Game 2 Recap

If you watched this game and were cheering for the Thunder, I'm sure you were comfortable after the first quarter with the score being 25-12 in favor of the Heat. At least I was, and so were the fans in Chesapeake Energy Arena. It was very, very loud when most crowds would be dead silent. It was as if every time the Heat scored, the crowd got louder, telling their home team "Hey, it's okay. They scored, now it's our turn." Durant and Westbrook got in early foul trouble so Harden was the main scorer in the lineup and did a pretty good job withstanding and countering the punches. It reminded me of the movie 300. And even when LeBron, Wade and Battier (again!) were on their fury of scoring throughout the game, I senses that there was no real threat. Westbrook and Durant would eventually come back, right?

Trying to fire up the crowd even when his team was down.

And that's what happened. The Thunder tried really really hard. They never gave up. In the final minute of the fourth, the Thunder put a full court press and stole the ball. Harden dribbled it down, passed it to Westbrook, and he smartly passed it out for an open three by Kevin Durant. The crowd went crazy, making it a 2 point game. This is OKC basketball. I have to give credit to Coach Scott Brooks for keeping #35 in there when he picked up his fifth foul with about 8 minutes still remaining in the final quarter.

KD telling the crowd to calm down after his a huge three pointer.
 Is there a more humble player in the league?

But the Heat were consistent tonight. LeBron had another excellent Finals game to put to his long list of achievements but what really stuck out to me was his free throw stats: 12-12. After Durant's final three ball, LeBron went to the line and calmly hit both to ensure the win. And he made some when they really mattered. No bricks. He finished with 32 points. Wade was hitting his fadeaways and mid-range jumpers and had 24 points. Battier was a key role player by hitting his open 3's, and even banked one from the center arc as the shot clock was expiring. The Heat bench scored only 8 points, but the starting five really chipped in (well, except Chalmers who had only 3 points). At the end of the game, there was a no-call by the referees as Durant rose up for a short jumper on the baseline which would have changed the whole outcome of the game.

"I got this, I got this." And he did.

On Fire.

Westbrook was 10-26 from the FG and had 27 points, but my general rule is that if the number of attempts is equal (or close) to the number of points, it's not a good shooting night. And so he did not shoot well. To his credit, he had 8 rebounds and 7 assists, on pace for another triple double. It's unfortunate that Nick Collison followed up his amazing game 1 performance with a no-show. I like him on the floor more than Perkins because he's a lot more mobile and quick on his feet. One play I remember was on a Heat's possession, Bosh set a screen for Wade and Perkins was way too slow to react as he was literally staring at Bosh's back while Wade scooped in an easy finger roll.
Game 3 coming up at American Airlines Arena. The Heat stole a home court advantage which is a must if they want to win. Now, the next three games are at in Miami. The Thunder have to steal at least one game, or the Heat can win the championship on their home floor. Which, by the way, I do not like the finals home court format. 2-3-2. Anyone else agree?

Heat OKC Game 1 Recap

Everyone was thinking about it and witnessing it at the same time. It's the fourth quarter, and OKC has been clawing back into the game after being down to as much as 13 points. Shane Battier was helping the Heat spread the floor by hitting 3 early three's and finishing with 17 points. He also made some successful drives to the baskets, going semi-retro back to his days with Duke. Chalmers chipped in 12 points along with 6 assists. Wade scored 19 points but only on 7-19 shooting thanks to Sefelosha's great one on one isolation defense.

LBJ presumably whining for yet another call

It was crunch time. Yes, Kevin Durant was catching on fire late in the game with 17 points in the fourth quarter alone and finishing with 36. Westbrook was smart with the basketball, finishing the game with almost a triple double. I don't mean to sound rude and discredit their efforts but all eyes wanted to see how LeBron would react in this moment. LeBron was  being himself as usual and despite his jumpshots not going in, he continued to be aggressive and driving in the lane throughout. However, the fourth quarter was his meltdown moments when people are wondering what he's thinking and why. Missing layups. Rimming out free throws. Out of rhythm mid-rangers. What and why? At least that's what I try to wrap my mind around.
In the game, there were moments when he was again being passive behind the three point line. In one play, D Wade was stuck near the right baseline, drove to the left being double teamed and kicked it out to LeBron who was behind the arc again. But this time, he drove in and got an and one. But that's the thing: that play was never developed for him. It was a bailout. And in a rare glimpse, it worked. He finished with 6 points in the fourth which isn't bad but compare that to Durant's 17 and you can see why why the Heat lost.

