Basketball (NBA/ FIBA)

Toronto copping a roasting on Kawhi’s return to the Alamo City.

James Harden Jesus :eyes:. What a game between Golden State and Houston at Oracle.

Jokic should be MVP if people would be consistent and follow the usual logic for MVP. Denver the best record in the West and since the start of december he has had 20+ ppg, 10+ rpg and 8+ apg.

But some people like Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith are already mumbling that he isn’t averaging 20 ppg, not over the whole season, and he has some good pieces around him (which was never an argument when Curry won it over Harden a couple of years ago lol). Whilst Barton has only played 2 games, Harris 22 and Millsap 27 out of 35. Those are three starting players when healthy.

What about the Greek Freak with better numbers and the best record in the NBA ?

Giannis has had a healthy team around him though. That’s the difference imo. Plus it’s still the East and their record is not that much better. You could also argue Middleton/Bledsoe are better secondants than Jamal Murray at this point in their careers.

I think them being considered better 2nd options is debatable, especially Bledsoe who’s rather inconsistent, but then I suppose so is Murray.

Point taken about the Bucks being healthy and in the easier conference though.

In the long run I would have Murray over them too since he is a lot younger. But Middleton is averaging 18, 6 and 4 whilst making 2.6 3-pointers per game. I think he is a bit underrated tbh.

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Yeah I’d absolutely love Middleton as a wing in Portland around Dame and Nurk, so I agree he is underrated.

Houston vs. Golden State is just amazing. Wow! What a game between Harden and Curry.

FUCK ME LIFE!!! Harden wins it for Houston in the last second of the first OT. 135-134 for Houston!

Little bit late pal, games on 16 hour delay in Italy ? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:. Was an amazing match though and a brilliant shot by the beard to win it.

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Lol yeah! Just noticed it now.

Yeah, i couldn’t see them live.

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Lakers slump to 1-5 without LeBron, they better get another star for him to play alongside and fast.

In this stretch tho we’ve missed Rondo, LeBron, Mcgee, and Kuzma. That’s a lot of injuries not a lot of teams are gonna fare well missing basically their entire starting 5. Not to say that Lonzo and Ingram haven’t been massively disappointing but still.

Golden State are coasting at a somewhat disappointing 26-14 for them, but does anyone actually think this is a concern when it comes to the playoffs ?

No. They will win the title quite easily.

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Yes and no. Yes because it’s incredibly hard to make a 3-peat happen, and they’ve already been to 4 finals in a row. That’s a lot of extra games in that period which usually wears a team out, and this particular team is on the verge of imploding. Green doesn’t look the same and neither does Klay. The league as a whole looks a hell of a lot stronger this year too.

No, because who exactly is going to challenge them? I’m not buying anyone in the Western conference at all. Denver is inexperienced, Houston is getting better but they aren’t nearly as good as last year and Cp3 is constantly injured. Lebron is Lebron and could definitely give them a run for his money, but the supporting cast has not stepped up like they should have if they are gonna be stars in this league.

In the East there is nobody except for the Raptors, no the Bucks are not a credible contender imo. Kawhi is capable of beating those guys on his own almost, a couple years ago the Spurs were about to go up 3 - 1 (?) on GSW and up by 20 points and then Kawhi got injured. Still I don’t think the Raptors have enough in a 7 game series. The other ace up the Warriors sleeve is that they’ve still got Boogie cousins who hasn’t returned from his injury. If he comes back and is averaging 25 and 12 like he normally does, Draymond is suddenly expendable.

I think Kawhi got injured in Game 1 of the WCF from memory when Spurs led by 20 early in the 3rd quarter, they ended up imploding and got swept. I think you were confusing that with the year before when OKC led GSW 3-1 in the WCF in 2016.

Boogie is an offensive beast but where I think he may actually help them is rim protection a little bit and blocking lanes to the basket, I know that’s not his strength but GSW are diabolical in that department ATM.

I agree Klay and Dray don’t look as strong this year and maybe the long seasons 4 years in a row have worn them out a little, but as you said if they are healthy it’s still hard to see anyone beating them over a 7 game series in playoffs.

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What was I saying about Klay not looking as strong ? 17-20 FG, 10-11 from 3 and 44 points vs the Lakers tonight at the staples centre.

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He’s always been a streaky shooter but this year he’s been struggling. The Lakers are a mess tho, we’ve are at Arsenal level injury crisis atm.

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