2024 NBA Season

[stadus]

Knicks!!

Just going to say this, jalen brunsen can't be covered in this series.  The only way clevland can cover him is with this double.  He will bully Garland and Mitchell all series long.  Then they threw osman on him lol.  Guaranteed they double him next game.  Knicks will be dependent on the 2nd 3rd and 4th guys hitting open shots.  No way they let JB cook them all series long.  Gonna be a good one.

Knicks! Indeed!  They are all over the trend today. They are also the only upset that happened today when we talk about homecourt advantage basis.

I love the game in Sacramento though. Light the Beam!
De'Aaron Fox playoff debut with an awesome 38 points. I love his humble answers during the post-game interview. He always gives credit to the Kings' bench saying they helped ignite the fire that gave them a run and contributed to winning the game against the defending champion Warriors.
It's their offensive rebounding and 2nd chance points that made the difference. 17 offensive rebounds for them against 9 of the Warriors. The reason why Coach Kerr put Kuminga in the 4th quarter but it didn't help much.
The Kings would need to keep this kind of pace if they want to win the next game on their turf.

The game is very close though, if Wiggins just hit that corner 3, the complexion of the game could have been different as the Warriors will have the lead by that time. But let's give credit to the Kings, Monk and Fox combine for 71 big points for them. Monk started hot and then Fox takes over in the 3rd quarter and he is the one who get them into the game after trailing the Warriors. So this series is going to be tight, but the Warriors are still very much in the game, as you can see in the post game interview, Curry looks relax.

Yep, that was close. The Warriors almost defeated Kings on the road but the latter gave their fans a good entertaining match where they are the ones who will win at the end of the day, kudos for the Kings though because they didn't let their own crowd to be disappointed and have a defeat on their 1st game in the playoffs after a long dry years without participating in the post season.

Road game again for the Warriors in the Game 2, right? This should be interesting because the Warriors now know what to do or at least they've got a better understanding how the Kings are moving inside the court.

[LogitechMouse]

Very intense game today in play-offs with Grizzlies taking on Lakers and this game could go either way even if the bookies are currently giving Grizzlies as favorites. I'm saying this because Lakers in play-offs are really a different team and they should never be underestimated, especially when they have a fully recovered LeBron who looks kinda hungry for performance in this end of the overall season.

The Lakers outscored them 30-11 in the final 8 minutes of the game, and that 15-0 run to end the game lead them to steal Game 1 on the road.

This is the first time that the Lakers got 4 players who got 20+ points in a single game since the 80's, and if you're playing that way, there's no way you can lose. Hachimura and Reaves combined for 52 points while their all-star players AD and Lebron scored 22 and 21 points.

On the other hand, Jackson Jr. lead the Grizzlies with 31 points, but that wasn't enough for the to get the win. The game was really a close one until Reaves scored 7 on the Lakers' 15 final points to secure the victory. He really is a good addition to the team, and he deserves a better contract IMO. I just hope that Morant's ok though because he got an awkward fall when he drove inside, and injured his right hand.

Game 1 between Milwaukee and Miami is starting already. Some NBA playoff games are too early for some here in our country that we need to wake up early in the morning just to watch them.

[inthelongrun]

Very intense game today in play-offs with Grizzlies taking on Lakers and this game could go either way even if the bookies are currently giving Grizzlies as favorites. I'm saying this because Lakers in play-offs are really a different team and they should never be underestimated, especially when they have a fully recovered LeBron who looks kinda hungry for performance in this end of the overall season.

The Lakers outscored them 30-11 in the final 8 minutes of the game, and that 15-0 run to end the game lead them to steal Game 1 on the road.

This is the first time that the Lakers got 4 players who got 20+ points in a single game since the 80's, and if you're playing that way, there's no way you can lose. Hachimura and Reaves combined for 52 points while their all-star players AD and Lebron scored 22 and 21 points.

