Posted:
#26
LeBron now leads the NBA Finals in scoring, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
If you are thinking of betting on LBJ tonight, think twice...
Posted:
#27
You are a dolt, binka. Always have been, always will be. I laid out what I thought needed to happen for the Cavs to win; which was nothing short of an all time great performance by LBJ. And I said expecting such a performance was slim, but that I'd like to see it happen. Well, not only did LBJ give an all time great performance, but so did Irving. And it took all that, plus a Bogut injury (opening up the paint), plus wide open misses by Curry in the 4th, to allow the Cavs to win. So how was I wrong, you dolt? Go read the presses. IT WAS A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE. NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN A FINALS GAME. And I 'm glad I got to see it. Hope you enjoyed it too, dolt.
Posted:
#28
Quote Originally Posted by begginerboy:
I've wasted a lot of my life watching basketball. Too much if you ask me. From the 80's until today, I've watched and watched. And here is what I have to say about LBJ in relation to tonight. Unless he gets 30 from Love and 30 from Irving, he will have to carry his team to victory with all the pressure in the world once again on his shoulders. In hindsight, he might have had a better chance of quietly going into Oracle, down 1-3, and stealing a game. But not now. Not with how he baited green into a technical/flagrant situation, and not with his reaction afterwards, asking the league to investigate. At the time, I thought it was a brilliant chess move on his part, and gave him credit for the gamesmanship. But the move has backfired big time, turning even Warrior haters (like Barkley) against him (at least in backing up Green). And let me be clear, I think Green does deserve the suspension and the onus was on him not to lose his cool.
I've wasted a lot of my life watching basketball. Too much if you ask me. From the 80's until today, I've watched and watched. And here is what I have to say about LBJ in relation to tonight. Unless he gets 30 from Love and 30 from Irving, he will have to carry his team to victory with all the pressure in the world once again on his shoulders. In hindsight, he might have had a better chance of quietly going into Oracle, down 1-3, and stealing a game. But not now. Not with how he baited green into a technical/flagrant situation, and not with his reaction afterwards, asking the league to investigate. At the time, I thought it was a brilliant chess move on his part, and gave him credit for the gamesmanship. But the move has backfired big time, turning even Warrior haters (like Barkley) against him (at least in backing up Green). And let me be clear, I think Green does deserve the suspension and the onus was on him not to lose his cool.
But this post is not about what happened, but only how it will impact tonight's game. Having watched LBJ for these many years, I can tell you that in his entire playoff career, I have only seen him perform and succeed under this type of pressure once, and that was against the aging Celtics down 2-3 in game at TD Garden, when he put his team on his back from start to finish. Let's recall, at that point he still had not won a title (losing to the Mavs the previous year) and there were questions about whether or not he would ever win won. Of course, he has played great playoff games and won titles (with the help of the refs against OKC and with the help of Ray Allen against the Spurs), but this man does not perform well under pressure. He simply doesn't. He is not Jordan, Bird, Magic or Kobe. He just is not wired that way. And now he has put even more pressure on himself by baiting Green and then asking the league to do something about it, not to mention the supposed umbrage he took at being called a b i t c h when everyone in the world knows how common that kind of language is in the heat of battle.
So, a man who has rarely come through under pressure, goes into one of the most hostile environments in the NBA, against one of the best team's in NBA history, whom he has given added incentive to and practically turned into underdogs (at least in their own minds) through his actions, with the pressure of having to come through in a do or die game. As a basketball fan, I'd love to see him do it. I love the Warriors, but I love basketball even more and would like nothing better than to see the series and the drama get extended. But I don't think it's happening, because LBJ and clutch rarely go together.
Bill Simmons ?@BillSimmons 1h1 hour ago
This is 75 percent of LeBron's greatest game ever (25 percent to go). I think it's even better than Game 6 2012 Boston so far.
Posted:
#29
Quote Originally Posted by begginerboy:
You are a dolt, binka. Always have been, always will be. I laid out what I thought needed to happen for the Cavs to win; which was nothing short of an all time great performance by LBJ. And I said expecting such a performance was slim, but that I'd like to see it happen. Well, not only did LBJ give an all time great performance, but so did Irving. And it took all that, plus a Bogut injury (opening up the paint), plus wide open misses by Curry in the 4th, to allow the Cavs to win. So how was I wrong, you dolt? Go read the presses. IT WAS A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE. NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN A FINALS GAME. And I 'm glad I got to see it. Hope you enjoyed it too, dolt.
You are a dolt, binka. Always have been, always will be. I laid out what I thought needed to happen for the Cavs to win; which was nothing short of an all time great performance by LBJ. And I said expecting such a performance was slim, but that I'd like to see it happen. Well, not only did LBJ give an all time great performance, but so did Irving. And it took all that, plus a Bogut injury (opening up the paint), plus wide open misses by Curry in the 4th, to allow the Cavs to win. So how was I wrong, you dolt? Go read the presses. IT WAS A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE. NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN A FINALS GAME. And I 'm glad I got to see it. Hope you enjoyed it too, dolt.
And an semi-all-time great finals performance by Kyrie too BB!
