Wednesday NBA Playoff Discussion

NYGiants25

NYGiants25

NY Giants fan, anyone?
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 width=540 bgColor=#cccccc><TBODY><TR><TD class=dataheader width=540 colSpan=10>NBA PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, April 22nd (PHI, ATL, DEN 1-0)</TD></TR><TR><TD class=datasubheaderleft2 width=35>Time</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=40>Gm #</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=120>Team</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=75>Score</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=60>Opener</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=60>Hilton</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=60>5Dimes</TD><TD class=datasubheader width=60>ABC Island</TD></TR><TR class=scores-whitebg><TD class=scores-whitebg-left>04/22
4:05p</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg>501
502</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team> PHILADELPHIA
ORLANDO</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team><TABLE padding-left="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=scores-whitebg-team-bb>
</TD><TD> </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team-bb>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>193½
9½ </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>193½
10 </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>193½
10½ </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>193½
10½ </TD></TR><TR class=scores-greybg><TD class=scores-greybg-left>04/22
5:05p</TD><TD class=scores-greybg>503
504</TD><TD class=scores-greybg-team> MIAMI
ATLANTA</TD><TD class=scores-greybg-team><TABLE padding-left="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=scores-greybg-team-bb>
</TD><TD> </TD><TD class=scores-greybg-team-bb>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD class=scores-greybg-right>184
4½ </TD><TD class=scores-greybg-right>184
5 </TD><TD class=scores-greybg-right>184
5 </TD><TD class=scores-greybg-right>183½
5 </TD></TR><TR class=scores-whitebg><TD class=scores-whitebg-left>04/22
7:35p</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg>505
506</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team> NEW ORLEANS
DENVER</TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team><TABLE padding-left="5"><TBODY><TR><TD class=scores-whitebg-team-bb>
</TD><TD> </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-team-bb>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>196
6 </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>196½
5½ </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>196½
5½ </TD><TD class=scores-whitebg-right>196
5½</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
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Magic should blow the doors off the Sixers tomorrow in a revenge game.

...not sure they can do that though as i still think PHILLY wins this series
 
miami-atlanta is pretty interesting

we have miami who is a great off a loss team (plays with vengeance and tends to bounceback) vs atlanta who is great off a W (feeds off confidence)

more and more I look at this game just looks like a horrible matchup for miami with all of atlanta's athletic bigs. Spoelstra plans to counter this with more physical play with their bigs, but can we trust spoelstra to construct an effective gameplan yet? You know Wade will get 35+ in this one, but again not sure if thats enough.

Another big issue in this one was Miami's young guys getting rattled (Beasley and Chalmers were probably the worst ones on the team individually- and thats difficult for a team that just lost by 30). It is understandable- rookies in their 1st playoff game in a very hostile environment. Question is, are they over it yet?
 
tbone14 said:
which game in particular?
Click to expand...

Houston, 1st H, 1st Q, game

mainly to get a good fade of these young Blazers, who are already horrible on the road, in their first taste of road playoffs, and Houston has been amazingly good esp early off losses

mcmillan took yao out of the game, but adelman is great at gameplanning and I'd expect 30 from Yao in this game. Even in their best effort, Portland could not stop Houston and won game 2 (but couldnt cover fuckin brooks and FT shooting) purely from hustle imo. WIll rewatch the game, but thats my impression right now
 
SF_capper said:
Houston, 1st H, 1st Q, game

mainly to get a good fade of these young Blazers, who are already horrible on the road, in their first taste of road playoffs, and Houston has been amazingly good esp early off losses

mcmillan took yao out of the game, but adelman is great at gameplanning and I'd expect 30 from Yao in this game. Even in their best effort, Portland could not stop Houston and won game 2 (but couldnt cover fuckin brooks and FT shooting) purely from hustle imo. WIll rewatch the game, but thats my impression right now
Click to expand...

have'd to agree with you. defense wins championships. forgot who mentioned it, but they are a better team without mcgrady. defense is much better, they just need role players on offense to step up to make up for tmac's output
 
ugh ok need some help who are basketball fans

It seems miami's biggest adjustment will be countering Atlanta's athleticism with physical play which would mean probably more Haslem/O'neal/Magloire and less Beasley
is this a good thing? I'd imagine making a rotation adjustment for matchups in the postseason would kind of throw off what got you there in the first place.

choosing bw Miami 1st Q and full game right now if I make a play on this game
 
Miami and especially DWade is frustrated with the officiating. He's getting hand checked to death out there.

