megamanmaniac :

Unfortunately, I did get to watch it.

I'm f***ing sick and tired of the heartbreak that comes with following my teams this year. The Cowboys are trash, the Red Sox are trash, and the Bulls are doing fine, but lose 4OT games to teams we should be beating in regulation.

Meh, no point getting excited, we'll be bounced in the first round of the playoffs. It's the Bulls way.

I'm actually not totally surprised that the Bulls are mediocre this year. Honestly this is just the start of the rebuild that's needed on this team.

Personally, although I like Joakim's energy and heart, he's always been a liability on the offensive end of the court when he's on the floor and he's had a hard time staying healthy for years. I felt strongly after he won DPOY that the Bulls should have traded him when his value was at his highest, but alas that didn't happen, and he's probably on his way out the door after this season. To make matters worse, he got injured right near the trade deadline, so they weren't even able to trade him this year to salvage some value. Once again, the front office takes it in the pants.

It's often been the case with Paxon and/or Gar. They always over value their own players...like the days when they actually TURNED DOWN the offer of trading Deng for Kobe (IN HIS PRIME) LOL BIG TIME looking back on that one.

Anyways, back to the current situation, the Bulls need to move on from Rose and his contract. But with no viable backup or replacement it makes the transition more difficult. Rose is a distraction to this team and he really has nothing left in the tank. He will never be the same player he was and it seems that his mind has been broken of the tenacity that he once had. Maybe moving on will help his game and his mindset...but he's never going to be a star player that's worth what he's getting paid now. Would be best if the Bulls could amnesty him, but that doesn't seem likely with limited options to replace him. Sadly, he can't stay healthy enough or play consistently enough to draw any trade interest...

Pau probably won't be back next year himself. Sadly, I've been super upset with how poorly Mirotic has played this year. The one thing he was supposed to be able to do well was shoot, and that certainly hasn't been the case. He's been VERY inconsistent. I expected him to be a little bit better than this, for sure.

I've also been disappointed in McDermott. He was another guy that had a great shot, but hasn't been able to show that shot in the NBA. He's seemed like he's scared at times when he's on the court, and that isn't good. Really stinks that the Bulls wasted a decent draft pick on him when he currently looks like he's on the borderline of being an NBA player. At best.

JB is having a great season and really is the only bright spot on this team right now. Just stinks that the Bulls are probably going to lose in the 2nd round and get another mediocre draft pick. Honestly being Mediocre in the NBA is about as bad as it gets. I would rather get a top 3 pick than make the playoffs and lose in the 1st or 2nd round.

Well, Golden State lost last night.

They lost their NBA record of straight home victories. 

However, they are still going strong in the hunt for 73. I think they'll be able to do it, except they have some pretty hard games ending the season, like the spurs twice. 

As for my home team, the Hawks, they're pretty dang good. They were able to send the cavs into overtime last night and almost won. They're one of the best teams in the east, but I just don't think they'll be able to make it that far into the playoffs. 

My Celtics have proven that they can beat a Toronto team without Lowry in the lineup but I'm not entirely sure if they can beat this team in a playoff series against them. They actually managed to win a single game against Cleveland so if that's who they face in the first or second rounds of the Eastern playoffs winning the series against them is very difficult but not impossible. In the West I got a good feeling the Thunder might win in the conference finals because Golden State can suffer from fatigue right?! Spurs are as dominant as ever I wouldn't be surprised if they gave both the Warriors and the Cavs a run for their money. As cold as Jimmy Butler is on the Chicago Bulls it seems they won't be making the playoffs I don't think they could win against a healthy Cavs team anyways. The Lakers are bad at losing and winning I wouldn't be surprised if they got the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Hawks are as overrated as ever without Carroll they will be losing in either the first or second round in the playoffs because the competition in the East is as tight as ever.

With the playoffs coming up, the top 4 teams in the West have basically been determined. Golden State is #1, SA is #2, OKC is #3, and the Clippers are #4. If the seedings hold up and all 4 of these teams win their first round matchups, we are in for some great basketball! Golden State vs the Los Angeles Clippers isn't necessarily competitive skill wise, but it has been a rivalry for several years now, so we can expect a hard fought series. Spurs vs Thunder is gonna be a great series (again, this is only if the teams win their first rounds). I say Spurs will win in 6 games, and Warriors win in 5. Spurs vs Warriors is the dream WCF matchup and will likely go at least 6 games. With the way the teams are playing right now, the road team is at a disadvantage. For this reason, the Spurs must find a way to steal one of the games in Oakland at the beginning, as GS has home court advantage. If GS can snag one in SA early, they really put the Spurs on the ropes. I think the only way the Spurs can realistically win this series is in 6. If it goes to Game 7, I would take Golden State as the game will be in Oakland. Anyway, I only discussed the West, as I don't pay much attention to the Eastern Conference, although there are a lot of good teams there this year. I hope this years playoffs will be exciting!

