2013 NBA

[Paelos]

It wasn't close. Barring the Spurs going on a run at the end of the half, the game would have been completely out of hand.

[Threash]

If Parker is hurt this is already over.

[ghost]

The Spurs are actually playing their best with him on the bench. 

[Threash]

The Spurs are actually playing their best with him on the bench. 

Well you could say that it is because he is hurt.

[Paelos]

I think the Spurs win today. They seem to do very well when there are 3 days between sames instead of just 2. Maybe it's age, maybe it's prep, or maybe it's just weird luck. However, it seems to be a good trend that they win when they have more time.

That train stops after Game 5 though. The next 2 games are in Miami and on 2 days apiece.

[Ghambit]

Wade smells blood.  They go for the jugular tonight and the Heat win.

[Threash]

If Wade smells blood it's probably because he is bleeding from somewhere, last game was the aberration not the new normal.

[Threash]

That got ugly real fast.  If the Spurs win Green is the finals MVP.

[Paelos]

I'm not sure the Heat can really get up for a game unless they know it's all-or-nothing. When they play a good opponent, that means they lose.

They've been trading paint all series. I think it's Heat in Game 6.

[ghost]

I think that the Heat are going to destroy the Spurs tonight. 

[Paelos]

Series is over folks. Been nice while it lasted. 

[Trippy]

Grats to the Spurs!

[ghost]

It won't work now.   

[Paelos]

We saw through your clever ruse!

[01101010]

It has to go 7 games. Otherwise the NBA is over for the year and no more money will be made outside of merchandise.

[Paelos]

The ratings have been awful. The NBA might as well just cut it's losses and let the Spurs win the damn thing.

[ghost]

Which is a shame, because it has been a pretty decent series. 

[Paelos]

Which is a shame, because it has been a pretty decent series. 

In terms of the games going every other back and forth? Yes.

In terms of the play on the court, it's been extremely boring imo. With the exception of Game 1, none of these last 4 games have been remotely close. It's just trading blowouts.

[ghost]

The last game was a little closer than a blowout. 

[Paelos]

Spurs went up by 13 in the first quarter. While the Heat made a run in the third, they never led the game after the opening tip. It was closer than a blowout, but way far off from competitive.

EDIT: I'm on the Heat tonight. This goes to 7.

[ghost]

There's no way the Spurs win.  The officials will see to that. 

[Ingmar]

History isn't on Miami's side. Good Simmons article about that today.

[Paelos]

Simmons is a great writer, but he has the on-air personality of a limp noodle. He needs to stick with the written word.

[Ingmar]

I actually have no idea what he sounds like at all.

[Paelos]

I actually have no idea what he sounds like at all.

They shoved him into the ESPN NBA pregame and postgame stuff.

[HaemishM]

I love Bill Simmons' writing, but yeah, he sounds like a geek in person. He's not an on-air personality.

[Threash]

25 at halftime for Duncan, guy's trying to go out like a legend.

[Malakili]

This is a hell of a game.

[Paelos]

If that doesn't get ratings, nothing will. Best game of the series.

Also another one in the W column for me in this. Game 7, I have no idea.

[Hoax]

This is the first year I've ever given basketball an honest shake, I've had time because fuck the nhl and I've been interested because the warriors weren't dogass and I've always followed Lebron at least casually.

Any of you people who watch this shit every year are retarded. There is no sport where the refs decide more of the game based on more ridiculous and poorly written judgement call rules. The rules are apparently so bad in the nba that I've never once in the dozen or so regular season contests or these playoffs heard an announcer read them or discuss them. Yeah yeah in football there are long stoppages so we have time for that but I'm sorry they find time in hockey they should have time in the nba to cover a few of these calls. But they won't because if you actually did this sport would be revealed for the complete fucking sham it is. I don't even blame the refs I doubt its humanly possible to even come close to calling this game correctly with the naked eye at full speed the way the rules are currently set up.

The basic contact foul is written in a way that makes it akin to NFL holding rules, in a way where everything everyone does every play might be a foul. But there is no established, this kind of hold you can't get away with and this you can system in the NBA. Instead its flip a fucking coin every time down the court. The analysts don't know what's happening but they are clearly coached to not talk about it much. The players don't have a fucking clue when something will or won't be called. Neither do the coaches themselves unless they are all tremendous actors because you can tell that sometimes they really can't believe what's going on.

Its fucking stupid. I'm watching game seven because of sunk costs but I hope I'm smart enough to ignore this stupid sport in the future.

[Ghambit]

Every time Crawford refs a game you get a post like Hoax'.  Welcome to the NBA brudda.   
Tbh the 2 games prior were reffed extremely well, especially game 5.  Then Crawford steps in and boom - instant controversy.  Spurs fans are up in arms mostly because the blown calls that went against the Heat earlier in the game became blown calls late in the game against the Spurs.  Tit for tat and all that.  Really, the Heat win that game in regulation if the game is called correctly - no doubt... similar to game 1.

We'll see if the league office fines Parker for two HUGE game-changing flops also, like they did Bosh.  I'm sure they won't do that to their blessed Tony Parker though - such a nice guy.   

And if they ever decide to call the game based on actual rules then Duncan won't be allowed to wipe defenders out with moving screens in the lane like he does, EVERY GODDAMNED POSSESSION practically.  They rarely call him on it in this series, when in games past (during the regular season) I've seen him called on that all the time.  Is a moving screen is somehow magically different in the lane during a Finals?

Lastly, it really gets old watching a foul get called when a defender is merely standing there with his arms up, the offensive player initiates contact, yet the defender gets called anyways.  Yet I guess if the defender jumps straight up instead it's not a foul?  I have yet to understand those rules this year.  It's fuckstupid.

[Ingmar]

game-changing flops

How can they have been game-changing if the Spurs lost?

EDIT: Refs or not, you wonder if Duncan gets that rebound at the end of the 4th quarter if he isn't on the bench.

[Nebu]

San Antonio didn't deserve any breaks from the refs down the stretch.  They played hard, physical basketball all game and got away with a lot of close calls.  When it came to the end, they wanted calls that Miami didn't get the first 3 quarters.  It was pretty balanced and I prefer a game where the refs let the players play.  A physical team like San Antonio shouldn't cry about not getting calls after beating people up for the first 40 mins.  Utah learned this in the Malone days as well.

I did learn something watching the finals:  James is no Jordan.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.  For his size, strength, and skill level the guy didn't take the game over when he had the chance.  Too many missed shots and turnovers.  He also whines... a lot. 

I'm pulling for San Antonio in this series.  They just need to stop giving games away like they did last night.

[ghost]

Well, they only have one more shot to not give the game away.   

I'm not expecting the Spurs to win.  When the Heat exert themselves they are just so much more talented and athletic.  I suspect the next game won't even be close. 

[Bunk]

Didn't watch the game, but hearing about it this morning on the radio. Apparently large swaths of Miami fans left early thinking it was over. Then they all tried running back in to the arena from the parking lot once it went to overtime. They wouldn't let anyone back in.

That brightened up my morning for some reason.