2024 NBA Season

[freedomgo]

It was more or less clear that we would see a more resilient Warriors in game two as the Lakers took the home advantage after the first game they played very well. It was important for the Lakers to get a game, they did it. The second match could have been sacrificed. Now winning their home matches will be enough for them to pass the round. Anthony Davis was great in the first game, but he was like a ghost in the second game. LeBron also played very little in the second half when the gap widened. The bench contribution of players such as Hachimura and Walker is important. The Lakers should score more from the bench. If it's all up to the Davis, LeBron, Russell trio, it's tough. Every player has to contribute to the team. I would love to see the Lakers against the Nuggets in the Conference Finals. They have to win 3 more games and it will not be easy. They must defend in a way that breaks the Warriors' 3-point game plan.

We'll see if GSW can steal at least 1 in the next 2 games in LA. GSW had a bad winning record outside of their home but they must do it, it is the playoffs anyways and the team has too much experience in situations like this.

The Lakers however are capable of winning this series after bringing some players just before the trade deadline. The odds of this series remain in favor of GSW although it is close. AD needs to become consistent like Bron if it wants to win games. I am not really sold on to D'Lo, the guy is inconsistent as always over the years. The Lakers though have the depth now but they need to perform.

That will be a tough challenge for the Warriors and even them surely know that it will not be an easy task to do because the Lakers are more harder to penetrate when they are playing at home, just like the Warriors have the advantage whenever they are playing on their own home court in Chase Center. But the Warriors should try their best to even their standing because the Lakers managed to snatch one win on their home.

And for the Lakers, everybody around LeBron needed to step up their game if they wanted to defeat the roster of the Warriors namely Schroder, D'Lo, Reaves and AD. Thus, LeBron surely have something to share with the team because he already faced the Warriors many times during the playoffs and maybe their roster can pick up some lessons from LeBron to increase their chances.

[Baofeng]

It was more or less clear that we would see a more resilient Warriors in game two as the Lakers took the home advantage after the first game they played very well. It was important for the Lakers to get a game, they did it. The second match could have been sacrificed. Now winning their home matches will be enough for them to pass the round. Anthony Davis was great in the first game, but he was like a ghost in the second game. LeBron also played very little in the second half when the gap widened. The bench contribution of players such as Hachimura and Walker is important. The Lakers should score more from the bench. If it's all up to the Davis, LeBron, Russell trio, it's tough. Every player has to contribute to the team. I would love to see the Lakers against the Nuggets in the Conference Finals. They have to win 3 more games and it will not be easy. They must defend in a way that breaks the Warriors' 3-point game plan.

We'll see if GSW can steal at least 1 in the next 2 games in LA. GSW had a bad winning record outside of their home but they must do it, it is the playoffs anyways and the team has too much experience in situations like this.

Yeah, that could be the argument against the Warriors in game 3, the Lakers steal one game home for them, they should return the favor, but can they do it? But if we look at their series against the Kings, yeah, possible for the Warriors specially with their experience to steal one game and get back that one game they lost.

The Lakers however are capable of winning this series after bringing some players just before the trade deadline. The odds of this series remain in favor of GSW although it is close. AD needs to become consistent like Bron if it wants to win games. I am not really sold on to D'Lo, the guy is inconsistent as always over the years. The Lakers though have the depth now but they need to perform.

I agree with the D'Lo observation, inconsistent with his contribution to the team, although the Lakers is obviously improved as they make a lot of trades to acquire players, they still lack the experience, Reaves, Vando, Rui hasn't been in this kind of situation before. Beasley time was diminished. So still up to Bron and AD to become the offense for this team. Specially Lebron, he is just contend of passing the ball and distribute. He needs to at least score 30+ in order for the Lakers to have a good chance to win this series.

