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.
Tag Archives: Shane Battier
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.
Indiana Pacers versus Miami Heat Game 4
The Indiana Pacers gave the Miami Heat a beating last night. I didn’t watch the whole game fortunately, because I didn’t want to expect to see Lebron James give out an awesome performance. It turns out that the Indiana Pacers kept charging at Lebron James and made him pick up six fouls and James fouled out of the game. The Pacers win this game 99-92 because they did not get rattled when Miami made their scoring runs. The Pacers expected the Miami Heat to get their points in spurts and it showed. Indiana made sure they would stand the scoring runs made by Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat and absorbed the hit. Then Pacers coach Frank Vogel had his Pacers squad slowly build up their lead again until all 48 minutes were run out. It is a smart strategic play on Frank Vogel’s part because Erik Spoelstra doesn’t know what to expect from playing with a balanced and scoring Indiana Pacers team. Sometimes I wonder if Heat coach Erik Spoelstra knows its five-on-five basketball. With a star studded cast with Dwyane Wade and Lebron James and Chris Bosh scoring all the major goodies, you have to wonder, how are the other supporting role players contributing to the Miami offense and on defense. How is Miami defending the titan 7-2 giant Roy Hibbert and Lebron James expanding energy to chase down Paul George and Dwyane Wade running on defense against Lance Stephenson? Miami started the game slowly and they let up. They let the Pacers have the first go at scoring. The Heat didn’t score first. Starting game 5, the Miami Heat must get their scoring up in order to win the game. They must start the game with defense, because when Lebron James gets up and down the court with those chase-down blocks and Wade does the same with steals, the Heat are unstoppable. Ray Allen gets open looks at the basket, Shane Battier will be able to make perimter shots, and so does Mario Chalmers. We haven’t seen a Miami onslaught since Game 3 when the Heat won the game 114-96.
I have to say, the series is far closer than it is 2-2. I think the Pacers have a slight upper hand at this series, than the Miami Heat do, because the Pacers have a bench mob that is able to defend Ray Allen consistently and making sure that the Heat shooters like Mike Miller, James Jones, and Rashard Lewis do not get open looks consistently all night. Except for Games 1, 2, and 4, the Heat broke out with a flurry of three pointers in a convincing win in Game 3. Paul George uncharacteristically showed he was angry after a foul he made in the third quarter. The Pacers want this game. Indiana wants Miami to know that they are for real. Now, the Pacers have the Heat’s number. Can Miami answer the call in Game 5?
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers Game 3
The Heat went back to their game of fast break basketball with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade passing the ball to each other. The Heat are the victors of Game 3, because they imposed their will and presence over the Indiana Pacers and they made their perimeter shots and Chris Bosh and all the Heat role players like Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and Ray Allen hit down open shots in transition. When all was said and done, the Pacers were unable to comply with the Miami offense, because the Heat were hitting on all cylinders. The Heat defense was subpar at best, because they rely on Lebron James and Dwyane Wade’s athleticism and speed to help them generate steals and blocks.
Keys to Heat-Grizzlies game
The Heat need to keep Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph off the boards.
Lebron James and Dwyane Wade need to run and push the ball to play up-tempo.
Neutralize Zach Randolph’s interior post play.
Ray Allen, Norris Cole, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis, and James Jones need open shots for James and Wade to be effective with their passing.
Who can beat the Miami Heat?
I guarantee it. There’s no one on this planet who can stop Lebron James. You can only hope to contain him. He and Dwyane Wade are an unstoppable force, forces only met by challenges from within will the Miami Heat championship be thwarted on their way to their second consecutive NBA title. With the ‘Birdman’ Chris Andersen and shooters like Ray Allen, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis, and James Jones and role players like Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Chris Bosh, and Shane Battier, they will be tough to beat when you have an ultra fast break with James and Wade on the wings and shooters challenging you to put in the basket as fast as Allen, Miller, Lewis, Chalmers, and Jones can put it in.
November 2nd games
I was unimpressed by the Miami Heat’s ability to start basketball games, especially tonight’s game against the New York Knicks. They started out slow and flat. The Knicks were sharp and on the ball. If Lebron James and Dwyane Wade were starting a fast basketball game, they must know that their defense must lead to their offense and so, they must be able to showcase their basketball talents. They will play Miami Heat basketball and they will win basketball games this way. They will not win basketball games against the New York Knicks, if Wade and James start shooting 3-pointers. The Heat will win games if Wade and James see enough ball-time to score and their role players like Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, and Mario Chalmers make open shots. I am impressed by James Harden’s scoring outbursts playing for his new team, the Houston Rockets. Harden has had a couple of good NBA scoring games so far. He and Jeremy Lin are playing awesome. I am biased, but I am also very happy by how the Chicago Bulls are playing. Nate Robinson is thriving in his role with Chicago and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is giving him reins of playing point guard for him. I like how the Bulls have handled the Derrick Rose situation by having a three point guard rotation with Kirk Hinrich, Robinson, and Marquis Teague. Until then, the Bulls sit tight and hold the fort until Rose returns completely and rehabbed from his torn ACL injury. Carlos Boozer is a decent basketball player, although he has good hands, he is not the fastest or the most athletic player you want the ball to have in his hands. He can make a 15-foot jump shot and he can score and dunk with the best of them, but he will not run fast or do the most athletic thing you can think of. I don’t think you can do anything with a stretch-four in Vladimir Radomanovic, if I do misspell his name, I apologize, let me check, that’s Vladimir Radmanovic, because he is playing behind Carlos Boozer and Taj Gibson. I really like and dig the L.A. Clipper’s additions in Grant Hill, Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, and Matt Barnes. They will contribute to a deep Clipper team that will help them beat talented NBA teams like the L.A. Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the Boston Celtics.
More NBA trades
The Miami Heat signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Crazy! This is one full Miami Heat team that has Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Shane Battier, and Mario Chalmers. With bench players like Norris Cole, James Jones, and Mike Miller, the Heat can’t go wrong. I expect the Miami Heat to play with all of its offensive weapons, because this team can put on a spectacular scoring showcase. The Mavericks signed Chris Kaman, a center who can help Dirk Nowitzki. Ryan Anderson, a scoring big man, signed with the New Orleans Hornets now. Jason Kidd signed with the New York Knicks. There are a lot of NBA players changing teams now.
Game 5: Miami 131, OKC 106
The Miami Heat really controlled Game 5. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade ran havoc all over OKC. They scored buckets, they played defense, they ran the basketball court in their own pace, and they made sure OKC made tough baskets. They deserved to win the NBA title. They ran set plays, they made Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook make tough shots. The Heat ran up and down the court to get open shots. Heat players Shane Battier and Mike Miller made open three pointers.
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