Western Conference Finals

Game 5

Golden State Warriors 94 Houston Rockets 98

The Houston Rockets played some of their best defense of the season in game 4, yet while they have been among the premier teams in the league this season and since Mike D'Antoni became coach, the knock on them has been inconsistency, particularly on being flashy offensively but lacking on defense on a nightly basis. The big question would be whether they could sustain this type of intensity.

The Rockets would jump out to an early lead, but the Warriors would claw their way back into this game, led by Kevin Durant, who would finish with a game high 29 points, yet he only shot 8 for 22 from the floor, which would be significant later in this game. Meanwhile James Harden was having his own difficulties, scoring just 19 points on 5 for 21 shooting from the floor including missing all 11 3-point attempts in this game. The Warriors would tie the game at the half and took a small lead early in the third quarter, and it looked like the inevitable rush was about to begin for Golden State.

But this time, Houston would keep up the defensive intensity on the Warriors. Once again, Chris Paul would be the man down the stretch, but he also got a lot of help from Eric Gordon, who lit up off the bench and led the Rockets with 24 points. Paul would score 20 points, grab seven rebounds, dish out six assists, and make three steals. Clint Capela scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Rockets. Nevertheless, this game would remain tight down the stretch, as Klay Thompson would score 23 points and Stephen Curry scored 22 points for Golden State. Draymond Green also scored 12 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. Things got vey tense in the final two minutes when Chris Paul suddenly came up lame with a hamstring injury that would sideline him in the final minute of this game. The Warriors had a couple shots to tie or win this game in the closing seconds, but some crushing defense on Stephen Curry forced him to put up an errant shot which he missed and was rebounded by Trevor Ariza. After Ariza made a free throw the Warriors again had a chance to tie or win the game, but a pass to Darymond Green on the Warriors 3-point line was mishandled, allowing Eric Gordon to steal the ball and get fouled, where he made two free throws to ice the victory for Houston and put them one win away from reaching the NBA Finals.

UPDATE: Chris Paul's hamstring injury was apparently serious, as he has been ruled out of playing in game 6 of this series, thus making the Rockets attempt of unseating the Golden State Warriors that much more difficult.

Houston leads series 3-2.

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 6

Boston Celtics 99 Cleveland Cavaliers 109

The Cleveland Cavaliers found themselves on the brink of elimination coming into this game, and it was possible that this could have been the last time the fans saw Lebron James in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform in his career. But Lebron wasn't thinking about any of that, and historically he had not lost an elimination game in a conference final since 2010, which was when he was last with the Cavs before going on to the Miami Heat. The question would be whether his supporting cast would show up like they did in games 3 and 4 of this series or go MIA like they did in game 5.

The Cavs would struggle a bit in the first quarter, and things got dicey when Kevin Love was acidentally struck in the head going for a rebound, where he suffered an apparent concussion and would have to leave the game. This forced Cavs' coach Tyron Lue to juggle his lineup, puting Larry Nance Jr. in his place. But Nance would play well down the stretch, putting up 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. It also brought Jeff Green off the bench to generate some offense, and he played well, scoring 14 points. George Hill also came up huge, scoring 20 points. The Cavs would jump out to a 16 point lead.

But Boston refused to go away. They came wthin striking distance several times in this game, led by Trent Rozier, who scored 28 points in this game, and Jaylen Brown who scored 27 points. Jayson Tatum added 17 points while Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each added 10 points. However, Al Horford had a miserable game, scoring just six points on 2 for 8 shooting from the floor.

But in the end it was Lebron James who carried his team on his back, scoring 46 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out nine assists, and making three steals. Every time the Celtics made a run to erase the deficit, Lebron came up huge with either one of his own shots or a dish out to his supporting cast. It alloowed the Cavs at least one more chance to extend the championship run and silence the inevitable speculation on whether Lebron will remain in Cleveland. It also sets up another game 7 in the historic basketball center in Beantown.

Series tied at 3-3.

728huey said:

Western Conference Finals

Game 5

Golden State Warriors 94 Houston Rockets 98

The Houston Rockets played some of their best defense of the season in game 4, yet while they have been among the premier teams in the league this season and since Mike D'Antoni became coach, the knock on them has been inconsistency, particularly on being flashy offensively but lacking on defense on a nightly basis. The big question would be whether they could sustain this type of intensity.