If I'm the Cavs, I wouldn't be all chipper and pompous in my locker room after the game. The combination of Love AND Jefferson (and it's embarrassing to have to throw RJ in there with someone of Love's caliber) gave you TEN measly points.
Bogut will be out for the rest of the series. His knee snapped back if you watched the all-mo. But the Warriors have so many weapons and lineups.
Barnes is not going to shoot 2-14 again.
The Warriros are not going to score 13 in the 4th again, nor are they going to go scoreless in the last 6:39 of the game.
Kyrie will not score 41 again.
Everyone watches ESPN and gets sucked into their narrative that this is now a series, which the NBA and ESPN has to promote since that is why they exist. And by, default ALL 4 game series that are not sweeps are mildly competitive so saying this is a series isn't offering something substantive.
If I'm a Warriros fan, I'm not worried here. I know you're not Bb. And that's not fan hubris either.
Lebron can't score points or defend threes with more intense looks of scowl. His face contortions will only take him so far.
Posted:
#30
Quote Originally Posted by begginerboy:
You are a dolt, binka. Always have been, always will be. I laid out what I thought needed to happen for the Cavs to win; which was nothing short of an all time great performance by LBJ. And I said expecting such a performance was slim, but that I'd like to see it happen. Well, not only did LBJ give an all time great performance, but so did Irving. And it took all that, plus a Bogut injury (opening up the paint), plus wide open misses by Curry in the 4th, to allow the Cavs to win. So how was I wrong, you dolt? Go read the presses. IT WAS A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE. NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN A FINALS GAME. And I 'm glad I got to see it. Hope you enjoyed it too, dolt.
You are a dolt, binka. Always have been, always will be. I laid out what I thought needed to happen for the Cavs to win; which was nothing short of an all time great performance by LBJ. And I said expecting such a performance was slim, but that I'd like to see it happen. Well, not only did LBJ give an all time great performance, but so did Irving. And it took all that, plus a Bogut injury (opening up the paint), plus wide open misses by Curry in the 4th, to allow the Cavs to win. So how was I wrong, you dolt? Go read the presses. IT WAS A HISTORIC PERFORMANCE. NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN A FINALS GAME. And I 'm glad I got to see it. Hope you enjoyed it too, dolt.
you think bogut was the reason? come on
Posted:
#31
Quote Originally Posted by binka34:
you think bogut was the reason? come on
No binka, not saying that at all. The reason? No. A reason? Yes, and less because of Bogut's actual ability to impact the game and more because of the psychological impact of his injury. Already down a man, losing Bogut not only affected Kerr's already shaky rotations, but the mindset of the team. It also galvanized the Cavs, who took full advantage to attack the paint. The score was 67-64 Cavs at that point, and the Warriors only lost ground from there. But the biggest reason was the Cavs won was the historic performances by LBJ and Irving. In fact, at the end of my original post, I had written the following sentence:
"In order to win this game, the Cavs will need LBJ (and maybe even another player) to give the kind of performance Thompson gave the Warriors in game 6 at OKC."
But I deleted it because I thought my post was already too long and that this premise made the Cavs an even bigger long shot than I was suggesting. Anyway, you don't have to believe me, but it is true. No reason to lie.
GC Wrestling has said some of the most retarded things I have read on this website. Check out his other posts too...
Posted:
#34
Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:
And an semi-all-time great finals performance by Kyrie too BB!
If I'm the Cavs, I wouldn't be all chipper and pompous in my locker room after the game. The combination of Love AND Jefferson (and it's embarrassing to have to throw RJ in there with someone of Love's caliber) gave you TEN measly points.
Bogut will be out for the rest of the series. His knee snapped back if you watched the all-mo. But the Warriors have so many weapons and lineups.
Barnes is not going to shoot 2-14 again.
The Warriros are not going to score 13 in the 4th again, nor are they going to go scoreless in the last 6:39 of the game.
Kyrie will not score 41 again.
Everyone watches ESPN and gets sucked into their narrative that this is now a series, which the NBA and ESPN has to promote since that is why they exist. And by, default ALL 4 game series that are not sweeps are mildly competitive so saying this is a series isn't offering something substantive.
If I'm a Warriros fan, I'm not worried here. I know you're not Bb. And that's not fan hubris either.
Lebron can't score points or defend threes with more intense looks of scowl. His face contortions will only take him so far.
Scal, I originally picked the Warriors in six and I probably should have stuck to it. In hindsight, the Warriors challenging LBJ's character and manhood (suggesting he was either duplicitous, hypocritical or a crybaby and/or sissy with feelings ) backfired more than LBJ pulling that stunt on Green had backfired on him. Like Russ chuckling at Curry, the Warriors could not back their talk up (has anyone found Harrison Barnes or Curry yet?). If they get Scott Foster tomorrow night, that will be a sign for concern. What's also a reason to worry is whenever Draymond pulls a stunt in the playoffs, the Warriors end up losing games before they recover. Last year, in game two against the Grizz, he hit Conley's face-mask (I think on purpose) as Conley lay on the floor. There was a heated exchange between the teams, and the Grizz went on to win the next two games (with Draymond having a pretty bad game 3). Then the same thing happened with Adams and OKC, as Drayomnd took himself and his team out of the game, by his actions, while giving the opponent the fuel they needed to light the Warriors on fire. On the surface of things, this appears to be a little different, but I think it could be more of the same. Is Draymond going to be ready to make amends for his stupid actions, or is still going to be a bit out of sorts, as he was in game 3 at Memphis and game 4 at OKC?
