Spurs-Heat: The Rematch We All Deserve.

As the NBA season’s picture cleared up in the months of March and April, it felt like we were due for the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs to run it back one more time in the NBA Finals. It is like seeing a great match at Wrestlemania and need to see a rematch in one of the lesser Pay-Per-Views the following month.  Both teams turned the rematch into a reality this weekend with Miami’s blowout win against the Pacers and San Antonio holding on in overtime despite not having Tony Parker to put away the Thunder. We will have another rematch, and I don’t think many people are complaining about it.

Even before Miami and Indiana tipped off, it felt like a foregone conclusion the Heat would win the game on Friday night. That's usually not the case when Game 6 happen in sports, but the series felt over.  That's really weird to explain after seeing Indiana winning in Game 5 with Paul George scoring 37 points. Heat looked the strongest they have been all series dashing Indiana's dreams from the get-go. Miami led by 26 points at halftime allowing Heat fans to start the party early. No one really had a memorable game rather Miami had all their players contribute in a major way with both LeBron James and Chris Bosh adding 25 points ensuring this series was not headed back to Indiana. One team took its place in the Finals and would their opponent join them after Saturday?

The answer is yes. San Antonio lost Tony Parker for the second half of the game, but the Spurs willed their way to victory. The game went back and forth for all four quarters delivering the first great game in this series. It appeared like the Spurs were going to put away Oklahoma City in the fourth quarter as they had a 10 point lead. But Russell Westbrook helped get the Thunder back into the game with his strong play late sending this game to overtime. Manu Ginobili had a bad night going 4/14 from the field, but he hit the biggest shots of the game with a big 3-pointer putting San Antonio ahead late in regulation plus added big free throws down the stretch. Tim Duncan also had a throwback game with a 19 points and 15 rebounds performance.

The stage is set for a Finals rematch. There are some pieces missing from the last time plus the series will begin in San Antonio. Duncan and Gregg Popovich will attempt to win their five NBA title, and win a title 15 years later after their first one. We will talk later this week, but it feels like either way, one of these two might be done with basketball after this season.  As for Miami, they could have the first three-peat since the early 2000's Los Angeles Lakers. The whole promise of 'Not one, not two, not three' would start to become more of a reality instead of laughing it off like we did when James uttered that famous phrase. Plus the whole discussion of how we perceive each team if and when they lose because there are some interesting storylines there as well.

Rematches aren't always the best thing for the professional sports product, but right now, this is one of the best things going in sports. Happy we will get to see LeBron against San Antonio at least one more time.

Charlie. 

Paul George Pushes Pacers Past Heat to Avoid Elimination

Indiana Pacers' collective backs were up against the well. They faced elimination last night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as Miami Heat could have ended the trilogy between the two teams with an emphatic whimper. But Pacers would not be deny as they won 93-90 with a strong second half from Paul George, propelling the team for a return to South Beach and try to force an inexplicable Game 7.  There was much to go over from this game ranging from the favorable whistle, Lance being Lance to the final non-shot by LeBron James.

Indiana needed its superstar to be great, and George did exactly that in the second half with 33 of his 37 points coming in the final two quarters. He made 15 field goal attempts with five of them coming from 3-point range. If you take out the nine missed threes from George's stat line, he made 15 of 20 baskets from the field making it a more impressive stat line. He looked in full control for the first time in the series. It showed the importance of LeBron James in foul trouble because George was able to take control of his basketball game with The King spending much of the time on the bench. It also nice to see a player back up his talk after George's bizarre Game 4 comments, it seemed like he had a purpose out on the basketball court. Curious to see how he carries it over to Game 6 on Friday night.

You never want to be 'that person' in the group whom blames everything on the officials, but man, it sure did look like the zebras did their best to help Indiana.  At one point, Grantland's Bill Simmons points out Miami had 19 fouls to Indiana's 10. What exactly happened?  LeBron is definitely not known for getting fouls called against him. Personally, I believe LeBron should average around four fouls a game leading to him fouling out more often, but the league is selective on when to call fouls on Bron. Maybe he put himself in consistently bad situations allowing for fouls to be called or maybe the officials listened to George's $25,000 complaints after Game 4. The whistle against James had much to do with him struggling last night going 2/10 from the field with seven points. LeBron never got into a rhythm affecting how he played last night.

Lance Stephenson continued to be the pest of the playoff after blowing in LeBron's ear and jumping into the huddle between a couple Heat players. He is baseball's version of Manny Ramirez.  There should be just Lance headlines because he is the only capable of pulling some of this shit. He picked up a 10,000 dollar fine for flopping last night in addition to the antics above. I do think wherever Lance goes this offseason because it will not be Indiana, we need to keep him in whatever conference LeBron is in so we can get at least three or four games of this plus a playoff series. Odds LeBron punches Lance next season are pretty high. Just needs to happen once.

Speaking of James, much criticism has come from James deciding not to take the layup at the rim. Those are the closest LeBron hate squad jumping on every mistake he makes in life. A couple things worth noting as to why James likely gave up the shot to Chris Bosh in the corner. One, LeBron had five fouls. They go to overtime and James fouls out, it is curtains for the Heat plus extra five minutes spent playing Game 5.  Two, Bosh has hit those shots all year. ESPN's Bomani Jones nicknamed him Big Shot Bosh because he found a way to hit late-game jumpers. Granted, Bosh's shot wasn't the greatest yet still, not a terrible decision. If you buy into the old adage, 'Play for overtime at home, win on the road', James tried to do exactly that on Wednesday night.

If anyone thinks this series is going the full seven, they are either a perpetual drunk or a Pacers homer because LeBron is ending this thing on Friday night. We are in store for an iconic James performance on Friday night and I hope Lance is ready for it along with his other Pacer teammates.

