It’s weekends like this past 1 that make me wonder how as kids we used to play in those weekend basketball or soccer tournaments where you play 2, 3, or 4 games in a single day. When you’re young, your body seems like this unbreakable rubber band. No matter how far or how many times you were stretched, you would always “unstretch” back to your normal shape. At 27, my body is still relatively young, but the rubber band doesn’t stretch back exactly the way it used to. God help me if I ever had to do some type of 6 games in a weekend tournament now.
So, I called for craziness from these NBA playoffs, and the 1st 2 days gave us nothing short of that. Let’s take a chronological look at the happenings from this weekend’s opening round games.
Bulls-76ers…The 1st game of this year’s playoffs cast a somber mood over the entire league. Reigning league MVP Derrick Rose’s leg buckled as he planted off it late in the 4th quarter of Chicago’s Game 1 win against Philadelphia, thus greatly diminishing the Bulls’ title chances this year. Fortunately for Chicago, they have grown accustomed to playing without Rose. While no one would suggest they are better without him, their record was still respectable in Rose’s absence this season, and Rose was out so much towards the end of the year that he always kind of seemed to be out of rhythm whenever he was inserted back into the lineup for a game or 2. Still, it’s not exactly what Bulls’ fans had in mind.
Not what the doctor ordered.
Heat-Knicks…So, that was interesting. Krissy and her brothers (all Knicks’ fans) were irate at the officiating in Game 1, but I personally think the calls that went against New York simply served to cause what would have been a 20 point blowout to be upgraded to a 33 point drubbing. Yes, you can argue that the Chandler foul altered the game’s momentum, but it’s hard to argue for the Knicks’ chances when Carmelo and Amare shoot a combined 5 for 22 and when they cough the ball up 27 times as a team. Also, I have gone back and forth on whether or not LeBron is a big faker or he really did get jolted by that Chandler screen. It was a dumb play by Chandler in the 1st place because it was an obvious moving screen by a guy who already had 3 fouls, but a flagrant? Really? And James’ head definitely whiplashed due to the hit and him not seeing it coming, but I can’t decide whether I’m buying all the histrionics after the play or not. James’ also flopped a few plays earlier to draw a foul on JR Smith, and then somehow had the strength to hit a couple impossible jumpers with guys hanging all over him later in the game. I begrudgingly accept that just like in soccer flopping is a part of the game now, but I’m not sure what to think about this? Whatever happens in Game 2, I can’t wait for this series to move to New York, where a hostile crowd surely awaits.Magic-Pacers…How great would it be if Orlando somehow won a series or 2 this year with all their daily Dwight drama once he’s on the shelf? Anyone who watched Game 1 would say that Indiana should win the series. At any given time, it looked like they always had the better player at every position on the court. For Pete’s sake, Glen Davis had his shot blocked so many times by Roy Hibbert that he looked like the little brother who was playing in a pick-up game with big bro and all of his friends. And yet there are 2 things that put the Orlando upset in play here: the Magic shoot (and can make) a lot of 3’s, and while the Pacers are talented and very deep they lack that 1 true go-to guy that they can give the ball to in crunch time…without travelling, that is.
Thunder-Mavericks…Went to bed at halftime thinking that the Mavs were going to pull this game out somehow. Then, I woke up, turned on Sportcenter, and, “Boom!” Kevin Durant happened! Durant had a poor shooting game, but how about a 1-handed floater fading to your left with 1 of the best perimeter defenders in the game (Shawn Marion) contesting the shot to win the game?
Hawks-Celtics…Day 2 of the playoffs opened with a couple of ho-hum wins for the Spurs and Lakers over the lower seeded Jazz and Nuggets, respectively, but the NBA was apparently saving up its more theatrical games for the night cap. Year in and year out, the Hawks are 1 of the least interesting “good” teams in the league. With their current core group of players, they have made the playoffs every season, but they don’t ever seem to get better from year to year. They are usually good for somewhere between a number 3 and 6 seed in the East, a 1st round playoff series win, and a quiet 2nd round exit. For whatever reason though, they always seem to give the Celtics fits. Even during Boston’s championship run a few years ago, the Hawks stretched the Celtics to 7 games, and that was a 1-8 matchup. While this version of the Celtics is older, more injured, and less, well, “good,” they still seem to give the Bulls and Heat problems, but the Hawks remain a thorn in their own side for some reason. And while the C’s struggle to generate offense anyway (74 points in Game 1), it’s going to be even tougher if the league comes down hard the engine that makes them go, Rajon Rondo, for bumping an official at the end of last night’s game.
Come at me, bro.
Grizzlies-Clippers…This series has maybe the most interesting contrast of styles of any 1st round matchup, but for the majority of last night it appeared that Memphis had made it their type of game. Much like with the Thunder-Mavs game the night before, I went to bed at halftime. While OKC still had a fighting chance in that 1, the outcome of this game didn’t appear to be in doubt anymore. The Clips were down nearly 20 at the break, but more than that it just seemed to be the Grizzlies’ night. No one in red seemed to be playing well, the crowd was really into it, and it seemed like every shot was falling for Memphis. And similar to the morning following the Thunder-Mavs game, I woke up in shock, this time to find that LA had completed 1 of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history. I guess for all the Nick Young bashing I do on here regularly, I should mention that Young was crucial to the comeback, hitting 3 triples in the 4th quarter. If days 1 and 2 of this year’s playoffs are any indication, we’re in for a wild ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment