The 2014 Playoffs thread

[Eddie20]

I'm not hating either...LeBron is an awesome player---but this Media--is ready to kick any retired player to the curb--when a new guy has success----ESPECIALLY a Celtic. There is a lot of suppressed loathing of the C's---because of the amount of white guys they had in the 80's....Nobody remembers the 60's---when the Celtics were the team that Lead the way in Racial Barrier-Breaking.

Stop acting like our Celtics are victims. They named the Finals MVP trophy after our Bill Russell for pete's sake! A lot of media members have put Bird in their Mount Rushmores as well. The praise that our 08-12 Celtics gets especially when talking about Defense and Chemistry is up there too. The Cs are no victims. Praising Lebron over Bird doesn't mean everyone now hates the Celtics, stop it.  Even Lebron respects and praises the Celtics a lot.

The Celtics are WINNERS. Us fans should act like it too. Let's not be like Pacer or Knick fans who whine every time other teams win. Sure Lebron can get a 3-peat and all that, so what? We expect that our TEAM will be back soon. Hating on other teams doesn't do any good for the Celtics especially this year when our team didn't even play the Heat in the playoffs. We will WIN again and we will continue to be the franchise with most championships. We shouldn't act like LOSERS.

I'm not saying the C's are victims---keep quiet---I AM saying I will stand up for Larry Bird on this issue----far too many times people just go along with whatever some Idiot says during a game like tonight---where Indiana doesn't show up to play---and all of the sudden--LeBron is the Greatest Small forward of all time----Marc Jackson, trying to make himself feel important by declaring this as fact----he's a jackass.

I'd be curious to see how many titles/finals appearances James would even have if he played in Bird's era and had to go up against the early 80's Sixers, the Lakers, the late 80's Pistons, and the 90's Bulls. Not to mention that I'm not sure how his barreling style would have worked back then. Would he continue attacking or settle for jumpshots once he was leveled a few times?

Does he have McHale and Parish in the front court and DJ and company in the backcourt?  If so, I suspect he has more titles than Bird given his health.

Really? Is he dealing with hand checking and a much more physical type of game too?

[staticcc]

I'm not hating either...LeBron is an awesome player---but this Media--is ready to kick any retired player to the curb--when a new guy has success----ESPECIALLY a Celtic. There is a lot of suppressed loathing of the C's---because of the amount of white guys they had in the 80's....Nobody remembers the 60's---when the Celtics were the team that Lead the way in Racial Barrier-Breaking.

Stop acting like our Celtics are victims. They named the Finals MVP trophy after our Bill Russell for pete's sake! A lot of media members have put Bird in their Mount Rushmores as well. The praise that our 08-12 Celtics gets especially when talking about Defense and Chemistry is up there too. The Cs are no victims. Praising Lebron over Bird doesn't mean everyone now hates the Celtics, stop it.  Even Lebron respects and praises the Celtics a lot.

The Celtics are WINNERS. Us fans should act like it too. Let's not be like Pacer or Knick fans who whine every time other teams win. Sure Lebron can get a 3-peat and all that, so what? We expect that our TEAM will be back soon. Hating on other teams doesn't do any good for the Celtics especially this year when our team didn't even play the Heat in the playoffs. We will WIN again and we will continue to be the franchise with most championships. We shouldn't act like LOSERS.

I'm not saying the C's are victims---keep quiet---I AM saying I will stand up for Larry Bird on this issue----far too many times people just go along with whatever some Idiot says during a game like tonight---where Indiana doesn't show up to play---and all of the sudden--LeBron is the Greatest Small forward of all time----Marc Jackson, trying to make himself feel important by declaring this as fact----he's a jackass.

I'd be curious to see how many titles/finals appearances James would even have if he played in Bird's era and had to go up against the early 80's Sixers, the Lakers, the late 80's Pistons, and the 90's Bulls. Not to mention that I'm not sure how his barreling style would have worked back then. Would he continue attacking or settle for jumpshots once he was leveled a few times?

Does he have McHale and Parish in the front court and DJ and company in the backcourt?  If so, I suspect he has more titles than Bird given his health.

