Not Being a Joker, We Need A The Finals Thread

[Red Averages]

How did Murray not tear his ACL on that?

 

[Ale Xander]

That was a dime

 

[HomeRunBaker]

It showed no such thing---watch it again on a better TV! If there was any contact at all it was the definition of minimal. And in no way caused him to fall.

I thought live, and was confirmed very clearly on replay, that was a no-call. It is literally a closer question whether Vincent should get a T for unsportsmanlike conduct for the obvious dive than that there was ANY basis to call a foul there. It was not remotely close to a foul.

Wow ok. I don't even know what to say then. You can clearly see contact and the back of Vincent's uniform shifting from the swipe.

 

[ifmanis5]

I'm so sick of watching Miami.

 

[Ale Xander]

Caleb is back

 

[Ale Xander]

That JM three was nasty

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

There's a great chance that the Heat's biggest challenge on the way to the championship was the C's.

 

[Auger34]

I hate the Heat grifting and diving bs....and Riley has been coaching that stuff for 30 years. I wish the NBA did better with that, and I wish opposing players were more aggressive in pointing it out and knocking Lowry/Butler etc. around for doing it.

But I have to give credit to the rest of what they do---they play smart, they play together, they are consistent, they play hard, they execute. They are, as someone here noted at some point in playoffs, the NBA version of the dynasty Pats---a team you think (correctly) isn't as talented as you are who still does so many things right, and is so smart and flexible in how they game plan, that they usually win. They are the best-coached good team in the sport, and they just outwork and outexecute you beyond that. I have to respect all that even if I want them to lose.

If the Celtics played like the Heat in terms of focus, intensity, consistency they'd be en route to back-to-back titles...

its completely sour grapes but my respect is much more begrudging than yours. And I think that players like Lowry (ESPECIALLY this version of Lowry) are just shit stains on what’s a great product.

 

[dhellers]

If Murray is playing well, and Jokic isn't carrying the scoring load, Denver is MUCH better.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Wow ok. I don't even know what to say then. You can clearly see contact and the back of Vincent's uniform shifting from the swipe.

Not on any replay they showed on the national broadcast (which also didn't show a rear angle to assess the back of his uniform).

 

[luckiestman]

Riles being involved in 25% of NBA finals is a crazy stat.

 

[CoffeeNerdness]

A Smartian lob attempt.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Riles being involved in 25% of NBA finals is a crazy stat.

Agreed except you mean "sickening" rather than "crazy", right?

 

[Dave Stapleton]

Riles being involved in 25% of NBA finals is a crazy stat.

what was Red’s number at the same stage of his career?

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Vincent almost played that one perfectly

 

[luckiestman]

what was Red’s number at the same stage of his career?

higher for sure. Denominator way lower and he had a bunch of titles

 

[Dave Stapleton]

higher for sure. Denominator way lower and he had a bunch of titles

Exactly. Add Russell to that list.

 

[wrong rim ricky]

Jimmy getting consistent good looks but missing bunnies.

 

[Dave Stapleton]

Marc Jackson has absolutely no credibility as a commentator in this series given his vote fail with Jokic.

 

[ifmanis5]

Lowry tripped him.

Edit: yup, there it is.

 

[FelixMantilla]

Lowry being a dirty fuck as usual.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Martin shoves him, Lowry intentionally trips him---they complain.

Literally closer to a flagrant on Lowry for the unnecessary trip than a no-call

 

[Dave Stapleton]

Lowry being a dirty fuck as usual.

But he doesn’t get the calls now which is enjoyable to watch

 

[ifmanis5]

Lowry has to be top 5 dirtiest player I've ever seen.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Way better defense by Jokic. The cleaned up some of the mess from Sunday.

 

[luckiestman]

Exactly. Add Russell to that list.

I always wanted to take this photo of Red and transform the smoke into a white silhouette of lucky.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Not on any replay they showed on the national broadcast (which also didn't show a rear angle to assess the back of his uniform).

The slo-mo replay from the backcourt showed the angle from the side/back of Vincent if you have that feed.

 

[Ale Xander]

Neither Bird or Magic ever had 10/10/5 in a half at the Finals?

 

[stp130]

ABC: Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami......

 

[HereComesthePizza]

Not on any replay they showed on the national broadcast (which also didn't show a rear angle to assess the back of his uniform).

Second replay from rear showed contract to Vincent’s upper body (watch his jersey). I thought the contact might have been marginal but hard to say with the angle.

 

[FelixMantilla]

Denver getting absolutely nothing from Caldwell-Pope and Porter Jr.

 

[stp130]

Heat asleep out the half.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Neither Bird or Magic ever had 10/10/5 in a half at the Finals?

Graphic said last 25 years.

 

[stp130]

Mark Jackson: "Is there anything he [Jokic] can't do?"

Yeah, get an MVP vote from you.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

Did I miss the link where Michael Porter signed on with Jackson and Van Gundy's agency? They've been gushing over him all night.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

I’m very glad Porter is not on a team I root for. His BbIQ seems to approach zero.

 

[ifmanis5]

Boards finally.

 

[McBride11]

Bam moving screen classic

 

[stp130]

Denver working.

 

[Auger34]

Porter would be a tough player to root for. He takes, and makes, a lot of tough shots but when he’s in a slump every shot looks terrible

 

[McBride11]

Lowry is a shitheel. But that is a soft call

 

[djbayko]

Just tuned in recently. The Heat simply can't stop the Nuggets offense right now.

 

[Ale Xander]

Graphic said last 25 years.

Ahh missed that

go Nugs!!

 

[DeadlySplitter]

Just tuned in recently. The Heat simply can't stop the Nuggets offense right now.

25 points given up in 10 minutes this quarter is not great but it happens all the time to good teams in NBA now. The issue for the Heat is 14 points in 10 minutes.

 

[ifmanis5]

Miami struggling to keep up with Strus and Vincent being ice cold.

 

[stp130]

Horrific quarter from Miami.

 

[Red Averages]

Just tuned in recently. The Heat simply can't stop the Nuggets offense right now.

Heat also have 14 pts this quarter so aren’t exactly forcing the Nuggets into a grind fest half court offensive set.

The Heat ball movement away from the ball has really slowed down in the 2nd half. Not sure why they stopped moving

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Just tuned in recently. The Heat simply can't stop the Nuggets offense right now.

Yeah, there were sequences like this in the Lakers and Suns series where it just didn’t matter what they did. Phoenix had that one game where they kept up on offense and it turned out to be one of the best games all playoffs — the Landry Shamet game. But most of the time, when Denver gets this freight train rolling, you lose.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Not saying it’s good or bad, but there’s no equivalent in this series for the Tatum “in his bag” side-step or step-back three. No one ever has the ball that long except maybe Lowry, but he always uses a screen or something.

 

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Holy Braun!