It’s only Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Miami Heat are pumped up and ready to go. Or were they? The Indiana Pacers came roaring to life and dominated the game from Paul George scoring to George Hill to Roy Hibbert. There was no stopping Indy. They played balanced basketball sharing the ball between all five players on the court and playing defense as one. What’s to expect in Game 2? Pretty much the same. See Indiana doing the same thing in Game 1. Share the ball, cut down on turnovers. What about Miami? Go to your star player, Lebron James and let him work. Let Lebron James dominate Lance Stephenson and David West on the post and perimeter.
Tag Archives: David West
NBA Happenings
Jarrett Jack signed an offer sheet to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler were traded as part of a three-team deal and went to Phoenix. Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick were also part of that deal and were traded to the Clippers. Andre Iguodala signed to played with the Golden State Warriors as Nick Young agreed to join the Los Angeles Lakers. J.J. Hickson signed a three-year deal to join the Denver Nuggets. The San Antonio Spurs reached an agreement to sign Marco Belinelli away from Chicago. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard Earl Watson. Chauncey Billups is returning back to Detroit. Billups will be mentoring the younger Pistons guards at work. That will be a very good sight to watch. The NBA has had a bunch of signings of rookies joining up to play in the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers went and got Andrew Bynum from Philadelphia. The Bucks signed Jeff Teague to a contract and the Detroit Pistons signed Josh Smith and went to get Rasheed Wallace and brought him in as an assistant coach for the Pistons. C.J. Watson signed with the Indiana Pacers and the Pacers brought back David West. Lots of things happening in the NBA. I just remembered to mention the signings going on right now. I think this fall’s NBA season going to be a very busy time for most of the NBA players.
Pacers force Game 7 in Miami against the Heat
Boy, did the Indiana Pacers show up to play basketball. They made sure that the Miami Heat took tough shots and made tough shots. This one has to be on Miami because they wanted to clinch a ticket to the NBA Finals. The Heat failed at all costs. With Roy Hibbert and David West standing up to the star-stellar Miami Heat, there’s no stopping what the Indiana Pacers can do physically. Repeatedly, the Pacers punished the Heat by moving the ball inside the paint where Hibbert and West can get their post points. The Pacers contained the Heat’s outside shooters and made Shane Battier and Ray Allen use their energy on defense so they wouldn’t be able to hoist up three-pointers. This Game 6 will be on Miami, if the Heat do not win Game 7 in a winner-takes-all. Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade did not bring their best games.
Miami vs. Indiana Preview Game 6
What to expect in Game 6 tonight:
1. See that the Indiana Pacers take care of the basketball.
2. Lebron James has another breakout game.
3. Dwyane Wade contributes in some way to help Miami win.
4. Roy Hibbert has a big game against Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony.
5. See that Dwyane Wade and Lebron James run their patent fast break.
6. See that the Indiana Pacers run their offense with balanced scoring.
7. Watch and see if the physical Roy Hibbert and David West do try and take Lebron James out with their bigger frames.
8. Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and Ray Allen need to step up and hit their outside shots in order Miami wins Game 6.
9. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade playing outstanding perimeter defense so the Heat can generate fast break points.
10. D.J. Augustin and George Hill must have good games for Indiana to force a Game 7.
What to Expect in Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat
1. Expect another tough physical battle between David West and Lebron James and Roy Hibbert and Dwyane Wade and Lance Stephenson.
