If anyone sees stever at TXR.....

I doubt either team will make it. SteveR had a great last TXR melt down and then vanished. He stalks Phil and his grandson pretty heavily still, I’m sure.

Go Sixers!

Lillard is going to cause the W's a lot of heartburn in the West semis.  

Warriors / Rockets winner will battle Lebron in the finals and will cause him to lose...  again.  

Everyone is discounting the Raptors who absolutely have a shot at the Finals.  But Lebron is Lebron...

I have no idea what the current comings and goings of SteveR except that he went on a tear about Bruce Springsteen yesterday after I posted a photo of his wife and Soozie Tyrell. He must have really had a burr in his britches since my post didn't show or mention Mr. Springsteen.

Anyway, that is the first he has even crossed my radar for a long while.  

That was on Facebook, Tony? SteveR hasn’t posted here in a long time. He gave it a go for a short time at the beginning and that was it. People were assholes to him

It was on Twitter, Judit. I got to know Steve via the Backstreets.com message boards back in 2003, which is before I ended up in the Zone. As I said, it was the first he crossed my radar in a long time. 

The Cavs will win nothing again this year and then LeBron will move on. They will probably make it to the NBA finals unless the sixers take them out!! Lol 

As for the West it’s going to be interesting to see how 3-9 shake out, its still pretty tight, 

The Lakers will be better next year. 

When is St mark coming back?

I just saw Steve a couple of weeks ago, and that night he pretty much said no way to any more zoning.

I also recently advised him a bit about a part-time job he was interested in, and I believe he got it, which is good for him and will likely have me seeing him a little more.

I'll let him know folks are asking about him, and wanting to converse in a Warriors playoff thread.

I think the Warriors are in for a serious grind this year though, and from my amateurish viewpoint they seem to have some issues they haven't had before. They also have some serious competition to overcome that comes naturally to any great team, as other teams load up specifically to beat you, so I'm not sure he'll be in any mood to converse about it here.

But I'll let him know.

And...

GO WARRIORS!!!

i want that guy that hates Lebron back

Sixers vs Rockets.... Rockets in 5

What happened to the Celtics?  I thought that they were hot stuff this year.

I'm also wondering if Andre Iguodala wishes that he had gone to Houston as he reportedly was sorely tempted to do between seasons.

How long before this Warriors team crumbles?  2-3 years tops.

^Seems pretty crumbly already...

By 2023 the warriors will be toast 

can't stand d'antoni or harden.

go calves...

kyrie is hurt (again) for boston...

I am going to go out on a limb and say Warriors over Cavs in 5 

^by 2023 the sixers will be the dominant team in the league 

By 2023 The Knicks will still SUCK! 

embid = greg oden

Embiid is ten times the player Oden was. 

I get the injury concern, but his legs, knees, and feet have held up just fine this year. The orbital fracture is not related to his past problems and could have happened to anybody... It was a hustle play, going for a loose ball

Part time player, even Lonzo laughs at him

30.4 minutes per game, third highest on the sixers, fabes.

Simmons 33.9

Covington 31.8

Embiid 30.4

Played in 63 games

22.9 ppg/11 rpg/ 3.2 apg/ 1.8 bpg

Lonzo's stats 

52 games played

34.2 minutes per game

10.2 ppg/ 6.9 rpg / 7.2 apg / 1.7 spg

31 games last year

63 this year...

how about he plays a full season before running his big fat mouth?

51.2 % from the field.

And he's not their best player

You mad?

Embid had the most impressive play of the frosh rookie game not the LA douchebag

lol. lonzo hasn't really said shit.

embid is good. 

so was penny hardaway....

tmac...

ps. fuck the warriors.

True, but Embiid is 7' with small forward skills. 

Loved penny, but liked little penny penny better

*little penny

Tell him that I still know more about basketball than he does, and that Steph Curry has weak ankles.

>>>How long before this Warriors team crumbles<<<

In this day & age it's hard to keep any great team together for a long time, and it may be so with the Warriors as well.

But, the one thing that keeps some teams always at or near the top is an excellent front office, ownership and overall organization, and the Warriors have that.

Plus, the Warriors owners & front office are ruthless and are not complacent because of their recent success, and they will not be afraid to move on from established fan favorite players.

There is no question that they have a plan for next year already, as well as a plan for two, four, six years from now, and they have backup plans for all of that as well. By all accounts they were planning on how to get Durant three years before he became available, and they had contingency plans if they didn't get him.

That's what great organizations do in any profession. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but that's the right way to run any business and that's how the Warriors operate.

