Tony Kornheiser ‘very disappointed’ by lack of ‘drama’ during NBA postseason

Tony Kornheiser is worried the NBA playoffs are losing their touch.

As the league preps for a conference finals round with big names and what should be closely contested series on both sides, Kornheiser believes the preferred style of play among today’s NBA teams is leading to far too many postseason blowouts.

During a discussion on Pardon the Interruption about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ blowout Game 7 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, the ESPN host went so far as to say he was “very disappointed” in the product on the court.

“I am very disappointed in the playoffs; it’s like 75% of the games are routs,” Konrheiser said. “Cleveland was up by 26 points going into the fourth quarter… I’m struggling to remember two games in a row that were close, that had drama.”

Tony Kornheiser: “I am very disappointed in the playoffs, it’s like 75% of the games are routs. … I’m struggling to remember two games in a row that were close, that had drama.”

‘PTI’ debates the huge scoring margins in this year’s NBA postseason pic.twitter.com/AXQbKkuem6

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Kornheiser pointed to Oklahoma City and New York, two teams that have both been incredibly dominant in the first two rounds. And he believes the biggest culprit is the three-point shot, which leads to major swings in either direction that can be entertaining but often means games are not close at the end.

PTI co-host Michael Wilbon was a little more optimistic about the evolution of the sport.

“It’s fascinating even if it’s not dramatic,” Wilbon said. “It’s an interesting study.”

But Kornheiser said the lack of “drama” is making him enjoy the games less overall.

“You want drama in the playoffs, so it’s not working for me,” Kornheiser said. “Am I awed sometimes by the runs they go on? But when you get to the fourth quarter, and you can switch to another sport, that’s not the way it’s supposed to happen.”

So far, viewership suggests NBA fans do not share the ESPN host’s reticence about this year’s postseason. The games have drawn big audiences. But history also shows that fans tune into close games with big stakes. As long as the league gets a handful of those in the conference finals and NBA Finals, everything should be just fine.

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