The Rockets would jump out to an early lead, but the Warriors would claw their way back into this game, led by Kevin Durant, who would finish with a game high 29 points, yet he only shot 8 for 22 from the floor, which would be significant later in this game. Meanwhile James Harden was having his own difficulties, scoring just 19 points on 5 for 21 shooting from the floor including missing all 11 3-point attempts in this game. The Warriors would tie the game at the half and took a small lead early in the third quarter, and it looked like the inevitable rush was about to begin for Golden State.

But this time, Houston would keep up the defensive intensity on the Warriors. Once again, Chris Paul would be the man down the stretch, but he also got a lot of help from Eric Gordon, who lit up off the bench and led the Rockets with 24 points. Paul would score 20 points, grab seven rebounds, dish out six assists, and make three steals. Clint Capela scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Rockets. Nevertheless, this game would remain tight down the stretch, as Klay Thompson would score 23 points and Stephen Curry scored 22 points for Golden State. Draymond Green also scored 12 points while grabbing 15 rebounds. Things got vey tense in the final two minutes when Chris Paul suddenly came up lame with a hamstring injury that would sideline him in the final minute of this game. The Warriors had a couple shots to tie or win this game in the closing seconds, but some crushing defense on Stephen Curry forced him to put up an errant shot which he missed and was rebounded by Trevor Ariza. After Ariza made a free throw the Warriors again had a chance to tie or win the game, but a pass to Darymond Green on the Warriors 3-point line was mishandled, allowing Eric Gordon to steal the ball and get fouled, where he made two free throws to ice the victory for Houston and put them one win away from reaching the NBA Finals.

UPDATE: Chris Paul's hamstring injury was apparently serious, as he has been ruled out of playing in game 6 of this series, thus making the Rockets attempt of unseating the Golden State Warriors that much more difficult.

Houston leads series 3-2.

Without Chris Paul, Houston can forget it, unless Harden can pull a LeBron James (the real MVP).

Western Conference Finals

Game 6

Houston Rockets 86 Golden State Warriors 115

The Golden State Warriors found themselves on the brink of elimination for the first time since the 2016 NBA Finals, facing a Houston Rockets squad that was playing some tight defense thanks to Chris Paul. However, Chris Paul injured his hamstring in game 5 and was forced to sit out this game.

The Rockets knew they had a tough task ahead of them, trying to wrap up this series on the road and without their arguably second best player on the court. Neverthless, they felt if they jumped out early they could put the Warriors on the ropes. And they did just that, getting white hot from beyond the 3-point line and jumping out to a 17 point lead, leaving the Warriors and their fans reeling. Golden State made a modest comeback in the second quarter, cutting the Rockets lead to seven, but Houston would lead by 10 at the half.

But the Warriors absolutely exploded in the second half, thanks to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Splash Brothers pushed the Warriors on an 11-0 run to start the third quarter, and they accounted for 21 of the 33 points they scored in that frame, shooting 7 for 9 from beyond the 3-point line. They would continue to pour it on thie fourth quarter until it became a blow out. Klay Thompson scored 35 points which included nine 3-pointers and also grabbed six rebounds and made four steals. Stephen Curry scored 29 points while dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds. Kevin Durant added 23 points and seven rebounds while Draymond Green scored four points but grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists.

James Harden led the Rockets with 32 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, but most of that damage came in the first half. Eric Gordon, playing in place of the injured Chris Paul, scored 19 points while Trevor Ariza added 14 points and Gerald Green added 11 points. However, the Rockets only scored a total of 25 points in the second half, which was 12 less than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson scored themselves. The Rockets now go home for game 7 but still do not know if Chris Paul will be available for them in this penultimate game.

Series tied at 3-3.

Empress said:

What happened last night? I thought Houston had this game and then they lose by 30 points! How???

1. HOU was careless with the ball the entire game. Even when they were playing with the lead. They exceeded 20 turnovers IIRC. You can't do that and close out the champs on their floor.

2. HOU had a short rotation the whole playoffs and it caught up with them. GS wasn't afraid to play 9 deep even when it cost them in stretches. With CP3 out, they gave it a go but ran out of gas.

