NBA Playoffs Season 2014-2015

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YOU'VE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME! HE KNOCKED CURRY DOWN!! HOW IS THAT NOT A FOUL?!

Oh man, I was screaming the same thing at the TV.  Why no one on the broadcast can call a spade a spade in that situation I have no idea.  Lebron just steamrolled right into curry and knocked him down.  That was kind of a major turning point of the comeback.  I can't understand how Lebron gets away with such obvious fouls in a critical situation and the refs just turn a blind eye.  It is pathetic.

I know LBJ has been the best player on the planet in this series by far, but you can't just steam roll another player without calling a foul.  It can change the outcome of the game.

[mahonedog88]

Tough! Silver lining here is Curry's shot is back. But you can't win with just 1 quarter. Cleveland's defense is stellar all through out. Making winning plays, playing with better effort.

But man. Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. If the Warriors want to get back to this series, they need to make their shots.

I hate this. The entire house will be gloomy again tomorrow.

For all the blame Curry got for game 2 and what he'll most likely get for game 3, Draymond Green needs to start eating a pretty big piece of that blame pie.  His own teammates call him the heart and soul of that team.  When Draymond goes, the Warriors go.  And he's been a lot more negative than positive in this series.  When Green isn't making shots, it cancels out a huge portion of their offense.

[Endless Paradise]

If the Cavs win the title, it'd be a fluke victory (no disrespect to the Cavs, though). It would not be a demonstration on needing a top lottery pick to build around. If anything, it'd just be a referendum on either not relying too heavily on perimeter shots for your offense and/or needing Finals experience to win a title.

[jpotter33]

If you're the Warriors, you're hopeful because Curry looks like he just got unstuck.  If GS returns to being the best offensive team in the league, I'm not sure Cleveland has the guns to score with them.

If you're the Cavs, you're hopeful because you're up 2-1 with two more games at home.  You also have the best player in the world, and despite his gaudy stats he still hasn't really erupted offensively.  What happens if keeps taking 35-40 shots but returns to his typical 50% shooting?

I really don't think we have to worry about that for the rest of the series. He's being forced to do too much, and it clearly is affecting his efficiency and energy levels. I suspect he'll continue to put up these big numbers with less than stellar efficiency due to being forced to do too much.

[SCeltic34]

Tough! Silver lining here is Curry's shot is back. But you can't win with just 1 quarter. Cleveland's defense is stellar all through out. Making winning plays, playing with better effort.

But man. Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. If the Warriors want to get back to this series, they need to make their shots.

I hate this. The entire house will be gloomy again tomorrow.

I feel for you, Yoki.  It's been an exciting series so far, though, and I'm sure the Warriors will win in six.

You have no idea, Roy. Chances are, I may not have breakfast tomorrow.

I'm not in despair mode yet.  I still think, despite all of the poor play (or great play by the Cavs, however you want to look at it) the Warriors are perfectly capable of winning games 4 and 5.  Then all of the pressure is back on Cleveland.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I know this is easy for me to say sitting at the comfort of my computer, but there were a lot of coaching failures on Kerr's part this game.

- Leaving Harrison Barnes in way too long, especially in the 3rd quarter.
- Putting Ezeli on James Jones to end the 2nd quarter, which turned out to be a fatal mistake.
- Not giving either Speights or David Lee more playing time during this game or even if games 1 and 2.  They need the floor spacing they provide.
- Taking out Barbosa when that unit was clicking in the 4th quarter.  Questionable, but should have left him in.

The Warriors are capable of playing so much better than this.  I don't think I've been this disappointed in a particular team in a long time.

You left out the biggest problem, Kerr's inability to light a fire under his team.  The Warriors don't need Xs and Os.  There are clearly the more talented team.  They need some emotional leadership.

Mike

Can't say I disagree, but some of those mistakes really cost Golden State.  Also, at some point the players need to realize that they're losing game 3 in the NBA FINALS and need to light a fire up under themselves.

I disagree on "lighting the fire". If that 4th quarter wasn't lighting a fire then I don't know what else is. They fell short, but to come back within 1 from 17 down, score 36 in a quarter, when everyone on that gym thought they have been contained all game long, against LeBron James, to me is lighting fire from wherever it is they're trying to ignite it from.

[jpotter33]

If the Cavs win the title, it'd be a fluke victory (no disrespect to the Cavs, though). It would not be a demonstration on needing a top lottery pick to build around. If anything, it'd just be a referendum on either not relying too heavily on perimeter shots for your offense and/or needing Finals experience to win a title.

Yep, but this was the team that was supposed to break the age-old notion that jump shooting teams can't win. Even if they do win it still, they've shown in these last three games how unreliable it is to rely on the three point shot as much as they do.

