2016 NBA Playoffs Thread

[sunsfan88]

I find it ironic that the "traveling" call is the headline grabbing moment while traveling has been allowed forever in the NBA on the way to the rim. Westbrook trapped himself at the sideline/timeline and dragged his foot while calling a TO. That is his fault, but a ridiculous call if made. GS has started the whining. Go OKC.

Again, the timeout was called before that. The ref just didn't see it.

 

[Russ Smith]

An admission that the NBA orchestrates games.

Sometimes they clearly have but not in this instance. In this instance I think the ref figured he's trying to call timeout I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. The problem is the Warriors were trapping him and the trap made him walk.

 

[Russ Smith]

Again, the timeout was called before that. The ref just didn't see it.

Not true: from the ESPN article.

AKLAND, Calif. -- A traveling violation should have been called on Russell Westbrook on a critical possession in the final minute of Monday's Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, the NBA's senior vice president of replay and referee operations said.

The Oklahoma City Thunder led by three points when Westbrook, defended tightly by Klay Thompson, picked up his dribble after crossing half court.

Referee Monty McCutchen awarded Westbrook a timeout with 17.2 seconds remaining, despite the All-Star point guard's dragging his pivot foot, which prompted Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr to animatedly make the traveling motion and shout for the call while standing only feet away.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Warriors stunned by Thunder's resolve in Game 1 loss
The Golden State Warriors were overcome by a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder team on Monday night, losing 108-102 and forfeiting home-court advantage.

Thunder duo unite for Game 1 victory
After a win at Golden State, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook appear to have a winning combination of maturity, talent and leadership.

Russell Westbrook's big second half helps Thunder strike first blow
The Thunder guard's 24 points in the second half lifted the Thunder to a 108-102 West finals Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors.
After the timeout, Westbrook was immediately fouled, and he hit one of two free throws to make it a two-possession game. The Thunder emerged with a 108-102 win at Oracle Arena.

"The officials, no one could get in a good position to see him drag that pivot foot," NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations Joe Borgia said in a postgame interview on NBA TV. "It's an unfortunate miss, but so much going on in the play, the speed of it, and officiating is about getting angles and sometimes you just can't get them, and they did not get a great angle on that play."

Again, you don't lose the game on one bad call or no call they lost the game in the 3rd quarter. But the comments that Donovan called timeout prior to that are not consistent with the NBA's own comment on it. He may have been TRYING to call timeout but one had not been granted before he walked.

Honestly when Adams made that flip hook shot to put them up 8 I figured the game was over. The OKC defense just shut them down in the 2nd half.

 

[sunsfan88]

Not true: from the ESPN article.

AKLAND, Calif. -- A traveling violation should have been called on Russell Westbrook on a critical possession in the final minute of Monday's Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, the NBA's senior vice president of replay and referee operations said.

The Oklahoma City Thunder led by three points when Westbrook, defended tightly by Klay Thompson, picked up his dribble after crossing half court.

Referee Monty McCutchen awarded Westbrook a timeout with 17.2 seconds remaining, despite the All-Star point guard's dragging his pivot foot, which prompted Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr to animatedly make the traveling motion and shout for the call while standing only feet away.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Warriors stunned by Thunder's resolve in Game 1 loss
The Golden State Warriors were overcome by a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder team on Monday night, losing 108-102 and forfeiting home-court advantage.

Thunder duo unite for Game 1 victory
After a win at Golden State, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook appear to have a winning combination of maturity, talent and leadership.

Russell Westbrook's big second half helps Thunder strike first blow
The Thunder guard's 24 points in the second half lifted the Thunder to a 108-102 West finals Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors.
After the timeout, Westbrook was immediately fouled, and he hit one of two free throws to make it a two-possession game. The Thunder emerged with a 108-102 win at Oracle Arena.

