2012 NBA Finals - Thunder vs. Heat / Celtics

[ljbab728]

It won't matter in the least in the results but now the percentage rooting for OKC in the ESPN poll is up to 56%.

[blangtang]

Here’s the schedule. All times are Central, and every game will be shown on ABC.

Game 1: Tues., June 12 - Boston/Miami at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Game 2: Thurs., June 14 - Boston/Miami at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Sun., June 17 - Oklahoma City at Boston/Miami, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Tues., June 19 - Oklahoma City at Boston/Miami, 8 p.m.
*Game 5: Thurs., June 21 - Oklahoma City at Boston/Miami, 8 p.m.
*Game 6: Sun., June 24 - Boston/Miami at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.
*Game 7: Tues., June 26 - Boston/Miami at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

Let me get this right cuz I don't pay too close attention to details - the NBA does a 2-2-1-1-1 in the early rounds of the playoffs but does a 2-3-2 in the finals?

Also, looking at the schedule you posted, there are no Fri/Sat games. What a bummer for the people who like to get rowdy on the weekends!

[ljbab728]

Not exactly about basketball but a fun video that Steve posted on his blog.

http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/20.../yeah/#respond

[ljbab728]

An interesting and gracious comment from Popovich.

“As sad and disappointed as we are, you really have to think about it almost like a Hollywood script for OKC in a sense,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

“They went through Dallas, last year’s NBA champion, then they went through the Lakers, then they went through us. Those three teams represent 10 of the last 13 championships, and now they’re going to go to The Finals and play either Boston or Miami, and that’ll be 11 of the last 13 championships.

“I don’t know if anybody has ever had a run or gone through a playoff playing those kinds of teams. It’s just incredible, and I think it’s pretty cool for them.

[Matt]

Let me get this right cuz I don't pay too close attention to details - the NBA does a 2-2-1-1-1 in the early rounds of the playoffs but does a 2-3-2 in the finals?

Yep.

Also, looking at the schedule you posted, there are no Fri/Sat games. What a bummer for the people who like to get rowdy on the weekends!

Yep. It's all about TV ratings.

This opinion piece is a couple of years old, but it addresses both of those things:

When questioned about the 2-3-2 NBA Finals format recently, commissioner David Stern attributed the change, now 25 years old, to Red Auerbach, who had complained that heavy travel for Games 5, 6, and 7 affected the quality of basketball.

In those days, back-to-backs for Games 1 and 2 and Games 3 and 4 were common and Red was right; given the schedule, which allowed off days only if there was a change of venue, the increased travel as the series wore on affected play.

That is no longer the case, yet the NBA seems married to this format that is annoying more than anything else.

(snip)

Stern has the power to make changes, but the question is whether he wants to because one of his primary goals is satisfying television demands.

A former NBA player questioned why the NBA doesn’t push Game 3 to Wednesday, then play Game 4 Friday and Game 5 Sunday. A grand idea, except television wants to avoid Friday night because of ratings.

The NBA could have scheduled Game 1 of this series last Friday, but the series started on Thursday for a reason. Stern is listening to his masters and if ABC wants two weekday games and then a Sunday game for ratings, that’s what Stern will do. But adhering to television requests as well as making for a fair series forces the league into some difficult decisions.

(snip)

And if the NBA is fine with the other playoff series in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, why are the Finals different? Stern dropped the responsibility in the lap of Auerbach, who eventually acknowledged he didn’t like the format.

Although Stern has more pressing responsibilities trying to formulate a new collective bargaining agreement, the commissioner can no longer throw up his hands and blame a 25-year-old conversation with Auerbach because of the format. He has the power to collaborate with ABC for an amicable 2-2-1-1-1 format that would satisfy television, because ABC/ESPN had no trouble with the Celtics-Magic series or even the Celtics-Cavaliers seven-game thriller two years ago.

Something hasn’t seemed right with the Finals since the format changed, and the progressive Stern should finally admit this trend has run its course. The NBA is the only professional league in which the finals format differs from the rest of the playoffs, and that makes no sense.

Stern scoffed at Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy’s earlier suggestion that the playoff series are too spread out and back-to-backs need to return. So if that old-school idea was so preposterous, why is he holding on to 2-3-2?

It’s time for Stern to blend a little of the progressive and old school, and he is brilliant enough to devise a format that would satisfy all parties because 2-3-2 will never stop giving off that uneasy feeling.

[Pete]

Love this excerpt from ESPN:

They are the worthiest of conference representatives, running a historical gantlet of kings. In three playoff rounds they have defeated the Lakers, Mavericks and Spurs, gotten past Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Duncan, the three teams and star players who had accounted for every Western Conference championship since 1999 and won the NBA Finals a collective 10 times.

The young Thunder, who start four players who don't meet the 25-years age minimum required to rent a car, even manage to astonish the older heads in their own locker room.

[Snowman]

Current ESPN poll.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=3058

58% favoring Boston to face OKC.

69% favoring OKC to take the title.

54% rooting for OKC to take the title. (Who would have ever thought that?) The only states not for the Thunder are Florida (no surprise), Kentucky, West Virginia, and the New England states.