[PhoSita]

All I can say is that I am thankful to be a Celtics fan and not a Warriors fan.

As invested as I feel at times in these games as I am watching them, I can step away from them and not be upset the rest of the week until the next game rolls around.  With the Celtics, even when I try not to be invested, I inevitably am.  With teams from other parts of the country, it's kind of the opposite.

Pulling for the Warriors for the folks out here (living just an hour south of the bay, currently), and I'd hate to see LeBron win a title with no help against a great, balanced, organically constructed team of likable guys, but it wouldn't ruin my year.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Wow. So if the Warriors had, you know, shot better than 3% for the first three quarters, they would've won easily.

You know what? My whole adult life I've rooted against the Chosen Ones—the Jordans, the Kobes, the LeBrons—and mostly suffered for it. No more. From now on, I'm riding LeBron's coattails to as many title celebrations as they'll get me. I may even go on to Amazon tonight and use my stockpiled gift cards to buy a LeBron Cavs jersey. Hmmm, which looks better, the yellow or the blue?

[PhoSita]

This series is kinda vindicating the post I made a couple weeks ago questioning the value of spreading the offense around and finding open shots versus being able to play a grind-it-out style.

Not really in the way I meant, but still.

You've got to be able to play in the trenches in the playoffs.  The Spurs moved the ball and shot lots of jumpers, sure, but they could win in the half-court with post-ups and mid-range shots and isolation ball, too.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

All I can say is that I am thankful to be a Celtics fan and not a Warriors fan.

As invested as I feel at times in these games as I am watching them, I can step away from them and not be upset the rest of the week until the next game rolls around.  With the Celtics, even when I try not to be invested, I inevitably am.  With teams from other parts of the country, it's kind of the opposite.

Pulling for the Warriors for the folks out here (living just an hour south of the bay, currently), and I'd hate to see LeBron win a title with no help against a great, balanced, organically constructed team of likable guys, but it wouldn't ruin my year.

Which part of the Bay?

[PhoSita]

All I can say is that I am thankful to be a Celtics fan and not a Warriors fan.

As invested as I feel at times in these games as I am watching them, I can step away from them and not be upset the rest of the week until the next game rolls around.  With the Celtics, even when I try not to be invested, I inevitably am.  With teams from other parts of the country, it's kind of the opposite.

Pulling for the Warriors for the folks out here (living just an hour south of the bay, currently), and I'd hate to see LeBron win a title with no help against a great, balanced, organically constructed team of likable guys, but it wouldn't ruin my year.

Which part of the Bay?

I'm living down near Monterey.  Closest part of the bay area to me is either San Jose or Santa Cruz, depending on whether you think SC counts.

[blink]

If the Cavs win the title, it'd be a fluke victory (no disrespect to the Cavs, though). It would not be a demonstration on needing a top lottery pick to build around. If anything, it'd just be a referendum on either not relying too heavily on perimeter shots for your offense and/or needing Finals experience to win a title.

Yep, but this was the team that was supposed to break the age-old notion that jump shooting teams can't win. Even if they do win it still, they've shown in these last three games how unreliable it is to rely on the three point shot as much as they do.

Yeah it kind of reinforces the old 'the game slows down in the playoffs' and 'def. wins championships'...The cavs have managed to play at their pace (deliberate) for most of the series, and it has helped them get the most out of their big guys.

I think GS can win the series as a jump shooting team, they just need to be a bit more patient and not let the Cavs off the hook defensively by jacking up the 1st shot they see 3 seconds into the possession.

[blink]

All I can say is that I am thankful to be a Celtics fan and not a Warriors fan.

As invested as I feel at times in these games as I am watching them, I can step away from them and not be upset the rest of the week until the next game rolls around.  With the Celtics, even when I try not to be invested, I inevitably am.  With teams from other parts of the country, it's kind of the opposite.

Pulling for the Warriors for the folks out here (living just an hour south of the bay, currently), and I'd hate to see LeBron win a title with no help against a great, balanced, organically constructed team of likable guys, but it wouldn't ruin my year.

Which part of the Bay?

I'm living down near Monterey.  Closest part of the bay area to me is either San Jose or Santa Cruz, depending on whether you think SC counts.

Nice, I used to live in Marina, and Monterey for two years.

[Roy H.]

If the Cavs win the title, it'd be a fluke victory (no disrespect to the Cavs, though). It would not be a demonstration on needing a top lottery pick to build around. If anything, it'd just be a referendum on either not relying too heavily on perimeter shots for your offense and/or needing Finals experience to win a title.

Having a superstar certainly helps, though.  If the Cavs have any player in the NBA other than Lebron, they probably get swept.