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 90

Tapping The Keg set for another edition with your two lovely hosts, Charlie and Mitch. Kind of a slow week, but we find a way to get 45 minutes of pure listening joy out of this one. We begin the podcast talking about your Brewers drinking team and what guys would be the most fun to go out with. It continues with a discussion about the hot Brewer hitting in the last week with a little All-Star talk as well. We move on to talk NBA Playoffs looking at both Spurs-Thunder and Heat-Pacers which are both headed for at least six games. The discussion continues with talk about the Bucks as Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens will be hanging with the common folk tonight plus why Mitch wants new jerseys. It finishes with the ridiculousness of criticizing Johnny Manziel.

Charlie.

STOD: Lance's Ear Blow & Doug Collins - Birdman Fan

Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals saw the Indiana Pacers stave off elimination by beating Miami Heat forcing a Game 6. We will have more on the game later this afternoon. But this morning, we are hear to talk about Lance Stephenson blowing into LeBron's ear, and Doug Collins needing to put out a rap album. I don't know why Lance thought it was funny or getting in LeBron's head by blowing in his ear, but here we are. Ears are a weird body part. Obviously, we need them for hearing, but a lot of pressure points around them as well.  ESPN's Doug Collins set out to prove he is not the old man in the booth. ESPN's Jalen Rose hits us with the birdcall then Collins asks 'What happened to that boy.'  Street cred on a 100 million trillion, Doug. (h/t Reddit NBA & SPR)  

NBA Playoffs Recap: LeBron Drops The Hammer on Pacers

"Don't throw stones if you live a glass house and if you got a glass jaw, you should watch your mouth cause I'll break your face."

The quote comes from the great poet 50 Cent in his song 'Patiently Waiting' off his first album. It is really a shame LeBron James didn't quote this line to Lance Stephenson given the Pacers guard's comments about James. LeBron and the Miami Heat's dominated Game 4 in a 102-90 victory where James delivered a top notch 'Best Player in the World' performance along with the revival of Chris Bosh plus why is Lance trying to become the next DeShawn Stevenson?

James had full control of this game. It lit a fire under his ass, and he played at his A+ level. James was not playing poorly through the first three games of this series, but he took it to another level on Monday. He scored 32 points with 10 rebounds and five assists missing only eight shots and only taking three 3-pointers delivering an efficient performance. Only three of LeBron's made 13 shots were outside the paint. The man was clearly on a mission.  LeBron shoved every single piece of Lance's comments right into his face on Monday night.

Why anyone would tempt LeBron these days is beyond me. No one needs to give LeBron any motivation these days. No one questions James ability to come through in the clutch anymore nor does anyone recycle any of the former narratives about The King. He earned the right to be called The King and no one really can even come close to his Iron Throne. Lance runs his mouth as he has been accustom to in the past only to get buried by James and company. There is another LeBron could have went with 'If you swing at the king, you better not miss.'

Chris Bosh didn't have one of the best playoffs thus far. He became the number two man for Miami this season as Dwyane Wade battled through injuries all season. Bosh became this player known for his big shots. But in this series, Bosh strung together three straight games of single digits getting frustrated by the Indiana big men. He started off fast which was different for both the Heat and Bosh with quick 10 points in the first quarter of the game. Bosh had control throughout the game with 25 points making seven shots including three 3-pointers. He spread the floor paving the way for opportunities for LeBron and others on the Miami roster. Wade had two big games and now Bosh added his own to the mix. This could be curtains for Indiana.

I am still trying to figure out why Lance Stephenson opened his mouth. He did the same thing two years ago making a choking gesture to LeBron on the bench which paved the motivation for the rest of the series. Remember DeShawn Stevenson?  Same last name, different spelling, same stupid trash talk. Stevenson did get redemption in the twilight of his career but during his prime, LeBron made DeShawn look like a complete jackass including a diss song written by Jay Z.  He might of had the last laugh against James, but he is known for his career as being the player whom shit talked LeBron and got destroyed because of it. The aforementioned Jigga Man once said, "Don't be the next contestant on that Summer Jam screen." And that basically describes Stephenson.  

But then again, maybe Indiana is delusional as an entire team. Paul George blamed the officials and said they would have won the game if the refs were better. That is complete and utter bullshit. Then again George got catfished on the Internet so I mean it is fair to wonder if his judgement is impaired a little bit. Maybe his Gatorade got tainted or he had a bad Papa John's pizza post-game because this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. George wants to make the fans feel better even though they watched their Pacers team getting beat by 20 points in the second half. George also would like you to know that Thomas Dewey beat Harry Truman, it was just a technicality.  

Indiana is done. I felt good about predicting the Heat in five after the Game 2 victory. It does seem like the Pacers have no answer for this version of the Miami team. They could have had Game 2 and Game 3, and failed to capitalize in both games. Heat will put them to bed Wednesday night.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recap: The Return of Blue Collar Gold Swagger

For 75 percent of the NBA year, people were fired up to see Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. People knew these were the two best teams in the East, and Indiana looked poised to take down Miami after coming close in the last two years. Then shit hit the fan with the Pacers where they looked like a fringe playoff team at best, yet Indiana still found their way to meeting Miami again for a third consecutive year in the playoffs. 

Many people expected a disappointing third act, but Game 1 proved the Pacers might be more of a threat than many expected as the Pacers win 107-96 taking the first game of the series. Indiana had full control of the game in the second half with the Pacers relentlessly attacking the lane, getting to the free throw line and why it is fair to question Miami's defense plus the continued struggle from Chris Bosh against Indiana.   

Indiana had a great game from all five of their starters as they all finished with double figures. Paul George led the way with 24 points and seven assists. George utilized all of his abilities by getting to the lane and also making three 3-pointers. David West put in another great postseason effort as he had 19 points with seven rebounds.  All of the Indiana starters were extremely efficient on Sunday afternoon taking it to Miami like they have been in the last couple of years at home as the Pacers have won seven of their last eight games at home when playing the Heat. Indiana basically got the performance everyone had been waiting for in the last two months making you wonder if they were just waiting for Miami. 

