Somehow, someway, these 2014 NBA playoffs just keep getting better.
Nearly every game has come down to the wire, many going to overtime, and if they aren’t, than Kevin Durant must enforcing his will with an MVP performance.
We were treated to three Game 6’s on Thursday night. Thanks to the basketball God’s we will be spoiled by three Game 7’s on Saturday.
It can’t get better, can it?
Only in the 2014 NBA playoffs can it get better. And it does.
Friday contains three more Game 6’s, potentially setting up three additional Game 7’s on Sunday.
Have you cancelled your plans this weekend yet?
While it’s always fun to look ahead at what could be on a do-or-die weekend, Grantland’s Zach Lowe spent his Friday preparing us for tonight’s games with some critical information on understanding on how these teams got to this point, and more importantly, where they can go from here:
Houston vs. Portland
Little things like this over short stretches of bench-heavy play can decide a series this close. The turnover battle is another such thing to monitor. The Blazers nearly set a league record for fewest forced turnovers in the regular season, and the Rockets — the league’s most turnover-prone non-Sixers team during the season — are indeed taking much better care of the ball in this series. A sudden case of the yips could cost someone their season.
Houston’s offense has been an object of mockery, but the Rox are averaging a healthy 110.4 points per 100 possessions — no. 2 overall in the playoffs — and demolishing Portland on the offensive glass. However, the offense has wheezed in crunch time, when the Rockets become too predictable.
The margins here are so, so small. Basketball at this level demands full mental and physical engagement. Portland has brought that more consistently than Houston and is a win away from advancing.
Dallas vs. San Antonio
Basketball is about trade-offs, especially when you’re facing a top seed who has blitzed you for several years running. The Mavs in this series have made one overarching trade on defense: They are giving San Antonio almost free entry into the paint on pick-and-rolls, but sticking like glue to the Spurs’ 3-point shooters around the play.
If Tony Parker and Tim Duncan run a pick-and-roll, Dallas wants either Parker or Duncan to shoot the ball — even if they get a good look. The Mavs are trying to contain that action with only the two defenders directly involved, with a small show of help from the team’s second big-man defender along the back line. Not involved: the two players defending spot-up shooters.
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There probably aren’t many adjustments left to make at this point. Both teams played some wacky lineups in Game 5, and the Mavs have shifted Shawn Marion more toward Ginobili. The Spurs can pursue post-up mismatches at their discretion, and they might go small more, with Leonard at power forward, when Marion shifts to that spot during Nowitzki’s rest periods.
And who knows? These two coaches might still have some cards to play.
Toronto vs. Brooklyn
This series has been all about Joe Johnson, Kyle Lowry, and glorious F-bombs. The Nets have died whenever Johnson has rested, and the Raptors have had zero answer for him. DeMar DeRozan doesn’t have the bulk. John Salmons has tried fronting Johnson, but that hasn’t worked, either, and the Nets don’t pay Salmons much attention on defense. Dwane Casey briefly unearthed Landry Fields, which worked well, except the Nets proceed on defense as if Fields is not even on the court.
The Nets need to mix it up. They had success in their insane Game 5 comeback getting Johnson the ball in the middle of the court above the foul line, where it’s hard to double him, but the Raps may live with that. Johnson is easier to deal with when he drives into tricky floaters, and drawing double-teams is almost the entire point of having Johnson on the floor.
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Bottom line: The Nets should be going to Johnson on basically every possession, in varying ways. They’re shooting just 29.7 percent from deep, and they’re bound to hit more of the good ones they’re generating.
Ditto for the Raptors and Lowry. Toronto is plus-18 in the 192 minutes Lowry has played, thriving on both ends, and an ugly minus-14 in the 48 minutes he has sat, per NBA.com. It’s just tough sledding for Toronto when Greivis Vasquez has to run the offense solo, putting more pressure on DeRozan to launch tough shots.
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And, Brooklyn fans: Bring it. Come on. The Toronto crowd is embarrassing you; the official Nets Twitter account was right. Your team, bloated with nearly $200 million in salary and tax payments, is staring at its second straight first-round elimination. Make some noise on another crazy NBA playoff night.
Zach Randolph suspended for Game 7
Well, while most of Friday was spent dissecting a possible Paul George suspension (Adam Silver ruled to let him play), an equally important player did get hit with a suspension for Game 7: Zach Randolph.
Randolph is nothing short of the heart and soul of the Grizzlies, and an absolute terror for Oklahoma City’s bigs.
Here’s more from the official release:
Memphis forward Zach Randolph has been suspended for Game 7 of the Grizzlies’ playoff series against Oklahoma City for punching Thunder center Steven Adams in the jaw.
The ruling Friday by the NBA leaves the Grizzlies without their leading scorer for the deciding game in Oklahoma City on Saturday night.
The play came with 6:42 left in the Thunder’s 104-84 victory Thursday night. Randolph first elbowed Adams in the midsection with his left elbow, then struck Adams with his right hand.
Randolph is averaging a team-best 18.2 points in the series.
Here’s the footage that caused Randolph to get knocked out of the biggest game of the season.
Onto more from around the NBA