How can you not love this man?

The Heat cannot win like this. I can't blame LeBron for the loss though. He did his part throughout the game, but he definitely needs to be more aggressive in the fourth quarter and not lounge around behind the arc. Oh, and tell Chris Bosh to play as a forward please. He has a false sense of confidence after game 7 against the Celtics when he was 3-4 from the three point line. I could sense that LeBron was having flashback moments of his past against the Mavericks in the closing minutes. This was his moment. He said he learned from his past mistakes. But tonight didn't show it.
I want to give a lot of credit to Nick Collison. He finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds (5 clutch offensive boards) from the bench! Instead of Ibaka or Perkins finishing the game, the lone white player was a force to be reckoned with.

NBA Finals Preview

Pretty sweet stroke from the mid-range

Let's get this started right away. Representing the Western Conference, we have the Oklahoma City Thunder. This team, despite being considered a small-market team, has been embraced widely by the league and its fans. D-Wade recently stated that Westbrook is the "most athletic guy in the league." What's up with Wade saying this? Oh, and then telling the public that the leader of the Heat is his Batman, LeBron James when he's only been there for two seasons. This all makes sense now, because Wade was sponsored by T-Mobile and his phone was called the Sidekick! Get it? Anyway, I think the Thunder have a really good chance of winning this. Even though they're considered a team that relies too heavily on their perimeter game, their offense playbook has been working up until now. I love all of their shooting forms, even Perkins. Ibaka's jumper isn't looking too shabby either and it creates another threat for the Heat.

He is the Sidekick.

And representing the Eastern Conference, are the Heat. They've been here before last season and they blew it against the Mavericks. But now they understand (I think...I mean, they almost lost to a bunch of oldies and a young point guard that carried the team) the atmosphere, the pressure and the meaning of the Finals. Will LeBron finally win a ring? Would that even be enough for everyone to shut up? I don't think so, because he said he would win multiple rings for the franchise. If I remember correctly, I think he said he would win six with them. Skip Bayless isn't shutting up for a really long time. Chris Bosh couldn't have come at a better time, hitting his three's (?). D-Wade is solid, but needs to come out in the first half and play like he has in the 2006 Finals. What I like about the Heat is that they got two and a half guys that can score the basketball, dish it out, or put it on the floor while their role players are all shooters waiting for the open shot.

Can LeBron fulfill his promise?

A Review of This Season

What an awesome season this year has been for the league. The lockout cut 16 games and meshed 66 into a very tight schedule, increasing the prone to injury (Derrick Rose, Ray Allen, Al Horford, Stephen Curry, Amare, Jeremy Lin, Melo, Rubio, etc) and thus making tons of interesting and boring lineups that made some NBA fans turn their head and try to delve into the minds of the coaches and the front office of teams. The lockout helped some teams while being detrimental to others, or it had no effect at all (Spurs, Bobcats). There was plenty of debate whether it was beneficial or not, you can take your pick depending on which teams you root for.

And now, after a crazy regular season, there were even more headlines for the playoffs.

From the Western Conference:                                                                                                                                                             

The Spurs were again a #1 seed and easily made it into the Western Conference Finals but fell to the younger, more exciting Thunder. Did anyone else expect these guys to come back like this after being blown out by the Grizzlies last season? I didn't.

D-Fish and Kobe going at it, except this time it's not at practice.

The Lakers showed inconsistency and lack of teamwork when Kobe kept jacking up jumpshots while being triple-teamed. Despite not understanding the triangle offense to its fullest degree, I wish that came back. 

The Clippers ended their postseason drought in 6 years! Led by CP3 and Kia spokesman Blake Griffin.

 

Diaw moving to the Spurs. And there was much rejoicing.