Roy Hibbert has been one of, if not, the biggest NBA player storyline, and once again, he acted like a known Miami killer, perhaps we should call him Dexter Morgan. He had 19 points and eight rebounds plus causing Miami to shoot more from the outside versus them attacking the lane. The Heat only shot 15 free throws for the entire game as well as shot 23 threes missing 17 of them. Miami wanted nothing to do with Hibbert. They hadn't faced a seven footer in the playoffs and their lack of size shined brightly in this basketball game. Chris Bosh needs to find a way to bring Hibbert out of his comfort zone, but Bosh's continued problems against the Pacers should be a worry to Heat fans. 

For whatever it's worth, I think Bosh had one of his better seasons as a member of the Big Three. He had to takeover the sidekick role for Dwyane Wade as he battled through injury all season, but still he hasn't been able to figure out how to play against Indiana. Bosh needs to be more aggressive if Miami wants to avoid this kind of game again.  With Wade still not being the Wade of yesteryear, Bosh needs to be a factor night in and night out.  Getting only nine points on 4/12 shooting will not help anyone whatsoever.  Also what might help is the team not playing such lackluster defense.  

Much has been made about Miami's inability to play defense this season. It is a true problem for this team with their numbers being higher than they have been in the first three years of the Miami legacy. They allowed way too much inside, and that's a big problem. Now, this is the first real test for the Heat. Brooklyn ran out of gas nearly every game. Charlotte isn't a real playoff team so possibly, all it will take for Miami is an adjustment here or there. Erik Spolestra has been good in past years of finding that one key adjustment that flips the series completely on its head. Spo will need to do that to avoid a 2-0 start to the series, something that doesn't happen very often to Miami.  

Game 1's are always so tricky. It shouldn't be taken for a grain of salt nor should it be bible of what will take place in the series.  This could be the best effort we see from Indiana for the rest of the series, or we could be in for a better third act than we believed last week.   

Charlie. 

SnoTap NBA Conference Finals Preview

2014 NBA Playoffs delivered the best first round in NBA history. The second round didn't deliver like the first round did, but it still brought a ton of fun. The two seeds in each conference are in the Final Four meaning it went completely chalk, but that doesn't mean we will not have great games. It should be very exciting. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1.) San Antonio Spurs vs. 2. Oklahoma City Thunder 
Game 1: Monday May 19th 8:00 pm TNT
Game 2: Wednesday May 21st 8:00 pm TNT 
Game 3: Sunday May 25th 7:30 pm TNT
Game 4: Tuesday May 27th 8:00 pm TNT 
Game 5 (Thursday) Game 6 (Saturday) Game 7 (Monday) -  If Necessary

Reason Spurs win: They are at full strength... sorta - Oklahoma City swept San Antonio in the regular season, and Brooklyn-Miami thought us that it is meaningless in the postseason, but if you look at how many key players for San Antonio missed an Oklahoma City is pretty interesting. Manu Ginobli missed two of them, Tiago Splitter missed one, same goes Kawhi Leonard. Tony Parker's hamstring is a concern, but other than that, San Antonio is coming in with their full unit. Also Gregg Popovich getting a couple extra days and an extra game to look at this version of Oklahoma City is always a good thing.  
Reason Thunder win:  Reggie Jackson, the Spurs killer - There are not many people whom have their best games against San Antonio, but Reggie Jackson is one of those rarities. He owns San Antonio. Jackson averaged 21 points against the Spurs which was his highest total against any Western Conference opponent. If Tony Parker is hurt plus Patty Mills not being a great defender, Jackson could have a transcendent series off the bench. It will be interesting to see how Scott Brooks manages the minutes between Jackson, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.  

X Factors:  Spurs - Kawhi Leonard, Thunder - Steven Adams - Leonard is going to be the Durant stopper. He could do some of the similar things Tony Allen did in the first round. And Leonard has done some good work against KD as he only averages 27.3 this season which was second worst against a Western Conference team along with only shooting 43 percent, one of his lowest numbers. If Serge Ibaka's calf is worse than we think, Adams becomes an even bigger player, but he showed some real promise in extended minutes in Game 6. He will obvious frustrate Tim Duncan and Splitter, but in no way get under the skin like he did in Los Angeles.   

Prediction: Thunder in six - Doesn't it just feel like it is Oklahoma City's year? After coming back in Game 5 against Memphis, Zach Randolph getting suspended, the refs controversy in Game 5 of the Los Angeles series, everything seems to be breaking for them. I also think Durant has been on another level and poised to make it back to the NBA Finals. It really does seem like KD is possessed to get back to the NBA Finals.  

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1.) Indiana Pacers vs. 2. Miami Heat 
Game 1: Sunday May 18th 2:30 pm ABC 
Game 2: Tuesday May 20th 7:30 pm ESPN 
Game 3: Saturday May 24th 7:30 pm ESPN 
Game 4: Monday May 26th 7:30 pm ESPN 
Game 5: (Wednesday) Game 6 (Friday) Game 7 (Sunday) - If Necessary

Reason Pacers win: Paul George plays like a superstar - There have been a couple shining moments for George whether it be Game 4 against Washington or Game 7 against Atlanta, but the consistency hasn't been there. In five of the 13 games in the playoffs, George scored 18 or less points which isn't what you want from a superstar. Now he has a thrill for playing against Miami so maybe George elevates his game to another level, but he will need to be much better than he was for the majority of the Washington series.  

