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[e0n]

Anybody watching? It is almost the end of the first round, and the standings are getting more interesting, especially in the eastern conference. The Warriors and Rockets are more than likely going to meet, but the finals might not include the Cavaliers, who are currently 1-2 against the Pacers. You also have the 76rs in the playoffs for the first time since 2012 and a Raptors team that has finally won a playoffs opener.

Spoiler: Playoffs Bracket

 

[Vicetrailia]

Indeed, this will be a lebron-less finals. They will beat the pacers but lose to whoever is next.

 

[TTOOLL]

Didn't watch the regular season but I'm trying to watch some games now.

 

[finowns]

Feel kinda bad for LeBron.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Blazers swepttttt

 

[highrider]

It’s kind of hard to get excited this year. Wizards are still a player away from going deep in the post season, eastern conference just hasn’t produced a team that can beat Golden State. LeBron still needs a few top shelf players to make a run.

 

[DragoonKain]

#TTP

 

[lil puff]

usually early in the playoffs are not that interesting imo. But I am suprised at how good the Bucks are.

I don't feel that bad for Lebron, but I wonder.

 

[lil puff]

Celtic are starting to heat up!

 

[EverydayBeast]

Good to see Manu get some buckets and the W

 

[Scopa]

I reckon the 76ers can win it this year. I say this having watched bugger all games this season, except for the Magic’s opening 15-20 games. So, not judging other teams (I know most think the Warriors will romp home), but Ben Simmons is a star and I just have this feeling...

 

[Phoenix RISING]

Yep. Been watching every day since it began.

It didn't even strike me to make a thread about it here, lol.

Glad to see my Spurs not get swept. They can now be eliminated, and the Kawhi saga can wait till the offseason, out of sight, out of mind (because nobody gives a FRICK about the Spurs except when they win a 'ship, or they think they can poach a player like Kawhi).

Too bad about the Pacers last night, but Hero Ball does not win games (consistently).

 

[Vicetrailia]

Turner can't ball, it so sad.

I'm looking forward to catching the highlights for both games tonight. I played fantasy basketball this season and Ingles was my surprise MVP.

 

[EverydayBeast]

They way the NBA wants to treat refs but they can't

 

[shira]

Not watching but lul these Raptors are 2-2.

Nice homecourt "advantage"

 

[mckmas8808]

Feel kinda bad for LeBron.

Dude can't win because his number 2 guy isn't playing like it. Kevin Love just looks like another guy out there.

 

[TheLaughingStock]

Indeed, this will be a lebron-less finals. They will beat the pacers but lose to whoever is next.

Although their play makes you worry about what's going on in Cleveland...too much talent for it to end in the East.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Indeed, this will be a lebron-less finals. They will beat the pacers but lose to whoever is next.

Dude, LeBron IS the EAST.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Glad my Celtics are on the verge of getting through. They had to endure so much shit with injuries this season that I can't even be mad at whatever happens from now on.

That shot clock violation non call on the last minute of the game was LMAO though. I think we earned it because there were plenty of bullshit calls going for the Bucks in the past 2 games.

Fuck the Cavs.

 

[e0n]

This Pacers-Cavs series is highly entertaining. My gut says Cavs will win in the end, but they end up blowing leads so quickly without Lebron that it feels like a coin-flip. I also see the Sixers going pretty far. I believe.

 

[mckmas8808]

This Pacers-Cavs series is highly entertaining. My gut says Cavs will win in the end, but they end up blowing leads so quickly without Lebron that it feels like a coin-flip. I also see the Sixers going pretty far. I believe.

It's like the Pacers are giving them 15 point leads at halftime just to see if they can catch back up in the 2nd half.

 

[Lionel Richie]

It's like the Pacers are giving them 15 point leads at halftime just to see if they can catch back up in the 2nd half.

And when they finally catch up, their offense goes full fuckball with a lot of bricked long 2s. Nate McMillan's offense is really not creative enough. Which is too bad, because the Cavs are playing such a fundamentally terrible basketball that they shouldn't make it out of the first round alive.

 

[mckmas8808]

And when they finally catch up, their offense goes full fuckball with a lot of bricked long 2s. Nate McMillan's offense is really not creative enough. Which is too bad, because the Cavs are playing such a fundamentally terrible basketball that they shouldn't make it out of the first round alive.

But Nate does have them playing some great defense.

 

[Vicetrailia]

I'm kinda surprised that the Celtics won, that team is quite astonishing. More Brogdon and Delluadova, less Bledsoe please.

 

[Lionel Richie]

But Nate does have them playing some great defense.

Absolutely and the team is resilient as fuck. They don't have much of a plan on offense though which is sad. The Cavs can't rotate for shit and they get lost on any ball movement and in the 4th quarter of the last game it was all long iso jumpers, this can't happen if they want to win tonight.

 

[finowns]

Pacers @ Cavs 95 - 95 30 seconds to go.

Edit: OMG LeBron!

