NBA Playoffs 2023

[Zeus 6463]

4 mins left in the half and zero (0) free throws taken by Suns. Wtf 

[ztejas 43741]

Durant has been fantastic on D again.

Booker saving his ass on the other end. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8916]

Oof. Ugly

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

Loved seeing Harden go off. He gets shit on waaaaaay too much for playoff failures. Name me a time where he had a clearly better team and they lost- it hasn’t ever happened. They basically go as far as they are supposed to every year- no better and no worse. He’s had some great games. 46 games of 30+ Or something like that- 4th amongst active players. He’s also had some horrible playoff games. He’s been pretty lousy in elimination games. 
boston will when this series and everyone will forget about this game and go back to shitting on Harden- it is the way. And- he will probably be really bad in the elimination game. Probably 10 TO’s bc that what he do. 
they lost to a lower seeded Portland team who they had the same record as, and a lower seeded GS team who had Kd, Klay, Draymond  and Steph without CP3 in the last 2 games. That’s it. That’s his 2 losses to lower seeded teams. 

[ztejas 43741]

Jokic is so God damn good.

[ztejas 43741]

Holy shit Phoenix cannot buy a whistle.

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

7 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Holy shit Phoenix cannot buy a whistle.

Nope. 
Chris Paul out for good?  

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

22 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Loved seeing Harden go off. He gets shit on waaaaaay too much for playoff failures. Name me a time where he had a clearly better team and they lost- it hasn’t ever happened. They basically go as far as they are supposed to every year- no better and no worse. He’s had some great games. 46 games of 30+ Or something like that- 4th amongst active players. He’s also had some horrible playoff games. He’s been pretty lousy in elimination games. 
boston will when this series and everyone will forget about this game and go back to shitting on Harden- it is the way. And- he will probably be really bad in the elimination game. Probably 10 TO’s bc that what he do. 
they lost to a lower seeded Portland team who they had the same record as, and a lower seeded GS team who had Kd, Klay, Draymond  and Steph without CP3 in the last 2 games. That’s it. That’s his 2 losses to lower seeded teams. 

Dude. He lost by like 30 points at home in  a game 6 elimination game against a spurs team that didn't have Kawhi Leonard. It was one of the most embarrassing playoff performances in the history of the league. He was an abortion. 

But we get it with you and him. At this point I think all of us are just impressed you are able to type so well while you fondle his balls with his cock permanently lodged in your mouth. 

[ztejas 43741]

Phoenix has gotten 6 points outside of their "big 4"

[aggie08 21578]

13 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Dude. He lost by like 30 points at home in  a game 6 elimination game against a spurs team that didn't have Kawhi Leonard. It was one of the most embarrassing playoff performances in the history of the league. He was an abortion. 

But we get it with you and him. At this point I think all of us are just impressed you are able to type so well while you fondle his balls with his cock permanently lodged in your mouth. 

Why is Steph Curry yelling "Light the beam!" in Game 7 not a GIF yet? It needs to be.

[shadow_operative 15932]

i don't remember watching another playoffs where getting offensive rebounds off of deep misses decided more games. with teams shooting so many threes and with so much of these games being played in the half court, having guys who can go grab all of those misses and recycle the possession is so important.

[aggie08 21578]

9 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Phoenix has gotten 6 points outside of their "big 4"

That's almost impossible, yet here we are.

[Blotto 23678]

This series needs to go 7. Entertaining shit

[aggie08 21578]

I had to stop watching for a bit...is CP3 really out with a non-contact, soft tissue groin injury?

[aggie08 21578]

Damn. Don't think I've ever seen a KD jumper be blocked from head on.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8916]

Man if Phoenix doesn’t steal this on a night Murray’s 0-9 from 3 and 2-199 shooting….

[conVINCEd 21474]

1 minute ago, aggie08 said:

I had to stop watching for a bit...is CP3 really out with a non-contact, soft tissue groin injury?

It’s almost like you could predict these things.  I should be able to gamble on how many games CP, AD, and the nephew play in a series. 

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

Cam Payne

[ztejas 43741]

Durant had to be better tonight. 

Not that they have enough to win this series anyway without CP. 

James Jones has his work cut out for him this offseason. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

jesus, these shots. and they aren't even touching rim. 

[aggie08 21578]

Jokic is the best player in the league. I don't know why we always have to overcomplicate this shit.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

That bomb by kcp was huge. He was super clutch for the Lakers in the bubble championship. Some rotation dudes are just wired like that. You gotta have them to win a ring. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8916]

God spero dedes is so cheesey when he calls nugget games


Anytime joker makes an uncontested 4 foot shot it’s brilliance, poetry, beautiful, masterful or out of this world

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

why is the crowd chanting "Yankees suck" ?