Reason Heat win: Dwyane Wade needs to be a true second banana. LeBron James is obviously important to Miami winning basketball games, but Wade will be needed in this series. Indiana's defense is still good no matter how dysfunctional they have been for the last couple of weeks. They will shutdown James at some point and will need a solid second option. In three games against Indiana, Wade scored 21.3 points plus he showed some signs of life on offense in the past few games. He needs to actually be a factor rather than a guy whose just there with a big name. We have seen in this rivalry before where Wade has a throwback game so don't be surprised if he throws out a 35 point night. 

X Factors:  Pacers - George Hill, Heat - Chris Bosh - Because Roy Hibbert has been subpar, no one is realizing how poorly George Hill is playing right now especially in the last couple game as Hill turned in two single digits effort. He needs to be a factor with Indiana's offense. Chris Bosh had one big shot against Brooklyn, but other than that, he really just been another guy. Bosh will face a tough inside game with David West and Hibbert, but his ability to spread out the defense could pay off huge dividends.  

Prediction: Heat in five -  You know how movies will come out with sequels or trilogies based on the success of the first two movies? And sometimes the sequel is great, and then the third movie is complete shit. Godfather Trilogy is a great example of this and basically, the third serving of Indiana-Miami feels like this will be the Godfather III. Not really that exciting of a series leading to Miami dominating in five games.   

-Charlie. 

NBA Playoff Recaps: KD Takes Over, Pacers Hold On

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

A late Thunder roll in Los Angeles pushes Oklahoma City to victory 
It seemed like we were heading to at least one Game 7 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Los Angeles Clippers got out to a 16 point lead in the early stages of the game, but Oklahoma City slowly but surely came back pulling away late in the game with a huge effort from Kevin Durant.  When people talk about the best players in the world, they want them to come up big in the big moments no matter what the sport can be, and Durant did just that after a bad start. He picked up two fouls early on with 1/7 shooting meaning KD shot 7 of 29 in about six quarters. He turned it on from there going 11/16 for the rest of the game finishing with 39 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Hell of a stat line from Durant when the team needed it the most. Additionally, this leads to people forgetting all about the fact Russell Westbrook shot 4/15 in a Game 6.

Valient effort by Los Angeles, but they got tight at the end of the game. They didn't really attack the basket when Serge Ibaka left the game with a calf injury, and it didn't feel like anyone wanted to take that big shot when Los Angeles needed it the most. They also were on the bad end of the officials multiple times down the stretch with consecutive offensive foul calls with one being bullshit on Chris Paul and the other, a clear foul on Blake Griffin. As for Paul, he fails to make the Western Conference Final and this will become a narrative like it did for many of the other greats whom had postseason struggles. He played well in the game going for 25 points, eleven assists and seven rebounds, but in the end, Oklahoma City will face off against San Antonio, a rematch of the 2012 Western Conference Finals.

Pacers Continue Winning Road Ways 
You know how there are things in sports that end up being the most difficult to explain. I think that's what we have with the Washington-Indiana series. The road team ends up winning five of the six games and the Pacers move on to a rematch against their rival, the Miami Heat. Nothing is more Eastern Conference than Indiana finding their way into the remaining two. A team with a great deal of dysfunction is in the final two, but to their credit, they withstood a hell of a fight from Washington. The Wiz took the lead in the fourth even, but Indiana stood tall getting back the lead with two big David West jumpers. West played great with 29 points and six rebounds. Lance Stephenson bounced back from three straight rough games to have 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds including only missing five shots all game. Might not be able to understand Indiana, but got to respect them a bit.

Charlie.

NBA Playoff Recaps: Ref Controversies, Confusing Pacers Strike Again

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

Thunder Somehow Beats the Clippers 
We have our first playoff referee controversy.  There were a couple blips here and there, but nothing compared to what we saw last night between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City.  Clippers blew seven point lead with 49 seconds left which included a no-call on Matt Barnes, the officials keeping the ball with Oklahoma City even though it was clearly the Clippers ball and the phantom bail out call on Chris Paul with Russell Westbrook's three-point attempt. This sequence is probably the only thing in life that still gives Jim Burr a hard-on. It was terribly bad, but Los Angeles has no one to blame but themselves.  Oklahoma City went on a 17-4 run to end the game including Kevin Durant coming up with Chris Paul adding another lowlight to his playoff career.

There have been times in his career where Durant has come up short in the fourth quarter. He disappears, defers to Westbrook or all of the above yet Durant hit the two biggest shots in the game even though Westbrook nailed down the final three free throws to win the game.  To that point, Durant had a horrible game. He would have probably received a ton of criticism for how bad he played in Game 5 with the whole Mr. Unreliable bullshit resurfacing as Durant went 6/22. But he hit a huge three to pull the Thunder within four points then recovered a loose ball with a hard take to the lane following it.  It shouldn't be forgotten that Westbrook played an awesome game with 38 points on 11/23 shooting with six rebounds and five assists. He has thrown out some great gems in this playoffs.

CP3 hates the whole narrative about him failing in the playoffs, but games like these ones will not help his case. Paul struggled down the stretch with a couple missed shots, two turnovers and a big foul. Complain about the refs all you want, but Paul tightened up late in the game leading Los Angeles losing to this game. Paul has won Los Angeles games therefore he needs some criticism when he cost the Clippers the game as well. It will be interesting to see how he responds in Game 6. That's a huge game for Paul. If he goes off for 25 plus and leads them to a Game 6 win, I don't think anyone should be continuing the playoff narrative.

Wall and Gortat Keep Wiz Alive
With how bad the Los Angeles-Oklahoma City finished, everyone sort of forgot how Indiana got blown out at home in a close out Game 5. That's horrible. Indiana continues to be the most confusing team in all of basketball. Maybe the most confusing team in the last decade. Just when you think everything is all good, they get boat raced at home by 23 with meager efforts from Paul George and Roy Hibbert. Marcin Gortat and John Wall dominated the game with a a great inside/out game. Gortat had 31 points and 16 points scoring 13 of 15 shots, but Wall is probably the biggest story. He had 27 points which is in far contrast to Wall's first four games where he is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 turnovers. Wall sliced and diced the Pacers which is huge because people would have came down hard on Wall if he didn't have this one.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Weekend: Collapses, Threes & Spurs Dominance.

