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NBA Playoffs 2014

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  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Spurs win despite turning the ball over 23 times.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,287 ✭✭✭padraig_f


    Crazy game, Spurs a bit lucky Lebron cramped up, looked like they were heading for a defeat with all the turnovers, though they did get the offense going in the 4th quarter. Actually felt some sympathy for Lebron, that was weird.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,343 ✭✭✭buyer95


    Wow. Spurs go 14-16 on FG's and 6-6 on 3's to bury the Heat in the 4th. Lebron going out definitely a huge factor. He left the game 1st with them up 2. Weirdest blowout I've ever seen. Still though, they'll take it, happy for the spurs. Can't wait for Sunday![


  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    BpavanXCEAAYV6H.jpg:medium
    Not Bill Walton @NotBillWalton 1m
    Tim Duncan is like 98394320982 years old and still played fine. Meanwhile LeBron's legacy is being derailed by global warming.

    Brilliant.

    LeBron taking a hell of a lot of flak already on US TV :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    I think the critisicm that LeBron is getting from various people all over is very harsh.

    The man has so much muscle on his body that he is going to be suspectible to cramp (perhaps moreso than almost anyone in the league) and the temperature inside the arena won't have helped.

    The timing was very unfortunate and he tried to play on, but if the body shuts down there's not much one can do, despite what some who have never played sport in their lives think. All it is going to do now is cause him to go even harder for the rest of the series. I have a feeling we're in for a ridiculously good game two performance from him.


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  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    I'm not sure about that Paully. Given his history of suffering from 'cramps' and what the staff and him were doing, he should be rightfully questioned. The last thing you should do with leg cramps is sit down in a crouch position and rub ice... all the while not getting any fluids in you which seemed to be the case whenever the camera panned in on the bench.


  • Registered Users Posts: 30 1DRose


    Delighted with that. Danny Green bringing last years sharpshooting from the bench in the 4th.

    Parker didn't play well which somewhat offsets the loss of LeBron. I have the Spurs in 6 so hopefully whey get the W on Sunday which would go a long way towards that.

    Tim Duncan is just phenomenal. What a talent, what a sportsman. Inspirational.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,267 ✭✭✭Dublin Red Devil


    Brilliant. 1 - 0 SA. I want to see Miami fail and fail spectacularly. The Lebron and heat dynasty myth has to be ended


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Nuri Sahin wrote: »
    I'm not sure about that Paully. Given his history of suffering from 'cramps' and what the staff and him were doing, he should be rightfully questioned. The last thing you should do with leg cramps is sit down in a crouch position and rub ice... all the while not getting any fluids in you which seemed to be the case whenever the camera panned in on the bench.

    I agree they definitely went about solving it the wrong way. He should have been brought down for an IV as soon as he felt it and maybe he could have got back on the court for the critical last few minutes, but I do think he'll have prepared properly given how often he does suffer from the issue, loading up on fluids etc. It's just the AC failing was a completely unexpected event that no-one will really have planned for and given that LeBron does suffer in hot temperatures, it sent his cramps over the edge. He has had difficulty in the past, but I think it was evident he really wanted to be out on the court last night but unfortunately his body just wouldn't allow for it to happen. A man with his muscle mass playing such an athletic sport is always going to be susceptible to this happening for me. I think it's harsh that people (not on here, but social media etc) are labeling him a bottler and weak over it.

    On another note, I liked this tweet from Magic:

    55589d2cd4d4d6d93c70de3f2fdc1eb6.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    ufocj.jpg


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    Reading the internet, you would believe that LeBron was the only one who had to play through the heat. I guess it didn't affect any of the Spurs.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭astonaidan


    They should ease of Lebron, he had a grueling play off series to get through


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,148 ✭✭✭PizzamanIRL


    Brilliant. 1 - 0 SA. I want to see Miami fail and fail spectacularly. The Lebron and heat dynasty myth has to be ended

    It was hard for them to fail up to now when the toughest team they had to face so far was only the Pacers.


