# NBA 2018-2019 Season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 19, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212 "2018-10-19T15:09:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/261 "2019-05-07T23:38:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The thing is, not even Leonard can keep this up; he can’t keep shooting 62%. Someone else has to play better. Yeah, basically the KW show, who’s been, dare I say, Jordan-like. What had been the NBA’s best three-point shooting team has been crappy from behind the arc these play-offs, as well as crappy in just about every other category. Kyle Lowry, who played his least crappiest in game four, has to be the one to get a fire lit under his butt, as evidenced by the fact that (almost) every time Brett Brown called a time-out, last game, was when Lowry sunk a basket or two (even when the Raps hadn’t been mounting any rallies). With a day’s rest between games now, Nick Nurse won’t be able to rely on just the six guys that he played last game. Amazing with Kawhi, that in SA he had seven 30-point performances in 87 play-off games, while in TO he’s already had six 30-point play-off games. Part of that’s just related to growth, however he played only two or so more minutes per play-off game with TO than with SA, so, as some of the pundits have been saying, he’s been given more freedom under Nick Nurse. Pops would have been much more regimented, with a bit more focus on KW’s defensive game. Funny seeing Ebiid lumbering into the hallways with the illness shuffle (maybe fakin it today?), wearing quite the goofy fluffy white hoodie. ---
**Author:** ![cgg419](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cgg419/32/2847_2.png) [@cgg419](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgg419)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/262 "2019-05-08T02:29:31Z")
Now that was a team effort. Raptors just thumped the 76er, 125-89. Kawhi had an off night, only getting 21, but the rest of them more than made up for it. 6 players in double figures, all 12 scored. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/263 "2019-05-08T02:59:37Z")
I am not at all a basketball expert, but it didn’t look to me like Kawhi had an off night as much as the 76ers decided that they were absolutely not going to let him beat them. Unfortunately for them, getting help on Kawhi meant open looks for other Raptors, and the shots were falling for everybody today. Even Gasol hit three 3-pointers. Now Philadelphia face the nasty dilemma that they’ve feared the whole series: do they continue to bring in help on Kawhi and hope that the open man doesn’t make his shots, or do they play more straight up and risk him taking over again. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/264 "2019-05-08T03:52:34Z")
Portland is down 18 at the half. Another lackluster performance by a team that doesn’t seem to want to win this. I don’t think they have the mindset to get back in this one. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/265 "2019-05-08T14:39:30Z")
Paul Millsap finally showed up for the Nuggets and Gary Harris is a really good defender. The Portland guards have not been shooting great, at least partially thanks to solid defense. I think Denver will win the series, but won’t be at all surprised if the Blazers take game 6 in Portland. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/266 "2019-05-08T18:30:49Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Paul Millsap finally showed up for the Nuggets and Gary Harris is a really good defender. The Portland guards have not been shooting great, at least partially thanks to solid defense. I think Denver will win the series, but won’t be at all surprised if the Blazers take game 6 in Portland. What a mess. I turned it off in the middle of the 3rd quarter. It pisses me off that other players on the team will just stand and watch the guards struggling on the perimeter and not give them any help. Also, who still thinks that run-and-gun is a good strategy? Seems like Stotts would be better off putting Collins and Leonard in and putting Kanter and Harkless in reserve. ---
**Author:** ![Covfefe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Covfefe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covfefe)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/267 "2019-05-09T02:36:32Z")
Now that Brogdon is back, anything short of a trip to the finals will be disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/268 "2019-05-09T14:54:12Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I’ve been saying it for over a year, before the Cavs-Celtics trade… Kyrie is overrated, a bad fit… Last year, the Celtics were a GREAT team w/o Irvin and Hayward. Now they’re back, and they’ve ruined the chemistry with their play or lack of it… Way too many box-score fans on the internet. Even the "experts"on TV change their minds real quickly. Too much number-talk, instead of watching the game, and what’s happening off the ball. Hustle, character, chemistry, etc. Irving is a fucking joke. He’s just a poor man’s Kobe Bryant, but missing ALL of the stuff that made Kobe a winner (and not just Shaq ;)). He can’t carry a team, he has zero leadership, and he’ll never win anything without playing next to a _true_ transcendent player like LeBron. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/269 "2019-05-09T15:39:44Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Paul Millsap finally showed up for the Nuggets and Gary Harris is a really good defender. The Portland guards have not been shooting great, at least partially thanks to solid defense. I think Denver will win the series, but won’t be at all surprised if the Blazers take game 6 in Portland. _The Portland Trailblazers-Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory Since 1978_ ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/270 "2019-05-09T17:27:51Z")
If Houston is ever going to beat Golden State, this would be the time. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/271 "2019-05-09T17:32:50Z")
GS is 29-4 when KD is out and Steph starts. Houston had a good chance yesterday, but Harden did his disappearing act again and still lost. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/272 "2019-05-09T22:08:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > _The Portland Trailblazers-Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory Since 1978_ No shit. Do or die tonight. While nobody expects them to get to the finals, I’d sure like to see them get to the semis. POR can play smart ball, but they seem to get easily flustered by Denvers defense. When that happens, we’re then treated to the spectacle of Aminu trying to drive to the basket and do fancy shit that’s he’s not really capable of. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/273 "2019-05-10T03:34:54Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > If Houston is ever going to beat Golden State, this would be the time. True that. But I like how GSW plays without KD. Less isolation, and more passing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/274 "2019-05-10T03:53:43Z")
Glad to see Philly take it to game seven, but that span of time between the last 4th and 5th minutes of the game took about 20 minutes to get through. Did TOR really think they had a shot at catching them? Right now, Blazers are leading DEN at halftime. Keep it up, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/275 "2019-05-10T04:03:17Z")
So did nobody in the arena think to make a “Smoke The Nuggets” sign, or are they just not showing it? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/276 "2019-05-10T16:05:11Z")
Not surprised the Blazers managed to win at home. I think the Nuggs will close it out in Denver, but back to back 7 game series have to take a toll on them. Especially Jokic. Can’t imagine they’ll be very fresh against GSW. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/277 "2019-05-10T16:05:57Z")
Sometimes I think coach Stotts reads the Dope. He had Collins and Hood in the game for some lengthy work that paid off, and had Harkless and Aminu warming the bench for much of the game, it seemed. Hood has really been an asset in this series. On to game seven! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/278 "2019-05-10T16:59:37Z")
Go Warriors! Can they win tonight? Well they certainly can but Houston will be fighting for their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/279 "2019-05-10T18:11:05Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Go Warriors! Can they win tonight? Well they certainly can but Houston will be fighting for their lives. Harden will be vying for the “Best Flopper in a Limited Series” award, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212/280 "2019-05-10T20:56:41Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > GS is 29-4 when KD is out and Steph starts. Houston had a good chance yesterday, but Harden did his disappearing act again and still lost. Agreed. I think he’s the MVP, and then he does stuff like that at the end of games. Hou -7.5 tonight, and while I don’t think they cover, they should win. Game 7, assuming they get there, will be interesting with no KD. Be nice if Capela could show up for a game this series. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nba-2018-2019-season/823212.md?page=15)