WCQF: P1 | (4) OKC Thunder vs Utah Jazz (5) | Utah wins 4-2

[LookToShoot]

Melo is so delusional, he should be grateful he started, if it's any other coach, he is already out of the rotation. What a waste of a cap space that guy is, wow. And he will make 28 million next year? Just a horrific trade. Anyway, I think the Jazz closes this out at home, but even if they do, this game showed why they will be outmatched in the next round. They will run into a team with similar talent level, but much better cohesion, and an infinitely better coach than Donovan, who Snyder pretty much owns in this series (Westbrook and George saved him last night).

Melo only took six shots, but he was ball hogging Melo!

Don’t worry, you will continue to see more of him when the Thunder win this series. Maybe the Mavs will be fortunate enough to be in the playoffs next year. Nowitzki should retire, definitely not worth the money he’s being paid.

[Jkam31]

lebron's heat against the spurs lost by 15, 19, 21 and 17. he never went for 45, refusing to lose. he went to the bench and watched the last 6 minutes. but hey, he was efficient.

don't make me bring up 2011 . . .

Facts!

He has to stay efficient so they could blame his teammates


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[lambchop]

lebron's heat against the spurs lost by 15, 19, 21 and 17. he never went for 45, refusing to lose. he went to the bench and watched the last 6 minutes. but hey, he was efficient.

don't make me bring up 2011 . . .

yea he was obsessed with efficiency for a while. I preferred him in other playoff scenarios like game 6 in Boston, down 3-1 in the finals, 2015 finals though he wasnt efficient here, this current series and last night games against the pacers, 2007 putting team on his back etc.
He has definitely had his share of memorable and questionable performances

[TheBallsDeeper]

I was watching the OKC replay and it looked like Melo was arguing with the coaches to try and get back in the game when OKC had just gone on their 25-3 run. Has there ever been a less team orientated, selfish player in Basketball? Every other player on the bench (or any other bench in the league if it was their team) was cheering on their team and not wanting to stop the momentum, but Melo was more concerned with wanting to sub someone out so he get in on the glory. Bizarre behavior, and extremely unprofessional.

I lost all respect for him when he laughed off suggestion from a reporter earlier in the season that they could try him off the bench. He has the opposite of a team first mentally.

OKC play much better without him. He is a terrible defender and does not fit with Westbrook (they expose each others weaknesses). I'd like to see them start without him next game. If that happened I could see him opting out and looking for another team, I think he would rather lose as the star than win as a role player.

And of course you know exactly what Melo was saying and aren’t just speculating? He could have been saying anything - even arguing to NOT go back into the game. I think he’s sat out the end of games before this season and was fine with it.

Melo is a very professional player - we’ve seen him keep his cool many times in the face of hard criticism. I really doubt he was fighting to go back in if the coaches didn’t want him in...

But keep looking for reasons to hate...

This aged well.

[nikster]

was lebron down 20, facing elimination?

If WB didn't play so poorly in the beginning he wouldn't be down 20.

too bad the game isn't 28 minutes, huh?

....you were the one that brought up Westbrook was down 20 early as an argument for why he had a better game. LeBron was clearly the better player last night

[ZemGOAT]

He really needs to shut up. The fact you can make. Arguement that he is one of the Jazz most effective players is sad.

[Johnny Firpo]

Melo only took six shots, but he was ball hogging Melo!

Don’t worry, you will continue to see more of him when the Thunder win this series. Maybe the Mavs will be fortunate enough to be in the playoffs next year. Nowitzki should retire, definitely not worth the money he’s being paid.

It doesn't matter how many shots he takes, he is still a net negative, and a waste of cap space. Obviously you are a fan an offended, but that doesn't make what I'm saying any less true. And yes, no question that Dirk deserves the measly $5,000,000 he makes.

He was the 18th best center this year based on RPM, and actually a net positive on both offense, and shockingly, on defense too. Melo was the 39th best power forward based on RPM, with an overall net negative impact, and actually makes $26,000,000. I mean, how much clearer could this be? Sorry, but he is totally done as an impact player, don't kill the messenger. I also highly doubt that OKC wins the next game. It could happen, but the Jazz has been the significantly better team throughout this series.

[Cappy_Smurf]

If the Jazz don't come out strong next game and win they might as well concede Game 7, OKC will have figured them out.

Lol. You call getting down by 25 points and then making a miracle comeback "figuring them out?"

If they had anything figured out, they would have never been down that big in a close out game in the first place.

The only thing they really figured out is that they need Gobert off the floor or in serious foul trouble, and that was no big secret before. Gobert made some dumb plays but also got hosed on at least one foul where he was 2 feet away from touching Melo. OKC is going to have to try to go at Gobert and get him in foul trouble, but Rudy knows this and is good at playing around it most of the time. The trick is that he pretends to go for a block but stays grounded. When he does this, half the time players miss the shot anyway because they're trying not to get blocked.

Gobert let the refs get in his head, and at the same time OKC made the plays they needed to in order to erase a 25 point lead. If that happens again, it will be more luck than anything. They won't have the crowd behind them in the next game.

[nurseryc]

Is game 6 in OKC?

[Green89]

The Jazz had won 3 games in a row and were up by 25. Gobert going out was a huge turn, but the Jazz became complacent in general. This is a good experience for them.

I thought that offensively the Jazz really bailed out the Thunder defense. There were some bad shots taken when Golbert was essentially alone under the basket. A team can't erase a 25 point lead in the single quarter unless the other team helps them out.

Yah, still can’t believe Rudy passed up an open dunk to kick out for a missed three attempt.

[CodeBreaker]

Is game 6 in OKC?