  • Registered Users Posts: 372 ✭✭ChicagoJoe


    Brilliant. 1 - 0 SA. I want to see Miami fail and fail spectacularly. The Lebron and heat dynasty myth has to be ended
    Miami are going for three consecutive NBA championships, trying to become only the fourth team to achieve that milestone. The Spurs are going for their fifth title in 15 years so both should be given credit for their consistency over the years. I'm a big fan of Tim Duncan. But as far as I'm concerned, he's a center, not a forward. Most of his work is done in the post. I wouldn't list him as a forward or as a guard.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    ChicagoJoe wrote: »
    Miami are going for three consecutive NBA championships, trying to become only the fourth team to achieve that milestone. The Spurs are going for their fifth title in 15 years so both should be given credit for their consistency over the years. I'm a big fan of Tim Duncan. But as far as I'm concerned, he's a center, not a forward. Most of his work is done in the post. I wouldn't list him as a forward or as a guard.
    Tim Duncan is one of the greatest PFs of all time.


  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    Paully D wrote: »
    I agree they definitely went about solving it the wrong way. He should have been brought down for an IV as soon as he felt it and maybe he could have got back on the court for the critical last few minutes, but I do think he'll have prepared properly given how often he does suffer from the issue, loading up on fluids etc. It's just the AC failing was a completely unexpected event that no-one will really have planned for and given that LeBron does suffer in hot temperatures, it sent his cramps over the edge. He has had difficulty in the past, but I think it was evident he really wanted to be out on the court last night but unfortunately his body just wouldn't allow for it to happen. A man with his muscle mass playing such an athletic sport is always going to be susceptible to this happening for me. I think it's harsh that people (not on here, but social media etc) are labeling him a bottler and weak over it.

    On another note, I liked this tweet from Magic:

    55589d2cd4d4d6d93c70de3f2fdc1eb6.png

    True. Calling him a bottler is ridiculous, but I for once don't have any sympathy for him on the matter when precaution or treatment of it were suspect to say the least. Apparently he wanted to return again but Spo told him to go back into the locker room. Had he not, he could have, if not already had suffered a calf muscle strain, which speaking from experience, feels likeyou can may never walk on that leg again at the time, anyway :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Spurs open 5.5 point favourites for game 2. Quite a big spread.

    Spurs are a best priced 1/2 to win it outright now, Heat a best priced 2/1.


  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin




  • Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    ChicagoJoe wrote: »
    Miami are going for three consecutive NBA championships, trying to become only the fourth team to achieve that milestone. The Spurs are going for their fifth title in 15 years so both should be given credit for their consistency over the years. I'm a big fan of Tim Duncan. But as far as I'm concerned, he's a center, not a forward. Most of his work is done in the post. I wouldn't list him as a forward or as a guard.

    He's an old school power forward. I don't think anyone classes Timmy as a center.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,343 ✭✭✭buyer95


    ChicagoJoe wrote: »
    Miami are going for three consecutive NBA championships, trying to become only the fourth team to achieve that milestone. The Spurs are going for their fifth title in 15 years so both should be given credit for their consistency over the years. I'm a big fan of Tim Duncan. But as far as I'm concerned, he's a center, not a forward. Most of his work is done in the post. I wouldn't list him as a forward or as a guard.

    No one has ever accused the big fundamental of being a guard before! By your logic I guess the 6 foot 4 Charles Barkley was a center because of his great post game.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Nuri Sahin wrote: »

    That link not working for me Ade, what was the gist of it? Were Gatorade getting the blame for LeJon's cramps?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,833 ✭✭✭NufcNavan


    The Lance meme will never die.

    https://vine.co/v/MDiIOmYFxql


    Looking at tracking data from the playoffs so far, there's nothing unique about LeBron's game last night. He played 33 of the first 40, but he's averaging 38 min/game in these playoffs. He was on pace for that again.

    LeBron actually ranks 34th in these playoffs in distance traveled per game, despite playing 38 min/game. Bigger or comparable size players like Z-Bo, Marc Gasol, Aldridge, and Noah all cover more miles in a game than LeBron. The counterargument might be that LeBron plays harder or runs faster than these players, but average mph tells a different story. LeBron's avg speed (which measures all movements) is 3.8, on par with Z-Bo and behind Aldridge (4.0) and Noah (4.2). All three of these players play more min/game than LeBron, too.

    Would these players have cramped up last night too? Obviously, it's hard to say either way for sure, but we do know LeBron has a history of cramping up which none of those other players do, to my knowledge at least. That leads me to think it's not the heat that is the culprit, but LeBron himself. Dehydration might be a primary symptom, or it could be secondary fluid retention due to something else.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    NufcNavan wrote: »
    Looking at tracking data from the playoffs so far, there's nothing unique about LeBron's game last night. He played 33 of the first 40, but he's averaging 38 min/game in these playoffs. He was on pace for that again.