The warriors just lost again.

They now have a very low chance of getting to 73 wins, with the Spurs twice in the last 4 games of the season. 

And a comment on the Spurs, they can still actually get the #1 seed, that's just how amazing of a season they've had. They're hardly behind the warriors, and because of the chase for 73 by the warriors, I don't think they get the recognition they deserve.

But hey, look at my team, the Hawks are rolling, and could cause some trouble in the playoffs. 

Barathemos : so the Warriors would need to win 3 straight to break the Bulls record right? While not impossible it does seem unlikely if they play the Spurs once or twice.

This is basically the only thing I've been following in the NBA this year. I haven't cared about the NBA for a while now so to see someone come close to breaking a record like this is cool. Honestly though I'd be upset if they broke the record. I don't think they are a better team than the Bulls were and don't deserve to have the record. Tie it fine but don't break it.

The Golden State Warriors were able to fend off the San Antonio Spurs to tie the season best Chicago Bulls record. Meanwhile Boston Celtics were unable to get a win at the Atlanta Hawk's home so I have some doubts. If the Warriors and Spurs meet in the playoffs that will be a series that will go down in the history books because both would deserve to advance to the NBA finals. 

Well, the Golden State Warriors won their 73rd game tonight and broke the Bulls record. While they technically have broken the record it is one of those records that was established in a certain version of the game and broken 20 years later when the game was quite different. Still, the record is broken and may never be broken again.

Also, Kobe Bryants last game was tonight and he scored 60 points. I didn't watch the game cause Hockey! but I can only imagine how he played. I wonder if Utah went easy on him or not.... still, that's a pretty sweet game to end a career on. Definitely one of the best to ever play.

In the West we have 

austipokedude : I have kind of similar predictions to you, but I'm gonna try to do predictions for the whole playoffs. 

West 1st Round: 

(1) Warriors vs (8) Rockets: I think the Warriors will win in 5. I think they'll win all of the games in Oakland and split the 2 games in Houston. Steph Curry's ankle injury doesn't seem to be anything too serious, so I don't think that will affect their title hopes. 

(4) Clippers vs (5) Blazers: I think the Clippers will win this one in 7 games. The two teams are nowhere near each other in skill level, but you can't ignore Portland's heart. They will make this a series, but in the end, I think the Clippers will pull this one out.

(3) Thunder vs (6) Mavericks: I think the Thunder will win this series in 6 games. Look for Dallas to steal Game 2 in OKC, after they got ran out of the gym in Game 1. I think they'll come out fired up and take this one. I think they'll split in Dallas, and OKC will win the next two. 

(2) Spurs vs (7) Grizzlies: I think the Spurs got this in 5, and if they focus throughout the series, they'll sweep. It's not really a fair series as Memphis is missing half their team, but you can never underestimate the power of a division rivalry.

East 1st Round: 

(1) Cavaliers vs (8) Pistons: I think the Cavs will take this in 5 games. They Pistons are a feisty team, but I don't think they're nearly as good as Lebron and the Cavs, at least this year. 

(4) Hawks vs (5) Celtics: I think the Hawks will win this series in 7 games. They are pretty evenly matched, but I think Atlanta's experience may give them the edge. The Celtics are a very good team, however, and wouldn't be surprised to see them pull this one out. 

(3) Heat vs (6) Hornets: I don't think the Hornets have enough playoff experience to keep up with the Heat. Similar to the Celtics, I think they'll be contenders in a few years from now, but right at this moment. they are not ready to win multiple series. I take Heat in 5. 

(2) Raptors vs (7) Pacers: The seeding is very misleading in this matchup. While the Raptors are the 2 seed, I think the Pacers are the better playoff team. The Raptors are a great regular season team, but they've never seemed to turn it on in the playoffs. They might prove me wrong, but I will take the Pacers in 6. 

West Semis: (Note, I'm basing the second round matchups based on who I picked in the first round.)

(1) Warriors vs (4) Clippers: I think the Clippers are the toughest matchup for the Warriors at this point, besides the Spurs. The Clippers aren't as good as the Warriors, but if they can manage to play focused throughout the series, and get Curry and Thompson to have several off nights, the Clippers will win. Keep in mind, this is a huge rivalry, so the Warriors will get the Clippers best shot, and vice versa. 

(2) Spurs vs (3) Thunder: I think the Spurs will win this series but it will be a very tight one. I think the Spurs will win the first two, lose the next two, and win the next two. The good part for the Spurs is that they have home court advantage and have only lost once all season at home. KD and Westbrook are amazing players, but they really need their supporting cast to step up if they want to beat the Spurs. 

East Semis: 

(1) Cavs vs (4) Hawks: I don't think the Hawks will give the Cavaliers any trouble. Being brutally honest, the Hawks don't have much to hurt the Cavs. I take the Cavs in 5. I think this will be the least exciting matchup out of the 4 matchups (if these teams win their first rounds). 

