2018 NBA Playoffs: SEMIFINALS

[Dolfan in NYC]

The Warriors and Rockets have finally made official what everyone in November knew was going to happen. Their series starts on Monday.

Meanwhile Cleveland is waiting for Boston or Philadelphia. 

[Contentious C]

I daresay the conference finals will be more interesting on either side than the Finals themselves will be. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

It won't be that interesting if LeBron gets help.  Ugh.  I shudder to think.

[Brian Fowler]

How interesting the Finals will be is directly proportional to how much help LeBron gets first in this round and then potentially in the next.

[jaedmc]

If Lebron gets a lot of help this round and they win, the HYPE for the finals will be more interesting. Once the games start it'll be a lot of "good job good effort", and "where will Lebron go now."

The Western Conference Finals is the Finals. Everything afterwards is just a sneaker advertisement.

[Contentious C]

11 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

How interesting the Finals will be is directly proportional to how much help LeBron gets first in this round and then potentially in the next.

I'd argue 'inversely proportional' for vs. Celtics, 'directly proportional' if/when they make the finals. 

[Niners Fan in CT]

I said before that a lot of what happened with this Cavs roster is on LeBron himself, but looking past that I dont see how they can possibly match up in the finals.

At least when they had Kyrie it was another unstoppable scorer you could ride down the stretch. Kevin Love as the 2nd option isn't great. Kyle Korver and JR Smith as 3rd options is bad. Relying on Thompson and Jeff Green is atrocious.

[Jiji]

At times, Thompson's rebounding gave the Cavs big momentum shifts the past two years. And Kevin Love was a great offensive player in Minnesota. That they can't get the best out of him isn't entirely on him. 

[jaedmc]

What's worse?

Losing Kyrie Irving to the Celtics and he and the Celtics beat you in the playoffs 

ORRRRRR

Losing Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, he gets injured and the Celtics beat you anyway?

[Niners Fan in CT]

Cavs really could use Kyrie right about now.  When 3's aren't falling you need guys who can still get theirs and LeBron is the only guy on the Cavs who can get easy baskets.  

Game one don't mean much, Cavs were never in it. 

That said, Celtics behind Stevens are such a well oiled machine and I just love the kids.  Tatum and Brown especially are fearless and they are so far ahead of where I thought they'd be at this stage. 

Toronto has to be sick.  Celts have already outplayed them.  

I don't expect Morris to outplay LeBron ever again but it was interesting he talked that shit about stopping LeBron and then he backed it up.  Again,  just one game.  Usually Morris makes me very angry. 

[Brian Fowler]

He always did a reasonably good job against LeBron when he was a Piston. There was one bizarre as fuck game a couple years ago when him and Kyle Singler of all people combined to just thoroughly outplay him.

[_MJ_]

2 hours ago, jaedmc said:

What's worse?

Losing Kyrie Irving to the Celtics and he and the Celtics beat you in the playoffs 

ORRRRRR

Losing Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, he gets injured and the Celtics beat you anyway?

Worse: Both teams make it to the eastern finals without you on either playoff roster.

[Niners Fan in CT]

3 hours ago, _MJ_ said:

Worse: Both teams make it to the eastern finals without you on either playoff roster.

Yes but neither has a prayer without Kyrie.  I mean Warriors will probably blow through anyone anyway but Kyrie is a guy who thoroughly outplayed Curry a couple years back and is very reliable in pressure situations.  

Sorry @Lawful Metal I have Warriors in 6 over Houston. 

[Lawful Metal]

It’s ok. Everybody sleeping on Houston. Even though we have the #1 seed. Even though we won the head to head matchups. Even though we got the MVP.

and we got Clint Capela.

[Lawful Metal]

Tony Brothers is reffing tonight.  Expect idiotic calls.  He hates the Rockets.  Last time he reffed, Game 2 against the Jazz, he and his crew largely ignored glaringly obvious fouls, especially on Harden driving to the basket, while calling all sorts of offensive foul flops and ticky tack stuff to try to keep it balanced.  So, expect both teams to come out flopping early, and watch Harden get clotheslined, and then call a hand check foul later on to "balance it out."  I hate NBA refs.  At least Joey Crawford is gone.

[Jiji]

Built-in excuse out of the way before the game. Congratulations.

[Niners Fan in CT]

Surely the Rockets can overcome a few non-calls?  

[Lawful Metal]

Allow me to clarify: last game Tony Brothers called, obvious calls were not called, flops and ticky tack fouls were called. Fairly evenly. For both teams. So who benefits? 

[Contentious C]

Point-shavers, obviously.

[Jiji]

We have been waiting for tonight's game for the entire season. I'm so hyped for this.

[_MJ_]

Yeah, I'm pumped too.

Keep this same energy, Rockets.

[Dolfan in NYC]

 

[Lawful Metal]

Fucking cheaters 

[Niners Fan in CT]

Well,  didn't get much out of CP3 and the role players.  Harden was great.   I predicted this to go six games but that is not looking good.  Not if KD plays like this. Could be over in 5.  

[_MJ_]

Same energy died.

If they're healthy, it's not in your best interest to put any money down on betting against Golden State.