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

40 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Dude. He lost by like 30 points at home in  a game 6 elimination game against a spurs team that didn't have Kawhi Leonard. It was one of the most embarrassing playoff performances in the history of the league. He was an abortion. 

But we get it with you and him. At this point I think all of us are just impressed you are able to type so well while you fondle his balls with his cock permanently lodged in your mouth. 

Sure. That spurs team that was better than them and a higher seed. He had a shitty elimination game. Like I said it’s what he does. Of course when he has a really good (this one was actually great) playoff game it doesn’t count. He’s the biggest loser in playoff history. I read and hear it all the time. And me saying- eh- it’s a mixed bag means I’m fellating him. Ok cool.  
and- they will lose to the Celtics because the Celtics are better. That’s what Hardin teams do. 
also- he was concussed for that Game 6 with the Spurs. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Wulaw Horn

[shadow_operative 15932]

11 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Jokic is the best player in the league. I don't know why we always have to overcomplicate this shit.

[Chewbacca 7793]

That was a fun game. Suns definitely upped their physicality. Gotta get Murray and MPJ back on track offensively. They were both terrible tonight. KD was more off than I can remember seeing him, too.

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/james-harden-career-stats-playoff
 

23/6/5 and +386 for his career. Is he Steph/KD/Lebron etc?  No. He’s also not the worst playoff performer ever. He’s great in the regular season, good in the playoffs with some epic stinkers. But for some reason only the stinkers count for him. Like I said- this one won’t count because they will lose the series and he will get blamed even though Boston was -500 to win the series before tip. 

[Chewbacca 7793]

MPJ had a shit night and only scored 5 points. He outscored the entire Suns bench.

[aggie08 21578]

42 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/james-harden-career-stats-playoff
 

23/6/5 and +386 for his career. Is he Steph/KD/Lebron etc?  No. He’s also not the worst playoff performer ever. He’s great in the regular season, good in the playoffs with some epic stinkers. But for some reason only the stinkers count for him. Like I said- this one won’t count because they will lose the series and he will get blamed even though Boston was -500 to win the series before tip. 

Dude. 23/6/5 on 42%/34% splits isn't "good" for a superstar player of his regular season caliber. It's profoundly disappointing. You act like he plays decently enough, but is eventually just overmatched, when he's often a (the?) key contributor to their demise.

He shot under 40% in that infamous 2015 Clippers series and was riding the bench during Josh Smith heroics. In the obvious aforementioned 2017 Spurs' series, it wasn't just the pathetic Game 6; he shot 41%/31% for the series (3-17 in Game 2). In 2018, against Golden State, he shot 41%/24% (on 11 3PTA a game). The following year, he lost Game 6 at home to a KD-less Warriors. So yeah, we remember the stinkers first because there's been so many, and he hasn't broken through yet. 

Of course he isn't always bad. He's played a shit ton of playoff games. But consistency is a huge part of what makes a superstar a superstar. You generally have no fucking clue what you'll get out of him.

He deserves credit for a HUGE game after looking washed in round 1. He's in a great spot with little pressure. He's no longer his team's best player. Win the series, and he'll get serious props for setting the tone by stealing Game 1 practically singlehandedly. Lose, and it falls on Embiid or his injury.

Edited May 2, 2023 by aggie08

[Brian Fantana 6704]

3 hours ago, Zeus said:

Also I love cp3 but need to swap him out for a defender.

Saying this should put you on a list

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

49 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Dude. 23/6/5 on 42%/34% splits isn't "good" for a superstar player of his regular season caliber. It's profoundly disappointing. You act like he plays decently enough, but is eventually just overmatched, when he's often a (the?) key contributor to their demise.

He shot under 40% in that infamous 2015 Clippers series and was riding the bench during Josh Smith heroics. In the obvious aforementioned 2017 Spurs' series, it wasn't just the pathetic Game 6; he shot 41%/31% for the series (3-17 in Game 2). In 2018, against Golden State, he shot 41%/24% (on 11 3PTA a game). The following year, he lost Game 6 at home to a KD-less Warriors. So yeah, we remember the stinkers first because there's been so many, and he hasn't broken through yet. 

Of course he isn't always bad. He's played a shit ton of playoff games. But consistency is a huge part of what makes a superstar a superstar. You generally have no fucking clue what you'll get out of him.