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

Clippers stun Thunder, tie up the series.
It really seemed like Oklahoma City was heading home being up three games to one. ABC showed a
graphic about the Thunder never losing with a 3-1 lead. Los Angeles kept battling back though in the fourth quarter taking their first lead of the game with about three minutes left in the game. Darren Collison came out of the shadows with eight points in the final three minutes of the game leading the furious comeback. Clippers had 38 points in the final quarter with Collison playing a large part in the effort with 18 total points. Jamal Crawford also added 18 off the bench hitting his usual big buckets. Chris Paul started the comeback early on as he finished with 23 points, 10 assists and five rebounds with Collison and Crawford finishing sending this series to a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant's stat line looks pretty good when you see he had 40 points with eight rebounds including going 50 percent from the field. But there is a dark underbelly with KD's performance yesterday afternoon. He had eight turnovers and a big free throw miss with 100 seconds left. That cannot happen. I used to rag on LeBron James for the same thing. As an MVP players, free throws are something that cannot be missed in the late game situations.

Paul George's big second half pulls Indiana past Washington
There are sometimes when a star player takes over and becomes the story of the game. Paul George is a fringe superstar. He is starting to get the media attention and doing more commercials. Games like this one is why he gets commercials. George had 28 points in the second half leading a furious comeback as the Pacers trailed by 19 points in the second half. George added 12 rebounds as well only missing eight of his 20 shots on the night. He looked great out there becoming the key cog to the game. Indiana needs more from their bench though. Only two points from their second unit is not going to win many basketball games. Pacers are lucky to pull this one from their teeth. It does seem like the Wiz received a knockout punch. I don't know how they recover from this one.

Brooklyn's outside arsenal sinks Miami
After two games where the Heat found a way to get full control in the second half, Brooklyn delivered a taste of their own medicine by pulling away with a huge 3-point effort with the Nets making 15 threes going 60 percent from the outside. Mirza Teletovic had a big second half making him one of the difference makers in this game with 12 points including four big threes. Keep an eye for Teletovic for the rest of the series. He had 20 points in Tuesday's loss as well. Miami needs to find a way to keep him contained because he seems like the type of player if he gets hot, Teletovic could make 20 threes. Joe Johnson also had a nice day at the arena with 19 points sinking in five threes. Joe Cool continues to have a good playoff performance.

I am a little puzzled why James Jones didn't get more time last night. He had nine points in nine minutes making three 3-pointers. It seems like a guy you would want out there more than nine minutes. Jones has went from playing around 16 minutes a game in the Charlotte series to only playing five minutes. I don't know what Erik Spoelstra has in mind right now.

Spurs found their mojo again... ruh roh
Poor Portland. They are getting completely steamrolled by San Antonio. The Spurs have won the first three games by a combined 18.6 points. That's not even close. Like is this Portland team that bad or are the Spurs that good again? Should we be even more impressed with what Rick Carlisle did taking the series to seven games? I really cannot explain it. We talked about at the beginning of the series, Tony Parker could expose their bad perimeter defenses and that's what's happening. Parker scored at least 29 points in three of the last four games. It is pretty clear how good San Antonio is when Parker is healthy. Portland's bench has been downright terrible. Minus Will Barton's 13 points in garbage time in Game 2, the Trail Blazers' bench has 21 points through three games... Not good.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recap: OKC's 1-2 Punch Delivers & Return of Roy

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

KD & Russ: OKC's Watch The Throne  
A day after Kevin Durant won an MVP and gave an emotional speech that made every mom fall in love with KD, he came through with his pal Russell Westbrook with near triple-doubles from both of them (Russ technically had a triple-double but that was a weak 10th assist). It was like watching Kanye West and Jay Z on the basketball court. We can debate which one is whom. Durant looked completely in control early on with 17 first half points and Westbrook finished them off in the second half. He helped them pull Oklahoma City away in the second half. Huge effort from Westbrook in terms of energy and what he brought to the table. If we keep getting this version of Russ, Oklahoma City will be hard to beat for the rest of the playoffs.

It is worth mentioning the developing storyline of Serge Ibaka's defense against Blake Griffin has been stellar for the first two games of the playoffs. Griffin scored 13 points in the first two games of this series against Ibaka's defense. He needs to figure it out against Serge and be a factor because if not, the Clippers inside presence isn't really there.

ROY HIBBERT LIVES 
I struggle with Indiana in the worst kind of way. One minute, they look like complete hell and the next, Roy Hibbert drops 28 points with nine rebounds to go along with it. According to Hibbert, he went fishing with Paul George whom had TMZ-esque rumors about him with Hibbert's wife, and helped clear his mind. Also Andrew Bynum left the team as well. I think we need to look at Indiana from a one game a day. We shouldn't expect this in Washington, and sort of wait and see. I will add this about the game, it was an old-school Indiana win.

Old school is only a year ago, but Indiana won this game by playing defense. Paul George and David West combined for 20 points and they still won this basketball game.  That's extremely impressive.  Additionally, Lance Stephenson was 3/12 on the night which all seem like recipes for failure, but not for Indiana as their defense willed them to the victory along with a few big shots.

Charlie.

