NBA 2025-26 Season Thread: THE NY KNICKS ARE CHAMPIONS! BING BONG!

fyp

I have no hair left from his continually dribbling to the corner. I've honestly not seen a primary ball handler, get the ball ripped and stripped more than Luke in 40+ years of watching bball.

But these stupid, and OBVIOUS blown calls down the stretch, make this game seem like it's WWE now. I don't understand the missed kick ball, or the noncall on the trip of Luka. That no-call there totally changed the game. Instead of 2 FT's and 1 TO left. You have 0 TO's, 1 sec to get the ball across and no 2 for 1.

Both teams played a good game, and both deserved the win. Just hate seeing this BS blown calls down the stretch.

I have a crazy idea.... let teams have 2 challenges in the PO's.

I know... it won't create as much post game drama. Damn.

just what the NBA needs - more stoppages.

heres another idea - dont waste your only challenge on a meaningless first half call that doesnt even take points off the board. Finch saving his challenge was the difference in the game.

2009 Cavs pretty famously didn't. Cost us the most realistic chance of Kobe vs Lebron finals

2007 Mavs and 2016 Spurs also but I don't know if that last one counts.

Anyway holy **** what a great weekend of basketball. It seems like a good omen that Brunson and Edwards had injury scares but were both fine. Maybe for once the playoffs won't be marred by a ton of injuries.

I want to say that was the year vitamin water had to pivot from their Kobe/bran commercials and just do Dwight?

It's the POs... they already have extra stoppages, and the action is way more intense. You're not going to lose fans for 1 more challenge. lol

Regular season... who cares. 1 is plenty.

To be fair there will never be a game where he doesn’t look like a fat toddler

Unpopular take...

... Luka's a really good player, who got great player status on Dallas because they needed him in that role. But he's not a great player. He's a competitor, and can usually step up in hostile environments. If you put most really good players in in the NBA in that role, you're going to see similar numbers, give or take.

I don't think in today's game, forcing ISO's to get teams to commit 2 to the ball is a championship winning strategy anymore. There's too much talent, too many good defensive schemes by elite teams.

Ball movement and pace wins today, and if you don't do that, you're not going to be wearing rings.

I guess as a basketball fan, I enjoyed watching the Lakers ball movement and connected played before Luka arrived. Once JJ figured out the rotations, the Lakers were blowing out teams. They weren't even competitive games mostly.

Then everything got stagnant and predictable once Luka arrived, and he's a big liability on the other end, which people just don't take into account enough imho.

9 pm tip-off while the lakers play at noon is ****ing wild

Edit: I realize lakers woulda been the 9 pm tip-off but still. Wild

Who’s the worst player to ever be the best player on a losing Finals team? Paul Westphal? Or Booker.

As someone who has a moderate financial position on Lilliard having a bounce back game after the Game 3 dud, him pulling up lame 5 minutes into this game wasn't ideal.

I hope he pulls an Anthony Edwards and is fine, but more likely we dont see him again this year.

That had all the hallmarks of an Achilles

Ya Lillard is finished

That was my concern as well. It seems like players almost always know when it is an Achilles injury. When KD tore his Achilles, he immediately reached down to see if his calf muscle had rolled up.

Easily Jalen Rose unless you think miller was the best player on that team

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player go down from a non contact, stay down while sitting up for 20 seconds of gameplay and it not be a torn Achilles

Huge bummer

Butler in 2022-2023 has to be a contender.

Are those the only 2 choices? 😀

NBA Playoffs are WWE. The reffing has been so bad it makes you wonder. But you don't have to wonder, it's a stupid rigged product.

Fake Wrestling with a Basketball.

Was true in 2002 when the Kings got robbed vs LakeShow. Still true in 2025.

From what I have seen, rupturing your Achilles doesn't seem to be excruciatingly painful. Ja obviously was in much more pain than Lillard. But it must feel weird because the player always seems to know.

nah every single game has been going 20-30 minutes over and dragging into the next game, its annoying. And coaches already get 2 challenges as long as they win their first one, so the lesson should be dont waste the first one on a stupid marginal call like JJ did today

Nico did!

that injury definitely increases the chances that this is giannis last playoff series with the bucks