OKC breezed by the Mavericks, struggled against the Clippers, and demolished the Lakers and Spurs. These guys beat the only three teams that have represented the western conference in the finals. What studs.

Memphis Grizzlies showed signs of positive progress as this was their second straight year in the playoffs, but could not close out against the Clippers. I would have loved to see a rematch of the Spurs and Grizzlies.

Hey, didn't Golden State head coach Marc Jackson promise his team that they would make the playoffs in his first year? But to be fair, his stellar, baby-faced, quick shooting Curry was injured. Oh yeah, and your team just trades away your star player, Monte Ellis.

Clippers looked amazing...at least on paper.

From the Eastern Conference:

Derrick Rose got injured against the Pacers, which allowed the Pacers to secure a second round fairly easily.

D-Rose still making millions with Adidas despite his injury.

Boston Celtics made noise in the playoffs despite their age and was one game away from clinching another berth into the NBA Finals.

The Big Four. What an amazing group of players.

The Heat played fairly well without Bosh as D-Wade and LeBron continued to carry the team without a consistent bench and constant critics calling James out. When Bosh came back, he was very effective.

Orlando Magic were out of sync with the drama surrounding coach Stan Van Gundy and their star center Dwight Howard and lost to the Pacers.

The Knicks were without Linsanity and won only one game against the Heat. Their playoff struggles continue for another year.

It's Over

The Big 3 (Fantastic Four) of the Celtics is coming to a close. It's making me cringe as I type that out. I want to believe that they have one more year together. Just like last year when all the critics said the C's were done. Make one more surprise run at the playoffs. Garnett played his heart out. Allen, despite his ankle surgery, was hitting his shots. The only one I'm really worried about is Pierce. He is the soul of the Celtics. He's been slow. Front-rimming his jumpers. Fouling early. He has one more year and a partial guarantee for the year after. But Ainge can't trade him, not like this. He's been with the franchise through the bad and the miraculous good that's come with the team coming together. You don't just abandon a soldier, he's not a mercenary. (No offense to free agent players). Rondo was fantastic again, but came up short and made some turnovers that turned into transition baskets for the Heat. Just work on your jumpers and you'll literally be unstoppable.

Probably the worst matchup of the night.

The Heat were phenomenal and despite my dislike for Bosh, he was money on his shots. Battier was clutch too helping the score stay even or giving them a slight cushion offensively. LeBron started slow but his inside game helps his outside. Wade was clutch in getting fouled and his usual slashing. It was a different Heat team tonight. They had this confidence that they could win. You could sense it from watching the game. Down 8 halftime? Not a problem.
I don't believe what Doc Rivers said in the post-game conference when he said his team gave everything they had. Yes, they were great. But being naive and/or hopeful, I believe that they could have pushed a run to make it a close game. Which is why I didn't stop watching the game until the buzzer. I thought of the utmost crazy game time situations to make the Celtics get back in it. But it's all in my head. I love Doc Rivers. He's a different coach from others in the league. He seems like a really likable guy the way he talks about his team. From a coaching style perspective, he brought a bunch of superstars to buy into his system. Anyone else doing that right now?
For the Celtics fans, let's not give up on the team. The future is bright. Rondo, Bass, Bradley, Green, Pierce, Pietrus. (Maybe sign KG?) We have the #20 pick in this year's draft. The Big 3 was a fantastic era but now we can only speculate and hope for the best. For the Heats fans, well congratulations.
Now, who's ready for an exciting final? I'm picking OKC. LeBron is not getting a ring for another year.

Heat vs. Celtics Game 6

On this closeout game for the Celtics, will they choke once again? Since the Big Three for the Celtics emerged, they are 3-10 in total closeout games. LeBron James is putting on an amazing performance, despite the fact that the Heat are 1-15 in the TD Garden, or also known as the Jungle with 30 points on very efficient shooting in the first half alone! (12-14 FG, 5-9 FT). Rondo, however, is also putting on a show with 19 points in the first half. Pierce is starting off very slowly, with only 2 points and 3 fouls. D-Wade is slow again, with 7 points on 1-6 shooting.
Updates soon to come.

This is LeBron's shooting, in the first half! He finished with 45 points.