No team can win a championship every year, but the great ones compete for it every year, just as the Warriors have been doing from the moment the new ownership and front office were in place, and what they are doing again this year. Given all that, along with the vast amount of money that will start rolling in when they move to their new area in a couple of years, there is no reason to think they won't stay at or near the top for quite a few more years, but I'm fairly sure it won't be with the same group of stars they have now. They'll just have other stars.

klay to l.a.

Warriors are done. That's why SteveR ain't here. If they won the games he said they'd win, he'd be here jawing about them. He thought they were going to win 8 straight.

fake tough guy durant.

hope he packs kleenex in his backpack.

stever was pretty thin skinned and defensive from what always appeared to me to be good natured ribbing concerning gs. He really made for a perfect warriors fan on a dbmb.

I get to watch the local Warriors broadcasts in Reno for some reason, not sure why the Kings got skipped over but I'm not necessarily complaining. I must say that those Warriors announcers are utterly insufferable to listen to. Love it when they get all whiny when GSW are losing. 

I mean we just don’t have enough to beat the rockets in a 7 game series if we made it to the finals. If we

got a little help And the raptors get knocked off pre east finals then I think we could possibly make the finals

Is the soft cap like a lamb skin?

Eagles, Villanova, 76ers,  it just might happen.

I like Phili or Bron Bron over anyone in the west.

Emblid and Simmons are both the real deal.

Been Simmons or Donovan Mitchell for ROTY?

Seems like an easy choice. The argument that Simmons already has a year under his belt is a lame one.

Ben is the first player I've ever compared to Magic in a serious way. The kid's court sense, passing and athleticism is off the charts. 

Lastly, the West is as deep as I've ever seen. Love the Lillard and McCollum backcourt and Utah is not to be fucked with.

portland has a great duo for sure JR, i like those dudes.

and yes simmons looks great.

i had both him and soft embid on my hoops team....

Simmons needs to improve his free throw shooting. This weakness will be exploited in the playoffs. 

>>Ben is the first player I've ever compared to Magic in a serious way. The kid's court sense, passing and athleticism is off the charts. 

As I posted in the Sports folder...

Simmons is the second rookie in NBA history to reach 1,200 points, 600 rebounds, and 600 assists.

Oscar Robertson is the other

Was at the Sixers/Cleveland game last Friday. They pulled out a big win after dropping a 29 pt lead and held off Lebron who couldn’t miss a three towards the end of the game. Prob should have went to OT but Lebron choked on a free throw. Simmons pulled a move on Lebron and made him look silly. We are talking about a guys first year in the league, took lebron to the hole and jammed in his face. The kid will be one of the greats.

Speaking of Villanova, Brunson and Bridges just declared for the draft.

Just by Mitchell commenting on Simmons takes him out imo, he should keep quiet. Interesting argument still, still if Simmons didn't play last year he should be considered a rookie this year. Has this ever happened before?

76ers, 15th straight win last night, franchise record.

Here’s how I’m calling the West: 

Houston and Golden State are locked in at one and two. 

Utah, winners of six straight, goes to Portland, losers of 4 in a row, tonight to play for the #3 seed. Portland will wake up and win and they will be the #3 seed and Utah #4.

New Orleans is at home against San Antonio with both teams currently 47-34. San Antonio WINS on the road tonight making them the #5 seed and making NO #8.

Denver will play at Minnesota for the final playoff spot in the West. Both at 46-35. Minnesota will win this game and slot in at the #7 spot. 

OKC beats Memphis tonight and will end up #6.

meaning: 

Houston vs NO

GS vs Minnesota 

Portland vs OKC 

Utah vs San Antonio 

we will know tonight but that’s my call 

>>>>>On a different note....the Warriors are going to get bounced if they play like they did last night.

They've been having a bit of trouble with the Jazz lately, like the last few years...

I'm going to try to figure out how to catch the playoffs without spending too much money.  Hopefully, I can engage in this thread and be the resident Warriors punching bag. 

Jab, jab, right cross

just warming up johnny

https://www.reddit.com/r/nbastreams/

usually they will have links to games up 30 mins before they start

my boss has season tickets johnny....

^Ha, I'm just talking about catching the playoffs on TV.  Don't have cable and I'm not sure that I even want to pay for beer at a sports bar.

You can certainly say that I've jumped off of the bandwagon.  The 2015 - 2016 dosage was so potent, anything basketball-related nowadays doesn't make a dent in my passion.  Well, that and the fact that I can no longer sign onto my mom's cable account.

