Game 82: Atlanta Hawks (43-38) @ Indiana Pacers (41-40) - 8:00 PM ET

Pacers_Freak · Post #2 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 6:27 pm

Atlanta has announced they are sitting Milsap, Howard, Schroeder, Bazemore, and Hardaway. Just have to come out and take care of business.

Post #3 » by **Jake0890** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:34 pm

Good, good.

But the starter-less Hawks DID beat the Cavs, nothing is a sure thing.

Winning this game gives us the 7 spot. The only way to not play the Cavs in the first round is for the Cavs to win and Celts to lose to MIL, which seems unlikely. Unfortunate, but maybe we can be a cinderella.

Pacers_Freak · Post #4 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:46 pm

Jake0890 wrote:Good, good.

But the starter-less Hawks DID beat the Cavs, nothing is a sure thing.

Winning this game gives us the 7 spot. The only way to not play the Cavs in the first round is for the Cavs to win and Celts to lose to MIL, which seems unlikely. Unfortunate, but maybe we can be a cinderella.

Agree. It is the one team I absolutely did not want to draw. Only us to blame though. If we had played like we have the past week and half all season we would not be in this situation.

Wizop · Post #5 » by **Wizop** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:14 pm

but if we play well against the Cavs, the season will end on a high note even if we lose the series. we need PG to feel we're moving in the right direction and a loss to the Cavs may be easier to accept than a first round exit to anyone else.

Pacers_Freak · Post #6 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:46 pm

Wizop wrote:but if we play well against the Cavs, the season will end on a high note even if we lose the series. we need PG to feel we're moving in the right direction and a loss to the Cavs may be easier to accept than a first round exit to anyone else.

Unless we get swept or completely blown out in a majority of the games I agree with you.

basketballwacko2 · Post #7 » by **basketballwacko2** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:51 pm

We have to win this game tonight. Miami is playing washington and they are not playing Wall or Beal, IDK if they're resting anyone else but it looks like Miami will have a pretty easy time. Like was said the hawks beat the Cavs the other day.

Post #8 » by **boomershadow** » Wed Apr 12, 2017 10:51 pm

Pacers_Freak wrote:
Wizop wrote:but if we play well against the Cavs, the season will end on a high note even if we lose the series. we need PG to feel we're moving in the right direction and a loss to the Cavs may be easier to accept than a first round exit to anyone else.

Unless we get swept or completely blown out in a majority of the games I agree with you.

I agree with both of you.

The thing I don't like is that no matter how well we play against the Cavs, even if it's better than they play, I don't think the Refs let the almighty Lebron lose in the first round. I hate that that's the way the NBA seems to run, but it is.

Post #9 » by **boomershadow** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:24 am

Kinda silly to have our starters in with almost 2 minutes to go in the game and we're up by 16. We better hope Jeff Teague's ankle isn't anything serious.

Post #10 » by **Jake0890** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:33 am

Ellis was a no-show tonight. Weird to not see Lance get more burn, wanted to see him hot going into the playoffs.

Pacersike · Post #11 » by **Pacersike** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:58 am

boomershadow wrote:
The thing I don't like is that no matter how well we play against the Cavs, even if it's better than they play, I don't think the Refs let the almighty Lebron lose in the first round. I hate that that's the way the NBA seems to run, but it is.

Refs make mistakes and players like Lebron get more calls than lesser players, but I don't want to think it is a league thing.
Lebron losing in the first round would make a great story, perhaps an even bigger story than another title. Just imagine all the analyzing. Lebron over the top? topics would fill in the gaps the Celtics or another team leave in the Finals.

What I don't like about this matchup is that it will be hard to tell how good we really are, unless we can beat them.

And of course it's going to be one sweet hugging party between 2 buddies :cuddle

Thank God we have Lance now :starwars

basketballwacko2 · Post #12 » by **basketballwacko2** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 3:00 am

Team played pretty good was a sloppy game balls going all directions but great game for PG 32 and 11, Lance had 10 rebounds, only 4 points but 6 assists, and Turner had 6 blocks I think.

Wizop · Post #13 » by **Wizop** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:22 pm

Pacersike wrote:Refs make mistakes and players like Lebron get more calls than lesser players, but I don't want to think it is a league thing.

I do think it is a league thing that the stars get the benefit of the doubt if not because they encourage it then because it has been going on for years and they've done nothing to stop it. but I do not think that the refs or the league try to pick winners. we'll need to bring our A game and score a knockout. as they used to say in boxing, you can't beat the champ by a decision.

Pacersike · Post #14 » by **Pacersike** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:18 pm

Wizop wrote:
Pacersike wrote:Refs make mistakes and players like Lebron get more calls than lesser players, but I don't want to think it is a league thing.

I do think it is a league thing that the stars get the benefit of the doubt if not because they encourage it then because it has been going on for years and they've done nothing to stop it. but I do not think that the refs or the league try to pick winners. we'll need to bring our A game and score a knockout. as they used to say in boxing, you can't beat the champ by a decision.

I don't know. It's very common in other sports too. I look at it as driving a car and having to wait for the red lights.
The fastest cars seem to get more green lights than normals cars because
A. they have more horse power
B. people who drive those cars are more willing to bend the rules their ways, by going over the speed limit if they have to, to get the green light

IMO players who can get more calls, are either better players or they know better how to bend the rules their way.
And it isn't always as obvious as Hibbert's verticality or Reggie kicking his feet out.

In soccer there is exactly the same narrative, where the better soccer clubs get more penalties (those close kicks, 1 player against the goalkeeper) than others. Referees are human beings and it is impossible to judge other human beings faults without any prejudgments. Good players or good teams just seem to put more pressure on referees to get calls in their favor than lesser players or teams. I believe that is our nature.

Which is another reason why I'm not as high on Paul George as many others. He has to beg to get calls called in his favor, but IMO calls in his favor would come naturally if he had a more dominant personality. When it comes to calls, you don't ask for respect, you demand respect.

I like to believe it is a natural/unconscious thing and not manipulated/conscious. Or a only a very small minority conscious.

Pacers_Freak · Post #15 » by **Pacers_Freak** » Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:26 pm

Jake0890 wrote:Ellis was a no-show tonight. Weird to not see Lance get more burn, wanted to see him hot going into the playoffs.

He got a quick hook after some turnovers. But Nate did bring him back to close it out.