NBA Game 7’s Anybody? Adam Silver Is WInning

By
READS: 932
Updated: May 3, 2014
Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse

I don’t know what’s going through new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s head right now but he must be having the greatest week of his professional life. Well, barring the week after he found out that he passed the dreaded Bar Exam to become a lawyer. But you get what I mean.

Silver sent Shock Waves through the sporting world by banning Los Angeles Clippers Donald Sterling from having any association with the NBA. And in one fell swoop he stamped his authority on the league while making every single player under his regime instantly respect him.

There will surely to be rocky times ahead for Adam Silver because that’s just life and business; but right now, he’s on top of the world and life is grand. 

His league is also experiencing an amazing moment itself. There are five game 7’s in the NBA this weekend, and this first round of playoffs is easily the greatest first round ever.

There have been close game, buzzer beaters, nightmare match ups, kings coming close to being dethroned, newspaper headlines, and fan banter back and forth…the works. There is a lot on the line for a slew of NBA teams this weekend, and they better step big-time.

Or it’s going to be a very long 6 months for each of the losing franchises

 

Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors 

This series has had its own story lines within it just like every other series. The Young Raptors have hit the Nets old guard just as hard as they’ve been hit and there has been no backing down by Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and company.

I’m not sure what the Nets expected; but I’m guessing they figured a young and inexperienced team like the Raptors would be overwhelmed by the playoff moment. Wrong gentlemen, they’ve done the opposite.

The Raptors have played like a team with a Chip on its shoulder and have tried to run the older Nets out of the gym. Best part for the Raptors, they have nothing to lose. The Nets on the other hand are going into this game 7 with a lot on the line.

There will be embarrassment for being the costliest team in NBA history to flop in the first round. Then the fact they are a supremely experienced team but lost to a team with virtually no playoff experience.

Finally, the grim reality that their championship aspirations were dashed just two days into May. So again, all the pressure is on them. After game one Paul Pierce famously said “that’s why the brought me here” after he shattered Raptor fans dreams with his 4th quarter display.

Paul was wrong, game 7’s is what the Nets brought him there for, and he’ll have his chance to prove it.

Deron Williams has been great and terrible this post season, and in order for the Nets to win he needs to pull out a performance like his Game 6 heroics, or the Nets won’t make it to round two.

Message to the Nets…you tanked to play this team, so this was your doing. Close out game 7, get to the Finals, and all is forgiven. But if you lose game 7 Nets, you will go down in infamy as a $200 million flop. Game on Gentlemen.

 

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 

This series was a nightmare match up for the Thunder and every real basketball fan knew it. Tony Allen is one of the best defenders in the Association and until 6, he had been giving Durant fits all series long.

Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are a lethal 1-2 punch in the blocks, and Mike Conley is one of the most underrated guards in the Association. Couple that with Russell Westbrook’s erratic guard play and shot selection, and Scott Brooks offensive play calling (or lack thereof) and there was a recipe for a first round disaster of epic proportions.

But in game 6, Kevin Durant went back to being the player we all expected him to be, and showed up in a big way with 36 points and 10 rebounds. In game 6 the Thunder routed the Grizzlies. So game 7 was setting up to be a Clash of the Titans finale.

That is until Mike Conley pulled up with a bad hamstring and Zach Randolph was suspended for punching Steven Adams in the face. And word is Tony Allen is a questionable for the game as well.

OKC caught a break and they better make the best of this opportunity and run the table to the NBA Finals. Because if OKC still manage to lose game 7, and Durant collects his MVP trophy while sitting on the couch watching other teams fight for a title, his psyche may take a hit for quite some time.

Courtesy of maidirecalcio.com

You’re off the hook OKC. Time to get another crack at Larry O’Brien trophy. Don’t mess this up.

 

Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers 


I felt it was only right I start with my tweet because that is honestly how I felt regarding all the people crying that Paul George should be suspended. There is a difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.

