2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Mori Chu
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2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Post your thoughts on the various first-round series here. Or if you're watching the games live, this is the place to post your in-game thoughts.

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Split T
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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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My thoughts from yesterday:

Philly might be the best team in the East. I think they're definitely going to the Eastern conference finals and they just might go to the finals. They actually match up well with the Warriors with their long defenders(Simmons and Covington) dominant post presence (Embiid) and lots of shooting (Covington, Saric, Reddick, bellinelli, ilyasova) They won't beat the warriors this year, but that looks like a future title winner.

I mentioned this in another thread, but Jrue Holiday is really good. If he defends like last night all series, new Orleans can beat Portland. I'd love for New Orleans to find another core piece alongside Jrue and AD. They have cousins, but ideally they'd have a less ball dominant wing star like George or Klay.

The other two series that played yesterday aren't as interesting to me. I think GS and Toronto will cruise through to round 2, although Toronto struggled a bit yesterday with Washington.

Some good games today. Cavs-Pacers, jazz-thunder, bucks-celtics, should all be good. I think rockets-wolves is maybe a sweep.

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Mori Chu
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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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So today (Sun) we have the following games:

Celtics vs Bucks, Game 1
Cavs vs Pacers, Game 1
Thunder vs Jazz, Game 1
Rockets vs Timberwolves, Game 1

Some quick thoughts:

- I am increasingly thinking that the Bucks will beat the Celtics. Celts are the much better team when 100% healthy, but they're missing too much of their talent. Brad Stevens is an amazing coach, but the Bucks have by far the best player in the series (Giannis) and overall just have more talent. They're inconsistent, but I have a feeling that the Celtics will mightily struggle to score in the playoffs.

- I'm not very interested in Cavs/Pacers. I expect Cleveland to demolish Indiana. Oladipo has had an awesome season, but this is the end of the line.

- Thunder/Jazz is the most interesting game of the day. I think the Jazz will take this series. I don't think OKC has enough defense or shooting to contend with them, and I think Utah's absolutely stifling defense (best D rating in the league, I believe) will carry them here. The season records and seeds are misleading because Utah had major injuries until about a month ago or so. Down the stretch Utah has been the MUCH better team, and I think that'll show here. The real question is, if Utah spanks OKC, do they lose Paul George? (I think so.)

- Not very interested in Rockets/Wolves. Minnesota has a ton of young talent and will probably be a nasty playoff team next year or the year after, but it feels like they aren't ready yet. And they drew an awful first-round opponent, because the Rockets will score 120+ a night and run the Wolves right off the court. I think this one is a sweep or maaaaaaybe Minny wins a pride game at home, but no more than a 5-gamer.

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Split T
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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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I wouldn't write off the Pacers. I don't think LeBron loses, but that Cleveland team around him isn't good. Indy will put up a fight.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Split T wrote:I wouldn't write off the Pacers. I don't think LeBron loses, but that Cleveland team around him isn't good. Indy will put up a fight.
How, exactly? Myles Turner has been profoundly mediocre this year. Most of the rest of their roster isn't very good. Oladipo can't beat the Cavs by himself. Who is going to beat the Cavs? Lance Stephenson? Thad Young? Darren Collison? Sabonis? I don't really trust any of these guys. I do like the overall moves Indiana made to set themselves up for this season; getting Oladipo and Sabonis from OKC was masterful. And their role players are fine. But I just don't see them as a successful playoff team. We'll see.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:
Split T wrote:I wouldn't write off the Pacers. I don't think LeBron loses, but that Cleveland team around him isn't good. Indy will put up a fight.
How, exactly? Myles Turner has been profoundly mediocre this year. Most of the rest of their roster isn't very good. Oladipo can't beat the Cavs by himself. Who is going to beat the Cavs? Lance Stephenson? Thad Young? Darren Collison? Sabonis? I don't really trust any of these guys. I do like the overall moves Indiana made to set themselves up for this season; getting Oladipo and Sabonis from OKC was masterful. And their role players are fine. But I just don't see them as a successful playoff team. We'll see.
I could say the same thing about Cleveland. Do you trust George Hill? Rodney Hood? Jordan Clarkson? JR Smith? Cedi Osman? They've got LeBron and Love and that's it. They've been almost as bad defensively this year as we have. They were not good. They'll win because of LeBron, but this Cavs team is a 25 win team without LeBron.