Update: This is very late, and my apologies. So LeBron had a game to remember, finishing with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. The only other player to do that in a playoff game was Wilt Chamberlain. Dwayne Wade, though he only scored 18 points, made some very key shots to keep the Celtics from making a comeback. There were times when the C's cut the lead to 10, only to have LeBron make a ridiculous turnaround jumper...or have him miss from the free throw line. Can I remind people who don't know the rules about basketball that nobody is defending you while you are taking your free throws? James shot again poorly, going 5-9 in the line. But no matter. It was his night. LeBron gets scrutinized for every game whether he plays well or not. I'm sure somewhere in Skip Bayless' head he is critiquing James for not passing enough, or for missing one shot. And he shut everybody up from the Celtics roster to the crowd, to everyone watching TV, and hey maybe even Skip himself.

You know that when KG is looking like this, the C's are done for the night.

Pierce, who is known as "the" star for the Celtics, shot 4-18, including 0-6 behind the arc. He once again fouled early and never got going, even with some wide open looks. Rondo had a terrific start in the first half but then blew it. Side note: am I the only one that thinks the Celtics offense is stagnant? I keep hearing about how much Doc Rivers tweaks the plays, but I don't see much going on. KG had a decent game, but his numbers were flat compared to this postseason's averages.
Oh yeah, who can forget Marquis Daniel's dunk? In all honesty, it was a pretty nice jam...against the Heat bench. Both teams were playing pickup/YMCA basketball for the last half of the final quarter.

In hopes of game 7, it is a new game, with pressures being immense for both teams. For the Celtics, it's probably the final season with the core staying together. There are rumors starting again about a Rondo for Westbrook trade. Allen and KG are in their final year and I doubt Ainge is going to resign them. Though KG has been playing well, and there's never enough of Shuttlesworth. How about a one year veteran contract? If the Heat lose, there is again that sense that LeBron is not a champion, and will take a lot of time for him to win one. The Heat right now are pretty stacked (duh) and losing to the Celtics will be embarassing. Erik Spoelstra is on the hot seat, I wonder if Pat Riley could ever coach again. An underrated fact: D Wade is 30 years old!

Any Doubt?

The way the Thunder have been playing throughout the whole series, was there any doubt? When the Thunder were down 63-48 at halftime, I was admittedly afraid that game 7 was looming closer and closer.  But then I watched the Thunder tearing it up in the 3rd quarter as Kevin Durant was hitting three's and jumpshots, as well as Westbrook. Ibaka followed it up with and one call and a dunk from a sneaky pass by Kendrick Perkins. The Spurs made the crowd go quiet occasionally with Stephen Jackson's three point barrage and Tony Parker's fancy drive to the hole. Unfortunately, Parker only scored 8 points and had 2 assists in the second half when it really mattered. Duncan wasn't hitting his mid-range and banks off of the glass either in the second half and the Thunder were constantly putting their foot to the pedal in fastbreak transition. And when you have a bunch of young, hungry athletes that are all aged 24 or younger running down against the Spurs against guys who are well over 30, transition defense is not going to be easy for the Spurs.

Kevin Durant celebrating with his family as the game ends

Kevin Durant had a monstrous game with a double double, at 34 points and 14 rebounds. Westbrook had a solid night with 25 points. James Harden chipped in 16 on a solid shooting night. As a team, The Thunder were 50% in their field goals. The Spurs had 12 more possessions and were an an average at 44% FG.
I can't help but feel a little bad for the Spurs. They were riding a 20 game win streak that dates back from May 18th, cruising in the playoffs, and then lose four in a row. Sure, the first two may have been a little humbling, but for them to be practically swept is sad. An organization that prides itself on execution and fundamentals, and gets little national media attention was so close to telling the league that the Spurs are a consistent, well-coached team that can win without flashy moves. And very well, they already did by coming in the Western Conference finals. It just wasn't enough against the Thunder.