Beasley has to sit, he isnt doing enough on offense to make Josh work and doesnt do anything on defense. He is going to have to sit because Smith just stirs the crowd and his team up with those dunks and swats.

Chalmers should play much better, the rookie jitters showed that game and he should be more of a menace on the defensive end tonight.

Miami should make JO more of a presence tonight because wade cant do it on his own and Beasley is too much of a negative out there. Once or IF Jo gets going it should open up the perimeter for everyone else.

Miami should give Wright more burn tonight.
 
Miami is a fraud. A 15-27 road team playing a 32-10 home team, and on top of that Atlanta has last season's p.s. experience to draw upon. This series will be lucky to sniff a 6th game.
 
BetCrimes1984 said:
Miami is a fraud. A 15-27 road team playing a 32-10 home team, and on top of that Atlanta has last season's p.s. experience to draw upon. This series will be lucky to sniff a 6th game.
Click to expand...


Agree. Atlanta for game 2 as well. I would have to think Atlanta owns this series. Miami just doesn't have enough to advance. It's a team sport, not a one man team.
 
Will be out all day tomorrow, but will be on these plays.

Orlando -10
Orlando 1st Q - waiting on local's line
Orlando 3rd Q - waiting on local's line
Atlanta -5
Denver -6

All favorites, but Ihope it won't bite me in the ass. I really don't see how NO will stay alive in denver as well. What I like about the Nugs is that they have so many weapons. Billups can shoot the 3 like there's no tomorrow. If JR is cold, they can utilitze the pick a roll. On defense, they'll bring out the birdman that's been monster on blocks. The nuggs shoot particularly well at home. Let alone, JR only gets hot at home and feasts off the crowd's energy. I strongly think Denver takes this in game 5 or 6. I'm guessing NO will take one and it'll be game 3.
 
SFcapper,

Dead on about Houston. All those are getting played.

The miami game is all ATL. Oneal defines washed up. No one can help Wade on that team. Home crowd for the Hawks and experience from last year will only press the importance of running your opponent out of the building. Send a message but don't finsish up lazy like the Cavs did in the 4th Quarter last night.

BetCrimes1984 said:
Miami is a fraud. A 15-27 road team playing a 32-10 home team, and on top of that Atlanta has last season's p.s. experience to draw upon. This series will be lucky to sniff a 6th game.
Click to expand...

+1
 
the injury looked horrible and that was my impression when I saw it..

form a capping perspective- really weakens Houston's bench. no1 to backup Yao at the 5. After Yao, no one else above 6'9. Will really need the height against this Portland team that leads the league in reb differential and LA with their towers
 
went with a smaller bet on Miami 1st Q. Its been atlanta's worst quarter at home this yr and Miami their 1st Q number their last 7 times off a loss. Expecting a similar start to last game with Miami's best Q being their 1st forcing Atlanta into foul trouble and adjustments. Unsure of full game
 
I'm just getting wind of these T-Mac comments lol. Wow, who's pounding Lebron and Co. next time they play a Tracy McGrady team?
 
This is a shitty card IMO. Might be a total to be found but the sides look pretty sharp to me. Gotta figure Miami to bounce back but where's the value against a pretty damn good home team. Miami might be all smoke and mirrors and Atlanta might smoke 'em this series, who knows?
 