[jakelyson]

What a turn around for both the Lakers and GSW in game 2. The Warriors just completely destroyed Lakers' defense. What's even interesting is that it does not involved Kevon Looney that much, GSW played small ball, quick plays, and very efficient in the 3rd.
AD also had a huge turnaround from game 1 with his poor performance today.
Overall poor performance for the Lakers in game 2, despite of the hot start from LeBron and Hachimura.
Let's see if they can bounce back from this blowout in their 2 game home stand.

Lebron James' face was so frustrated with what is happening in that game, they pretty much got the Warriors in the 1st game so why did they not get that momentum that they need, I really think the Golden State Warriors have adjusted very great and they play more JaMychal Green than Kevon Looney, I think Coach Kerr is doing something and experimenting with this Warriors squad right now, and I think it is effective but anyway on to game 3 and we all know the home court is now for the Lakers,

When you take away the very cheap free throws the Lakers get and Anthony Davis and Lebron blatant fouls being called as legal blocks, they are barely as good as the Houston Rockets were this season, 29-6 free throws attempt as seen in game one is more than enough to decide any NBA playoff game, and if you take just 10 free throws from game 1, the Lakers would 2 - 0 right now.

I like the changes that were by Steve Kerr, what the Warriors need in this series is just one big at a time that can shoot more than 50% midrange attempts and that's not Kevon Looney, and they proper care of the ball like they did today, and for God's sake Jordan Poole should be the last rotation option, or at least should never play point guard position again for this playoffs, he is the biggest loophole in the Warriors 2nd unit roster.

Jordan Poole still needs experience with the play-offs I think Steve Kerr is giving him that opportunity and this is for the future of the Warriors, we all know that Jordan Poole is here to stay, and right now is the right time for him to acquire even the slightest possible experience in making games on the play-offs, not like with the main Rooster that has gained quite an experience with the many play-offs that the Warriors have been played, but I am not defending Jordan Poole on his mistake he should learn by now, but I think he got a bigger shoe to fill, and I think seeing the 50 points play of Curry he must have been saying to himself that he still has a lot to do,

Davis was really inconsistent. After scoring 30 points in game 1, he only scored 11 points in game 2 with 7 rebounds and had the most turnovers on the team. It was a bad game for Davis, and as a result, the Warriors dominated the Lakers to tie the series.

Yes, and I don't know if the Warriors have stopped him because they really don't try, that is why Davis is really inconsistent with his play, so right now the Warriors should look for those signs if Davis could fire up like that again they need to put the fire out,

[OgNasty]

I feel like we’re going to see Philadelphia continue to struggle against the Sixers. We’ve got about an hour until tip-off but I’m expecting to see a Boston victory. The second game between the Nuggets and the Suns will be interesting, as it is a must win game for Phoenix. With their season on the line tonight (3-0 would be a death knell) I think we might see them come out victorious, but I think they’re going to lose this series.

[Yaunfitda]

I feel like we’re going to see Philadelphia continue to struggle against the Sixers. We’ve got about an hour until tip-off but I’m expecting to see a Boston victory. The second game between the Nuggets and the Suns will be interesting, as it is a must win game for Phoenix. With their season on the line tonight (3-0 would be a death knell) I think we might see them come out victorious, but I think they’re going to lose this series.

You got it mate, Philly specially Harden did struggle in this game, while the Celtics was hot early on three's and they keep the momentum throughout the game even though Sixers manage to cut the lead in the last 5 minutes of the game.

So Harden just decided to be the passer, and then Celtics double and triple team Joel Embiid every time he got the ball. They even play small most of the game, and sometimes it will be Tatum or Jaylen Brown guarding Joel. But in the other end, if they are on the defense, those two are just going one on one against Embiid and taking advantage of their quickness to score against the big man.

[Fundamentals Of]

I feel like we’re going to see Philadelphia continue to struggle against the Sixers. We’ve got about an hour until tip-off but I’m expecting to see a Boston victory. The second game between the Nuggets and the Suns will be interesting, as it is a must win game for Phoenix. With their season on the line tonight (3-0 would be a death knell) I think we might see them come out victorious, but I think they’re going to lose this series.

