NSR: Basketball 2.0

Really disappointing performance by the Pacers in the 2nd half. LeBron and Wade were god mode like I feared. Bosh out should have given us the edge, instead Turiaf and Anthony destroyed us on the boards and stupid turnovers and failure to get out in transition when we had 3-4 great chances to run hurt us. Also Granger was just awful, he played like Kyle Korver if Korver didn't run around and try to get open lol. Hopefully Wade has one of those terrible shooting nights he has sometimes in Game 2. We need that game or we might lost in 4 or 5.

 

Didn't notice him acting...Wade on the other hand is so good at making it look like he's getting fouled going to the room. Pacers were complaining about the fouls but Miami attacked the basket and we didn't. Rebounding, no transition and stupid foul trouble early in the 3rd Qtr killed us.

That offensive foul on Barbosa was atrocious though and very pivotal, we deserved a 9-12 point lead going into the half. Totally controlled those fckers all half!

 

Its 4 a.m. here but I don't give a F**K!!! Huge win, David West is such a beast!!! Lol at LeBron missing 2 free throws right after Paul George had his first big Playoff choke moment. What a fukin clucker he is, doesn't have what it takes to be a legend, just a physical specimen whose really good. Wade is soooo much more scarier for me, he's so smart and so much more versatile. Can't believe he missed that lay up to tie it lol, unbelievable game.

Miami, the Heartland is calling your name. NO WAY OUT!!! NO WAY OUT!!!!

 

Great observant post

-David West, what a guy! There's been 4-5 times this season where we almost got in a fight with teams and he's always being the big brother and enforcing his presence, not confrontationally but letting them know he means business. Scored some big buckets in the paint yesterday. and after we won kept us grounded like you said. Just the kind of guy you want on your team, so lucky he's not a typical douche and went to Boston or some other big market. He saw the potential we had and knew he could help make us into a contender. David West, starring in 'Lessons of how to be a man,' take notes!

-Hill has had some really stupid turnovers in both games, agreed his decision making hasn't been good at times. Needs to cut down on the turnovers, especially some of the careless one's. Last night we had Hill make 2 consecutive bad plays and then Hibbert do the same thing midway through the 4th Qtr smh, we have to stop with the dumb mistakes giving them easy points. But his defense is good, he can match up with Wade really nice! DC has played really well the past 3 games. Hit 2 really big buckets for us and kept his composure and sank both FT's after Wade decked him.

- Paul George already dominates on defense. Wade is a load so he's having difficulty with him. But he absolutely smothered LeBron when he guarded him last night. If we need a stop late in games, our best cover is PG on LeBron and Hill on Wade, I'm confident we can get a stop a good number of times with that matchup. PG has been shockingly bad on offense, the worst is him getting blocked so many times in transition and under the bucket!! He will only get better and more savvy though, he's going up against one of the most savvy players in the league in Wade so gotta be patient with him. Supposedly, Larry Bird had a talk with him after Game1 as he was extremely down on himself, Brian Shaw worked with him after practice and he came out yesterday with a good attitude (our back room staff is great, we even have Clark Kellogg in charge of player personnel or whatever his title is). Paulie's comment after the game last night, 'tonight I became a man.'

- Barbosa was really poor in the 1st half. Him and Hansborough coming out flat really hurt us in the 2nd Qtr (need Hansbrough to be a beast Game3, he barely played last night so should be fresh). 2nd half Barbosa was crucial, the guy is fearless!!! Such a savvy move by him cutting LeBron off in transition and not letting him swat the shot (things that mostly only guys who play soccer or watch it can do in the league ). He scored a big time runner in traffic to give us the lead back at 72-71 I think. He's fearless!!!

- We have to find a way to get Hibbert involved more. We came out perfect yesterday, dumping the ball inside to him for 2 easy buckets to start the game. After that he was nullified. He needs to be more physical establishing position. Miami's defense is really good, he's not being nasty enough (at least avoiding stupid offensive fouls though that's good). I'm thinking in the home games we are going to give a serious effort to feed him the rock in the post. We have to have him dominate the post to force them to double! That way we can get some clean looks for Granger and George!

 

He just hasn't been alert around the rim, his radar is scrambled. Got blocked twice under the rim one in each half, he's got to be smarter there, a pump fake and a pivot and he dunks or gets fouled. In Game1 he went for 2 euro steps in transition, first one he did well to get a foul on LeBron, did it a 2nd time and Wade is too savvy and smart, saw it coming and easily blocked him.

He was better last night though, and was outstanding on defense. He had the best +/- of any player on the court too. He hit 2 big timely 3's for us too, hopefully this momentum carries for him to the home games and he keeps gaining confidence. I can see him blowing up in Game 3 or 4 if he gets a few easy buckets or dunks early to get the crowd going. Would like him to get 16-22 pts one of these next 2 games, that would take him to the next level maybe

 

Did you write this before the game? Epic if you did!

Great win. Another display of how the game of basketball is meant to be played. Nicephorus must hate this 90's throwback basketball lol lol

 

LeBron is getting punked around by Granger pretty bad Not only is he not talking back to defend himself, he's turning away from Granger with his eyes closed. He's like 'be cool man I'm just trying to hoop' lol lolll

 

Wade for how brilliant he is, suffers from dreadful shooting nights like that from time to time. I called it on facebook not sure if I wrote it here too, but I was calling for one of those Wade nights to help us win at home. He does it like once every 15 games or so it seems. However this time maybe its injury related. He was cat quick running back to block shots the first 2 games and he looked really sluggish last night. Add to the fact Paul George is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league with his quickness and length and he was just a broken man last night.

Going to be a battle Game 4. Pacers the year of the Brawl without Artest went up on the Pistons 2-1 after stealing Game2 in Detroit. We came out really flat in Game 4 and blew it and lost the series 4-2. I'm a little worried we are going to come out of the gates and play too antsy while the Heat will play with poise and finally hit their 3's. Hope we just keep playing our game and D'ing them up! Our team chemistry is special right now, they are really zoned in!

 

For sure.

Need to stop talking smack against LeBron while my team is playing his though. My luck I'll jinx it and he'll finally turn into a prime time player down the stretch.

 

Hasn't needed to do it down the stretch but he was an absolutely load last night. Ridiculous how Wade just turned it up all of a sudden. Was 1-of-8 to start yesterday, then when we were up 11 late in the 2nd Qtr he hit a 3 with Paul George all over him. After that his dribble penetration and shot making were impeccable. Unlike LeBron, Wade can beat you 1-on-1 off the dribble, he was insane yesterday. Also unlike LeBron, he can go to a college coach for fatherly advice on his day off. Who does LeBron go to for that, Delonte West?

 

Crazy turn of momentum. Pacers lost their will to win and belief the last 6 Qtrs. Good news we are coming home and I expect us to be competitive again and give them a dogfight. Force a Game7 and then anything goes.

Haslem and Pittman better be suspended for Game 6, if not there needs to be a rule change this offseason to review those situations during the game and get them right.

 

Wade was just phenomenal. LeBron with a 28, 7, 6 game in what was the quietest of night for him, just always made plays when needed. Those 2 just flat out balled on us. We lost our way, they figured us out and we didn't have an answer, just aren't ready yet. Good effort by us though, I'm glad we got the nations attention, long overdue.