The Swamp

What a legitimately great series that was - and a compelling game 7 and ending. Conley's shot was halfway down. Unreal.

Both Nuggets & Jazz looked gassed tonight. Doesn’t look good against the Clippers next.

I respect that series’ refusal to follow any sort of script. In the last seven minutes, after everything that had led up to it, Jamal Murray took a total of 3 shots and Donovan Mitchell took 2.

It’s like if The Natural ended with Roy Hobbs moving the winning run over to third with a productive out and the run scoring on a wild pitch. That would have been a classic.

Joe Ingles almost won Utah that game by kneeing Murray in the quad right before halftime and giving him a bad charleyhorse. Murray was 4-7 from the field before that play and only 3-14 after. But Jokic was great. Perfect game winner for him too — slow motion post-up followed by high-arcing hook shot. It was a fun series but I really can’t see Denver challenging the Clippers.

How gassed is Denver? This gassed:

Siakim has to be sharper than that. What a shitty 4th quarter.

NBA refs making themselves part of the story yet again.

Giff wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:38 pm NBA refs making themselves part of the story yet again.

That was absolutely ridiculous. Last 10 seconds of the game, two massive calls... that were both clearly wrong.

Also, on the earlier play when Butler threw up the terrible pass that Lopez ended up with - I thought I saw a couple clear fouls against him.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:41 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:38 pm NBA refs making themselves part of the story yet again.

That was absolutely ridiculous. Last 10 seconds of the game, two massive calls... that were both clearly wrong.

Also, on the earlier play when Butler threw up the terrible pass that Lopez ended up with - I thought I saw a couple clear fouls against him.

Butler probably was fouled and definitely traveled before he threw the ball away. (A travel would’ve been much better for Miami since they could set up their defense.) The fouls on Dragic and Giannis were perhaps technically correct but both very soft to call in that situation. Compare that to last night’s Game 7 which was basically prison rules all night. Gobert got absolutely smashed by Plumlee in the face on his late dunk, with no call.

That was a bad ending for the NBA refs. Turrible.

DORT IN BEASTMODE!

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:06 pm DORT IN BEASTMODE!

Houston sports man.

Scott Foster is such a joke.

This is one of the best Game 7s I can recall seeing.

NBA should really be embarrassed by the officiating.

Giff, are you ok?

Other than preparing myself for the plethora of “omg harden played defense?!?” hot takes, I’m doing fanfuckingtastic.

The rare 4-4 tonight. Rockets win series, Astros beat Arlington, Dynamo win 3-0, and the Avs force a game 7. Sadly one of the best nights of 2020.

Still thinking about the fact that Dort had the greatest Game 7 performance by a rookie in NBA history. We are all witnesses.

I only caught the last 5 minutes or so....but the question I have is why didn't Dort, after Harden blocked his shot (which was a pretty bonkers play), just turn and shoot the ball? Seemed to me like he panicked when he tried for the 'throw it off Harden' play.

He was out of bounds before he tried to throw the ball off Harden, so a shot wouldn't have counted either.

In the four years he has advanced in the playoffs, Mike Budenholzer is 8-9 in conference semifinals games and 2-8 in conference finals games (in fairness, he got swept at each level by LeBron's Cavs). Is it possible he gets canned after this season and the Bucks just ask Giannis who he wants as his coach in an effort to extend his contract in the offseason?

By the way, Mike D'Antoni to Milwaukee would be the way for him to go. Giannis, Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bledsoe, Hill, Matthews, DiVincenzo, Connaughton all made at least 1.5 threes per 36 minutes this season. Let Robin Lopez and Matthews walk if they want (player options of $5 and $2.7 mill, respectively, I bet Lopez stays for that and Matthews is a maybe), trade Bledsoe if you need to open up some space, add pieces around the edges...

Jason Whitlock has figured out why the Bucks have lost the first 2 games...

Whitlock reminds me of that black guy in the Dave Chappelle sketch who was a member of the KKK.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:12 pm Whitlock reminds me of that black guy in the Dave Chappelle sketch who was a member of the KKK.

No Kidding.

Trump and the right loved Clay Travis. The fight over college football sealed their bond.

Featuring Travis' new BFF Jason Whitlock

sancarlos wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:12 pm Whitlock reminds me of that black guy in the Dave Chappelle sketch who was a member of the KKK.

At least that dude was blind and raised in some perverted "Plato's Allegory of the Cave" way, so there's some actual thought provoking "what is truth?" vibes to it.

He reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson's character in Django Unchained. Not in candor, but in practice. Same with Kanye, Candice Owens, Tim Scott, Diamond & Silk, Stacey Dash, etc.

I really don't think saying that makes me racist either. He's a gross man with some real deep rooted issues.

Raptors are not playing well but they are also getting absolutely hosed by the refs.

Where’s the lie?

That still makes me laugh.

Another amazing ending.

Fucking amazing. The season was over.

