Three years ago after “The Decision” and the free agent signing of Chris Bosh, the Miami Heat were declared the NBA Champions for the next 10 years. Who could beat them? They were loaded. They had filled the requirements of “The Championship Formula” and the future was set. Barring a catastrophic injury (or a cataclysmic Game 7 against the Pacers), the trophy was ready to be engraved! What is this formula that wins championships? Is it something new? Does it really
The Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers have gotten this far in the postseason by winning at home. But the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are going to the NBA Finals by winning on the road. The Grizzlies and Pacers were very good home teams in the regular season. Memphis was 32-9 and lost just once at FedEx Forum after Feb. 8. Indiana was 30-11 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and went more than two months early in the season without a home
The four-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs made a statement in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with a 104-93 victory in Memphis. That statement might as well have been one of those old clichés like “never underestimate the heart of a champion.” Spurs—new and old—expressed their enthusiasm on Twitter after the game. [Read more…]
Phil Jackson has been all over the news over the past week. It all started when the details of his new book was revealed about how he compared Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. More importantly, people still want to know whether there is any chance of seeing the Zen Master back on the sidelines for any team. The answer to that question, unfortunately, appears to be a resounding no for the foreseeable future. Here is what he told Arash Markazi
When the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, it was considered a championship coronation for long-time Spurs center David Robinson. With plenty of help from second-year power forward Tim Duncan, that title validated Robinson’s career. But more importantly, it spawned a run of sustained success that is incredibly unique in the NBA, especially for a small-market franchise like the Spurs. [Read more…]
The Golden State Warriors have had three different leading scorers in its four games this round against San Antonio, which bodes well for the team not only in this series but in the future as well. With Stephen Curry hobbled by an injured ankle that nearly kept him out of the game altogether, it was the team’s balance that gave Golden State a pivotal Game 4 victory. It was Jarrett Jack’s turn to lead the charge, with 24 points on 9-of-16
Every remaining NBA team is banged up right now. It’s a fact of the playoffs that they are a of endurance as much as skill. Since the start of the first round, the Thunder have lost Russell Westbrook and the Warriors have lost David Lee for effectively the remainder of the playoffs. The Knicks and Spurs have a number of nagging injuries. [Read more…]
