OT: NBA Finals

[drekeeper]

So OKC?

Now that Bosh is geting closer to 100% I don't see OKC being able to win 2 of 3 in Miami; so I think it goes back to OKC either with Miami up 3-2 or up 4-1. If Miami is up 4-1 after game 5, I all but guarantee they win the series.

Looking back, I will easily say that game 2 was a tale of the series. Miami played their best game and OKC played their worst. OKC is not going to continually spot Miami leads of 10+ nor is Battier going to continually stay on the tear he has been on. It's going to be a good series BUT OKC wins tonight and wins in 6

 

[Kinzu]

Looking back, I will easily say that game 2 was a tale of the series. Miami played their best game and OKC played their worst. OKC is not going to continually spot Miami leads of 10+ nor is Battier going to continually stay on the tear he has been on. It's going to be a good series BUT OKC wins tonight and wins in 6

Well how well OKC plays in Miami will tell the story of this series. I agree that Battier will not keep draining 3's the way he has been in the first 2 games. The Heat need those early leads though because OKC is just a beast of a team in the 2nd half. They have been that way all through the playoffs so far. Things might be different in Miami though. Usually it's the home teams role players they play the bigger role in the game, but the Heat have so few of them.

 

[Kinzu]

Free Throws are the story of this Finals. If OKC was making free throws like they did all season they would be up 3-0. They are missing to many of them and the Heat who were horrible at the line against the Celtics are hardly missing them.

 

[RobertPhD01]

Heat will win. LBJ gets 1 with the Heat!

 

[Yoshi]

As someone who follows the Lakers a lot, it's great to see OKC on the verge of losing this series. I don't know what it is about that team, but players such as Ibaka and Westbrook do a lot of talking despite not having won anything in this league. Their time will probably come, but Miami was humbled last year in a loss to Dallas and the one definitive advantage they have over OKC is the experience factor - a lot has to be said for that one facet in sports alone, especially in the NBA finals. Look at Westbrook tonight - despite having a mammoth of a game the guy commits a stupid penalty when he didn't have to in the closing moments of the game. Additionally, he turns the ball over in OKC's final drive of the game without being really challenged on the dribble by Wade.

It's gotten into OKC's heads already and I highly doubt they win this series, let alone a game at this point. With Bosh and Wade having been slowed down by injuries, it's tough for Miami but to me they seem to be the more athletic team, something I disagree with Stephen A. Smith on. Miami's defense is absolutely strangling and although Durant is scoring points, he's not dominating the games the way he was in games past during their run in the Western Division playoffs. A lot of that has to do with Lebron covering him.

Also, Ibaka isn't really blocking shots the way he probably should be considering the type of offensive team Miami is, which is a team that gets to the paint a lot. Perhaps he should work on his interior defense instead of taking stabs at another player's defensive abilities such as what he said about King James earlier today...

 

[Yoshi]

Free Throws are the story of this Finals. If OKC was making free throws like they did all season they would be up 3-0. They are missing to many of them and the Heat who were horrible at the line against the Celtics are hardly missing them.

That's experience in being clutch when it counts. OKC will learn their lesson and do that in time but for right now, Miami is playing like the more experienced team. Kudos to them and LJ - they're one more victory from a ring.

 

[Kinzu]

The officials have got in their heads more than the Heat. It's a little alarming that a team that ranked 2nd in free throw shots during the season can't seem to get to the line against the Heat. The Heat on the other hand get to the line probably 80% of the time they attack the rim.

 

[Yoshi]

I would argue only a LOT better. A lot, lot better. Pippen was great. Rodman was great. The Bulls' bench was great. Jordan was the greatest (so far); but Lebron is well on track to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Rarely do I see a player hated as much as Lebron is hates for such silly and inconsistent reasons. It's a huge double standard with him; and like I said, I'm not even a basketball fan.

I don't think the Bulls' bench was that great, as I've seen better, but they had role players who did their job well - Brian Williams, Paxson, BJ Armstrong, Kukoc, Longley, etc (mind you, not all of these players played together, but I'm just throwing them out there since the Bulls won 6 titles).

The Bulls had a great coach, the GOAT in Jordan, a great all around player in Scottie Pippen a la Connie Hawkins part deux, one of the best rebounders in the history of the game in Rodman (his all around game wasn't great, but his interior rebounding was ridiculous), and solid role players. That's how I would describe that team.

 

[Yoshi]

The officials have got in their heads more than the Heat. It's a little alarming that a team that ranked 2nd in free throw shots during the season can't seem to get to the line against the Heat. The Heat on the other hand get to the line probably 80% of the time they attack the rim.

If the refs have gotten into their heads that much then OKC needs to grow up. Bad calls and home calls are part of the NBA, everyone knows that. Heck in the game when Jordan closed out against Utah, Chicago was getting the short end of the stick on some of those calls in Salt Lake, yet the Bulls prevailed.

