AROUND the NBA: Lakers Fire Darvin Ham

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Another player I'm really impressed with is Payton Pritchard. He's small but has really developed his 3 pt shooting and is a spark plug off the Celtic bench. Sam Hauser is another one.

[dirkfansince1998]

Celtics taking care of business. Maybe Spoelstra manages to steal one game but there is no way to overcome a talent gap like this in a playoff series. K.Love picked the wrong ring chasing destination. Already carried them in the second play-in game. Looks like the best Heat player on the floor again. Could have been a difference maker for teams like the Nuggets, Clippers or Knicks.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Celtics taking care of business. Maybe Spoelstra manages to steal one game but there is no way to overcome a talent gap like this in a playoff series. K.Love picked the wrong ring chasing destination. Already carried them in the second play-in game. Looks like the best Heat player on the floor again. Could have been a difference maker for teams like the Nuggets, Clippers or Knicks.

I doubt Love would make any difference for any of the teams you mentioned. Maybe. But you also have to consider they're without Butler and Rozier. I mean, they are a important part of the team. The Heat will scrap and fight, they probably get one even without Butler. Spoe is one of the best. That's who they are. But you're right about the level of talent disparity. Boston is deeper than most teams.

[omahen]

Indy doing their best Mavs impersonassion in first half against Milwaukee.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Indy doing their best Mavs impersonassion in first half against Milwaukee.

It's a Dame takeover in Milwaukee. Has 35pts with 1:15 to go until the half.

[Chicagojk]

1.5 games left but there is a good chance no road team wins the opening game in a series. Also some of the most anticipated matchups were pretty one sided.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Pelicans and Thunder have a good one going.

[omahen]

Out of curiosity. How come Sengun is on the most improved player shortlist when he only played 63 games this season? He was certainly awesome and much better than last season, but didn't play in 65 games. Or this rule doesn't apply for this specific reward?

https://www.nba.com/news/nba-names-2023-...-finalists

[khaled1987]

So, all higher seed has won first game?
Not the most exciting start

[SleepingHero]

Out of curiosity. How come Sengun is on the most improved player shortlist when he only played 63 games this season? He was certainly awesome and much better than last season, but didn't play in 65 games. Or this rule doesn't apply for this specific reward?

https://www.nba.com/news/nba-names-2023-...-finalists

Oh wow. I actually have no clue. He only played 63 games but played more than 20 mins in each of those games so maybe that ups the qualifier? More than likely he doesn't actually win the award and it doesn't matter. 

Or all potential 6MOY winners didn't technically qualify so they did away with the qualifications? 

Very weird.

[SleepingHero]

So, all higher seed has won first game?
Not the most exciting start

First time since 2013 every home game won. And only the 2nd time overall since 2004.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

First time since 2013 every home game won. And only the 2nd time overall since 2004.

Bet that changes tonight.

[Chicagojk]

So, all higher seed has won first game?
Not the most exciting start

Yep, I wonder if someone breaks through tonight.   I think the Sixers wasted a real good opportunity in game 1.   Knicks (Hart) made some huge threes, but I think I would bet on the Knicks tonight.  Same with Denver.  Until LA can beat them, it just feels like Denver plays with LAL just to give them hope and then leaves them in the dust.  So, I will go with the Magic winning tonight, but am not confident in that.   I don't bet though....and I am mostly wrong on predictions.

[F Gump]

Out of curiosity. How come Sengun is on the most improved player shortlist when he only played 63 games this season? He was certainly awesome and much better than last season, but didn't play in 65 games. Or this rule doesn't apply for this specific reward?

https://www.nba.com/news/nba-names-2023-...-finalists

The qualifier is not strictly 65 countable games.

Another way to qualify is:
The player played in at least 62 countable regular-season games, suffered a season-ending injury, and played in at least 85% of the regular-season games played by his team prior to the player suffering said injury.

Sengun meets that criteria - 63 countable games, season-ender injury, and before his injury he had played 63 of 64.

[Chicagojk]

Freaken Bob V…probably never looked at Maxey

Bogdanovich had a rough start after the trade but he is producing exactly what we need Hardaway to do. When you get minutes, make something happen.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Tyrese Maxey is a rising star.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Knicks/Sixers is a wild game.

[dirkfansince1998]

Knicks on a different level when it comes to physical and mental toughness. Five guys on the floor and all of them made big plays in the last 30s to turn things around.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Divincenzo is becoming quite the player, especially shooting the ball. The Knicks are a tough, gritty team.

[MaxiThreeba]

Knicks on a different level when it comes to physical and mental toughness. Five guys on the floor and all of them made big plays in the last 30s to turn things around.

All 8 guys on the floor for the Knicks made plays down the stretch.