3. Steph got hot. He's actually dropping in my estimation because it's becoming clearer and clearer that while the O runs through him he relies on his home crowd more than other MVP types to get him going. When that's happening then he's unbeatable. But he's not yet shown himself to be the MVP of his own team in May and June. Bringing me to the last point . . .

4. Klay Thompson is that dude. He, not Steph, saves them time and time again when they're teetering on the brink. He lost his mind 2 years ago in Game 6 in OKC -- and changed the course of history in that game -- and he did it again last night. He's the true killer on that team and they'll miss him when he's gone.

Wow, both East and West conference finals have been exciting and thrilling at them both having Game 7's. Hoping the Cavs wrap it up tonight.

Looks like Grandpa James(whatever the hell that means) is back in the finals.

Can't bet against this guy in a game 7. The Celtics

needed to end this in 6 games.

[Edited 5/27/18 20:07pm]

phunkdaddy said:

Looks like Grandpa James(whatever the hell that means) is back in the finals.

Can't bet against this guy in a game 7. The Celtics

needed to end this in 6 games.

[Edited 5/27/18 20:07pm]

Celtics youth & inexperience showed tonight. When they got down, they kept going for the home run and missed a lot of shots. Rozier did his John Starks impersonation....he couldn't hit anything. They really missed Kyrie's ability to break down the D and get to the hoop. And LeBron showed why he's one of the top 10 all-time greats. He puts the team on his back time and time again. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to beat Golden State. Warriors will win in 5 games.

namepeace said:

Empress said:

What happened last night? I thought Houston had this game and then they lose by 30 points! How???

1. HOU was careless with the ball the entire game. Even when they were playing with the lead. They exceeded 20 turnovers IIRC. You can't do that and close out the champs on their floor.

2. HOU had a short rotation the whole playoffs and it caught up with them. GS wasn't afraid to play 9 deep even when it cost them in stretches. With CP3 out, they gave it a go but ran out of gas.

3. Steph got hot. He's actually dropping in my estimation because it's becoming clearer and clearer that while the O runs through him he relies on his home crowd more than other MVP types to get him going. When that's happening then he's unbeatable. But he's not yet shown himself to be the MVP of his own team in May and June. Bringing me to the last point . . .

4. Klay Thompson is that dude. He, not Steph, saves them time and time again when they're teetering on the brink. He lost his mind 2 years ago in Game 6 in OKC -- and changed the course of history in that game -- and he did it again last night. He's the true killer on that team and they'll miss him when he's gone.

Joe Johnson is a proven scorer and without Paul, Houston needs more offensive firepower. Why isn't Pringles playing him?

Harden has to stop with this ISO shit, dribbling the shot clock down to 5 seconds without anyone touching the ball, then driving into defenders hoping to get a call. That's garbage basketball and it won't work against an elite team like Golden State.

[Edited 5/27/18 21:17pm]

Eastern Conference Finals

Game 7

Cleveland Cavaliers 87 Boston Celtics 79

This game had the weight of history coming into this pivotal and decisive game 7, with the Boston Celtics having the history of greatness going all the way back to Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Paul Pierce while the Cleveland Cavaliers had the greatest player of this generation, Lebron James, attempting once again to lead his team into the NBA Finals with arguably his most suspect supporting cast since early in his career. In addition, Lebron had the vaunted task of winning game 7 on the road, where the home team has won about 80% of fthe time, and he would be without the services of his most consistent teammate, Kevin Love, who was out with a concussion. Meanwhile, the Celtics were trying to advance to the NBA Finals with one of the youngest and most inexperienced playoff rosters in their history. Nevertheless, the fact they were still playing for a chance to advance to the NBA Finals was a testament not only to the scrappiness of this squad but their coach Brad Stevens as well, who managed to get more than the sum of all the parts with his roster.

The Celtics would jump out to a 12 point lead early in this game doing what they had been doing all season, moving the ball around and sharing the wealth. They got a good performance in particular from Al Horford, who scored 17 points in this game. But the one part of the gane that failed them tonight was their 3-point shooting, and it would loom colossally large in this game, particularly in the second half and down the stretch. Everyone in the TD Garden knew Lebron James was going to do everything in his power to carry his team on his back. The question was whether his supporting cast, who was MIA in all of the road games in this series, would finally show up when it mattered.

And in the end, they did. They may not have been great in this game, but they were just good enough. Jeff Green, starting in place of the injured Kevin Love, scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. J.R. Smith scored 12 points including three 3-pointers. And Tristan Thompson scored 10 rebounds and grabbed nine rebounds.