On the other hand, Jackson Jr. lead the Grizzlies with 31 points, but that wasn't enough for the to get the win. The game was really a close one until Reaves scored 7 on the Lakers' 15 final points to secure the victory. He really is a good addition to the team, and he deserves a better contract IMO. I just hope that Morant's ok though because he got an awkward fall when he drove inside, and injured his right hand.

What a shame. I thought Memphis will come out blazing in the 4th quarter after losing the previous quarter. The Lakers are really difficult to beat when healthy, Bron and AD are well-experienced playoff players and the rest of the team can gain knowledge and confidence. They really showed efficiency although I am not calling the offensive efficiency of Memphis bad either they really need to do better defensively if they want to beat the Lakers in this series.

I am not feeling good about Ja's injury. But I am also hoping that it is not that serious although reports mentioned that he was already playing with an injury in that same hand so it might really turn worse.

Game 1 between Milwaukee and Miami is starting already. Some NBA playoff games are too early for some here in our country that we need to wake up early in the morning just to watch them.

I want Miami to also pull an upset although this is more difficult to achieve knowing Milwaukee's consistency over the years. So far Tyler Herro is starting hot and hopefully, it will continue in the rest of the game since I expect Adebayo to limit if offense once again as he will be more focused on Giannis.

[jakelyson]

Fun fact : Bulls have 1.7% chance for NR1 pick ...and it's the same percentage when they got Derrick Rose   ( a fan like myself can hope )

Very intense game today in play-offs with Grizzlies taking on Lakers and this game could go either way even if the bookies are currently giving Grizzlies as favorites. I'm saying this because Lakers in play-offs are really a different team and they should never be underestimated, especially when they have a fully recovered LeBron who looks kinda hungry for performance in this end of the overall season.

It was a close game until Ja Morant injured his right hand. That is a big injury. The Grizzlies are already missing the service of their big Steve Adams and forward Brandon Clarke. And now Ja Morant is injured. They have time to heal this injury but it will surely affect his shooting. The Lakers are getting lucky with their match ups.

Yep, that was close. The Warriors almost defeated Kings on the road but the latter gave their fans a good entertaining match where they are the ones who will win at the end of the day, kudos for the Kings though because they didn't let their own crowd to be disappointed and have a defeat on their 1st game in the playoffs after a long dry years without participating in the post season.

Road game again for the Warriors in the Game 2, right? This should be interesting because the Warriors now know what to do or at least they've got a better understanding how the Kings are moving inside the court.

They need to steal at least 1 road game from the Kings if they want to emerge from the first round. It is easy to say the Warriors know what to do but these Kings are very persistent and aggressive. They are young and hungry. Let's see on game two how the Warriors will deal with them.

[danherbias07]

A big problem for the Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo out for the rest of the game.
Lower back contusion. During the 1st quarter, he fell with his back hitting the floor first after a lay up.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1647725735120113664?s=20

Miami Heat also had one of their offensive player injured. Tyler Herro. I don't think he will be back too, that finger might be broken from the way he is struggling.
Now, Miami Heat has a 14-point lead and the 4th quarter will be starting. Jimmy Butler leading the way for the Miami Heat to snatch this one win at the Bucks' home.
Playoffs. This is where we will see injuries as the game gets more intense.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

^^ Yeah, same with the Grizzlies game, it was very close until Ja Morant went out and it changes the game for them. Of course, we will give credit to the Lakers for taking the game 1 at Memphis, Hachimura can't missed on the 3 point line.

And then what can we say? Reaves is quiet the first two quarters even missing a easy shot in the first quarter which he usually make. But in the 4th he takes over the game and the Lakers fan love him.

So there are two upsets tonight, Lakers over Memphis and then the Heat taking advantage of Giannis winning this one.

[vennali]

Surprising to see both the away teams coming up with the wins tonight. Lakers beat Grizzlies on the road (what happened to Ja?, he seemed like a superstar that could score at will but has been sub par for a while now). Miami getting a W at the Bucks home. Giannis left the game early with potential injury but has now been cleared after x-ray. He should be playing game 2. Clippers are currently leading by 1 at Sun's home. Kawahi playing well. Could it be 3rd road team win of the day?