Eastern Conference Finals 2012

Despite the high scoring barrage the counterpart conference has been having in their series, I think the Eastern Conference Finals are much more interesting to watch. You have 6 big-time All Stars and future Hall of Famers playing on the same court. I doubt even the most loyal Celtics fans were unsure of what to make of this season when it started. They started 8-11 and most thought this would be a rebuilding season. But I didn't think so and I kept believing. The Celtics are frustrating to watch at times as game 3 showed, with little offense and a lot of turnovers. But they have heart, and they grind every game out. My peers were telling me, even in the playoffs, that the Celtics could not get this far. And now, they're one game away from the NBA Finals. Are you serious? Despite the Celtics aging, how can you not love Kevin Garnett putting up monster numbers as a center? His sweet jumper is as reliable as ever, and he's rebounding and playing defense like when he won the DPOY back in 2008. Pierce has been slow, and I think his foul troubles are because of his legs not being able to keep up. However, in game 5, that three pointer he made in the hands of LeBron James was simply the Truth. Ray Allen, who is my most favorite player ever, has been missing some wide open three's, but at least his free throws are back. At one point, he was at mid to high 60's. Last night, he was 8-8 and hit two clutch in the waning minutes.

      Let's break down the numbers, and this might surprise you.

The Truth set the Celtics free.

The Celtics actually shoot better when LeBron James is on the floor, hitting 56.8% and making over 9 three pointers. Overall, the Celtics are a +19. But we can't forget what a monster LBJ is on the floor despite what the numbers show. He is what keeps the Heat alive every single game, averaging over 30 PPG in the playoffs against the C's. Dwayne Wade even confessed that #6 is the ring leader, and when you watch him play, there is no doubt about that. D-Wade is putting in solid numbers, a little over 20 PPG but for them to win, D Wade has to take it to the rim. When he does, the Heat are unstoppable, just take a look back against the Pacers series. We all know what numbers both guys put up, but being down 3-2 in the series, it proves that just them two obviously not enough. The Heat bench is relatively not bad, but when you're subbing in Wade for Miller, that becomes a issue. The skill differential between the Big Two and the bench is just too much. And when you have only two players that can pass and handle the ball like they can, one of them is going to be needed on the floor to score and pass. Compared with the Celtics bench, Stiemsma has been a great player and he's learned a lot under KG in his first year. He played with patience on both ends of the floor and though not flashy, his rebounds and scoring were very much appreciated. Michkael Pietrus is frustrating to watch on offense. He was a great shooter while with the Magic, but it just seems to me that he doesn't have the same confidence while donning the green jersey. Defensively, he goes up against the best player and plays them well. But last night, something clicked and he was hitting those long range shots. Yes, two of them included his foot being on the line but when Rondo hit him with the baseline three (an amazing pass, mind you) he was so calm and confident when he threw it up in the net. He's also a great rebounder, and it showed in game 2 when he grabbed two consecutive offensive rebounds and last night when he got another offense possession. Dooling has  been playing well as a guard. His ball handling is decent, and his shooting has been very good for the Celtics.

Pietrus came up huge, finally knocking down his shots.

The free throws. I have never seen two superstars miss so many before. LeBron is 35-52, or at 67%. Wade is a little better at 77% but I have seen many rimming out in clutch situations. Celtics, on the other hand, have had much better free shooting overall besides game 1 when they were a measly 52.4%. In game 2, they bounced back and hit almost 90% as a team.
Critics question Rondo and his numbers, especially his assists because they think all he has to do is pass to one of the Big 3 and they'll finish. That simply is not true, and only ignorant people could say something like that. Anyone that plays basketball knows that. Rondo is on point every single time in his passes, which is why the Big 3 or any Celtics for that matter can shoot or go in the paint with rhythm rather than stumbling and hesitating with the ball in their hands. If that were true, then CP3 should have averaged more assists with the Clippers than with the Hornets. At least on paper, because the Clipper's roster looked unstoppable. In fact, CP3's assists were the lowest (9.1) it's been since his second year in the league (8.9). Anyway, Rondo is already a great player and is only going to get better. His rebounding skills for a guard are unparalleled, and that's something you can't teach. If only he can shoot more consistently, though game 2 showed a lot of hope for the Celtics fans.
I can't talk enough about Kevin Garnett. His intensity is crazy, you can tell by the way he sweats, he talks (and he talks to himself a lot, but don't try to read his lips) and the way he's been playing Celtics basketball. And the numbers prove it- he's averaging almost 20 PPG and almost 11 RPG. In the beginning of the season, Rivers nicknamed him 20 and 10 to get him to playing a high level of basketball. Doc Rivers has been praising him for his leadership and ironically, the calmness he gives the team during the post-season.
With the Celtics playing well in the Jungle, I think they can take it and get a ticket to the Finals.

