The 2024 NBA playoffs thread

[Lorenzo]

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huge loss. he has been the mavericks best defender in this series IMO. he has been effective in keeping Edwards from finishing around the basket. I saw your other post that mentions Kleber may return now. Kleber is a versatile defender and I thought he would have been needed in this series. but not sure that he is going to give them much in game 4, and surely won't have the impact that lively would.

 

[Lorenzo]

Coaching and running the big 3 into the ground with heavy minutes had alit to do with that! And let’s not act like the Wolves team playing now is the same that swept us or beat the defending champs! Towns can’t hit the broad side of a barn and ANT is playing slightly better than Towns lol. Dallas is playing well but let’s not act like Minn is not playing like total crap in this WCF…

except Minnesota are the same team. Dallas is a different matchup for them. Look at the way Dallas are exploiting Goebert at the offensive end with doncic/irving/gafford/lively. Dallas is also affecting Minnesota's offense in the paint. Minnesota is settling for a lot more 3's because that is the way they are being defended. Towns is playing poorly at both ends, but what about the other Wolves players who are lighting it up from 3? what about Anderson who looks like he can't miss an open shot? I thought in game 3 Minnesota attacked the basket a lot more than the prior games, especially after Lively was out of the game. That is a concern of mine for game 4 with lively out.

if you discount all of that (which I assume you are) then the obvious difference between dallas and all of the other teams in the west right now is that they have a good team overall, with 2 legit 4th quarter closers. If you try to double both of them, there will be open looks elsewhere, often 3's or dunks.

 

[Lorenzo]

KAT has been taking awfully timed shots as well. Crunch time comes, early in the shot clock, and he tries to jack up a 3. You think a guy that big would try and get something inside going if your shot isn't falling.

yeah IDK, I do think he can play better. not sure why he got benched in game 2 down the stretch. it could be a defensive liability issue with both he and goebert.

 

[CardNots]

series is not over yet, but his best shot of the series was at Lively's groin. I recall that Towns once said that he was a better shooter than dirk. I think KD called him out for that.

Now that made me laugh out loud.

 

[Lorenzo]

Now that made me laugh out loud.

Yeah, not only is he not a better 3 point shooter, but dirk at his size had a post up game and went to the basket and got to the line a lot. I think dirk might still hold the playoff record for amount of free throws made in one game.

 

[BirdGangThing]

mavs better better not mess around - need to close it out tonight

 

[leclerc]

JFC, we DO have draft picks!! Why do you keep repeating that lie?

Also, if we trade for expiring contracts or someone semi decent (how much does the big three get paid each year?) we can float like when Nash got stuck after Amaré and the troops split. Signing the polish hammer and Chili something. So we should still be better than the worst, but maybe not first round playoff exit good either.

 

[BirdGangThing]

minnesota is pissed off - and they're definitely intentionally trying to piss luka off - disruption working early - timberwolves up 20-10

 

[BirdGangThing]

Dallas just wanted to come out and hoist the western trophy - but minnesota isn't going gentle into that good night

 

[Lorenzo]

minnesota is pissed off - and they're definitely intentionally trying to piss luka off - disruption working early - timberwolves up 20-10

They are taking cheap fouls at him. It might come back to haunt them. But Luka’s teammates need to get his back.

 

[BirdGangThing]

They are taking cheap fouls at him. It might come back to haunt them.

if they can extend the series and beat luka up in the process idk bro - boston's already begun the healing process

 

[Lorenzo]

if they can extend the series and beat luka up in the process idk bro - boston's already begun the healing process

It’s too early to worry about any of that. Minnesota can’t be happy with the way they closed that quarter. And ant already looks like he ran a marathon. Dallas can come back and win this game. I do worry about lively being out though. Kleber needs to knock down some 3’s.

 

[clyde2tw]

The same kind of bad pass by Ant in the final seconds of a qrt over and over.

 

[Lorenzo]

The same kind of bad pass by Ant in the final seconds of a qrt over and over.

He’s playing great but I also think he is wearing himself out. Towns and the rest of ant’s teammates are taking too many dumb cheapshots at doncic away from the basket. Playing themselves out of the game.

 

[BirdGangThing]

if they can extend the series and beat luka up in the process idk bro - boston's already begun the healing process

dallas already catching up

 

[Lorenzo]

dallas already catching up

Where has exum been? I haven’t seen him make a 3 in a long time. That has to be tough for Ant to watch.

 

[clyde2tw]

Kidd, and thus Doncic, know Conley's defensive tendency that led to those 2 assisted 3pt by Jones. Booker gambles, and thus gets exploited, the same way on D like Conley.

 

[Lorenzo]

dallas already catching up

Yeah it’s not like that should surprise us based on what we’ve seen so far. Goebert and towns with a lot of dumb innocuous fouls. Goebert doesn’t even want to shoot over kleber. He prefers a shot clock violation. Towns tried to post up Washington and his teammate wouldn’t even give him the ball. T-wolves really blew that lead quickly.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Dallas gonna run away with this in the second half.

 

[Lorenzo]

Kidd, and thus Doncic, know Conley's defensive tendency that led to those 2 assisted 3pt by Jones. Booker gambles, and thus gets exploited, the same way on D like Conley.

Kidd is rubbing off on doncic. Some of those passes are like the ones Kidd used to make. A little disappointed that Dallas didn’t score more there with Anthony resting on the bench.

 

[BirdGangThing]

kat waits till he has 18 fouls and then starts playing like an all star

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[Lorenzo]

kat waits till he has 18 fouls and then starts playing like an all star

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He’s got four fouls though. Wolves are fighting hard, but not playing smart. And dallas are letting them hang around.

 

[Lorenzo]

Towns with the fifth foul and impersonating Tim Duncan. And the Minnesota coach is really dumb for leaving towns in the game and then taking a tech.

 

[clyde2tw]

Towns and Wolves' players are all just too raw, with a lot of bonehead plays. Suns defense was just too bad that made them still effective enough.

 

[BirdGangThing]

dallas is bar far the better closer but they're playing a dangerous game right now against a dangerous team