General NBA thread

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm surprised nobody has brought up the Knicks coming back from 29 points down in Game 4 last night.

[jakeroot]

I'm surprised nobody has brought up the Knicks coming back from 29 points down in Game 4 last night.

There isn't enough booze to drown out what happened last night. Kill me.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I went to bed last night with the Spurs up 29. Then I woke up.

[Bobby5280]

That was a stressful game to watch. I'm not a Spurs fan. The OKC Thunder is my favorite team, but I have a soft spot for the Knicks. I lived in NYC for 5 years. I remember how crazy people in NYC were going in 1986 when the Mets won the World Series. They'll be that joyous if the Knicks can win this series. It would be their first title in over 50 years.

The Knicks were dreadful in the first half. They were in a deeper hole than they dug for themselves in come-from-behind victory against Cleveland. We're talking roughly 30 points. I figured the Spurs had Game 4 in the bag. Then the Spurs collapsed in the second half. Whose idea was it to have the Spurs players do that long string of 3-point attempts and miss nearly all of them? It was reminding me of Russell Westbrook's days with the OKC Thunder where he would do the same shit. Hog the ball, make bad 3-point attempts and give the rock back to the opposing team. I think that's one reason why Kevin Durant left for Golden State.

One thing that does tarnish the situation: a person needs to be a celebrity or well-heeled douchebag to get inside "the world's most famous arena." Not a lot of regular blue collar types of people can afford those insane ticket prices.

It's sort of off-topic, but I've really liked both the Stanley Cup Final and NBA Finals kind of dovetailing together. You get a Stanley Cup game one night and an NBA Finals game the next night. The Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and Hurricanes has been fucking incredible. I almost don't want that series to end.

[Max Rockatansky]

I would think the Knicks fans who assaulted the Spurs fans outside of MSG following game 3 as being more of a tarnish than celebrities buying expensive game tickets. 

Apparently there was egg throwing directed at Victor Wembanyama after game 4:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49031479/knicks-fans-direct-jeers-flying-egg-spurs-victor-wembanyama

[Stephane Dumas]

That was a stressful game to watch. I'm not a Spurs fan. The OKC Thunder is my favorite team, but I have a soft spot for the Knicks. I lived in NYC for 5 years. I remember how crazy people in NYC were going in 1986 when the Mets won the World Series. They'll be that joyous if the Knicks can win this series. It would be their first title in over 50 years.

I also remember when the NY Rangers won the Stanley Cup back in 1994 against Vancouver. One fan hold a sign saying "Now I can die in peace", a fan who waited for so long to see the Rangers winning the Stanley cup (before 1994, the last time they won was in 1940). I won't be surprised if some Knicks fans will do the same.

[roadman65]

The Knicks have an advantage.  One win only!  The Spurs need to win everything to beat New York.

[Ted$8roadFan]

54 years for the NY Rangers (1940 - 1994).
53 years for the NY Knicks (1973 - 2026)?

[NWI_Irish96]

54 years for the NY Rangers (1940 - 1994).
53 years for the NY Knicks (1973 - 2026)?

56 years and counting for the Jets.

[interstatefan990]

I have a feeling that the league wants to prolong the series, and that'll show in tonight's Game 5 outcome.

The crew chief is Scott Foster, nicknamed "The Extender" because it's rumored that trailing teams usually clinch wins when he's officiating.

But in any case, go Knicks!

[Great Lakes Roads]

Congrats to NY Knicks on winning the NBA championship!

[Max Rockatansky]

Pretty amazing that it was this team that got it done and not those classic Knicks teams from the 1990s.  That was one of the most dominant post season runs I can remember.

[jgb191]

Congratulations to former Spurs assistant coach Mike Brown for leading his Knicks to their first NBA Championship since 1973, ending a half-century drought.  Mike Brown has done such an amazing job taking the Knicks all the way to the title.  And the Knicks avenge the 1999 Finals.

The Spurs are experts in coughing up big leads and giving away games, and they gave NYC something to celebrate.

[bing101]

https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-game-5-spurs-knicks-372c259a94837166818ca7386e678852

Congrats to Mike Brown for bringing the Knicks a championship. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Jalen Brunson looks like he's completely in shock about how all this turned out.

