The Clips are an accident waiting to happen, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them win tonight. When Love first got hurt, I thought to myself - "He's fine, he'll be back real soon" & then I heard that he planned on playing - "see, he's fine". Now that he is officially out for many months, I'm kinda ticked off. I'm not a Cav fan, in fact, going into the playoffs, I was rooting hard against them. But for them to lose such an important player on such a stupid play, well, it really aggravates me. Injuries are part of the game, but that one was so unnecessary. Again, I feel your pain.
Appreciate the empathy. I've never once experienced a professional championship. I was literally born just weeks after Cleveland won its last professional championship of any kind. We had a great shot this year but the Love injury really hurts our chances. BTW....I saw the Clips won game 6 to bring it back home for game 7. Maybe they can?
Tough break for the Wiz, but I still think they can beat the Hawks. The road just got easier for the Cavs/Bulls winner. I am assuming that Wall is out for the rest of the playoffs - I haven't heard anything official, though. I do think the Clippers are way better than the Rockets - with a healthy Paul that is. With a hobbled or totally absent CP though, it will probably be a dogfight. I still think the Clips are better, but Houston does have game 7 at their place, if it gets there. Memphis will challenge the Warriors championship meddle - if G.S. survives, they'll know they've been in a war. The Grizz can be offensively challenged, which could be their downfall. Game 3 may tell Chicago's fate & if the Bulls win, then game 4 may be the Cavs waterloo. My guess is 2-2 after 4 & we'll be eventually looking at game 7 In fact, I think it's possible all 4 series go 7 - now wouldn't that be cool!
Which teams have the best chance to win game 4 on the road to even up their series? My list, worst to best chance: 4) Houston. I just think the Clippers are a better team. Much better with a healthier CP. 3) Golden St. Curry needs to wake up before it's too late. 2) Atlanta. Ahead of the Warriors only because of Walls injury. 1) Cleveland. I expect the Cavs to bring it today...they better.
My prediction? An NBA team will win [!]. You know, in Italy we had a kind of NBA mania in the age of Jordan, Pippen and Rodman. Unfortunately [a part that Rodman has got crazy somewhere in North Korea] the next generation is not that exciting [Shaq and Kobi included]. So that we went back to Italian Basketball. Anyway I try and follow NBA a bit on satellite TV. My real guess is that LAC [the incredible Clippers!] will do something good this time [with the envy of the Lakers ... btw: where are they??]. Final victory? Mah ... I put my two cents on Washington.
It's topsy turvy now. Cleveland evened the series with Chicago, but now 2 of their big 3 is hurt. Love out, now Kyrie Irving hurt. LA Clippers have surprised me. First they take down San Antonio, and are now destroying Houston. And Memphis up on GS, the best record in the league. I've never seen so many big injuries in one post season either.
Can any of the teams down 3-2 come back? To me, the Wiz may be the most likely. The Clips better finish off the Rockets tonight or they'll be in for hades in game 7.
I'm a die-hard Suns fan but now that Steve Kerr is coaching the Warriors, I'm all-in for Golden State. - - - Updated - - - Yep, a write-off year for the Thunder. Can't fight the breaks.
Congrats to your Cavs. To this point, the Bulls are this playoffs biggest flops(get blown out at home in a must win situation? What a disgrace) - but soon may be replaced by the Clips.
Clippers have to be in trouble mentally now.....let it get away from them, and the deciding game now back in Houston. Although, Washington blew 2 games vs Atlanta and are now down 3-2. I'm pulling for Washington only because Cleveland gets home court advantage vs the Wiz, but don't vs the Hawks.
I don't know if it even matters who the Cavs face. It seems Lebron & 4 YMCA fellas could win the East. That is not necessarily a knock on the East - Lebron just seems to be in another zone.
I'm not taking ATL for granted. They were the #1 seed in the East for a reason. And the Cavs have to win at least one on the road. Atlanta has 2 point guards that play 100 MPH....Jeff Teague and Denny Schoder. That scares me a bit with Kyrie Irving hurt and not 100%. Looking forward to the game 7 between the Clippers and Rockets tomorrow too.
If I were a Cav fan, I wouldn't take ATL for granted either. It's sports anything can happen. I don't like the Hawks long term chance to win a championship, though. "Teams" tend to not win titles - superstars win titles. I sorta expect the Clips to win this game, but I wouldn't put a ruble on it, though. What a bust both Chicago & Memphis were. Not that neither one won their series, but how badly they played in elimination games.
I think both Chicago and Memphis saw the writing on the wall. Even if either had somehow won game 6, they were facing more than long odds to win game 7's on the road.
I should of stuck with my own analysis from the beginning of the season - The Clips just don't have it mentally to win a Championship - and despite beating S.A., they still aren't any closer. Magic Johnson says it correctly: I thought the Spurs taught the Clippers how to win after a tough 7 game series. I was wrong. The Clippers are still the Clippers. http://www.lakersnation.com/twitter-magic-johnson-says-the-clippers-are-still-the-clippers/2015/05/17/
Brian..... Your Cavs can thank Phil Jackson and the Knicks for where you're at. As JR Smith and Iman Shumpert are preparing with Lebron for the conference finals, just remember that Phil traded them both for an 8th grader (2019 2nd round pick).
The problem with the Clippers is that neither Chris Paul nor Blake Griffin are defenders. DeAndre may be a shotblocker, but I don't think he has the kind of defensive impact a true big man should have in containing penetration or the post. So you've got pretty much an all-offense, all-athletic team(at least athletically big) with no true wing defender. The Clippers need their version of Tony Allen. An elite defender that you can plug in, start and hopefully scores enough to be relevant. If their new owner wants to be relevant, they need to take VP power away from Doc Rivers. Unlike in the NFL, NBA coaches traditionally don't have a clue about how to orchestrate a roster. Eric Bledsoe for Jared Dudley!? Austin Rivers, when he's a terrible gunner who can't defend or play PG?(Only 2.5 APG in the series) It might also be time to consider whether or not to break-up the big 3, as Paul/Griffin/DeAndre are not really shooters, or ++ players that can win you a title but you have a lot of salary locked up in them. If you're stuck in the middle, you're better off rebuilding(coming from a Sixers fan). Oh, and to keep this on topic for playoff predictions: Warriors to win title, no one else comes close.
Golden State has built an offense around the three point shot, and at a league leading 40% shooting; it's worked. Warriors v. Rockets; Warriors in 6 games. As much as I would like to see Lebron win with Cleveland, I don't think they'll get past Atlanta, So it'll be the Hawks v. Warriors...and I'll take the Warriors in 6 games.
Is Houston hitting its stride, or was it more of the Clips just failing(as usual)? Can D.Howard be counted on to show up enough to give the Rockets a shot against G.S.? If the Rockets continue to play well & Howard decides to earn his money, I give Houston a shot to get the series to 7. But even if those things happen, I think the home court will carry the Warriors. I don't trust the Hawks, the Cavs find a way.
I only saw the hi-lites, but I'm certain Harden would like to have that last play back. Not fond of the Rockets chances going forward. The Hawks will be in the same boat(sinking ship?) if they lose tonight.
If Cleveland beats out Atlanta - I will have at least made one good prediction. - - - Updated - - - And I never saw anything this year that looked like the NBA rigging games.
