Nuggets won!! I had a feeling they would. I was at the Dubs game in Denver in '17 [?] when the Nuggets completely shot the Warriors off the court. Juancho Hernangomez hit 5 or 6 3s that night [not sure if he's even still with the team], and I think they made 25 3s as a team. I was bummed that the Warriors got beat [and so was half of the crowd] - but they had just won 3 tough games in a row including Houston and OKC, so I knew it might well be a letdown game. Klay wasn't even on the bench that night. [My child had given the tickets to me as a Christmas present and was sooo pissed that they played like crap.] Game was on Valentine's day, and they had just traded Nurkic for Plumley that day. I was impressed then, and I've followed their progress ever since. Always cheer for them except when they play the Dubs.
What an amazing demolition of the Clippers. I am enjoying the delicious schadenfreude going back to the first game of the season when Pat Bev harassed Warriors staff after the game, telling them something to the effect of "y'all cheated to get your titles but that's over now". How's it taste getting bounced in the second round again, Pat? The Warriors didn't even have to do it themselves this time.
Also PG was pretty trash most of the series and especially in this game. Playoff P is not the name I would think of.
Here's what I wrote about Denver before the season started (last October, if you can believe that), when I picked them as my #2 seed in the West (I had LAC as #1):
> Nuggets. Denver was good, but a little green last year. This year they have continuity, more experience, and still the best home-court advantage in the game.
Turns out every team has home court advantage in the bubble, but a total breakout playoffs from Murray has made them a beast of a team.
Honestly, I thought they were a really good team poised for a breakout season, but I wasn't expecting them to pull together (or the Clippers to fall apart?) enough for them to manage the upset. Impressive.
Wow! Clipper got bounced after being up 3-1. So much for the narrative that 'Jerry West' has the magical touch. So we rooting for Denver (against Lakers)?
PG13 shown up to be a fraud of a superstar. Kawhi rep taken a big hit. Another team goes down to a 3-1 comeback and some deep psychological scarring. All looking up for the Warriors next year.
I dunno if it's TRUE or not, but those end of quarter runs always feel a little extra important to me
[Embed tweet :(
After Jayson Tatum checked back in here in the third quarter, Boston ended the quarter on a 18-5 run -- allowing the Celtics to go from down 1 to up 12 after 3. Huge swing. Tatum and Marcus Smart have 23 each to lead Boston, while Goran Dragic has 18 for Miami.
> The Heat have bodies they can throw at Tatum to slow him down. Butler, Crowder and Iguodala (in small doses) can all make Tatum work. It will be completely different than just trying to keep Giannis away from the rim because of all the ways Tatum can beat you, but it’s a doable task. And the Celtics don’t really have a big man to stretch the floor to keep Adebayo honest in help. Theis can be a solid shooter, but nobody the Heat will fear over and over again.
Pretty cool outcome. I'm hoping the Brazilian Blur teaches a few new tricks to the Warriors young'uns and finds new personal growth in the role too. I'm imagining the kinds of leaps Jordan Poole could make under his tutelage and it's a nice thought.
I think the Celtics will beat the Heat even without Hayward. I expect they will be pretty vicious in seeking out the Heat's weaker defenders to attack on the perimeter. Though the Heat are a very good defensive team, they're actually an easier matchup on that end than the Raptors.
The Celtics are also the league's best team at defending the 3, and the Heat have some regression to the mean in terms of some of the shooting numbers they've posted so far. The Celtics have multiple good options to guard Jimmy Butler.
Bam is definitely a major matchup advantage for the Heat, though Theiss is a very good player. In general, I imagine the Celtics D will make the Heat a whole lot more uncomfortable then they've been thus far. The way the Heat would win, IMO, is if Bam and Butler get Theiss and some of the perimeter guys into foul trouble, shoot free throws, and then feast on the backups. They're certainly capable of that.
I've got Celtics in 7. Sometimes in a close battle like this you tip your cap to experience, but the Celtics young core of Tatum, Brown and Smart have been to this level together.