[Oasisman]

What a round 1 in the West today. 3 Underdog teams WON against the top teams with a huge margin, except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.
Jimmy just toast the Giannis-less Bucks together with the whole Heat squad. While the Lakers put on a team effort to take a 15-0 run late in the 4th to secure the W in game 1. Not to mention, Rui and Reaves' incredible performances. Now, the Memphis are really in trouble as Morant's status in game 2 is questionable. IMO, if they lose 0-2 with their homecourt, the Memphis will either get swept or absolutely gonna lose the series, there will be no coming back for them based on the performances we've seen in game 1 for the both teams.

[LogitechMouse]

except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.

Westbrook had an awful night TBH. 9 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists with 3/19 shooting? I mean if the Clippers on that one, he might be the one who will receives criticisms again because of how awful his stats are. On the other hand, his 2 clutch free throws to extend their lead to 3, and his defensive block plus him bouncing the ball to Booker's foot to send the ball back to them is his highlights.

The battle between Leonard and Durant has been pretty solid. They've been defending each other most of the time when they're both in the court. Kawhi ended the game with 38 points while Durant got almost a triple-double 27 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists. It's the best game I've watched so far on the 3 games that has finished because until the final minute of the game, you don't know who will win.

Jimmy just toast the Giannis-less Bucks together with the whole Heat squad.

The Heat are the lowest in terms of points per game in the regular season with 109.5, and you allowed them to scored 130 points?

This just shows how impacting Giannis' absence is to his team. Yes they got Lopez and Portis to defend the paint, but still it will be a different outcome if Giannis just played the whole game. Unfortunately, injuries do happen, and on this game, one key player on each team got injured. Herro got an injury in his hand I think, and Giannis on his lower back. Anyway, Playoff Butler is back again, and he opened the series with 35 points, and 11 assists. Middleton, and Holiday on the other hand tried to carry their team having 33 points for Middleton, and 16 points and 16 assists for Holiday. Let's give credits to Portis as well as he scored 21 points off the bench.
We are just at the start of the playoffs, and we already key players on different teams that's already injured.
Herro on his hand, Giannis on his back, Morant on his hand as well, and PG13 on his knee. I hope that all of them will recover soon, and no more key players will get injured (though it's inevitable).

[AHOYBRAUSE]

That's why we love the NBA, everything can happen at any given time.

Now ( with 1 game still running ) 4 of 7 underdogs stole home court advantage, and GSW were certainly close to do the same. Yet everybody knows GSW aren't really a dog in this matchup .

Curious to see how the losing teams will respond in game 2. If you lose the first at home the pressure is definitely there, lose the next one and your chances to go to the second round lower dramatically.

Needless to say that often enough we have seen the home team lose game one and then win the series 4:1 .

Just checked some statistics and found this:

"Of all best-of-seven series in NBA playoff history through 2021, the winner of Game 1 went on to win the series 75.6% of the time (433-140)"

Though if the away team wins game one: "Teams that stole the first game of a series on the road won their series 51.3% of the time (81-77). "


Teams that started out a best-of-seven series with a 2-0 lead won the series 92.4% of the time (302-25).

The pressure will get real.

[Japinat]

^^ Yeah, same with the Grizzlies game, it was very close until Ja Morant went out and it changes the game for them. Of course, we will give credit to the Lakers for taking the game 1 at Memphis, Hachimura can't missed on the 3 point line.

And then what can we say? Reaves is quiet the first two quarters even missing a easy shot in the first quarter which he usually make. But in the 4th he takes over the game and the Lakers fan love him.

So there are two upsets tonight, Lakers over Memphis and then the Heat taking advantage of Giannis winning this one.

Yes, even if the Los Angeles Lakers had a much easier way in the fourth quarter because of Ja Morant's hand injury, we can't discredit Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura's presence in the court because they were a vital key and the main reasons why the Lakers owned the 1st game vs the Memphis Grizzlies. Well, AD and LeBron was good as expected but the key players was the highlight in this game.