In spite of this, though, it was a sloppy, grind-out affair, with both teams struggling to score at times. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points and seven rebounds while Marcus Morris added 14 points off the bench and Jaylen Brown scored 13 points. But the Celtics were atrocious from behind the 3-point line, making just seven 3-pointers in 39 attempts. This really began manifesting itself down the stretch, as the Celtics' young players may have finally faced the intense pressure of the moment and cracked, as they got out of their unselfish ball control offense and began launching 3-point shot attempts at random. Meanwhile, Lebron James did what he has done for the past seven seasons, taking over the game and finishing with 35 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks including a key block down the stretch that would have tied the game for the Celtics. In the end, even the heart of the Celtics was not enough for the experience of Lebron James, who now will make his eighth straight appearance in the NBA Finals, putting him behind only Bill Rusell and the great Bostn Celtics teams of the 1960's.

Cleveland wins series 4-3.

Rockets have an 11 point lead at the half. They have to keep going to the basket.

Western Conference Finals

Game 7

Golden State Warriors 101 Houston Rockets 92

The Houston Rockets came into this series with the best chance to unseat the Golden State Warriors as the best team in the West. Yet after a shaky start, they had a golden opportunity to close out this series, but that opportunity got much harder when Chris Paul injured his hamstring at the end of game 5. He was unable to play in game 6, and his hamstring did not heal enough in time for this decisive game 7, leaving them as the decided underdog in this game. Nevertheless, they were hoping that their poor play in game 6 was an abberration, and that playing in front of their home crowd would propel them to victory. It was also a possible career-defining game for the likely regular season MVP James Harden.

The Rockets came out strong early, putting the defensive clamps on the Warriors and getting them rattled. Klay Thompson picked up three fouls very early in the first quarter, and the team looked out-of-sorts as the Rockets scored at will. James Harden, Eric Gordon, and Clint Capela looked strong in the first half, and even P.J. Tucker came up huge, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and four steals. The Rockets led by as much as 15 in the second quarter and went into halftime with an 11 point lead.

But the Warriors would come raging back thanks to Stephen Curry, who made 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter including three 3-pointers. In addition, whether or not it was the stifling Warriors defense or the Rockets rushing shots, they went absolutely frigid from behind the 3-point line, making just seven 3-pointers on 44 attempts. The Warriors took advantage of the poor shooting of the Rockets, building up to a 13 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Eric Gordon would try to bring the Rockets back, cutting the deficit to six with a little over five minutes remaining, but Kevin Durant took over down the stretch, putting the Warriors up for good and sending them to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals. Durant finished with 34 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocked shots. Klay Thompson overcame his early foul trouble to finish with 19 points while Draymond Green finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.

James Harden led Houston with 32 points but couldn't save his team from behind the arc, shooting just 2 for 13 from the 3-point line. Eric Gordon scored 23 points but also struggled from the 3-point line, hitting just two 3-pointers on 12 attempts. Clint Capela scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. However, they lived by the 3-pont shot all season, and they ultimately died by the 3-point shot in this game.

The Golden State Warriors now advance to the NBA Finals to face Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth straight time.

Golden State wins series 4-3.

Once again James Harden comes up small at "winnin' time".

...and Kevin Durant will always be a bitch.

Hats off to Golden State. We knew what they were going to try to do in the 3rd quarter and they did it. Out-scored us by 20, in the 3rd quarter, of Game 7, on our home court. Ouch.

We couildn't buy a 3. Live by the 3, die by the 3, I guess.

I still believe we're the better team. A Rockets team with Chris Paul beats these guys last night. But that's just my opinion. Maybe we'll find out next year. I hope we get Paul back.

Here's hoping Lebron James continues to play like the beast he is, and single-handedly carriers Cleveland to the title. It will be one of, if not the, greatest feats in NBA history.

uPtoWnNY said:

Once again James Harden comes up small at "winnin' time".

...and Kevin Durant will always be a bitch.

LOL, I like Durant. He gave an interview to a pastor at Lakewood Church once for a Men's Event, and he was really, really sincere. I've rooted for him ever since. He was unstoppable in this series. We never stopped him; he only stopped himself from time to time.

uPtoWnNY said:

Once again James Harden comes up small at "winnin' time".

