I make it a point not to listen to him. He’s the ESPN equivalent of clickbait.
Stephen A Smith once famously incorrectly predicted the NBA Finals six times in a row.
2011: He picked the Heat to beat the Mavs
2012: He picked the Thunder to beat the Heat
2013: He picked the Spurs to beat the Heat
2014: He picked the Heat to beat the Spurs
2015: He picked the Cavs to beat the Warriors
2016: He picked the Warriors to beat the Cavs
I’d have better odds just flipping a coin.
And annoying to boot.
I was a U of Kansas student when Mario Chalmers had that 3-pointer with 5 seconds left to force overtime (and then the Jayhawks won). Jaylen Brown just did something similar for Boston in the first game against the Pacers.
I want both teams to win this series. Boston should win it all (and it’s high time they did) — but it’s so fun to see Haliburton’s childlike joy…and the Pacers franchise has never won a championship.
Not a pretty game, but a hard fought W for the Cs.
Rock Chalk!
Pacers gave this one away. They had a 3 point lead and the ball with 7 seconds left and turned the ball over on an inbounds play, then failed miserably on their chance to win it after Brown’s tying 3-pointer.
That final turnover in regulation was an egregious no-call. Brown absolutely mugged Siakam as he was reaching for the inbound pass. On the subsequent play the Pacers absolutely gagged on that defensive set and should have definitely fouled Brown on the shot.
Sadly, what often happens when the underdog comes so close to victory in Game 1 but can’t pull it off is that they get mentally deflated, and then they get hammered big time in Game 2.
Yeah I can see that happening. Boston dodged a bullet tonight.
Pretty exciting finish in regular time, with Brown falling backwards as he fired a desperation three.
MN with a slim lead at halftime. They’ve got to figure out how to slow Irving’s roll.
Mavs did what the Pacers should have done last night. I still think Doncic’s ailing knee is on pace to give out at some point though.
A very close game throughout. MN made some bone-headed plays that really cost them (driving into a crowd, cross-court passes, etc.) and Edwards seemed like he stayed up too late partying or something, although he scored a double-double. Doncic’s knee was actually bleeding near the end. They’d be stupid to let him play until that stops. On the plus side, scoring was well distributed, with six players in double figures.
Yes, I was sad to see the Wolves lose a winnable game (though I do admire Doncic’s grit)…but the good news is, if the Wolves can almost win when Edwards has an “off” game, surely they can win for real when he’s playing like his usual self (or better).
Keep in mind he’s only 22 years old.
Apparently, the Wolves had a tough, all-out practice the day before yesterday — their one rest day after that hard-fought game 7. Maybe that wasn’t such a great idea.
There were a couple plays toward the end where Edwards refused to pass to an open Gobert, as they both made their way toward the hoop. Not that Gobert is entirely reliable on offense…but still, it’s better than trying to force your way through a double team of taller defenders.
Edwards still thinks he can run and gun against a brick wall. He routinely ignores open shooters. As for Gobert. . .well, he doesn’t have the stickiest hands in the NBA and routinely fumbles passes, which is very frustrating. I’m not sure, but I’m wondering if he takes his eyes off the ball before he’s got it securely in his grasp. It’s a beginner’s mistake and shouldn’t be happening. Or perhaps he’s just a fumbler.
Solid game by Boston tonight, considering they lost Game 2 in the first 2 rounds.
BLARG. I stopped watching with about nine minutes left.
Tyrese Haliburton left with left hamstring soreness late in the 3rd. That’s the same hamstring that he injured that caused him to miss 10 games in the regular season.
Game 2 tonight for the Wolves. Apparently the coach reamed their asses for being sloppy and just playing bad ball. I would expect them to be better motivated tonight.
Random thoughts:
If someone told me the defending champion Nuggets would be eliminated by losing THREE home games, I wouldn’t have believed it.
So, is the self-proclaimed “king” going to taint his legacy over time if he just hangs on and gets eliminated year after year from here on out?
Is it just me, or is the NBA more competitive and thus more interesting these days? One super team winning year after year is very boring to me.