Honestly, although OKC is the deeper team, they haven't played a team in the PO's with the defensive intensity that Miami has. Spurs come close, but Miami is younger with more athletic and faster players.

 

[MHSL82]

If the refs have gotten into their heads that much then OKC needs to grow up. Bad calls and home calls are part of the NBA, everyone knows that. Heck in the game when Jordan closed out against Utah, Chicago was getting the short end of the stick on some of those calls in Salt Lake, yet the Bulls prevailed.

Honestly, although OKC is the deeper team, they haven't played a team in the PO's with the defensive intensity that Miami has. Spurs come close, but Miami is younger with more athletic and faster players.

I do remember the two-pointer they took away from Howard Eisley (Jazz player) in the first half that was well before the 24-shot clock, the three pointer they gave to Harper (Bulls' player) that was well after the 24 shot clock, and of course, the pushoff by Jordan on the buzzer beater. I didn't think the pushoff was an injudicious as some, but I know if Russell had pushed off on Jordan, it would have been called. I don't care for the "well, it wasn't called" argument because that's a cop-out. By not calling it, the refs were doing the same but worse of deciding the game. I think the Jazz would have lost Game 7 so I still think Jordan would have six.

I am NOT saying the game was rigged or unfair, just arguing with you saying that it was bent in the Jazz's favor. Things even out and there were big ones on the Chicago side that were rememberable and the announcers talked about more than once well after it happened.

For the record, I have no argument with the GOAT comments.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

Man, where is all the Durant talk in the news. Guy took 1 shot in the final 6 minutes of last nights game and Westbrook is the one getting all the shit. And 2 rebounds for a guy who is 6'10" in the finals is not excusable. If that were Lebron last night, he would have been ripped a new one today.

 

[Kinzu]

Man, where is all the Durant talk in the news. Guy took 1 shot in the final 6 minutes of last nights game and Westbrook is the one getting all the shit. And 2 rebounds for a guy who is 6'10" in the finals is not excusable. If that were Lebron last night, he would have been ripped a new one today.

Difference is media hype on Lebron. He was by far the biggest star to enter the NBA since maybe Bird and Magic. He unfairly was suppose to be this generations Jordan right out of high school. Lebron's play and the media's attention turned him into an overnight global superstar, and then he royally screwed it all up. He was a great story playing for the home state Cavs trying to lead them to an NBA title, but when he decided to tell Cav fans and the world through his own TV special he was dumping them it jaded his image to fans and the media.

It's one thing for the media to put the hype on you, but Lebron did it to himself with that special and the aftermath. Let's not forget the big party in Miami where Lebron claimed they would win 6 titles. He let his ego get out of control, and public response has pretty much been ok if you're so great then prove it. The second Lebron fails to prove it everyone is quick to point and tell him he is not so great. He is probably the greatest player of this generation just like he was suppose to be, but he let his ego set an already ridiculously high bar beyond what he will probably ever obtain.

Also Durant is young still and in his first Finals so the media will give him a pass. If the Thunder lose this series everyone will talk about how the Thunder react to it going into next year more than what went wrong. Lebron though has been to the Conference Finals and Finals several times and several times has vastly underperformed to expectations.

I will say I am finally impressed Lebron learned to post up the smaller defender. I don't know why the media did not rip him one last year for not posting up Jason Kidd, but he is redeeming himself this time by doing it to James Harden.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

Man, where is all the Durant talk in the news

We still have to build him into some sort of mythical being before we start tearing him down. America's favorite pastime is to build em up then tear em apart......still a bit early for Durant.

 

[Kinzu]

We still have to build him into some sort of mythical being before we start tearing him down. America's favorite pastime is to build em up then tear em apart......still a bit early for Durant.

So not always true.

 

[NinerSickness]

-------------SPOILER ALERT!!!!---------------

Don't read this if you want to watch it later and be surprised....
















































59 - 49 Heat at half time. Fat lady's warming up.

 

[Kinzu]

Well at least the Heat finally won a game in the series with no help from the whistle. They just flat out shot the lights out of the building from 3-point range tonight. No team in the league is going to get beat when they are shooting like that from behind the arc.

 

[threelittleturds]

Juwaun Howard got his ring too. Is he the only one of the Fab Five to do it?

I have to be honest, when he came in for James at the end I was thinking, "Hey, I recognize that guy." and when they said it was Howard, I said, "Holy shit, he is still playing??"

 

[Bemular]

Durant feelin some serious pain at the end - Can't say this stuff doesn't matter to these guys. 2nd youngest team in the NBA Finals - if they can stay together, they'll collect some hardware.

 

[I_am_1z]

Did anyone see the ref low-5 Spoelstra after the Mike Miller 3 pointer? (I think it was in the 3rd quarter)

EDIT: Got the link

 

[NinerSickness]

Did anyone see the ref low-5 Spoelstra after the Mike Miller 3 pointer? (I think it was in the 3rd quarter)

EDIT: Got the link

Were they making up after an arguement or something?