Gotta Respect Gilbert Arenas Game

I really have no idea what Gilbert Arenas is doing with his life. I am sure just hanging out, watching some

hoops and banking in 22 million dollars for doing nothing like his name was Bobby Bonilla. That must be the life. Hang out all day and just watch the bank account grow while I work part-time hoping for a good paycheck each time around. Anyways, he jumped on the Wizards bandwagon which should be expected given Arenas' success with the team. We can forget the whole gun thing for a second. Arenas decided to do what's popular on the Internet and poke holes at the number one trending topic this morning, Roy Hibbert. It was pretty funny stuff. Mr. Hibachi still got jokes and that's fantastic. We need Gil at courtside with DeShawn Stevenson for Game 3.

NBA Playoffs Recaps: Game 1 Road Warriors

Second Round of NBA Playoffs will feature two games of night.  I dropped the ball on writing on Saturdays meaning Friday games were left in the dust.  I am going to write about the games like we did for the first round because it is picking up steam in terms of the hits. I will probably add a full blog post sometimes when we have a must talked playoff win. 

What injuries? Chris Paul takes control in Game 1

For the first round of the playoffs, much of the discussion with Chris Paul had to do with his injuries bothered by a hamstring and a hand injury. Paul did not really play well in the seven games against Golden State, but he stepped up in Game 1 against Oklahoma City. Paul drilled six straight threes in the first half propelling him to 32 points with 10 assists only missing two shots for the entire game. Additionally, the six threes were a career-high, he finished the game with eight threes. Paul added an element to his game, and if this becomes consistent, the rest of the league is in trouble. Blake Griffin had a nice night with 23 points on 7/16 shooting making most of his free throws from the line. This was an ass-kicking from Los Angeles, and I don't know how exactly Oklahoma City responds to it.

Oklahoma City needs to do something else on defense because they aren't playing Memphis anymore. They gave up 69 points in the first half. 69!  They have done this before as the Thunder do not have the best defense in the world, but at the same time, you aren't winning championships by giving up that many points in one half. It could be a case of Oklahoma City playing more in the halfcourt to slow down the potent Clippers offense.  

Wizards continue their road dominance 

This is starting to get silly for The Wiz Kids. They have won their last seven road games if you include playoffs and regular season plus they exorcised a demon by beating Indiana on the road, something they hadn't done in the last 12 tries. Bradley Beal does not really seem like a second option. Like it feels offensive to call Beal the meatballs to John Wall's spaghetti.  He is a star in the making and will only get better. Beal made a statement with 25 points, seven rebounds ans seven assists. But the thing that impressed me about this Wizards win was how the role players showed up in this one, and if that happens consistently, we could be heading to a real strange place with the Wiz. 

Trevor Ariza hit six threes channeling his days as a Los Angeles Laker in the postseason where he just became a difference maker from the outside.  He also did a pretty good job on Paul George as he went 4/17 from the field, obviously Ariza wasn't the only one guarding George but had a hand in it. Drew Gooden had 12 points with 13 rebounds including seven offensive rebounds. They both added a new element to Washington's game. Oh and Roy Hibbert... 0 points with two rebounds. YIKES.

Charlie. 

SnoTap's NBA Second Round Preview

2014 NBA Playoffs delivered the best first round in NBA history. The second round is filled with a great deal of intrigue and drama. We break down both conferences in the same way we did the first round looking at a reason each team will win plus an X-Factor with a prediction. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1.) San Antonio Spurs vs. 5.) Portland Trail Blazers 
Game 1: Tuesday May 6th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 2: Thursday May 8th 8:30 pm ESPN2
Game 3: Saturday May 10th 9:30 pm ESPN
Game 4: Monday May 12th 9:30 pm TNT
Game 5 (Wednesday) Game 6 (Friday) Game 7 (Sunday) -  If Necessary

Reason Spurs win: Tony Parker plays like he did in Game 7 against Dallas for the whole series. A dirty little secret about Damian Lillard is he does not really play much defense. Wes Matthews is their stopper, and he did fine against James Harden yet I don't know if he can keep up with Parker for a whole game so I will expect to see

Reason Blazers win: I am trying to figure out who guards LaMarcus Aldridge in this game. Tiago Splitter? Tim Duncan? Probably a combination of those two guys, but LMA can take these guys outside of the post which is huge for the team allowing Lillard and Matthews to get into the lane. He can also get both of them in foul trouble which is equally important. I could see another big series for Aldridge. He averaged 21 points a game with eight rebounds a game in three meetings with the Spurs this year.  

X Factors:  Spurs - Tim Duncan,  Blazers - Thomas Robinson - We haven't really seen a vintage Duncan performance yet in the playoffs. 17 points is one of his lowest average of his playoff career and only pulling down around eight rebounds is his lowest rebound total since the 2009 season. I am throwing T-Rob in there because he showed some flashes against Houston, and Portland will need a better post effort from a guy not named LaMarcus. I am throwing T-Rob out there. 

Prediction: Spurs in six - Do I want to pick Portland?  Yes, yes I do. But I am trying not buy into the hype because they beat a poor defensive team in Houston where in multiple games, they came back late in the game. I doubt Portland will be able to do that against San Antonio. One name we haven't mentioned is Danny Green and he could be someone lying in the weeds for the Spurs.

2.) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 3.) Los Angeles Clippers 
Game 1: Monday May 5th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 2: Wednesday May 7th 8:30 pm TNT
Game 3: Friday May 9th 9:30 pm ESPN
Game 4: Sunday May 11th 2:30 pm ABC
Game 5: (Tuesday) Game 6 (Thursday) Game 7 (Saturday) - If Necessary

Reason Thunder win: Durant continues to light the world on fire. Reggie Miller said on the Dan Patrick Show today that 'The newspaper thing could be the best thing for him (Durant).'  I agree with him, and it would make me very nervous if I were a Clippers fan. Durant averaged 32 points a game in four matchups with the Clippers which is one of the highest outputs against teams KD played four times this season. I think we could see an inspired Durant's performance where he takes over multiple times, and Russell Westbrook takes a little bit of a backseat.  

