General NBA thread

[tdindy88]

Since this is a roads forum, I suppose it's appropriate to mention that the Western Conference will be represented in the NBA Finals by a team with Interstates 35W and 35E.

Speaking of the playoffs, I am very happy for the Indiana Pacers. But boy do I know our upcoming path is a tough one. But the team has exceeded expectations this year and anything from this point on is a bonus.

[Henry]

I'm calling it right now: Wolves vs. Celtics in the NBA Finals!

[Ted$8roadFan]

Celtics beat Pacers in Game 2, and the Mavericks upset the T-Wolves to go 2-0 in the Conference Finals.

[Stephane Dumas]

And now the  Celtics and Mavericks lead 3-0 in the conference finals.

[jgb191]

Why do I get this feeling like the T-Wolves have deliberately set up the Mavs to make NBA history -- the first team ever to lose a playoff series after being up 3-0?

[Henry]

Bill Walton (my fellow UCLA alum) has passed away at age 71. Whether on the court or in the broadcast booth, he always knew how to keep us entertained.

[The Ghostbuster]

R.I.P. Bill Walton. Also, the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 105-102 to complete the sweep, and advance to the NBA Finals for the 23rd time in franchise history. Only the Los Angeles Lakers have been to the Finals more times (32). I expect the Dallas Mavericks to complete the sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow, and advance to the Finals for the third time in franchise history.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Very sad to hear of Bill Walton's passing; he was truly one of a kind. Happy that the Celtics are in the finals, presumably against the Dallas Mavericks.

[The Ghostbuster]

Well, the Western Conference Finals is not over yet. The Minnesota Timberwolves have defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-100 and have avoided being swept. Game 5 is Thursday night at 8:30 PM EST in Minneapolis on TNT. Don't miss it!

[Max Rockatansky]

At this point it seems like the Western Conference is just a contest to see who gets slaughtered by Boston in the Finals.

[SEWIGuy]

At this point it seems like the Western Conference is just a contest to see who gets slaughtered by Boston in the Finals.

Maybe. But Boston's path hasn't exactly been a gauntlet.

[Henry]

You'd think that the Celtics and Yankees would always win championships in the same year, but this little tidbit of information will prove otherwise:

There have been only two instances the Celtics winning the NBA Finals and the Yankees winning the World Series in the same year, and they were 1961 and 1962. However, there have been missouts on the daily double (with one team winning and the other losing), notably in 1957 (Celtics win and Yankees loss), 1958 (Celtics loss and Yankees win), 1960, 1963, 1964, 1976 and 1981 (all Celtics wins and Yankees losses).

Will this be the year that we see both teams make the championship round? The Celtics have already done their part, now the Yankees need to do theirs.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'd be okay with both not making it.  Too bad the Celtics are already in the Finals.

[JayhawkCO]

I plan on wagering on whichever Western Conference team makes it. I don't believe in the Celts at all.

[bing101]

https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-mavericks-timberwolves-game-5-f792c38e04c789fcc19cf7ccd34364cf?user_email=150ac7711ce8b1b19cf5248a92d9ad5f5d716cfc4d7bde616aa4256dbf42b199&utm_medium=APNews_Alerts&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=NewsAlert_0530_NBAMavs&utm_term=AP%20News%20Alerts


Here is an update from the Western Conference finals.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Celtics/Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The first game will be in Boston next Thursday.

[Max Rockatansky]

That is a pretty long ass time to sit between series.  I'd prefer there be a shorter interval, so both teams don't get suddenly cold/rusty.

[Big John]

That is a pretty long ass time to sit between series.  I'd prefer there be a shorter interval, so both teams don't get suddenly cold/rusty.

The TV contract likely assumed a 7-game conference final when determining dates.

[webny99]

That is a pretty long ass time to sit between series.  I'd prefer there be a shorter interval, so both teams don't get suddenly cold/rusty.

Well, at least it's pretty much the same for both teams (much like the bye week before the Super Bowl). Much better that than one team having a week of extra rest and the other team having no extra rest.

[jgb191]

For the first time in the NBA's 77-year history, the Dallas Mavericks will be facing someone other than the Miami Heat in the Finals (2006 & 2011)!  This time it will be the Boston Celtics; it's always very cool to see a first in history being made like this.

Although this is the first such matchup in history, this will be the Celtics 16th Finals opponent all-time from either Texas or California (out of 22 total Finals appearances including this year).  Last time the Celtics face a Finals team not from either one the those two states, most of us weren't even alive yet!

That is a pretty long ass time to sit between series.  I'd prefer there be a shorter interval, so both teams don't get suddenly cold/rusty.

The TV contract likely assumed a 7-game conference final when determining dates.

A tradition that began over two decades ago (2003 Finals), in which dates were predetermined.  Before then during the NBA on NBC era, NBA Finals games were only scheduled almost immediately after both Finalist teams had won their conference championships.

[SEWIGuy]

I think its also about locking in dates at the arenas, especially when you have the Stars using the same arena in Dallas.

Anyway, if the Stars do make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, I think it will be the first time since 2003 when both finals share an arena. Back then it was the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey - before the Devils moved to Newark and the Nets to Brooklyn.

[Henry]

I remember 1992 well, being a huge fan of both the Bulls and Blackhawks when they both made the finals. To this day, there's still no instance of one city winning both in the same year, which is a bad omen for Dallas.

As for the Celtics not facing a team from CA or TX in the Finals, I see four matchups being against the St. Louis Hawks, one against the Minneapolis Lakers (before they moved to Los Angeles), one against the Milwaukee Bucks and one against the Phoenix Suns, so it's only 15 appearances against a team from either state. I was four when they faced Milwaukee and six when it was against Phoenix.

[jgb191]

I remember 1992 well, being a huge fan of both the Bulls and Blackhawks when they both made the finals. To this day, there's still no instance of one city winning both in the same year, which is a bad omen for Dallas.

As for the Celtics not facing a team from CA or TX in the Finals, I see four matchups being against the St. Louis Hawks, one against the Minneapolis Lakers (before they moved to Los Angeles), one against the Milwaukee Bucks and one against the Phoenix Suns, so it's only 15 appearances against a team from either state. I was four when they faced Milwaukee and six when it was against Phoenix.

Precisely, so Dallas this year will be their 16th Finals (out of 22 total appearances) against a team from one of those two states.  And as mentioned before most of us weren't even alive last time a Finals opponent for the Celtics were outside Texas and California.