Philadelphia won't be struggling against the Sixers. It's their team! Lol! But they sure are struggling hard against the Celtics. Tatum came out very lively and aggressive today. And if they were able to win dominantly in game 2 without him producing much points, they will surely win and overcome the home court advantage of Philadelphia this time when he's feeling very good.

So far the 1st quarter of Nuggets and Suns is indeed interesting. What a game! I also believe this is Suns' game. Booker will do what it takes for the team to avoid a death knell, that notwithstanding the possibility that Durant might not produce much output.

[OgNasty]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

[danherbias07]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

Booker asked, "When was the last time someone ended the game with 45 points and didn't have any free throws?" But he was fouled at the last seconds of the game so he made 2 free throws and 47 points.
A great display of skills from both Kevin Durant and the Suns' franchise face Devin Booker. Now that they recognized the weakness of the Nuggets they must continue what they are doing. Attack the paint, and don't settle for perimeters or three-point shots because Denver Nuggets doesn't have a shot blocker.
I want to see what Coach Malone has in his playbook that counters this, their defense was poor but their offense was great, he needs to put it in balance. I bet he wants to steal one game on the Phoenix turf and put this series to 3-1 immediately.

Good win for the Phoenix Suns without Chris Paul.

[Wapfika]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

As usual since Suns team always give the possession to the duo. KD field goal percentage is terrible but it was compensated by 80% field goal percentage by Booker. This game is indeed very solid for Suns but Denver clearly can overturn the result if Murray is not out of gas. He missed a lot of shot on the crucial times even if he has a lot of space. Murray should improved his stamina because he is the key for Denver to close this game.

If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

Jokic and Murray is not on their best performance tonight. Suns have a chance if the Nuggets duo will perform same but I doubt the result will be the same.

[ajanwalker]

Phoenix managed to defeat Denver 121-114 this time. The biggest contribution to this score was Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Kevin had 39 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while Devin had 47 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, and they were the architects of the victory. The next match will be in Footprint Center 2 days later.

Phoenix could make the series 2-2, but Denver still has the field advantage. Kevin and Devin need to continue their performance for the next round.

[Johnyz]

Phoenix managed to defeat Denver 121-114 this time. The biggest contribution to this score was Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Kevin had 39 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while Devin had 47 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, and they were the architects of the victory. The next match will be in Footprint Center 2 days later.

Phoenix could make the series 2-2, but Denver still has the field advantage. Kevin and Devin need to continue their performance for the next round.

They can beat Denver, and if Durant will continue to dominate the field with a help of Booker, then it could be more dangerous for Denver to be complacent.
Looking for more highlights with Durant, as he is still one of the best player in the league. There's still a lot of work for Phoenix, and this is a good start.
The western conference are getting more exciting, looking forward for the next game with GSW and LAKERS, it will be a home court advantage for Lakers and hope they can maximize it.

[Harkorede]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

It got really close at some point for the Nuggets today, but my strongest opinion on the game is that the absence of Chris Paul made The Suns less predictable with Paul doing less of the ball handling, so it made Kevin Durant and Devin Booker chemistry more prominent, and they were able to dictate the game's momentum and make every one around them better individually too.

[Oasisman]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

I think all they need to have is a little momentum, without CP3 this is going to be a tough series for them. If the Suns could even this series up, I think they'll have a better chance to win this series. Durant and Booker just need to be consistent every game. However, if the Nuggets would take a commanding 3-1 lead, I'm afraid there will never be a comeback that we expect from the Suns.
The Nuggets have really became a more stronger and mature team, with all those failures they have from the last couple or more playoffs run they finally became a legitimate Finals contender. The GSW or the Lakers will have a hard time betting this Nuggets team for sure.