That makes 3 upsets, Lakers defeated Grizzlies, Heat defeating the Bucks, and there are the Clippers who defeated the Suns as well.

[Yaunfitda]

What a round 1 in the West today. 3 Underdog teams WON against the top teams with a huge margin, except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.
Jimmy just toast the Giannis-less Bucks together with the whole Heat squad. While the Lakers put on a team effort to take a 15-0 run late in the 4th to secure the W in game 1. Not to mention, Rui and Reaves' incredible performances. Now, the Memphis are really in trouble as Morant's status in game 2 is questionable. IMO, if they lose 0-2 with their homecourt, the Memphis will either get swept or absolutely gonna lose the series, there will be no coming back for them based on the performances we've seen in game 1 for the both teams.

Yes, but as you have said, both team doesn't have their superstars in Giannis and Ja Morant. So Heat and Lakers take advantage of that. It will be a shame if the teams lost to those without their superstars in the lineup.

And with this win, it makes this first round very exciting. Also in the Suns vs Clippers we still have WB vs Durant and then maybe him and Booker as well as too are both trash talkers. It's just 1 game though, a lot can still happen, at least there will be no sweep in their series.

[jakelyson]

Surprising to see both the away teams coming up with the wins tonight. Lakers beat Grizzlies on the road (what happened to Ja?, he seemed like a superstar that could score at will but has been sub par for a while now). Miami getting a W at the Bucks home. Giannis left the game early with potential injury but has now been cleared after x-ray. He should be playing game 2. Clippers are currently leading by 1 at Sun's home. Kawahi playing well. Could it be 3rd road team win of the day?

It is a night of upset apparently. Most of the underdogs won their game tonight except for the Timberwolves. Two because of injured star players (Morant and Giannis) and one because of pure hassle. Hopefully, Giannis and Ja will be back to their respective series on game 2.

except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.

Westbrook had an awful night TBH. 9 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists with 3/19 shooting? I mean if the Clippers on that one, he might be the one who will receives criticisms again because of how awful his stats are. On the other hand, his 2 clutch free throws to extend their lead to 3, and his defensive block plus him bouncing the ball to Booker's foot to send the ball back to them is his highlights.

The battle between Leonard and Durant has been pretty solid. They've been defending each other most of the time when they're both in the court. Kawhi ended the game with 38 points while Durant got almost a triple-double 27 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists. It's the best game I've watched so far on the 3 games that has finished because until the final minute of the game, you don't know who will win.

If you did not watch the game and just based everything on stats, then you will say that WB is playing badly. Those intangibles that WB is doing cannot be recorded on stat sheets, unfortunately.

[S A KHAIR]

^^ Yeah, same with the Grizzlies game, it was very close until Ja Morant went out and it changes the game for them. Of course, we will give credit to the Lakers for taking the game 1 at Memphis, Hachimura can't missed on the 3 point line.
And then what can we say? Reaves is quiet the first two quarters even missing a easy shot in the first quarter which he usually make. But in the 4th he takes over the game and the Lakers fan love him.
So there are two upsets tonight, Lakers over Memphis and then the Heat taking advantage of Giannis winning this one.

Yes, even if the Los Angeles Lakers had a much easier way in the fourth quarter because of Ja Morant's hand injury, we can't discredit Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura's presence in the court because they were a vital key and the main reasons why the Lakers owned the 1st game vs the Memphis Grizzlies. Well, AD and LeBron was good as expected but the key players was the highlight in this game.
That makes 3 upsets, Lakers defeated Grizzlies, Heat defeating the Bucks, and there are the Clippers who defeated the Suns as well.

The first game of the playoffs in round one, and the Lakers had a very good game. The second half of the game, I mean the last 2 quarters were actually very great for the Lakers. They had performed really well. I can also say that the Lakers performed as a team. Different players had very important contributions to the team in this game for the Lakers.