I still listen to the games on the radio from time-to-time.

PS: My favorite NBA team in the 70's - 80's was The Lakers and I still have a soft spot in my heart for them.

GO LAKERS!

Vince Carter isn't a dirty player.

wha what?

the gs bandwagon's tires starting to show wear?

Warriors, ahem, Stever, come out to pla-ay!!

Foghorn, it has happened many times. Blake griffin won ROTY after not playing his first year. Let’s make that 16 in a row. NBA record to close out the season. 

SIXERS

1,2,3,4,5 Sixers!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gEKK3GVd150

10,9,8 76ers

Great night in the NBA. T Wolves clinch in a nail biter and my favorite back court in the league are battling the jazz. 

Houston Rockets in 6 vs Cavs

Sorry Philly, but you got your 2 championships.  Now Houston is going to run the board if the key Texan players can stay healthy.   Astros are going back2back.

It's been more than 20 years since the Rockets won back2back championships in 1994-1995

Houston winning would be a welcome surprise. Total respect for Harden and the beard.

Meanwhile, the NHL's big dance kicked off last night.  

Vegas keeps winning, Winnipeg Jets looking decent and the Penguins flattened the Flyers 7-0.   

Lots more series drop the puck tonight.   

Tampa and Boston are the high seeds in the East, but the Penguins seem to have another gear for the playoffs, and the Capitols are a deep and experienced team led by Alex Ovechkin, who will try to shake off their playoff hex.

Playoff hockey, like playoff hoops, is the best.

Great time of year for sports fans.

The Capitals, playoffs

hahahaha

Tampa will crush everyone this year

Hockey sucks. This is a hoops thread. Please keep to the appropriate subject matter. 

ain't no D in 'antoni.

Do all the buses in Oakland scroll GO WARRIORS across their destination screens?  Or did see a driver who went rogue?

Hush now, JR, we're talking sports, on a DBMB.  Besides, the NHL is going to beat the NBA's return to Seattle. 

It's really a Stever thread.

Ha, ha Joe, we'll see if the han-di-Caps can win one for Ovie. 

this definitely isn't a hockey thread.

you could go start one up though and enjoy the echo effect.

I challenge Java Dave to a game of  1 on 1. I'll perma ban myself from Viva if you beat me. 1st one to 11 by 1's.

the silver back taking you down low.

I've recently decided to start shooting hoops again after a 10 year hiatus. Already started to re-hone the mad handle, but haven't gotten any shots up yet.

I'd still destroy javaless dave one on one.

This guy is a younger version of myself (Georgetown commit):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PePUaQ6789k

I second the "keep the hockey out of this thread"  Hockey sucks!!!  Keep your yankee sports out of this thread.

SIXERS

Well, I got a standing room ticket for the Warriors game on Saturday.

I did that last year for a playoff game and it was a blast, so I'm looking forward to going back into that building that I've been going into for most of my life and adding my voice once again to the noise at the good ol' Oakland Coliseum.

Hopefully, after playing three looooong seasons in a row the malaise the Warriors have been under for much of this regular season is just that, regular season blaa's, but it's not easy to just "flip the switch" in the playoffs, especially when they won't have their best player playing.

Plus, they'll be relying on a guy who I have come to really dislike, Nick Young, who from my uneducated view is a poser and a loser.

IMO they should have left him with the Lakers where he belongs.

I must say I'm worried about this first round. Steph Curry is magic and is in so many ways the Warriors leader; how will they respond in the playoffs without him? It also seems to me that their bench isn't as strong as it has been, but it is still very experienced and even without Curry their starters are still very good, so if they can use that talent & experience to turn it on now that the games finally matter again and they get past San Antonio things should become very interesting again with Curry back.

When Curry came back from an extended absence earlier this year he came back on fire. If that happens again they could well get to Houston, and if both teams are fully healthy THAT would be an interesting series that I think all basketball fans want to see.

It starts on Saturday.

GO WARRIORS!!!

Warriors run is done. Not sure they even make it out the first round. Would love to see sixers/Celtics second round. Always classic series between those teams. Great basketball match up. The west is going to be fun to watch tho. So many evenly matched teams. I’ve been over the dominance of the warriors and Cavs. Last year was probably the most boring and none eventful playoffs I’ve ever watched in my life. Warriors literally tap danced to a title. Let’s hope for a better and more competitive playoffs this year. 

SIXERS

.

>>.Warriors run is done. 

