NBA Playoffs 2014

Nuri Sahin

No defense on show now in Blazers - Rockets, should be fun.

Maybe I should little defense, great block from Dwight.

Paully D

Nuri Sahin wrote: »

No defense on show now in Blazers - Rockets, should be fun.

Won't get to watch it myself unfortunately but I think it will be really good viewing.

In all four games during the season both scored more than 100. Rockets also average the 2nd highest PPG against Portland than anyone else bar the Clippers who had 117 to Houston's 116.

Enjoy!

padraig_f

Damn, they're a handful alright, kept Wall and Beal fairly quiet, but Nene had a monster game. I think the Bulls will play better, but not easy when you give them a 1 game lead. Lot of pressure on Tuesday's game now, no. 1 adjustment will be to do something about Nene posting up Noah, bring the double team maybe, get the ball out of his hands.

Nuri Sahin

What a way to cap off a phenomenal opening weekend of the Playoffs. Best has been saved for last. Going to OT in Houston.

Blazers win.

I don't know where to start - Dwight's clutch free throws, Aldridge going off with a playoff franchise high, big shot to tie and take it to OT from Lillard, Beverly's relentless hussle, shocking reffing, etc, etc. Awesome game.

ButtersSuki

For Forks Sake wrote: »

What has Jimmer done that Thibs refuses to put him in the rotation?

Some day people will realise Jimmer is not the second coming of Larry Bird and not the Great White Hope either. I've said this before, he's too small and slow* to be effective in an athlete driven league like the NBA. Throw in zero defense and that's why he's not getting game time.


*Small and slow are relative statements before anyone goes crazy!

padraig_f

Holy ****, what a win for Portland. Makes me feel better about the Bulls' loss, at least we didn't blow a 10-point lead with 4 mins to go. Likable team Portland, Lillard is a badass and Aldridge is a beast (great tip-in at the end of regulation). Loved the hack-a-Howard, great drama.

5 out of the 8 teams have lost game 1 at home, must be a record.

padraig_f

@basketballtalk: The referees realize this is the playoffs, right? Been calling these games like it's November all weekend.

+1. Some real ticky-tack stuff called all weekend, let the guys play.

walrusgumble

padraig_f wrote: »

Damn, they're a handful alright, kept Wall and Beal fairly quiet, but Nene had a monster game. I think the Bulls will play better, but not easy when you give them a 1 game lead. Lot of pressure on Tuesday's game now, no. 1 adjustment will be to do something about Nene posting up Noah, bring the double team maybe, get the ball out of his hands.

The Whiz power forward,former Phoenix player, played big too. As did Andre Miller.

Bulls missed way to many reasonable shots (credit to Washington's defense), many of their scores came from put backs, one of which (Noahs) should not have counted. While the hussle is admirable it's a worry, too reliant on Augustine to drive.

What killed it for.the Bulls was allowing the game get into a fast paced shoot out in the third, Washington were able to pick off their defense.

Great game, delighted I stayed up for the Houston game. Once again Howards free throws messed it up for Houston, pitty, he had a big game


The referees in all the games ruined it.

There was a bad call in the bulls game when butler was called for a foul on one of the whiz players for a genuine 50 50 loose ball. Yes there was contact but no intention to foul. The guys of the 1980-90s would have pulled their hair out,if they had any left.

BQQ

padraig_f wrote: »

Likable team Portland

I don't know about that.
Thought the hard fouls on an injured Beverley were pretty cheap.
Hope they lose now.

padraig_f

BQQ wrote: »

I don't know about that.
Thought the hard fouls on an injured Beverley were pretty cheap.
Hope they lose now.

I suppose likability is subjective, but I don't see that as a problem, if you're out on the court, you're fair game.

It was Beverley who made the play on Russell Westbrook when he tore his meniscus, that some people thought was dirty. I defended Beverley on that one, but he's not someone who can complain about on-the-edge plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtiNqJ0VPQ

walrusgumble

No shock, Knicks sacked their coach.

Nuri Sahin

Created an offseason thread there, so talk of Woodson and Adelman doesn't get lost - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=90029620#post90029620

GoldFour4

Found this on Nate Silvers site fivethirtyeight. It's an article on how the season would have gone injury free. It's based on databases and math but that's out of the way early and he goes through it in pretty basic terms. Interesting that the Warriors and Portland really benefited from the injuries to other teams.

Check it out here.

stuba

padraig_f wrote: »

I suppose likability is subjective, but I don't see that as a problem, if you're out on the court, you're fair game.