[Dave1]

Phoenix managed to defeat Denver 121-114 this time. The biggest contribution to this score was Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Kevin had 39 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while Devin had 47 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, and they were the architects of the victory. The next match will be in Footprint Center 2 days later.

Phoenix could make the series 2-2, but Denver still has the field advantage. Kevin and Devin need to continue their performance for the next round.

I like how Devin Booker and Kevin Durant response in this game, their back is against the wall and just like other elite players, playing at home they need to provide and give it all to get that win.

So far we have seen great performances from superstars like Steph Curry, Harden and now Durant and Booker and lest we forget Jimmy Butler (but he is still injured).

So yeah, going to be exciting game 4, Phoenix still need to win this one to even up the series.

[jeraldskie11]

Davis was really inconsistent. After scoring 30 points in game 1, he only scored 11 points in game 2 with 7 rebounds and had the most turnovers on the team. It was a bad game for Davis, and as a result, the Warriors dominated the Lakers to tie the series.

That's exactly what I was talking about after his good performance in the first game. As we can see, Davis systematically alternates between bad and good performances, and the Lakers seem like a weak team when Davis is having a bad day. By the way, the Lakers were able to avoid problems in the first round against the Grizzlies, even though Davis also had a couple of bad performances. However, the Warriors clearly have more experience than the Grizzlies, and they probably won't miss an opportunity to take advantage of the Lakers' weakness.

We should give credit to Draymond's defense on AD without getting into foul trouble, there were one instance in the 3rd wherein Davis was doing some isolation but Draymond held his ground and even go for a steal, it's reminiscent of him doing that to Jokic as well.

And then the Warriors doing the adjustment, Vando still putting a lot of pressure on Steph and didn't want to switch and just follow Steph. So what Curry did is to pass the ball that's why he had 12 assists. And Klay finding his rhythm and then we have another role player in JaMychal Green putting in numbers with 15 points.

The Golden State Warriors (GSW) are really dangerous when Klay Thompson is hot since we know he is a streaky shooter. He was remarkable in that game, going 8-11 from the 3-point line. That's very impressive, but it's a normal day in the office for Klay. Actually, overall, the Lakers only shot 10-34 from 3PM-A compared to the Warriors' 21-42. They didn't shoot as much in this game and had a combination of outside and inside attacks, compared to Game 1 where they attempted a big 53 shots.

Also, the free throw attempts were close in this game compared to Game 1 where the Lakers dominated.

The adjustment that coach Kerr did well as they dominated the game after the first quarter, that shooting hands of Klay and
the aggressiveness of each player inside the court, everyone really wanted to share.

I like that kind of rotations not just for the scoring but more on doing your job stopping your opponents to gain the confidence and start rallying back.

Game 2 was fully dominated by GSW as we seen that Lakers already gave up in the early 4th quarter.

They were so focused on defending Curry that's why they lost. They double team or triple team Curry so that he can't shoot but since Curry is smart, he takes it as advantage. He attracts the enemy to double team him so that his teammates can be free. That's why Thompson has so many points. I've seen them double team Curry a lot, but Curry always passes to green and then makes an easy basket. That's what I saw winning GSW earlier in Game 2.

Yes, that's one of the few reasons why the Warriors succeeded in Game 2.

The Lakers are too busy guarding Steph Curry because they know that the Chef will be cooking hefty points again after the loss they had experienced recently in their own homecourt but they forgot the fact that the Warriors have two power shooter on the floor, and that's Klay Thompson, the other half of Steph, which is why they are called Splash Brothers.

Apart from that, Steve Kerr made sure that they will rectify their mistakes in Game 1 and will be a lot smarter this time to adjust in every gameplay that the Lakers are trying to do.

Yes, Stever Kerr also helped a lot in the victory in Game 2. He is very calm and thinks straight even though the game is very crucial. He trusts Curry a lot because we can see that Steve Kerr let Curry do what he wants to do on the court as we can see that the ball is not rotated by the member of the team. We can't blame Curry on that because he also proved that he can score against the opponent and it result winning on game 2.

