Game #68: Toronto Raptors 106 - Indiana Pacers 99

[KeonClark]

Should be a good one tonight. Pacers will want home court and they've got the Cavs and Wizards breathing down their necks. Not nearly as much in it for Toronto but Raps always play hard.

As of now it looks like cavs will most likely be 3rd or 4th. Raps can go a long way to (god this hurts to say) helping the cavs tonight.

[Jclaw]

OG Anunboy returns for the #Raptors tonight. No official word if he will start...but he's back. #RTZ

— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) March 15, 2018

Of course he’s back for Indiana. Hoosier Daddy!!

[Cody73]

BTW, that Office Parody video I posted in here (wasn't made by me, found it on Reddit) has gone viral:

Someone extremely creative made a parody of "The Office" opening with the Toronto Raptors, and it's probably the greatest thing I've seen all year. pic.twitter.com/Pjnwupif4r

— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) March 15, 2018

[007]

As of now it looks like cavs will most likely be 3rd or 4th. Raps can go a long way to (god this hurts to say) helping the cavs tonight.

Big game for Operation KCA - Keep Cavs Afloat

[Scraptor]

I can't decide if I would prefer to face the Cavs in the 2nd or 3rd round...

Kevin Love might be in better shape by round 3 but the rest of them might be more tired.

Plus I kind of want to just rip the bandaid off.

[saints91]

I think I prefer the conference finals. I think we need to find our legs with the new offence in the playoffs, let the young guys get comfortable and then face Boston or the Cavs

[DanH]

I think I prefer the conference finals. I think we need to find our legs with the new offence in the playoffs, let the young guys get comfortable and then face Boston or the Cavs

I have zero issue with this team knocking off both those pretenders this spring.

I admit I'd prefer meeting LeBron in the ECF, but all you can do is win and let the chips fall where they may. Monkeying with position leads to bad basketball karma. If the Cavs are the 4th/5th team, so be it. We'll deal with them early.

[tDotted]

Is he 100 percent tho? if not then this is a bad move. No reason to rush him. They're going to need him in the playoffs.

I think he's been resting this entire time. If Powell didn't get injured the staff might have held OG out for longer

[golden]

I think he's been resting this entire time. If Powell didn't get injured the staff might have held OG out for longer

Hopefully, the Powell injury had no bearing on this decision. Miller and Hayes seem to be fine in the starting role and Powell is kind of like addition by subtraction these days, sadly.

[KeonClark]

I can't decide if I would prefer to face the Cavs in the 2nd or 3rd round...

Kevin Love might be in better shape by round 3 but the rest of them might be more tired.

Plus I kind of want to just rip the bandaid off.

I want Cavs to go thru the gauntlet, or also, possibly losing in round 2. I mean, sure I want to "get through the gatekeeper", but more than anything I just want to get to the NBA finals. I'll take the best method to doing so. 20 years from now, nobody remembers how.

[KeonClark]

I have zero issue with this team knocking off both those pretenders this spring.

I admit I'd prefer meeting LeBron in the ECF, but all you can do is win and let the chips fall where they may. Monkeying with position leads to bad basketball karma. If the Cavs are the 4th/5th team, so be it. We'll deal with them early.

This, but coincidentally here, beating Pacers helps Cavs in the 3rd. I'd never suggest throwing games to tinker with shit.

[DanH]

This, but coincidentally here, beating Pacers helps Cavs in the 3rd. I'd never suggest throwing games to tinker with shit.

Sure, but for example, we play the Pacers and Cavs 4 times yet, twice each. 4 wins means no impact on their race.

[KeonClark]

Sure, but for example, we play the Pacers and Cavs 4 times yet, twice each. 4 wins means no impact on their race.

Nope sure doesn't, but maybe by the next cavs game the motivation is to put them in the 6 hole

The east is so tight each day brings a different scenario. Each day I want us to win no matter what. Today that happens to also line up with benefiting our out of town scoreboard. Win-win.

[Scraptor]

I want Cavs to go thru the gauntlet, or also, possibly losing in round 2. I mean, sure I want to "get through the gatekeeper", but more than anything I just want to get to the NBA finals. I'll take the best method to doing so. 20 years from now, nobody remembers how.

I don't know man.

I think I would count beating LeBron as a bigger accomplishment than making the Finals. And hardly anyone remembers second place, especially if it's a sweep, but people would remember the first East team to defeat LeBron in eight years.

One series beating the best is more satisfying to me than three series beating the mediocre.

[KeonClark]

I don't know man.

I think I would count beating LeBron as a bigger accomplishment than making the Finals. And hardly anyone remembers second place, especially if it's a sweep, but people would remember the first East team to defeat LeBron in eight years.

One series beating the best is more satisfying to me than three series beating the mediocre.

Are we playing in the Lebron Basketball Association? The finals give us a chance at a ring.

Remember when Jordan retired and Hakeem and Clyde won back to back? No one cares that Jordan stepped aside and then came back and resumed dynasty. That team was nicknamed "clutch city" and the banners hang forever. Rappers always reference the Pistons "baack to back", yet in 1989 they only won because Magic Johnson went down in game 1. The banners hang forever. 2 time champ bad boys.

Ideally, sure we do the story book thing and vanquish Lebron on our march to glory. But he's not the be all end all. The mission is to win the Eastern Conference, then win the NBA finals. Put it this way: would you prefer beating Cleveland in round 2 and then getting spanked by Boston in round 3, or beating Washington in round 2, beating Boston in round 3, and playing on the world stage in the NBA finals? To me the choice is easy. Besides, in the 2nd scenario it would be obvious that Clevelands run is over and they're not in our tier, either way.