2023-2024 NBA Thread

[PhaelixWW]

What a thrilling finish to the Suns/Pels series. I was hoping it would get pushed to a Game 7, but oh well.

CP3 was just ridiculous, ending with a perfect 14/14 from the field and 4/4 from the line. If he hadn't gone 100%, New Orleans would have realistically won this game.

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This is perhaps the cleanest look anyone has ever seen for a possible elimination-playoff-game-winning three-point buzzer-beater.



Bogie let the Jazz down.

[ProphetFlume]

Crazy first round. Who could’ve predicted the top 4 seeds in each conference progressing.

[PhaelixWW]

Well, so much for the TWolves. I was hoping to see the series go to 7 games, give the Dubs as much rest between series as possible. Oh well.

Also, Embiid is out indefinitely with an orbital fracture and concussion. I'm not sure a Harden-led Sixers squad gets past the Heat without him. We'll see. The "good news", if any, is that the first two games are in Miami. So if he recovers enough from the orbital fracture to play by Game 3 in a week, then the Sixers will at worst have lost the first two away games that they were more likely to lose anyway.

[ProphetFlume]

Well, so much for the TWolves. I was hoping to see the series go to 7 games, give the Dubs as much rest between series as possible. Oh well.

Also, Embiid is out indefinitely with an orbital fracture and concussion. I'm not sure a Harden-led Sixers squad gets past the Heat without him. We'll see. The "good news", if any, is that the first two games are in Miami. So if he recovers enough from the orbital fracture to play by Game 3 in a week, then the Sixers will at worst have lost the first two away games that they were more likely to lose anyway.

Wolves collapsed too many times in the second half of games. Lots of reasons to be embarrassed in offseason.

Has harden as #1 taken a team anywhere in the postseason? I seem to remember every name guy the rockets brought in to help outplaying him. They almost went somewhere when CP3 was carrying them until his injury.

[PhaelixWW]

Has harden as #1 taken a team anywhere in the postseason? I seem to remember every name guy the rockets brought in to help outplaying him. They almost went somewhere when CP3 was carrying them until his injury.

His best was losing to the Dubs in the Conference Finals in 2014-15 with the Rockets.

[xskarma]

Shooting like 30% and missing good, open looks is a recipe to lose against any team. Let alone against the defending world champions. Bucks now with the Homecourt advantage back, assuming the Celtics don't have a miracle in them.

[PhaelixWW]

Shooting like 30% and missing good, open looks is a recipe to lose against any team. Let alone against the defending world champions. Bucks now with the Homecourt advantage back, assuming the Celtics don't have a miracle in them.

This was a tough home loss for the Celtics, especially with Khris Middleton out. They're definitely capable of coming back, but... oof.

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What an absolutely thrilling Game 1 in Memphis. The Dubs steal an away win, even losing Draymond before the half. So much of a swing of emotion in the last 5 minutes of the game.

[PhaelixWW]

Well. The Grizzlies sure are out for blood... literally.

[xskarma]

Well then, that's unexpected. https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/st...96099707408384

"Brooklyn Nets say Ben Simmons will undergo surgery on his back on Thursday."

[PhaelixWW]

Well then, that's unexpected. https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/st...96099707408384

"Brooklyn Nets say Ben Simmons will undergo surgery on his back on Thursday."

Is it? We've known about his herniated disc for a while now. Better to have surgery now and be back for next season healthy, I guess.

[xskarma]

Is it? We've known about his herniated disc for a while now. Better to have surgery now and be back for next season healthy, I guess.

Yeah, but I figured that given that Simmons and Co. said he would suit up for the playoffs, he was at least close to being back. Apparently all that "he'll be back for Game 4" was even more bullshit than it seemed at the time if he's getting surgery now, like 2 weeks later.

[PhaelixWW]

Yeah, but I figured that given that Simmons and Co. said he would suit up for the playoffs, he was at least close to being back. Apparently all that "he'll be back for Game 4" was even more bullshit than it seemed at the time if he's getting surgery now, like 2 weeks later.

Those aren't mutually exclusive. There are a lot of injuries that are not so bad that you can't play through them, but will get better with surgery. And there are many times where players postpone non-critical surgery until after the season.

Heck, I had a herniated disc a few years ago, but I didn't require surgery to fix it. I'm sure Simmons doesn't "need" the surgery, but the surgery will still help him heal faster and more fully.

[ProphetFlume]

Why do the bucks-Celtics and warriors-grizzlies get 3 days off between games 2 and 3 when heat-76ers and suns-mavs only get 1?

[xskarma]

Why do the bucks-Celtics and warriors-grizzlies get 3 days off between games 2 and 3 when heat-76ers and suns-mavs only get 1?

I know why the Celtics and Bucks get an extra day:

[xskarma]

Many things could have gone differently that game and the Celtics would have won. To lose, on a last second buzzer beater if it had been tapped 0.5 sec earlier, in a game where this many things went wrong and the officiating was THIS bad, just makes me think that Milwaukee is in trouble in this series.

Need to show it next game though, really set the tone and get out to a comfortable lead like in Game 2 and not allow anyone (looking at you refs) to steal a game again.

[PhaelixWW]

The Warriors just dismantled the Grizzlies. Got up 28 before the starters were lifted.

[ProphetFlume]

If these back and forths keep happening eventually someone will put curry in an ankle lock and snap it

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I really thought the sixers were toast, especially with embiid gone or playing hurt, but it looks like we’ve got some good series going on across the board. Though the only thing interesting to me about warriors/griz is how much the injuries escalate.

Suns must be having finals flashbacks; handily up 2-0 and fall 4. Mavs would be interesting because I feel like we know who the other teams are, but the mavs are hard to define day to day.

[PhaelixWW]

Suns must be having finals flashbacks; handily up 2-0 and fall 4. Mavs would be interesting because I feel like we know who the other teams are, but the mavs are hard to define day to day.

Home court advantage is a huge thing in the NBA, more so than most professional sports. And the Suns know they will win the series if it plays out with the home team winning each game.

Still, the Mavs really showed up and rather handily beat the Suns in their two home games, so we'll have to see who blinks first.

[ProphetFlume]

Impressive 4th quarter of a playoff game by harden. Didn’t know he had it in him.

[xskarma]

Hell of a game by the Bucks and Celtics. I worry that whoever wins this in the end is going to be exhausted though. You can just see these players get more worn down game by game.

Back to Boston at 2-2 though, and hopefully the Celtics can play their best game at home and force at worst another game in Boston. I have hopes they can finish this though. Milwaukee seems more affected in the late game then the Celtics have been by fatigue and Budenholzer's attempts to switch up with his bench have not worked out, whereas the Celtics have had some success there.

Just hopefully that Robert Williams and his knee are okay. He's not been very effective this series, but he's crucial going forward and we need him healthy to keep the bench advantage on the Bucks.

Next game on Wednesday. Can't wait!