New York Knicks/Boston Celtics: Game 4
– Celtics trying to avoid being swept. Knicks playing without J.R. Smith, their Sixth Man of the Year (called it!).
– Celtics coming out strong and hitting shots early. The question is whether or not they can sustain that over a whole game. In each of the first three games there have been major scoring droughts that allowed the Knicks to win.
– Is there anyone in the NBA you want taking a wide open three-pointer more than Steve Novak? Maybe Matt Bonner, but man, those guys are almost automatic when left unguarded. (Of course, right after I type that, Novak misses a wide-open three. I have a gift for jinxing.)
– Carmelo Anthony reminds me of the degenerate gambler at the blackjack table. He goes on a bad run but figures the luck has to even out so he keeps putting that money down on the table, hoping to win back what he has lost. Anthony could go 0-30 from the field, but he is not going to stop shooting.
– Well the Celtics blew it. I am sure everyone out there is just shocked.
– Jason Terry finally decided to show up. Too bad it is just to avoid the sweep. Although with the way he is smiling after the game, you would think the Celtics just evened the series.
– Well… there is a precedent for a Boston team to come back from 0-3 on a New York team. I am not betting on it though.
For Kyle's thoughts on the three other games from Sunday, click after the jump.
Miami Heat/Milwaukee Bucks: Game 4
– Everyone got your brooms ready?
– Considering all the talking Brandon Jennings did in the last week or so, his disappearance in this game seems rather fitting.
– Facing a sweep after a sub-.500 series, is Jim Boylan on the offseason hot seat? Hard to fire a coach that leads a team to the playoffs, but the Bucks have been quite underwhelming.
– "Oh, it’s 69-67 with 9 minutes left in the game? Ok, let’s finish this thing off." 19-5 run follows, and it is over.
– Very surprised to learn that this is the first sweep of Miami’s “Big 3” era. Would not have thought that.
– As if Miami needed any more favors, if the Nets beat the Bulls at home in Game Five, the Heat will get extra rest for Dwyane Wade.
San Antonio Spurs/Los Angeles Lakers: Game 4
– Repeat: Everyone got your brooms ready?
– One thing I have always admired about the Spurs is that they do not mess around with lesser teams. They know how to take care of business and I have no doubt this will be another blowout.
– I like Gregg Popovich starting Aron Baynes in place of Tiago Splitter. I can just imagine his thought process: "They’re both tall and foreign, practically the same guy. It’ll be good for keeping us in rhythm."
– This really doesn’t seem fair, does it?
– Dwight Howard’s season ends just as it started, with him throwing a temper tantrum. My bet is that was his last game in a Laker uniform. I am still thinking Rockets next year.
– Howard has words with Mitch Kupchak… cue the dramatic overreactions!
{youtube}XfHXXude-dI{/youtube}
– Ladies and gentleman, we have a Tracy McGrady sighting!
– If anyone predicted, "Lakers get the seventh-seed and are swept out of the first round of the playoffs" back in August, I tip my hat to you.
– Two straight uneventful games. Hoping for high drama next though…
Denver Nuggets/Golden State Warriors: Game 4
– Still a little bit in shock that the Nuggets are down in this series. I thought it would be a sweep before the Warriors lost David Lee. Couldn’t really be more wrong.
– I do not think Andrew Bogut is ever really going to live up to expectations, but he is definitely going to have flashes of being a very good player. Tonight is an extended flash.
– Mark Jackson deserves a little bit more credit than I have given him in the past. He has made some pretty impressive coaching adjustments throughout the series.
– There are no words for what Stephen Curry is doing right now.
– After Andre Miller made Draymond Green really look like a rookie on the last play of Game One, he is really had quite a few positive plays since then.
– Going into the postseason, I was really big on the thought that no one wants to go to Denver to play. Now, Oakland looks a hell of a lot worse.
– I think Denver grabs one more win at home, but can’t see them winning a Game Six on the road. Spurs and Warriors should be pretty fun.
