(05-11-2024, 09:37 PM)Branduil Wrote: Hack-a-Lively is just an incredibly dumb strategy in a game where the Mavs were far from shooting the lights out
I’m not defending it. But I think it’s understandable. Dort had 5 fouls. Team had 4 fouls. Officiating tide had turned and the Mavs were gonna get some FTs. Why not make it Lively instead of Luka or, much worse, Kyrie shooting em? Besides, what a high reward if it worked (as it seemed to at first). Play Lively off the court and this turns into a very different series.
Yes, there are other reasons not to do it. Yes, it backfired in a major way. But I can see the thinking.
Pessimism doesn’t make you smart, just pessimistic.