The 2024 NBA playoffs thread

[Lorenzo]

They're pushing that Luka is injured narrative hard before tip off. Everyone is dinged up now. Luka is no more hurt than anyone else playing big minutes. Maybe if he were in better shape he wouldn't have some of those issues though?

He looked a lot better tonight than he did in prior games. He had it going both scoring and passing. He also had a big block on SGA to seal the game at that end. He injured his knee at some point in the clippers series but I don’t think it was anything that would have kept him out more than a couple of games if it were regular season. I think the real reason for doncic’s struggles has been the way OKC has defended him.

 

[clyde2tw]

Everyone on the OKC team seems a better crunch time 3pt shooter than our Allen. Joe, Wiggins, Wallace. And Chet, JWill, Giddy also seem capable to score on our defense at will. But Mavs D is good enough to make them the standard role players they should be. A good defense is the foundation for any potential superstar or star core to shine, to reach the higher upper limit that come with them. Mave have 2 vs. OKC's one superstar when it counts, so I expect them to win out. Denver vs. MIN has a 2.5 vs. 1 count. We don't have an adequate defense to make the superstar counts even remotely relevant.

 

[Lorenzo]

10 for 40 from three tonight. Wow.

Great defense by Dallas!

This series will come down to the mavs role players making open shots. Doncic and Irving need to score more, especially when defended one on one. But OKC are basically letting mavs other players take a lot of open shots and running intermittent traps at doncic and Irving. OKC haven’t come off of that plan at all.

 

[BirdGangThing]

they put this up on the screen rn

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[Lorenzo]

He couldn’t carry an entire offense like jokic. Jokic is next level as a full offense fulcrum. No other center has ever come close to doing what he does offensively.

That’s a good point. His creativity, particularly with passing the ball is better than any big man I’ve seen. I think Hakeem is a better player overall and is one of the most overlooked players because of the MJ era. Hakeem definitely shouldered the rockets in 94. He got drexler the next year and what they did to Orlando was impressive. I always take Hakeem over shaq. With all that said Jokic will pass Hakeem and most likely will be the most talented and decorated foreign player of all time, especially at that position.

 

[Lorenzo]

I still feel confident they'll win the series. These Mavs aren't as good as they've looked. OKC is struggling also.

Idk. Dallas has been on a role for a long time if you go back to them winning 16 out of 18 down the stretch of the season. Mavs could have won the last game and should have won tonight’s game by more than they did if Irving played with more aggression. The mavs defense gave OKC a lot of problems tonight and has been that way after game 1. If Dallas keep playing like that on defense I think they can win one of the next 2. Especially if Irving plays better on offense which I expect him to do in an elimination game.

 

[Phrazbit]

I still feel confident they'll win the series. These Mavs aren't as good as they've looked. OKC is struggling also.

OKC is getting killed on the glass. They are low on guys who can create their own shot so they rely on transition for easy baskets and Dallas is killing them on the glass and also playing slow as hell to kill the back and forth game.

I don't know how OKC attempts to fix one problem without making the other worse.

Jason Kidd, the person, seems like huge POS, but as a head coach, he's managing this series very well.

 

[95pro]

OKC is getting killed on the glass. They are low on guys who can create their own shot so they rely on transition for easy baskets and Dallas is killing them on the glass and also playing slow as hell to kill the back and forth game.

I don't know how OKC attempts to fix one problem without making the other worse.

Jason Kidd, the person, seems like huge POS, but as a head coach, he's managing this series very well.

Game grew tight and close towards the end. What does Kidd do, takes out Irving and Luka for defensive minded guys who can rebound and secure the ball. There were times where I wish Frank or even Monty would do some minor strategic things like this.

 

[BirdGangThing]

.

Game grew tight and close towards the end. What does Kidd do, takes out Irving and Luka for defensive minded guys who can rebound and secure the ball. There were times where I wish Frank or even Monty would do some minor strategic things like this.

kidd put his clamp down defensive squad in and they clamped down

 

[Lorenzo]

Game grew tight and close towards the end. What does Kidd do, takes out Irving and Luka for defensive minded guys who can rebound and secure the ball. There were times where I wish Frank or even Monty would do some minor strategic things like this.

The game was over by then was it not?
Doncic was tied for game high in rebounds and consistently out rebounds OKC’s best rebounder. And it should be pointed out Doncic’s last play to help end that game was a block on SGA. Kidd also brought Washington and Jones Jr. out the next possession for mop up time after he pulled his two stars.

 

[GatorAZ]

OKC is getting killed on the glass. They are low on guys who can create their own shot so they rely on transition for easy baskets and Dallas is killing them on the glass and also playing slow as hell to kill the back and forth game.

I don't know how OKC attempts to fix one problem without making the other worse.

Jason Kidd, the person, seems like huge POS, but as a head coach, he's managing this series very well.

Kidd has come a long way as a coach:
.

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[Ronin]

Knicks Injury Tracker: OG Anunoby ruled out for Game 6 vs. Pacers

The latest injury news and possible return dates for New York Knicks players...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Lorenzo]

Kidd has come a long way as a coach:
.

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you can see why he struggled as a coach early on. I think he learned that in OKC in 2011, game 4, when someone on the OKC bench area spilled ice on the court to try to distract dirk on the line and buy more time for OKC. that was dirk's best game of his career.

I think the time that Kidd spent in LA as an assistant helped him.

 

[sdscard4]

Minnesota has turned into us
Choke!

 

[Cheesebeef]

Minnesota has turned into us
Choke!

Game 7 would be pretty awesome between these two squads.

 

[Phrazbit]

Denver is moving like they're stuck in mud.

 

[BirdGangThing]

denver getting smoooooooooked

 

[ajcardfan]

Game 7 would be pretty awesome between these two squads.

IDK. Every game has been a blow out. This one the biggest of all. Surely ONE will be close, right?

Crazy series. Denver looked like a juggernaut the last three games and the Wolves just obliterate them.

 

[clyde2tw]

Denver got complacent trying to hit 3s in the 1st qrt after their 9-2 start. By not hitting them, they lost their confidence and built up MIN's.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Really impressive resolve from the young T-Pups.

Game 7 between defending champs/MVP and the upstart next gen squad? That’s a pretty exciting game to look forward to.

 

[Covert Rain]

45 point win?!? Even if Denver wins this series this did serious damage to them being an unbeatable champ.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Holy crap! I didn’t watch. WTH happened to Denver?!?

 

[Chaplin]

Holy crap! I didn’t watch. WTH happened to Denver?!?

They got Luka'd. That's a thing, right Suns fans??

 

[95pro]

Denver got complacent trying to hit 3s in the 1st qrt after their 9-2 start. By not hitting them, they lost their confidence and built up MIN's.

Kind of sounds like how we would start games this past season.

 

[Superbone]

Minnesota has turned into us
Choke!

That didn’t age well.