense through KAT, especially when he had a mismatch. Bad coaching job by Thibs, but Towns deserves blame too. If Shaq's guys weren't getting him the ball, he let them know it. Towns better man up like Capela.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 2

Miami Heat 113 Philadelphia 76ers 103

The Philadelphia 76ers were absoulutely on fire in game 1, showing no effects of nerves or inexperience that a relatively young team without much playoff experience would be expected to show. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, had never given up as many points in a playoff game that they did in game 1. But they do have some veterans on their squad with extensive playoff experience, most notably Dwyane Wade, and he would come up huge in this game.

The Sixers began game 2 pretty much like they left off from game 1, though they were still paying without Joel Embiid, who is expected to be in the lineup for game 3. They would have a comfortable lead after the end of the first quarter. But they bogged down in the second quarter, suddenly unable to hit any shots that came so easily to them in game 1. Miami would respond by putting heat on Sixers' point guard Ben Simmons, playing stifling defense and getting him into foul trouble. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade played like the Wade of old, scoring 28 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Goran Dragic added 20 points while James Johnson added 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. But the Sixers would make a late run in this game sparked by Ersan liyasova, who scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. They would cut the Heat lead down to just two points with two minutes remaining before Dwyane Wade took over and put Miami up for good with a huge bucket and assist. Josh Richardson added 14 points for Miami while Kelly Olynyk added 11 points. Ben Simmons led Philly with 24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists while Dario Saric added 23 points and nine rebounds and Marco Belinelli added 16 points.

Series tied at 1-1.

Dwayne Wade showing the young cats how its done. I still think Philly wins this series, but I could see it going seven games.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 2

San Antonio Spurs 101 Golden State Warriors 116

The Golden State Warriors cruised to an easy victory over the San Antonio Spurs in game 1, and it seemed the Spurs were the team with much drama behind the scenes, as coach Greeg Popovich's response to a question about Kawhi Leonard's availabilty for the playofff was rather terse. (BTW, Kawhi Leonard had been sidelined with a knee injury for most of this season, and it was recently announced that he would be out for the remainder of the playoffs and NBA Finals should the Spurs advance.) In the meantime, coach Popovich inserted Rudy Gay into the starting lineup in game 2 in hopes of generating more offense.

That would lead to some mixed results, but it seemed to work early, as the Warriors' Draymond Green got into early foul trouble, and the Spurs would take a six point lead into halftime. But Golden State would open the third quarter on a 19-5 run to pull ahead, and while the Spurs would at least hang with the Warriors into the fourth quarter, Golden State would ultimately pull away late. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 32 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Klay Thompson, after a slow first half in which he only scored three points, finished with 31 points, and Draymond Green overcame his early foul trobule to score nine points, grab six rebounds, and dish out five assists. Andre Iguodala added 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 34 points and 12 rebounds while Patty Mills added 21 points and Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol added 12 points each in a losing effort.

Golden State leads series 2-0.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 2

Washington Wizards 119 Toronto Raptors 130

The Toronto Raptors finally were able to push the opening playoff series loss monkey off their back in game 1 and hoped to build momentum on that. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards felt they let the game get away from them in game 1 and hoped to bounce back with a better performance.

The Wizards would score the opening bucket, but after that Toronto went on a rampage. They were led by DeMar DeRozan, who scored a game high 37 points. The Raptors led by as much as 22 points at several points in this game, but the Wizards would attempt to claw their way back into this game in the fourth quarter. They cut the Raptors' lead to five points with just under eight minutes remaining in the game, but DeMar DeRozan took over and pulled his team ahead for good. Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Toronto while C.J. Miles added 18 points and Kyle Lowry added 13 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds. John Wall led the Wizards with 29 points and nine assists while Mike Scott added 20 points, Kelly Oubre Jr and Ty Lawson each added 14 points, and Otto Porter Jr. and Ian Mahinmi each added 12 points.

Toronto leads series 2-0.