It was Beverley who made the play on Russell Westbrook when he tore his meniscus, that some people thought was dirty. I defended Beverley on that one, but he's not someone who can complain about on-the-edge plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtiNqJ0VPQ

I agree. The hard fouls have completely gone out of the games along with alot of intensity. They come hand and hand, players and crowd get riled up for it. Beverley can never be one to complain about hard fouls cause he lives on the edge all game. It makes him what he is.

Paully D

Bulls have called a press conference for 9pm GMT, it's believed to announce Joakim Noah as DPOTY. From CBS:

The Bulls will make a major announcement at 4 p.m. ET on Monday and according to CSN Chicago, it will be to name Joakim Noah the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.

Noah, who anchored the league's second-best defense in terms of defensive efficiency, has been the heart and soul of the Bulls this season after the team lost Derrick Rose to injury and traded Luol Deng to the Cavaliers.

The Bulls allowed just 97.8 points per 100 possessions, which is an insanely good number, and it's largely due to the fact that Noah was the backbone of it. Noah ranked No. 1 in Defensive Rating at 95.8 (estimated points allowed when he's on the floor) and Defensive Win Shares (an estimation of how many wins his defense contributed to) with 6.6.

Noah's defensive impact has always been in his energy and versatility. He can successfully defend any center in the league, while still being able to step out on a switch and check smaller guards. And the fact he plays so hard brings it all together.

Noah, 29, averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals this season for Chicago.

GoldFour4

Great little piece from the Suns :P

Preseason predictions

buyer95

Paully D wrote: »

Bulls have called a press conference for 9pm GMT, it's believed to announce Joakim Noah as DPOTY. From CBS:

Well deserved. Great quote from Pop on Ginobili's newborn: "I said, 'Manu, you didnt do anything. Your wife is efficient. Youre not efficient."

Nuri Sahin

BQQ

padraig_f wrote: »

I suppose likability is subjective, but I don't see that as a problem, if you're out on the court, you're fair game.

It was Beverley who made the play on Russell Westbrook when he tore his meniscus, that some people thought was dirty. I defended Beverley on that one, but he's not someone who can complain about on-the-edge plays.

Don't get me wrong. I've no sympathy for Beverley.

I'm just saying I find it hard to root for a team that commits cynical fouls with the intention to hurt someone

PizzamanIRL

The NBA come out today and admit that the officials called it wrong last night.
How many times have they done this during the year? It's just rubbing salt into the wound. 'Oh yeah sorry about missing that game changing call. We were wrong but we're not going to do anything about it other than admit to it'

"After video review by the league office, we have determined that the officials were incorrect in assessing a foul to the Rockets' Dwight Howard with 10.8 seconds remaining in overtime. The foul should have been called on the Blazers' Joel Freeland and Howard should have been awarded two free throws."

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/04/21/nba-statement-on-blazers-rockets-foul-call/index.html

NufcNavan

Better than a 'see no evil, hear no evil' policy I suppose.

Paully D

Pity the Clippers/Warriors game isn't on until 03:30am. The Thunder/Grizzlies is the "early" game at 01:00am. I'd have preferred that the other way around.

padraig_f

Real happy for Jo, what a year he's had. Been a leader on the team for a few years, but after losing Rose and Deng, has become the leader. Great to watch him improve over the years. And apart from his play this year, he's the ultimate team guy. A lot of guys in the NBA fake the team stuff, but with Jo, it's not faked. Bulls fans know it because they see it in all the little things he does. When he says this, it's 100% true:

"This award is not about me, even though I get to go home with that weird looking dude (the trophy). This is about our team."



Link to press conference

NufcNavan

After seeing some grind action in that first quarter.

Paully D

Looks like the Grizzlies came to play in OKC. They lead 24-16 after one.

Paully D

It's extremely loud in the Chesapeake Arena tonight. Fisher rolling back the years and then the roof nearly came off when Ibaka rejected Ed Davis on the next play.

Nuri Sahin

Stupid refs.

Nuri Sahin

Paully D wrote: »

It's extremely loud in the Chesapeake Arena tonight. Fisher rolling back the years and then the roof nearly came off when Ibaka rejected Ed Davis on the next play.

Great pic from earlier. If there was ever a reason to travel to OKC, it would be to experience a playoff game there.

Nuri Sahin

Beno Udrih is doing stuff tonight..

Nuri Sahin

What a game.