He deserves credit for a HUGE game after looking washed in round 1. He's in a great spot with little pressure. He's no longer his team's best player. Win the series, and he'll get serious props for setting the tone by stealing Game 1 practically singlehandedly. Lose, and it falls on Embiid or his injury.

Those stats a d percentages look a lot like what GS did to Luka last year. Being a one man band against a better team isn’t an easy way to make a living. Name me someone who has often succeeded in that spot. Maybe Jimmy Butler?  

[shadow_operative 15932]

i'll try and keep this short, for my standards anyway. i doubt that anyone here remembers this, but my best friend happens to be close friends with someone who is in harden's inner circle. in fact i actually "broke" the harden to brooklyn story here on surly a full week before any news outlets reported it, because i knew that it was happening way before the deal was actually finalized. point being, i know a lot about who james harden is, and suffice to say, he's is not in love with basketball, to put it mildly.

you look across the court at tatum, who idolizes kobe the way kobe idolized jordan. tatum works his ass off for all of his success. james harden simply was blessed with an nba body and world class talent, but he cares way, WAY too much about all the shit that the money buys for him to ever reach his potential, and to this point to even play up to his ability in the playoffs. i was a huge fan when he was in okc, but it's hard for me to root for a guy who cares about strippers, money, and dom p as much as/more than working hard to perfect his craft when he's been gifted by god himself to the point where he could have been a top 15-20 player all time. instead he's modern day bernard king- no disrespect to king.

[Fastbreak 3996]

PHX bench

71 Minutes
4 points
2-16 shooting
0-9 3s
3 assists
9 fouls
-46

[statsman 5497]

On 4/30/2023 at 3:39 PM, aggie08 said:

Edited May 2, 2023 by statsman

[ztejas 43741]

4 hours ago, Fastbreak said:

PHX bench

71 Minutes
4 points
2-16 shooting
0-9 3s
3 assists
9 fouls
-46

This is misleading. You're leaving out Josh Okogie's minutes. Really it's:

93 minutes

6 points 

3-19 shooting

0-11 3s

4 assists 

12 fouls

-46

[HamsterHookah 112]

As an avowed phoenix suns hater (I can’t stand booker the most), I am gruntled. Nothing would warm this old heart more than Denver sweeping.

[ztejas 43741]

1 hour ago, HamsterHookah said:

As an avowed phoenix suns hater (I can’t stand booker the most), I am gruntled. Nothing would warm this old heart more than Denver sweeping.

PHO should and probably will get one at home but DEN could definitely put it away in 5. I'd put the o/u at 5ish games.

Their role guys have to shoot better. They have no shot if DEN is allowed to swarm Durant and Booker every time they cross the 3 line. You'd expect they shoot better at home. I mean, it would be almost impossible for them not to. You'd also expect PHO gets a better whistle the next 2 games.

I just don't think they're going to get multiple nuclear KD performances with how much he's having to do on the other end. They have to get 20-25 at least outside of KD/Book/Ayton. Or have Ayton not punt multiple possessions on both ends of the court every game (I'll be here til Thursday).

[Pam Cummings 9696]

Lets go Nuggs. I like seeing teams break through.

[BurntOrange&White 40435]

 

LMAO

 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18655]

I guess Brooks finally found a bear that did poke back. Couldn't happen to a bigger jackass. I wonder where he ends up. Nobody is going to pay $11M for a no 3 and D wing with a calling card for cheap shots and generally acting like an immature dick. With the way the NBA works, he probably ends up with the Lakers on a cheap deal and gets his shit together to become a true asset on a championship level team. And then signs a big contract that he never again lives up to.

@Wulaw Horn I'm just giving you shit about your never ending Harden crush. He is what he is. Hall of fame player. MVP. Scoring champ. Assist champ. Turnover champ. Titty bar champ.

Phoenix had zero depth before Chris Paul went out. Now? They are proper fucked. There's only so much Booker and Durant can do. Ayton actually played okay. Murray and Porter had bad nights and they still boat raced the Suns in the fourth quarter. Gotta give Denver's 4Q defense credit, but the Suns were essentially playing 2 on 5. Craig, Lee and Payne going 1-14 isn't going to cut it. That offense is so stagnant and one on one centric, I don't know how you ever even get those role guys into a rhythm. And who could have possibly imagined Chris Paul suffering some sort of random soft tissue leg injury in the playoffs? What are the odds? 

[ztejas 43741]

3 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Nobody is going to pay $11M for a no 3 and D wing with a calling card for cheap shots and generally acting like an immature dick.

