**2014 Official NBA Playoffs Thread**
 

Round 1:

EAST:

#8 Hawks @ #1 Pacers
#7 Bobcats @ #2 Heat
#6 Nets @ #3 Raptors
#5 Wizards @ #4 Bulls

WEST:
#8 Mavericks @ #1 Spurs
#7 Grizzlies @ #2 Thunder
#6 Warriors @ #3 Clippers
#5 Blazers @ #4 Rockets

My Round 1 predictions:
Pacers over Hawks in 5
Heat over Bobcats in 4
Nets over Raptors in 5
Bulls over Wiz in 5

Spurs over Mavs in 5
Thunder over Grizzlies in 6
Clippers over Warriors in 5
Rockets over Blazers in 6

Round 2:
Pacers over Bulls in 6
Heat over Nets in 7

Spurs over Rockets in 6
Thunder over Clippers in 7

Conference Finals:
Heat over Pacers in 7
Spurs over Thunder in 7

Finals:
Spurs over Heat in 7

I agree, Warriors are done, especially with no Bogut.

Someone explain to me playoff matchups. I kind of talked about this in the last thread. Why doesn't the highest seeds play the lowest seed possible after the 1st round?

The NBA has never done that. The bracket is like the NCAA tournament. No re-seeding.

I always thought the NHL does it right with the re-seeding (or at least they used to do it right, they've bastardized their format now).

Oh, never knew. That sucks.

Go Wizards!

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/po...n-nba-playoffs

Clutchest are LeBron, Harden, Parker, and Conley. Least clutch are DeRozan, Wall, Aldridge, and Johnson.

DeRozan as soft as expected in his first playoff game. Raptors will have to rely on Lowry and Valanciunas to even keep these games close.

The Nets somehow weren't called for a foul in the 4th quarter, but that can't be any surprise considering who their players are. And really, calls or not, Nets were the better team on the day and got the win they deserved. Raptors have to play much better than that.

Lowry was fine and Valanciunas played great for his first playoff game (17 and 18), but the rest were far too soft (as I expected they might be). They'll be in tough to pick up 2 games now in this series, especially as the refereeing won't get any better going forward.

Two terrible charge calls. Come on, refs

Fun game

CP3

I can't stand every NBA player whining about not getting a foul called when they drive to the hoop.

It's gamesmanship and it generally works.

Doesn't mean I have to like it.

You get used to it.

Clippers may end up winning this game and this series, but I don't see them beating a Spurs or a Thunder team without better defense than this.

I rarely watch the NBA, but I've been watching the past 20 or so minutes of the Warriors/Clips game and it's been fun. Love the tempo.

Had the Suns made the playoffs I might have jumped on their bandwagon because of the Twins.

Phoenix was just too young and inexperienced to get in over Memphis, but I suspect they'll make it next year.

That looked like it went off Curry's leg on the above angle.

lol, GO Warriors. **** the Clippers!

attention Al Bundy

Can't wait to see what their GM does with that young talent and all the picks.

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4326195/blakewater.gif

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/43265...er2_medium.gif

if the NBA had any balls they should fine/suspend him a game for that. That's basically how the malice in the palace started but reverse, the fan actually had the balls to face Artest when he threw it. (though Artest targeted the wrong fan back)

but since the Malice I thought the NBA took a strong stance against fan/player interaction like this, and he shouldnt get off free for that.

George and Hibbert didn't even bother showing up for this one.

Not that the NBA would ever do anything like that to a star like Blake, but he could very easily claim it was accidental.

He should get suspended a game for that. If it would have been anywhere other then Staples, all hell could have broke loose.

Has a #1 ever lost in the first round? Because I could see the Pacers losing this series fairly easy. Not enough offense, their elite defense is pretty much non-existent, and they have some problems inside that locker room.

LMAO That is ****ing hilarious.

Spurs lost to Memphis a few years ago and Dallas to Golden State a few years before that. I get that it's hard to get up for a below .500 team, but they didn't even bother to play hard tonight. Still think they'll pick it up and win in the end, but I don't think I've ever seen a contender start quite like that.

