Indiana took Miami to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals but the Heat were able to knock out the Pacers in Game 7. The San Antonio Spurs may have as much talent as the Pacers, but they’re a much better team. With sturdy defense, unusual discipline and unbelievable performances from its two brightest stars, San Antonio edged Miami, 92-88, to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. First of all, and most importantly, Miami has to contend with an
It is almost as if Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra knew this was coming all along and have been preparing for this two-week journey against each other for many, many months. Before we dive into our betting preview for the NBA Finals, it is important to learn how we got to this point. [Read more…]
The dam seemed secure after Indiana’s pretty convincing Game 6 win over Miami. Then in the first half of Game 7, the dam broke, the floodgates came rushing open, and Indiana’s worst nightmare was realized. The Pacers committed 14 first half turnovers and were never really in the game, falling quietly to the Heat 99-76 in the finale of a fantastic Eastern Conference Finals series. “We just focused on every possession, trying to get stops, play Miami Heat defense, create havoc,” LeBron
MIAMI — Roy Hibbert sat calmly on the bench with his headphones blaring and the word “FOCUS” written on his right sneaker, right before game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul George answered a few questions from a reporter who was interested in whether George thought he’d done a good job of making himself marketable for endorsement deals (umm, not the time, buddy). [Read more…]
Even if you are not a fan of the Indiana Pacers or the Miami Heat, tonight’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals is Must-See TV. Each team has three stars, though the Heat’s Big Three (might we need to change that name after what we’ve seen in this series?) have historically outshined their counterparts on the Pacers (Paul George, Roy Hibbert and David West) in terms of polularity and mass appeal. [Read more…]
Miami took back momentum in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 90-79 victory over Indiana on Thursday night. LeBron James looked more like Michael Jordan with his 30 point performance, 16 of it in the third quarter. (Should we be comparing them yet? Click for Chris Sheridan’s podcast on that subject.) Now, the series is back in Indianapolis for Game 6. The Pacers’ backs are against the wall. Win or go home. Below are the keys to Game 6 of the Eastern
MIAMI – NBA playoff games are rarely won in the third quarter. Thursday was an exception. LeBron James made sure of that. James, the Miami Heat’s superstar forward and the undisputed Best Player on the Player, had 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block in the third quarter of the Heat’s 90-79 Game 5 Eastern Conference finals victory over Indiana. “That’s LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Think about it this way: LeBron’s
This Eastern Conference finals between Indiana and Miami could go down as one of the best in the past decade. It has been filled with drama and great action. With the Pacers tying the series with a home win in Game 4, it has become a best-of-three to decide which team plays San Antonio in the NBA Finals. Below are the five keys for tonight’s Game 5 in Miami, the potential swing game. [Read more…]