2026 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Superbone]

The NBA is weird in how a team is revered until they get to the mountain top and then they're nitpicked until they fail. See Golden State, Boston Denver, and now OKC. The hate is louder towards OkC because they're so young and virtually unstoppable due to their construction. It really is a lot like Golden State's run and the backlash once they had KD and were wrecking teams.

Yeah, I don't know. This feels different to me. I was impressed with OKC last season. This season, they are the masters of the flop and they are getting away with it. They don't need it! They are good enough without it. I don't think I would be so anti-OKC if they didn't violently snap their heads back and fall down on obvious no-calls almost every play.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The rules not the refs screwed us in 07’. Amare and Diaw were just running towards Nash, not going after Horry. I don’t like Silver but he probably suspends them for the first game of the next regular season if that happened today.

Stern should have set the punishment to occur in their next non-Spurs game. Especially given how they completely looked the other way when Duncan did something similar, though slightly lesser, to what Amare and Diaw did.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Yeah, I don't know. This feels different to me. I was impressed with OKC last season. This season, they are the masters of the flop and they are getting away with it. They don't need it! They are good enough without it. I don't think I would be so anti-OKC if they didn't violently snap their heads back and fall down on obvious no-calls almost every play.

Yeah it's like they all took lessons from Clippers era Chris Paul. I don't know if CP3 was like that before he landed in Los Angeles but from LA until Houston dumps him he was a real challenge for refs and honest play. He still tried occasionally when he was in OKC and Phoenix but the league no longer allowed him to do it without consequence. Just like they did with Harden. Now, the same thing needs to happen to the top 63 players on the OKC roster.

 

[carrrnuttt]

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[Hoop Head]

Stern should have set the punishment to occur in their next non-Spurs game. Especially given how they completely looked the other way when Duncan did something similar, though slightly lesser, to what Amare and Diaw did.

I can see that. They are flopping but it's viewed through a different lens. Kind of like how LeBron is viewed. Everyone knows he's good and doesn't need to flop but he does. The league rewards it, in a way, so they lean into it and it gets worse and worse over time.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I can see that. They are flopping but it's viewed through a different lens. Kind of like how LeBron is viewed. Everyone knows he's good and doesn't need to flop but he does. The league rewards it, in a way, so they lean into it and it gets worse and worse over time.

I don't disagree but it's not just SGA there, the whole team crosses the lines IMO. The league has a real problem and it's not just SGA or OKC. They have to get control of this nonsense, Silver's rules and refereeing changes have led to an almost unwatchable product at times. Sure, it seems fine right now, maybe even GREAT at times, but that's because we're watching two excellent teams facing off against each other. But when OKC flops and they referee bait their way to the finals, what lesson will San Antonio and other challengers learn?

 

[SunsTzu]

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[Adrian]

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[Chaplin]

Really impressed with Wemby, hard to hate the guy even though he's on the Spurs. He's probably the best young player the league has hitched their wagon to in a generation.

 

[Adrian]

Legion Hoops
@LegionHoops
·
42m
Julian Champagnie on how the Spurs plan to protect Wemby: “Honestly, hit back. The guys hit him, they pull him, they grab his jersey, they're grabbing his arm when he's jumping... That's not basketball.” (via
@tom_orsborn
)

 

[Adrian]

Legion Hoops
@LegionHoops
·
24m
JUST IN: NBC just announced that Spurs-Thunder Game 2 was the most-watched Conference Finals Game 2 of ALL-TIME.

Peaking at 12.2 MILLION viewers.

 

[Adrian]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
·
3m
San Antonio Spurs guards De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Dylan Harper (adductor) are both cleared to play in Game 3 tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources tell ESPN.

 

[Adrian]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
·
6m
Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams has been ruled out for Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs due to a reoccurring left hamstring injury.

 

[Adrian]

ESPN Insights


@ESPNInsights
·
33m



The Spurs' 15-0 run to start the game is the longest run to start a conference finals game in the play-by play era (since 1997-98)

 

[Russ Smith]

That's 2 fouls in a row on Castle going up for a dunk that I don't like. I get that Caruso made a play on teh ball but he really didn't he went for the arm knowing it would be called going for the ball and in the process he knocked a leaping player down. then Mithcell does it to Castle again

one of those 2 has to be a T IMO

 

[Yuma]

Legion Hoops
@LegionHoops
·
42m
Julian Champagnie on how the Spurs plan to protect Wemby: “Honestly, hit back. The guys hit him, they pull him, they grab his jersey, they're grabbing his arm when he's jumping... That's not basketball.” (via
@tom_orsborn
)

Tell that to the Detroit Pistons and Bill Lambier!

 

[Russ Smith]

Ok they gave Mitchell a T.

 

[Russ Smith]

I love Caruso but how he hasn't gotten a T in this sequence is beyond me. After the T on Mitchell Caruso fouled Castle and then started mock clapping like all ball. Then he was clearly talking to Castle trying to instigate, and a second ago he came up and set a blind screen on Castle and then grabbed him. He's clearly trying to bait Castle into retaliating.

I get the whole veteran stuff but at a certain point the guy attempting to instigate needs to get a T

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Thunder players getting mauled around the basket. No calls. SGA with one free throw tonight so far. Sad.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Thunder players getting mauled around the basket. No calls. SGA with one free throw tonight so far. Sad.

**** of here with that crap.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

***

**** of here with that crap.

Both teams are playing really physical, okay?

I thought the calls ended up being fairly even tonight.

 

[carrrnuttt]

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[AzStevenCal]

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This.

 

[Adrian]

Polymarket Sports


@PolymarketSport
·
1h



BREAKING: The NYPD has canceled New York Knicks watch parties outside of MSG due to rowdiness.

 

[Adrian]

**** of here with that crap.

Easy