So now in Game 3, let's see what the Lakers plan to defeat GSW.

[btc_angela]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

Good to see that getting Durant is coming into fruition specially in this game, they needed a win and the duo make sure everything will be on their side. Specially Devin Booker, he has been crazy in this playoff even in the first round.

But this is the first time that we have seen him like playing MVP and doesn't want to exit early against the top seed Nuggets. Although they have a good lead early, the Nuggets was able to close down but the good thing is that they have Durant to help Devin on the offensive side.

[Viscore]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

Good to see that getting Durant is coming into fruition specially in this game, they needed a win and the duo make sure everything will be on their side. Specially Devin Booker, he has been crazy in this playoff even in the first round.

But this is the first time that we have seen him like playing MVP and doesn't want to exit early against the top seed Nuggets. Although they have a good lead early, the Nuggets was able to close down but the good thing is that they have Durant to help Devin on the offensive side.

They did just enough to win, but honestly, I doubt they'll be able to keep winning with their strategy. They aren't spreading the points very well and are relying on a two-man game where it's always Durant and Booker. It's not quite impressive, because if you look at the stats in terms of points in the roster, no players scored in double digits except for Durant and Booker. In my opinion, they won't be able to survive this series, and I predict the Nuggets will win in five games.

[Velvet78]

It is so entertaining to watch Kevin Durant at Suns right now. He is like he can play solid for any team he goes to. I thought that it would be really good for him if he signed for Suns and we are watching great performances from him. In his last game he scored 39 points and they put on a great show with Booker (47 pts) together. I don't think Nuggets will eliminate them even though they are 2-1 ahead in the series now.

I would like to watch a Golden State Warriors - Phoenix Suns series in the semi finals as well. It would be like a finale series in NBA.

[Distinctin]

It is so entertaining to watch Kevin Durant at Suns right now. He is like he can play solid for any team he goes to. I thought that it would be really good for him if he signed for Suns and we are watching great performances from him. In his last game he scored 39 points and they put on a great show with Booker (47 pts) together. I don't think Nuggets will eliminate them even though they are 2-1 ahead in the series now.

They had a great game when they needed to win because if they lost, their series would likely be over. Durant is a superstar, and I feel that he and Booker have great chemistry, as I haven't seen Booker this productive in a playoff series before. CP3 was unable to play, but I think that absence helped their rotation.

I would like to watch a Golden State Warriors - Phoenix Suns series in the semi finals as well. It would be like a finale series in NBA.

I would also like to see that series, but it's too early to predict as both teams' opponents have a big chance to win as well.

[LogitechMouse]

Booker went crazy tonight for the Suns. Him and Durant both put up big numbers but his efficiency stands out as what made the difference in this game. I figured the Suns would bring it tonight. This win gives them a little life as the series is now 2-1 with the nuggets still in the lead. If the Suns can win the next one then they’ll have some hope after all.

It's good that the bench of the Suns at least helped them in this win. I mean in Game 2, their bench players only scored 4 points. Their benches played a total of 70 minutes at that time, and they only scored 4 points. At least in Game 3, and a must win for them, Coach Monty Williams made some adjustments, thus getting the victory.

The question is, how much can Booker and Durant can play all throughout the whole playoffs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the whole playoffs, both of them played more or less 40 minutes per game. I don't think that this is a good idea from their coach because in the later series (if they win against Denver), they will be facing tougher opponents. The bench need to step up more in terms of offense.

As for Jokic, he made history in this game as he's the first player in NBA history to record 25+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists in an NBA playoff game. It's a good achievement for him, but for sure he doesn't care about it as he focuses more on the title than these kind of records. Now for the whole series, if they will win again in Game 4, it will be a best of 3 series, and my sentiments towards the Suns will change. I might watch the whole game to see if the bench of the Suns stepped up.