I think that's premature....maybe in a week you are right but considering how beat up they have been and how bored they've been with this season I think it's a mistake to say they are done.   Just like 'playoff' Lebron, I expect the Ws to show up.   They still have the best team on paper and assuming they 1) make it out of the first round and 2) stay healthy I don't see any reason they can't win.   They had no skin in the Utah game where Utah was playing for a seed.  

With all that said it's looking like a great post season.   Not much talk about the Raptors getting out of the east but I'm sure they are hungry after be dogged for years.   

It does seem like it's Houston's year but the history of Harden and D'antoni folding in the playoffs doesn't bode well.  They spent a lot of energy in the regular season getting top seed and hopefully it pays off.   

Cavs are a hot mess....let's see how far Lebron can carry them again.    Lue is worthless.   I've never seen a coach look so clueless.    If Bron leaves I can't imagine he'd be around for long.    

Philly is too young.   Give them two years.  

Sad the celts aren't full strength, that would have made the east more interesting.  

>Philly is too young

Back in July I wrote...

nor'easter season  OrangeCounty Lumber Truck on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 – 11:46 am

Jambone, if the Sixers can make the playoffs, it's a good season, a 4-6 seed is a great season

52-30, Number 3 seed... My expectations have been exceeded

embid missing game 1...

^That was expected

28 more games is like three more months, right?

Yeah, they won 9 in a row without him. Philly is a winning city right now. I don’t see the heat taking game 1. That place is gonna be crazy

28 pools cleaned in 3 months would net how much dough?

The 76ers are a mirage right now.  Don't get me wrong, there a young talented team that will be contenders for awhile if they can keep this talent together and stay healthy.   What your not realizing, is that in the 76ers 16 game winning streak, 13 of those wins were against lottery teams.  It's going to be the Raptors or the Cavs out of the East.

It's the Rockets year to win.

^Sixers went 38-12 over the final 50 games of the season

For one game at least the Warriors "flipped the switch".

They did everything they haven't done in a month.

That was a damned fun time.

GO WARRIORS!!!

Sixers actually have a 17 game winning streak right now. They absolutely clobbered Miami last night. Outclassed them. Right now they are the best three pt shooting team in the league, so I think that gives the a solid shot to get to the east finals. Whether or not they can beat the raptors or rockets, I’m not sure but it would be fun to watch them try. The rockets have been the best team all year, but    It doesn’t look like their will be any easy series in the West this year. Excited to see what happens. Philly is on fire.

39-12 over the last 51 games.

Jazz were 29-6 in their last 35. Quite the turnaround. From 19-28 to 48-34.

Tough matchup against Oklahoma City in round one. That last-game loss in Portland cost them home court and a three seed.

>>>>Back in July I wrote...

Did you just quote yourself?   

Notes from yesterday......

W's looked fine yesterday.   Still the team to beat.   

As much as I'm a fan of Mitchell, Simmons is a man among boys.  Reminds me of a young lebron where it was just clear he was playing in a different universe.  

Bullets (yep, I did that) kind of got hosed yesterday.  Home court advantage is a bigger advantage in NBA than any other sport in my opinion.  

I don’t see the warriors beating rockets in a 7 game series with rockets holding the home advantage. Those guys won 66 games this year. Although I’m hoping for a Sixers shock of a championship, I do think it’s hardens year. He did choke pretty bad last year tho.

>>Did you just quote yourself?<<

Sure did, Zang. 

Are the Sixers too young?

Sure they have young "stars", but Belinelli, Ilyasova, Redick, Johnson are veterans. Nobody thought they would win 52 games or be a three seed. They are talented, deep, they can shoot, and they believe in themselves.

Like a noted basketball mind said, "My expectations have been exceeded."

>>>Those guys won 66 games this year.

Dubs have been pretty beat up and bored.   Season just started yesterday.

This cavs game has been horribly  refed

almost reminiscent of the lakers Scaremento playoffs a decade plus ago

Warriors got obliterated the other night by the jazz. Straight up embarrassed. Nobody in the west is afraid of that team after that game. They had that fear in the league he last few years. They don’t have it this year. They won’t get past rockets.

Warriors got obliterated the other night by the jazz. Straight up embarrassed. Nobody in the west is afraid of that team after that game. They had that fear in the league he last few years. They don’t have it this year. They won’t get past rockets.

Sixers went 38-12 over the final 50 games of the season>>>

Imagine where they would be now if they didn't throw away the number 3 pick in the draft on Jahlil "Mr. Softee"Okafor in 2015, one more in a long line of Blue Devil busts.

As I said before, W's didn't need that game, Jazz did.   Regular season garbage time for the W's.  If I had to put my money on one team it would be them.  

