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- The Grip - WED 4.25
The Grip - WED 4.25
The Pariah and The Process
4.25.18
S.E.: Does the Paul George-Thunder Era end tonight?J.S.: Only if Mitt Romney makes the trip to Oklahoma.
Written while listening to Q-Tip's The Renaissance [
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No. 3 Philadelphia vs. No. 6 Miami
Game 1: 76ers 130, Heat 103Game 2: Heat 113, 76ers 103Game 3: 76ers 128, Heat 108Game 4: 76ers 106, Heat 102Game 5: 76ers 104, Heat 91 [Box Score] [Highlights]
We owe Sam Hinkie a huge apology
Galileo was laughed out of the 16th century. Einstein’s scientific proposals were shunned by his peers. Everyone thought Henry Heimlich was too touchy. Jim Bouton still hasn’t gotten an invite to an old timer’s game.
The point: It’s time to admit we were all wrong about Sam Hinkie, a genius visionary, before it’s too late.
The man we pariah’d with pitchforks exactly two years ago watched last night, presumably from a cabin in Siberia, as his beautiful dark twisted fantasy came together in a fantastic way. The Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 10-72 two years ago, beat the Miami Heat in the fifth game for their first playoff series win in The Process era.
The Darlings, Joel Embiid (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Ben Simmons (14 points, 10 rebounds), both had double-doubles. Now they await the winner of Milwaukee and Boston, while we reckon with how good this team is and how superbly wrong we were about the way Philadelphia chose to go about the last five years.
The things we said about Sam Hinkie. The way he was forced out of the NBA. We’re sorry.
We’re also not saying he’s Einstein. Let’s be real, Hinkie is way smarter.
Dwyane Wade Appreciation Post: If this is the end, Wade will go down as a top-30 player, and the third best shooting guard ever (Mike, Kobe, Dwyane). He was the first of that all-world ‘03 class to win a title. He convinced LeBron James to come to South Beach. He conned $44 million out of Chicago. He had one last great Heat game in game two of this series. A great (and dirty, had to) career.
Eastern Conference
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Indiana
Game 1: Pacers 98, Cavaliers 80Game 2: Cavaliers 100, Pacers 97Game 3: Pacers 92, Cavaliers 90Game 4: Cavaliers 104, Pacers 100Game 5: Pacers @ Cavaliers, 7 PM EST TNT
No games have happened in this series since the last Grip. Does that mean we’re doing a good job of actually doing our job?
No. 1 Toronto vs. No. 8 Washington
Game 1: Raptors 114, Wizards 106 Game 2: Raptors 130, Wizards 119 Game 3: Wizards 122, Raptors 103 Game 4: Wizards 106, Raptors 98Game 5: Wizards @ Raptors, 7 PM EST NBATV
Ditto! Link time!
Drake is stupid | Marcin Gortat’s physicality is beautifully understated | Are these the same old Raptors? | The Dysfunctional Functionality of the Washington Wizards
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Milwaukee
Game 1: Celtics 113, Bucks 107 [OT]Game 2: Celtics 120, Bucks 106Game 3: Bucks 116, Celtics 92Game 4: Bucks 104, Celtics 102Game 5: Celtics 92, Bucks 87 [Box Score] [Highlights]
The spectrum of Smart:
Marcus Smart returned and the Celtics won one of the uglier games of these playoffs.
Two things about this game, and Smart: He makes everything ugly, but in a good way for his team. Of course, his stat sheet was not impressive, and he finished with more turnovers (5) than assists (4). But he made several defensive plays that maybe two or three other players in the league could make.
Danny Ainge better pay that man. It’s a fact: He’s the type of player a title team needs.
Of note: Giannis took only 10 shots all game. He still finished with a near triple-double, but a rotating cast of Celtics defenders (including Semi Ojeleye, who started) helped neutralize him. Ojeleye also led the team in a new stat.
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Game 1: Rockets 104, Timberwolves 101Game 2: Rockets 102, Timberwolves 82Game 3: Timberwolves 121, Rockets 105Game 4: Rockets 119, Timberwolves 100 [Box Score] [Highlights]
The Timberwolves, led by a throwback performance by Derrick Rose in the first half, were down by one entering the second half in game four against Houston.
Then, Houston scored 50 points in the third quarter. 5-0. Fifty.
This team truly is the Mike D’Antoni-Steve Nash Phoenix Suns reincarnated...on steroids….with an extra prescription of adderall thrown in.
D’Antoni on the crazy third quarter: “It’s cute...like a triple-double.”
James Harden had a bad first half of game four, but had 22 of the fifty during the explosion. It was all great history book fodder, but the fact is, Harden will have to shoot and play better for the Rockets to prove this is legitimate.
He’s had some great playoff moments, but right now, both he and Chris Paul are still remembered more for the bad times.
No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 7 San Antonio
Game 1: Warriors 113, Spurs 92Game 2: Warriors 116, Spurs 101Game 3: Warriors 110, Spurs 97Game 4: Spurs 103, Warriors 90Game 5: Warriors 99, Spurs 91 [Box Score] [Highlights]
If this is the end for Manu Ginobili (and Tony Parker, for that matter), what a wonderful career it’s been.
That reminds us of a great piece on Manu and his basketball journey from a few years ago. People forget his Argentina team was the last to beat America in the Olympics, something he holds on equal footing with his four NBA titles.
Questionable: Kevin Durant dancing before the game
No. 4 Oklahoma City vs. No. 5 Utah
Game 1: Thunder 116, Jazz 108Game 2: Jazz 102, Thunder 96Game 3: Jazz 115, Thunder 102Game 4: Jazz 113, Thunder 96 [Box Score] [Highlights]
Game four on Monday night felt like watching a team from 2018 that utilized analytics, had a good coach, emphasized defense and proper fit instead of isolated talent, vs. a team from 1987 that cared more about selling a superstar and season tickets.
Sam Presti (Emerson alum) is clearly a smart person, but what he’s assembled here is not what the league is heading for.
As adopted Thunder fans, this is all very hard to take in, but it is something the city and its fans are going to have to deal with.
Russell Westbrook and Paul George are getting outplayed by a rookie. Of course, it’s not that black-and-white, but………
HERE COME THE THINKPIECES.
What else happened?
Russell Westbrook guaranteed he’d stop Ricky Rubio in game four. Instead, he got baited into four first half fouls. Mitt Romney (weird) was there to remind him.
Westbrook was also not suspended, just fined and assessed a technical foul, for leaving the bench area during a brawl, despite the fact that such a violation, by rule, is considered an automatic one-game suspension.
The refs missed a shot clock violation call in crunch time of yesterday’s Celtics-Bucks game.
Meek Mill got out of prison and went to the 76ers game last night, sitting courtside with a Joel Embiid jersey. The Heat stood no chance.
Marcus Smart is openly talking trash on Twitter. Click before he deletes.
Here’s footage of Giannis waiting for a seat at the taco restaurant.
A heartfelt, chocolate milk celebration in the 76ers’ locker room.
READ:A brief history of “Stolen Glory” moments in the NBA Playoffs
Courtesy of Sports Illustrated
