NBA playoffs - Who ya got?

[lisaviolet]

Well here we go with a smile and a sigh.

I am the weirdo that just loves & lives for the first round, it has more excitement than the finals at times. All the hope & the possibilities.

And I can relax into it this year, due to a Raptors' play-in bye bye.

I will watch a few games before I put in my pick. Just not much today as we are having days and days of sublime weather here, and it will go from the 80s to the 40s in two seconds..

Anyway emotionally rambling. Sigh. Missing you Jason. Once again classic low key/Pop Daddy in his honour..

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I refused to start his NBA thread when he suggested it "Nope you need to do it, low key".

He gave in, started it & no one had realized it. The best -

 

[bcla]

I think the Warriors can get the 5th of last 9. They're pretty much healthy, Gary Payton II is back and playing great, and Klay Thompson is back in form. The big question would be Andrew Wiggins. The Sacramento Kings are probably wondering what they did to deserve this after playing hard all season for the Western Conference 3rd seed. Hopefully nobody gets hurt. Seen it way too many times.

 

[bcla]

So the recent issues with flagrant fouls seems rather incinsistent. Game 2 of Warriors-Kings had Draymond Green stomping on Domantis Sabonis’s chest after he had grabbed him by the ankle to prevent him going on a fast break. That resulted in a flagrant 2 with automatic ejection along with a suspension for the next game.

But game 3 of Sixers-Nets had Joel Embiid kicking an opponent in the groin from the ground but only a flagrant 1, but later James Harden got ejected with a flagrant 2 after he pushed off on an opponent below the belt.

Oh - and Nick Nurse was fired.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Anyway emotionally rambling. Sigh. Missing you Jason. Once again classic low key/Pop Daddy in his honour..

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I refused to start his NBA thread when he suggested it "Nope you need to do it, low key".

He gave in, started it & no one had realized it. The best -

When I saw the thread title there, Lisa, you had me . Missing our guy here also.

 

[lisaviolet]

When I saw the thread title there, Lisa, you had me . Missing our guy here also.

Dan, after I put it together and it came up I even had a moment of "What?"

I don't know if it is age or the way it formatted.

 

[lisaviolet]

I think the Warriors can get the 5th of last 9. They're pretty much healthy, Gary Payton II is back and playing great, and Klay Thompson is back in form. The big question would be Andrew Wiggins. The Sacramento Kings are probably wondering what they did to deserve this after playing hard all season for the Western Conference 3rd seed. Hopefully nobody gets hurt. Seen it way too many times.

A family member was all about Sacramento, and somewhat trash talking the competition. Does not live here so was not a Toronto- based jab.

I was all Do not underestimate them. Not for a minute.

And remember I begrudgingly picked them last year.

 

[lisaviolet]

So the recent issues with flagrant fouls seems rather incinsistent. Game 2 of Warriors-Kings had Draymond Green stomping on Domantis Sabonis’s chest after he had grabbed him by the ankle to prevent him going on a fast break. That resulted in a flagrant 2 with automatic ejection along with a suspension for the next game.

But game 3 of Sixers-Nets had Joel Embiid kicking an opponent in the groin from the ground but only a flagrant 1, but later James Harden got ejected with a flagrant 2 after he pushed off on an opponent below the belt.

Oh - and Nick Nurse was fired.

Sad sad NBA day when Embiid can karate kick like that and keep playing. And Harden can do something so pedestrian and get thrown. Ridiculous.

 

[lisaviolet]

Oh - and Nick Nurse was fired

Ujuri looked crazy worn in the press conference.

 

[lisaviolet]

I am holding off for a bit longer, for my pick. Streaming on one of our simulcasts is driving me cuckoo for cocoa pops..
And so many injuries, it is a shame. All around.

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I was really enjoying the Phoenix - Clippers series. Such an absolute shame. But good on the Clippers keeping that last game so close.

 

[lisaviolet]

Some random thoughts -

What a blast from the past to have Sacramento & Knicks in the fold.

Memories came flooding back. Like Van Gundy hanging onto Morning's leg.

And I forgot how white those Sacramento stands are, and muscle juice middle-aged men at that.

Westbrook's game one arena entrance made me laugh & think of David Stern.

Hubie Brown is 89. Full stop..Pointe Finale.

 

[bcla]

Sad sad NBA day when Embiid can karate kick like that and keep playing. And Harden can do something so pedestrian and get thrown. Ridiculous.

Harden did push right into a defender’s junk. It was most definitely unnecessary. The problem I have is that Harden’s entire game is premised on defenders being afraid to guard him because he tries to sell contact and that he pushes off to make room and gets away with it. Not just pushing arms out of way, but right to the torso.

 

[lisaviolet]

Harden did push right into a defender’s junk. It was most definitely unnecessary.

Totally agree.

You're right.

But to me there was no need for a flagrant 2.

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And I get really tired of big personalities getting under-called, as much as your frustration of Harden's offensive game.

 

[lisaviolet]

I assume your money is on Golden State, yes bcla?

Who do you see coming out of the East?

 

[bcla]

I assume your money is on Golden State, yes bcla?

Who do you see coming out of the East?

Even now with the Kings up 2-1. The Warriors have figured out how to reduce the effectiveness of Sabonis, and without Draymond Green and Gary Payton II. Those were two extremely close games in Sacramento, but in San Francisco the Warriors won wire to wire. I don't think the Kings will win on the road. But the Warriors can beat the Kings on the road. And I really can't stand Sabonis now. He uses every dirty trick in the book and just hopes to get away with it or perhaps bait an opponent into retaliating. And I think the refs are going to call him a lot tighter now and not let him get away with all the stuff he did in the first two games.

I'm thinking the Bucks in the east.

 

[bcla]

Warriors tie the series with the Kings 2-2 but looked like they were trying to give away the game in the last couple of minutes. Curry did his best Chris Webber impersonation, which both gave the Kings a free throw AND possession. And they dodged a good look by Harrison Barnes that went long and would have given the Kings the win.

So back to Sac on Wednesday. I wonder if the Warriors will stay overnight or take a bus straight from San Francisco.

 

[RedAngie]

I’m not a basketball fan but I heard the 76ers swept their series against Brooklyn.

Maybe I’ll be like @ronandannette and jump on their bandwagon like she did with the Toronto Raptors several years back.

 

[lisaviolet]

What a ****ing great series - Golden State & Sacramento. Love.

 

[bcla]

This is big.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650581195137097745

 

[bcla]

I'm thinking the Bucks in the east.

That didn’t age well.

 

[lisaviolet]

That didn’t age well.

What an epic night all around. So enjoyable to watch.
Well not for Milwaukee or the Grizzlies. Or their fans.

My nephew asked me what team I was into watching on day one, I said Well I just love cocky swagger (not Embiid style) so Butler is something. But they barely got into the playoffs. And that is a player, not a team.

I just love the feeling of seeing something that will stick in your head. The first quarter alone. Holy.

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And then in between the two games, I went over to the Leafs. That Tampa crowd has been whiplashed.
But then again we sort of have a way about us. Since my birth! Laughing.