NBA Thread

[Brass Cannon]

1 hour ago, TheWatShot said:

You know it's bad when the announcers are questioning it. 

 

Aside from that, Pacers are swimming upstream. I'd be surprised if they won this game and a lot more surprised if they won the series. 

I genuinely think the bad/bias officiating is why the NBA is receding as a force in sports.  It sorted started under MJ but really I think this is with intention in their desire to fill the void. 
 

Literally getting every call under the sun and Lebron couldn’t match Jordan. 
 

Even if the games aren’t rigged it then begs the question why officiating has been allowed to be terrible for decades.  
 

[Hovadipo]

They gave Chris Denari the 2nd quarter call on Pacers radio tonight. Absolutely love that. 

[HoosierHoopster]

P’s are underrated- and Hali outplayed SGA

[HoosierHoopster]

2 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

The different whistles for different jerseys followed us to Indy. The NBA has decided this series. 
 

 

Not yet!

[Hovadipo]

Mike Breen sounds like he’s giving a eulogy as he signs off. Maybe one day his Knicks will matter. 

[str8baller]

Miracle run continues!

[LamarCheeks]

Apparently, the Knicks have so far been denied requests to speak with -- Jason Kidd (Mavs), Billy Donovan (Bulls), Quin Snyder (Hawks), Ime Udoka (Rockets) and Chris Finch (Timberwolves). 

C'mon Knicks -- the answer is plainly obvious. It's someone you know and love ... 

[Demo]

10 hours ago, Hovadipo said:

“How does a guy that’s 6’2” 190 pounds makes his way into the NBA?” is a direct quote from Doris Burke about TJ McConnell. Say what you mean, Doris. 

In fairness to Doris on that one, if she’d fleshed that out a little more, “How does a guy that’s 6’2” 190 pounds with no special traits and not a shooter make his into way into the NBA”  is actually a really good story. Of course, the answer is having more want to than pretty much anyone ever. 
Tell ya what, I didn’t like the Pacers in this series even after GM 1, but, man, that Q4 was eye-opening. OKC looked flat worn out. Their pace of play and all those tiered actions they run, Jesus, they’re a straight up meat grinder. They never let you take a breadth. 

[Pagoda]

Yea, that game was intense and draining.

Now there is just one day's rest before game 4.  I'm hoping the Pacers conditioning/style + the crowd can propel us vs. the Thunder maybe being fatigued.  

I kinda agree with the take that whoever wins game 4 is in the driver's seat for the series (sort of a "no duh" I know).

This whole playoff run has been amazing.

[Hovadipo]

45 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Yea, that game was intense and draining.

Now there is just one day's rest before game 4.  I'm hoping the Pacers conditioning/style + the crowd can propel us vs. the Thunder maybe being fatigued.  

I kinda agree with the take that whoever wins game 4 is in the driver's seat for the series (sort of a "no duh" I know).

This whole playoff run has been amazing.

The quick turnaround is huge for the Pacers imo. OKC was absolutely worn out with about 8 minutes left last night. In the probably 60+ games I've watched this season, I don't remember seeing the Pacers look that tired at any point. Disinterested, sure, but not flat out exhausted. Feels like Rick is once again playing the long con on an unexpecting victim.

[Hovadipo]

1 hour ago, Demo said:

In fairness to Doris on that one, if she’d fleshed that out a little more, “How does a guy that’s 6’2” 190 pounds with no special traits and not a shooter make his into way into the NBA”  is actually a really good story.

Oh, for sure. And I'm admittedly not even a big TJ fan, but it very much came off in the "loogit the spunky lil white guy, how cute" sense.

[HoosierHoopster]

2 hours ago, Pagoda said:

Yea, that game was intense and draining.

Now there is just one day's rest before game 4.  I'm hoping the Pacers conditioning/style + the crowd can propel us vs. the Thunder maybe being fatigued.  

I kinda agree with the take that whoever wins game 4 is in the driver's seat for the series (sort of a "no duh" I know).

This whole playoff run has been amazing.

Thing is, whoever wins Game 3 has won the finals more than 80% of the time in NBA playoff history. 