Cleveland looked like shit today even with the ref calls.   If they lose first round, gotta think Jame's is guaranteed to jump ship.  

Was this the board with an all caps guy who thought every game his team lost was fixed? I miss him 

lol Cavs - they looked pretty shit today 

Yeah, but the warriors just overall weren’t that great this year. 

While it's true that the Jazz blew out the Warriors last week, that game was just one final meaningless game after a month of meaningless games for the Warriors, a team filled with veterans who know exactly what the coming games mean, and how to play them.

The Warriors may have holes on their bench and could certainly be beaten this year, especially by Houston who have been gearing up all season to beat them, but IMO it would be a mistake to write them off based on the way they played this past month, and maybe even most of the regular season.

My brother had 10k on the Jazz vs Warriors a couple weeks ago.  He made his bet early before Draymond Green was sick. It was an easy win and easy money. The Oracle arena is awful place for games.  It is packed like sardines and the food and drink lines are ridiculously long.

This OKC vs Utah game is a good matchup so far.

Go Rockets

Cavs looked absolutely terrible. Lebron looked old. Might be an early exit for them.

Did the TWolves just become the Chicago bulls from 5 years go? Crazy.

Close game, but it's a win.  23 more to go!

Go Rockets!!

Silly wabbits

wait till the fat lady sings

but go for it, dreams are free

Rose, Gibson, Crawford, tibidoh, Butler, rose. Seriously, all they need is Deng 

Nope....they don't need Deng.   ;)   

>>>>>>>>>While it's true that the Jazz blew out the Warriors last week, that game was just one final meaningless game after a month of meaningless games for the Warriors, a team filled with veterans who know exactly what the coming games mean, and how to play them.

The Warriors may have holes on their bench and could certainly be beaten this year, especially by Houston who have been gearing up all season to beat them, but IMO it would be a mistake to write them off based on the way they played this past month, and maybe even most of the regular season.

Nice post Lance, these are exactly the comments we need around here to lure Stever back.

Go Sixers, Go Rockets..

Cant believe the caps are down 0-2.

Houston has looked great all season, but when they beat the Warriors, GS didn't play defense and shot well below their average, yet it took everything Houston had to pull away, so I don't think it's going to be a one sided series if they do end up playing each other the Western Finals.

As for getting there, the Warriors have somehow managed to go into the playoffs fairly rested, get the easiest team (for them) in the first round, AND avoid the OKC/Utah bracket. 

Something else people who don't watch Warriors games might not realize is that their young players have gotten a ton of playing time and have matured nicely in the absence of their injured stars, and their biggest star is getting better and better with each passing day.  The last time Curry came off a long stint on the DL he was the player of the month... tired legs have traditionally been what's lowered his (and Klay's) average, so it's not inconceivable that they'll both put up very good numbers.

While the Warriors definitely have some older bench players that tend to wear down playing the denser regular season schedule, those guys are built for extra days between that the playoffs bring.

It has been a weird year for them, so I wouldn't be all that surprised to see them fall short, but it would be foolish to bet against them (though I encourage everyone to keep saying they're done... they always play their best when everyone counts them out!).

GO WARRIORS!!!

>>>they got lucky in the fact they play the Spurs in the first round with Curry out<<<

I doubt this is what actually happened, but the Warriors are a pretty savvy bunch so I also won't say it's categorically impossible that they tanked their final regular season game against Utah to assure that they wouldn't face the super-hot Jazz in the first round.

>>> it would be foolish to bet against them<<< 

It sounds like Rob M's brother might have something to say about that... "My brother had 10k on the Jazz vs Warriors a couple weeks ago"

That particular bet against the Warriors must have worked out well.

BTW, does anyone else think Rob's brother may have a gambling problem?

Why would you put that kind of money on a regular season strash game against a super hot team?    Silliness

My brother gambles for a living.  He has done the World Series of poker main event several times and finishes in the money.  Not my thing, but he has good info on the analytics and uses that when betting on sports.  

Rockets didn't look so good the other night, but we got this.  Our best defensive player is out til st least the 2nd round.

Professional gamblers are IMO total balls-out people (and a little crazy too) and Rob, if I'm not mistaken you're the guy who kayak's way out in the ocean, which is to me also totally balls-out (and a little crazy too) so more power to both your brother & you.

Tonight's Warriors game was more of a grind; the Spurs played much better and the Warriors weren't as locked in to start, but they came out determained in the second half and took care of business.