The law in this situation, or rule rather, mandates that a player must be suspended if he leaves his bench in the immediate vicinity during any form of altercation between players.

Paul George put one foot on the court and was immediately held back by Pacers assistant Popeye Jones.

The letter of the law may have been violated but the spirit of the law is to stop altercations from escalating by having more players involved from the teams’ benches. Paul George was immediately restrained and nothing more happened.

The Pacers dodged that bullet and have to take advantage. The Pacers won game 6 and are now fighting for their respect, and for their coach’s job in Game 7.

So many people want to see the Pacers fail and I for one don’t want to see a player like George that I was so high on in the beginning of the season go out like this.

Game 6 may have been the game that flipped the switch and gets the Pacer back on track. The Hawks have outplayed them for the most part but the Hawks don’t play good offense and rely far too much on 3 pointers. If the Pacers can be efficient on the offensive end and dominant on the defensive end, they’ll advance to play the Washington Wizards.

And maybe, just maybe, the Pacers can find the mojo they lost after the Granger trade and right this ship. If not, Frank Vogel is getting fired, there will be 20 documentaries about this Pacer debacle, and Larry Bird will look like the worst exec in recent memory. Good Luck gentlemen…the world will be watching.

 

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers 

I would be glad to see either of these teams advance to round two.

Honestly, I never want to see this series end at all. On one side we have the joy of watching Chris Paul and Blake Griffin do their Lob City act like a Vegas show that everyone sees while they’re in town.

On the other side we have the splash brother with their amazing ability to shoot the light out of the gym on any given night.

Klay Thompson and Seth Curry are assassins, and when they got hot, it’s almost impossible to stop them.

This game will be great for the neutral and should be four quarters of exciting basketball. For the people with an actual stake in this game however, that’s not the case.

The Clippers brought Doc Rivers to L.A. to win titles, not to get knocked out of first round playoff series.

If the Clippers fail to advance then this season will be considered a failure to them. The Donald Sterling fiasco has to be taken into account as a distraction, but a loss is a loss. 

For the Warriors they are essential playing for their coach’s job.

It’s been rumored that win or lose Mark Jackson will be fired at the end of the season. Why the Warriors want to fire Mark Jackson is beyond me, but unless he wins a title, he’s a goner and that’s unfortunate.

There’s a lot at stake for these two teams tonight, and I am sure this one comes down to a final shot in the closing seconds of the 4th quarter.

I wish both teams well and I will be on the edge of my seat for all 48 minutes of this contest. This should be interesting…

 

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs 

Two of the greatest power forwards ever meet in what could be the last time in their playoff careers.

Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan are all-time greats and are hall of fame players. It’s shame we won’t get to see too much more of these two, so tonight is a night to cherish and relish in.

Add in Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Vince Carter, and game 7 is a veteran heavy slug fest that will come down to which veteran teams makes the least mistake in the 4th quarter.

Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle are basketball geniuses so this match is like watching to Chess Grand Masters go at it for 48 minutes. Who will win I don’t know. I just know both teams are going to leave out on the court tonight.

San Antonio wants another crack at the Miami Heat badly, and Dirk just wants another chance to hoist the trophy before he hangs it up.

Enjoy the greatness of this game and it’s combatants ladies and gentlemen. This might be our last time watching two titans go head to in a game 7. This is going to epic.  

There you have it. Five game 7 is the span of 24 hours. This is easily the greatest opening round playoff series ever in NBA history.

Good luck to all your teams and I wish most of you (not the Raptors) well.

By Monday, five teams and their fan bases will be wondering where they went wrong and what they could have done differently to still be playing.

The other five will be on cloud 9 looking forward to their next slugfest in round two. If you’re in the former category, enjoy your summer and we’ll see you in the fall. If you’re in the latter category, congratulations…and don’t F this up. The NBA…You gotta love it.  

Follow @LSN_Frantz on Twitter  

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


3 + = twelve

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>