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The Miami Heat scorched the one-man show known as the New York Knicks in round 1 & the Indiana Pacers took out the no-man show in Orlando, knocking out the Dwight Howard-less Magic. Both teams did so in just 5 games, the Pacers finishing the job before the Heat. So what does this mean for round 2? Round 1 featured a pretty easy fluff match for the Pacers, seeing as the Magic are a shell of their former self. Then again, it is a young team, one that gave the number 1 seed Chicago Bulls fits last year. They're learning & have improved since then, there isn't a chance they'll be taking the Heat lightly.
What about the Heat? This was a team that pretty much dominated the Knicks in the first round, which was a pretty easy match-up considering they only had to stop Carmelo Anthony & they knew they were set. New York didn't help things by having ball-chucker J.R. Smith playing point for most of game 5.
The Heat/Pacers round 2 series may not have the glitz & glamour of other playoff series, but it may be the best one yet. In a 1st round filled with duds, the NBA playoffs are eagerly anticipating a series with some heart & excitement. This one may be just what they are looking for. The Heat took care of Indiana in the regular season, winning 3 of 4 games, so take that as you will.
The reason why I like Indiana so much in this series is because their strengths are Miami's weaknesses. The Pacers are anchored by their all-star center, 7'2 Roy Hibbert, who has a chance to absolutely dominate this series. This could be his coming out party if he plays his cards right. The Pacers also have a legitimate point guard in Darren Collison who, unlike the Heat's Mario Chalmers, can control a game & run an offense. He has been coming off the bench as of late, giving George Hill the spotlight, but he played very well in the final 2 games of the 1st series with the Magic, scoring 30 points with 15 assists to close out the last games of the series. The depth of the Pacers is nothing to sneeze at either. I just mentioned the depth at point guard with Collison & Hill, but it doesn't end there. The frontcourt was bolstered this past offseason when they added former all-star forward David West. He's no focal point on this team, not while Hibbert, Danny Granger, & Paul George are around, but he doesn't have to be. With Miami's less than fleet footed frontcourt of Joel Anthony & Ronny Turiaf, all West has to do is set up at the top of the key & hit some mid-range jumpers. This clears the paint for a guy like Paul George, Indiana's young budding star, to drive to the hoop like he does best. Like Collison, Tyler Hansbrough was starting for this team last year, but thanks to offseason additions, they just fill out a very formidable bench. Leandro Barbosa was added at the trade deadline, but injuries have affected his game so far in the playoffs. Maybe these couple days off will improve his health, it would be a huge boost for Indiana to have a scoring option like him coming off the bench & playing well.
Some people may think I was overly focused on the Pacers here, but let's be honest, we all know about the Heat. It's the 2 & a half man show. LeBron is the best basketball player on the planet & Dwyane Wade is in the top 5. Chris Bosh is probably the greatest 3rd option of all-time, even if he plays soft. Other than that, save for an occasionally productive Mario Chalmers, this team doesn't have much else. That's fine, because LeBron & company have been proving they can handle the load. I just live in a world where I can see the Pacers pushing them to the brink, scaring them, making them think that they just might lose. The series begins Sunday & I'll be watching. I expect this game to go 6 or 7 games, provided Indiana plays up to the level I have come to expect from them. Ultimately, I believe the Heat will get the series win, just because the East is so weak, but it will be the first & only true test until they get to the Finals.
And This Happened...
Bulls/76ers set to play game 6 tonight - The Bulls have been the most unlucky & fragile team this NBA season. Injuries have killed this team & it finally caught up to them here in the playoffs, at the worst possible time. Derrick Rose tore his ACL & probably won't be seen in the NBA again until 2013. Joakim Noah twisted his ankle in one of the more gruesome ways you'll ever see in a game, so he's doubtful for tonight's game. Even if he did play, I doubt he would make much of an impact. Taj Gibson gave the team a huge boost in their game 5 win over Philly, but he too twisted his ankle pretty badly. He'll play, but he'll be hobbled, for sure. This is a broken team, playing on their last leg. Philadelphia has the 3-2 series lead & only need 1 more win to pull off the first round "upset." Andre Iguodala was dreadful in game 5, as was most of the players on the 76ers. Game 5 was not an omen for Philly, they're still going to win this series, but it does goes to show how bad they are. This truly is an 8th seed & will most likely get knocked out pretty easily in the 2nd round. I expect them to put away the Bulls at home tonight.
Celtics look to put away Hawks in game 6 tonight - Here's a story that sort of flew under the radar. 2-time all-star center for the Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford, had his coming out party in game 5's win for the Hawks over the Celtics. His 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, & three steals were pivotal in Atlanta's win, as he also forced Rajon Rondo to turn the ball over in the Celtic's final possession in the 87-86 victory that forced this game 6. Boston is a depleted team. Ray Allen is playing injuried, Paul Pierce is playing with a strained MCL, & Kevin Garnett is playing old. Rajon Rondo has to carry this team to victory, which he can do. Boston assuredly wanted to put away Atlanta in game 5, seeing as Horford played 41 minutes, which means he's pretty much recovered from his torn pectoral muscle injury that took him out early in the season. His presence in the lineup means bad things for Boston. I still think the Celtics can & will put away Atlanta tonight, but had Atlanta been able to deploy Horford in the beginning of the series, I think it would have been a different story.
NBA triple-header will be capped off by Nuggets/Lakers in game 6 - The Lakers very nearly pulled off an improbable comeback at home against the Denver Nuggets in game 5, Kobe was hitting every jumper in sight, except for the last one. Denver squeaked out a win in Los Angeles & bolted out of there, housing game 6, still on the verge of elimination. The Nuggets relied heavily on their big man, JaVale McGee, who they brought in at the deadline & their veteran point guard Andre Miller, both of whom came off the bench. Those two propelled the Nuggets to victory, but neither one are what you would call consistent performers. If the Nuggets want to extend this series, they will need guys like Ty Lawson & Danilo Gallinari to step up, I just don't think they will. Kobe doesn't like to lose, he probably takes it harder than any other player in the NBA. Despite the stomach flu he is currently dealing with, I'm sure he'll play his ass off tonight & lead the Lakers to a victory & a 2nd round berth.
Jeremy Lin reportedly will be brought back to New York next season - Since the Grizzlies & Clippers don't play their game 6 until Friday, I had to fill this post out with a final NBA story. Jeremy Lin, the point guard who took New York by storm this season, will "absolutely" be back next season, according to the New York's coach, Mike Woodson. Lin is a restricted free-agent, meaning he could sign an offer-sheet from any NBA team, but the Knicks can match it & bring him back. New York may be a very different looking team next year. Carmelo Anthony played better this year when Amar'e Stoudemire wasn't on the floor. It seems the two just don't mesh. Will they look to move Stoudemire or Melo? J.R. Smith is almost assuredly gone. Who else will be jettisoned out of New York?
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