    LeBron actually ranks 34th in these playoffs in distance traveled per game, despite playing 38 min/game. Bigger or comparable size players like Z-Bo, Marc Gasol, Aldridge, and Noah all cover more miles in a game than LeBron. The counterargument might be that LeBron plays harder or runs faster than these players, but average mph tells a different story. LeBron's avg speed (which measures all movements) is 3.8, on par with Z-Bo and behind Aldridge (4.0) and Noah (4.2). All three of these players play more min/game than LeBron, too.

    Would these players have cramped up last night too? Obviously, it's hard to say either way for sure, but we do know LeBron has a history of cramping up which none of those other players do, to my knowledge at least. That leads me to think it's not the heat that is the culprit, but LeBron himself. Dehydration might be a primary symptom, or it could be secondary fluid retention due to something else.

    I think it can just be put down to the fact that LeBron's body suffers from cramp, the same way that some players suffer from niggling injuries, others get lots of serious injuries etc. It's just one of those things. He's human, there's bound to be something that affects him. He showed the press the amount of fluids he had been taken on board prior and during the game and it was a very significant amount. He also took loads on board in the days leading up to the game too. Aside from that, as any cramp suffer can attest to, there's not a whole lot else one can do to avoid it aside from being conditioned well, and I think it's fair to say he's superbly conditioned.

    LeBron also has significantly more muscle mass than players listed above like Noah. Cramp attacks the muscles and I'd imagine it's significantly harder for people built like LeBron to shake off a cramp than those with less muscle.

    I just put it down to one of these things. There's very little that he can do. He suffers from cramp, he tries his best to offset it and sometimes it's impossible to stop and will become too much for him. Though I do think the Heat medical staff should have been more prepared than just throwing a bit of ice on his neck and a towel on his head when the problem first became apparent last night :pac:


  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    That link not working for me Ade, what was the gist of it? Were Gatorade getting the blame for LeJon's cramps?

    http://twitter.com/Gatorade/status/474761388125323264
    http://twitter.com/Gatorade/status/474768940535906304
    http://twitter.com/Gatorade/status/474771391410360320
    http://twitter.com/Gatorade/status/474774911043788800
    http://twitter.com/Gatorade/status/474775988749234176

    LeBron is a Powerade guy for those who don't know. Gatorade were taking a lot of flak last night for LeBron though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki




  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    2e30cca2bdda31844b2e947e077f1191.png


  • Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Just read the Spo interview where he says the Spurs should be fined if the air con breaks again, but "we're not using it as an excuse for Game 1 loss". Lol. Just shut up about it, seriously. It's the same for both teams......unlike say LeJon or Wade getting away with obvious travels in crucial parts of games (check Game 7 Boston series 2012 in particular) or phantom/superstar foul calls in, well, pretty much every game.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Game two tonight, shame there wasn't one on last night but I'm off tomorrow anyway so it doesn't make too much difference for me.

    Some of this is adapted from what I posted in the betting thread, but I think the Heat take the game tonight. They've won 12 consecutive times following a loss in the playoffs which speaks for itself and the criticism that LeBron has got over this cramping issue will have him extremely fired up. If they lose tonight then they'll have to win 4 of 5 games which, in all probability, isn't going to happen against the Spurs, so the consequences of a 2nd defeat in a row are stark.

    Only 3 teams in NBA history have come back from 0-2 down in a Finals, the Heat in 2006 the last relatively recent team to do so. While it is extremely early, and the Heat could very easily go 2-0 at home, I think tonight is actually pretty much "must win" for Miami and I feel they will do just that.


  • Site Banned Posts: 26,456 ✭✭✭✭Nuri Sahin


    Hoping the public hammer Miami myself. Make my move then. History and trends are there to be snapped, if another team is capable of snapping it, it's San Antonio.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 53,028 ✭✭✭✭ButtersSuki


    Paully D wrote: »
    Only 3 teams in NBA history have come back from 0-2 down in a Finals, the Heat in 2006 the last relatively recent team to do so. While it is extremely early, and the Heat could very easily go 2-0 at home, I think tonight is actually pretty much "must win" for Miami and I feel they will do just that.

    With more than a little help from the refs!

    Think San Antonio will take it tonight, and the series in 5 (I know 6 is the popular number but I'm going for 5). I don't think they'll play as badly as they did through quarters 1-3 the other night (relatively) and equally, I don't think Miami will play as well as they did.


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