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It was all set up for Houston with Durant injured and Curry in first half foul trouble. Home court and they still couldn't send it to a Game 7.

Fantastic win for the Blazers to win Game 7 on the road. McCollum coming up big. 76ers & Raps looks like it is going to go down to the wire also. Playoffs have been great fun.

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6 hours ago, Brumerican said:

Pelicans had a 6% chance of winning the draft lottery so yeah......

Zion to NO.

Celebrating like they had won the NBA Championship. 

 

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19 hours ago, Xela said:

Celebrating like they had won the NBA Championship. 

 

I'm not surprised. They had a 94% of not getting Zion. 

I guess you're better off being mediocre in the NBA rather than crap.

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Oh well this just seals the deal !

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The Very Irish Reason You Should Support The Milwaukee Bucks This NBA Playoffs

The Very Irish Reason You Should Support The Milwaukee Bucks This NBA Playoffs
 

After a rather mediocre NBA existence over the past two decades, the Milwaukee Bucks have very much vaulted themselves into contention this season. The Bucks compiled the best regular season record in the league, going 60-22 to become the top seed in the Eastern conference.

They have carried that form into the playoffs, tearing through the first two rounds. They swept the Detroit Pistons in the opening round, before going 4-1 in the conference semi finals against the much fancied Boston Celtics.

Last night they overcame the Toronto Raptors in the conference finals opener, meaning they are just three wins away from a first NBA Finals appearance in 1974.

Much of their success has been down to the continued emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Affectionately known as the 'Greek Freak', Giannis has been the best player in the NBA this season. A mixture of his seven-foot frame and incredible speed and intangibles makes him almost unstoppable, averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

While the prospect of supporting a team sporting Antetokounmpo is an exciting one, there is another reason for Irish basketball fans to jump aboard the Bucks bandwagon.

Reserve shooting guard Pat Connaughton has had a major impact for the team in these playoffs. The 26-year old averaged around 28 minutes per game in the opening two rounds of the playoffs, making him one of the Bucks' most important pieces off the bench.

He also came up big in the close game three win over the Celtics in the Boston Garden, scoring 14 points and notching four three-pointers. Having lost the series opener at home, this was the game that swung the momentum back in Milwaukee's favour, and they would go on to win the next two games to advance.

As you might have guessed from his name, Connaughton has strong Irish roots. His paternal grandparents hail from Galway, and Connaughton spent plenty of time out West in his younger years. He actually holds dual-citizenship, meaning he is certainly no 'plastic paddy'.

The shooting guard played college basketball at Notre Dame, starring for their 'Fighting Irish' team. Speaking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Connaughton recalled his visits to Ireland in his youth, and explained how his Irish roots played a part in his college recruitment:

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They had a little wood backboard, like an old basketball hoop that they would shoot on outside of their farm – because they had a big farm. And one of my cousins most prized possession was a Chicago Bulls Jordan jersey...

People know I’m from Ireland or have Irish roots. When Coach Mike Brey at Notre Dame was recruiting me, he was like, ‘There will be Irish on the front of the jersey; and Irish on the back of the jersey.’

But no one actually knows I am a citizen over there.

Connaughton was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, who traded his rights to the Portland Trailblazers. He would spend the first three years of his career in Oregon, before moving to Milwaukee last summer on a two year contract worth just under $3.5million.

But he could have followed a different career path. In a nod to the countless dual players littered around Ireland, Connaughton was also an accomplished baseball player.

He was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, and would likely have been drafted higher if not for his prioritising of basketball. He signed a contract with the Orioles, but ultimately decided to pursue basketball instead.

With the player holding dual nationalities, is there a possibility that we could one day see Connaughton playing for the Irish national team? He has been approached by both the Irish basketball and baseball teams, and he says it is certainly something he would consider. After all his family do still fly an Irish flag outside their Boston home:

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It depends obviously on how the Bucks feel but I’d love - someday - to go over there and play in Ireland. I don’t think they’ve had a ton of NBA players.

I think it would be pretty cool, whether it would be basketball or baseball, playing for a national team. Just trying to grow the sport over there a little...

Just kind of that Irish pride. It’s just another form of that fraternity.

I will get random emails from some of the family over there, that will talk about my little cousins over there who are big in to basketball. They’ll tell me how they saw the game last night and they’re excited, because they’re related.

It’s funny because the emails – you can almost hear the Irish accent.

The bucks continue their playoff run in the early hours of Saturday morning, with game two of the conference finals against the Raptors.

If you are looking for a team to support, you could do worse than following the Pat Connuaghton led Milwaukee Bucks. That Giannis Antetokounmpo lad isn't too bad either...

 

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Milwaukee killed Toronto last night. They look so dominant.

If you double or triple up on Giannis, he passes to others who are able to put it in for a three. If you don't, Giannis will finish you off himself.

Their bench is awesome, unbelievable.

10-1 now in play-offs. I think they'll go all the way.

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My Raptors are 1 game away from the finals for the first time in our history. This might be my greatest season ever as a sports fan. All depends on Saturday and Monday now. What a ride. Do me proud Villa and Raps!

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11 hours ago, Keyblade said:

My Raptors are 1 game away from the finals for the first time in our history. This might be my greatest season ever as a sports fan. All depends on Saturday and Monday now. What a ride. Do me proud Villa and Raps!

I like the Raptors line-up. A friend of mine predicted they'd go all the way very early on in the season, and everyone scoffed at him..

My brother supports the Bucks and I'd love to see Wes Edens have his vision become a reality within such a short time frame and from such a low-point.

That said, at junior level I use to play for the Tecoma Raptors who had the best jersey which was modeled on Toronto's, won more Grand Finals than I did anywhere else and went a season undefeated with them. Toronto was my 2nd team in those years and it's always good to see a club get their first ring.. I'm a bit torn. Just glad it's so contested.

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