2016 NBA Playoffs Thread

[95pro]

OKC went 5 on 8 for that third quarter, they were hosed bad.

 

[Russ Smith]

They are swallowing their whistles a little too much for my liking. I mean the game has rules and just completely disregarding those rules because it's an important game is pretty stupid to me. I do like what it does for the flow of the game, but some of the no calls are just terrible.

as long as it is consistent both ways I'm ok with it.

The really obvious hard fouls are being called.

I would add it works to the Warriors favor a bit IMO because the Warriors are more level headed, OKC has been too emotional

 

[Russ Smith]

Making me look bad Speights. Been begging for minutes for you all series and you shoot a fadeaway over Waiters and then miss a layup the next time down. Dunk the damn ball

 

[Russ Smith]

Yup


And for once I would like them to call traveling on Curry

As soon as they call a moving screen on Adams. hell on anybody they called one on Speights I think it's the only one tonight. On that last 3 by Durant Adams was backing up and then hit Barnes with his butt to prevent him from getting to Durant.

 

[Finito]

Never in my life have I seen a team just not have it like OKC man all the talent in the world on that roster but they just fall apart when it counts.

 

[Covert Rain]

Golden State hit a huge 3 every single time they needed one. They shoot the 3 like most teams shoot the 2. It's insane.

 

[nashman]

Curry is just beyond ridiculous hits big shots at big moments! Should be a good finals.

 

[Russ Smith]

fascinating to see if Durant sticks with OKC or moves on. He was visibly upset in this game about something, coaches had to calm him down on the bench.

Everyone blamed him in game 6 but they get blown out tonight if not for him, 27 and 9 on only 19 shots. They lost because they lost their composure in that 3rd quarter.

Had a great series but roberson killed OKC tonight, couldn't buy an open jumpshot gave the Warriors an extra defender all game.

Glad they get until Thur to rest up after that series.

OKC has lots of talent and they play very hard they just don't play smart they get too emotional and it killed them again.

 

[Russ Smith]

Golden State hit a huge 3 every single time they needed one. They shoot the 3 like most teams shoot the 2. It's insane.

It's 3 for 2 basketball they won the last 2 games that way.

The way Cleveland has been shooting 3's it should be a fascinating final/

 

[elindholm]

They lost because they lost their composure in that 3rd quarter.

Maybe. I think they lost because they spent the first six minutes of the third quarter with the bizarre fixation of force-feeding Adams on every possession, and he couldn't convert anything. Not only did they stop scoring, but it took them totally out of their offensive rhythm.

It became a running joke that the Thunder weren't allowed to attempt a shot until they worked the ball to Adams. It was beyond weird.

 

[Russ Smith]

Maybe. I think they lost because they spent the first six minutes of the third quarter with the bizarre fixation of force-feeding Adams on every possession, and he couldn't convert anything. Not only did they stop scoring, but it took them totally out of their offensive rhythm.

It became a running joke that the Thunder weren't allowed to attempt a shot until they worked the ball to Adams. It was beyond weird.

I'm going off the play by play but he was 1-4 in the first 4:30 of the 3rd. Lot of shots for him but in the first half the pick and roll with Adams was money/

For me the game turned about 9:30 in the 2nd half OKC was up 8. Curry nailed a long 3, They score, then Klay hits a 3, then Iggy hits a 3. then Curry hits a 3 to tie the game. Then Westbrook took it personally jacked up a bad shot missed Curry eventually hit another 3 to put Warriors up 3. Durant scored then a turnover by Westbrook trying to make a big play. Then down 1 Westbrook puts up a horrible 3 that misses.

That's about the time the Thunder started infighting we kept seeing arguments on the court with guys. Eventually Livingston had a big shot, a big strip on Westbrook and then that huge dunk and foul on Ibaka that put the Warriors up 6 and it just seemed like OKC had totally lost it.

I'm a big Westbrook fan but he does that too often, he clearly has some issue with Curry, Steph made some shots and he tried to answer and the result was 2 missed shots 2 turnovers and the game went from his team up 8 to his team down 6.

I'm a big Adams homer because he's a Kiwi but I love the way he plays. He is one of those guys the more you watch him the more you see he gets away with stuff, but you need guys like that. If Bogut could attack the rim the way Adams does he'd be that guy for the Warriors but he keeps setting for hook shots or floaters when it's just one dribble and dunk.

 

[elindholm]

I'm going off the play by play but he was 1-4 in the first 4:30 of the 3rd. Lot of shots for him but in the first half the pick and roll with Adams was money

Adams finished the game 4-11 with only 2 FTA, so the pick and roll game can't have been that much money. I won't dispute the 1-4 in the third quarter, but there were plenty of other ugly possessions in that stretch as well, all involving Adams more than was warranted, even if he wasn't the one who ended up missing the shot.

I'm a big Westbrook fan but he does that too often, he clearly has some issue with Curry, Steph made some shots and he tried to answer and the result was 2 missed shots 2 turnovers and the game went from his team up 8 to his team down 6.

It's funny, Westbrook had only 3 turnovers, but I agree that he seemed to lose his composure (even more than usual). Forcing the issue is how he plays: When it works, he's "aggressive," and when it doesn't work, he's pressing.

 

[Mainstreet]

I didn't watch the entire game but in the 1st half Enes Kanter seemed to give OKC a lift offensively. Maybe they should have used him more. He knows how to score.

 

[nashman]

They lost to the better team that let their composure the last three games in a row in tight games that came down to the end. The better team won its as simple as that. Lots of teams thought they had the Warriors beat late in games only to have the Warriors do what they do kill you with some daggers! Great series and should be a good finals. OKC has no one to blame but themselves they choked away leads late in games with stupid shots and timely turnovers and GS took advantage and made them pay. Westbrook while fantastic at times still loses games for them with his ridiculous shots and the worse possible times, and honestly he could be called for charging in so many of his drives to the rim where he simply throws himself into defenders and rarely gets called for it. Or watch how he uses his off arm to hold down or elevate over them sometime in those drives. He is a fantastic athlete, but dumb and gets caught up in trying to show someone up and makes terrible decisions. I believe durant will put some serious thought into leaving but may stay as Donavan is a pretty good coach.

 

[Russ Smith]

I didn't watch the entire game but in the 1st half Enes Kanter seemed to give OKC a lift offensively. Maybe they should have used him more. He knows how to score.

Kanter is sort of like Speights in that there's a fine line where he is so good on offense, but he can kill you on defense. Speights the last 2 games was really bad except for one big 3 last night. Kanter was good, and he rebounds, but I think Donovan gets that the Warriors will just run plays to get him in switches and attack him on defense so he limited his minutes.

 

[Russ Smith]

They lost to the better team that let their composure the last three games in a row in tight games that came down to the end. The better team won its as simple as that. Lots of teams thought they had the Warriors beat late in games only to have the Warriors do what they do kill you with some daggers! Great series and should be a good finals. OKC has no one to blame but themselves they choked away leads late in games with stupid shots and timely turnovers and GS took advantage and made them pay. Westbrook while fantastic at times still loses games for them with his ridiculous shots and the worse possible times, and honestly he could be called for charging in so many of his drives to the rim where he simply throws himself into defenders and rarely gets called for it. Or watch how he uses his off arm to hold down or elevate over them sometime in those drives. He is a fantastic athlete, but dumb and gets caught up in trying to show someone up and makes terrible decisions. I believe durant will put some serious thought into leaving but may stay as Donavan is a pretty good coach.

I think OKC has more talent, I think the Warriors are the better team. Part of that is 3 point shooting where they can trade 3 for 2. Part of that is as you said in the key moments of games Curry makes big plays and Westbrook tends to make mistakes and/or take bad shots.

There really isn't a bad 3 for Curry because he makes so many contested ones, that the one over Durant. Westbrook should never shoot a contested 3 he almost never makes them and usually tries to draw a foul and misses badly.

Great player but you have to wonder when he's going to get his emotions in check. That point in the game where the ref brought him and Curry together to talk out something, Curry responded to that by playing great, Westbrook responded the other way.

 

[Russ Smith]

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I don't buy all of this but it's pretty surprising to see how often in the first quarter Westbrook is walking back on defense. he's a freak athlete, he never seems to get tired, so these are clearly just hanging his head or being lazy plays.

This was game 6, in game 7 he personally gave up 11 of the Warriors 19 in the first quarter.

Every defensive stat I've looked at this week has Curry ranked ahead of Westbrook. MOst people would say stats lie that's proof but this video breakdown seems to confirm that. Westbrook goes for the steal way too often and when he doesn't get it, he gets burned.

whoops wrong link

 

[Ronin]

I'm picking the Warriors to win the Championship in 5 games.

 

[Ronin]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[JCSunsfan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbM48NeCyqc

I don't buy all of this but it's pretty surprising to see how often in the first quarter Westbrook is walking back on defense. he's a freak athlete, he never seems to get tired, so these are clearly just hanging his head or being lazy plays.

This was game 6, in game 7 he personally gave up 11 of the Warriors 19 in the first quarter.

Every defensive stat I've looked at this week has Curry ranked ahead of Westbrook. MOst people would say stats lie that's proof but this video breakdown seems to confirm that. Westbrook goes for the steal way too often and when he doesn't get it, he gets burned.

whoops wrong link

It does go to show that a players mentality makes a huge difference. I will take the player with a high basketball IQ and skills over the freak athlete every day.

 

[chickenhead]

That 11-0 Golden State run just got out of hand while Iggy, Durant, Westbrook, and Waiters all missed on the other end. But despite that they still cut it to 4 points with 1:40 left. They really did have every opportunity to win it.

Honestly, maybe cheering for the Thunder just isn't that different from being a Suns fan in the 90s and the 00s.

 

[Russ Smith]

That 11-0 Golden State run just got out of hand while Iggy, Durant, Westbrook, and Waiters all missed on the other end. But despite that they still cut it to 4 points with 1:40 left. They really did have every opportunity to win it.

Honestly, maybe cheering for the Thunder just isn't that different from being a Suns fan in the 90s and the 00s.

that 7-0 run was Durant single handedly keeping OKC alive. Curry got me mad they inbounded to Durant he was guarding him on the switch and he just ran to his man telling Iggy to switch and Durant rose up and nailed the 3 before Iggy could get there. No idea what Curry was thinking.

But he made up for it at the other end.

 

[leclerc]

Westbrook is KJ and Durant is EJ (on OKC being like the Suns)?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Westbrook is KJ and Durant is EJ (on OKC being like the Suns)?

I'd say they're closer to the rich man's version of KJ and Chambers (another 6'10 freak of nature who could shoot from distance and drive to the hole, and almost always flamed out at the end of games like we saw Durant do the last three games).

 

[Mainstreet]

Kanter is sort of like Speights in that there's a fine line where he is so good on offense, but he can kill you on defense. Speights the last 2 games was really bad except for one big 3 last night. Kanter was good, and he rebounds, but I think Donovan gets that the Warriors will just run plays to get him in switches and attack him on defense so he limited his minutes.

Kanter is a liability on defense but my thoughts were the Thunder could have used his shooting in game 7.