...and Kevin Durant will always be a bitch.

Harden can't do it by himself. That's clear.

I'm not gonna kill KD simply because he wanted an easier job. But it has made the league less competitive.

You can see, though, that GS' window is starting to inch down.

Let's just say none of the great teams ever had the kind of luck GS had with injuries to opponents.

Warriors!! woohoo Ok, guys, one more ring, but let someone else win next time. Like my Pacers or Sacremento.

namepeace said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Once again James Harden comes up small at "winnin' time".

...and Kevin Durant will always be a bitch.

Harden can't do it by himself. That's clear.

I'm not gonna kill KD simply because he wanted an easier job. But it has made the league less competitive.

You can see, though, that GS' window is starting to inch down.

Let's just say none of the great teams ever had the kind of luck GS had with injuries to opponents.

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

[Edited 5/29/18 15:21pm]

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

Harden can't do it by himself. That's clear.

I'm not gonna kill KD simply because he wanted an easier job. But it has made the league less competitive.

You can see, though, that GS' window is starting to inch down.

Let's just say none of the great teams ever had the kind of luck GS had with injuries to opponents.

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

Up' my brotha, let it go, I have. Seriously LeBron came back home and gave his home town a Championship. More than that, Lebron put that team on his back and drugged them to the finals, much respect. Seeing how Cleveland fired a respected GM (to the players) and haven't bothered building a solid team around LeBron... I understand why King James left for Miami. I never took issue with King James leaving Cleveland, I took exception to the arrogance that they were going to win up-teem Championship in a row and the dumb ass "ESPN Decision". When the pressure was on and the trash talkin' started against James, then he cried like a big ass baby.

I don't blame players for moving to teams that give them a greater prospect for winning. To play your heart out for a team that never gonna win shit.... isn't Noble its stupid. Charles Barkley should have left Philly years before he stepped to go to Phoenix.

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

Harden can't do it by himself. That's clear.

I'm not gonna kill KD simply because he wanted an easier job. But it has made the league less competitive.

You can see, though, that GS' window is starting to inch down.

Let's just say none of the great teams ever had the kind of luck GS had with injuries to opponents.

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

[Edited 5/29/18 15:21pm]

I believe your analysis is spot-on.

It's really unbelievable to consider the possibility that the Houston Rockets without Chris Paul were still a better team than Golden State. But the scoreboard doesn't show that, and the scoreboard doesn't lie.

TD3 said:

uPtoWnNY said:

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

Up' my brotha, let it go, I have. Seriously LeBron came back home and gave his home town a Championship. More than that, Lebron put that team on his back and drugged them to the finals, much respect. Seeing how Cleveland fired a respected GM (to the players) and haven't bothered building a solid team around LeBron... I understand why King James left for Miami. I never took issue with King James leaving Cleveland, I took exception to the arrogance that they were going to win up-teem Championship in a row and the dumb ass "ESPN Decision". When the pressure was on and the trash talkin' started against James, then he cried like a big ass baby.

I don't blame players for moving to teams that give them a greater prospect for winning. To play your heart out for a team that never gonna win shit.... isn't Noble its stupid. Charles Barkley should have left Philly years before he stepped to go to Phoenix.

James had one bad calendar year. From the Decision through his ugly comments after the 2011 Finals. Those were his only real missteps. He's been a model superstar and face of the league otherwise. I rooted against him a bit too, but over the years he's become my favorite player because he's played the game the right way and at a higher level for longer than virtually any other player in history not named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

That said, IIRC, James wanted Tristan Thompson back after they won the title in '16. He also wanted J.R. Smith back. That's a lot of bad salary.

Bird, Magic and MJ didn't have as much freedom to leave, but they had at least 1 top 50 player and rotations filled with all-stars/all-defense/6th Man winners. I don't blame anyone -- not even KD -- for finding a better situation to win titles.

phunkdaddy said:

Looks like Grandpa James(whatever the hell that means) is back in the finals.

Can't bet against this guy in a game 7. The Celtics

needed to end this in 6 games.

[Edited 5/27/18 20:07pm]

Phunkdaddy I can't stop laughing lawd help me. You're not going to come for my grandpa james comment. You win! I can't stop laughing, when I get myself together I will be back to defend my Grandpa James nickname. Hold this 6th finals L while I get myself together,

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

Harden can't do it by himself. That's clear.