Really? Is he dealing with hand checking and a much more physical type of game too?

Players will adjust to this if they didn't have a choice. If MJ, Bird and Magic were in this era, you think they won't take advantage of current rules? Of course they would have. You play by the rules; it's the NBA's fault that the league has gotten softer, not the players.

[Adelaide Celt]

If it's Miami v OKC in the Finals and I'm forced to choose between forgiving Steven Adams or supporting LeBron and Judas, I'm giving up the NBA to follow korfball.

[D.o.s.]

Let's hear more from the usual crowd about how Westbrook is terrible and a chucker and how OKC will never win with him. 

Well this is the first good game he has had this series. If he disappears again the next game what then? He is a chucker but that's doesn't mean OKC can't win a title with him.

Game 3 was his first good game this series; this is his best playoff game to date.  That said, he takes a while to get going.  That has been a common trend with him throughout these entire playoffs.  See: the Grizzlies series, the Clippers series, and now this. 

And if he disappears again?  Doesn't mean much.  San Antonio's Big 3 has been nonexistent the past two games, would anyone dare something as foolish as "you can't win with those guys?" Players have bad games, it happens.

I've been down on Russell Westbrook in the past, but I grudgingly admit that his performance in these playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular.

I still expect the Spurs to find a way to get into his head, though, before this series is over.

The "getting in his head" part was Games 1 and 2.  He's just adjusted - as has the team with Ibaka's return.

I'd say Westbrook's best game was actually Game 4 of the 2012 Finals, but no one pays attention to it because it was a loss.

/quibbling.

[LarBrd33]

Let's hear more from the usual crowd about how Westbrook is terrible and a chucker and how OKC will never win with him. 

Well this is the first good game he has had this series. If he disappears again the next game what then? He is a chucker but that's doesn't mean OKC can't win a title with him.

Game 3 was his first good game this series; this is his best playoff game to date.  That said, he takes a while to get going.  That has been a common trend with him throughout these entire playoffs.  See: the Grizzlies series, the Clippers series, and now this. 

And if he disappears again?  Doesn't mean much.  San Antonio's Big 3 has been nonexistent the past two games, would anyone dare something as foolish as "you can't win with those guys?" Players have bad games, it happens.

I've been down on Russell Westbrook in the past, but I grudgingly admit that his performance in these playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular.

I still expect the Spurs to find a way to get into his head, though, before this series is over.

The "getting in his head" part was Games 1 and 2.  He's just adjusted - as has the team with Ibaka's return.

I'd say Westbrook's best game was actually Game 4 of the 2012 Finals, but no one pays attention to it because it was a loss.

/quibbling.

One of those classic Miami Heat rope-a-dope games where they let one player go off on them.  Same thing happened the series before it when Rondo had a huge game.  Then the next season Jeff Green went off on them during a regular season game.  We lost both of those.

[Mazingerz]

I haven't been a keen NBA observer this playoffs. I don't like all the teams remaining. Let's get this over with and start the 2014-2015 season already.

[ACF]

I am doing some voodoo stuff to my James doll that I made. I hope it works.

[SparzWizard]

I predict Miami will win by 14 tonight and wait for OKC Thunder in the finals, setting up a rematch of 2012.

[MaxAMillion]

I got money on the Pacers tonight. I think Miami lacks intensity for this game and Indiana wins it.

[Ogaju]

Indiana is done they just don't know it yet.

[Sievers81]

LeBron getting 2 fouls in the first Qtr, Jeff van Gundy cracks me up telling it like it is "You say he hasn't fouled out in 5 seasons before this? That aggressive of a player? Interesting."

[CelticSooner]

Pacers are just too mentally weak. This is a close out game!!!

[SparzWizard]

Maybe if the Pacers flipped back time and had Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, and Reggie Miller they would've been able to compete well against the Heat 

[HomerSapien]

Indiana is playing with a shoot around intensity level right now.  They are cooked.

[SparzWizard]

LeBron with 5 fouls in the 3rd quarter. And only 2 points. Really Pacers, they're literally giving the game away to you. Take advantage of it, or you're all sore losers lol.