Originally Posted by PURPLE & GOLD
You will never be happy until satan takes over and promotes child molesting and murder.


haha thats a very funny statement..the guy seems to hate you a lot, dude
 
HEAT

Game 1 of the first-round playoff series was ugly. We'll see what happens in Wednesday's Game 2. And if it's anything along the lines of Game 1, the Heat will need Dwyane Wade to resurrect his performance from the 2006 NBA Finals against Dallas.
The Game 1 result — Atlanta 90, Miami 64 — wasn't a total shocker. The Heat was 4-11 on the road after the All-Star break and it's a young group with most of its players having little or no playoff experience.
"There is an element of unknown with this group," coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. "None of us knows what to expect."
Still, the Heat didn't expect this. What the Heat expected was for Wade to lead the way and rookie forward Michael Beasley to follow. That didn't happen. Wade had 11 first-quarter points but Beasley didn't come close to simulating the success he had in the season's final five games when he averaged about 24 points and 12 rebounds per game.
Miami, however, promises it won't panic.
"It's basketball," Dwyane Wade said. "You can't over-think it."
HAWKS 90, HEAT 64: Miami recorded its lowest point total in postseason history. Enough said.
"We didn't have any energy," rookie Michael Beasley said. "I don't know if it was jitters or what."
After the Heat fell behind, 37-27, in the second quarter the game was essentially over. Miami trailed by 20 almost the entire second half.
NOTES, QUOTES
—F James Jones got the start at small forward over F Jamario Moon. Jones ended with nine points and four rebounds and four fouls. "I don't know if it made a difference, negative or positive," G Dwyane Wade said. "When you lose, everything looks negative."
—F Jamario Moon wasn't upset he didn't start Game 1. That honor went to F James Jones, who was making just his second start of the season.
"It makes it better when you can come off the bench because you can sit here and get a feel for the game," Moon said.
Perhaps he was rationalizing, but at least he wasn't complaining and causing a problem.
—The Heat is back in the playoff after a one-year hiatus. Actually, Miami's last playoff appearance was a disaster. It was 2007, and the defending champion Heat, which won just 44 games, was swept by Chicago in the first round.
Things were different this season, however.
"I wasn't sure if we had a playoff-contending team," Heat president Pat Riley said. "You just don't know with injuries and health. But everything has gone very well."
Owner Micky Arison, who runs Carnival Cruise Lines as his day job, said he's not shocked by the job rookie head coach Erik Spoelstra has done.
"I think he's done a fantastic job," Arison said.
By the way, Arison picked the Heat in six games over Atlanta.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "If I had a choice to double-team Dwyane (Wade), I'd double-team him from the side. If you double-team him from the top, he has too much room to hurt you. If you can put him in a box, that's the best way to guard him. And you still can't stop him." — Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, the former Atlanta Hawks superstar.
ROSTER REPORT
ROTATION: Starters — Point guard Mario Chalmers, Shooting guard Dwyane Wade, Small forward James Jones, Power forward Michael Beasley, Center Jermaine O'Neal. Bench — Center Joel Anthony, Guard Daequan Cook, Guard Chris Quinn, Center Jamaal Magloire, Forward Yakhouba Diawara, Center Mark Blount, Forward Dorell Wright, Guard Luther Head, Forward Udonis Haslem, Forward Jamario Moon.
PLAYER NOTES:
—F Michael Beasley ended with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He became the fifth Heat player to have a double-double in his playoff debut, joining Rony Seikaly, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and Shaquille O'Neal.
—F Dorell Wright, the first-round pick in 2004, was inactive for Game 1. Wright, who only played six games this season due to knee surgery in April 2008, has been with Miami for 51 playoff games and he's played a total of 48 seconds.
—C Jermaine O'Neal is making his first playoff appearance since when he averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.33 blocks per game for Indiana. He ended Game 1 with five points and two rebounds.
MEDICAL WATCH:
—G Luther Head is out with a broken left hand.
 
