The first round of the 2014 playoffs has been remarkable for the many crazy story lines and the record number of both games and Game 7s. Usually the first round is a snoozer with two or three sweeps, and the only upsets are the No. 5 over No. 4 variety. But this year gave us so many thrills that we all got to witness so much more. We have all experienced great regular season games that have been played with “playoff
When Roy Hibbert failed to record a single point or rebound in the first game against the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the conference semi-finals, players around the league were heavily critical of the center’s poor play. Everything changed for Hibbert in Game 2, however, as the big man finally found his touch around the basket with 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and nine rebounds. He, by far, was the biggest catalyst in helping the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been mired in all sorts of media controversy amidst their late-season swoon and subsequent first round playoff struggles. For all of the talk about Roy Hibbert and his personal struggles to score and rebound, there have been numerous theories as to the possible cause of both his loss of confidence and the team’s lack of chemistry and general malaise. One of the prevailing thoughts is that the mid-season additions of Andrew Bynum and Evan Turner may have
Each of the eight teams remaining in the NBA playoffs have played a game in this second round, and some interesting trends have emerged that could be harbingers of things to come over the next two weeks (or however long the league decides to stretch out this round). [Read more…]
Every year when the NBA playoffs roll around, we hear about “adjustments” and how important they are. But are they? Danny Schayes thinks so. The 18-year NBA veteran and Sheridan Hoops columnist believes that over the course of a seven-game series, even the best teams have their warts exposed and have to find ways to limit their exposure. In this video with Cinesport’s Noah Coslov, Schayes discusses what adjustments need to be made by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, the higher-seeded
After playing just well enough to get past the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the Indiana Pacers continued to show on Monday that their struggles are far from over. Facing a young and energized Washington Wizards team in the conference semi-finals, the Pacers floundered on both ends of the court and lost 102-96, losing homecourt advantage once again in the process. The Wizards shot a whopping 10-of-16 from the 3-point line, and the Pacers collectively shot 40.7 percent from
On Thursday night, Philips Arena opened its doors for the Atlanta Hawks first home playoff game of the 2014 NBA postseason. After having stolen home court advantage, the air in Atlanta was heavy, of course it was humid—welcome to Georgia, but it was heavy with hope and expectation. All week long, ever since the Hawks 101-93 Game 1 road victory in Indiana on Saturday, the talk among locals has been upset. Not just a game; the series. The team’s confidence only served to
The Indiana Pacers, now down 2-1 in their series with the Atlanta Hawks after a 98-85 loss in Game 3 in Atlanta Thursday night, have been the talk of the postseason. Even amidst their late-season swoon, many experts had them pegged to dispatch their first round opponent, especially considering that the Hawks finished the year below .500 with a 38-44 record. The talk, however, hasn’t been flattering, or quite constructive. Their statistical numbers haven’t been very staggering either, at least not in