I think he gets something like 2/12. 

[ztejas 43741]

8 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I don't know how you ever even get those role guys into a rhythm.

They got plenty of good looks. Those guys need to be pros and hit shots when they're open. Unfortunately - it isn't Ray Allen and Mike Miller out there for PHO. 

[MNLonghornFUKM 8916]

I think he gets something like 2/12. 

Still not worth it because he sucks and his mouth gets your team in trouble. Bad combo

[closetohumping 17547]

Brooks not returning to Memphis.  Not his choice.

[Sbbruin 21912]

3 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Brooks not returning to Memphis.  Not his choice.

He's a bitch.

[ztejas 43741]

23 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

Still not worth it because he sucks and his mouth gets your team in trouble. Bad combo

Hey man. There are 30 GMs in the NBA. Some of them are dipshits. You should know as well as anyone. 

$6M per is pennies in 2023. He has decent ball skills and size and plays pretty good man D. Someone will take a flier on him as a project or specialist guy off the bench. 

 

What's funny about this is how Memphis is drawing a line in the sand after playing the guy 30 mins a game and letting him shoot 15 times a night. "We'll let you come here and do whatever you want night in and night out and pay you $12M but you have another thing coming if you think we're resigning you!" 

[Wulaw Horn 19231]

44 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I guess Brooks finally found a bear that did poke back. Couldn't happen to a bigger jackass. I wonder where he ends up. Nobody is going to pay $11M for a no 3 and D wing with a calling card for cheap shots and generally acting like an immature dick. With the way the NBA works, he probably ends up with the Lakers on a cheap deal and gets his shit together to become a true asset on a championship level team. And then signs a big contract that he never again lives up to.

@Wulaw Horn I'm just giving you shit about your never ending Harden crush. He is what he is. Hall of fame player. MVP. Scoring champ. Assist champ. Turnover champ. Titty bar champ.

Phoenix had zero depth before Chris Paul went out. Now? They are proper fucked. There's only so much Booker and Durant can do. Ayton actually played okay. Murray and Porter had bad nights and they still boat raced the Suns in the fourth quarter. Gotta give Denver's 4Q defense credit, but the Suns were essentially playing 2 on 5. Craig, Lee and Payne going 1-14 isn't going to cut it. That offense is so stagnant and one on one centric, I don't know how you ever even get those role guys into a rhythm. And who could have possibly imagined Chris Paul suffering some sort of random soft tissue leg injury in the playoffs? What are the odds? 

I agree with everything that you said about him there in that sentence. My only push back (against everyone) is against the idea he is some uniquely terrible playoff guy.  He's good in the playoffs overall, probably. Which isn't what you want for a guy that has MVP's and HOF and is probably a top 50 player all time. You want great. Transcendent. He's not that. He's also not a choking bum who loses every year in the first round.  It usually takes until the 2nd round (like this year!) before he loses when he's the best player on the team.  Pair him with another legit star and maybe you get to round 3.  His best outcome might have been a super rich man's Manu Ginobli if he'd have stuck with KD at OKC- he was fucking awesome against the Spurs in 2012.  Then- Miami decided to let KD get his and focus all their attention on Harden as the X factor and shut him down- and that was a good hint of what would happen later in his career when teams geared themselves to stop him.

I expect Boston got lazy and with Embiid out tomorrow they completely and totally stifle him and he has another 5-18 with 7 TO type game- because he's not good enough to beat those guys by himself if he has their proper attention.

If we are being honest Joel Embiid hasn't exactly covered himself in glory in the post season, so even if he comes back and is relatively healthy I expect Boston to boat race them 4 of the next 5 nights and win in 6 games. 

Durant and Booker need to score 80 for them to win.  They will do that at least once, probably twice. I can't imagine them doing that 4 times in 7 games so yeah- proper fucked.    

[ztejas 43741]

25 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Then- Miami decided to let KD get his and focus all their attention on Harden as the X factor and shut him down-

All their attention? Miami made sure that he didn't beat them the way he did the Spurs but Harden was straight up bad in that series. At the end of the day he was still the 3rd most dangerous player on that team. They weren't hiding shitty defenders on Kevin fucking Durant to keep the ball out of Harden's hands. 

I also expect him to play well again in G2. Not 45 and 7 3s good but his energy on this PHI team is a little different. He was really, really good this season before he got hurt. Granted PHI may punt G2 if they get down big. 

[Zeus 6463]

11 hours ago, Brian Fantana said:

Saying this should put you on a list

The list of people who like basketball?