IST Championship Open Thread

[Tetsujin]

Since the NBA wants us to take this as seriously as the playoffs…

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1731821875670425835

 

[Tetsujin]

God, Jrue is just an unreal defender.

 

[Tetsujin]

Pacers guarding Tatum with Haliburton is certainly a choice.

 

[Tetsujin]

This Celtics bench depth is garbage

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Pacers guarding Tatum with Haliburton is certainly a choice.

Do I respond to this with a joke about guarding needing to be in quotes or an honest question about who on the Pacers can defend? Turner, I guess?

 

[Tetsujin]

Do I respond to this with a joke about guarding needing to be in quotes or an honest question about who on the Pacers can defend? Turner, I guess?

You’d think they’d at least try to put Bruce Brown on him or something but Tyrese is legitimately the third tallest guy in their starting lineup so I guess he’s the closest they have to a wing defender on their roster.

 

[Tetsujin]

Benn keeps isoing up random Celtics and looking off Tyrese which seems incredibly counterproductive even if he occasionally figures out a way to score.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Benn was looking so good the first half of last season and since then it seems he has gone into business for himself and hasn't played defense since he left Arizona. Is this some kind of Buddy Hield effect? I know he's Canadian but he is also of Haitian descent, maybe they have some Caribbean kinship?

 

[Tetsujin]

This is some pretty ugly basketball which favors the Celtics. Every single Pacers fast break pretty much has ended with someone fumbling a pass or throwing a weak floater directly into the waiting hands of a Celtic.

 

[Tetsujin]

lol Buddy trying to guard Jrue in the post

 

[Tetsujin]

Aside from one ridiculously deep three, Tyrese has not played his best basketball. Not sure how healthy he is tonight.

 

[kingsboi]

you know the NBA is trying to make a big deal of this when there isn't a full slate or matter of fact, any other games until Wednesday

 

[Tetsujin]

Jrue is so freaking good at defense, man. Just making every single Celtic guy in front of him go through hell.

 

[kingsboi]

Jrue is so freaking good at defense, man. Just making every single Celtic guy in front of him go through hell.

do you find it odd that he has yet to win a DPOY?

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1731847710154649913

it’s the World Cup all over again.

 

[Tetsujin]

do you find it odd that he has yet to win a DPOY?

id say it’s impossible for a guard to win DPOY but the guy he replaced managed to do it so I dunno

 

[macadocious]

Jrue is so freaking good at defense, man. Just making every single Celtic guy in front of him go through hell.

We’ve gotten the full experience. He had a great off ball deny of Tatum, the. A deep contested 3, then abused on a drive where he gave up, then an air balled 3. That’s was like 2 minutes…

 

[dude12]

Do I respond to this with a joke about guarding needing to be in quotes or an honest question about who on the Pacers can defend? Turner, I guess?

Bruce Brown is their best besides Turner

 

[Tetsujin]

Really nice stretch by Tyrese here. Unfortunately the Pacers best defender tonight has benn the Celtics bad decision making.

 

[Tetsujin]

Oh no buddy

 

[Tetsujin]

pacers playing blazing offense. Unfortunately no defense

 

[iowamcnabb]

This game is nuts right now. Pacers look good

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

pacers playing blazing offense. Unfortunately no defense

Playing to their strengths and they're leading the game. Haliburton is a savant with the basketball

 

[Tetsujin]

This Celtics bench is literally just three random white dudes who they have to play because they have no one else besides Neemy Queta haha

 

[iowamcnabb]

Buddy Dunkit

 

[iowamcnabb]

Well Boston has had a bunch of 3s rim out. Can Pacers hold on?

 

[Tetsujin]

Well Boston has had a bunch of 3s rim out. Can Pacers hold on?

Yeah it feels like the Pacers should have widened the gap with Tatum out more than they did.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Yeah it feels like the Pacers should have widened the gap with Tatum out more than they did.

They just won the 3rd quarter by 14 points

 

[Tetsujin]

They just won the 3rd quarter by 14 points

Should have won it by more.