Gee Whiz, They Play Basketball In Canada...

[Lord Jim]

Who knew?

I just happened to catch the 4th quarter of this game, and I have to say it was worth watching...

The Toronto Raptors started the quarter 13 down, put on a charge to take a six point lead, and then won by three when the Pacers couldn't get a three pointer off in time to tie it at the buzzer...

Raptors win, 102-99...

The game was played in Toronto, and the fans were cheering so loudly, you'd have thought they were Americans...

That was basketball at its best

[Long Run]

James Naismith (November 6, 1861 – November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, chaplain, sports coach and innovator. He invented the sport of basketball in 1891.

Naismith was born in 1861 in Almonte (now part of Mississippi Mills), Ontario, Canada

Had to beat Scooter to this.

[Scooter]

And I would have been sure to post it, so thanks.

It's even the subject of a Heritage Minute, in the somewhat self-deprecating style of that series:

[Bicycle Bill]

It doesn't matter who founded the game or who plays it, it's still African Handball.

-"BB"-

[TPFKA@W]

Ted Cruz, Canadian, stood in a Hoosier gym and called a hoop a "basketball ring".

[Long Run]

Ted Cruz, Canadian, stood in a Hoosier gym and called a hoop a "basketball ring".

As our local announcer says, "In basketball as in life, you have to make your free throws." Looks like Ted just air-balled another one.

[Scooter]

The roving Raptors’ fan base has hit a nerve in the heartland of basketball. Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel wrote in Thursday’s Star that Toronto fans were on their way back for Game 6, intent on taking over the arena.

“Those basketball fans in Toronto, they’re not normal,” he wrote. “They are NFL fans with an NBA team. They travel. They drink. They scream.

“Canada is coming, Pacers fans. They’re coming with their black shirts and their white towels. They want to buy your tickets and watch the Raptors end your season and then parade back to Toronto to present Drake with a love offering: the Pacers’ season on a stick.”

[Scooter]

And the Raptors now lead their conference semi-final series against Miami 3-2. Only the second time they have gotten this far, and if they win it will be their first conference final.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Cavs are delighted at the possibility of playing the weaker team.... LeBron doesn't do well in Miami playing agin 'em

[Lord Jim]

Meanwhile, with Curry, without him, and with him again, the Warriors continue to roll:

Curry's crazy dagger takes Warriors past Blazers, into West finals

Stephen Curry's return from injury in Monday night's thrilling Western Conference Semifinals Game 4 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers was always going to be tough to top. After three quarters of decent but largely inhibited play, the Golden State Warriors superstar exploded in crunch time to set a new NBA record with 17 overtime points. [That was a PHENOMENAL game]

His Game 5 encore was going to be appointment viewing regardless — especially coming on the night he accepted his second-straight (and first-ever unanimous) MVP trophy — but it would have been a little much to expect it to measure up to the preceding contest.

In general terms, Curry was not quite as incredible as he was on Monday in Portland. But he still pulled off the most dramatic moment of a thrilling Game 5 victory at Oracle Arena. With the Warriors up 118-116 with under 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Curry faced off against Al-Farouq Aminu at the top of the key and pulled off one of his signature pull-up three-pointers for the series-ending dagger.

In truth, the game and series did not end right that moment. Curry nailed two free throws after a quick Allen Crabbe two on the next possession, but Blazers star Damian Lillard then coaxed Klay Thompson into fouling on a three-point attempt and made all of them. Yet the Warriors were able to get the ball to Curry on the ensuing inbound, and he made the final two of his seven points in the last 24 seconds to finish the scoring in a hard-fought 125-121 win.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball- ... 03716.html

[Econoline]

I've always thought that the only sensible way to watch a basketball game is to not start watching until the last quarter...or maybe the last half of the last quarter. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever actually watched an entire basketball game from start to finish.

This game sounds like it would've been a helluva game to have seen, using my system...

[No Greater Fool]

The Warriors are responsible for way to many hours of lost sleep for this East coast resident.

[Scooter]

And so the Raptors advance to the Eastern Conference final for the first time. I understand they will be playing against a team from some obscure Midwestern rust bucket town, including some guy named Le Breton or some similarly absurd name, who doesn't seem to be able to decide whom he wants to play for and keeps flitting around the country. Perhaps by the end of the series he will be so impressed by the Raptors' superlative playing that he will decide he wants to move here.

[MajGenl.Meade]

You'll be weeping soon - LeBron (who only played for two teams), Kyrie, Kevin, JR and those other chaps will be ready for the final games against Steph Curry and the unmentionables.

Congratulations are in order for the two top seeds in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

First to the Toronto Raptors, who booked their first-ever conference finals berth with Sunday's 116-89 Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat.

But also to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were long ago penciled in as NBA finalists and now skip the potential headache of "LeBron James vs. embittered former club" headlines. The only thing separating the Cavs from the championship round is a Raptors team that should be thrilled to be there.

Sunday's contest might have cemented this matchup, but why even play the games, right?

[rubato]

Ya sure.

The Cavs just gave up the last 5 in a row to the Warriors to make them overconfident. And their last meeting (132-98) was the cherry on top.


yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

Next up on the Warriors steam roller schedule...The Oklahoma Thunder...Game 1 tonight at 6PM PT...

I would have preferred to see the Warriors square off against the second best team in the league in the Western Finals, (San Antonio) but The Thunder earned the right to be next the next guest of honor at the ass kicking party ...

And in the east, The Cleveland LeBron's go up against that foreign team starting tomorrow night...

[Scooter]

LeBreton, LeBron, I knew the overrated showboat's name sounded more like something you'd spread cheese on.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Overrated player with earned trophies:




Toronto Raptors players with earned trophies:

[Long Run]

Good for Toronto to make the Eastern Conference Finals. But it should take about a week before we hear:

[Scooter]

Hey, we can dream.

I don't know dick on a stick about basketball, but when I look at stats, I don't see a blowout in the making. The Raptors won 2 of 3 games against the Cavaliers this year, and 10 of 18 in the last 5 years. Cavaliers had a 57-25 season and Raptors had 56-26. Sure, Cavaliers will probably win, but these number don't show me a sweep in the making.