HAWKS

Josh Smith couldn't wait for Game 1 start to Sunday night at Philips Arena.
He was so anxious to get going that he left his house hours early so he could get to the arena first and begin preparations for his second trip to the playoffs.
He played like it.
He worked the Heat for a game-high 23 points, including five monstrous slam dunks, 10 rebounds and every hustle play imaginable as the Hawks pounded the Heat on both ends of the floor in a 90-64 win.
He made nine of his 14 shots from the floor and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line, leading a balanced Hawks attack.
"Josh Smith is a problem, man," Hawks forward Marvin Williams said. "That's the best way I can put it. He's a problem for a lot of people in this league, and when he comes to play like he did (Sunday night), there isn't a whole lot anybody can really do to stop him."
Smith couldn't wait to test that theory Sunday night.
"After watching all those games Saturday and knowing we weren't going until (Sunday night), I just had to get out of the house," he said. "I was going crazy. I wanted to just get into the arena and find some space to get mentally prepared."
Hawks reserve swingman Mario West is usually the first man to the arena and the first one on the court for his pre-game workout routine. So you can imagine his surprise when he showed up Sunday afternoon and saw Smith's clothes already hanging in his locker.
"That, right there, let me know Josh was ready to go," West said. "I loved seeing that."
Smith said the difference between starting the playoffs on the road, as the Hawks did last year, is totally different from starting with home court advantage.
All of the Saturday's upsets of the home teams served as the perfect wake-up call, not that the Hawks needed one.
"Nobody is going to hand anything to you," Smith said. "It was real surprising to see those teams lose at home. But we understand the importance of every game and we certainly don't want to give any of our home games away."
HAWKS 90, HEAT 64: The Hawks didn't fight all season long for home-court advantage to just give it away.
Unlike the four other NBA teams that squandered it this weekend, the Hawks treated home court with the proper respect. They smashed the Miami Heat 90-64 before a sellout Philips Arena crowd of 18,851 in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
It was the Hawks' biggest playoff win since their 89-69 win over Detroit on May 10, 1999. They also tied a franchise record for points allowed, matching the 64 they gave up to Charlotte on April, 28, 1998, in a series against the Hornets.
"We saw what happened in Boston, Portland and San Antonio Saturday," Josh Smith said of the teams that lost home-court advantage. "And then we saw up on the board where Orlando lost to Philadelphia. So we knew we couldn't come out here and throw it away."
All five starters and Zaza Pachulia scored in double-figures, while the Heat couldn't get much of anything going outside of NBA scoring leader Dwyane Wade's 19 points on 8-for-21 shooting.
Still, the game didn't turn until the Hawks turned up the heat in the second quarter. Smith sparked a 29-14 run with highlight reel play after play, including 13 points in the quarter.
"I didn't know it would turn out this way," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "But I just thought our guys were just so focused coming into (Sunday night's) game. Sometimes you can be so focused that you end up being too anxious and things don't turn out the way you drew it up.
"(On Sunday night) I just thought our focus was there from beginning to the end. Our defensive schemes were right on the money in terms of how we wanted to defend. And I thought we did a fairly good job, especially in the first half, of sharing the basketball and making shots."
NOTES, QUOTES
—It always helps when your defense smothers the NBA scoring leader the way the Hawks did Wade. Michael Beasley was the only other Heat player to reach double-figures, and he scored 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
The Hawks shared the ball incessantly, piling up 23 assists on 36 made shots. And they also pounded the Heat on the boards, building a 50-35 edge by game's end.
"It was everybody stepping up when we needed to step up," said Hawks center Al Horford, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. "We talked all season about taking care of home and you saw it (Sunday night). That's the kind of total team effort we know it's going to take to keep playing.
"This is just one game, we realize that. There's still a lot of basketball to play. But that's the reason we wanted to start here, in front of our fans. And we wanted to make sure we did it right."
—Marvin Williams certainly got the memo that a fast start was needed. He scored seven straight points to help the Hawks get off to a good start.
Never mind that he played just twice in the Hawks' last 18 games. He missed 16 straight with a lower back injury that early on the Hawks thought might end his season.
Williams started Sunday night and didn't miss in his first five minutes. He scored seven points in 90 seconds, the first on a dunk on a fast break, then on a running jumper and then on a deep three-pointer, before giving way to Mo Evans for an early breather.
"It's the playoffs," Williams said with a smile in the locker room before the game. "You know I'm ready."
—Heat coach Erik Spoelstra pulled the first stunner of this series before opening tip Sunday night when he inserted veteran shooter James Jones into his starting lineup at small forward in place of Jamario Moon.
Jones managed just one other start all season, a Feb. 18 home loss to Minnesota.
—The Hawks had a last-minute roster shuffle of their own. Speedy Claxton and Othello Hunter replaced Randolph Morris and Thomas Gardner on the active list for Sunday's game.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson said both players "earned the right" to suit up in Game 1, but that he was keeping things fluid depending on how the series played out.
"We're really going to have to just see how things go," he said. "We don't know how things are going to go. That's the beauty of these playoff rosters, they can change every night depending on the matchups."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Josh Smith got a lot of lobs and fast-break dunks that helped with the energy in the building. When that happens, the game can get away from you pretty fast. When you miss as many shots as we did (Sunday night), the game can get away from you pretty quickly." — Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, on his team's inability to contain Smith and to make shots consistently.
ROSTER REPORT
ROTATION: Starters — Point guard Mike Bibby, Shooting guard Joe Johnson, Small forward Marvin Williams, Power forward Josh Smith, Center Al Horford. Bench — Guard Flip Murray, Guard Acie Law IV, Guard Mario West, Guard Mo Evans, Guard Speedy Claxton, Forward Thomas Gardner, Forward Othello Hunter, Forward Solomon Jones, Forward/center Zaza Pachulia, Center Randolph Morris.
PLAYER NOTES:
—C Zaza Pachulia gave the Hawks a much-needed boost off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes of action. It's the kind of efficiency that has served the Hawks well in the wins this season.
—G Mike Bibby did his part as a shooter and floor general against the Heat. He also led the Hawks in blocks with two, tying Al Horford for top honors.
—G Flip Murray didn't shoot the ball well at all Sunday (1-for-6) but he played the role of floor general (five rebounds and four assists) and also played stellar defense on Heat star Dwyane Wade, who had to deal with four different Hawks defenders most of the night.
 