"The officials, no one could get in a good position to see him drag that pivot foot," NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations Joe Borgia said in a postgame interview on NBA TV. "It's an unfortunate miss, but so much going on in the play, the speed of it, and officiating is about getting angles and sometimes you just can't get them, and they did not get a great angle on that play."

Again, you don't lose the game on one bad call or no call they lost the game in the 3rd quarter. But the comments that Donovan called timeout prior to that are not consistent with the NBA's own comment on it. He may have been TRYING to call timeout but one had not been granted before he walked.

Honestly when Adams made that flip hook shot to put them up 8 I figured the game was over. The OKC defense just shut them down in the 2nd half.

Yea he wasn't granted a timeout but that's beside the point. The moment a coach requests a timeout, it should be granted right then and there.

Considering the advances in technology, I'm surprised there isn't some type of a pager that coaches can use to call timeouts which would page the referees either through sound or vibration.

I've seen coaches lose valuable seconds off the clock in close games due to them not getting their timeouts granted immediately.

 

[Russ Smith]

Yea he wasn't granted a timeout but that's beside the point. The moment a coach requests a timeout, it should be granted right then and there.

Considering the advances in technology, I'm surprised there isn't some type of a pager that coaches can use to call timeouts which would page the referees either through sound or vibration.

I've seen coaches lose valuable seconds off the clock in close games due to them not getting their timeouts granted immediately.

Sure I get that I'm just saying the league has already admitted they missed that call. I'm sure one of the reasons the ref missed the walk is they were probably looking at Donovan to wait for him to call timeout as soon as Westbrook crossed halfcourt.

Saying Donovan asked for a timeout first and called a timeout first are different that's my point. Had they called a walk OKC would be complaining now we called timeout, there would have been a complaint either way.

 

[sunsfan88]

Yeah, Dragic is the least of the Heat's problems.

He's stepped up in the playoffs after a rather underwhelming regular season. Heat fans who regretted trading for him are now excited about what a healthy Heat team with him, Wade, and Whiteside could do along with perhaps a healthy Bosh or someone else with the money that Bosh would clear if he retires.

 

[SO91]

That missed travel call didn't lose them the game, even though it's all anyone will talk about until game 2. They lost a 13 pt lead at home, and the MVP was complete trash in the 4th quarter. I wasn't sure if OKC was going to be able to play big like they did against SA, but they looked really good on D and crashing the glass in that 4th quarter. It's going to be a hell of a series.

 

[slinslin]

He's stepped up in the playoffs after a rather underwhelming regular season. Heat fans who regretted trading for him are now excited about what a healthy Heat team with him, Wade, and Whiteside could do along with perhaps a healthy Bosh or someone else with the money that Bosh would clear if he retires.

WOW.

16ppg 5rpg 4apg 44%FG really stepped it up, 18M$.

 

[Ronin]

Nobody was paying attention to Billy Donovan calling a timeout.lulz

 

[Russ Smith]

That missed travel call didn't lose them the game, even though it's all anyone will talk about until game 2. They lost a 13 pt lead at home, and the MVP was complete trash in the 4th quarter. I wasn't sure if OKC was going to be able to play big like they did against SA, but they looked really good on D and crashing the glass in that 4th quarter. It's going to be a hell of a series.

That's what makes Curry so good. IMO he had a bad game, 7 turnovers, struggled on D at times, missed some shots he normally makes.

And yet you look at the box he had 26 10 boards 7 assists 3 steals and again, he had a bad game.

The Warrior bench was outscored 21-16 and OKC only played 3 guys off the bench. I'm surprised Kerr didn't play Speights more he only played 6 minutes. But they were -9 in those 6 minutes so maybe that's why Kerr held him out, seems like he pulls one of their bigs away from the rim to open up the middle more but maybe Kerr knows it's not a good matchup for this series I guess we'll see.

I expected it would go 6 or 7 but I sure didn't expect OKC to win game 1 in Oakland.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Channing Frye sure is a nice addition for the Cavs.