Western Conference Finals 2012

The NBA conference finals are well on their way with both series at 3-2 and the Spurs and Heat on a surprisingly brink of elimination and thus having to go home for the off-season. It's very interesting and exciting to see the momentum ebb and flow between each game, as both favorites of respective conferences were up 2-0 but the "underdogs" have risen to the challenge and have taken 3 games back. Here's an interesting statistic: only seven teams have been able to erase the 2-0 deficit from 1969 to 2003. However, since the change of a seven game series playoff, the deficit has been less daunting. From the 2004 Lakers, 7 teams have been able to do what the other 7 teams did over the previous 35 years. This trend is definitely following what the Thunder and Celtics have been able to do. 84% of teams who win game 5 in a 2-2 series go on to win the series.

Another commonality is that between each series, there is an old and experienced veteran team desperately clinging on for one more chance at the title. On the other hand, there is the younger team that has proven itself for the past couple of years but yet has fallen short of glory and the championship. If the older team wins, they call it experience; if they lose, they call it age and frail bodies. If the younger team wins, they call it hunger and strength; if they lose, they say it's their youth and lack of experience.

Western Conference: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Did anyone else feel uncomfortable whenever Fisher was on the floor for the Lakers the past two seasons?? I would scream at the television, wondering why coach Phil Jackson would give him so many minutes. He took bad shots, airballed his three pointers, missed layups, and was too short to guard the younger point guards. Not anymore, though. Derek Fisher, playing possibly out of anger, vengeance, and a chance to prove himself, has been playing phenomenally better with the younger Thunder team. He still struggles on the floor, but he did have an exceptional night, scoring 13 points on 6-8 shooting in the game 1 loss.

Don't leave this guy open. Ever.

The bench has been key for this series. In games 1 and 2, the Spurs bench was overwhelming. Stephen Jackson, Matt Bonner, Manu Ginobli (debated whether or not I should include his name on here), Gary Neal, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter all gave meaningful minutes to rest the starters. Let's also not forget their shooting, especially from the three point line. In game 1, the bench hit 7 out of the 8 three point shots made for the Spurs. As a team, they were 8/24. In game 2, the bench hit 4 out of the 11. In game 3, the Spurs hit 8 of the 11 made. In game 5, the bench hit 5 of the 11. However, in the losses, the starters have looked lost and out of sync. Tony Parker, who was on fire for the first two series, could not hit his usual mid-range. He has only been 39% from the field in the subsequent losses. The bench for OKC, though they have been subtle in their scoring, make up for their size and toughness. I have seen Nick Collison dunking over the Spurs twice now. Derek Fisher, again, has been a leader and taking decent shots. If yet the OKC Thunder need another shooter, Daequan Cook will be there. Harden has been reliable, hitting 50% in the series so far. He is known as a shooter but in a game 2 loss, he was 10-13 and only attempted one three pointer.  Harden can definitely finish at the rim, it's amazing how he can blow by so many defenders and lay the ball in like it's a warmup with grace.

Ginobli scored 34 points in the game 5 loss.

For game 6, Popovich needs to start Ginobli again at the expense of Danny Green. Green has not been playing well at all in this series and Ginobli gave the 3rd quarter spark to get the Spurs back in, finishing with 34 points and 17 apiece per half. The Spurs need that "nasty" they had in games 1 and 2, as well as making those extra passes. Tony Parker cannot continually to drive in in the fastbreaks because the Thunders defense can easily pick him up in transition. Kevin Durant has been phenomenal in his mid-range and simply does not miss. Westbrook has been a little too crazy and looks like a former version of himself, but if he can calm down and hit his jump shots, that'll be good enough. Ibaka has been working on that jumpshot as well, and it looks like the Spurs are going to have to put a body on him to prevent the easy scoring.