just played Houston and Utah ML
just waiting on the Houston 1st H/Q to come out
got a pretty big bet on yesterday for chicago -1.5 and even considering adding to it as it just seems special
 
The comments I think he was referring to were made by T Macon Jim Rome's radio show today. he basically said the Cavs couldn't beat the Lakers if the two teams met in the Finals.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SF_capper said:
just played Houston and Utah ML
just waiting on the Houston 1st H/Q to come out
got a pretty big bet on yesterday for chicago -1.5 and even considering adding to it as it just seems special
Click to expand...

good luck, but i just have trouble seeing CHItown winning game 3 even against a KG-less Celtics team
 
SF_capper said:
just played Houston and Utah ML
just waiting on the Houston 1st H/Q to come out
got a pretty big bet on yesterday for chicago -1.5 and even considering adding to it as it just seems special
Click to expand...

Man that Orlando 1st quarter sure is expensive. Going to have to pass on -3.5 at -25c. Should have gotten on it earlier I guess. Still looks like a good investment.


Layed 5 with Houston and actually took the 3 points with Utah. ML was just a tad scary for me. Kind of hoping the Bulls are down at half so that I can bet them then. Do agree that they look to be a solid bet.
 
JPicks said:
Man that Orlando 1st quarter sure is expensive. Going to have to pass on -3.5 at -25c. Should have gotten on it earlier I guess. Still looks like a good investment.


Layed 5 with Houston and actually took the 3 points with Utah. ML was just a tad scary for me. Kind of hoping the Bulls are down at half so that I can bet them then. Do agree that they look to be a solid bet.
Click to expand...

got 1st Q -3 -110 :)

chicago may be my favorrite full game play so far this playoffs
 
SF_capper said:
got 1st Q -3 -110 :)

chicago may be my favorrite full game play so far this playoffs
Click to expand...

bastard. BM opened it at 3.5 -15c and it then went to -35c before coming back to -25c now. As much as I want to play it I can't at that price. I'll obviously be rooting for you though.



You like the Bulls to come out and step on their throats or just deliver in the end?
 
step on throats. I love the -1.5 because even if they don't come out blazing I still am confident that they get the W. I was just shocked at how they fought back in game 2. Young team down 12 in the 1st Q just fought back insanely and took a lead by just running it down the C's throats. I should've seen this to start the series, but Boston has a big turnover problem which isn't capitalized with some teams, but Chicago will turn every turnover into a layup.
I see a big game from the Chicago shooters and expect the chicago stadium to be insane- we believe-esque. I see an early lead ballooned to a blowout, but if I'm wrong I can still see a close game that they pull out. Even considering the +175 series price on them although I probably won't pull the trigger I would suggest it
 
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