OT NBA Finals Game 1 Open Thread
Duncan Robinson taking on the Nuggets in game one of the NBA finals.
I think this will be an incredibly fun series.
Currently 5-4 Miami, 3 minutes in
I'm really looking forward to see if Bam can guard Jokic
I'd say negative.
Joker shot the ball 12x in the entire game and still scored 27 points.
A significant chunk of them vs Bam.
Aaron Gordon has come out on fire
Denver up 27 to 17
Jokic has yet to take a shot
The beauty of Jokic is that he doesn't need shoot to lead and elevate the Nuggets. A true team player that leads by example. This team is unselfish, which is why Bones Hyland was shipped out.
Damn, double dribble.
Dunc just checked In
He should get those shots that Struss is bricking out there.
Just glad the Celtics aren’t in it.
Boston fans are insufferable enough. I remember my Dad and I went there a few years back just to catch a Red Sox game, we went out for a nice dinner and sat up at the bar, and this completely underdressed, clearly drunk, total stereotypical Boston asshat (in the Your Cousin from Boston mold, if he was already 8-9 beers deep) happens to be sitting next to us at the bar, asked us where we were from (Tampa), and just went completely out of his way to talk our ear off for an hour about how Tampa teams don’t hold a candle to Boston’s, and how basically their shit didn’t stink. Maybe Tampa’s teams aren’t as good on the whole, but I sure as shit don’t care to hear about it when I’m eating my freaking steak.
They’ve already had the Red Sox come back from an 0-3 deficit in the postseason to win it all, on top of Brady completing that 28-3 comeback. If the Celtics had come back from an 0-3 deficit, I truly think Boston would’ve consumed itself in a smug storm, full South Park style.
Fuck Boston.
ESPN and the sports media sphere gives Boston teams, particularly the Celtics so much deferential coverage, to the point where I’m pretty sure a breathylyzer test would reveal traces of Bill Simmons’ farts. The Celtics are basically the Aaron Rodgers of the Eastern Conference finals, having lost 5 of 6 this decade (with home court advantage most of the time) but they never get crapped on for that the way other teams would.
I mean, it sounds like you were visiting Boston on a day that ends in -y.
They call them Mass-holes for a reason.
This is a very expected outcome for anyone who followed bball this year.
Nuggets know how to break a zone and have the best player in Jokic for it.
Gordon is a huge mismatch for the Heat. Murray is on fire. Spo needs to go back to the whiteboard and find another 3 point shooter. Struss is shook.
I have Nuggets in 5. I love Jimmy Buckets and the culture on that team (great coach!) but Miami will wear down inside over the course of a series inside v Jokic. Also Murray coming out party to a national audience. Denver is just so balanced they have 4 guys who can really lead the team any night.
Caleb Martin has been a cinderella story but these usually end badly.
As a neutral I enjoy both teams a lot and am thankful the Lakers are not in, and I hope Jaylen Brown got paid bigly for his point shaving in game 7.
That’s my take. Spoelstra and Butler are good enough to conjure up one win, but Denver just executes their offense so skillfully that you do everything right and they still hit the shot. I’m a Laker fan and wasn’t even mad we got swept, because you see Jokic cooking and the whole team in sync and you’re like ‘wtf are you supposed to do?’
Wish TNT got the broadcast. This is garbage. Can’t even hear the crowd.
I'd much rather listen to Charles and Kenny post game and at halftime. Have no interest in listening to Stephen A. Smith.
I don't expect the Heat to win this series - Denver is the better overall team - but I also suspect that one team having a week+ off facing a team that just won a road game 7 was going to be a bit of a blowout. My guess is Miami figures out some defensive adjustments in Game 2.
It'll be interesting if Herro comes back how Miami will look offensively. I've heard he might be back in game 3, which doesn't swing the series but could give Miami's bench/second unit scoring a boost.
But Denver looks like a team that would have beaten either East champion.
Can he hit wide open 3s? Bc that automatically makes him playable over Martin Strus and Duncan at the moment.
A quite comfortable win for Denver but golly to look back and if Strus + Duncan off the bench could've shot a scanty 28% this game would feel a lot different. Maybe Denver feels the pressure late and doesnt cruise as easy in the 4th. Instead an easy 11-15pt victory. I think Miami can beat Denver. Not 4/6 times. But it'd be nice to see a good overall series.
It's probably because they've never been here before, but going into the series I got the feeling most people weren't understanding just how great the Nuggets have been all seaon. I think Game 1 bore that out. They have so many ways to attack with you with Jokic as the focal point. They're an incredibly fun team to watch.
I would love for Jimmy Butler to get one but I just don't see how they can beat this team.
About what I expected for Game 1. I think the Heat will be more competitive next game, and Butler should will them to at least one (mayyyyyyybe two) wins, but I think Denver wins this thing comfortably.
Jokic is just something to watch. Incredible basketball IQ.