[Reid]

I just heard today during the Nuggets versus Timberwolves game that "Nikola Jokic may not receive the MVP but he will still be an MVP caliber."
What does that mean? Does the commentator ever thought about how it could affect the voting system just because of what he said?
Why don't they say that to Embiid too? He is the one on the second spot and his team is on the 3rd seed during the season while the Denver Nuggets are the cherry of the Western Conference.
It looks like they don't want the Joker to be aligned with the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson even though it's obvious he plays like them. It's not every day a basketball genius will be born, it's just right to give him the proper awards.

[carlisle1]

What a round 1 in the West today. 3 Underdog teams WON against the top teams with a huge margin, except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.
Jimmy just toast the Giannis-less Bucks together with the whole Heat squad. While the Lakers put on a team effort to take a 15-0 run late in the 4th to secure the W in game 1. Not to mention, Rui and Reaves' incredible performances. Now, the Memphis are really in trouble as Morant's status in game 2 is questionable. IMO, if they lose 0-2 with their homecourt, the Memphis will either get swept or absolutely gonna lose the series, there will be no coming back for them based on the performances we've seen in game 1 for the both teams.

Yes, but as you have said, both team doesn't have their superstars in Giannis and Ja Morant. So Heat and Lakers take advantage of that. It will be a shame if the teams lost to those without their superstars in the lineup.

And with this win, it makes this first round very exciting. Also in the Suns vs Clippers we still have WB vs Durant and then maybe him and Booker as well as too are both trash talkers. It's just 1 game though, a lot can still happen, at least there will be no sweep in their series.

Both Lakers and Heat take that advantage to win the game, for sure whoever in that position will take that and will not let
that opportunity to pass.

It's exciting since visiting teams win over the home team a good sign that we may see more games in between those teams.

Will add more entertainment for the fans if by chance each series will extend to the final do-or-die game.

[Maslate]

Miami Heat literally proved to me again that they are not that easy to defeat especially in the intense games because they've got more exposure and experience compared to the Chicago Bulls. I totally forgot that they were the ones who battled the Celtics in the conference finals last season, anyway, I was just hoping that it will be a different outcome because the Heat wasn't showing any good signs in the regular season as they just barely get a seat in the play-in.

Honestly, they were not the same as the Miami Heat team who were competing in the Finals with the Lakers but since they were able to keep hold of their position and earned the spot to play in the NBA playoffs, let's see what they can do right now and yes! they can really do well and give their opponent a hard time since the key players are all healthy and can play well. I wonder if their plan will work to beat the Bucks in the first game of this series and if that happens, then the Bucks is in trouble because it will be hard to bounce back though.

Well, the Miami Heat indeed pushed their luck as they defeat the Milwaukee Bucks on their first game but I'd say that they just got lucky because Giannis wasn't able to help the team all through out the game because he was sidelined so early in the first quarter because of that scary lay-up which made him fell badly and hurt his back in the process. Which made me think that maybe the outcome will be much different if that didn't happen.

[danherbias07]

Miami Heat literally proved to me again that they are not that easy to defeat especially in the intense games because they've got more exposure and experience compared to the Chicago Bulls. I totally forgot that they were the ones who battled the Celtics in the conference finals last season, anyway, I was just hoping that it will be a different outcome because the Heat wasn't showing any good signs in the regular season as they just barely get a seat in the play-in.

Honestly, they were not the same as the Miami Heat team who were competing in the Finals with the Lakers but since they were able to keep hold of their position and earned the spot to play in the NBA playoffs, let's see what they can do right now and yes! they can really do well and give their opponent a hard time since the key players are all healthy and can play well. I wonder if their plan will work to beat the Bucks in the first game of this series and if that happens, then the Bucks is in trouble because it will be hard to bounce back though.