 

[TTOOLL]

LeBron, my fucking god

 

[Lionel Richie]

Holy fuck what a shot by Lebron. Greatness still is undefeated (in the East).

But, real talk here and I'm not trying to be a downer, but that was a ridiculous non call on the obvious goaltending one day after the shot clock violation non call for my beloved Celtics. What the fuck is going on with NBA refs? Why do we even have reviews?

 

[sytadel]

And the prior call to that was even worse, that ball hit the baseline prior to hitting Lebron's elbow; call it an even exchange. LeBron > Jordan

 

[Th3Birdman15.]

Relevant:

 

[mckmas8808]

Holy fuck what a shot by Lebron. Greatness still is undefeated (in the East).

But, real talk here and I'm not trying to be a downer, but that was a ridiculous non call on the obvious goaltending one day after the shot clock violation non call for my beloved Celtics. What the fuck is going on with NBA refs? Why do we even have reviews?

Yeah, but what about the play before the block when Young knocked the ball out of bounce and it wasn't reviewed? The refs got that wrong, before they got the non-goaltending call wrong.

 

[Lionel Richie]

And the prior call to that was even worse, that ball hit the baseline prior to hitting Lebron's elbow; call it an even exchange.

Yeah, but what about the play before the block when Young knocked the ball out of bounce and it wasn't reviewed? The refs got that wrong, before they got the non-goaltending call wrong.

Yeah you're both right. My point isn't that the Pacers got robbed, but that the refs are crazy incompetent and seem to be getting worse. It feels like every game in this playoffs featured at least one really unexplainable call.

 

[Phoenix RISING]

It is not humanly possible to hate on that game-winning shot.

Props.

My take-away is that this is only the first round....

 

[mckmas8808]

It is not humanly possible to hate on that game-winning shot.

Props.

My take-away is that this is only the first round....

You should have heard Skip Bayless this morning then lol. He had ALL the HATE!

 

[bigedole]

Last 2 minute report is out and confirmed that both the goaltend and the out of bounds were missed calls by the ref, so pretty hard to play any what-if games. Was definitely an amazing finish by James (both the block and the shot), I'm cheering against him but gotta respect what a legendary athlete/talent he is.

 

[Lionel Richie]

God fucking damnit NBA refs are killing the sport. How the fuck is that not a foul on Paul George?

Edit: and I mean both of them. The one that was not called a shooting foul despite happening AS HE WAS IN THE FUCKING AIR and the last one where Gobert lands with his ass near George's face. This is a disgrace.

 

[bigedole]

I HATE the "jump into the guy guarding you" shit that Harden has normalized. It's super mega lame and should not be a foul. If the defender comes down on you, yeah, obviously a foul. But if you jump into the defender while shooting? F that. I'm glad it wasn't called. Maybe if George had tried to shoot normally he wouldn't have completely air balled.

 

[shira]

Craptors round 2: fight

 

[EverydayBeast]

I HATE the "jump into the guy guarding you" shit that Harden has normalized. It's super mega lame and should not be a foul. If the defender comes down on you, yeah, obviously a foul. But if you jump into the defender while shooting? F that. I'm glad it wasn't called. Maybe if George had tried to shoot normally he wouldn't have completely air balled.

It's like a hesitation move and yeah it's glorious watching players eat crow when that "jump into the guy guarding you" move doesn't work.

 

[KINGMOKU]

I can't watch Mitchell continue like this. Knowing Stan van drafted Luke over him is killing me slowly and I just can't handle it. After a lost season because Jackson went down, combined with this kid going nuclear in the playoffs?

*sigh*

 

[rokkerkory]

Dubz

 

[bigedole]

I read a report, maybe it was ESPN, that said Mitchell was worried about even declaring for the draft because he might go undrafted, and Paul George and Chris Paul convinced him to. He just eliminated one and is about to face the other hehe. Mitchell and Simmons were so great and fun to watch this year (and postseason).

I think what annoys me so much about what George did is that he's basically choosing between trying to legitimately make a shot or hope the ref bails you out, and he went for the latter. It's such a bitch move in crunch time with the game on the line. Don't know how anyone can be a fan of that kind of play, it's terrible for the game.

 

[lil puff]

What do you guys think about this game? Pacers offense does not look cohesive to me and it almost looks like Lebron wants to score 40 +

 

[lil puff]

its like the Pacers do not have a PG to control this games tempo. And they need it, because they do not have the intensity the Cavs have.

 

[lil puff]

Back in the day, Mark Jackson would slow this game down and allow Miller to get in his spots or Jermaine to post up

 

[lil puff]

Time Out Clevland. Oh My. They went to sleep on D as usual.

 

[finowns]

Game is getting good. I say 96 - 90 Cavs win. But I'm rooting for Oladipo.

 

[finowns]

You hear that guy saying 'We don't like JR!' lolll

edit - That was a weird tech.

 

[finowns]

Crazy that Oladipo is not in the game right now.

 

[Scopa]

Why are the Celtics fans booing Ben Simmons on his first possession, but not other Sixer players?

Villain already?