I'm not gonna kill KD simply because he wanted an easier job. But it has made the league less competitive.

You can see, though, that GS' window is starting to inch down.

Let's just say none of the great teams ever had the kind of luck GS had with injuries to opponents.

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

[Edited 5/29/18 15:21pm]

I'm heat fan that's my disclaimer

Phunkydaddy - Grandpa James come from him being 33 going on 34. In the NBA that's old age, but honestly my cousin is a HUGE Lebron James fan, I'm a fan myself for how he has carried the NBA on his shoulders ALONE. Not Golden State, not Kyrie (Love that guy though), and not NBA executives, Lebron has carried the NBA. The only time I'm forced to not like him is when the Jordan vs James conversation start. James is good when he's in his beast mode and is a better player all around than Jordan until it comes to defense and offense. A lot of people say Lebron is a unselfish player but his scoring is past a couple selfish players and Mario Chalmers & Kyrie Irving along with Chris Bosh and Kevin Love all say Lebron is selfish but does try to make the right play. Jordan just shot without caring about the right play, it took Phil to calm Jordan down some from hero ball.


Jordan said "I can remember a game, we were down with about 5 to 10 points, I go off about 25 points, we come back and win the game, we're walking off the floor. Tex (Winter) looks at me and says "There's no "I" in team!" I looked at Tex and say, "There's not, but there's an 'I' in win!"

But Lebron would've been trying to make the right play when the obvious play is for him to take over because of the supporting cast he have. But a lot of people hate on Lebron only because they are defending the prime Jordan vs Prime Lebron when I and others should be enjoying Lebron greatness as Lebron greatness. Can you imagine a coach like Brad Stevens, who coached his ASSSSSSSS off coaching Lebron. Erik Spoelstra is the best coach Lebron had that helped him, Erik has been to the playoffs since Lebron left unlike the Cavs. Pat Riley ego just slow us down from time to time. But Miami is successfully rebuilding. Lebron will no longer be in the finals after this year with the same Cavs team because the East is starting to get stronger. Golden State also is in danger of not reaching the finals if Pelicans get it together with Boogie Cousins. I honestly think this is the last time both teams see each other in the Finals. I will barely watch the finals because I'm pretty much done with the GSW vs Cavs mess. I know how people in Utah felt when Jordan beat them twice. But I don't hate or dislike Lebron, but I do feel he's some of the reason no other stars want to play with him outside his friends. I think him, chris paul, and Paul george should join together or him and chris paul should join together with the Cavs or another Eastern team. I really wish I could see Lebron, CP3, and Anthony Davis could join together.

RodeoSchro said:

uPtoWnNY said:

But everyone (including Durant) killed LeBron for leaving a bad Cavs team to chase a championship in Miami. Durant left an OKC team that had Golden State down 3-1, and would have been a serious threat to them the following season to join the enemy. That's why he'll always be a punk-ass bitch in my eyes.

Paul or not, Houston had GS on the hook and blew it. 27 straight misses from 3-point range....you'd think someone would realise the shots aren't there and DRIVE TO THE FUCKING BASKET!! Klay Thompson had three fouls, but Houston let him off easy, putting up brick after brick instead of going at him. How about D'Antoni calling a timeout and changing the gameplan? I always thought he was a gimmick coach and last night proved it. He reminds me of Andy Reid & Marty Schottenheimer...he'll get you to a certain point, but nothing more. The definition of insanity was in full display last night.

I really feel bad for LeBron. Last year the Cavs (with Kyrie) lost in five games. They'll be lucky to get a game this time, and then all the LeBron haters will run their mouths.

[Edited 5/29/18 15:21pm]

I believe your analysis is spot-on.

It's really unbelievable to consider the possibility that the Houston Rockets without Chris Paul were still a better team than Golden State. But the scoreboard doesn't show that, and the scoreboard doesn't lie.

D'Antoni's comments ("This is what we do") shows why Rockets fans should be livid. In pro sports, the window of opportunity closes pretty quick. You have to take advantage of it, because there 's no guarantee for Houston next season with their salary cap issues. What about Paul? Will the front office give him big money at age 34?

Time to pick up the NBA Finals on this thread:

http://prince.org/msg/100/454857