Even the state of Washington is rooting for the Thunder.

Interesting difference in survey:

Percent wanting for OKC to win in Oklahoma: 98%
Percent wanting for Boston to win in Massachusetts: 88%
Percent wanting for Miami to win in Florida: 52%

[Pete]

I would really love the Thunder to incorporate a third uniform design that features O-K-C, ala the Suns and PHX. Atlanta has done something similar as well.

The OKC tag has now become completely recognized around the country (you hear commentators using it all the time, and even opposing players) and I think it would be great to help brand the city even more:

[Easy180]

Love this excerpt from ESPN:

Something tells me KD is able to rent a car when he pops up at the front desk lol

[Matt]

I would really love the Thunder to incorporate a third uniform design that features O-K-C, ala the Suns and PHX. Atlanta has done something similar as well.

The OKC tag has now become completely recognized around the country (you hear commentators using it all the time, and even opposing players) and I think it would be great to help brand the city even more:

I've been thinking about what a possible alternate jersey might look like, whenever they decide to do one. I like the OKC idea, but I was thinking more about what color they would go with. Probably either navy blue or orange. Orange would be cool, since so few teams use it (the Suns and who else?), but that probably wouldn't sit too well with the Sooner Nation.

[Lord Helmet]

I've been thinking about what a possible alternate jersey might look like, whenever they decide to do one. I like the OKC idea, but I was thinking more about what color they would go with. Probably either navy blue or orange. Orange would be cool, since so few teams use it (the Suns and who else?), but that probably wouldn't sit too well with the Sooner Nation.

I'm a huge Sooners fan....and I could give a crap what color the 3rd jersey might be. Orange would be cool.

[Bellaboo]

Something tells me KD is able to rent a car when he pops up at the front desk lol

In the last few years, most states require car rental companies to allow rentals starting at 21 years old. It changed just a few years back.

[Pete]

The color of orange used by the Thunder is kind of red-orange and I think that would be great, especially with blue numbers and lettering outlined in white.

The Knicks have used orange, but not often. I think the Thunder orange would be darker than this:

[Larry OKC]

Do not care for the orange Thunder car flags I have been seeing lately...Thunder Blue or go home

[Larry OKC]

So why does the away team get the 3 game advantage first? Seems if 2-2-1-1-1 works for the other rounds, should work for the final round

[Matt]

The color of orange used by the Thunder is kind of red-orange and I think that would be great, especially with blue numbers and lettering outlined in white.

The Knicks have used orange, but not often. I think the Thunder orange would be darker than this:

That's a Photoshop.



I don't think the Knicks have ever worn orange jerseys. Their current alternate is green, but they only wear it on St. Patrick's Day and Christmas games.

[Mel]

Interesting difference in survey:

Percent wanting for OKC to win in Oklahoma: 98%
Percent wanting for Boston to win in Massachusetts: 88%
Percent wanting for Miami to win in Florida: 52%

Its those darn hanging chads making the Florida vote so low. need a re-count.

[Ginkasa]

Nevermind.

[Bellaboo]

So why does the away team get the 3 game advantage first? Seems if 2-2-1-1-1 works for the other rounds, should work for the final round

It's all about less travel and playing the games over a more compact time frame. When both conferences had their finals, we had a game just about every night due to the stagger. When it's down to two teams, they are taking out several travel days with the 2-3-2 format. It reduces the travel days in half.

[BoulderSooner]

It's all about less travel and playing the games over a more compact time frame. When both conferences had their finals, we had a game just about every night due to the stagger. When it's down to two teams, they are taking out several travel days with the 2-3-2 format. It reduces the travel days in half.

the NBA finals are played over a longer period of time then the east and west finals ...

[Matt]

I'm a huge Sooners fan....and I could give a crap what color the 3rd jersey might be. Orange would be cool.

You may be cool with it, but you know there are a ton of Sooner fans who are complete idiots about that sort of thing.

[Bill Robertson]

I'm a huge Sooners fan....and I could give a crap what color the 3rd jersey might be. Orange would be cool.

You may be cool with it, but you know there are a ton of Sooner fans who are complete idiots about that sort of thing.

I'm a huge OU fan also. I would have no problem with orange for a third Thunder uniform. I hate OSU orange and Texas orange, Thunder orange is just fine! The OU fans that are "complete idiots about that sort of thing" are just idiots.

[Bill Robertson]

Back to the thread title. I would rather play the Celtics. I don't want the Heat to make it past this series. LeBron and his "5 Championship Guarantee" made me cringe. I think we'll beat either in 5 or 6 so from that standpoint it doesn't really matter.

[Dubya61]

LeBron stiffed Cleveland in a grand style befitting a true jerk. I'd rather he not even get to the playoffs, period.

[Pete]

I'll be cheering for the Celtics tonight.

However, a matchup with the Heat would be more sexy and would be the additional story of Lebron chasing -- and hopefully being denied -- his ring.


Either way, the home court advantage for us is huge. Can't wait to get started!