NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Larry for 3]

This series is looking how I thought it would the last 2.  Not blow outs, but clear who the better team is.  The layoff affected OKC in game 1, but they were the better team in that one for the 2nd half until OT whene they ran out of gas.  OKC is just better than the Spurs.  I'm guessing Wemby has another monster game in him and the Spurs may pick up 1 more, but I can't see them winning this series at this point.

  Not if they are allowed to foul Wemby constantly like they?ve been doing. Reffed fairly I?d pick them to win.

Wemby was mauling Holmgren the entire first game, I didn't hear these complaints after that game.  Last game the total fouls were close and the foul shots were even.  Spurs shot significantly worse from the field and 3 and committed 4 more turnovers.  That was the difference.  Plus, the Thunder are simply better and deeper.  Spurs can only win by out shooting the Thunder and not turning it over a ton.  Game 2 Spurs shot well but had 21 turnovers to the Thunder's 10. Game 1, the Spurs won by getting to the line 10 more times.

In the series the Spurs have committed 4 less fouls and shot 3 more FT's. They have 23 more turnovers.  That is the biggest difference.

And that your asking for major production from Castle and Harper. These are young players. It?s a tall ask against the defending champs. Caruso is showing them how it?s done. And the Thunder has a lot of options

[Who]

NY look very good here. They are comfortable on and are cooking the Cavs on CLE's home floor.

[Who]

NYK did whatever they wanted in Q1.

No resistance from Cleveland.

[Who]

Cleveland have looked slow all series.

I don't know if D Mitchell is carrying an injury or not but he hasn't looked quick this entire playoffs. Harden is slow. J Allen has looked slow. Dean Wade as a SF is slow. Sam Merrill is unathletic. Strus is slow. J Tyson is slow. Mobley is the only guy with athleticism in the starting unit. Schroder is the only bench player bringing quickness to the table.

NY have looked quicker and more athletic. J Hart, M Bridges, Anunobdy have out-quicked the Knicks. More defesive quickness. More quickness on drives. More quickness to loose balls.

Just making CLE look slow ...

[Who]

Harden coming up big. 14 first half points. 12pts for D Mitchell. The two of them have half of CLE's points.

J Allen with 12pts and Mobley with 7pts. 19pts for the two bigs. 45pts for their Big Four of the team's 54 first half points.

Role players have been quiet. 3pts for Schroder, 3pts for Strus, 3pts for Merrill. That is it. 0pts for Wade. 0pts for J Tyson. None of them have more than 1 basket.

Harden was great in that Q2 to keep CLE in this.

[Who]

Dean Wade is such a frustrating player to watch. I admire his defense but his offense is so bad. It is painful to watch on a more regular basis. Not good for "supposedly" stretch four.

[Phantom255x]

Knicks lost Game 3 vs. ATL to go down 2-1 in that series. Since then, it's looking like they are about to win their 10th in a row. Crazy

[Who]

5th Conference Finals for Harden. That is impressive.

2 with OKC - lost to DAL in 2011, beat SAS in 2012
2 with HOU - lost to GSW in 2015 & 2018
1 with CLE

Harden was playing 32mpg off the bench in those OKC WCF. 14.5ppg 6rpg 3.5apg in 2011 against Dallas. 18.5ppg 5.5rpg 3.7apg against SAS in 2012. Harden was great in that SAS series. That made his collapse in the Finals against Miami even more shocking.