Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

[King_B_Mack]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

I'd say that has a lot more to do with Indy choking. It's not even this series, the Pacers have struggled closing out games literally since O'Brien was hired 4 years ago.

Regardless good to get a win, but still disappointing in that it should be 2-2 AT LEAST.


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It's definitely a combination. Yeah the Pacers have choked down the stretch, but c'mon the Bulls are the number one defense in the league for a reason. It ain't like the Bulls weren't locking down on them down the stretch and they were just fumbling over themselves.

[Bumi]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Don't see how that is relevant since O'Brien was fired and this team played completely different under Frank Vogel.

Nice win for the Pacers. It's probably too late now, but they fought hard for the win and still have quite the future.

They did? They started off solid, like 8-2 or something, and then crawled into the playoffs. I wouldn't say they're completely different.

[TexasBorn1]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Seems the Bulls aren't content with winning unless it is a comeback

[mKoz26]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

They did? They started off solid, like 8-2 or something, and then crawled into the playoffs. I wouldn't say they're completely different.

And that was all under Vogel.

I guess if we take out all the Bulls' great stretches, they'd be under .500, too.

[z Revis]

Don't see how that is relevant since O'Brien was fired and this team played completely different under Frank Vogel.

Nice win for the Pacers. It's probably too late now, but they fought hard for the win and still have quite the future.

I was just using O'Briens hiring as a reference to how long this has been going on. Not saying it has anything to do with the coach, it may I don't know, but it's still happening with Vogel regardless.


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[Bumi]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

And that was all under Vogel.

I guess if we take out all the Bulls' great stretches, they'd be under .500, too.

And under Vogel, they've been bad. They are what their record says they are.

[ezekiel55]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

And under Vogel, they've been bad. They are what their record says they are.

20-18 under Vogel...average, not bad

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

“I’m not trying to be dirty. But I never back down from anybody,” Pachulia said. “It’s just my character. When I feel like I’m disrespected, I’m there. I’m not backing down. That’s what happened. It might be a bad thing, but everybody has their own personality. That’s my personality.”

Richardson said he has no regrets either, except for having to sit out a potentially pivotal game. He plans to watch the game on television at the team hotel.

“I’m not sorry for what I did,” he said. “But I kind of feel bad because I’m not there for my teammates.”

The best-of-seven series has taken on a nasty tone. The Hawks accuse Howard of freely swinging elbows when he gets in the lane, while Orlando’s coach said Atlanta’s big men tend to fall down anytime someone gets near them.

Specifically, Van Gundy mocked 7-footer Jason Collins(notes) for going down in Game 3 on a charge by Orlando’s 6-foot point guard, Jameer Nelson(notes).

“One thing that frustrates me is all the flopping,” the outspoken coach said. “It’s amazing to me how many times guys as big Jason Collins and Zaza Pachulia get knocked down. You’d think they’d be able to stand up a little bit better.”

Collins hasn’t been too pleased with some of Howard’s tactics, either.

“When the whistle blows, it doesn’t end for him,” Collins said. “You’ve got to protect yourself at all times.”

At first glance, the suspensions would seem a bigger blow to Orlando. The Magic certainly feel that way, losing their second-leading scorer during the regular season (15.6 points a game) and one of their main defenders on Atlanta star Joe Johnson(notes).

Pachulia is a backup, but the Hawks will clearly miss his emotional style and defensive presence against Howard, who was held to 21 points in Game 3 without a lot of double-teaming, allowing Atlanta to play straight up against Orlando’s outside shooters.

“Certainly, he’s been an energizer for us,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “He brings another level of energy with his hustle, with his aggressiveness, with his physicality. That’s what playoff basketball is all about.”

The 6-11, 275-pound Pachulia readily conceded that he banged his forehead into Richardson’s several times.

“Maybe the first one or two were a manner of talking. But the third one was a big one,” the Hawks player said. “That’s a tough situation. Your nerves, tensions are high, people are screaming your name and you just lose yourself.”

The Magic felt Pachulia deserved a stiffer penalty.

“It’s a little unfair,” forward Ryan Anderson(notes) said. “You can’t just sit there and take a blow like that, three times, from a head-butt. You can’t just let that happen. It’s a natural instinct to come back at somebody. It’s not like he punched him. It was just a little push-away. I think it’s a little ridiculous. But what are you going to do?”

Without Pachulia, the Hawks will likely go with a combination of Collins and little-used Etan Thomas(notes) against Howard. Collins played only 17 minutes Friday after taking a hard charge from Howard, landing on his tailbone. He said it felt better a day later and there’s no doubt he’ll be able to go Sunday. The 6-10 Thomas missed Game 3 to attend his grandmother’s funeral and played only 13 games during the regular season.

“We still have some big bodies,” Drew said. “But the million-dollar question is will those bodies be as effective as Zaza has been? That remains to be seen.”

The Magic could turn to Gilbert Arenas(notes) to fill some of the scoring void with Richardson out. But the one-time star known as Agent Zero didn’t play at all in Game 3, and Van Gundy wouldn’t commit to a larger role Sunday.

[mKoz26]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

And under Vogel, they've been bad. They are what their record says they are.

...

20-18 under Vogel...average, not bad

So, uh, yeah.

Don't know where you got the idea that they've been bad. Their improvement under Vogel is well-documented.

[Moses Shuttlesworth]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

I know I'm late but...

Queue the avatar.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Yeah, if my starting SG is headbutted 3 times and does nothing, im not sure I want him on my team lol

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Yeah, if my starting SG is headbutted 3 times and does nothing, im not sure I want him on my team lol

Hahaha I agree. Shoot, if someone got headbutted three times and didn't do anything I would question if they were human.

I could argue that JRich got way too close to Zaza though in a threatening manner, which then invoked Zaza to headbutt him.

JRich wasn't even involved in the initial hard foul, he was the instigator IMO of the altercation.

So that one game suspension is valid for both.

[LingeringRegime]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Hahaha I agree. Shoot, if someone got headbutted three times and didn't do anything I would question if they were human.

I could argue that JRich got way too close to Zaza though in a threatening manner, which then invoked Zaza to headbutt him.

JRich wasn't even involved in the initial hard foul, he was the instigator IMO of the altercation.

So that one game suspension is valid for both.

Richardson had no place even getting in there. Zaza had his back turned to him after Howard hit Zaza with another post whistle elbow. Zaza was complaining to the ref, and Richardson came from out of nowhere to get all up in his face. I can understand taking up for Howard if he got hit with a cheap shot or something, but if anything Howard hit Zaza with a cheap shot. Stupid for Richardson to jump in there for that.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

Yeah I agree with that.

Or maybe JRich didn't have to get that close to Zaza. Approach him but don't touch him nose to nose like he did. If someone puts their nose on another's nose, best believe something physical is about to happen.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round Discussion Thread

I said it last night but Zaza should have gotten more games than Richardson. Richardson should have just gotten the 1, Zaza should have gotten 2 or more.

I mean damn, the dude headbutted a guy 3 straight times. All J Rich did was shove him away. I don't know how else you expect a person to react to that ****.