What IS the attraction actually with Rudy that voters think they see (over AD) …. that they tune out the important other parts of defense where AD clearly is better such as on the perimeter in space?
Great question since it’s not like Rudy was on a dominant team in Utah. Double standards if you play in LA. You’re supposed to be good, not just a lower seed. So if you are, your defense just can’t be that great.
So: BOS goes up 3-0. Won by 3 in IND. IND was up 18, 84-66 with 6:04 left in the 3rd and then, the Bags ratcheted up their D and it was about as good of a team D as I've ever seen. From this point - IND up by 18 - I think they blocked IND shots on the next 5 possessions. It looked like every IND player who got the ball was double-teamed. IND - the most potent offense in the league this year - put up a bunch of desperation shots. Bags cleaned the boards. Nembhard, McConnell and Siakam were at enormous pains just to get some sort of look. Amazingly, they scored enough to not cough up the lead too soon. But witnessing the Bags' defense, I began to feel like it was only a matter of time. And it was. Halfway through the 4th, Siakam made a shot to put the Pacers up by 7. BOS had slowly, relentless, whittled IND's big lead down. Not gonna lie: they were awesome. The Boston NBA team was awesome. I'm rooting like mad for IND to punch the lead back up to 10 or 12. At around 3:06 McConnell hit a 3 to put them up by 8, and I thought: just 3 stops by IND and they'll win this one. Those stops never happened. IND didn't get a stop until they had lost the lead, were down 1 and Tatum missed a layup with 10 secs left. Then Holiday stole the ball with 3 secs left: ballgame. BOS won this game in the way that - hate to say it - championship teams win games: smart plays, tough, physical, great D, tenacious, calmly hitting 3s (Horford had 7), crashing the boards. Just defense, defense, defense. And Halliburton's doubtful for Game 4, but at this point: does it matter? Good game. Heartbreaking if you're a Laker fan/C-Bags hater. Bags won this game in a way that was sobering to any longtime Laker fan. It was scary.
is what it is. we have to build a better team if we want to pull back ahead on the title scoreboard. they've got this year unless someone gets hurt on their side.
Won't return to game May 26, 2024 Lively (neck) has been ruled out for the remainder of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Sunday. Lively sustained a neck sprain in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup after taking a knee to the back of the head, and he'll be unavailable down the stretch. If he's injured ,Dallas is losing in 6
Interesting wording. It's not a sprain. It's a concussion. Trying to dodge protocols that'll keep him out of the next one?
DAL up 8 at half; MIN needed a big 3rd Q and they got it: tied going into the 4th. With 5 mins left MIN led 104-102. Either win or you're effed, MIN. DAL closes out the game on a 14-3 run: it's ovah! Luka/Kyrie/Gafford stepped it up and put MIN on the brink. KAT: 0-8 from 3; 5 for 18 overall. His own coach said KAT's struggle was "hard to watch." No one overcomes 3-0. Still: 3rd straight white-knuckle game if you're a fan. Not boring at all. It's just that DAL executes in the big moments. Very surprised it has gone this way. 2 weeks ago, if you told me MIN would win the first 2 in DEN, lose 3 straight, then beat DEN by 45 and then win 98-90 in DEN in Game 7? DAL would take care of HCA OKC then go up 3-0 vs. MIN? Luka looks like he's been playing big-time playoff games for 13 years. He's 25 years old. Glad I don't bet on games, 'cuz Idda lost my azz.
boston would much prefer dallas, imo, and they may get them down both lively and kleber. dallas is a fun team, though, and i hope they can get the ring.
Dude looks like he already has physical ailments of a man 10 years his senior Old man game at 25. Very high IQ player. Incessant whiner. Clutch.
Don't like the C Bags matchup for Dallas , at all .. mainly because they have stronger players to guard Doncic and can go at him defensively . The hope is they may be dumb enough to not do it on a regular basis . Horford can't be their only big against the Mavs though so it depends quite a lot on Zingis health too
Jrue, Brown and Tatum are all going to harass Luka and let the other players beat them. Kid is smart though (european ball ftw), even on one leg he'll give the hell... Boston in 5 or 6
doncic has zero problems against brown, tatum, white, or holiday. he has zero problems with PG and kawhi. he only had problems with dort because he's on one leg, and he solved those, too. i think dallas's bigger problem with boston is stopping them. they don't really have a defender that can bother tatum. they'll try washington, but i'm not sure about that. their option to just outscore them went out the door when kleber (who's kinda the mavs' horford) went down. i think boston will win, but not because they solve doncic. there is no solving doncic.
