2012-2013 NBA Season

[thelakelander]

Birdman is better but I assume they want Birdman's energy off the bench.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Over 3 qtrs. Haslem has 1 point, Anderson off the bench has more.

[Keith-N-Jax]

James and Wade need to take over now.

[KenFSU]

Indy JUST KEEPS COMING.

Really impressed with these guys.

Love Dwayne Wade with the Tito Santana style flying forearm at mid court.

"Inadvertent."

Sureeeeee.

[thelakelander]

Great game by Indy.  We now have a series.  Indy undefeated in playoffs at home and Heat undefeated on the road.  Something has to give.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Pacers seemed to be the better team, Heat are not shooting well.

[thelakelander]

Miami seems better. Just didn't make a few plays down the stretch.  A couple of bad plays down the stretch and ballgame. It happens.

Just for whatever reason, still missing a ton of open shots.  10 free throw misses didn't help either. When Ray is missing free throws and Birdman is the only guy knocking all his down, you're in the Twilight Zone. They need to find Miller some more time. He plays better D and his shoot is obviously more on than both Ray and Shane combined.   

With that said, I fully expect them to go to Indy and handle business.

[KenFSU]

REALLY interesting series thus far.

I just love the poise that the Pacers are playing with.

Amazing how Miami can go on these big runs, with the crowd going crazy, and Indy just calmly snuffs them out.

Couple of random thoughts:

1) If I'm the Birdman, I am NOT happy to see Lebron casually slapping hands with the Pacer who just dunked in my face.

2) Lebron is easily the second best basketball player I have ever seen. Better than Magic. I hate to say it, but better than Bird. Guy is just on a whole different level than everyone else, on both sides of the ball. Don't think anyone will ever top MJ, just because the guy's temperament is so creepy that he was literally out for blood every night, but Lebron is the closest I've ever seen. On his best night (probably the serial killer Game 6 against Boston last year), he may even be better though.

3) That said, still not convinced that Miami is actually a great team. If you look at some of the great teams of the last 30 years, like the '86 Celtics, '87 Lakers, '89 Pistons, '92 and '96 Bulls, '94 Rockets, '01 Lakers, '08 Celtics, they have such a clear identity as a team. You could take out Magic, or Bird, or Isiah, or Jordan, or Hakeem, and the team would still probably be good for around 50 wins. The Heat have also kind of struck me as being Lebron, and a bunch of other pieces. Would be fascinating to see them compete against a pure team like the Spurs.

4) Dwayne Wade has my vote for dirtiest player in the game.

[thelakelander]

4). Dirty because of this inadvertent elbow?  What about MWP's elbow to Harden last year?

http://www.youtube.com/v/BBVK0CDo8O0?version=3&hl=en_US

I'm not shocked by the Pacers.  They are essentially the same team and play with the same style they did last year.  The major difference is George has replaced Granger as their star player.  That team had Miami down 2-1 before Lebron and Wade went crazy in the games 4, 5 and 6. Anyway, I really want to see how Indy looks with Granger back and George continuing to play at a high level. 

To me the Pacers, Bulls and Memphis are all interchangeable. They all play a style that slows the game down to a crawl so the score remains close.  Then down the stretch, it essentially boils down to who can make an extra play or two.  First night it was Miami.  Last night it was Indy.  The way you beat all three is to with effective three point shooting.  For whatever reason, Allen and Battier have been off for the entire playoffs, not only from behind the arc but also the free throw line (Miami missed 10 free throws last night and lost by 4 points).  When Miami goes on real runs, it's a lethal mix of 3-point shooting and fast breaks.  These games are going to remain close until Miami's shooters find their groove again.

[thelakelander]

A comparison of elbows...

[thelakelander]

Great game by Indy.  We now have a series.  Indy undefeated in playoffs at home and Heat undefeated on the road.  Something has to give.

Something gave. Miami up 2-1 now.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Your were right something did give, also Haslem with more points made a difference as well. Nice play by Chalmers .

[Keith-N-Jax]

Lets HOPE the Heat can close the deal tonight. Birdman suspended for game 6!!

[Ocklawaha]

I think the THUNDER just got a bump! OUCH!

[KenFSU]

Birdman suspended for game 6!!

This actually troubles me.

Heat are -3 with Andersen on the floor in the series, and +8 with Andersen on the bench.

Would kill to see this series go 7, and I think it's better than 50/50 that does, but I just can't see Lebron letting Miami lose Game 7 at home.

If the Heat do win, I am freakin STOKED for a Miami/San Antonio Finals.

Would love to see the Spurs end Miami's two-peat, three-peat, four-peat, blah blah blah aspirations.

Hard to explain, I really like Lebron James, but I really hate Lebron on the Heat.

Miami doesn't deserve him.

TREMENDOUS city, no doubt about it, but it's not a basketball city, and I hate seeing perhaps the second best player of all time wasting his prime playing in front of a bunch of fair-weather, fake-tan yuppies. The Tim Hardaway/Zo/Dan Majerle/PJ Brown/Eddie Jones/Kurt Thomas/Bruce Bowen team might have played in the dumpy old arena, but at least they didn't price out their working class fans.

I tell you what though, the thought of a 2014 Cavs roster including Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejou, and Nerlens Noel is pretty damn intriguing. Nothing at all personal against the Heat (only against Ray Allen), but Lebron returning to Cleveland would be the basketball story of the century.