At Salt Lake

[LookToShoot]

Melo only took six shots, but he was ball hogging Melo!

Don’t worry, you will continue to see more of him when the Thunder win this series. Maybe the Mavs will be fortunate enough to be in the playoffs next year. Nowitzki should retire, definitely not worth the money he’s being paid.

It doesn't matter how many shots he takes, he is still a net negative, and a waste of cap space. Obviously you are a fan an offended, but that doesn't make what I'm saying any less true. And yes, no question that Dirk deserves the measly $5,000,000 he makes.

He was the 18th best center this year based on RPM, and actually a net positive on both offense, and shockingly, on defense too. Melo was the 39th best power forward based on RPM, with an overall net negative impact, and actually makes $26,000,000. I mean, how much clearer could this be? Sorry, but he is totally done as an impact player, don't kill the messenger. I also highly doubt that OKC wins the next game. It could happen, but the Jazz has been the significantly better team throughout this series.

Nowitzki was overpaid the last 3 years, but was given a legacy deal or “make up” money. Mavs are dreadful, clearly by their record. Thunder are in the playoffs, they are not. Simple as that..

[Pass_the_rock]

Is game 6 in OKC?

but why ?

[Johnny Firpo]

Nowitzki was overpaid the last 3 years, but was given a legacy deal or “make up” money. Mavs are dreadful, clearly by their record. Thunder are in the playoffs, they are not. Simple as that..

I don't mind, we could finally have a nice consolation prize for it. I would honestly not switch places with the Thunder right now. They are going nowhere, and George will like take off this summer. Being a treadmill team is the worst thing in this league, and the Thunder is going, what going, speeding in that direction. Anyway, aren't you a Knicks fan?

[Trugger]

Just wondering,, Ingles took one shot after the 7 min mark of the third , jazz up by 20 ,, why did he stop shooting considering he was one of the reasons they got that lead ???

[NBAFan93]

I was watching the OKC replay and it looked like Melo was arguing with the coaches to try and get back in the game when OKC had just gone on their 25-3 run. Has there ever been a less team orientated, selfish player in Basketball? Every other player on the bench (or any other bench in the league if it was their team) was cheering on their team and not wanting to stop the momentum, but Melo was more concerned with wanting to sub someone out so he get in on the glory. Bizarre behavior, and extremely unprofessional.

I lost all respect for him when he laughed off suggestion from a reporter earlier in the season that they could try him off the bench. He has the opposite of a team first mentally.

OKC play much better without him. He is a terrible defender and does not fit with Westbrook (they expose each others weaknesses). I'd like to see them start without him next game. If that happened I could see him opting out and looking for another team, I think he would rather lose as the star than win as a role player.

And of course you know exactly what Melo was saying and aren’t just speculating? He could have been saying anything - even arguing to NOT go back into the game. I think he’s sat out the end of games before this season and was fine with it.

Melo is a very professional player - we’ve seen him keep his cool many times in the face of hard criticism. I really doubt he was fighting to go back in if the coaches didn’t want him in...

But keep looking for reasons to hate...

This aged well.

The fact that someone watches a miraculous 20+ point comeback like that, in an elimination game, w/ amazing performances by Westbrook and PG...and the main thing they care to talk about is what it means regarding Melo (the third option guy at best) is still really sad. He didn’t do anything bad IN the game?, so let’s look at him on the bench and find reasons to complain about that...smh...

So many posters on these threads are unnaturally obsessed w/ Melo that all they care about is finding any way they can to make everything the Thunder does about him, his contract, how he’s washed up, etc. He’s not the only aging and/or overpaid player in the league people. I’m not sure why he’s in all these posters heads like this, but he is...

[JN61]

I shut down the game around end of 2nd half because it was way too late for me. I see Thunder made comeback. 39 shots by Russ, jeez. Well I take it. Win is a win.

[TheBallsDeeper]

And of course you know exactly what Melo was saying and aren’t just speculating? He could have been saying anything - even arguing to NOT go back into the game. I think he’s sat out the end of games before this season and was fine with it.

Melo is a very professional player - we’ve seen him keep his cool many times in the face of hard criticism. I really doubt he was fighting to go back in if the coaches didn’t want him in...

But keep looking for reasons to hate...

This aged well.

The fact that someone watches a miraculous 20+ point comeback like that, in an elimination game, w/ amazing performances by Westbrook and PG...and the main thing they care to talk about is what it means regarding Melo (the third option guy at best) is still really sad. He didn’t do anything bad IN the game?, so let’s look at him on the bench and find reasons to complain about that...smh...

So many posters on these threads are unnaturally obsessed w/ Melo that all they care about is finding any way they can to make everything the Thunder does about him, his contract, how he’s washed up, etc. He’s not the only aging and/or overpaid player in the league people. I’m not sure why he’s in all these posters heads like this, but he is...

I'm not sure why there is not able to be any discussion on a basketball forum that is not a glowing endorsement of the winning team after a game. I guess I just dislike when I'm trying to have a discussion online and some keyboard warrior has to ride in and start making false claims and accusations without any actual clue as to what was going on. Fans that think that they have to come to the rescue as the internet tough guy when there has been any criticism, justified or not, of a player on the team that they support seems really bizarre to me.

[TheBallsDeeper]

Just wondering,, Ingles took one shot after the 7 min mark of the third , jazz up by 20 ,, why did he stop shooting considering he was one of the reasons they got that lead ???

Seemed to look for Mitchell even when he had open opportunities, many of the players did. Seemed like a coaching directive that failed. Mitchell was great at finishing on the inside but struggled from outside and it was part of the reason they lost IMO.

[Screwston]

Lol @ if Utah losses this series