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Miami Heat – LeBron James Couldn’t Handle Roy Hibbert on the Floor
In game 1, LeBron James was the hero, but the role was turned 48 hours later, as the Miami Heat went to their star again to try and save the day, but the presence of Roy Hibbert led to some bad decisions form the NBA MVP, turning the ball over twice and leading to the series now being tied at 1-1.
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Indiana Pacers – Paul George Isn’t The Hero Because Frank Vogel Left Roy Hibbert On the Bench
It was all set up for Paul George to be the unlikely hero of game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. He did a good job on LeBron James; hit a wild three pointer that sent the game into overtime; and three super-clutch free throws with 2.2 seconds left to give the Indiana Pacers a 102-101 lead. And then Frank Vogel takes out Roy Hibbert for the final play (again!), leading to a defeat off a buzzer beating layup.
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Miami Heat – LeBron James Pulls Off a Little Bit of Playoff History
Despite his triple double, there was a feeling LeBron James was being bested on both ends of the floor by Paul George. But on the final play of the game, with 2.2 seconds left to save the Miami Heat from another opening game loss, the best player in the NBA proved once again that all the talk about him shying away from the basket or not shining in clutch situations is a thing best kept in the past.
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NBA Playoffs – Heat vs Pacers Finals Predictions
If there’s one team the Miami Heat are destined to have trouble with, the last couple of seasons have showed us it should be the Indiana Pacers. It’s a good thing that they meet again in the Eastern Conference Finals, showing us the degree of difficulty scale in the NBA Playoffs is actually something that works.
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Memphis Grizzlies – Can’t Win When You Miss Seven Layups in a Row
It really doesn’t matter that the Memphis Grizzlies were down by 14 points at the moment they missed 7 consecutive layups in one sequence of offense, and that they later managed to tie the game and force overtime. Both Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol couldn’t make the most of the second-chance points opportunities they were given, and lost a game 2 in which they could have stolen home court advantage.
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San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan Erases Fourth Quarter Disaster With Perfect Overtime
The San Antonio Spurs knew game 2 was going to be much harder, and they weren’t wrong. They scored only 9 points in the fourth quarter as Tony Parker, excellent in his passing (not his shooting) for most of the game ran out of steam at some point. Luckily for them, Tim Duncan was there to take the scoring on his shoulders in overtime, while being fantastic on defense all game long.
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NBA Playoffs – Grizzlies vs Spurs Game 2 Predictions
There’s no way the San Antonio Spurs can hold Zach Randolph to only two points once again. It’s also hard to imagine the Memphis Grizzlies allowing Tony Parker to run wild and go down after the first quarter behind by 17 points, and losing by 22 points. Things don’t work that way in the playoffs, and two days is a whole lot of time between the opener and game 2.
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New York Knicks – Jeremy Lin Style of Basketball is Better Than Building Around Carmelo Anthony
Hindsight doesn’t make you a genius, but when the New York Knicks decided to let Jeremy Lin go to the Houston Rockets it wasn’t just a money decision. It was about the egos of James Dolan and Carmelo Anthony, and deciding to build a team around a superstar who knows how to play in only one way, and it isn’t the right one. Lin might never be as talented of a scorer like Anthony or James Harden, but playing in a style that feeds off his talent is a better way to find success.
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Memphis Grizzlies – Zach Randolph This Bad Makes it Impossible to Win
If Zach Randolph scores only 2 points while shooting a terrible 1-for-8 from the field, it’s as if the Memphis Grizzlies haven’t even shown up to the first game of the Western Conference Finals. To make matters worse, their defense was non-existent compared to usual, as Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince simply couldn’t keep up with the ball movement and passing they were facing.
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San Antonio Spurs – Kawhi Leonard Makes It A Big Four
Usually, it’s necessary for Tim Duncan to have a decent night offensively for the San Antonio Spurs to have a shot at winning. But when they simply can’t miss from beyond the arc, as Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green continue their evolution into the big boys club, Duncan could finish with 33% from the field, Manu Ginobili be no more than mediocre except for a few famous slashes while Tony Parker was the only one from the original big three that went on full attack mode, leading all scorers with 20 points.