Well, the Miami Heat indeed pushed their luck as they defeat the Milwaukee Bucks on their first game but I'd say that they just got lucky because Giannis wasn't able to help the team all through out the game because he was sidelined so early in the first quarter because of that scary lay-up which made him fell badly and hurt his back in the process. Which made me think that maybe the outcome will be much different if that didn't happen.

It will definitely be different. Giannis is good at pulling 3 players to defend him which opens up a path for other players to help offensively.
Then, add the defense he could provide at protecting the paint which we all know is where the Miami Heat is better at with Butler and Bam Adebayo using perimeter offense.
Well, it's an accident that cannot be avoided. I swallowed the reality that I won't win my bet when I heard that he will be out for the rest of the game.
Let's just hope he can play in game 2 and that back injury is not that bad.

“There was an X-ray that was clear here,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll monitor him and see how he does, see how he wakes up, how he feels the rest of tonight and tomorrow.”

Game 2 of the series is Wednesday in Milwaukee, and the Bucks will hope the two-time MVP is feeling better by then.

“We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly what Giannis says,” Budenholzer said. “Certainly we’ve been blessed with him being resilient and quick to heal, but you’ve just got to take it day by day, see how he’s doing and see how he feels.”

https://www.nba.com/news/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-injury-game-1-vs-heat
I believe that Giannis is quick at healing his injuries, we saw worst when he bend his knees but he came back better. Now, that fall seems to be hard but they are optimistic it didn't injure him in a way that would end his playoff run.

[Yogee]

except for the Clippers who won very closely with that incredible play by WB, clutch block and a save to secure the possession and a 3 pt lead which put the Clippers into a comfortable position to win the game.

Westbrook had an awful night TBH. 9 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists with 3/19 shooting? I mean if the Clippers on that one, he might be the one who will receives criticisms again because of how awful his stats are. On the other hand, his 2 clutch free throws to extend their lead to 3, and his defensive block plus him bouncing the ball to Booker's foot to send the ball back to them is his highlights.

If you did not watch the game and just based everything on stats, then you will say that WB is playing badly. Those intangibles that WB is doing cannot be recorded on stat sheets, unfortunately.

Awful night or game usually comes from awful shooting so I can see Logitech's point there. There are no intangibles that could cover that 3 of 19 attempts when you are someone that's expected to deliver but I still give it to WB. His offensive rebound and crucial block couldn't have come at a better time. He gets a pass for all those hustles at the final minute which helped them win the game but things could have been harder on him had they lost.

I honestly didn't expect the Clippers to recover and snatch game 1. I thought the Suns were in a momentum heading into the fourth quarter and would pull away.

[mirakal]

I just heard today during the Nuggets versus Timberwolves game that "Nikola Jokic may not receive the MVP but he will still be an MVP caliber."
What does that mean? Does the commentator ever thought about how it could affect the voting system just because of what he said?
Why don't they say that to Embiid too? He is the one on the second spot and his team is on the 3rd seed during the season while the Denver Nuggets are the cherry of the Western Conference.
It looks like they don't want the Joker to be aligned with the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson even though it's obvious he plays like them. It's not every day a basketball genius will be born, it's just right to give him the proper awards.

Most certainly, that specific commentor made a mistake and wasn't informed that Nikola Jokic was able to replace the 76ers star, Joel Embiid, and restored his rightful place at the stop spot. That kind of comment can't be avoided as this might be the tightest MVP race in the history of NBA, I even believed that Joel Embiid might own that award but it's just that Jokic didn't gave up as he cannot let this moment slide to be aligned with Larry Bird for having a three consecutive season to win the MVP award.

I believe that Giannis is quick at healing his injuries, we saw worst when he bend his knees but he came back better. Now, that fall seems to be hard but they are optimistic it didn't injure him in a way that would end his playoff run.

No doubt, that fall that he just experienced might be hard to watch but knowing that his body is built different as we can obviously see, I know that he can able to return and help the team as soon as possible or as early as the Game 2 versus the Heat. By that time, I'm sure that the Heat will have a hard time especially after the fact that Tyler Herro is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.