People need to get a little more faith here. The fact is, the Pacers right now are in the driver's seat. Game 3 was huge.

That's not to say the Thunder can't come back and win Game 4, but the Pacers are the team in control right now, and the way they won this game reflects that.

Not a comeback, first lead with the last shot like G1, but tied at the half, several leads, and a demonstrable pull away in the 4th, Hali solid and one assist away from a triple double -- 22 (on 9-17), 11 and 9 -- with guys like Mathurin stepping up, and SGA outplayed (9-20 for 24, 8 and 4, and -3 on the night).

Pacers can win this thing.

[Lebowski]

Pacers just need to score 110+ a game in this series and they gonna win the whole effin' thing. Game 4 is gonna be a dog fight. 

Sidenote: The history between the Canadians is fun to watch. These cats know each other that goes back a long way and you can tell. I wonder if there are any head-to-head lifetime stats between them. For example, does Nembhard have SGA's number dating back to kids? Does Mathurin have Dort's number as well? I'd be interested in those kind of stats. 

[HoosierHoopster]

Great article on Haliburton and Carlisle, on how both have evolved and the freedom Carlisle gives hali after growing as a coach, including developing his offense around his players and not the other way around.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45493117/how-rick-carlisle-impacts-tyrese-haliburton-indiana-pacers

Exactly what any team wishing to compete at the top needs.

[Demo]

https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1933169442437173460
 

Valid way of looking at it. So, by Magic’s definition there’ve no more than maybe 20 superstars in the history of the game.

[str8baller]

4 hours ago, Demo said:

Tell ya what, I didn’t like the Pacers in this series even after GM 1, but, man, that Q4 was eye-opening. OKC looked flat worn out. Their pace of play and all those tiered actions they run, Jesus, they’re a straight up meat grinder. They never let you take a breadth. 

An NBA team going ten deep in the playoffs—Nevermind the Finals—is pretty rare. For people who only watch college ball, it’s kind of hard to explain how crazy that is in the NBA. There’s so much rest that teams almost always drop a guy from their regular rotation. Of course, teams rarely press in the NBA and the Pacers are making SGA run all 92 ft. 
 

Carlisle is doing a great job. 

[Demo]

22 minutes ago, str8baller said:

An NBA team going ten deep in the playoffs—Nevermind the Finals—is pretty rare. For people who only watch college ball, it’s kind of hard to explain how crazy that is in the NBA. There’s so much rest that teams almost always drop a guy from their regular rotation. Of course, teams rarely press in the NBA and the Pacers are making SGA run all 92 ft. 
 

Carlisle is doing a great job. 

Yes, he is. And I get why people who aren’t hardcore don’t love Brunson and SGA foul hunting or the Celtics shooting a million 3’s, but, man, if someone doesn’t like the Pacers style of play, they just need to admit they don’t actually like basketball. 

[HoosierHoopster]

1 hour ago, Demo said:

Yes, he is. And I get why people who aren’t hardcore don’t love Brunson and SGA foul hunting or the Celtics shooting a million 3’s, but, man, if someone doesn’t like the Pacers style of play, they just need to admit they don’t actually like basketball. 

I do not love Brunson or SGA foul-hunting (faking and flopping at least half the time), at all, but I LOVE the Pacers' style of play.

[OGIUAndy]

3 hours ago, str8baller said:

An NBA team going ten deep in the playoffs—Nevermind the Finals—is pretty rare. For people who only watch college ball, it’s kind of hard to explain how crazy that is in the NBA. There’s so much rest that teams almost always drop a guy from their regular rotation. Of course, teams rarely press in the NBA and the Pacers are making SGA run all 92 ft. 
 

Carlisle is doing a great job. 

This is the key. Both him and Chet have looked spent at times. I don't recall who said it, before this playoff run, a player said the Pacers were the hardest team in the league to play. Last year, Joe Mazzula said the Pacers series was the hardest even though they swept them. This year's run is one for the books. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/the-pacers-are-halfway-to-winning-the-unlikeliest-championship-in-recorded-nba-history/

[pappy1865]

https://x.com/NBA/status/1933005931870085250?t=qRTSuqabcQUi_IB52uvEXA&s=19

 

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