2. Expect three-point shooters for Miami to get wide open so Ray Allen, Shane Battier, and co. can knock them down.
3. See that Lebron James and Dwyane Wade run their patent fast break.
4. See that the Pacers do not turn the basketball over and play smart defense.
Recap of Miami-Indiana Game 2
Indiana rode the strength of Roy Hibbert and David West and Paul George last night in Game 2. Whenever Lebron James and Dwyane Wade got into the paint, they were met by Roy Hibbert’s whose interior presence affected the Miami Heat’s game. Hibbert had a big scoring game and his height really took a toll and beating on Miami’s smaller defenders like Udonis Haslem. In the end of this exciting basketball game, Miami made two errors on Lebron James passing the ball in crunch time. They failed to recognize that Indiana surrounded him with help defenders so that James would be unable to complete his layup twice. Indiana’s defense sealed their win in Game 2. Indiana prevented Miami’s sharpshooters from taking three pointers and further allowed Wade or James to penetrate into the lane and get off their shots in the lane where the 7-2 Roy Hibbert waits. This was a defining win for Indiana, because Indiana coach Frank Vogel wants Lebron James to eat his words for knowing that the Pacers have a choke hold on this series and Indiana really wants to show the Heat that they are an elite team. Of course Miami has no one’s respect, because they’re the defending champs. Indiana doesn’t care about earning Miami’s respect,, they want to get there in a hurry by beating the Heat in four games and showing their basketball dominance in the NBA Finals. Indiana stole home court and now they can do more damage in Games 3 and 4 in Indiana. Here’s where they can harm Lebron James: beat him with more than one help defender and then rush back to their outside shooters when James kicks out the basketball to shooters like Mike Miller and Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers. The Indiana Pacers did that really well in Game 2 and it showed.
More playoff games
The Indiana Pacers sent the Atlanta Hawks packing in Game 6, 81-73. George Hill and David West each scored 21 points to lead the Pacers in the win. Indiana wins the series 4 games to 2. Indiana has the better talented team than the Hawks do. New York beat Boston 88-80 to move on to the next round to face the Indiana Pacers. New York wins 4 games to 2. Carmelo Anthony is the hero with 21 points. Boston has the aging team while New York has the veteran presence of the series. That’s why the Knicks won. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 103-94 to advance as Kevin Durant had 27 points. The Thunder will face the Memphis Grizzlies, who beat the L.A. Clippers to move on to the next round, in Game 6, 118-105. In Game 7 today, Chicago held on to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 99-93 to face the Miami Heat and Lebron James. Chicago was undermanned and undersized against a tough and resurgent Brooklyn Nets team. The Bulls did it and they advance.
Last Night’s Games
Indiana took Game 3 by storm. They seized control of the moment and the tempo of the game by winning it 95-74. The Pacers showed that they are not afraid of challenging the Miami Heat for shots and shot attempts. On one possession, David West pushed Lebron James to the floor when he was in the lane and Danny Granger tugged on James’ jersey on a near breakaway dunk. After Granger was called for a foul, he got in James’ face to show him he’s playing a competitive game. The Pacers are interesting in showing Miami that their Game 2 win in which Indiana won 78-75 was no fluke. If the Miami Heat are interested in winning three more basketball games, they have to have a commitment to playing defense. In their body language, Indiana showed they were in control. In their body language, Indiana challenged Miami to take shots from the perimeter and not drive layups to the basket. Indiana learned from experience that Miami can live with taking perimeter shots, because the Heat can live and die with it. The Heat’s strength is having their superstar players like Dwyane Wade and Lebron James take daring layups and dunks at the basket. Now, the challenge for Miami is winning three games now. They are two losses away from elimination. It starts with defense. In the western conference bracket, the San Antonio Spurs took care of their business and dispatched the L.A. Clippers in Game 2. It was certainly no contest and just a day in the office for Gregg Popovich’s squad. Just by the score, it was a blowout win, 105-88. Everyone on the Spurs roster contributed to the Spurs’ victory. It wasn’t just one player. Sure, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker were in double-digit scoring. That didn’t matter. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli played their best game and gave it their all. This evident win in Game 2 for San Antonio is all the more reason why I think the Spurs are the favorites to win the NBA title, even though almost no one notices them in the NBA playoffs. If the Boston Celtics have any chance, I think they might make it to the NBA Finals, despite the injuries the Miami Heat have, especially when they don’t have Chris Bosh anymore. Here’s what I think: the Miami Heat have such a huge ego, it is hard for someone like Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra try and manage Lebron James and Dwyane Wade. I would like to see them get back to the NBA Finals. However, tempers flaring in Game 2 is not what I’d like to see, although I can understand their frustration in allowing the Indiana Pacers score points like they did. The Miami Heat have to have a commitment on defense. If they must win Game 3 and I think they should, they must have a deep commitment to playing defense. What I am saying is: the Boston Celtics do not have an ego, unlike the Miami Heat. The Celtics play like a unit and they act like a basketball unit too. Egos aside, the Celtics play for a team and they act like a team. This is all the more reason why I think despite the injuries the Chicago Bulls have in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and why they were eliminated and now the Miami Heat with Chris Bosh, this gives the Celtics a lucky chance to get back to the NBA Finals. The Celtics don’t have players playing at full strength, but they are not injured. Boston has a chance to claw its way back to the NBA Finals.
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