In search of Larry O'Brien: 2015 NBA Playoffs

[TheRicSlick]

I would be dissapointated if we got CLE/GSW. Why? Because I'm getting a little tired of seeing LeBron in the Finals every damn year

I know. I use to feel the same way about the Buffalo Bills from 1990 to 1993.

Yeah, but the Bills never won the SB, so it was fresh every year.

[truepg]

Great win for the Cavs!

LeBron might be the best "true" point guard left in this post-season.

[TJKiddsHead]

He left right after the heat lost in the finals, seeing the team was getting old.

so what? teams ditch players who are of no use ALL THE TIME! i don't understand why it makes a player an :censored: to look at a team and say "this isn't the best situation for my on-field goals/lifestyle interests" when teams trade/release players without even a second thought, to little or no complaint from the public.

(some) sports fans are weird.

[The_Admiral]

Why? LeBron routinely makes the Finals for a reason and he's incredible to watch. The Hawks wouldn't bring anything to the Finals, style wise, that the Warriors won't.

It's like the 80s. Outside of LA, how many people got tired of seeing Magic/Kareem all the time? It would have been cool to see a Dallas or Denver or the Gervin Spurs get a crack at the Celtics/Pistons/Sixers.

[Nyk33]

I would be dissapointated if we got CLE/GSW. Why? Because I'm getting a little tired of seeing LeBron in the Finals every damn year

You're disappointed with everything so who really cares?

Why? LeBron routinely makes the Finals for a reason and he's incredible to watch. The Hawks wouldn't bring anything to the Finals, style wise, that the Warriors won't.

And that reason is "because he plays in the Eastern Conference"

*mutters something about one-eyed men in the kingdom of the blind*

Exactly.

Imagine what would happen if LeBron went to a Western Conference team? The East would pretty much hit rock bottom.

[lordsketor]

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/korver-may-require-surgery/nmMwG/

The Cavs are your 2014-15 Eastern Conference Champions.

[HedleyLamarr]

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/basketball/korver-may-require-surgery/nmMwG/

The Cavs are your 2014-15 Eastern Conference Champions.

I wouldn't make that declaration until the Hawks lose a 4th game, but this has certainly been a frustrating series so far. Even more so because the Cavs are without Kevin Love for the duration and Irving missed a game and was pretty limited in the other. You don't get many opportunities like this....to be the #1 seed in the conference finals and facing a team missing their 2nd and 3rd best players.

But damn, not only have the Hawks looked to have hit the wall of fatigue hard....the team is physically falling apart:

-Lost Sefolosha to a NYPD's nightstick (my opinion...not an official report).

-Lost Korver to a high ankle sprain.

-Carroll is on one leg and probably shouldn't be playing.

-Horford has been hobbling around the last couple games.

-Millsap is with an injured shoulder.

-Teague still seems slowed with an ankle.

Also appears that "the system" has been figured out in the playoffs. Aside from Game 6 vs. Brooklyn, every game has been a struggle for the Hawks. Sure, you're getting better competition, but a series is where coaching and adjustments takes over. The Hawks were able to get by Brooklyn and Washington because of overall skill and some good fortune, but it can certainly be argued that the Hawks got out-coached in both of those series.

[dfwabel]

^^^

This series is DONE.

CLE plays isolation more than any of the four remaining teams, yet they're getting more assist per game than ATL. That's a major problem. Now, the spot up shooter and decent defender is out. Add in that Dennis Schröder is selfish and looks for his shot first within that offense... might see the broom.

[-Akronite-]

I certainly hope anybody complaining about LeBron leaving Miami wasn't on the whole "HE DOESN'T OWE CLEVELAND ANYTHING" boat when he left in 2010. Also, someone mentioned LeBron coming back to prove he can win as the "unquestioned" man of the team. While those Heat teams were built by superstardom, they were no doubt LeBron's teams. He won League and Finals MVP both years they won it all. But yes, it will show a whole different angle of success and legacy for him to play on a different team as the weathered veteran and bring a much desired title to Cleveland.

That being said, I feel like this Cavs team is overachieving given our injuries and we'll eventually get ripped apart by the Warriors. Then again, I'm a pessimist a lot of the time. I assumed the Buckeyes would get crushed by Bama and then thought beating Bama meant we got the right to ass-whooped by Oregon. So I don't know :censored:.

