Jaime L Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 I watched the entire 4th quarter and it didn't feel weird in the moment that Harden didn't take many shots. Only after the fact, once it's pointed out, does it not seem like enough. Calling him a choker is a warmed over sports talk radio take @Tywin et al.. I've seen Harden shrink from the moment in the past. This was not remotely that. It's also weird to blame Harden for the loss when he was just about perfect from an efficiency standpoint (31 points on 16 shots, 2 turnovers) while Chris Paul went 3/14. This is the fifth straight game in the series where one team makes a shot or two more than the opponent and ekes it out. That's literally been the difference all series. The weirdest thing about this game was how terrible Curry was while Durant was in the game. Like in the third quarter he looked like a legit bumbling fool out there, as though Seth Curry had Freaky Friday'd into his body. Durant gets hurt in the 4th quarter, possibly badly, and then instantly Curry morphs back into 2016 mode...draining 3's, making layups, dropping dimes. The whole alpha struggle deal always seemed way overblown to me but at least in this game Curry looked way more free without having to worry to feed Durant for his isos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Selig Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Durant's injury is only a mild calf strain, he will be evaluated again next week and could play in the western finals if the Dubs reach this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 51 minutes ago, David Selig said: https://stats.nba.com/game/0041800225/?RangeType=2&StartRange=21598&EndRange=28800 Thanks. So it appears he scored twice, sat for a minute, and then came back in and played around 8 minutes while only taking one shot. I could forgive that if he got a bunch of assists/rebounds/steals/etc., but he didn’t. He had one assist, which was offset by a turnover, and basically nothing else. That’s pretty bad, considering he’s a MVP candidate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 37 minutes ago, Jaime L said: I watched the entire 4th quarter and it didn't feel weird in the moment that Harden didn't take many shots. Only after the fact, once it's pointed out, does it not seem like enough. Calling him a choker is a warmed over sports talk radio take @Tywin et al.. I've seen Harden shrink from the moment in the past. This was not remotely that. It's also weird to blame Harden for the loss when he was just about perfect from an efficiency standpoint (31 points on 16 shots, 2 turnovers) while Chris Paul went 3/14. It would be a radio hot take if it was baseless, but it’s not. Harden has a long history of fading in big playoff games, and that’s exactly what happened here. The guy was tied after three quarters and he went out and laid an egg, which is only magnified by the fact that the other team’s best player was out of the game. Quote The weirdest thing about this game was how terrible Curry was while Durant was in the game. Like in the third quarter he looked like a legit bumbling fool out there, as though Seth Curry had Freaky Friday'd into his body. Durant gets hurt in the 4th quarter, possibly badly, and then instantly Curry morphs back into 2016 mode...draining 3's, making layups, dropping dimes. The whole alpha struggle deal always seemed way overblown to me but at least in this game Curry looked way more free without having to worry to feed Durant for his isos. I heard a report that the Warriors’ players were actually a bit excited for the challenge of going without KD. Obviously some of that is post game spin, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be true to some extent. I’m blanking on the numbers, but the Warriors’ record without Durant is actually really good. It’s when they’re missing Curry that they’ve struggled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relic Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 3 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said: I dont see anything left in this field that will prevent Giannis from hoisting the Finals Championship trophy. It's name is steph curry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 21 minutes ago, Relic said: It's name is steph curry Oddly enough it might be the least athletic looking guy in the league that keeps the most athletic guy in the league from raising the trophy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteGabriel Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 50 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said: Oddly enough it might be the least athletic looking guy in the league that keeps the most athletic guy in the league from raising the trophy. Zaza's going to leap out from the stands while Giannis is up in the air? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briantw Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 57 minutes ago, Triskele said: How interesting for GS to now be in this position where they have to show they can close out a series without Durant but not with the mental blow that he's out for the playoffs. I bet they find a way to do it, but damn if the rest of this series didn't become very intriguing now. Would sure love to see Portland do what Philly is doing right now and defend home court in game 6 right when the world starts thinking the other team is better. I wouldn't love their chances of winning a game 7 in Denver but hope they can get it there. If this was a different year, I think the Rockets might have been able to pull it out. But Chris Paul looks washed the fuck up and Capela doesn't look great either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argonath Diver Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Man I am enjoying the absolute shit out of the Portland / Denver series. Game 5 was a bit of a let-down in terms of entertainment, but I still don't think I'd enjoy any other series nearly as much as this one. Well, if my dream scenario of Denver/Milwaukee happens. Oh man would that be a blast! Not outside the realm of possibility, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhom Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 7 hours ago, Argonath Diver said: Man I am enjoying the absolute shit out of the Portland / Denver series. Game 5 was a bit of a let-down in terms of entertainment, but I still don't think I'd enjoy any other series nearly as much as this one. Well, if my dream scenario of Denver/Milwaukee happens. Oh man would that be a blast! Not outside the realm of possibility, either. Your dream scenario is ABC’s nightmare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maithanet Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Three game 7s on Sunday! (Assuming the Rockets win tonight, which they will). This second round has lived up to the hype, and I think all three of Sunday's games should be pretty cracking. Embiid showed up in a big way in game 6, his defense is something else. While I still expect the Raptors to pull it out, it's definitely up in the air. That is, unless he inexplicably has another stomach bug or vertigo or scurvy or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime L Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Maithanet said: Three game 7s on Sunday! (Assuming the Rockets win tonight, which they will). This second round has lived up to the hype, and I think all three of Sunday's games should be pretty cracking. Embiid showed up in a big way in game 6, his defense is something else. While I still expect the Raptors to pull it out, it's definitely up in the air. That is, unless he inexplicably has another stomach bug or vertigo or scurvy or something. Was going to say the same thing. Best second round ever. Houston-GS has been an all time great series thus far and Durant's injury only makes the last two games more intriguing. Denver-Portland is consistently fun and all over the map. I'm still amazed Jokic managed to play 65 minutes in a game without running once. Not sure how Philly-Toronto is going to game 7 but I've enjoyed the Jimmy vs. Kawhi duel. If only the Celtics actually showed up to their talent level though even there it was fun watching Giannis destroy worlds. If Horford can't slow him down, who can? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maithanet Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 8 minutes ago, Jaime L said: If Horford can't slow him down, who can? I honestly don't know if Embiid is quick enough to match up with Giannis. A lot of that will come down to coaching and the degree to which each is put into a position to succeed. Embiid's athleticism is pretty shocking at times though, so he might pull it off. If that doesn't work, it'll be up to Jimmy Butler, but he's giving up a lot of length and strength in that matchup. The Raptors Siakam vs Giannis battle would be very interesting indeed for a 7 games series. Siakam is a lot closer physically to Giannis than what most teams have, with the same 7-3 wingspan and only giving up ~10 lbs. If he's still too injured to match up with Giannis then it'll probably be up to Kawhi to do his best against a bigger, stronger league MVP. If only he had some experience with that sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argonath Diver Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 It is a curious state of affairs that on a Sunday night featuring the penultimate episode of the most expensive television show ever, based off a series of books this forum was created for, I will instead be watching playoff series of teams I don't even normally root for. Despite my distaste for both Golden State and Houston, it will likely be an exciting game. I keep thinking Philly has too many weapons, but Kawhi in beast mode, plus a vocal home crowd, could be enough. And most of all, I want the Denver Portland series to just continue through May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanteGabriel Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Given my complaints in the last few days, I should clarify that I did not, in fact, write this story: Quote That moment came to symbolize the ongoing tensions within the team -- the same ones Stevens was referring to when he saw what lay ahead during the preseason. Irving repeatedly would poke at the team's young players -- specifically Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier -- through the media. He wouldn't explicitly call them out, just as he didn't in Orlando. But it was clear whom he was referring to. ... "We've just got to have each other's backs at the end of the day," Brown said after the loss. "We can't make comments, we can't point fingers, we just have to continue to empower each other and have each other's backs. If we don't, if we start pointing fingers, everybody's going to go into their own little shells. We've got to continue to play basketball. It starts from the top to the bottom. Not from the bottom to the top, but the top to the bottom." It was a big moment -- and the most visible sign that the young players were bristling under Irving's form of leadership. However, their seasons weren't without their own struggles, separate from Irving's criticisms. Rozier had gone from "Scary Terry" -- playoff star and pal of former Patriot Drew Bledsoe -- to backup role player. Brown spent the first several weeks of the season looking uncomfortable in the starting lineup, often forcing things. After working out with Kobe Bryant during the summer, Tatum came back far too happy settling for long 2-point jumpers. Tatum's 0.69 points per direct isolation was the worst mark among 95 players with 100 such plays this season, per Second Spectrum data. The combination earned him a seat on the bench next to Stevens on more than one occasion. ... "There's no extra burden," Irving said after going 4-for-18 from the field and scoring just nine points in what was arguably the worst game of his playoff career. "This is what I signed up for. This is what Boston traded for me for. Only now, Boston folded against its greatest test. The Celtics lost Game 3, as Irving threw up another clunker of a game, with his repeated settling for jumpers setting the tone for a passive game overall by the rest of the team. "It's really just about being efficient, especially the rest of this series," Irving said. "From this point on I don't think you'll see another 8-for-22." Irving was right. In a crucial Game 4, he shot 7-for-22. His 43 missed field goals to that point were the most he'd ever accumulated across three playoff games in his career. And after the loss, Irving was defiant. "Who cares?" Irving said when asked about dealing with shooting struggles. "I'm a basketball player. Prepare the right way. Like I said, it's a little different when your rhythm is challenged every play down. You're being picked up full court. They're doing things to test you. "The expectations on me are going to be sky high. ... I'm trying to do it all. For me, the 22 shots, I should have shot 30. I'm that great of a shooter." Irving didn't shoot 30 times in Game 5. He did, however, go 6-for-21 -- including one absurd air ball on a first-half 3-pointer from the wing that didn't come close to touching the rim. He made just one 3-pointer all night, one fewer than little-used Bucks reserve Tim Frazier, who didn't check into the game until garbage time. Irving's performance left him a dismal 25-for-83 over the final four games of the series -- all Boston losses. His 58 missed shots were the most he's had in a four-game span in his playoff career. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26702069/kyrie-irving-failed-leadership-tells-story-celtics-failed-season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Selig Posted May 10, 2019 Share Posted May 10, 2019 Good video debunking the "Harden choked down the stretch in Game 5" narrative - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingintheNorth4 Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 Thompson and the Warriors bench played a great first half, but Curry? 0 points, 0 for 5 and 3 three fouls. It must be Kyle Lowry disguised as Curry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingintheNorth4 Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 Curry starting to cook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mother of The Others Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 This is a bad night for America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsay B. Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 Curry ruined our wild Triple-threat Sunday. Rockets were simply awful in the 4th. Dumb shot after dumb shot, and whining to the refs too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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