NBA Playoffs 2014

Nuri Sahin

I was wondering why OKC opened at -2 for Game 3 earlier. Makes sense somewhat.

Paully D

No basketball again tonight. This long break is a massive advantage for the Heat for Wade's health.

I struggle to see Ibaka being anywhere near 100% fit for the rest of the series. He has gone from definitively out of the series to back by game three. Hmmm. Perhaps a physiological move on the Thunder's part. The Spurs should still advance with relative ease.

buyer95

Paully D wrote: »

No basketball again tonight. This long break is a massive advantage for the Heat for Wade's health.

I struggle to see Ibaka being anywhere near 100% fit for the rest of the series. He has gone from definitively out of the series to back by game three. Hmmm. Perhaps a physiological move on the Thunder's part. The Spurs should still advance with relative ease.

What they actually said was he was done for the post season. I was very sceptical at the time, and it is now clear that was only a ploy by OKC. We were probably always going to see him at some stage in this series, but the Thunder happen to need him earlier then expected so he'll give it a go.

ButtersSuki

Paully D wrote: »

No basketball again tonight. This long break is a massive advantage for the Heat for Wade's health.

I struggle to see Ibaka being anywhere near 100% fit for the rest of the series. He has gone from definitively out of the series to back by game three. Hmmm. Perhaps a physiological move on the Thunder's part. The Spurs should still advance with relative ease.

It was, he was injured

Soby

http://newsok.com/article/4850815

Following the Thunder's practice on Saturday afternoon -- in which Serge Ibaka didn't participate -- the injured Thunder forward spoke to the media for the first time since going down with a strained calf.

Photo -
Thunder forward Serge Ibaka talks with the Thunder staff before leaving the floor after injuring his calf during Thursday night’s Game 6 against the Clippers.



Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman


Thunder forward Serge Ibaka talks with the Thunder staff before leaving the floor after injuring his calf during Thursday night’s Game 6 against the Clippers. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
Ibaka hasn't started running or jumping, but has done some light court work and remains hopeful that he'll be healthy enough to give it a go on Sunday night. Here's everything Ibaka had to say:

Q. I think everybody wants to know how the calf is feeling.

Ibaka: Well, day‑to‑day, feeling better every day. Kind of surprised, but I just thank God everything is going differently the way the doctor told me last time. I'm just happy right now.

Q. What did you do while the team was gone and what have you done the last couple of days to try to get game ready?

Ibaka: Just icing, icing, do treatment, do my lift in the gym, just put my mind ready. You never know. I am the kind of guy who I believe in (inaudible) because I believe in God, and when the gym doctor told me I'm going to be out for the rest of the Playoffs, I wasn't believing it because I believe in God. I know I'm here for a reason, and so I want to just keep pushing, keep putting ice, do what I can do, what I can control.

Q. Do you expect to play tomorrow?

Ibaka: Well, right now I'm waiting for the team doctor to confirm, and also it's depending on whether I will go tomorrow, day by day, and see.

Q. In your heart do you feel like you're going to play?

Ibaka: I just told you it's day by day. I cannot say how I feel. I'm waiting what the doctor going to tell me and how my body going to feel. So day by day, let's see how I'm going to wake up tomorrow.

Q. What percentage do you think you would be out there on the floor?

Ibaka: Man, whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes, my teammate needs for me and somebody to let me go, whatever it takes, I will be there for my teammates.

Q. Is this a matter of dealing with pain or do you have to worry about dealing with additional injury?

Ibaka: I'm going to say pain. Pain. The most important is pain.

Q. So it's going to hurt when you play; it will be painful while you're out there?

Ibaka: Yes, it's 100 percent going to hurt. For sure if the doctor gives me the okay and I feel better tomorrow, I will be 100 percent with the pain for sure, but like I said, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my team.

Q. Are you concerned about injuring it even more than it already is injured if you do play?

Ibaka: You know, I'm the type of guy, I've been through a lot when I was young. Since I've come here, nothing is for me, so I know it's going to be tough. I understand it's going to be tough, but I will get my mind ready, whatever, like I said, the doctor give me the okay, I'll be ready to go.

Q. Have you tried to jog, run, jump or anything like that to test it?

Ibaka: Well, for now I've just been doing some spot shot because I've got a bruise in my calf right now, so I been doing some spot shot and trying to see, like I said, day by day. Tomorrow morning I'm going to try to do a little extra to see what is going on.

Q. Have you practiced with the team at all?

Ibaka: No, not yet.