Reason Clippers win: Blake Griffin takes over in multiple ways. Oklahoma City does not have much post depth past Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Steven Adams. Blake found ways to exploit Golden State's weak interior play, and he could do the same with Oklahoma City even if Ibaka is a better player than anything the Dubs had in Round 1. How the games are called will be a huge factor in Griffin's success because if they let Oklahoma City beat him up, he will need to adjust his game. 

X Factors:  Thunder - Reggie Jackson, Clippers - DeAndre Jordan - Couple obvious ones but they are equally important to the team's success. Jackson needs to equalize Darren Collison. He also bailed out Westbrook and Durant before, and can do it again. Jordan makes Los Angeles a different team when he is scoring and rebounding in double digits especially with his scoring. Jordan seems like he has some confidence and could handle the Thunder's inside group. 

Prediction: Clippers in seven -  Easily, the best series out of the four in the second round. Los Angeles can win on the road. I think they will do it in seven given their inside game with Griffin and Jordan. The only thing that worries me is Chris Paul's health against Russell Westbrook. Odds are he will not pick us Russ very often, but Paul could become very worn down. If that happens, Oklahoma City might just win the war of attrition.   

1.) Indiana Pacers vs. 5.) Washington Wizards
Game 1: Monday May 5th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 2: Wednesday May 7th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 3: Friday May 9th 7:00 pm ESPN
Game 4: Sunday May 11th 7:00 pm TNT
Game 5: (Tuesday) Game 6 (Thursday) Game 7 (Saturday) - If Necessary

Reason Pacers win: They play like a team. It is that simple. This team won their first 33 of 40 games for a reason. They played like a cohesive unit. I realize they won back-to-back games to finish off Atlanta, but I am still not convinced this team is truly united right now. Indiana plays like one and not individuals, they will blow through this series.  

Reason Wizards win: Bradley Beal and John Wall come up massive. Paul George will likely pick up one of the them, but can he keep up with either of them in terms of quickness? Same goes for Lance Stephenson. If they play up-tempo and make Indiana play Washington's game, they could really do some big things. I really do think the guards of Washington could have some real big series. 

X Factors:  Pacers - Roy Hibbert, Wizards - Trevor Ariza - Yes we need to see Roy Hibbert come to play finally. He played well in Game 7 and against the bigger Wizards team could give Hibbert more an opportunity to work yet Marcin Gortat and Nene are badass dudes meaning Hibbert needs to keep his composure out there. Ariza could be huge for this team. We talked about his postseason performance last time around too, but what makes him important this round is the fact, he will be on Mr. George and containing him will be a tall task. If he does it well, Wizards have a good shot at winning the series. 

Prediction: Wizards in six -  Given the personalities in this series, I think we are going to see some chippy stuff from each side of the aisle in these games. I like the guards of Washington better than I do, Indiana's and I don't think Hibbert is all there. Until Indiana proves me otherwise, I am not ready to buy in to this team. If they light the world on fire, we can have a new discussion. 

2.) Miami Heat vs. 6.) Brooklyn Nets 
Game 1: Tuesday May 6th 6:00 pm TNT
Game 2: Thursday May 8th 6:00 pm ESPN2
Game 3: Saturday May 10th 7:00 pm ABC
Game 4: Monday May 12th 7:00 pm TNT
Game 5 (Wednesday) Game 6 (Friday) Game 7 (Sunday) - If Necessary

Reason Heat win: They need to have a good Chris Bosh come alive. What went under the radar is Bosh only averaged 14.5 points a game in their sweep against Charlotte. He can bring the big bruisers of Brooklyn outside of the paint creating more opportunities for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to slash into the paint. He has seen Kevin Garnett in May before, and this time, Bosh is the much better player.  

Reason Nets win: Deron Williams becomes Deron Williams of old. Honestly, this Nets team can win the series. Paul Pierce and KG need to be big yet Williams actually having a say in the offense is the biggest key. Mario Chalmers is a decent enough defender, but Williams can still do some things to cut out what Chalmers wants to do on the defensive end. In three games against Miami, he only averaged seven points a game. That cannot happen if the Nets want to advance. 

X Factors:  Heat- Mario Chalmers, Nets - Marcus Thornton -  Heat need to find more scoring. They always seem to go through this at one point of the playoffs where only the Big Three are scoring and no one else. Chalmers did nothing in the four games against Charlotte and that cannot happen again if this team wants to win. Thornton is a microwave. If he gets hot, look out. And they might need a 'Marcus Thornton game' where he has 30 points making seven threes to win the series, he has found his way into some moments in the playoffs thus far.

Prediction: Heat in seven -  This will also be a nasty series with a ton of chippiness given the rivalry between Pierce and Garnett versus LeBron and Ray Allen. Also the fact Brooklyn won all four times they met this year doesn't sit well with the Heat either. Game 1 is huge. If Miami comes out tired from the layoff, Brooklyn will think they belong in the series. I think it goes the distance with LeBron James shutting the door in Game 7 with an iconic performance. 

Charlie.

NBA Game Seven Weekend: Big Stars Shine the Brightest

Every night there is some sort of drama about the NBA Playoffs. Every game is worth talking about even if it is just to make fun of somebody. The recaps look at the game itself and what could be upcoming for the teams.  


Brooklyn hangs on after a near-collapse in Toronto
The poor Raps. They battled like hell back in the fourth quarter after being down 10, and it seemed like there was no chance they could win this basketball game yet Toronto came back to make it a game in the final minute. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry did not have a defining Game 7 performances for the right reasons. DeRozan took it to the tin with three minutes left drawing an offensive foul and then a technical. Thankfully, Brooklyn came up empty on both attempts, but still, you need to keep their composure. Lowry had the final shot for a win and Brooklyn collapsed on him with three defenders yet he didn't pass the ball. That needed to happen, but instead Lowry tried to be the hero which did not work out for him.

