2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (DAL WINS 4-2)

[Cubbies2120]

I thought size mattered in the playoffs, but these days, guys like Brunson and SGA get all the ticky tack fouls, and the bigger guys have to get murdered to get a call in their favor.

*cough* Embiid *cough* You have to flop and flail to get calls in the NBA. Most bigs can only do it against someone even bigger and stronger than them. Embiid falls a lot for a reason.

Facts! Hate to bring Embiid into this, but that's the truth. Little guys and big men who fall to the ground when a gust of wind hits them are the only ones that get rewarded with ticky tack fouls. But boy, when that whistle stops being favorable they have some of the most epic chokes in NBA history.

[BmanInBigD]

Ya so. Jump ball.

That's not how the play is called million other times.

Washington never came down with the ball. If he did, then it would have been a jump ball. The right call was made.

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You reward the player for getting his hand on the ball. You don't call the contact on his arm AFTER the ball was touched.

It's never called like that.

It should be called like that every time. If the player still has the ball and is attempting to shoot, then you foul him, it’s a foul. Please just give up already, you’re wrong.

[CobraCommander]

So the 1 seed Thunder with SGA who a lot of people thought should be the MVP and are calling a top 3 player win 2 games against teams that weren’t the injured Zionless Pels? Luka was clearly hobbled throughout the series too.

Are you really trying to detract from a clearly very young team that overachieved and surprised everyone?

Being young matters now?

Luka has been getting roasted and he’s younger than SGA.

Sga out played Luka this series from start to finish - that’s not in doubt -

The okc thunder YOUNG - sga and Luka same damn age-

It’s just math man and being young matters a ton-

Okc is the youngest team ever to win a playoff series -

Mavs 4 years older on avg

Better team and older team won-

Best player in series was Sga - Luka knows how that feels -

[The Corey's]

Id personally quit watching basketball if that had happened to my team.

Meanwhile the commentators in collusion with the league don't go all in on how bad that foul call was.

You can't even block the shot anymore.

This is absolute nonsense. You clearly don't know what a block is, what a foul is, what a loose ball is. You're seriously suggesting that someone can just walk up to the ball handler, touch the ball, and then hack them on the arm? What?

You clearly comprehended what I said incorrectly. Go back and read it slowly .

[Wingy]

Dallas made the small trades to get the extra edge they needed, OKC didn’t

Yup. Just like Celtics and even tho it didn’t work for them, the Bucs. When you have top end talent you have to push your chips in. OKC seems content just Collecting Picks instead of turning them into real players/help.

Heat did the same mistakes. Jimmy kept taking us farther and farther and instead of going all in we lose players and other teams improved and we didn’t. Sometimes the games are won and lost in the off-season/trade deadline.

I wrote many posts this season saying OKC shouldn’t assume the future citing players like DRose, Brandon Roy, etc.

They should’ve absolutely strengthened that team. Was never calling for something dumb (eg - old, near-washed + bad value long term money), but it was obvious they were so close. Richard Jefferson for one agrees with us.

[ItsDanger]

OKC overachieved this season. Now they can easily see what pieces stay and where improvements are needed.

[doogie_hauser]

Man I feel bad for Shai. Literally couldn't do anything more to get OKC over the line, yet costs them the game and season with that foul at the end on Washington.

He will be stewing over that all Summer/off season.
However a bitter and heartbreaking playoff series loss like this is necessary growing pains for a young and talented team like OKC.

Thunder fans should still be proud of their season. Better times are ahead.

[ChipotleWest]

It took 6 games instead of 5 but this worked the Mavs got rid of that sh*tty f**king commercial!

Read on Twitter

[Doranku]

Hats off to SGA. Guy is **** unreal. I just stopped getting mad at the shots he was making because I legit expected every single one to go by the 4th quarter. Terrifying for opposing fans.

[NiceLikeChrist]

Cooked product. Terrible call to end a series on.

Neither one of these teams play real defense so they both would’ve been destroyed by minny/Denver regardless

Why the hell does Shai help so much off his man. Just let Luka play 1 on 1. How many times do you have to give up open 3s before you understand that you should stay home. It’s like these guys never watched heliocentric offense before. Don’t double them. He was out of position on the last play too which led to his terrible contest.

[jigga_man]

Mavs will beat Minnesota if they play them because they have elite rim protection for Edwards (nuggets/suns had none). Nuggets will be a challenge though.

Seeing how Luka reacts to the Wolves defense and the refs will be a sight to behold

[CobraCommander]

Dallas just better - now it’s their time - they could win it all

[Statlanta]

Holmgren is my favorite player from this series. He needs help and to continue to find his offensive game.

[The Corey's]

Seriously wtf was SGA thinking there. Insanely low IQ. No timeouts left just make a good contest and live with the outcome.

Game 7 would have been crazy.

You know he blocked the ball right? Any contact after that is not a foul.

You better apply for nba referee reform committee. They referees reviewed and determined it was a foul.

And I eagerly await for you and the NBA to release where in the rulebook it describes exactly the play that unfolded along side other instances throughout the season where it was called this exact way.

[Mr B]

OKC just needs a C. If i was them, i'd trade up for Clingan

They need a defensive/rebounding center and a true PG.

[___Rand___]

I’m barely 6’0 and a slim guy, I’m not joking when I say I don’t think Chet could even box me out.

3 boards all game. He lost a ton of box outs. Mavs got 14 offensive boards. Total boards were 31-47 for Mavs. It's ridiculous. If Chet got say 7 boards instead of 3, that's 4 points off Dallas. It's a win for OKC. Dude's just soft. He's got no game except for his height.

Not even just that, he legit looks scared to shoot wide open 3s. He’s supposed to be a shooter and this is what you get?


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EXACTLY! His body language was bad from the start. I would've hugged him and bytch slapped him as a coach. Be a man out there. This isn't like war. You will still be alive after the game.

[JustBuzzin]

Mavs fans you're welcome.

PJ Washington should have never been traded. Can't believe they chose Miles Bridges over PJ smh.

[Tha Cynic]

So the 1 seed Thunder with SGA who a lot of people thought should be the MVP and are calling a top 3 player win 2 games against teams that weren’t the injured Zionless Pels? Luka was clearly hobbled throughout the series too.

Are you really trying to detract from a clearly very young team that overachieved and surprised everyone?

Being young matters now?

Luka has been getting roasted and he’s younger than SGA.

This team has never made the playoffs and played very well for their first playoffs with a very young team with no experience. They beat the Pelicans and played tough against a Mavs team - both teams have a lot of playoff experience. They have everything in front of them.

Think it through for a bit. If it still doesn't click, then it won't click no matter what I say.

[The Warrior]

Ya so. Jump ball.

That's not how the play is called million other times.

Washington never came down with the ball. If he did, then it would have been a jump ball. The right call was made.

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You reward the player for getting his hand on the ball. You don't call the contact on his arm AFTER the ball was touched.

It's never called like that.

If you disagree with it fine, but it's literally in the rulebook. Contact is allowed on the hand after the ball is touched. If the ball is still in hand and it was before Washington released the shot, it's a foul.

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[lonzo_pelota]

Brandon Ingram would be less of a albatross.

BI on that team would be crazy.

Wouldn’t they have to resign Chet, IB, and Jalen all at the same time?

they would just have to pull a Boston...