BGleas

Just an FYI, the NBA assigns the officiating crews for the games in a series before the series starts. So for example, Scott Foster was assigned to game 2 before the series started, not in a reactionary move to Game 1.

An all-time great play by Havlicek, and an all-time great call by Johnny Most!

Tough day for Celtics Nation! I was lucky enough to meet him a couple times, really great guy. Also, one of the most underrated players in NBA history. He was an absolute stud.

Like I said, I think there's an opportunity for OKC to step up, but I think they need to add some more shooters around PG and Russ, and I don't think Russ, as is, is a winner. I don't think you can win the entire thing with his mentality and the way he plays. He needs to completely shift his mindset for them to win. It's a little similar to Dwyane Wade when LeBron came to the Heat, though I think Russ is a more extreme case and it's a little different. But, after Miami lost to Dallas that first year, Wade said he had to shift his mentality and take a back seat to LeBron. He had to 'give' the team to LeBron for them to win. Russ needs to do the same thing with PG, but I don't have faith that he's capable of it.

It’s just as likely as anyone else coming out of the East. I’d pick the Celtics or Raptors just because they have more experience, but man the Bucks are good, finally have a coach to match their talent, and Giannis is a nightmare.

You’re much higher on OKC than I am, but I will grant you that if they make some moves to add some shooters to surround PG and Russ, and Russ does a complete 180 in terms of his mentality and style (which I am not sure he’s capable of), then I could definitely see OKC making a run in the next couple years if some things go their way. They’ll need Durant to leave GS and some other contenders to not get stronger, but there could absolutely be a void in the West that they can fill. Again though, I really don’t think Russ has it in him to change who he is.

I can’t disagree with that. I want to, but I can’t. I could see it going a different way too, but what you laid out is certainly possible.

I just trust Kawai more than I trust anyone on the Sixers, but yes Lowry needs to be healthy. I also think Gasol can bait Embiid into some stupidity during the series. Agree with Bucks-Celtics. I can see the Bucks winning in 5 if the Celtics revert to their regular season Jekyl/Hyde routine, but if 'playoff Kyrie' stays and Hayward really is rounding the corner to becoming his old self, then I could see if going 7. Though I almost always pick the home team in a game 7, which would be Milwaukee.

I agree on the Bucks, a year or two early for them to win the title. I don't think the Celtics make the Finals, and I think they'll lose to the Bucks, especially if Marcus Smart is still out, but of the four teams left in the East I actually think the Celtics would have the best chance to beat the Warriors in the Finals. I woudn't pick the Celtics to beat them by any means, but of the four I think they'd have the best chance. But, my prediction is on a Bucks-Raptors ECF.

I thought it was awesome. All the trash OKC was talking in the only game they won, and Dame shut them up in an embarrassing way. It was great!

I'm not sure what's happening? IUScott said the main reason the Celtics won was because of Steven's. I responded and said it wasnt just Steven's, that without Oladipo the Celtics clearly have the better roster, and then I said if Oladipo was healthy it would have been a much different series. I'm not following the disagreement to any of that?

Coaching was definitely in the Celtics favor, no doubt, but talent won the games, the Celtics simply just dominated for stretches pretty much every game except game 4. They just overwhelmed the Pacers at times.

Sorry for the confusion, but you replied to my post about the Celtics roster being better (Pacers minus Vic) with a post about the Pacers taking the Cavs 7. Note also that the Celtics toon the Cabs 7 without Irving and Hayward. There's no doubt Brad Steven's is a better coach than McMillian and that Steven's outcoached him, absolutely. Steven's also had the better roster which was clear given some of the dominating runs/quarters the Celtics had.

I dont know what more I can do than all caps WITHOUT again. I'm talking about WITHOUT Oladipo. Without Oladipo there is zero question that the Celtics roster is better. I dont care who won what quarters, it was a sweep. Obviously with a healthy Oladipo it's a much closer discussion and would have been a heck of a series.

You think I'm being dismissive by saying that WITHOUT Oladipo the Celtics roster is clearly better? You did just see the Celtics sweep the series, right?

I think 2/3 of the game is a little hyperbole. Most of the games had quarters that were tight and then quarters where one team would outplay the other. The difference is that when the Celtics outplayed the Pacers that pretty much overwhelmed them completely, outside of maybe 2 quarters the Pacers never really dominated. In the 8 quarters played in Boston the Celtics held the Pacers to 17 or fewer points in 3 of them. The Celtics also won 5 of the 8 quarters played in Indiana.

I would say the rosters too, certainly without Vic the Celtics clearly have the better roster/team as well.

Yeah, Danny learned directly from Red, and Red’s philosophy was to trade a guy before his value dropped. Trade a guy a year before his skills drop, not a year after.

Same goes for the small market. You have to have a smart, capable front office. There are definitely advantages to being in places like LA, but even LA is struggling to draw top free agents. The Knicks haven’t been able to get free agents for years. Chicago has struggled to get top free agents for years. Gordon Hayward is the first big free agent Boston has signed, maybe ever. New Orleans issue isn’t being a small market, it’s horrible management. OKC is an example of a well run small market team. San Antonio has been well run. Indiana has been well run most of the time. Boston went 7 out of 8 seasons missing the playoffs post-Bird because they’re management was terrible. Wyc Grousbeck and Danny Ainge turned that around No matter the market, you have to have smart people running the show.

But that's not big market vs. small market. That's just the way the world has changed. There's a good chance Kyrie leaves Boston this summer. Boston is a "big market" team. There's a chance Butler leaves Philly. It's looking like Durant might leave GS. Paul George opted to stay in OKC before even meeting with the Lakers. New York City is as big of a market as there is, and the Knicks haven't gotten a notable free agent in years.

You also have David Robinson playing his entire career with the Spurs. While I don't love him and his career is far from over, Russell Westbrook resigning with the Thunder. But, some of it is on the team. Cleveland surrounded LeBron with bad rosters. Kevin Garnett gave Minnesota 12 years and even initially denied the trade to Boston, but Minnesota, especially towards the end of Garnett's tenure put bad teams around him. N.O. hasn't surrounded Anthony Davis with good rosters. It's not enough to just draft a star player, you have to trade well around them and draft well around them. A lot of times it's mismanagement as much to blame as players leaving for bigger markets.

Stop it. There's not some NBA conspiracy against the Pacers.

Again, we'll probably just have to agree to disagree, as I don't think they swallowed their whistles. It wasn't a foul, that's why they didn't call it. The Pacers just went away from what got them there and made several boneheaded plays down the stretch which is why they lost, not because of the refs.

Agree to disagree, it wasn't a foul, and you're definitely not getting that call in an NBA playoff game. The bottom line is Kyrie, and Tatum especially down the stretch, were phenomenal, and the Pacers fell apart down the stretch. It happens with a team playing on the road in the playoffs, especially without their best player. I'd expect the Pacers to probably win two in Indiana.