That pass by Lowry. Maybe the best pass in playoff history given the circumstances and just how perfect that pass had to be for OG to get off a shot.

Giff wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:42 am That pass by Lowry. Maybe the best pass in playoff history given the circumstances and just how perfect that pass had to be for OG to get off a shot.

Cross court, over the tallest guy in the league, absolutely incredible.

It was probably the best 1 second of passing in league history aside from the 2003 Trailblazers' first bus ride

Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:23 pmNo Kidding.

Trump and the right loved Clay Travis. The fight over college football sealed their bond.

Can we just call him "Clown Travesty"? I mean, he's an embarrassment to all, even real, hard-working clowns.

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:49 pm

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:41 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:38 pm NBA refs making themselves part of the story yet again.

That was absolutely ridiculous. Last 10 seconds of the game, two massive calls... that were both clearly wrong.

Also, on the earlier play when Butler threw up the terrible pass that Lopez ended up with - I thought I saw a couple clear fouls against him.

Butler probably was fouled and definitely traveled before he threw the ball away. (A travel would’ve been much better for Miami since they could set up their defense.) The fouls on Dragic and Giannis were perhaps technically correct but both very soft to call in that situation. Compare that to last night’s Game 7 which was basically prison rules all night. Gobert got absolutely smashed by Plumlee in the face on his late dunk, with no call.

The official NBA report says the Dragic and Giannis fouls were correct but that the refs missed 3 different calls on the Butler turnover: 1. Butler was fouled; 2. a Bucks player touched the ball while out of bounds; and 3. Butler stepped out before releasing the ball. If any of those calls are made it’s very unlikely Milwaukee ever ties the game up. So on balance the shaky officiating hurt Miami.

Joe K wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 3:01 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:49 pm

Pruitt wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:41 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:38 pm NBA refs making themselves part of the story yet again.

That was absolutely ridiculous. Last 10 seconds of the game, two massive calls... that were both clearly wrong.

Also, on the earlier play when Butler threw up the terrible pass that Lopez ended up with - I thought I saw a couple clear fouls against him.

Butler probably was fouled and definitely traveled before he threw the ball away. (A travel would’ve been much better for Miami since they could set up their defense.) The fouls on Dragic and Giannis were perhaps technically correct but both very soft to call in that situation. Compare that to last night’s Game 7 which was basically prison rules all night. Gobert got absolutely smashed by Plumlee in the face on his late dunk, with no call.

The official NBA report says the Dragic and Giannis fouls were correct but that the refs missed 3 different calls on the Butler turnover: 1. Butler was fouled; 2. a Bucks player touched the ball while out of bounds; and 3. Butler stepped out before releasing the ball. If any of those calls are made it’s very unlikely Milwaukee ever ties the game up. So on balance the shaky officiating hurt Miami.

Do you think they look extra hard for things like that just to have some kind of cover? Serious question, because of course they want the outcome to be legit no matter what.

I think the 2 minute reports are pretty legit. I thought the Butler turnover clearly should have been a foul or a travel before he threw the ball away. I didn’t even notice that both he and a Bucks player were also out of bounds. But it’s not the first time I’ve seen refs let things go at the end of a game when the trailing team is pressing and trapping.

I was rooting for Milwaukee in that game but thought the questionable calls on balance hurt Miami. Also, Miami was the better team and will continue to be unless Budenholzer makes some adjustments. He needs to play Giannis and Middleton more minutes and also needs to do more to defend the 3-point line.

I didn’t watch but was checking score regularly. Wow.

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:07 pm I didn’t watch but was checking score regularly. Wow.

I’m now fully convinced that Giannis had already decided he’s leaving Milwaukee as soon as possible and his teammates all know it. The parallels with the 2010 Cavs are off the charts, The three teams that have been rumored the most are Miami, Toronto and Golden State.

Joe K wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:13 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:07 pm I didn’t watch but was checking score regularly. Wow.

I’m now fully convinced that Giannis had already decided he’s leaving Milwaukee as soon as possible and his teammates all know it. The parallels with the 2010 Cavs are off the charts, The three teams that have been rumored the most are Miami, Toronto and Golden State.

Nods.

tennbengal wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:21 pm

Joe K wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:13 pm

A_B wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:07 pm I didn’t watch but was checking score regularly. Wow.

I’m now fully convinced that Giannis had already decided he’s leaving Milwaukee as soon as possible and his teammates all know it. The parallels with the 2010 Cavs are off the charts, The three teams that have been rumored the most are Miami, Toronto and Golden State.

Nods.

Giannis now has his own line of Nike sneakers, and the big Nike guys certainly have not been shy about leaving small market teams, even if those teams are contenders. It's already happened with LeBron, Durant and Kyrie. Just like 2020 Giannis, 2010 LeBron was a two-time MVP coming off a Conference finals loss followed by a strangely resounding second round defeat as a #1 seed. (The 2009-10 Cavs had the best record and second best point-differential in the NBA.)