(3) Heat vs (7) Pacers: This will be a good series. I think this will go to 7 games if it happens. I think it will all come down to who can perform better in the clutch moments of the games. I think the Heat will win, even without Chris Bosh. 

West Finals: 

(1) Warriors vs (2) Spurs: Ah, yes! The series everyone is awaiting. Let's just hope both teams get to the WCF so we can see this epic duel. To me, if the Spurs want to win, they need to snag Game 1, which is in Golden State. They need to come out of the gates quickly and steal home court advantage, so the Warriors don't know what hit them. This puts the pressure on the Warriors to win in San Antonio, which is a tall order, even for the 73-9 Warriors. I think both teams are capable of winning in the other's building, which will make this series very interesting. If the Spurs want to win, they need to get this in 6 or less. I don't expect the Spurs to win a Game 7 in Oakland, but you never know. The Warriors just need to take care of business at home, and they are good. If they want to put this series away quickly, they need to win one of Games 3 and 4. If so, San Antonio is screwed. I take Golden State in seven games (I'm not a GS fan). 

East Finals: 

(1) Cavs vs (3) Heat: If this series actually happens, it might actually overshadow the Warriors-Spurs showdown, as there will be a lot of drama with Lebron playing against and in Miami. I think the Heat and Pacers are the only teams that have a legit shot at taking out the Cavs. I still think Lebron and company will pull through, but it will probably also be in 7 games. 

NBA Finals: 

Warriors vs Cavs:

To be honest, I don't think the Cavs have a shot at whoever comes out of the West. Whether it be the Spurs or Warriors, or in the small chance it's the Thunder or Clippers, I don't believe that the Cavs can win, if all teams are healthy at this point. I take the Warriors in 5 this time. The Warriors will be extra motivated to silence all the critics who said the Warriors were "lucky". 

As much as I want the Spurs to win one more for Duncan and Ginobili, I don't think they can get past the Warriors, realistically speaking. My heart says Spurs, but my mind says Warriors. 

So this thread hasn't gotten much discussion so I'm going to post a bit here.

So, the Thunder are ahead of the Warriors 3-1. That doesn't mean the series is over by all means but that is NOT a good sign.

At least it goes to show that the Warriors are not unstoppable this year in spite of what they managed in the regular season.

Also, Toronto is still in the mix. Tied 2-2 with Cleveland. I personally would like to see the Oklahoma City vs Toronto final.

Welp, the Warriors won game 5, as I expected. However, I honestly don't see them being able to pull out a road win in OKC, especially since they have looked mostly awful playing there so far in this series.


And after the absolute beating the Cavs just dealt to the Raptors, I don't know exactly what will happen in Game 6. Cleveland can very easily carry the momentum they had in game 5 and carry it over to take the series, but at the same time the Raps can do exactly what they did in Games 3 and 4, back when everyone was waiting for the Cavs to sweep already, and play at their absolute peak to send this back to Cleveland. Even if they do, I don't see them beating the Cavs in Clevleand, though.

*is still sore about the downfall of OKC and letting a Finals appearance slip away*
I don't get cable, but I saw it all on the news and Twitter... Ugh... That was a disaster...

jokool : it's the NBA and OKC are not the team that the league wants in the finals so they didn't get there. A Cleveland vs Golden State game is what the league wanted for the Finals. Lebron vs Curry. It doesn't get much bigger than that right now.

I don't know if any other matchup would garner the ratings that this series is getting. That's what the NBA cares about more than anything.

#Rigged ????

Well, that's the finals. Cleveland won in 7. I'm shocked honestly. It never should have gone this long. Still, that's the way it goes. If it is Golden State vs Cleveland next year then you know it's rigged

geeogree : I'm not too shocked, although I didn't think the Cavs could do to the Warriors what they (the Warriors) did to the Thunder. I do think that the Thunder shot themselves in the foot with dumb three point attempts and an awful use of their foul to give with 18 second left, giving the Cavs an extra 3 seconds to waste. But in all, I enjoyed this game 7 a lot and I'm satisfied with how it went down. My respect for Lebron has increased a lot since 2011, and the Cavs worked hard to get the win, so congrats to them for stopping the best NBA season ever seen by the Warriors with 3 straight wins, 2 of which were on the road against a team that lost a total of 3 home games this season before this series (2 during the regular season and 1 to the Thunder in the WCF) and being the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a championship.

Some things that the NBA needs to work on are getting the refs to stop messing up foul calls. There have been quite a few calls that have been made that may or may not have changed the course of the game, but seeing this many missed calls (over the last few seasons, but mainly in this series) is kind of frustrating to watch at times.

I'm happy for the Cavs winning the Finals, considering the Warriors won it last year.