It's great to see Klay Thompson doing so well offensively, and if he can keep that up after Steph comes back the Dubs will be difficult to beat. They have the defensive players, the ringer in Durant and they also have the experience of winning the biggest games, so if both Splash Brothers are splashing along with everything else, even with their holes they should take a good run at a 4th championship series.

I think everyone is hoping for a Houston/Warriors matchup in the western finals, and am I wrong in thinking that those two teams at full strength are the best two teams in the league?

Good luck to everyone else, but...

GO WARRIORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the worst game the Sixers have played in a month, and they still had a chance at the end. Heat played a good and very physical game. 

I believe Embiid will play in game 3, Fabes.

>>.Rockets didn't look so good the other night, but we got this.

They have the series for sure....it was the T wolves night to steal one and they came up short.   Doubt that opportunity will come up again in Houston.  

>>>.It's great to see Klay Thompson doing so well offensively,

Agreed,  he had lost his rythym a bit.....talk about timing.   

>>>play the pussy

This probably needs to be the title of a separate thread.  

Fabes...who are you putting your money on if it's not one of those two teams?

I guess it was my stab at a captain obvious post (not directed at lance), I agree it is Houston and the dubs, I am pulling for Houston but I think it will be the warriors, but I get off on watching Russell Westbrook, but he has no chance

Embiid did not clear the NBA concussion protocol until Sunday.  Not playing him in game 2 was a management decision. 

Embiid was not cleared to play back to back nights until February.

Joel Embiid hoping to play in back-to-back games by month's end

http://www.nba.com/article/2018/01/18/philadelphia-76ers-joel-embiid-bac...

Ha ha...Rozier called Eric Bledsoe "Drew" and Eric got bent out of shape. 

"I don't even know who the f--- that is," Bledsoe said.   Maybe Eric should re-watch this video of him getting abused to remember.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZGOkBqzFfM

the pelicans..

Have you heard an update?

Embiid, who is looking at a return to play following surgery to address a broken orbital bone on the left side of his face, will ultimately need final clearance from the surgical team responsible for performing the operation, per a source...

The Sixers listed Embiid as doubtful for Thursday's Game 3 shortly before the 5 p.m. Wednesday deadline to submit their official injury report

http://www.phillyvoice.com/source-joel-embiid-still-process-receiving-fu...

Wow, how 'bout dem Jazz? And to survive a 19-0 run away from home?

The big three of OKC went "Ofer" from the floor in the fourth while Donovan was scoring 13 of his 20 second-half points. 42 points total for the big three.

Gobert and Favors, 33 points and 31 rebounds. Nice the Jazz got to show their potential on a nationwide broadcast. We'll see how OKC reacts. 5 games to go.

I was going to say the other day to watch Joe Ingles. Many times, as Ingles goes, so do the Jazz.

But this was a great team win. Quin had four players, Favors, Gobert, Mitchell, and Rubio at the press table.

And best wishes to Pop.

Ooops, make that 54 points total for the big three.

Nice game by Mitchell last night.

2 down, 14 more to go!!GO ROCKETS!!

Quin is clearly a coaching genius.  There are few people who could get this much out of that squad. 

Nobody gave them much of a shot after Hayward left. But that opened the door for Mitchell to shine and he took advantage and surpassed all expectations. 

Never would have had the year he did if Hayward was still here. Strong ROTY candidate. 

Gobert being out much of the year, and Exum, lots of other injuries - yeah Quin's done a helluva job.

Agreed, it was a great opportunity for him.   I also think it doesn't hurt being in SLC where there are fewer distractions.   

As Ingles goes, so do the Jazz - haha give me a break.

Awful news about Pop’s wife passing away. It’s too bad they had to play tonight, it would have been a good time for one of the NBA’s infamous 4 days between games instances. 

Embid did not miss game 3. 24 pts. Big win. Pelicans looking great, would’ve loved to have been able to watch some of their games.

Big games from Embiid, Saric, Belinelli, and Simmons. 

And that was a punk move by Justise Winslow. 

Should have been given a technical

Wade made a punk move as well. Miami is just trying to get in their heads cause our team is young. The Heat just isn’t good enough to win without trying shake us up mentally. If we stoop down to their level like in game 2 though we can lose this series so Sixers have to come out and repeat last nights performance on Saturday.

>>>Embiid will miss game 3

i love how the 6ers fans are crawling out from under their rocks in a stever themed thread.

seems pretty apropo.

I don't believe Tom is a front runner. He's been hyping the Sixers for awhile. 

Indeed, Slack. I've been a fan since McGinnis wore a Sixers uniform.

