HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Amen Thompson has the most ironic name in the NBA, because he is in fact a dirty player. I never knew how much I felt about Jimmy until seeing him going down like that.
Outside of the pain or discomfort he must be experiencing, it also sucks what some teams have to do to win. If Butler cannot resume his duties and the Rockets go on to win the series, there's really nothing to be proud of or gloat about, like in Game 2.
I'm now officially rooting for the Warriors to win the series, though that's going to be kinda impossible without Jimmy. Without Butler and with Green looking like he's out taking up space, I mean I may be wrong. But these aren't vintage Dubs, and they don't stand much of a chance without Jimmy "the Eraser" Butler.
NEW YORK KNICKS VS. DETROIT PISTONS
The Knicks are in fact the better team. So it isn't particularly wise for Detroit to get them riled up, even if KAT is the one instigating the beef.
The way Brunson exploited Shroder down the stretch of Game 3 reminds of this pivotal Playoff game way back in the 90s when Mark Jackson (Indiana) did the same to Charlie Ward (New York). You're sitting there, and you know Shroder/Ward is trying their best, so you can't really be mad at them for failing. Rather, you have to conclude that the defensive squad needs to make adjustments instead of letting the same player get beat every time, or the offensive squad is really good at isolating defensive players.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS
There was a time when I though Michael Porter Jr. would be an MVP candidate, like the West's version of Tatum, but not anymore. It's like if he ain't out there making threes, then he really ain't doing like shit else, you know, in comparison to how tall and slim he is.
Also, let's not forget that the Nuggets are in fact an older team. The Clippers at least have a somewhat better mixture of veterans and youth. Denver looks like they can't really turn it up a notch, even if they wanted to. All of this Nikola Jokic 'is the best player on the planet' dickridin, like damn announcer, at least let him win the game before talking that shit. Back when people were calling Jordan or Lebron 'the best player on the planet', they were out there winning championships, like with an S on the end.
As for the Clippers, I think they more or less entered the Playoffs hotter than any other team. They were lucky to peak late in the season and in a way that showed it wasn't a fluke. Kawhi + Harden - George is a better combination than with George. I still think this team lacks size, but otherwise I guess the sky's the limit, especially with Leonard playing.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Mitchell + Garland looks like the best backcourt in the NBA. When Darius is hot, it's impossible to stop them. Remember when everyone was criticizing Cleveland's roster construction, due to basically having two starting Cs? It makes more sense when you have a dynamic backcourt like they do. So kudos to the braintrust for standing their ground.
OKC THUNDER VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
I'm not glad that Ja Morant got hurt, but I am glad that the Grizzlies lost, because the Thunder are obviously the better team, and the sooner we get this over with, the better. At the beginning of Game 3 OKC looked disinterested, if that's the way you want to put it. That's the only reason Memphis was able to build a big lead like that.
As for Morant, you know, it's one thing when you behave in questionable activities that may threaten your career trajectory, and it's another when you're the victim of bad luck that's out of your control. Unlike Thompson's clipping of Butler, I don't think Dort did that purpose. But still, you know what I'm saying? Morant understandably remains one of the most-popular players in the league, but outside of that popularity, in the grand scheme of things he hasn't achieved that much more on the court than Zion Williamson.
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