So are the Pacers legit now? Does playing the Heat close once and then beating them the second time make a team legit? Does it matter, when they comprehensively beat the Knicks in the last round?
My answers: yes, not necessarily, and not really, but the Heat are a much better measurement of legitimacy. One thing can’t be denied, though: the NBA establishment is warming to the previously no-name Pacers. The reaction to Paul George’s dunk last night proves that.
And what of the other series going on right now? Tonight, the Grizzlies take on the Spurs, and if they can dig themselves out of the 2-0 hole they’re in, we could get David Stern’s worst nightmare in the Finals: Memphis vs. Indiana. Which, for Chris Sheridan, would be a dream come true.
Regardless of who comes out on top in the East, so far it’s been the Pacers’ coming-out party, and it’s been a ton of fun to watch.
Now let’s get started with the latest news from around the NBA:
- Here’s Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports on Paul George earning some accolades from LeBron himself: “Before the stunning fourth-quarter stand that delivered the Pacers a 97-93 victory on the shores of Biscayne Bay, before a genius James’ performance of 36 points and eight rebounds had been punctuated with two turnovers in the final minute, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player delivered a burgeoning young star a validation of his rapid ascent. After George leaped into the rafters to impale the 6-foot-10 Chris Andersen with a dunk, James rushed the ball down the floor and hit a 30-footer at the buzzer of the third period. It was a magnificent sequence, two spectacular plays within a 5.1-second window that inspired James to change direction on his way to the Heat’s huddle. James chased down George, reached out his hand and pressed palm on palm. “I got you back, young fella,” James told him. For a moment, George had to gather himself. Here unfolded a most surreal scene in a surreal rise out of mid-major college basketball, the evolution of James’ dutiful understudy into James’ problem. “That was a moment for me,” George said, “that I’ll always remember.” “
- George Hill’s exact God quote on LeBron James: “The only person that’s, you know, more scarier than that and, that’s, you know, God.’’
@christomassonChris Tomasson - Vogel on LeBron's late TOs: "I'm not sure how we did it, other than we exhibited great will." Translation: He's not sure how they did it.
@tomhaberstrohTom Haberstroh
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