Last season I  mentioned that I am Sixers fan, but that there was not much to talk about, and that nobody was interested.

there was nothing to hype for a while.

glad they are enjoying themselves now though. those last 5 years must have been brutal. 

I can understand as a persevering knicks fan.

sorry, I missed that mention. I do remember Lumber Truck consistently asking thom questions that never get answered though.

speaking of, i wonder who thom's favorite NBA team is? probably one of those white assed Celtics teams from back in the day.

It was likely in the Sports folder, across. 

I mentioned it when I asked was asked why I continually called out nut kicker, Draymond Green, without mentioning my rooting interest.

I also started the "Trust the Process" thread in July, again in the Sports folder

And my condolences on the Knicks, tough road ahead

Oh yeah, forgot there are those sub folders here. i can just imagine the cobwebs in those.

if you (don't) notice, I don't discuss the knicks unless I have to, which I never do. 

I will say that it was good Phila got the 3 seed as I think the C's will be an easier matchup in round 2 than the Raps would have been.

Did across really just use the word “apropo”? Guy is bringing out his 4th grade schoolgirl lingo for this thread. Impressive.

I bet that sun feels good to you rock dwellers.

Sixer fans getting all erect on struggling with Miami? Who does Miami have other than 40 year old Wade and the old white guy at Guard? Oh yea some guy named Justice 

Miami won game two, that will be the last game they win in this series.

Go Sixers, Go Rockets.

Damn, Fabes,  you don't have to be bitter because you've been all wrong about Embiid

>>>called out nut kicker, Draymond

I always wondered if it was simply East Coast bias, or because Draymond isn't an offensive superstar that prompted you to single him out.

In any event, this was from last year's finals...

Na, not mad. You're criticism of Embiid is misplaced. The sixers organization is responsible for the minutes restrictions and the restriction on back to back games. Like I wrote,  Embiid was under the NBA concussion protocol until the day before game 2. He was not medically cleared until game 3, but only if he wore the mask and lens.

And like I wrote, this team has exceeded my expectations. I'm just enjoying the ride.

Googly, I admit that Green is far from the only offender. It was the frequency of the incidents, and his nonsense excuse that his wild leg flailings were unintentional.

*your criticism

And the Sixers were, and still may be, rattled by how physical the heat have played. They may not be able to beat a better team who plays them as physical as the heat have. Heck, they could still lose to the heat. First playoff experience for much of the squad. Part of the process.

They single Draymond out because they fear him.

>They single out Draymond out because they fear him.

You're right, I'm afraid he's going to kick somebody in the nuts, yet again.

Afternoon game today. Fucking kids better not have been out partying last night.

76ers are slipping.  The Heat look like they are going to tie the series up at 2-2

This game reminds me of many of the Sixers early season losses.

Can't turn the ball over this many times and win

The heat lost this game at the line.

Only bright spots for the Sixers were Simmons' triple double, seven players in double figures, and a 3-1 series lead.

Road games like that, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. They got the job done now it’s a commanding 3-1 lead.Two big wins on the road in a difficult place to play. Time to stick th fork in em back home.

I missed the end cause went out and did yardwork.  Rockets need to sweep the Timberwolves.

Rockets are playing like shit today.  There goes the sweep unless they pull off a miracle in the last 2 minutes

Some close games yesterday.   Most of them could have gone either way with many of them having some good or bad luck (banked in last second threes, or 5 missed layups in the first two minutes).   

I'm glad the Spurs could win one for Pop.....that city and team needed that win.   They won't win the series but they won't forget that game.    

Sure nice watchin' the Jazz smoke OKC. I hope they take game 5 in OKC by 15-20 just to rub it in to Westbrook and Melo in front of their fans.   

I hope you are right but I wouldn't count OKC out yet.   One game at home can change momentum and if they steal gave six assuming (they win 5) I wouldn't bet on the Jazz.   

That said, Mitchell is calm and cool for a rookie.   Tatum, Simmons, Mitchell plus a few others...it's been a good rookie class.    

Agreed Zang. Not counting them out, just hoping.

Okc is done. Westbrook getting outplayed and drying and whining about it. A rookie is out scoring threes guys who have been in the league for a long time. Shits embarrassing.

Anyone been watching the Pelicans?  I knew that Anthony Davis was fantastic, but DAYUM!!!  Sweeping Blazers and no Cousins?  Warriors should be worried...

Is there an easy way to watch these games live without cable?  I'm pretty much catching hoops via old-school radio, which means I'm just listening to the Warriors.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

OKC is suffering from the curse of Mello. Guy's an overpaid dog. 

