Frank Vogel conceded the Eastern Conference to the Miami Heat on Saturday night prior to his Indiana Pacers’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, stating the obvious — there is no hope of catching LeBron James and Co. for the No. 1 seed. This came one day after Pacers point guard George Hill, an Indianapolis native, criticized the local fans because so many of them were cheering for the Lakers during their visit to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night. You look southward
Heat this. With the Heat’s winning streak up to 19, the press which follows its every move with adoring eyes has decided they are unbeatable. Of course, this is the same press that dogged the Heat’s every move in the sure knowledge LeBron James had no killer instinct or heart; couldn’t play with Dwyane Wade, who was over the hill; that Chris Bosh was even worse than James and wade; and Erik Spolestra was about to go. [Read more…]
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose. Or at least, he used to be. Having waited lo these many months, Bulls fans are dismayed to see the All-Star Game come and go with Derrick Rose and the cavalry yet to ride over the hill. (Forget the fans. How about fantasy players who stashed Rose last fall for a Spring Surprise – like me – only to learn the surprise is on them? So, please forgive me if I become hysterical.) LIKE WHERE
Of course, the Clippers didn’t shop Eric Bledsoe. If you haven’t been paying attention, no one ever shops anybody. It’s just that other teams call and you have to listen in the interest of improving your club. Kind of makes you wonder how talks get initiated if no GM ever says, “Yeah, we called them up, asked for Kevin Garnett, and offered them Eric.” Not that the Celtics were shopping KG, either, but Danny Ainge had to listen in the interests of his
The career triple-double count is now up to 35 (including seven with the Heat). The road record is now 16-11 to get out of the shabby zone. The lead in the Eastern Conference is up to 5 1/2 games. The winning streak is at 10 and counting. Put it all together, and LeBron James is pulling away in the MVP race for a Miami Heat team that is finally playing with the pedigree, pride and determination befitting the defending NBA champions. The
Just what the Lakers needed – a new era. For the Lakers, the old era was paradise, from 1979 when Jerry Buss bought the team and as his first official act got to draft Magic Johnson. The team that went 1-for-9 in the Finals in its first 20 seasons in town and lost all seven meetings with Boston made 16 more Finals and won 10 more titles in the next 30 years, replacing the Celtics as the NBA’s dominant franchise from that
All hail The King! I wrote that same lede once before, on May 31, 2007 when James had the first masterpiece playoff game of his career, scoring 29 of his team’s final 30 points in a Game 5 double-overtime victory at Detroit that gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 3-2 lead over their nemesis, the Detroit Pistons, who they would go on to finish off in six games and advance to the NBA Finals … where they were swept. The King was not
And what a first half it was! Even crushing the Thunder in Oklahoma City to finish it on a 7-0 run left the defending champion Miami Heat with the No. 3 record, although – unlike the days when every misstep prompted charges that LeBron James was a choking mercenary – there was no outcry at all. Bron ended that with last year’s title before going to heights he hadn’t even been to – and no one else may have – scoring at