Both Conference Finals tied 1-1. The best playoffs in a long time continues to deliver.
Game 2 Western Conference - OKC vs DAL
Both teams played with the same offense effectiveness.
DAL played with the same defense as OKC improved in theirs.
OKC got plenty of other players involved in this game including most of their bench. Their bench is impressive for real. Always a threat for any team when your bench is as good as your starters.
OKC suffered at the end barely finishing once DAL applied pressure.
Things to focus on… OKC won at the DAL home court and DAL didn’t play any worse than game 1.
Game Three. Dallas built a huge lead, then hung on when OKC made their run in the fourth quarter. They flashed up a stat that there were something around thirty threes attempted without a make. The Mavs won without a monster game from Dirk.
The Bulls better find some more scorers.
I actually like this. Gives a different perspective to the game, bah dum bump.
Heat played surprisingly good defense last night, and Bosh finally came alive. Bummer for the LeBron haters, and for the Rose lovers.
Speaking of Rose…as a Jayhawk fan, I enjoy seeing him clash with Mario Chalmers, again.
And…wouldn’t it be quite the coincidence if the Heat and Mavs met up again – two teams, the only two time they ever make it to the finals, they do it in the same year both times? Could be the start of a Boston-Lakers thang…
So this Noah guy. Did he say fag or faggot or something else? Forgive my ignorance, but all the news I’m reading says he used a bad term for gay people. I don’t know why they can’t just print what he said.
A fan was heckling him and Noah called him a faggot. I also find it annoying when news stories are this unclear.
Sheesh. What was that? A 17-4 (or something like that) run by the Mavs to get to OT? WOW! Dirk was making some mad crazy shots totally off balance.
GO MAVS! This is a great game!
Bulls act like they have no more options although Boozer did come alive the last game.
OKC suck at 4th quarters and Westbrook chooses the worst time to make his own plays
Off night shooting for Dirk; only 12-20 and 14-15.
Shoulda put in Hames Jarden 
Wow, I was almost ready to turn the game off, but they finished with a 23-6 run to recover from 15 down with 5 or so to go. I wonder how the Thunder will recover from this, thought I think Chandler is going to be suspended for game 5 for too many technicals.
Has there ever been an uglier free throw than Shawn Marion? I love his overall game, but that form looks like something from a grammar school gym.
How about Noah’s free throw?
It’s those not about talent things that gets to OKC. Like poise vs frustration. And Westbrook needs to be taught a lesson by his coaches or teammates or something.
Still, OKC fans should feel good about getting this far and hope the off season keeps this group together.
^^
I don’t know, though. Where has Durant been? You can’t tell me that after all this time playing together, that OKC team is suddenly being sabotaged in the playoffs by Russell Westbrook refusing to pass the ball, and they’ve let him get away with it all the way through to game 5 of the conference finals. It looks to me like Durant isn’t asserting himself no matter who he’s on the court with, so Westbrook is doing it instead. Some forced shots and turnovers are what you’re going to get from any scorer/ballhandler in the playoffs - the difference with Westbrook is that he’s “supposed” to be deferring to Durant, and he’s not as good as Durant is, so he gets worse results.
I’ve seen Durant doing a lot of standing around on the far side of the court just kind of holding his hand up in the air, though, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 30 point scorer do in a playoff game. The defense knows about you, dude, shots aren’t just going to fall in your lap more than a couple times a game. And then when Dallas goes to that collapsing trap look late in games, Durant gets rid of the ball as soon as the double-team comes his way, which is just kind of letting the defense win. In an NBA playoff game, somebody’s going to have to take a tough shot on most possessions. As long as Durant refuses to force the issue, somebody has to, right?
If nothing else, I wonder how it’s possible – even with the most selfish, reckless point guard in the world – for a seven foot wing scorer with unlimited range, the scoring champion two years running, to take 18, 22 and 22 shots in three playoff losses in the same series. If that’s Westbrook screwing up the offense, where the hell’s the coach? I think it’s more a combination of the offense and Durant being unwilling to force himself onto the game.
Perhaps the Bulls might do better if they learn how to pass.
The offense in the ECF is facepalmerific. There is a difference between good defense and bad offense. LeBron, Bosh, Wade isos, no movement, Rose being one of the worst MVPs of the modern era and just being completely clueless how to run a team, dribbling into help defense, Deng being lost, Korver going MIA, Boozer doing his usual screams when he misses layups…the definition of basketbawful. Still entertaining though.
It seems weird to me that over the last several years it’s been about East teams playing ugly defensive oriented ball and Western teams, aside from the Spurs, being offensive power houses. This was true even back in the day with the Showtime Lakers. Plus teams like Phoenix, Golden State, and the Webber Kings…nothing like them in the East. I guess New York tried but their players are terrible.
I think one part of the Westbrook thing is he was shocked that Rose got so much media praise, and then when he won MVP it pushed Westbrook over the edge. He probably thought they were the same player, which is basically true, so why can’t he get some recognition for shot jacking too? The other part is that both he and Durant are really young and inexperienced (OKC was a lottery team 2 years ago) and last night in particular the Mavs realized no one but them could do any damage (especially without Harden), so they just doubled, trapped, and shaded constantly.
Youtube Chuck Hayes. It’s like Barkley’s golf swing.
Dirk shot 61 free throws in 5 games against OKC and missed 2 of them. That is why the Mavericks are gonna be playing in the NBA Finals.