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2025 NBA Playoffs Round 2
With round two wrapping up we're seeing some pretty great basketball this year. The Nuggets are my local team and this OKC-Denver series has been brutal; finals caliber ball. Watching these teams play with grit and determination every other night really is what I like about sports.
Excited for game 7, OKC at home are definitely the favorites, but would love to see the Nuggets advance. I am a bit apprehensive about taking a clearly exhausted team into a series against a rested Timberwolves.
What are some storylines you're following, what do you think about the state of the playoffs?
As a Warriors fan of 50 years, what was for decades one of the most brutal and unforgiving fandoms to participate in became this unbelievable magical dynasty that lasted a dozen years in some shape or form. Now I’m tired.
I’m happy and excited for the Timberwolves and the Knicks and the Pacers and OKC for their first taste of it in a long time. The Cavs were my eastern conference favorites but they will be back.
As someone coming to the end of a long fantastic ride at the top, playoff and championship basketball is just too intense and extreme for this old man. I just want to watch some low-stakes hoops in peace. All our stars are getting old and it’s time for the next generation.
I'm a timberpups fan. I'd love if you guys advanced because it would be an absolute bloodbath and a fun series to watch. I wouldn't worry too much about the rest factor, we had extra rest before this series and played like shit Game 1 (and have kinda played ugly all series long).
I'm rooting for a Wolves vs. Knicks match-up in the Finals just for the KAT/Julius narrative. That would be so fun.
Y'all have my support if we don't advance! I'd love to support Edwards and Randle in the Finals.
I've been a Timberwolves fan basically since I could comprehend existence back in like 1996. It feels extremely surreal to have a consistently good team now when I've basically just accepted that we'd never be good. Like I obvious felt a ton of emotion when the wolves went to the WCF last year, but this year is a whole new set of emotions, knowing that last year wasn't a fluke. Julius Randle is becoming my guy, I'm loving his brand of bully ball and his ability to pass out of the paint now has been a complete game changer for our offense; it's an entirely different look from the Randle Beyblade offense in November.
I don't care whether it's the nuggets or OKC making it through, I'm just ready for more good basketball and if the wolves are a championship team, they can beat either. On the east side, I'd love to see the Pacers or Knicks, so that's looking pretty good. I can't deny that Wolves vs Knicks would be an incredible storyline, regardless of which team wins. The Pacers are fun as hell though.
Overall these playoffs have been ridiculous, the quality of play has been insane and we've even had good "memes" like Harden shrinking yet again.
Pacers fan for life here! My hope, of course, is that the Pacers stomp the Knicks and get to face the Wolves in the Finals. I'm actually neutral on the West at this point, but the Wolves are fun to watch, and we might get some great yapping.
Celtics fan here. Real glad we dominated without Tatum for his first game out. I think the team showed some real grit.
If the Cs can keep the Knicks in foul trouble, I think they have a fighting chance. But we'll see what happens.
Your series has been a ride for sure. I haven't watched it much but plan to tune in a bit this evening. Without having a dog in the fight I hope there's a game 7 for the drama lol.
I actually do think it can be done, and I like the Pacers' chances against the Tatumless Celtics. I like the match-up better with the Knicks, though.
"Keaton always said, 'I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him.' Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Derrick White in the ECF"
Putting my thoughts on the Nuggets vs OKC Game 7 in a spoiler box...
Comments on Nuggets vs OKC Game 7
I didn't want a lot of basketball growing up, but I've been following the Nuggets since about midway through the season since my wife is a fan. It's been rough. I think they've done better than they were expected to, but this series (and even more-so this game in particular) really highlights why I don't enjoy basketball all that much.
It's fun to watch, but the fouls just seem way too subjective to me, and while you can argue that direct points from fouls don't impact games, the way the game is played when you can/can't get away with fouls definitely does.
A lot of comments I was seeing this game were talking about how well Caruso was playing defense against Jokić, and about how many turnovers Jokić had. And watching the game, yeah - Caruso and OKC seemed to shut down Jokić pretty heavily...after the first quarter, when fouls seemingly stopped being called on players guarding/attempting to steal the ball from Jokić.
I do think the Nuggets have (bigger) problems than just that- they don't seem to play with intensity on defense (and while some of that is I think Jokić trying to avoid fouls), but I think a big part of that is how much their starters are in and how little rest they get (even more so in the playoffs, taking both series' to game 7s.) They also seem to be pretty inconsistent with offensive performance, with MPJ and Murray both being really good when they're good, but being really bad when they're bad...and it seeming to flip-flop every few games or so.
Overall, I did enjoy the series, and I'll be interested in seeing what post-season moves the Nuggets make...but not sure how closely I'll end up following next year.