Someone in another thread also brought up the point that the Cavs have another psychological edge here, i.e., Curry talking earlier this year about celebrating on the Cav's floor during last year's final. I think that argument has some merit, if history means anything. You also have to consider the fact that even though the Warriors lost the last game (and will try to bounce back), the Cavs also lost their last Cleveland game, and will not want to let that happen. But I also agree with you, that if the Cavs are to win, it won't because LBJ and Irving had another great shooting night. It will have to be the bench guys who come through, and the bench should feel more comfortable at home. Anyway, that's my two cents, and that is about what it is worth these days.
Posted:
#35
I Like the first paragraph BB. Lots of good info, especially hardening back to Conley's mask. Good memory and gave me a chuckle.
To your second paragraph, to reaffirm my comment in Achilles thread, I think a comment Curry made last year holds zero merit or psychological motivation For Cleveland.
If it did hold merit, Cleveland would have had some answers to Golden State's onslaught in the first two games (and mostly in game 1 where the two best shooting stars in the league seemed disinterested and the Warriors were never threatened). Then in game 2 they were bombed.
The only thing that scares me, as you noted, is the Cavs losing 2 in a row at home. But even that doesn't bother me too much given that their two wins weren't all that impressive and they needed enormous contributions from two stars in this last game.
I think you know you are going to get another ring and you are getting it in your original prediction of 6 games but because you didn't put money on it, you are purposely wavering!
Posted:
#36
Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:
And an semi-all-time great finals performance by Kyrie too BB!
If I'm the Cavs, I wouldn't be all chipper and pompous in my locker room after the game. The combination of Love AND Jefferson (and it's embarrassing to have to throw RJ in there with someone of Love's caliber) gave you TEN measly points.
Bogut will be out for the rest of the series. His knee snapped back if you watched the all-mo. But the Warriors have so many weapons and lineups.
Barnes is not going to shoot 2-14 again.
The Warriros are not going to score 13 in the 4th again, nor are they going to go scoreless in the last 6:39 of the game.
Kyrie will not score 41 again.
Everyone watches ESPN and gets sucked into their narrative that this is now a series, which the NBA and ESPN has to promote since that is why they exist. And by, default ALL 4 game series that are not sweeps are mildly competitive so saying this is a series isn't offering something substantive.
If I'm a Warriros fan, I'm not worried here. I know you're not Bb. And that's not fan hubris either.
Lebron can't score points or defend threes with more intense looks of scowl. His face contortions will only take him so far.
But game 5 was in Oakland...and before Bogut went out, GS Was shooting lights out, hitting a ton of shots. I don't see GS playing that well in the first half of game 6.....which will even out the factors that you mentioned about Kyrie and Barnes, as well as the 13 pt quarter
Let's not forget Cleveland also had a very low scoring 4th quarter. At home they could get twice that.
So I just wanted to bring this to light incase you weren't thinking about it...
Posted:
#37
Cleveland had a low scoring 4th because the game was over. They both played shoot-around for the last 6 minutes. That wasn't tenacious Golden State D stopping them. Everyone had thrown in the towel at that point.
You can't use the statements, "You don't see Golden State playing well in the first half" or "Golden State was shooting lights out before Bogut went out" as a counter to losing Kyrie scoring 41 again (and he won't do that again and it will likely be significantly less).
Draymond is coming back. This is a bounceback game just like the previous game was for Cleveland (and they responded accordingly and needed an injury and a suspension to take it down).
Posted:
#38
Well yeah I just think that entire 4th was scripted for both teams to stop scoring.
How can pros go that long without getting the ball in. They weren't trying. Just because game is over is no reason to play like that in front of the fans who paid hard earned money to see tickets.
I would say it IS possible Kyrie could get 40 again. If he carries over the mind set to game 6. All he needs to do is really put his mind to it. In these MUST win situations, players are stepping up. That's what I see.
All that being said I do like GS ATS and probably will hedge some of my cavs futures on GS tonight, as well behind I will continue my Cleveland roll over system so tonight I will attempt to win all bets...
Will go GS ATS and CLE ML...this is actually a very very good bet. I am getting 20 to 1 on CLE ML for the next 2 games (As I had game 5 as well and rolling over) and GS ats would be a hedge of my future series bets. I've several large CLE Series bets pending, so I could hedge out with game 6 and just hope if GS is to win the series it will be 6. If it goes 7 I believe CAVS will win. I Still believe cavs will win right now just saying I usually hedge when I have the chance.
Posted:
#40
BB, who will be in trouble if Scott foster is reffing tonite? The dubs or the Cavs? From your perspective, can you explain? From what you said, it sounds like the dubs would be in trouble? Is it lebrons record with him reffing? I heard he may be on the game tonite. I still don't see it confirmed though. Thanks.
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