NBA Playoffs Conference Semi-Finals Review
I got it wrong, partially.
If you’re not all wrong then you are a little right, which is a little better than rubbish so I’ll take it. As a reminder, my predictions for the Conference Finals were:
1. Miami Heat (winning in 6 against the 6ers) vs Milwaukee Bucks (winning in 7 against the Celtics after a hard-fought series)
2. Phoenix Suns (winning in 6 against the Mavericks) vs Golden State Warriors (winning in 5 against the Grizzlies)
Confirmed results:
1. Miami Heat (correctly predicted to win in 6 against the 6ers) vs Boston Celtics (who won in 7 against the Bucks)
2. Dallas Mavericks (winning in 7 against the Suns) vs Golden State Warriors (winning in 6 against the Grizzlies)
I was pleasantly surprised to witness the battering of the Phoenix Suns by the Mavericks. May the memes of Luka Doncic smiling at Devin Booker last forever.
Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)- “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.”
You never wish for one to be humbled, or even to suffer humiliation. It pains to lose, especially when expectations were so high and victory looked certain. But this series was a sharp reminder of the pitfalls which accompany pride. We are much too susceptible to failure to neglect our honourable position of lowliness. In victory we accept the graces afforded to us, in defeat we console our efforts, awaiting another day to avenge defeat. Lift your head Devin Booker, lift your head Chris Paul. Never laugh at a champion, never mock a wounded soldier, as when those wounds heal the scars will leave a mark. In Game 5 we saw Devin Booker perform the “Luka Special” where he mimicked an exaggerated flop in tribute to his opponent after being fouled. This was his last smile for the series.
Moral of the story: premature celebrations leave you ripe for picking.
Well, that addresses the Mavs series, who will now go on to face Golden State after they fought off the Grizzlies in 6 games. I’m excited to watch this matchup. I suspect it will be high scoring in the first few games, with both teams winning handsomely on the road, however as the series approaches its climax there may be a lot of missed threes and error-strewn performances. I believe this series will go 7 games but the Warriors will triumph in the end. Doncic may average a triple double across the series but I suspect it will be achieved inefficiently. It’s a battle of the supporting casts where the superstars (Luka and Steph) cannot monopolise their team’s scoring if they are to be victorious.
To the Boston Celtics, the giant crushers indeed. They play smart, physical basketball mixed with poise when it matters. The NBA is in great hands with Jayson Tatum. He will win a championship very soon at this rate- he forgoes individual statistics for victory. They’ve matured tremendously throughout the season and are brimming with confidence. Miami come in having faced two relatively weak opponents by comparison, so they won’t be as battle-tested for this fixture. My only reservation with the Celtics is that may experience a lull in form given their adventures against the Nets and Bucks. Expect the series to be tied 1-1 after the games in Miami, with the Celtics taking momentum into the next games. Miami will go as Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo go- I don’t expect any high scoring matches with these 2 teams priding themselves on their defence.
Revised NBA Finals Fixture: Boston Celtics (winning in 6) vs Golden State Warriors (winning in 7)
If you have the bandwidth watch these games live. These are akin to Klopp vs Guardiola tactical battles so it would be good to see the in-game adjustments that are made by the coaches.
It’s showtime ladies and gentlemen.