 

[Russ Smith]

First 20 minutes of the half OKC called for 4 total fouls. After another obvious foul not called on a pass leads to a turnover, Kerr politely tells the lead ref "they've got 4 fouls in the entire game."

Last 4 minutes of the half 6 fouls on OKC and suddenly it's 10 fouls each and the Warriors lead by 8.


On that great shot by Iggy I don't think the defender ever touched him. I have to believe he's got some undisclosed injury he's such a freak athlete even at his age and all of a sudden he's playing below the rim the last few games.

 

[ajcardfan]

I feel like the safest bet in this OKC-GS series is that it goes 7 games.

 

[sunsfan88]

I think Warriors will take it in 6 games. Their just an amazing team.

 

[Ronin]

DeRozan is off to a good start tonight (4/5), most of the shots are not forced and are in rhythm.

 

[Errntknght]

Lowry can't seem to get any traction against the Cavs... maybe he'll turn it around with some home cooking but it sure looks like Cleveland in 4.

 

[Russ Smith]

DeRozan is off to a good start tonight (4/5), most of the shots are not forced and are in rhythm.

He is just so frustrating to watch IMO. he's so talented and he's really improved his shot since he left USC but he has never figured out the value in passing the ball. He only passes when he has to so as a result he takes difficult shots because he's easy to double, you know he probably won't pass. He makes the game so much more difficult than it has to be.

 

[95pro]

Game 3 should be tonight. Dumb scheduling on the NBA.

 

[Ronin]

He is just so frustrating to watch IMO. he's so talented and he's really improved his shot since he left USC but he has never figured out the value in passing the ball. He only passes when he has to so as a result he takes difficult shots because he's easy to double, you know he probably won't pass. He makes the game so much more difficult than it has to be.

DeRozan is Mr. Jekyll and Hyde....He has his moments where you say "wow this guy is all star" and then a couple of minutes you're yelling at your T.V. for him to pass the ball.

 

[Russ Smith]

DeRozan is Mr. Jekyll and Hyde....He has his moments where you say "wow this guy is all star" and then a couple of minutes you're yelling at your T.V. for him to pass the ball.

There's a reason Lowry always makes fun of his USC "education".

But Tony Parker at UCLA drove me nuts the same way for 4 years. The game is so much easier if you pass the ball, for 4 years everyone doubled Parker when he got the ball in the post, not because they were scared he would score, but because they knew he wouldn't pass so if you double him he will either turn it over or take a bad shot.

Derozan gets doubled 15 feet or out away more than just about anybody but LeBron or Curry and it's entirely because they know he won't pass he'll try to dribble out of the double, waste time and then usually end up chucking up a difficult shot.

He'd be so much better if he'd give the ball up.

 

[sunsfan88]

There's a reason Lowry always makes fun of his USC "education".

But Tony Parker at UCLA drove me nuts the same way for 4 years. The game is so much easier if you pass the ball, for 4 years everyone doubled Parker when he got the ball in the post, not because they were scared he would score, but because they knew he wouldn't pass so if you double him he will either turn it over or take a bad shot.

Derozan gets doubled 15 feet or out away more than just about anybody but LeBron or Curry and it's entirely because they know he won't pass he'll try to dribble out of the double, waste time and then usually end up chucking up a difficult shot.

He'd be so much better if he'd give the ball up.

Tony Parker never attended UCLA. Unless you're talking about a different Tony Parker.

 

[Ronin]

Tony Parker never attended UCLA. Unless you're talking about a different Tony Parker.

Maybe Russ means this Tony Parker....

http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=207913803

 

[sunsfan88]

https://twitter.com/SNstats/status/733506779242504192

The most boring semi finals matchup ever.

 

[GatorAZ]

https://twitter.com/SNstats/status/733506779242504192

The most boring semi finals matchup ever.

Thought it would've been Suns/Lakers in 2010.

 

[Russ Smith]

Tony Parker never attended UCLA. Unless you're talking about a different Tony Parker.

Yes the one from Georgia not Mr Longoria.