First game is about 36 hours after they both finish off their series (Noon on Sunday).


OKC with Perkins and Ibaka match up very well with Grizzlies.

Also, Collison is very valuable in this series.

Hopeful....Grizz in 6.

[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 5/4/2013 12:03a).]

Not sure how I feel about playing OKC yet. KD could go off. Starting on Sunday? Why not Monday?

Definitely a better matchup than Houston, but will still be tough. As much as I like to rib Gigem Trevas on here, this is a respectable rivalry (not like the fake tough guys from LAC). Looking forward to the series.

Pahdz I hope that OKC plays a clean series unlike LAC. I don't want any ugly games like what I read about tonight.

Trevas, probably to reward the teams that finished earlier with more rest.

Yeah but both teams finished on Friday and have to travel. NBA makes no sense sometimes.

All 4 teams that played last night are playing on Sunday (and traveling). The NBA wants at least 1 game every day.


It seems like it has been a month since the Miami Heat played.

This should be a good series...

Expecting okc to play clean is like pissing in the wind. Get ready for durants new tough guy antics and his mean face.. and his non called technical fouls.

That is why I said I hope.

Grizz in 6.

Game 2 is Tuesday, and Game 3 in Memphis is....Saturday?


Nothing like a 4 day break.

That makes no sense. Typical of the NBA.

quote:

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Expecting okc to play clean is like pissing in the wind. Get ready for durants new tough guy antics and his mean face.. and his non called technical fouls.

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You really need a life

Hilariously true!!!!!!!

I see the Grizz taking this series....Their defense is pretty intense and w/o Westbrook its gonna take a large effort from guys not named Durant to steal a game or two....things I never thought I would say at the beginning of the playoffs

As for the Thunder being "dirty" I think its the case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch. Guys like Perkins and Fisher are hated by plenty of fan bases for their antics, but I don't know if I would label the team dirty necessarily. The dirtiest series so far IMO has been that Denver-Golden State matchup. Things escalated early on and pretty quickly. I love that tough brand of basketball. Fun to watch!

Should be a good series and I agree with Pahdz that OKC match up better with the Grizz.

The Thunder won't have top worry about Ibaka guarding perimeter players as much with the post players Memphis has.

Yeah but Randolph will still abuse him, so Collison will see a lot of minutes. I also expect Thabeet to play quite a bit.

There is a difference between being a saavy vet being a master of the dark arts of the game, and being someone like Reggie Evans or some other hack.

Missing the game live again.... Grizz have won the last 2 games I missed live though. Hope the Grizzlies can steal game one today.

Perkins, Ibaka, and collision have done fine against gasol, Randolph, and Arthur.

My guess is that without westbrook, Tony Allen will spend time on Durant, with prince and Pondexter seeing a significant amount of Durant time.

Tony Allen used to have to cover westbrook because Conley couldn't handle him.

Read today that over the past 3 seasons the teams have battled to a 9-9 draw, which includes the 7 game series from two years ago.

And there have been 4 games of 18 to go to overtime.

Saying that I expect todays game to not be of highest quality.

Grizzlies in 6.

And ESPN seems to agree.

Both teams look a bit rusty to start out

I am quite sure that Durant's marketing team came up with the "mean face" scam, but it is incredibly lame and stupid. So lame, in fact, that I no longer root for Durant or OKC. I don't even know anyone on the Griz, but I'll be rooting for them.

(Small protest, I know, but it is mine.)

I want to punch Marc Gasol every time his ugly mug is on the screen. Pau as well.

Something just bothers me about those two. Maybe it's cause they're Spaniards.

At this rate, it will be a miracle if these teams get to the 60's.

Spaniards

But I actually like the Gasols.

That's not a flagrant.

No way that's a flagrant. The NBA is getting pussified just like the NFL

Yeah that was pretty bad especially considering they even reviewed it.

Fortunately he missed them both.

lol that move is annoying. Smart though.

Just caught up watching the game.

If that Collison foul was a flagrant, then the Clippers should have been called for about 6 flagrant fouls in the last 2 games (that weren't called).

Unfortunately, the key was Prince laying down.