The NBA playoffs are up and running and already we have experienced two major injuries in both conferences, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant. Recently we saw Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers speak about the physicality of the league in the present day and highlighted how both the injuries were just unfortunate and did not happen from hostile play.
Rivers comes from an era where the game was more physical and there is no surprise that he prefers that kind of basketball. However, he wants referees to call charging fouls and wants the league to follow the old standards.
“No, not at all, unless they just want a 250-250 game,” Rivers said. “I think the only thing there is some of the charges people take can be viewed as reckless. And so they can review that.”
Rivers refuses to believe that the plays in which Antetokounmpo and Morant got injured were reckless plays. He highlights how reckless play must be called and reviewed if needed. “They can’t take it away, but they can call it what it is: It’s reckless. If it’s a reckless play, it should be a flagrant. But none of those, I think, were reckless. It’s just Ja Morant can jump over a human being, and he tried to do it. That’s part of it,” Rivers explained.
The tensions and emotions surrounding the NBA playoffs are completely different from that of the regular season. The competition only gets tougher and the team that thrives under pressure rises to lift the trophy. Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 and though Antetokounmpo got injured, it was still a big result for Miami.
Even the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 112-128. They did lose Ja Morant due to injury but it was the collective effort of the Lakers which helped them gain a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Los Angeles Clippers shocked the Phoenix Suns, while the Sacramento Kings have beaten the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. However, these are early days and there are a lot of games to be played before we can come to any conclusion.
The defending champions are surely looking a little off-colour but once they get victories under their belt, they will get more consistent.
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