As for Indy, oladipo is a top 10 guy this year. Darren collison was really good. He shot 46% from 3 and is just a solid player. Thad Young, Sabonis, Turner, all these guys are solid. Take out LeBron and oladipo and Indy has a much better supporting cast.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Split T wrote:
Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:
Split T wrote:I wouldn't write off the Pacers. I don't think LeBron loses, but that Cleveland team around him isn't good. Indy will put up a fight.
How, exactly? Myles Turner has been profoundly mediocre this year. Most of the rest of their roster isn't very good. Oladipo can't beat the Cavs by himself. Who is going to beat the Cavs? Lance Stephenson? Thad Young? Darren Collison? Sabonis? I don't really trust any of these guys. I do like the overall moves Indiana made to set themselves up for this season; getting Oladipo and Sabonis from OKC was masterful. And their role players are fine. But I just don't see them as a successful playoff team. We'll see.
I could say the same thing about Cleveland. Do you trust George Hill? Rodney Hood? Jordan Clarkson? JR Smith? Cedi Osman? They've got LeBron and Love and that's it. They've been almost as bad defensively this year as we have. They were not good. They'll win because of LeBron, but this Cavs team is a 25 win team without LeBron.

As for Indy, oladipo is a top 10 guy this year. Darren collison was really good. He shot 46% from 3 and is just a solid player. Thad Young, Sabonis, Turner, all these guys are solid. Take out LeBron and oladipo and Indy has a much better supporting cast.
I think all of that is fair. But I guess I just view Lebron as such a game-changer that Indy has absolutely no answer for. So maybe we're both right.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Anybody else watching Celtics/Bucks? Milwaukee's up 7-8 points most of the way. Boston having trouble scoring, hmmmm.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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And now in the second half, Boston has pulled ahead by 3, 65-62. Horford really carrying them. 12 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, and super involved at both ends of the floor.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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The fact that Milwaukee has to play Jason Terry in important minutes does not bode well. Milwaukee showing their lack of playoff experience and coaching.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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BTW, this game features beloved former Suns Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris, and Greg Monroe.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Terry Rozier with an absolutely clutch 3 to give the Celtics a 3-point lead with half a second left. Wow.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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CHRIS MIDDLETON WITH A 3 AT THE BUZZER TO TIE IT! Going to overtime. What a game!

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:Terry Rozier with an absolutely clutch 3 to give the Celtics a 3-point lead with half a second left. Wow.
I'm watching. Terrific move and shot by Rozier and terrible defense by Bledsoe.

Aaaaaaaaaand just like that Middleton hits a 3 with 0.5 seconds to go. Very bad defense by Brown as well; no sense in leaving a player so open for a shot even if the clock is almost gone.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Bledsoe with the solid 4 assist and 5 turnovers. :)

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Why did Middleton drive to the basket down 4 with seconds left?

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Milwaukee blows it in OT. Both Giannis and Bledsoe foul out.

I wouldn't be too happy if I were Boston, nor too depressed if I were Milwaukee. Boston barely pulled out an OT win on their home floor in a game where Milwaukee certainly didn't play their best. Boston had to rely on a clutch game from normally unreliable Terry Rozier to bail them out in the end. If Milwaukee keeps doing what they're doing, I still like their chances in this series. If they could pull off a split in Boston by winning Game 2, they'd be in an excellent position.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Split T looking prophetic right now. Indiana is up over Cleveland 33-14 (!!) at the end of the first quarter.

Good games today.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:Split T looking prophetic right now. Indiana is up over Cleveland 33-14 (!!) at the end of the first quarter.

Good games today.
Refs doing their best to get the Cavs back into the game.

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Re: 2018 NBA Playoffs, First Round

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In the Playoff Predictions thread, I think I picked Cleveland going all the way to the Finals. But let me be clear: I would **LOVE** it if Indiana, or for that matter Toronto or Philly or whomever, would knock Cleveland out. I really enjoy seeing Lebron fail, and I think that a first- or second-round exit would probably increase the chances that he leaves Cleveland this summer, which would make me giddy.

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