[DS729]

I certainly hope anybody complaining about LeBron leaving Miami wasn't on the whole "HE DOESN'T OWE CLEVELAND ANYTHING" boat when he left in 2010. Also, someone mentioned LeBron coming back to prove he can win as the "unquestioned" man of the team. While those Heat teams were built by superstardom, they were no doubt LeBron's teams. He won League and Finals MVP both years they won it all. But yes, it will show a whole different angle of success and legacy for him to play on a different team as the weathered veteran and bring a much desired title to Cleveland.

That being said, I feel like this Cavs team is overachieving given our injuries and we'll eventually get ripped apart by the Warriors. Then again, I'm a pessimist a lot of the time. I assumed the Buckeyes would get crushed by Bama and then thought beating Bama meant we got the right to ass-whooped by Oregon. So I don't know .

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but at the time everyone was saying they'd get crushed.

Re: Atlanta, I still don't think they would've beaten the Wizards if John Wall hadn't gotten injured in Game 1. The Hawks won 3 of the last 4 games, but they were all very close and Washington could've easily taken 3 of them if we had a healthy Wall. I think the Hawks got a break and wore a lot of their team out playing those hard-nosed games and it has finally caught up to them in this series. But Cleveland-Golden State is ultimately the best outcome entertainment-wise, a 67-win team versus arguably the most talented (and easily the most talented in the East) team and the best player making his fifth consecutive Finals. I'm hoping for a Warriors win so I don't see that scrub David Blatt win anything.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Corey Brewer isn't very good.

Sometimes you forget how good Dwight Howard is. He had those great years in Orlando and was decent in LA, but it often seems like he falls asleep for large stretches of games.

Also HOLY that's a big TV in the Toyota Center.

EDIT: Ha! Curry just out-positioned Howard for an offensive rebound. That's terrible.

[FiddySicks]

Warriors are up 31 going into the fourth. Yeesh.

[habsfan1]

Would the Clippers really have a chance against the Warriors?? I think not.

[BlackBolt3]

The Cavs and Warriors are on a crash course for the Finals.

Seriously, I don't think there has been two consecutive sweeps in the conference finals, and now, that's a realistic possibility. I think the Rockets will win Game 4, but this is like watching two stock cars going 100 mph right at each other.

[HedleyLamarr]

Should both series end in sweeps, there's gonna be over a full week off between games. The Finals begin June 4th, no matter what. And if there's that much time off...that Game 1 is gonna be ugly to watch.

Side note: Sonya Curry is a definite Milf.....

[dfwabel]

Side note: Sonya Curry is a definite Milf.....

Steph has more interviews not because he won MVP, it's been like this for the last 20 years....

his mama is beautiful.

He never played with his friends at their house since junior high. It was always a "home" game.

[Lee Noire]

I'm still bitter my team lost to the Rockets, so I'm happy to see them get their doors blown off. To their credit, I'm not sure the Clips would've faired much better. Especially after the way they collapsed.

[DaRadniz29]

OK, so about 25 seconds before halftime Horver and Delavedova fight for a loose ball, Horver comes down on Delavedova with a elbow - with Delavedova possibly trying to roll into Horver's knee. Refs spend 10 non-game minutes discussing the call. Verdict: Flagrant II on Horver for necessary and excessive elbow contact above the shoulder (Automatic Ejection). Delavedova receives a Technical - for reasons we nor the Cavs know - some media are saying for rolling up on Horver, others say for trash talking, but they haven't announced it and I the officials and NBA did not address the reason for the Technical, just Horver's Flagrant II.

Two things:

1) I thought the refs are supposed tell the scores table/PA Announcer why they issued a Technical. The fact that Cavs didn't get an explanation looks like and to me is poor officiating. They should own up to the call, not hide behind the whistle.

2) It should not take 10 non-game minutes to make those calls. IIRC I think they went to commercial, then returned, refs reviewed the play, huddled, went back to the monitors, dilly dallied, huddled, back to the monitor, made the call. I get they want to get the call right, but wow.

[The_Admiral]

I think you buried the lede here, which is that scientists have merged Kyle Korver and Al Horford into one person, Horver, presumably a center who makes lots of threes.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

One fun thing about the playoffs is you get to see guys like Matthew Dellevadova both 1.) becoming a trusted crunch time performer and 2.) becoming an assassin. If the Cavs make the Finals, Curry better watch out.