That was just insane. I don't know if I have ever seen anything like that avoiding fouls while killing clock, only to bury an FU 3.
General Playoff Thread: The Long 2nd Season
- Thread starter ElUno20
- Start date
I'd rather watch Marcus Smart pop 3s all game instead of watch RW careen to the basket out of control all game. He fucking killed his own team tonight.
Yes, but they play like 80+ other games where RW is 7000 times better than Marcus Smart.
So impressed with GSW to come back from 3-1 and down in games 6 and 7. Does that clean up the 'they're too soft' arguments?
Nah. Smarts way better than Westbrook. That was oviously my point, and I wasn't laying on the hyperbole at all.
Curry is gonna be shocked going from Westbrook to Kyrie. From zero clean looks to anything he wants whenever he wants it.
Sounds so cliche but Golden State really showed the mindset of a champion. To come back the way they did in Game 6 showed a lot of poise.
And I think we can finally put to bed the old adage: "Defense wins championships". There's no defense for an on-song GS team.
And I think we can finally put to bed the old adage: "Defense wins championships". There's no defense for an on-song GS team.
I was looking to see how Durant and Westbrook shook hands after the game but I think Westbrook stormed off.
Celtics are probably the best chance if we're talking 3 years, but good things need to happen.
I don't know why so many here are giving Cleveland no shot. I haven't seen much of them this year, so maybe they are that bad defensively, but this is definitely not the same Cavs team that played last year. They are healthy, rested, just rolled through the conference, and I think LBJ is ferociously motivated to get one for the city. I think that series could be as good as this one was, and would not be surprised at all if Cleveland comes out on top. Kyrie Irving is my sleeper for Finals MVP. And Love brings a dimension they didn't have last year.
I'm not saying Cleveland will win, just wondering why folks seem to think they have no shot.
I'm not saying Cleveland will win, just wondering why folks seem to think they have no shot.
They certainly have a "shot". But while they have LeBron, they don't have the length that OKC had in Ibaka/Adams, which really bothered GS. They're going to win a couple games, maybe 3, but I don't see them winning unless Curry or Klay just have an off series. Those guys will get tons of good looks.
Throughout the game thread tonight, there were posts basically saying that if GSW won this game, it was a foregone conclusion they'd be champs again. The other night too.
Ah. I am with you: Cleveland is playing well, I think it should be competitive.
LeBron switching teams after losing in the Finals again to the same team over and over?
DOTB, I think Cleveland certainly has a shot. But, I think Irving and Love's defense will be exposed. OKC's length really bothered GS at times in this series and Cleveland doesn't have that. I also think GS's bench is a big plus against Cleveland's. It should be a long series because Cleveland can score with GS but ultimately GS should be favorites.
It's matchups. Cleveland hung around in the finals last year by playing a super-defensive lineup and playing at a crazy-slow pace. It took the Ws 2 3/4 games to figure out how to beat it, but once they did the series was over.
They don't have the length/athleticism that OKC has that gave GSW so many fits. And Kevin Love will be matched up on Green, who will run a million pick n rolls with Curry trying to get switches. Love is not nearly the defender Adams or Ibaka are and by G7 Curry was abusing both of those guys on switches. And when they go off-ball Irving and Smith are not at Westbrook/Roberson's level for chasing Curry/Westbrook around screens. Nor can CLE switch everything 1-4 on screens like OKC could with Roberson. They also have no answers to the GSW small lineup, which will just flat-out run them off the floor.
Cleveland has more skill than OKC, but you can't get in a skill/shooting contest with GSW, that's a recipe for disaster. CLE will get 1 at home, maybe 2 if LeBron plays out of his mind, but this is a terrible matchup for CLE. I think GSW wins in 5, and a sweep is not impossible.
Agree with p. much everything you said CM. I'm rooting for the Cavs, I want the Finals to be competitive/great...but I just don't see how in the world the Cavs defend the Warriors. Love is going to be under perpetual stress, they won't be able to switch everything like the Thunder. They basically need to hope they can dominate the offensive glass/get wicked hot from 3, and that the Dubs aren't the world beating shooters they were tonight.
Serious props for Iguodala. 43 minutes tonight and really made it difficult for Durant all night. He forced Durant to dish it down low to Adams or to the wing to Roberson/Waiters all game and those guys combined to go 8 for 31.
In the end, this series was about Curry/Klay making silly shots. That rainbow by Curry over Durant when OKC had cut it to 4 or 5 was the play of the game for me.
In the end, this series was about Curry/Klay making silly shots. That rainbow by Curry over Durant when OKC had cut it to 4 or 5 was the play of the game for me.
Thanks for the explanations guys. Like I said, I haven't seen a ton of Cleveland this year, although I've seen a bunch of their playoff games, and while they certainly weren't playing the Warriors, their defense was very good. I guess it's a matchup issue, like you guys say, and certainly more of an issue on defense, but I figured Cleveland can do enough offensively to at least give themselves a shot. At least more of a shot than others seemed to think, but you all are probably right. Hope it's not the case. Would love to see the city of Cleveland get a championship, even though I'm not a huge Lebron fan, but I hope, at a minimum, it's as competitive as this series was.
Hard not to think that this OKC team will join the early 2000s Kings and mid-2000s Suns in the "close but no cigar" club. Will be really interesting to see where Durant's head is at once the dust settles but he, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Adams might all be FAs next summer. I could see Durant doing the 2 year deal with an opt-out and taking another shot with this group. Then, next summer they'd have basically their entire starting lineup as FAs.
from tonight? I must have missed that. Don't remember any hard fouls, assuming that's what this is. Anyone got a gif?
What does this even mean? The play that should have been a no call, but ended up as double personals, just to save face for review?
i just don't see any advantage the Cavs have in this finals. Other than LeBron, who would you be scared of? Love and Kyrie aren't two-way players. Iggy will be on James enough to make the difference. GSW in 6 and its not really close in the grand scheme.
Draymond hate steeps deep and strong in these parts.
They had another tangle later in the game where both went down. Again. Nobody cried. Bigs bang. Respect after the game.
They had another tangle later in the game where both went down. Again. Nobody cried. Bigs bang. Respect after the game.