Thanks.

They got the #1 seed but they are far from a contender. I guess it is time for the 50th team meeting this season.

If he would have done it at Oracle.. yeah.

What? Lol

That was just a hilarious. Calm down, sir.

The mighty Atlanta Hawks go 38-44 and make the playoffs in the East. The Phoenix Suns go 48-34 in the West and miss playoffs in the West. Know who else is 48-34? The 3 and 4 seeds in the East, Toronto & Chicago. The East is a flippin joke.

OKC dominating early

KD (MVP) with the breakaway dunk

ooh it was funny, but it could have easily been another Detroit situation going on. Like they said above, if that shit was done in Oakland, it could have been all bad.

I guess any contest of a Thunder outside shot is an automatic foul now, Jfc

Refs trying to prevent the comeback.

He's still fun to watch, but Gasol just isn't quite at the level he was last year right now. Still probably dealing the knee.

Tony Allen was giving it to Durant that quarter. When he's locked in on defense, he gives Durant as much trouble as anyone. KD is going to get his, but fun to watch that battle.

Definitely, he's working through it, but won't be able to get right until the off-season. Still a big presence on both ends.

That was clearly off Collison's foot. LMAO

Amazing the Grizz able to come back despite this officiating

"Foul" on ZBO LMAO

How in the **** do you call that on Zbo?

I hate complaining about officials but this is getting ridiculous.

Foul on Miller? OK, then.

6 fouls to 1. Now 2.

Comeback looks to be petering out with the help of the refs.

KCnative will be along shortly to tell you refs never favor certain teams or players.

Was very unlikely regardless, but officiating has honestly looked intentionally biased in this 2nd half.

I tend to believe things even out over games or series, but it was frustrating to watch my team battle back and have every single call go against them.

OKC gets more calls than probably any team in the league.

Reminded me a bit of the game I watched at 12:30, although probably worse.

So I looked and Houston takes more FT's at 31\game. That is probably due to Harden driving to the lane flopping and hack-a-Dwight

Durant took more FT's than anyone in the league and wasn't close, 805 and 674 was second place.

I don't know, San Antonio get's A LOT.

Pacers weren't ready to play like Champs through a whole season. Didn't know how to pace themselves.
Posted via Mobile Device

Could it have something to do with the fact that he attempted more shots than anybody in the league.

It could, but it's not certain. Guys who drive are more likely to get fouled than jump shooters. Durant does a little bit of everything on offense, but he doesn't absorb near the amount of contact that Harden or James do.

Many moons ago, the first 1 to lose to an eight was Gary Payton's Sonics getting upset by the Nuggets.

Let's do it, Mavs!!!

And he would be correct. The NBA, more than any other league, practices "star power" officiating. Superstars and the "in teams" get the benefit of far more calls than teams having fewer super stars. Its been that way forever.

A perfect example is Jordan's blatant "push off" against Utah in the NBA Finals to win it all in the in the last seconds of the game. That gets called an offensive foul if any other player, other than Jordan, does it. One if the absolute worst non-calls in NBA Finals history. Jordan literally pushed the Utah player out of the way, then shoots an uncontested jump shot to win the game and series. It was a good shot, but it doesn't happen if the proper call was made. No way Utah ever gets that call...

LMAO Misery LOVES company, especially for Lakers fans...But I share your sentiments because the Clippers can beat the Rockets if they were to meet in the playoffs.

I agree, 100%. I stood up and yelled it when it happened. Everyone and their mother said "That was no offensive foul, just a great play."

Glad to be back in the playoffs after a 1 year absence, although I wish we werent playing the Spurs

It always seems to be them, doesn't it?

**** the Spurs. Dirk's back, bitches.

Stay down, bitch.

Los Anus.

**** you, Spurs.

Two lucky ass shots by Timmy

If you can't stop Tim Duncan, you are a terrible team

Spurs!

**** the Mavs. Turning off this series. Epic choke. Terrible jump shots.

:mad:

****

shit

piss

blargh

ass