If Brooklyn rolls to the title, Dame (or other top 20 player) and Steph both to LA...super-duper teams on the coasts. Rest of the league can aspire to win the mid-season tourney and bring home the David Stern trophy

HUGE 3 at the buzzer.

This Atlanta team is tough.

84 points after 3 quarters.

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My guy Mitchell playing like an MVP tonight

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Ty Lue had himself a 4th

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MPJ shouldn't be on the floor he's injured

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

I loved how at the start of the game the sideline reporter said, "sources say that the stiffness in his back is not related to his two previous spine surgeries." It never ceases to amaze me how stupid they think people are that they can just blatantly shovel shit like that at their customers.


Unless he is now having a cervical issue I can guarantee that any stiffness he is feeling is his back is 100% related to the fact that he had two previous spine surgeries.


Sucks, but I always said this was going to happen. You cant' have 2 back surgeries and then play basketball every day and not expect more back problems eventually. It was always going to happen.

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He still played 28 minutes and Shakes you doubted that he'd ever play in the NBA and he has now played 2 years injury free.

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nope, never said he wouldn't play in the NBA. My exact words is that I guaranteed he would have more back issues in his career. Didn't know if it would be a year, two years, or later than that, but always knew he was going to have back problems.

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and yea, Porter played 28 minutes and was terrible and then stopped trying on defense to the point where his coach called him out after the game. Scalabrini and Isola were even talking about his poor effort this morning on the radio.

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Muscle spasms are related but treatable. They are going to get treated exactly the same as someone who hasn't had back surgery, aren't they?

muscle spasms are muscular injuries and not related to disc injuries. Back stiffness (what they said he had last night) is related to the spine which would 100% be related to previous surgeries.

Spasms are for pussies and shouldn't even require missing a game. Stiffness is a different story. Sometimes the stiffness loosens up in a few minutes and you're good to go. Sometimes it lingers (as it appeared to do for MPJ last night). They could also be indicative of a larger problem especially if the stiffness doesn't go away. Could be the early signs of arthritis. Could even be more disc problems. Either way, not good that his back issues are reappearing 2-3 years after his last surgery.

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Ok, but when I've had back spasms, the next day the back is indeed stiff. Really unbasketballish stiff.

Do you think somebody like Porter should retire? It seems to me he's fucked anyway, whether he's running and jumping or just sitting on his ass.

sure, back spasms can lead to stiffness. But, its very minor stuff and if you couldn't play basketball it's cause you're a wuss. I say this only because I know what real back pain is and I know what it's like to attempt to play with real pain, not baby aspirin muscle spasms and some stiffness.

What do I think he should do? Play the game as hard as he can until he can't physically do it anymore. make as much money as he can. try and last as long as possible.

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Not yet I have had Spasms too and I know you have. I also have hooped and I know you have too. You know very well that if it were that serious there is no way he plays 28 minutes or even at all. The slightest twinge makes it difficult to go.

No I don't think it has reached that point yet. He hasn't had any back issues to the best of my knowledge til last night. And he still managed to go. Can't be that serious yet.

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There's different levels of back spasms. I've had a couple dozen of them and there IS an 11. One where I had to be helped into the clinic.
It very well could be the after effects of back spasms for Porter. Not everybody enjoys pain like you do.

Agreed. This is the first I've heard of him having any back issues since his last surgery so no need to panic just yet. But, like I've always said, I expect issues like this to become more common as he continues to put wear and tear on his spine.

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ha, definitely don't enjoy it. But after dealing with daily back pain for easily the last 20 years straight I've learned that us humans can deal with a lot more pain than we think we can. At some point daily pain just becomes part of your life and you figure out how to live with it. Some don't, some go the route of being on pain meds their entire life, but that's no way to live. I've just accepted the pain. It definitely changes your life. For me, bending over to do anything such as even tying my shoes requires an internal debate on whether or not it's worth the jolt of pain. people would probably think taht's a horrible way to live, but after so many years I've just accepted it and dealt with it.

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I hear you. I have a pair of knees that need to be thrown into the dumpster. And I also know you are at a completely different level than me. Much respect, Shakes.

Unbelievable the turnaround of CP3.

After game 3 vs Lakers, he looked beaten and dejected. Arm was injured and couldnt finish the game. Told a reporter he got kneed in the nuts.

Since then, he's 6-0, and he looks like a cerebral champion and leader.

Good for him. After all the failures I hope he wins it.

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44 threes attempted in first 24 minutes of this Nets/Bucks game. Kyrie is also hurt.

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Man this corporate loyalty bullshit is annoying.

Espn is promoting Game 6 on Thursday, because it will be on their network.

No visual promotion for Game 5 on Tuesday, because it will be on TNT.

Lame shit.

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I'm sick of these modern stars. The minute they get a small injury they leave.

MJ, Kobe, Bird, Lebron, NEVER woulda missed a playoff game like this.

Get ur fuckin asses in there.

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Good God the NBA is soft.

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props to Booker for stepping up and sorta standing up to the giant serb for his teammate. Jokic's joyless demeanor while playing -- as though he's been drafted into playing the sport by some Eastern Bloc junta who's holding his family hostage to get him to play. Refs overly solicitous toward the Suns when it came to fouls. Chris Paul effect? Excessive proximity to Booker alone was enough to draw a whistle tonight.

Jokic's supporting cast, were those NBA players? They had more airballs and back of the rim bricks than made shots. Jamal Murray's absent, yes, but the Nuggets couldn't find some G-Leaguers with 3 point range. Ugly offense by Denver. Suns offense is a treat to watch, esp juxtaposed with whatever the Nuggets were doing out there offense wise.

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Wow that was an ass kicking of the highest order.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

yeah I think they should have left that guy alone

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

the headache dude's gonna wake up to will pale in comparison to the existential dread of recalling that after last night he's forever on the internet getting his face rearranged by a Nash-jersey-and-jorts wearing Dave Coulier bro -- deservedly so, Murray jersey tried to possum a sucker punch. Probably should mail his #27 back to the Nuggets along with an apology note

Kahwi is gonna get some pussy tonight.

I still think the Jazz are the better team but we'll see.

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