****OFFICIAL 2012 NBA PLAYOFFS THREAD****

[dirk digler]

Great sports weekend with the draft and now the NBA Playoffs starting today

First Round Matchups Today:

76ers vs Bulls
Knicks vs Heat
Magic vs Pacers
Mavs vs Thunder

Sunday:

Jazz vs Spurs
Celtics vs Hawks
Clippers vs Grizzlies
Nuggets vs Lakers

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

If he left on better terms, Cleveland would have been upset. But they'd be over it by now.

And like I said, I don't care about Orlando. But I despise Dwight howard more tham lebron. This isnt just about sour grapes. This is a fan that despises the me first mentality that affects your ability tto function as a teammate. And yes, there is a huge difference between swagger and putting yourself above your team and winning.

Dude as an Orlando fan, I have to agree. Dwight was just awful last year to his teammates and organization. I remember when Lebron pulled "the decision" crap and I said "Man I'm so proud to have a guy like Dwight Howard. He'll NEVER pull anything like this". Boy how wrong was I?

[DaKCMan AP]

LeBron is comfortable, humble, on the brink of a ring

With one more win to go, LeBron shows his human side

Dave Hyde
Sun Sentinel Columnist
8:34 p.m. EDT, June 20, 2012

MIAMI — There's something very different about LeBron James right now. Something refreshing. Everyone sees it and it showed again Wednesday when, on the brink of this year's breakthrough, another question came about last year's failure.

LeBron was so human in the answer, so startlingly human, that he gushed with humility and talent and flaws and vanity that mainly told of the comfort he's living these NBA Finals to open himself up like that.

Maybe that's what this entire playoff run has been about for him. Comfort. Maybe Pat Riley's words at the start of the year — "You've got to be relaxed when the moment comes" — have taken root in his head and down through his play.

Because all postseason long — all season long, really — watching him play for a basketball fan has been like watching Mozart play with the string section or Monet among the water lilies. It's not everyday sports. It's basketball for advanced fans.

"Last year after Game 6, after losing, once again, I was very frustrated,'' he said Wednesday to the question of the Finals' loss to Dallas. " I was very hurt that I let my teammates down, and I was very immature.

"Like I've said before, last year I played to prove people wrong instead of just playing my game, instead of just going out and having fun and playing a game that I grew up loving and why I fell in love with the game.

"So I was very immature last year after Game 6 towards you guys [in the media] and towards everyone that was watching. One thing that I learned, and someone taught me this, the greatest teacher you can have in life is experience.

"I've experienced some things in my long but short career, and I'm able to make better of myself throughout these playoffs and throughout this whole year, and that's on and off the court.

"I'm just happy that I'm able to be in this position today and be back in this stage where I can do the things that I can do to make this team proud, make this organization proud, and we'll see what happens."

Whew. People love to throw around the idea of potential, as if that's something anyone with talent should maximize. But how many of us reach our potential? How many of us simply stop striving at some point?

This is the interesting part of LeBron as he stands within one win of a ring. He's grown enough as a person to deliver an answer that recognizes his very public flaws and yet retain a very healthy sense of self.

He's grown as a player, too. That's the equally interesting part. These Finals are Exhibit A. He went to Houston last summer and developed a post game with the help of Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon after mystifyingly not having one his entire career.

Perhaps watching Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki last year showed him the need to keep growing. Perhaps it was how pint-sizedJ.J. Barea stopped him from backing down that did it.

But there he was again in Tuesday's Game 4, getting the ball in the post and damaging Oklahoma City time after time. Shooting. Muscling. Passing. Attacking. Whatever the moment demanded.

"I've talked to [Olajuwon] three times these playoffs, and he tells me to continue to do what I've been doing — staying in the post will get you easy buckets,'' LeBron said. "And he also tells me to continue to have fun. That's the thing he noticed with me this year."

Pressure? "I haven't really felt that much,'' he said. "Last year, it was much more than it is today. I remember Game 5 last year with the series tied 2-2. It just felt like more pressure, more people, felt like you guys not only brought yourselves but brought your relatives all into Dallas."

Then he gets back to that idea again. "I'm more comfortable."

Topic A for the national media entering tonight's possible close-out game is if America will appreciate LeBron if the Heat win. But who cares about that? Even he seems at a station where, if America does come back, he doesn't need the love anymore.

He's been humbled. He's grown from it. He's comfortable. How many of us have achieved that?

Dhyde@tribune.com.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/m...,469921.column

[DaKCMan AP]

Rare company

James is vying to complete just the third postseason in NBA history with averages of at least 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson did it in 1963 and James in 2009.

James is averaging 30.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He needs just 29 more points this series to join Olajuwon, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan as the only players to score at least 700 in a single postseason.

[DaKCMan AP]

Wade on Chalmers:

That is evident with the tattoo on right arm that says “Mr. Clutch.” Chalmers was able to shake off a pair of poor efforts, shooting a combined 2 of 15 in Games 2 and 3.

“Mario has that thing, that thing called heart,” Wade said. “No matter what, no matter how tough we are on him, he actually thinks he’s the best player on this team. That’s a gift and a curse. (Thursday), it was a gift for us because he never gets down on himself. He always believes, `Find me, I can make a shot. I can make a play.”’

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by lcarus

Dude as an Orlando fan, I have to agree. Dwight was just awful last year to his teammates and organization. I remember when Lebron pulled "the decision" crap and I said "Man I'm so proud to have a guy like Dwight Howard. He'll NEVER pull anything like this". Boy how wrong was I?

Howard's been much worse IMO. At least LeBron made a decision.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Wade on Chalmers:

That is evident with the tattoo on right arm that says “Mr. Clutch.” Chalmers was able to shake off a pair of poor efforts, shooting a combined 2 of 15 in Games 2 and 3.

“Mario has that thing, that thing called heart,” Wade said. “No matter what, no matter how tough we are on him, he actually thinks he’s the best player on this team. That’s a gift and a curse. (Thursday), it was a gift for us because he never gets down on himself. He always believes, `Find me, I can make a shot. I can make a play.”’

KU swag baby

[the Talking Can]

simmons nails the wtf fisher moment from the 4th quarter:

Remember Harden blowing that fast-break layup that he should have dunked? Remember Fisher taking that stupefyingly dumb jumper even though Westbrook had NBA Jam flames shooting out of his ass?

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...t-boy-competed

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by The Bad Guy

No, they aren't.

The coaching sucks. The depth in the front court is decent, but they have no real scorers in the FC.

Nene
Okafor
Arizia
Beal
Wall

That is a 7th/8th place playoff team if healthy for the year.

[mr. tegu]

Game 5 tonight. I am rooting for the Thunder just so we can see a longer series. Anyone else on this same line of thought?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Game 5 tonight. I am rooting for the Thunder just so we can see a longer series. Anyone else on this same line of thought?

Nope. I want to see the Thunder win because the Heat are a bunch of flaming douche bags.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Game 5 tonight. I am rooting for the Thunder just so we can see a longer series. Anyone else on this same line of thought?

No I'm a Heat fan and I want this done tonight.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Nene
Okafor
Arizia
Beal
Wall

That is a 7th/8th place playoff team if healthy for the year.

They need to upgrade from John Wall.

I'm not kidding. Wall was ****ing terrible last year.

[KC_Connection]

I admit, I'd like to see more of these games, but it's time that LeBron was recognized for how good he is...for being one of the greatest players of all time. It's not going to be easy, but I'd like to see him finish this tonight.

[DaKCMan AP]

Take care of business and end it tonight!

[okcchief]

If the Heat don't finish tonight I like our chances. They better treat this one like game 7.