Houston, fully healthy, with everyone clear on their roles, has been the toughest team to beat the last couple months and has a very good shot at beating the Dubs, even better than last year. So I don't buy the "no one can beat Golden State" narrative.
Mainly those TV numbers are because we are barely halfway through the first round. The NCAA tourney is over, the Final Four numbers are in. Boston-Indy? C'mon. The only men who are worse closers than the Pacers are the sadsacks in Glengarry Glen Ross. This MIL-DET series is a demonstration of the pure lousiness of the East. Detroit is more outmatched by Milwaukee than the Nuggets, Spurs, Rockets, Blazers would be vs the Dubs. Thunder-Blazers was the most watched show on TV Tuesday night, even beat out the Real Housewives.
Let's wait til the dust settles and we've had 6-7 games of Houston-GS and we've had BOS-MIL and we've had SAS-POR and we've had POR-GS/HOU and then let's check in on TV ratings.
That 37 foot three over the probable defensive player of the year from Dame, followed by him waving goodbye across the court to Westbrook, was an incredible moment, BFOD, and I hope that you found room in your cold dead-to-the-NBA heart in this predetermined season to take a great deal of joy in it.
I mean the above in the nicest way. That was a remarkable performance by a remarkable underrated player in an incredible game. Hope you enjoyed it.
The only thing bad about that shot was PG's disgraceful response. Dame could control so many things out there: getting a cleaner shot, not letting the refs or any other defenders engage, having the perfect podium for the series' final gesture, and very importantly: the clock. Also he was white flame hot and he hits from there. Overtime with CJ finally going and PG and Westbrook with 5 fouls, at home with all the momentum would have been fine--I'd rather that shot as the buzzer goes than any chance of a steal, a bad call, or OKC otherwise getting the ball back with any time at all. Hell, even if CJ took it.
And I'm not used to writing Blazers fan fiction from the 'what if it hadn't gone right?' perspective.
Pure magic. A 'this is why I do sports' moment from a Blazer legend (already).