2019 First Round Playoffs Thread.

[nuraman00]

Using this for non-Jazz series.

That was a great game 1.

Funny to think that on the last Magic possession, you have Leonard guarding Augustin, a top defender.

Then Marc Gasol gets switched onto him, a former defensive player of the year.

And Augustin still hits the game winner.

A top defender like Leonard cannot get screened out, and still claim to be a top defender.

I actually haven't been as impressed with Leonard's defense for several years, as I think he's pretty good, but not as good as the guys in the 90s / early 2000s.

I like Paul George more defensively. Even then, I still think there were other past wing defenders better. But I'd rank George ahead of Leonard.

 

[nuraman00]

I guess @MHSL82 can't rest players with a 31 point lead in the playoffs, anymore.

 

[nuraman00]

The Clippers took the lead after 19 minutes, 14.5 seconds. That's 1154.5 seconds.

The Jazz lost their 25 point lead last year after 8 minutes, 49 seconds (that's how long it took the Thunder to take the lead). That's 529 seconds.

It took the Clippers 2.18 times more time to come back from a little bigger deficit, than the Thunder did last year.

 

[nuraman00]

Blew A 31 Point Lead T-Shirt

 

[nuraman00]

I guess @MHSL82 can't rest players with a 31 point lead in the playoffs, anymore.

@MHSL82, thanks for the rating.

I feel like we haven't had funny posts on here in a while.

I'm glad we can still make each other laugh.

 

[nuraman00]

Darn it Spurs. They were beating the Nuggets! Then Jamal Murray was on fire and the Spurs couldn't win.

They had a 19 point lead.

 

[nuraman00]

Nope, Damian Lillard's series winner wasn't a bad shot

 

[nuraman00]

Nope, Damian Lillard's series winner wasn't a bad shot

I was a day late in watching the Thunder-Trail Blazers game.

Thankfully nothing was spoiled for me.

I'm not sure I've seen a game like that. The Portland was up 9, then the Thunder had their 30 - 6 run, followed by Portland's 21 - 6 run. At any of those points, in a normal game, the game would have been "over".

Either when Portland went up 9, or when the Thunder went on a 30 - 6 run for a 15 point lead, or when Portland had their 21 - 6 run.

McCollum was also big with a few floaters in the 4th.

And Harkless with his made FTs.

And Paul George missed 3 FTs in the last 5:31.

Any of those would have changed the outcome.

As for Lillard's shot, I've always thought of him as a very good shooter. He was wide open.

As that article points out, he's really good from that range. He probably only takes open shots. He's not like someone else, who might take a contested 37 footer.

So if he's a very good shooter, and only takes open shots, then it's a good shot for him.

I usually don't like games decided by a "lucky shot". Or a super contested shot that goes in. If someone makes a game-winner, I want it to be on a good play (the defense does contest the shot, but the offense makes them work and gets open). I don't like game-winners where the defense had a clear lapse, or someone makes a shot while off balance and falling.

I hope Lillard didn't take that shot only because he was at home. Because in the playoffs, you can't just assume the home team will win overtime games. I'll bet overtime games are more 50/50 in the playoffs, than in the regular season. And in the playoffs, if a team loses an overtime game, it hurts more than it does in the regular season.

The Thunder, in addition to their missed FTs, committed several bad fouls.

One criticism of Portland could be their play when the Thunder were on their 30 - 6 run. Bad defense, contested 3-pointers. They weren't playing smart at all. They were giving too much space to 3-point shooters, and didn't vary it up. Both credit to the Thunder, but it shouldn't have extended as much as it did if Portland had changed how they were playing.

I've really liked how Lillard has played PG this year. He's become good at setting up others, and doesn't just shoot it every time. He really knows how to get Aminu, Harkless the ball, as well as Kanter and Nurkic.

And again, this was a nice series to watch, because Westbrook and Lillard guarded each other for most of the games.

 

[nuraman00]

You know a play is big when there's different international replays of it.

The Korean one is the best, because they say "Dame Time".

If the Jazz want to be The Best Team In Sports, they'll have to have a playoffs moment that spawn international replay uploads, like this.