[jgb191]

It's worth noting that OKC's Thomas Chet Holmgren is the reason the NY Knicks ended their half-century drought:

Holmgren only scored four points in Game Seven vs the Spurs, when he averages almost 16 PPG.  Had he scored his average in that game, the Thunder advance to the Finals and most likely would have repeated as World Champions (winning this years Finals and thereby extending the Knicks drought indefinitely).  So New Yorkers should be thankful that Holmgren was virtually a nonfactor vs the Spurs.  Holmgren has altered the course of NBA History as we know it.

Speaking of the OKC Thunder, I've already crowned them next year's World Champions of the 2026-2027 season....Sam Presti finds a way using his treasure chest of future draft picks to retool or reload his roster to make them tougher to contend with than ever before.

As for my two favorite teams:  A) I wish the Rockets hadn't traded for Kevin Durant; we got rid of a talented headcase years ago (James Harden) only to trade for another?  And the Rockets have done this before....trading for talented but questionable leaders....Charles Barkley 1996, Tracy McGrady 2004, James Harden 2012, and last year Kevin Durant.  B) The Spurs progressed too quickly for their own good; they're about to find out just how much harder it will be for them to make another Finals -- they probably will again sometime in the future, but certainly not next year.  At the start of this season, the Spurs were projected to win just 40-something games and almost no one predicted the Finals.

[Max Rockatansky]

It's worth noting that OKC's Thomas Chet Holmgren is the reason the NY Knicks ended their half-century drought:

Holmgren only scored four points in Game Seven vs the Spurs, when he averages almost 16 PPG.  Had he scored his average in that game, the Thunder advance to the Finals and most likely would have repeated as World Champions (winning this years Finals and thereby extending the Knicks drought indefinitely).  So New Yorkers should be thankful that Holmgren was virtually a nonfactor vs the Spurs.  Holmgren has altered the course of NBA History as we know it.

One problem, the Thunder got beat by the Spurs.  Clearly the Thunder weren't as unbeatable as most people assumed.  The Knicks were probably going demolish whoever was in front of them with the hot streak they got on.

[Bobby5280]

I think the Thunder grew complacent and let themselves get surprised by the Spurs. If anyone was trying to predict the Spurs would be champs next season I wouldn't be so sure about that. The Spurs could just as likely self-destruct. Both the Spurs' players and coaching staff have to gain a better sense of discipline if they want another shot at the title. While most would consider the Knicks' come-back win in Game 4 an amazing feat the other side of that coin is a Spurs team that utterly collapsed via really stupid choices.

The media and league are obviously trying to elevate Wemby as the new face of the NBA. I'm sure that's why the refs were blind as bats for being unable to see all the dirty shit he was pulling in both the conference finals against the Thunder and the league finals against the Knicks. But we all saw what we saw. Wemby is an asshole. But he's not the kind of asshole whose antics serve a psychological purpose, such as what Draymond Green is famous for doing. If anything, Wemby's hijinks did more to fuel the Knicks' desire to win the title.

The other big unknown about Wembanyama is just how long he can stay healthy. Players as tall as he is can have a short career due to injuries. He has already had one close call last year, suffering a blood clot in his right shoulder.

[bing101]

I'm amazed that Mike Brown a few years ago got kicked out of the Sacramento kings while he was attempting to send the King's to the playoffs. But then again congrats to Mike Brown and the Knicks for making the Sacramento Kings regret their decisions now given where we are. 

[jgb191]

I'm amazed that Mike Brown a few years ago got kicked out of the Sacramento kings while he was attempting to send the King's to the playoffs. But then again congrats to Mike Brown and the Knicks for making the Sacramento Kings regret their decisions now given where we are.

I called it last year that Mike Brown is certainly an upgrade over Tom Tibbs.  The Knicks weren't going to go much farther without the coaching change.

[TheCatalyst31]

I'm amazed that Mike Brown a few years ago got kicked out of the Sacramento kings while he was attempting to send the King's to the playoffs. But then again congrats to Mike Brown and the Knicks for making the Sacramento Kings regret their decisions now given where we are.

On the other hand, the Kings seem to have made the right decision on De'Aaron Fox.