2023 NBA Playoffs - Other Teams

Russ Smith

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Great headline in the SF Gate now.

"The Warriors years of playing with their food may have caught up with them."

Absolutely perfect description of their tendency, this year in particular, to get a lead and then start screwing around with bad shots and turnovers and let the opponent back in. They could easily have won this series they were right there in games 1 and 4, but they lost because at crunch time the Lakers made plays and the Warriors went for knockout punches and missed.

Hopefully they've learned their lesson but I still expect they will lose in game 6.
 

Hoop Head

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Tatum has been awful tonight. Is he hurt? He's shooting but he's 1-13. Smart has kept Boston alive. Jaylen hasn't been great either but he's a second fiddle at best, offensively.
 

AzStevenCal

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Tatum has been awful tonight. Is he hurt? He's shooting but he's 1-13. Smart has kept Boston alive. Jaylen hasn't been great either but he's a second fiddle at best, offensively.
Tatum was horrible last game too so I suspect he's injured, ill or pouting. And I don't know that team well enough to have a clue but I do know he's come up big in big games before so I don't think it's just him choking.
 

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Tatum was horrible last game too so I suspect he's injured, ill or pouting. And I don't know that team well enough to have a clue but I do know he's come up big in big games before so I don't think it's just him choking.

I don't watch the Celtics a lot but it definitely seems like there's chemistry issues. They have a deep squad but no one plays like they want to be there, except Smart. He's turned into a hell of a player.
 

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Tatum with a few big shots late in what so far has been an all time disaster game from a superstar.
 

Russ Smith

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Lost in the AD head injury was that after it happened, LeBron went on a mini burst of multiple iffy plays like he was mad and as a result, Wiggins is now questionable for tonights game with a rib fracture. On a play where Steph made a pullup jumper, as Wiggins went to block out LeBron he took an elbow to the sternum and immediately started holding his chest and side. He played another 3 minutes but left shortly after making a spinning hook shot, getting fouled, and then while still in mid air getting shoved by LeBron.

It appears to be a pain management situation as to whether Wiggins can play tonight
 

Hoop Head

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Lost in the AD head injury was that after it happened, LeBron went on a mini burst of multiple iffy plays like he was mad and as a result, Wiggins is now questionable for tonights game with a rib fracture. On a play where Steph made a pullup jumper, as Wiggins went to block out LeBron he took an elbow to the sternum and immediately started holding his chest and side. He played another 3 minutes but left shortly after making a spinning hook shot, getting fouled, and then while still in mid air getting shoved by LeBron.

It appears to be a pain management situation as to whether Wiggins can play tonight

Hope Wiggins is tougher than Ayton.
 

AzStevenCal

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Hope Wiggins is tougher than Ayton.
I don't mind the piling on of Ayton, if he didn't want this outcry maybe he should have pulled his head out of his butt and learned how that to play this game rather than spending his free time playing video games. But having said that, the list of pro athletes that have missed games due to rib contusions is quite impressive. In fact, several players that suited up for us at one time or another have missed games because of that injury.
 

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I don't mind the piling on of Ayton, if he didn't want this outcry maybe he should have pulled his head out of his butt and learned how that to play this game rather than spending his free time playing video games. But having said that, the list of pro athletes that have missed games due to rib contusions is quite impressive. In fact, several players that suited up for us at one time or another have missed games because of that injury.

Had it been just about any other game, I'd give him a pass. I'm curious how many of those players missed potential elimination games. That's where I take issue. A rib contusion and rib fracture are pretty similar as well.
 

AzStevenCal

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Had it been just about any other game, I'd give him a pass. I'm curious how many of those players missed potential elimination games. That's where I take issue. A rib contusion and rib fracture are pretty similar as well.
I googled it yesterday and saw players that were out for several weeks from a rib contusion and leared that it's a very common injury in the NBA. So I figure it's happened in elimination games too but can't confirm. And I'll bet many of them are intentional cheap shots to the ribs with the hopes that it won't destroy a players career but will make them less effective for a few days if they are even able to play.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I don't mind the piling on of Ayton, if he didn't want this outcry maybe he should have pulled his head out of his butt and learned how that to play this game rather than spending his free time playing video games. But having said that, the list of pro athletes that have missed games due to rib contusions is quite impressive. In fact, several players that suited up for us at one time or another have missed games because of that injury.
Elimination games?
 

AzStevenCal

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Elimination games?
I have no idea but I read that rib contusions can take up to 6 weeks to fully heal and came across a lot of players that were out for weeks before they could function through the pain.

So it just stands to reason to me that Ayton, who appears to have a low pain tolerance, could legimately be unable to play despite the importance of the game. And watching the way he collapsed and then stuggled to get back to his feet, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Despite the fact he's never really earned that benefit.
 

BirdGangThing

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I have no idea but I read that rib contusions can take up to 6 weeks to fully heal and came across a lot of players that were out for weeks before they could function through the pain.

So it just stands to reason to me that Ayton, who appears to have a low pain tolerance, could legimately be unable to play despite the importance of the game. And watching the way he collapsed and then stuggled to get back to his feet, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Despite the fact he's never really earned that benefit.
But he finished the game and practiced the next day
 

AzStevenCal

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But he finished the game and practiced the next day
Yeah that's not unusual from what I understand. He also said he struggled all game physically after he returned post injury. And bruises are often much worse over the next few days. Supposedly they aren't even supposed to get a pain injection for a couple of weeks after the injury but I only ran across that in one article so I'm not sure that's always the case.
 

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Well, I think I'm now rooting for a Jokic vs Embiid final. That would be pretty entertaining.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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I have no idea but I read that rib contusions can take up to 6 weeks to fully heal and came across a lot of players that were out for weeks before they could function through the pain.

So it just stands to reason to me that Ayton, who appears to have a low pain tolerance, could legimately be unable to play despite the importance of the game. And watching the way he collapsed and then stuggled to get back to his feet, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Despite the fact he's never really earned that benefit.
That’s why I won’t give it to him. He loafs on the court and he refuses to accept his shortcomings. I’m certainly not giving him a pass for sitting out an elimination game with a bruise.
 

ajcardfan

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So much for the Knicks walking into the ECF.

Anyone think the Heat have no chance against the Boston-Philly winner?
 
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