Q. How hard has it been to watch, especially the way the first two games went?

Ibaka: It was tough, man. It was tough. One thing I'm going to say, everybody ‑‑ I've been hearing a lot of people saying my team lost two games because I was out. It's not true. It's not true. I believe in my guys. I believe in my teammates, that they can do better, with me or without me. It's not an excuse because Serge Ibaka was not there. It's just that San Antonio the first two games, they played better basketball. We need to give them a lot of credit. Right now our focus, my teammates and I, is about tomorrow's game, and I'm sure with me or without me they're going to do a better job.

Q. When they came back, were you able to give them any advice or just tips on some of the things you saw in the game?

Ibaka: Yes. Yeah, of course. I talked with my teammates and the coaches what I was thinking watching the game at my house. It was a bit tough, but like I say, sometimes you learn when you're off, so I really learned a lot the last game, and I'm ready to see my teammates tomorrow do a better job. I'm sure they're going to do it.

Q. Have you done any running yet?

Ibaka: Not yet. Not yet. Not really. Like I said, spot shot, a little moving to get the feel up because right now I've got a bruise in my calf. Tomorrow I'm going to try to move a little bit more.

Q. You had to see some plays in games where you're like, oh, I'm blocking that. That's not happening.

Ibaka: It was tough. It was tough. Some plays, like you said, exactly, I was spinning or I fall on my TV. But that's happened. It's the past. All my teammates can do is try to learn from the past and try to get better tomorrow.

D2D

Paul George cleared to play for Game 3 tonight

NufcNavan

On when he made that decision about his game: "When I found out you could get one more point for shooting 3s."


— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 24, 2014




Bosh also says Heat's style of defense is exhausting, and that he already gives up 20-30 pounds to most bigs. Posting up saps 2 much energy.


— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 24, 2014




Interestingly, he also said drawing double-teams is a reason he doesn't like posting much. And in TOR, he was still more a face-up guy.


— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 24, 2014



lol

Nothing like dishing out 20 million for a stretch 4 who won't play in the post. The guy is basically an overpaid Channing Frye at this point.

Paully D

Take Bosh out of that Miami Heat team and they still haven't won a Finals in the LeBron era, IMO. A player who has become very underrated over the last few years. I can understand his point. Also, if he's in the post it takes space away for LeBron and Wade to do what they do best.

NufcNavan

Paully D wrote: »

Take Bosh out of that Miami Heat team and they still haven't won a Finals in the LeBron era, IMO. A player who has become very underrated over the last few years. I can understand his point. Also, if he's in the post it takes space away for LeBron and Wade to do what they do best.

Hmm. I think they would have won the NBA finals anyway, espeically in 2012.

I'm not saying Bosh is a bad player, I just don't like his game. I don't like 'shooter-happy' teams in general. It's all about preference.

Nuri Sahin

Glad someone gets it. Heat fans give him some amount of stick too.

___

Poor start for Miami. Turnover happy.

NufcNavan

#Brothers

padraig_f

The Pacers bench has been a bit ****, Watson, Butler, and Scola came in there. Pretty much zero contribution.

Paully D

Good start for the Pacers. Their first unit is fine and seems to be doing very well over this series, but their bench has been killing them. In comparison, Cole and Andersen seem to completely energize the Heat every time they get on the court.

NufcNavan

padraig_f wrote: »

The Pacers bench has been a bit ****, Watson, Butler, and Scola came in there. Pretty much zero contribution.

Been the problem since, well, Vogel's reign really. Bench production has always been a net negative.

It's all the more frustrating this year because there is clear talent there.

NufcNavan

..And right on cue, bench production from Scola

NufcNavan

THE LEBRON APP!!!

stuba

Miami D stepping it up now. PG on 3 fouls too

NufcNavan

stuba wrote: »

Miami D stepping it up now. PG on 3 fouls too

With a terrible call mind.

Paully D

And there's all the Pacers hard work undone with 5 turnovers in a row. Wanting the Heat to lose is so frustrating :pac: a 20 point lead against them is the equivalent of a 5 point lead against anyone else.

NufcNavan

Ugh, Evan Turner..

NufcNavan

It's a shame that George "Oh Well" Hill and David "All I do is miss bunnies" West have decided to turn up today..

Paully D

The last 6 minutes of that half were pathetic from the Pacers. 7 or 8 turnovers, which included 4 minutes with no points.

Nuri Sahin

Hashtag Brothers.

Miami have had 4-5 bad calls go against them in the last 15 minutes.

NufcNavan

Refs are taking over the game.

Nuri Sahin

Gotta say, Lewis has done a surprisingly good job on West.

NufcNavan

It's disgusting how easy D Wade gets fouls called for him.

NufcNavan

POINTS!

Nuri Sahin

Finish em.

Nuri Sahin

Danger zone for Indiana.

Nuri Sahin

It took about the first 20 minutes for Miami to get going, but damn were they impressive ever since then.

The Heat win by 12 after being down 15 at one point early in the 1Q, go 2-1 up in the series.