How a UFC fighter helps us appreciate these NBA Finals

I know very little of the science and techniques in MMA, other than the nine months I spent getting beat up in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym, but I watch and follow the sport as intensely as the NBA and the NFL. One of my favorite fighters is Anthony Smith, a brilliant and incredibly thoughtful man who just so happens to be 205 pounds of terrifying power and violence.

For most of his career, Smith encapsulated the archetypal journeyman fighter. He fought for twenty-two different promotions from 2008 to 2016, losing his only UFC fight in that time but still posting a 24-11 record. The UFC signed Smith for a second chance in 2016, and he seized the moment. Smith has gone 8-3 in the premier promotion, reinventing himself at a higher weight class and even earning a title shot against the dominant champion, Jon Jones. 

This title shot didn’t go to plan. Smith fought tentatively and, at times, had no offensive output at all. Credit of course to Jones, a combat savant and long-time champ who, without his controversial past, might be considered the greatest of all time; he shut down Smith with brutality and ruthlessness, and some found Smith’s willingness to forgive an illegal strike more impressive than anything he did during the actual fight.

His noncompetitive loss to Jones threatened to drop Smith from the conversation, as impatient fans let a what have you done for me lately mentality cast aside his years of work and grit. Smith refused to fall for it, and, in possibly the finest performance of his career, he flew to Sweden last week and defeated top contender and hometown hero Alexander Gustafsson in the fourth round after breaking his hand earlier in the fight. 

Suddenly, the narrative swung back. For an even-keeled and insightful guy like Smith, this flip didn’t go unnoticed. It was his response during the Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show that inspired me and this post. The answer starts around 17:30 in this clip and is worth watching, but I quoted the most relevant part here.

The peak of each athlete's journey barely captures the most interesting part of their career. Anthony Smith isn’t yet a champion, and another title shot is far from guaranteed. Yet, he refuses to let this cultural emphasis on total victory stop him from appreciating a moment of pride and glory after a career rife with adversity. He overcame challenges in and outside the cage to deliver a career-defining win, and while it may not bring a title, the joy and comfort he now feels serves as a rare acknowledgement that sometimes progress itself should be celebrated.

I want to carry that same lens to how I look at these playoffs. The Finals might be a race to four victories, but a focus only on those outcomes obscures the moments that lead up to the conclusion. We can take some time to celebrate some of the more fun results from the series so far.

Serge Ibaka turns back the clock-a

I debated highlighting Steph Curry's gem in game three, where he nearly went full Allen Iverson and put up 47 on 31 shot attempts, but then Serge Ibaka decided to morph back into the form that led the Oklahoma City Thunder to keep him over James Harden. For my NBA Street fans, Ibaka turned back into this cheat code center that blocked every shot, including several questionable goaltending plays.

Post this dude up under the basket and time the jump right and you too can make someone cry on a GameCube.

Ibaka ended the game with 6 blocks, rampaging on defense and disrupting the shorthanded Warriors. He hasn't put up that level of defensive production in the playoffs since 2013. In what might be the craziest stat, Ibaka ended the game with a 91 defensive rating (a measure of roughly how many points the opposing team would have in 100 possessions). You see the glory of that defensive effort when compared to not only his non-garbage time teammates, but how the Warriors typically score in this postseason.

Special shout out to Danny Green and the sign of the beast, as Green hit six threes on 60% shooting and helped break the game open for the Raptors. Kawhi may have dropped his typically quiet 30 points, but Green and Ibaka helped power the first road win in Raptors' Finals history.

DeMarcus Cousins reintroduces himself

I loved this post from Matt Ellentuck on Cousins' performance in Game 2. Ellentuck captured the bittersweet joy of seeing Cousins, cursed by two years of brutal injuries and rehab, getting a moment to shine on the brightest possible stage. Cousins dusted himself off and dropped 11 points, 10 boards, 6 assists, and 2 blocks in the five-point Warriors win, posting a +12 in his 28 minutes. Watching the big man ping touch passes in the post to his teammates and battle Toronto down low harked back to the days where he marauded the paint for the Kings and Pelicans, and I'm hopeful this game signals a return to form.

I'd also recommend checking out Michael Lee's profile of Cousins after his big game, which produced this fantastic quote. Cousins embodies the mindset that Anthony Smith captures so well, embracing this painful grind and appreciating the moments when he can.

Thanks to Tom Ziller for sharing these articles in his excellent NBA newsletter.

Pascal painted his masterpiece

Pascal Siakam, the favorite for Most Improved Player and emerging third star for Toronto, played the game of his life in the series opener. Siakam made 82.4% of his field goals, scoring 32 points and leading the Raptors to a pivotal opening win. This game perfectly captured Siakam's claim for the MIP award, a herky-jerky masterpiece where he pivoted and pirouetted his way to a ridiculously efficient career night. Graphing out his improvement over career averages showcases the scope of the gain, mirroring our Meyers Leonard multiple from last round. Stats are from Basketball Reference.

His performance not only stands above Siakam's career average, but pops as an outlier for all playoff performers. Since 2010, Siakam scored the most points for any player who shot 80% or better from the field in the NBA Finals. 

The only other two guys to hit above 20 points with that level of efficiency? Tim Duncan in 2014 and none other than J.R. Smith in 2017.

Everybody knows a JR Smith fact is the literal definition of a fun, forgettable memory that deserves further consideration. Let's just hope the rest of this series gives us even more.