George is kinda getting that same trademark. Gets his money and goes home every year in the playoffs.

Ingles is getting under George's skin. He's an absolute pain in the ass for the other team. Always yapping, just bugging the piss out of people. A guy who's face you'd like to punch.

And then when he goes off hitting threes, he turns into a critical piece for the Jazz. He was having a great time last night, and rubbing it in. 

Last couple of games have showed how pivotal he can be. When he's on, he adds so much. When he's off, they struggle. But he always finds a way to contribute. 

Yeah, I know, same could be said for most any player. But for the Jazz, Ingles is kinda that bellwether player.

I read the OKC paper today. Westbrook didn't have much to say. Sounds like Billy D is admitting George is going the wrong way on some defensive assignments and leaving people open. 

>>Is there an easy way to watch these games live without cable?  I'm pretty much catching hoops via old-school radio, which means I'm just listening to the Warriors.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/nba/2018/4/14...

^^^^ https://www.reddit.com/r/nbastreams/

>>>Sounds like Billy D is admitting George is going the wrong way on some defensive assignments and (is) leaving 

Fixed that for ya. 

OKC is just kinda getting their asses whooped in that series. A loss tonight at home to lose the series would be bad. You know melo don’t wanna go back to Utah tho

Hey, thanks for the advice, Rob and Bucky.

What a strange game. Back to Utah.

Cleveland pulled it out, but that looked like goaltending to me. I wonder why it wasn't reviewed?

Cause they didn't blow the whistle and the pacers were complaining about a foul instead of the goal tend.    Here is where the NBA completely fails....they'll issue the post ref report in a day saying how it was goal tending and they made the wrong call.   And then you wonder, what am I supposed to do with that information. Basically the game was altered by a bad call and the NBA admits it but nothing will change.   If they are going to issue the report they should have repercussions in some format.     This is my round about way of saying...they shouldn't issue the report.   

If they counted that basket, Cleveland still wins by 1, but I totally agree the report isn't needed unless some kind of action is taken to resolve the mistake.

NBA season isn't over yet?  The reason that I say that is there's been SO much crying and whining about the Cavs and Lebron since the alllstar break.  Just let it all play out.

Hooper your wrong see section e.

RULE NO. 11-BASKETBALL INTERFERENCE-GOALTENDING
Section I-A Player Shall Not: 
a. Touch the ball or the basket ring when the ball is using the basket ring as its lower base. 
EXCEPTION: If a player near his own basket has his hand legally in contact with the ball, it is not a violation if his contact with the ball continues after the ball enters the cylinder, or if, in such action, he touches the basket. 
b. Touch the ball when it is above the basket ring and within the imaginary cylinder. 
c. For goaltending to occur, the ball, in the judgment of the official, must have a chance to score. 
d. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball after it has touched any part of the backboard above ring level, whether the ball is considered on its upward or downward flight. 
e. During a field goal attempt, touch a ball after it has touched the backboard below the ring level and while the ball is on its upward flight. 
f. Trap the ball against the face of the backboard. (To be a trapped ball, three elements must exist simultaneously. The hand, the ball and the backboard must all occur at the same time. A batted ball against the backboard is not a trapped ball.) 
g. Touch any live ball from within the playing area that is on its downward flight with an opportunity to touch the basket ring. This is considered to be a "field goal attempt" or trying for a goal. 
h. Touch the ball at any time with a hand which is through the basket ring. 
i. Vibrate the rim or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce. 
PENALTY: If the violation is at the opponent's basket, the offended team is awarded two points, if the attempt is from the two point zone and three points if it is from the three point zone. The crediting of the score and subsequent procedure is the same as if the awarded score has resulted from the ball having gone through the basket, except that the official shall hand the ball to a player of the team entitled to the throw-in. If the violation is at a team's own basket, no points can be scored and the ball is awarded to the offended team at the free throw line extended on either sideline. If there is a violation by both teams, play shall be resumed by a jump ball between any two opponents at the center circle.

>>>Sorry guys, it wasn't goaltending.

Sorry Hoops, the NBA disagrees with you.  

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23327614/lebron-james-cleveland-caval...

>>>If they counted that basket, Cleveland still wins by 1

Disagree.  If they counted the basket it's likely that a different defensive and offensive strategy would have been implemented.   Can't predict something that didn't happen.    

Rob, pulling out the rule book!

Will you all start referring to the rim as the ring now? 

The ball hit the backboard 1st