NBA Playoffs 2016

[Captain Hate]

Are you saying expect the Cavs to be called for 3 or 4 grabbing and holding fouls in the first minute of game 7?

[walto]

FWIW, my cynical work buddy, who called each of the last two games perfectly, says he doesn't think the refs will have the balls to call two quick ones on LeBron, but he predicts an early charge call so LeBron will know up front that he won't be able to barrel in on every play and get to the line. He's also likened this series to one of the old Celtics-Lakers series in the 80s, where one team would win a game by 50 points only to lose the next one by 20. I think he agrees with Nags that the refs are the main difference when you have fairly evenly matched teams, even trumping home court advantage.

[The G Man]

FWIW, my cynical work buddy, who called each of the last two games perfectly, says he doesn't think the refs will have the balls to call two quick ones on LeBron, but he predicts an early charge call so LeBron will know up front that he won't be able to barrel in on every play and get to the line. He's also likened this series to one of the old Celtics-Lakers series in the 80s, where one team would win a game by 50 points only to lose the next one by 20. I think he agrees with Nags that the refs are the main difference when you have fairly evenly matched teams, even trumping home court advantage.

Most of home field/court advantage across team sports, both college and pro is due to the refs, who are influence by the home crowd. That's been documented in studies.

WHat I object to is different sets of refs calling games very differently along the loose/tight spectrum.

[Enforcer]

Are you saying expect the Cavs to be called for 3 or 4 grabbing and holding fouls in the first minute of game 7?

Not necessarily. I'm just saying that officiating in general decides games between closely-matched teams as much as the players do. Maybe more.

[walto]

I wonder what Curry's mouth guard is worth on the open market. If I'd gotten hit by that thing, I'd be sooo grateful! Maybe just try to get him to sign it.

[The G Man]

I wonder what Curry's mouth guard is worth on the open market. If I'd gotten hit by that thing, I'd be sooo grateful! Maybe just try to get him to sign it.

Not that particular one but...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stephen-Curry-A ... SwmtJXZFJt

Maybe you are getting it for Father's Day.

[walto]

Haha.

Here's the (alleged) REAL one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stephen-Currys- ... 1982619942

BTW, that's interesting about the main effect of home court having been discovered to be the effect of the crowd on the refs. Is that now generally accepted? Do you concur with those studies yourself? That's cool if it's right: it seems like it'd be hard to weed out all the other possibilities, though.

[Enforcer]

Yeah, I'd love to see the sources and supporting data for that. I've always kind of gone with Mone's take from like 10 years ago, which is that officiating was only one of many factors in home advantage. But if officiating is the main thing, then I'm not surprised.

So Scott Foster was voted by players and coaches as the worst ref in the NBA, and he's officiating in the Finals? Is that correct?

[The G Man]

Yeah, I'd love to see the sources and supporting data for that. I've always kind of gone with Mone's take from like 10 years ago, which is that officiating was only one of many factors in home advantage. But if officiating is the main thing, then I'm not surprised.

So Scott Foster was voted by players and coaches as the worst ref in the NBA, and he's officiating in the Finals? Is that correct?

I'm unable to paste the link here for some reason but search "Phil Burnham Scorecasting home court advantage."

[walto]

Gordon, I just get the Amazon site for his book when I google that phrase. Maybe you could cut and paste something from the link you're referring to? Thanks.

[SqDanceCallingSteve]

I have no idea what to expect tonight. Longest playoff run ever, it seems, two seven game series against great teams playing their best ball of the season and the Dubs ain't.

What I do know is that I've taken the night off and will watch the game with family at a restaurant/ sports bar in Santa Rosa with about 300 other Warrior fans.

[Captain Hate]

It all comes down to one game. Likewise I don't know what to expect although I like the Cavs chances more than I would've previously imagined. Both teams have shown resiliency when facing elimination. I just hope it doesn't get decided by something flukey or controversial. Either way.

[Harold Baines]

Cappy! Lift one high.

[SqDanceCallingSteve]

Congrats, Cap! Great series. Glad Ohio got its long overdue championship.

Disappointing, but I'm so sure the Dubs will be back on this stage many times in the coming years that it doesn't feel like a crushing loss.

In my lifetime I've enjoyed more than my share of championships as a fan -- the Boys of Summer in '55, Rick Barry's Warriors in '75, the five 49er Superbowl wins, the Giants' three recent even-year World Series wins (another one coming up?), and last year's Dubs. I'm still a fan.

[Captain Hate]

Thanks guys. What a game. Kudos to Kerr and Draymond, true classy competitive Warriors in defeat. Likewise to everybody on the Warriors but I wanted to specify those two in particular. The team is well set for the future.

Congratulations to everybody on the Cavs for putting in the effort to get this done. The game was such a roller coaster that I wasn't sure it would turn out positive until Speights was forced to chase down the miss with almost no time left.

I'm still trying to process this.

[Noj]

Congrats Cap and the city of Cleveland!

[surfer]

Congrats Steve, as well deserved as any championship in recent memory.

[Noj]

LeBron led all players in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks, becoming the first player to do so in any series, ever.

[walto]

Congrats, Cap'n! I kept telling Carol GS was going to come back and win right up until the last minute. The Cavs offense was so horrible in the last quarter. Lebron would bounce the ball at the top of the key for 20 seconds and then take a terrible shot. time after time. Nobody on his team moved at all-- just spread out into a box and watched him bounce it. How could they win with that kind of shit play? But the Cleveland defensive effort was solid. After the first half there were almost no open threes available for the Warriors. And neither of the splash boys was other-worldly last night.

Amazing series. Really surprising to me after the first two games. I had Cleveland winning only one. Nearly all their wins surprised me. I was always thinking GS would come back. Last night, with J.R. doing nothing on offense, Love doing nothing on offense, Jefferson doing nothing on offense, Shumpert doing nothing on offense, and LeBron looking to pass so much, it just seemed impossible they could pull it out. But those two late blocks of his were awesome, game-changing. Amazing how wrong I can be (and often am).

But, through it all, with all my doubts, I never stopped rooting for Cleveland!! Hooray! (And man, do I love Kyrie.)

[jon abbey]

Lebron would bounce the ball at the top of the key for 20 seconds and then take a terrible shot. time after time. Nobody on his team moved at all-- just spread out into a box and watched him bounce it. How could they win with that kind of shit play?

this is the same thing Miami often did when they won titles, people only seem to notice/criticize when it doesn't work. one often overlooked benefit of this kind of heroball offense is that with no passes in the halfcourt, the chances for a turnover are cut way down.

CLE deserved to win that game, but I feel like for once, a CLE team got every break along the way. the lopsided conferences allowing them to coast all year, the Curry injury/injuries (so curious to see how hurt he actually is now that the playoffs are over, I heard a rumor last week he would need three procedures), the Green suspension, the Iguodala injury. LBJ is and always has been amazing, my favorite part of this is that all of his haters will need to largely shut up now.