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NBA Playoffs – Heat vs Pacers Game 5 Predictions
The Indiana Pacers have been able to survive elimination once in these playoffs, but the challenge against the Miami Heat, going into game 5 with a 3-1 lead, is completely different. Paul George and Lance Stephenson seem too busy trash talking while their head coach Frank Vogel seems to be clueless as to how to adjust to what the defending NBA champions are doing, as LeBron James seemed to take his game to a whole other level in their most recent win.
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NBA Playoffs – San Antonio Spurs Without Answers, Oklahoma City Thunder Oozing Confidence
It’s no longer just Serge Ibaka that’s scaring the San Antonio Spurs. The entire Oklahoma City Thunder team played like it knows it is the best of the two in the Western Conference Finals, winning game 4 at home 105-92, making it a 2-2 series, as Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant couldn’t be stopped, while no one on the Spurs, from Tony Parker to Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard, put in an even respectable game.
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NBA Playoffs – Oklahoma City Thunder Giving up on Thabo Sefolosha, Raising Reggie Jackson
It seems Scott Brooks is finally making adjustments, something he’s always been criticized for not doing and relying on the talent of his players to make up for tactical ability from their head coach. Not that he’s not still putting the ball in the hands of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but he has made changes to his lineup that weren’t doomed to fail from the beginning, as the return of Serge Ibaka enabled him to give up on Thabo Sefolosha and insert Reggie Jackson into the starting lineup.
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NBA Playoffs – Paul George Making Excuses, LeBron James Still Isn’t Impressed
Losers make excuses, winners make adjustments. That’s an actual saying, and clearly Paul George, contradicting himself all throughout the press conference coming after the Indiana Pacers lost to the Miami Heat in game 4 of the Eastern conference, hasn’t heard of it. I’m not sure LeBron James has either, but his coach probably has, and it was quite clear he wasn’t impressed with another player from the inferior team (so far) trying to engage in some sort of trash talk.
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NBA Playoffs – Spurs vs Thunder Game 4 Predictions
Game 4 of the Western Conference finals will tell us if the return of Serge Ibaka has completely changed the series, making the Oklahoma City Thunder suddenly favorites against the suddenly slightly stunned San Antonio Spurs, or was his recovery mostly about a one-game impact that isn’t going to last once Gregg Popovich makes the proper adjustments.
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NBA Playoffs – Miami Heat Better Than Ever, Indiana Pacers On the Verge of Giving Up
For the first time in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat played a complete game as the better team, leading from the first moment and eventually winning 102-90 thanks to a great start by Chris Bosh and another overall fantastic performance from LeBron James, which means they’re now 3-1 up in the series against the Indiana Pacers, resorting to excuses about referees after an abysmal performance from both Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson.
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NBA Playoffs – Pacers vs Heat Game 4 Predictions
We love mentioning adjustments, especially in the playoffs. The Indiana Pacers find themselves behind 2-1 in the Eastern conference finals going into game 4, knowing they need to start doing something different as the Miami Heat keep finding answers to the one good thing the contenders are doing, as they constantly overcome slow starts from LeBron James who leaves his best for later in games.
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NBA Playoffs – Oklahoma City Thunder a New Team, San Antonio Spurs Need to Adjust
Don’t believe what people tell you. Serge Ibaka out for the playoffs? He looked fine and more than that, providing offensive and defensive help to the Oklahoma City Thunder with their backs to the wall, winning their first game in the 2014 Western conference finals thanks to an overall improvement and a lot of officiating help, beating the San Antonio Spurs 106-97 who still hold a 2-1 lead in the series, but have a lot of adjusting to do.
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NBA Playoffs – Spurs vs Thunder Game 3 Predictions
If there’s a game that’s going to decide this series, it’s game 3. The San Antonio Spurs have the Oklahoma City Thunder on the edge of a cliff, and now it remains to be seen if they follow through with the shove, or watch a team that’s 0-2 down but getting back Serge Ibaka after what seemed to be a playoff-ending injury has what it takes to get back into this series.
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NBA Playoffs – Miami Heat Finding Answers, Indiana Pacers Keep Struggling
The Eastern Conference Finals is a perfect example of just how much creative and good coaching makes a difference, and what playoff basketball is all about – adjustments, between and in games. The Miami Heat started out in a disastrous way, but the right modification from Erik Spoelstra allowed LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to take over the game, while the Indiana Pacers couldn’t react to the changes with their one way style of basketball, losing 99-87 and falling to a 2-1 deficit in the series.