Recapping the weekend's action in the NBA playoffs
As the NBA Playoffs have gotten to the later stages, order has been restored. After a couple of chaotic first rounds we’re starting to see that the favorites are here once again, ready to battle in another, hopefully, great series. Both the Heat and Spurs were facing a bit of questions, not quite convincing the basketball world that they were destined to meet again in the Finals. But after this weekend’s games, here we are again. Miami was a bit more effective in eliminating their foe but that doesn’t diminish San Antonio’s success because they did it in the same amount of games. And unless you’re from Oklahoma City or Indiana, how can you not be excited about this weekend’s results? As a Mavs fan, I have disdain for Miami (stemming from 2006) and the Spurs (lifetime membership) but i’m very excited to see this rematch from last year’s Finals. Have the Heat looked more vulnerable than they have throughout this season’s playoffs? Is there a more fitting team than the Spurs to stop Miami from being a historic-level team in NBA history? The Finals are still a few days away (get going Thursday night) so I’ll get to previewing it more in depth. First it’s time to see how both teams got to this point.
As it has been throughout the playoffs, the easier road was out east. Miami looked as confident as it has so far in the playoffs, eliminating the Pacers in dominant fashion and finishing the eastern conference final in 6 games to move on to the NBA Finals for a fourth straight year. As we’re being reminded over and over, with that game 6 victory, this Heat team joins some pretty elite company. Yes, we know that Jordan’s Bulls never achieved four straight Finals and we know that it hasn’t been done since the days of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. In fact, this is only the fourth time that it’s ever been done. Crazy to think that we’re watching history being made because despite their dominant win over Indiana, the Heat look about as fragile as we’ve seen them be during this season’s postseason run. The Pacers put up a decent fight during game 6. At least for one quarter they did. After that, it was only a matter of when Miami wanted to take over the game and turn it into a rout. LeBron James was great, shooting well but was not needed for the 4th quarter as the game was out of reach and planning for their opponent from the west had begun. The Heat have plenty to work on as they prepare for the Finals but for their fans, it’s nice to see them be so convincing. Even if it was just for one game. What now for the Pacers? This was the team that was supposed to be built to beat Miami. And it’s not like they have an array of moves that they can go to. Something has to happen with this team because being a constant 2nd place team in the east isn’t going to cut. I’m ok with teams playing with an attitude and an edge but only if you back up your talk with your walk. Up to this point, the Pacers have been more bark than bite and the franchise needs a little bit more if they hope one day knock Miami off their thrones. Luckily for them, most of their team is still young so there’s time. But it needs to happen sooner than later.
Things weren’t as easy for the Spurs but nonetheless, they are headed back to Finals for another year and have revenge on their minds. Here’s a surprising stat: this is the first time in Spurs history that they’ve ever been to the Finals in consecutive years. Didn’t see that one coming. San Antonio wins the western conference once again, eliminating the Thunder in 6 games after a nail-biting finish in Oklahoma City that needed overtime so it could be settled. Great game with an even greater finish. For the Spurs, Tim Duncan led the way while Kawhi Leonard earns the belt for highlight plays of the game. The history of the Spurs combines with the future, as they journey towards the ultimate goal for at least one more time. It’s almost a representation of the state that the Spurs are in. 15 years after their first title, it’s still coach Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan leading the way. How is that even possible? Saturday night’s game proved a couple of things. The Spurs are, by far, the deepest team in the league and that Popovich is clearly the best coach in the league. Think about it, Tony Parker is absent due to injury for the entire second half and the Spurs still clinch the game, and the series. As the game wore on, it had the feeling that we were going to need a 7th game but enter some big shots by the Spurs supporting cast and a couple of miscues by the Thunder. OKC played well for most of the game but as we’ve seen in the past, their offensive rhythm still lacks when it matters most. It’s essentially Durant or Westbrook (whoever decides to bring the ball up) saying “get out of the way” and going from there. What now for the Thunder? They always seem to be just a little bit short when faced with their biggest obstacle. Durant has the individual hardware but it’s come time to criticize him for not having the team hardware.
Pretty cool video of the NBA’s Basketball Without Border program featuring some funny, but cool throwbacks of big NBA names:
