NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Who]

Duren who is an all-star and likely an all NBA player this year took 4 shots the whole game. 3-4 from the field. How do you not get him more involved. Makes no sense.

I have no idea how he averaged 19.5ppg while not being able to create his own offense.

[SparzWizard]

Colorful Frost Bank Center tonight. Fiesta night theme.

Will the festivity hold up tho against the Portland Trail Blazers? Both teams are newcomers to the postseason for a while. Spurs, a 60-win team in their first playoff appearance since pre-covid days under Gregg Pop. The Blazers, haven't sniffed the postseason since the Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum days.

[Phantom255x]

This Spurs court and color scheme across the stands is dope!

[Goldstar88]

Portland hanging in there so far..

[Phantom255x]

Wemby is a freak of nature. He just drove the lane, spun around, and still finished smoothly without falling while being at the level of the rim basically (just throwing the ball in the hoop). How do you even defend that??

[SparzWizard]

Nice to see former Celtics Jrue Holiday, Timelord, and Kornet out there balling in the playoffs.

[Goldstar88]

Jrue plays with a toothpick in his mouth. 

[Goldstar88]

Jrue has 5pts. Yikes

[Phantom255x]

Yikes, Avdija is hurt. Big blow for Portland if he has to miss time, although the Spurs might win this in 4 or 5 regardless just too much firepower and Wemby

These inevitable Spurs-Nuggets and Spurs-Thunder West series are gonna be bonkers

[Redz]

This Spurs court and color scheme across the stands is dope!

It makes me yearn for the NBA Cup courts 

[Who]

When I was looking at where Orlando ranked in 3PT% and 3PT makes yesterday, I saw that Portland was just ahead of them ranked 5th worst in the league for 3PT%.

I don't know how much injuries factor into that because they had massive injury problems throughout the season. Maybe they have better shooting with everyone healthy which they are (healthy) entering the playoffs.

But ... you gotta be able to hit 3s to beat Wemby. Wemby shuts down that paint defensively. Not being able to hit 3s regularly would give POR little chance of beating SAS.

[Vermont Green]

ORL steals game one in DET.  Is this a one off or a harbinger?  It seems to happen a lot where the team that is the favorite but had time off comes out flat in the first game but the underdog has just won a big game so has momentum and energy.  I did not see the game so I don't have any context.

I will say that this is exactly what I was a little worried about with ORL.  That they might be able to flip a switch and play like they should have been playing all season.  They seem to me like they should be a good team, better than a 45 win team.  It is quite a turnaround in a short amount of time, losing to the Celtics' bench in a game that mattered to them, then losing to PHI, only to blow out CHA and then take game 1 in DET.

[celticinorlando]

It is pretty obvious that the Magic wanted no part of the Celtics in round one.

[Moranis]

Orlando doesnt have a true #1 scorer.  They have A LOT of 2 and 3's though.  That can get you a couple of wins, but it will be hard for them to win series against good teams without a true #1.  They just don't have the guy you can rely on in crunch time of close games and that will hold them back.  May have enough to beat Detroit (though I think Detroit still wins), but I'd be stunned if they got by Cleveland.

[Vermont Green]

Orlando doesnt have a true #1 scorer.  They have A LOT of 2 and 3's though.  That can get you a couple of wins, but it will be hard for them to win series against good teams without a true #1.  They just don't have the guy you can rely on in crunch time of close games and that will hold them back.  May have enough to beat Detroit, but I'd be stunned if they got by Cleveland.

I don't disagree, but there was a thread about who would you rather play, PHI or ORL.  Based on the first game of each series, it appears that we got the easier path by quite a bit.  Maybe ORL did plan this to avoid BOS, as was suggested above by celticinorlando who may have some inside info on this, based on the tag-name.

I agree that CLE should not be at risk of losing a series vs. ORL, but they may have to work for it.  Wouldn't hurt my feelings of CLE got beat up some by ORL.  CLE has two really good players plus Mobley is right up there.  The more worn down they are the better.