2012 NBA Playoffs

[NKZero]

TONIGHT GAME 1 OF THE FINALS! I'm celebrating with a muffaletta, mozzy sticks and a nice cold six pack.

Who you got for this series? I think this is it now. LeBron will win his first championship. Miami in 6 (Don't blow me up lol). This is if Miami actually play like they're supposed to. Boshtrich is the x-factor in this series imo. It will be a tough cover for Perk and Ibaka. Harden is the x factor for OKC because he's that extra perimeter spark for OKC and Miami are lacking a third perimeter threat. Whoever gets better production out of the duo's of Westbrook/Durant and Wade/James will also swing the series heavily in their respective teams' favour.

 

[M2Dave]

I say OKC Thunder in 6 games over the Miami Heat. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden come through in game 6 as LeBron James quits as usual.

The Thunder are not offensively challenged like the Celtics were. The Thunder also have more shot-blocking inside with Perkings and Ibaka.

 

[BDMao88]

Who you got for this series? I think this is it now. LeBron will win his first championship. Miami in 6 (Don't blow me up lol). This is if Miami actually play like they're supposed to. Boshtrich is the x-factor in this series imo. It will be a tough cover for Perk and Ibaka. Harden is the x factor for OKC because he's that extra perimeter spark for OKC and Miami are lacking a third perimeter threat. Whoever gets better production out of the duo's of Westbrook/Durant and Wade/James will also swing the series heavily in their respective teams' favour.

I think OKC will take it. I hate miami so much, but man this is going to be one hell of a series!

 

[BDMao88]

I say OKC Thunder in 6 games over the Miami Heat. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden come through in game 6 as LeBron James quits as usual.

The Thunder are not offensively challenged like the Celtics were. The Thunder also have more shot-blocking inside with Perkings and Ibaka.

The Celtics were so hard to watch, my eyes were mostly closed due to cringing.

 

[NKZero]

I say OKC Thunder in 6 games over the Miami Heat. Durant, Westbrook, and Harden come through in game 6 as LeBron James quits as usual.

The Thunder are not offensively challenged like the Celtics were. The Thunder also have more shot-blocking inside with Perkings and Ibaka.

Bosh is a huge problem. He doesn't play like your prototypical power forward. He has enough range to force Ibaka and Perkins from guarding the paint, thus opening up the lane for Wade and Bron. James cannot be guarded against and Sefolosha has a huge job on his hands versus Wade but he is capable of making life tricky. If Wade gets it going, OKC are in trouble.

Basically Miami can cover every possibility offensively and turn it into their advantage. On the other end, Durant will get his numbers and Westbrook will probably run all over Chalmers so it kind of evens out. Harden needs to step up big time. Let's see if someone like Battier can defend him.

 

[M2Dave]

The OKC Thunder win game 1. Again, unlike the Boston Celtics, the Thunder are not offensively challenged. They can score very quickly. No lead is ever safe. They play good defense too. I do not see them losing this series.

 

[Gamma]

Thing that stood out for me was Harden being a non-factor offensively and Westbrook having an less than stellar first half and yet there was still a sense that the Thunder were never out of it. I think this was the closest the Heat will get to winning one on the road against the Thunder.

 

[Zoidberg747]

Yeah I think Thunder will take this in 5

 

[FrostyBarrel]

Thing that stood out for me was Harden being a non-factor offensively and Westbrook having an less than stellar first half and yet there was still a sense that the Thunder were never out of it. I think this was the closest the Heat will get to winning one on the road against the Thunder.

They were stiff ,but came in strong second-half. Harden will be a big part of a win in at least one road game imo. Westbrooks gotten better even-though his offense was weak first-half he did get some good assists. I felt Collison stood out to me a bit for some reason. Idk if it was his effort on tipping an offensive rebound or what ,but he did do good tonight.

 

[M2Dave]

Did anyone see that last play with Durant? Stern is definitely trying to make this a 7 game series.

 

[FrostyBarrel]

Did anyone see that last play with Durant? Stern is definitely trying to make this a 7 game series.

Damn right he is. I also felt like the refs won game 6 for OKC more than they did with SAS. Tonight I feel the same way. OKC didn't lose it ,Miami didn't win it, the refs won it. FFS make the right calls I'm not saying call every little thing ,but make the god damn calls.

 

[Zoidberg747]

Damn right he is. I also felt like the refs won game 6 for OKC more than they did with SAS. Tonight I feel the same way. OKC didn't lose it ,Miami didn't win it, the refs won it. FFS make the right calls I'm not saying call every little thing ,but make the god damn calls.

I agree, some bad calls tonight. Although those last two possessions were awful, no idea what they were thinking.

Still say OKC wins it in 5 though. They really should have had this game. If they have a good start the Heat are screwed.

 

[NKZero]

If Battier somehow keeps this up I don't see the Heat losing. Also Wade could do with a few more games like tonight or better. I think we know what to expect from James and Bosh right now.

But yeah the problem is the lack of a comeback factor for the Heat. If they fall behind early to a team like OKC it could be trouble. James cannot do it alone.

 

[FrostyBarrel]

NKZero pls

OKC got screwed out of a chance to tie the game up. I'll admit I'm salty that OKC lost. I was born in OKC myself ,so to me if I see a bad call I think ref won the game not Miami <3. Do feel like that right now tbh.

 

[NKZero]

NKZero pls

OKC got screwed out of a chance to tie the game up. I'll admit I'm salty that OKC lost. I was born in OKC myself ,so to me if I see a bad call I think ref won the game not Miami <3. Do feel like that right now tbh.

Yeah I'm not gonna deny the Heat escaped with some lucky calls there but Durant could have also been called for a 6th on an offensive charge but wasn't. Would the game have been close then if he went out earlier that quarter? Probably not.

In any case, Miami have shown that if they play right they can hang with the Thunder. It will be an interesting series. I'm going to see game 4 and 5 live because I'll be in Miami at the time. Cannot wait .