Nuggets won!! I had a feeling they would. I was at the Dubs game in Denver in '17 [?] when the Nuggets completely shot the Warriors off the court. Juancho Hernangomez hit 5 or 6 3s that night [not sure if he's even still with the team], and I think they made 25 3s as a team. I was bummed that the Warriors got beat [and so was half of the crowd] - but they had just won 3 tough games in a row including Houston and OKC, so I knew it might well be a letdown game. Klay wasn't even on the bench that night. [My child had given the tickets to me as a Christmas present and was sooo pissed that they played like crap.] Game was on Valentine's day, and they had just traded Nurkic for Plumley that day. I was impressed then, and I've followed their progress ever since. Always cheer for them except when they play the Dubs.
What an amazing demolition of the Clippers. I am enjoying the delicious schadenfreude going back to the first game of the season when Pat Bev harassed Warriors staff after the game, telling them something to the effect of "y'all cheated to get your titles but that's over now". How's it taste getting bounced in the second round again, Pat? The Warriors didn't even have to do it themselves this time.
Also PG was pretty trash most of the series and especially in this game. Playoff P is not the name I would think of.
Here's what I wrote about Denver before the season started (last October, if you can believe that), when I picked them as my #2 seed in the West (I had LAC as #1):
> Nuggets. Denver was good, but a little green last year. This year they have continuity, more experience, and still the best home-court advantage in the game.
Turns out every team has home court advantage in the bubble, but a total breakout playoffs from Murray has made them a beast of a team.
Honestly, I thought they were a really good team poised for a breakout season, but I wasn't expecting them to pull together (or the Clippers to fall apart?) enough for them to manage the upset. Impressive.
Ooooh boy what a night!! Fun games, and high comedy from LA
Wow! Clipper got bounced after being up 3-1. So much for the narrative that 'Jerry West' has the magical touch. So we rooting for Denver (against Lakers)?
Bring out your 3-1 lead jokes. But Clippers is still the biggest joke in the NBA
PG13 shown up to be a fraud of a superstar. Kawhi rep taken a big hit. Another team goes down to a 3-1 comeback and some deep psychological scarring. All looking up for the Warriors next year.
Heat 2020 NBA Champ, thank me
Later! Igoudala going to a 6 straight Finals!
Clippers cursed continue
Lol Clippers f@(k the Clippers... Klay > PG remember that!!!
Come on Heat!!
I dunno if it's TRUE or not, but those end of quarter runs always feel a little extra important to me
[Embed tweet :(
After Jayson Tatum checked back in here in the third quarter, Boston ended the quarter on a 18-5 run -- allowing the Celtics to go from down 1 to up 12 after 3. Huge swing. Tatum and Marcus Smart have 23 each to lead Boston, while Goran Dragic has 18 for Miami.
>
here's a really great article on the Heat:
https://theathletic.com/2057676/2020/09/15/the-heat-arent-a-flukey-surprise-they-are-championship-ready/
> The Heat have bodies they can throw at Tatum to slow him down. Butler, Crowder and Iguodala (in small doses) can all make Tatum work. It will be completely different than just trying to keep Giannis away from the rim because of all the ways Tatum can beat you, but it’s a doable task. And the Celtics don’t really have a big man to stretch the floor to keep Adebayo honest in help. Theis can be a solid shooter, but nobody the Heat will fear over and over again.
OT: Barbosa is coaching for the Dubs now. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/15/why-leandro-barbosa-decided-to-join-the-warriors-coaching-staff/
Pretty cool outcome. I'm hoping the Brazilian Blur teaches a few new tricks to the Warriors young'uns and finds new personal growth in the role too. I'm imagining the kinds of leaps Jordan Poole could make under his tutelage and it's a nice thought.
I think the Celtics will beat the Heat even without Hayward. I expect they will be pretty vicious in seeking out the Heat's weaker defenders to attack on the perimeter. Though the Heat are a very good defensive team, they're actually an easier matchup on that end than the Raptors.
The Celtics are also the league's best team at defending the 3, and the Heat have some regression to the mean in terms of some of the shooting numbers they've posted so far. The Celtics have multiple good options to guard Jimmy Butler.
Bam is definitely a major matchup advantage for the Heat, though Theiss is a very good player. In general, I imagine the Celtics D will make the Heat a whole lot more uncomfortable then they've been thus far. The way the Heat would win, IMO, is if Bam and Butler get Theiss and some of the perimeter guys into foul trouble, shoot free throws, and then feast on the backups. They're certainly capable of that.
I've got Celtics in 7. Sometimes in a close battle like this you tip your cap to experience, but the Celtics young core of Tatum, Brown and Smart have been to this level together.