NBA playoffs 2018 - Raptors over Cavs in 6

[IamMe90]

And probably the greatest dunk of the entire season was just made by Donovan Mitchell in the 4th quarter. HOLY. FUCK!!!

ETA: For anyone that wasn't watching:

https://streamable.com/5yja4

 

 

[Slurktan]

So Raps choked and lost hard yesterday.  But in a move shocking absolutely no one the elbow Kevin Love connected on DeRozan that referees deemed wasn't even worth looking at in a replay, was instead upgraded to a flagrant 1 by the league office.

[Rhom]

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

It doesn’t get mentioned enough, but the Houston Rockets have a little bit of Toronto Raptors in their blood. They too are playoff chokers.

Statistically speaking, the Rockets this year had one of the best offenses ever. By some metrics it was the best. And yet they don’t scare you like the Warriors do. When you’re up 20 with 5 minutes against the Warriors, you don’t feel safe. In fact, you’re terrified, because you know they are still going to somehow beat you by 5. I can’t say anything near the same with this Rockets team.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Fizdale to the Knicks. Congratulations, you didn't do something Knickish like hiring Blatt. 

Also, there's a game on now? It's not even 3:30 in Cali...

[KingintheNorth4]

The Toronto Raptors are the Kansas City Chiefs of the NBA.

[Argonath Diver]

Picking the Cavs plus 6.5 was the easiest bet I think I've ever made. I wish I'd put down four times as much.

[Rhom]

May wanna change that thread title...

[DanteGabriel]

Welp. Sixers remembered how to play defense and Celtics can't get a rebound to save their lives, which has been their traditional failing in the playoffs.

[Slurktan]

I hope to god this is the impetus to finally oust Casey.  But knowing this team, nope everything will stay the same until next years loss to whatever team LeBron is on.  Unless he takes mercy on 35 million people and forces a trade to us.

[Jaime L]

Didn't expect the Celtics to come back from 20 down to win. And really didn't expect Ben Simmons to be the worst player on the floor. 1 point, 5 turnovers and -23 for the game. TJ McConnell was +16 ffs. Have no idea what just happened.

[DanteGabriel]

Clearly my previous post was a reverse jinx. Great game.

[briantw]

https://imgur.com/yBsiKGX

[Relic]

Celtics vs Philly is a classic example of a system based team confounding a free wheeling offense. Incredible when a team has the two best players in a series and can't win. 

[Relic]

Just want to add that im super grateful to be living in the LeBron James era. That dude is an insane basketball player. The best Ive ever had the pleasure to watch live. He took the air out of that stadium last night with those ridiculous fall aways. All hail the King. 

[Rhom]

6 hours ago, Relic said:

Just want to add that im super grateful to be living in the LeBron James era. That dude is an insane basketball player. The best Ive ever had the pleasure to watch live. He took the air out of that stadium last night with those ridiculous fall aways. All hail the King. 

Yup.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

11 hours ago, Triskele said:

I think for all Philly's talent they're still quite young and raw, but this is still really impressive that Boston with no Kyrie and no Hayward is up 2-0, and it has to be so devastating to leave Boston down 0-2 but also having blown this huge lead.

Boston is young too. Other than Horford, they’re being led by a third year player (Rozier), a second year player (Brown) and a rookie (Tatum). Philly has been a giant disappointment so far, and I have no idea what happened to Simmons. He and Embiid combined with their shooters should be destroying Boston. They’re the most talented team in the conference.

Also, at this point I won’t be shocked if Toronto gets swept. LeBron has stolen their souls, Shang Tsung style.

[sperry]

7 hours ago, Relic said:

Celtics vs Philly is a classic example of a system based team confounding a free wheeling offense. Incredible when a team has the two best players in a series and can't win. 

 

There are a few things here I've noticed. The first is one that I've mentioned before: the fact that Simmons can't shoot the ball severely limits his ceiling as a player. You can't be a great player in the modern NBA if you aren't a threat to shoot the ball. There's no getting around that.

 

Second is the way the game is called. Both Utah and Boston have used this to their advantage, but when they are at home they know they can foul on basically every play and it won't be called. That's not going to hold.

 

Third, the Sixers roster is short right now, and the most glaring thing is the Fultz pick. They might have undone everything that Sam Hinkie did with that one move. If a sports psychologist can't sort him out this offseason, than he's basically unplayable on a roster built around Ben Simmons.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, sperry said:

 

There are a few things here I've noticed. The first is one that I've mentioned before: the fact that Simmons can't shoot the ball severely limits his ceiling as a player. You can't be a great player in the modern NBA if you aren't a threat to shoot the ball. There's no getting around that.

Third, the Sixers roster is short right now, and the most glaring thing is the Fultz pick. They might have undone everything that Sam Hinkie did with that one move. If a sports psychologist can't sort him out this offseason, than he's basically unplayable on a roster built around Ben Simmons.

I don’t think Simmons has to ever be a good shooter to be an elite player. He probably wouldn’t even need to be league average. But my god, he can’t be afraid to shoot. And that goes double for free throws. He looks like he’s avoiding going to the line. That’s a huge problem for a guy whose greatest skill set might be his ability to attack the rim.

As far as Fultz goes, I never understood the pick if you’re using Simmons as your primary ball handler. Imagine if they had drafted Tatum. He combined with Simmons and Embiid would be a monster threesome going forward for years to come.

[briantw]

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Also, at this point I won’t be shocked if Toronto gets swept. LeBron has stolen their souls, Shang Tsung style.

Once the Cavs won game one, that was series.  Toronto was never going to be able to mentally overcome losing home court, especially in such a deflating, gut-punch fashion.  I honestly think that OT loss after they led the whole game was worse than a simple blowout would have been for them.  In game two, they just looked shook.

They came into the series thinking they were the better team and that this was their year, and then LeBron, as you said, ripped out their soul in game one and there's no coming back from that.  Like you, I'd be a bit surprised if they even win a game now.