NBA Playoffs: 1st Round

[Mori Chu]

Wow. Tonight's games were pretty interesting. Spurs are in the driver's seat. (Good.) Houston and Washington up 3-0. Wow. Thought Mavs could do better but it shows that there's a reason everybody wanted to play them.

[Bruiser]

The Spurs are just sick.



Coach Pop is just such a basketball mastermind. It's not even funny. I feel like three COTY awards do not do him justice. Sure he had TD for all these years but still - this team is playing way too good for far too long now.

Also: After hating the Spurs so much and for so long, the Heat Finals matches really made me appreciate or probably even love them. Amazing what a difference a few years can make.

Nevertheless - I hope this season ends with the Warriors beating the Cavs.

Go Playoffs!!

[Superbone]

Well, we've got ourselves a series as the Clips tied it up in SA. The was the first game I've ever seen Austin Rivers effective at the NBA level.

[Mori Chu]

Yeah, bummed out that the Spurs couldn't get it done, but the Clippers played better overall and really pulled away in the 4th. Lost opportunity for the Spurs there.

[EDC]

Did you guys see the dirty play by JR Smith? Man that was vicious. I can't imagine him not getting quite the suspension for that play.

[Mori Chu]

Yeah, that was completely inappropriate. I hate when guys pretend like they just "happened" to hit a guy when it's obvious they sized the guy up and smacked him on purpose. I hope he gets a multiple game suspension.

[Superbone]

5 games minimum.

[ShelC]

It was a physical sequence and Crowder bumped JR on their way down the lane for the rebound which is where JR retaliated. Definitely backhanded him, definitely intentional and scary moreso because of how Crowder fell backwards and twisted his leg.

But hey, that's JR. Interestingly it was two years to the day when he elbowed JTerry in the Boston series which gave Boston life. Didn't happen yesterday, but it really threw him off the rest of the playoffs. He'll definitely get a game suspension, tho it could be more with his reputation.

[Mori Chu]

And how about Kelly Olynyk trying to pull Kevin Love's arm out of its socket? People are saying they aren't sure it was intentional, but he sure does pull that arm a lot longer and harder than he needed to. Looks like there was intent to me. That is really not cool. You can pop a guy's shoulder out and give him a nagging injury for years with that kind of crap. I really hate when guys go out of their way to try to injure the opponent, and I think the punishment for it should be way more severe. To me, even if it is not 100% intentional, players shouldn't be throwing their limbs around like that without regard for the safety of the people on the court. I wish Olynyk would get a multi-game suspension for it next year and a big fine.

http://streamable.com/qtml

[carey]

I think Olynyk should get 20 games and JR Smith should miss 10. Just my opinion.

[ShelC]

Watching it again, it does look like Olynyk grabbed and locked on.

[Mori Chu]

He yanks on the arm multiple times. I think it's clear that he has the intent to injure Love. Very upsetting. ESPN is reporting that Love is likely to miss at least two weeks. The Cavs can probably get by without him for a few weeks, but if he misses much more than that or is impacted when he gets back, that could significantly affect their chances at winning the title this year. Completely unacceptable. I really hope the NBA does something about it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... on-celtics

[JCSunsfan]

Watching it again, it does look like Olynyk grabbed and locked on.

And twisted.

Did you see IT earlier in the game grabbing LeBron from behind when LeBron was inbounding the ball, and then smirking because he got away with it. That bush league type of stuff is demeaning to the game itself, even if you can get away with it. It makes real competition a mockery.

[Superbone]

Watching it again, it does look like Olynyk grabbed and locked on.

Sure but it doesn't mean he was intentionally trying to pull his arm out of the socket. Guys grapple all the time.

[JCSunsfan]

Watching it again, it does look like Olynyk grabbed and locked on.

Sure but it doesn't mean he was intentionally trying to pull his arm out of the socket. Guys grapple all the time.

He was purposely trying to foul and hold, and in frustration pulled and twisted. Actions should have consequences. Results should have consequences.

[In2ition]

I know Celtic fans, Danny Ainge, his teammates and Olynyk himself are saying that it wasn't intentional, but seriously, what would they say? I think in the heat of the moment, it was totally intentional, but he probably didn't think it was going to have the damage that it did. I really believe that he meant to hurt Love. Pulling, using your legs, wrapping on by both hands and pinning the arm under your own arm, what kind of box out was that? Of course he was trying to hurt him, and only people with a predisposition to believing prior that he would never do that, wouldn't see it.

[Superbone]

I know Celtic fans, Danny Ainge, his teammates and Olynyk himself are saying that it wasn't intentional, but seriously, what would they say? I think in the heat of the moment, it was totally intentional, but he probably didn't think it was going to have the damage that it did. I really believe that he meant to hurt Love. Pulling, using your legs, wrapping on by both hands and pinning the arm under your own arm, what kind of box out was that? Of course he was trying to hurt him, and only people with a predisposition to believing prior that he would never do that, wouldn't see it.

I totally disagree. I see that same hold constantly under the basket in NBA games.

[JCSunsfan]

Doesn't matter what he says he was trying to do or not do. The video says it all.

[In2ition]

I know Celtic fans, Danny Ainge, his teammates and Olynyk himself are saying that it wasn't intentional, but seriously, what would they say? I think in the heat of the moment, it was totally intentional, but he probably didn't think it was going to have the damage that it did. I really believe that he meant to hurt Love. Pulling, using your legs, wrapping on by both hands and pinning the arm under your own arm, what kind of box out was that? Of course he was trying to hurt him, and only people with a predisposition to believing prior that he would never do that, wouldn't see it.

I totally disagree. I see that same hold constantly under the basket in NBA games.

You think he was just pulling him away from the loose basketball and rebound so that his teammate can get the rebound? If that's the case, I can see the argument.

[Mori Chu]

I really don't agree that it was just a hold that happens tons in any NBA game. He didn't just hook Love's arm and pull. Even after the play was over, he pulls at the arm again a second time and really puts his weight into it. That kind of force is basically an injury waiting to happen. He either intended to hurt Love, or just was being so careless and didn't have any concern for whether Love got injured or not. Either way, not okay in my book.

If you think Olynyk didn't mean anything and it's no big deal, do you think JR Smith just "accidentally" punched Crowder in the face?