Amid the comeback, Joe Johnson came to play on Sunday. We talked at the beginning of the series about how Brooklyn had closers on their team with Johnson, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Joe Cool stepped out to close out this basketball game. He had eleven straight points for Brooklyn at one point in the fourth. Solid performance from Johnson.

Clippers close out Warriors with a big second half
What a great game this was to close us out on Saturday night. Golden State had an early lead, but slowly, but surely, Los Angeles started to put themselves back in the game with some tremendous performances by the primetime players for the Clippers. Once again, DeAndre Jordan played terrific making all six of his shots, having 15 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. I have said this once, will say it again, if Jordan provides this kind of production, Los Angeles is the best in the West. Chris Paul had a great game after some concern about him with his injuries to his hand and hamstring. Paul had 22 points with 14 assists. J.J. Redick came up big late in the game which helped send Golden State home.

I am trying to figure out what Golden State's management's issue with Mark Jackson. Stephen Curry wants him to keep his job which would probably be my indicator he should stay put, but if Golden State forces him out, it will be interesting to see what it does for team chemistry.

The best shine through in Oklahoma City. 
We tend to see big players step up to the plate when it comes to Game 7's. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are two of the best in the league, and they showed it on Saturday with major performances. Durant had 33 points with 12/18 shooting with eight rebounds. In the last two games since the whole newspaper snafu, he has been excellent. But the bigger story was Russell Westbrook. He had another triple-double with a bananas stat line. Westbrook finished the game with 27 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds including a couple steals and blocks to go with it. He really looked strong out there, and if Russ is playing at this level with the good 90 percent, not the bad 10 percent, Oklahoma City is a scary, scary team. I like everything they are doing right now.

Pacers handle their business, dispose of Atlanta 
ROY HIBBERT FINALLY SHOWED UP. Well kinda. He had 13 points with seven rebounds making six shots which is more than what Hibbert has done in this whole series. Have to respect Frank Vogel for still trotting him out there and trusting him when literally no one had his back. Paul George was the bigger story. A primetime player stepped up in the big moment with 30 points taking over in the second half. George finished off the Hawks with great ease and looked great out there. Even though Indiana's story has been about their struggles, George is excelling in the playoffs. The numbers are up in both points and rebounds with George averaging a double-double with him being the top player on this team. Also worth noting how well Lance Stephenson played with an efficient scoring night with 19 points 14 rebounds and five assists.

Spurs wake up and finish off Dallas with ease 
Many people wondered how the Mavericks got to seven games with San Antonio? It seemed like Dallas could maybe get one or two games, but no one thought this team could bring it to seven games. San Antonio shot over 70 percent in the first two quarters meaning it was complete curtains for Dallas' chances to pull the upset. Tony Parker was excellent with 32 points with making eleven shots on 19 attempts with none being from outside the arc. Parker dressed down this Dallas team, and it is fair to say, he is healthy from his ankle injury which could be big trouble for Portland. Another thing to keep an eye on is Danny Green's performance, he had been struggling, but last two games, he is averaging 16.5 points with 6/8 from three. If Green comes to play, this is a different San Antonio team.

Charlie.

NBA Playoffs Recaps: Disappointed Pacers, Spurs Survive & Heat Sweep

NBA Playoffs will be going on throughout the days. Charlie Tritschler gives quick recaps of each game with a video, GIF, Vine or picture to describe for the people that missed it.

Indiana finds a way to lose Game 5 at home...
The Indiana situation might be something we have never seen before in professional sports. This isn't a team that's choking rather a team that is the most inconsistent and broken up team we have ever seen in NBA history. Going from 33-7 to being on the brink of elimination to one of the weakest eighth seed of all-time. Atlanta blew them out for three quarters with an insane second quarter from Mike Scott. The Hawks are one game away from winning the series and moving on to the second round for the first time since 2010-2011. How does Indiana respond in Wednesday's game? I am running out of answers for this Pacer team. Just when you think they are ready to be a threat in the playoffs, they turn around and get blown out at home. Even though they made it a game, Indiana still disappointed in a major way. Pathetic loss by the team and the organization. I would rather have a 38 win team make to the second round versus what we have with Indiana right now. At least they give a shit.    

Appropriate video: Mike Scott making it rain.



Dallas nearly steals another from San Antonio
Can we be honest with each other here.... In three of the four games, Dallas has been the better team and yet we are knotted up at two's.  Boris Diaw hit the big shot of the evening with his three-pointer late breaking the tie, and San Antonio stayed ahead the rest of the way. DeJuan Blair's attempt to kick Tiago Splitter in the face at the end of the game might have been one of the dumbest moves I have seen in basketball. He gave San Antonio an extra point in a game where Dallas certainly could not give up. It was a lowlight on a great game from Blair who had 12 points and eleven rebounds. Tony Parker turned his ankle and struggled mightily in this game leading to Gregg Popovich benching him for a bit in the middle part of the fourth quarter. I expect a better Parker performance in Game 5. This feels like it will be a game where San Antonio lets Dallas who is boss of this series.

Appropriate Video: Blair's karate kick.



Miami takes down a spirited Charlotte team
The first team is eliminated from the playoffs as Charlotte loses to the Heat for the fourth straight game meaning Miami picked up the sweep and gets to rest for awhile with their next opponent at least playing two more games. Charlotte hung with them without Al Jefferson as he missed the game with a foot injury. Kemba Walker had his best game of his playoffs with 29 points making four threes, five rebounds and five assists, but LeBron James was too much. He had 31 points and played a large part in powering a big third quarter for Miami. I have a feeling Charlotte will be back in the playoffs next year and years to come. The future is bright for the now Hornets. It really does look like it is Miami and everybody else in the NBA Playoffs.


Appropriate picture: Michael Jordan and LeBron share a handshake then a hug.


Charlie.