The Spurs have yet to lose a game in the 2012 postseason, dispatching the Jazz and Clippers with ease, averaging a margin of victory of an incredible 13.8 points. San Antonio has won every game they've played for the last six weeks, and will have home court advantage in the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder, meanwhile, have dominated their first two opponents nearly as thoroughly as the Spurs have, winning eight of nine games against the Mavericks and Lakers. Oklahoma City's big two of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have averaged over 50 points per game between them, while the Thunder's front-line of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins could cause problems for the Spurs.
The Western Conference Finals get underway on Sunday night, and could end up being the best series we see this spring. So today's poll question is simple: Which team will win, and how many games will it take?
The Heat fell to the Pacers at home Tuesday evening by the score of 78-75 with Chris Boshsidelined due to an abdominal muscle strain. The series, now even at one game a piece, heads to Indianapolis where the Pacers went 23-10 during the regular season and are currently 2-1 during the playoffs. Bosh, 28, had been especially strong for the Heat during the first round of the playoffs where he averaged 14.7 PPG and 6.8 RPG in just over 30 minutes per contest.
Game 2 of the series between the Heat and the Pacers saw Miami's two superstars live up to their billing with a combined 52 points and 15 rebounds in the losing effort. The Heat bench failed to shoulder any of the load as five players, including Mike Miller and Shane Battier, gave the team a total of 15 points. Ronny Turiaf, inserted into the starting lineup in the wake of Bosh's injury, struggled to provide quality minutes during his brief time on the court in which he committed more fouls (four) than points scored (three).
What do you think? Can LeBron Jamesand Dwyane Wade elevate their level of play and get increased production from the bench to overcome the absence of Bosh to beat the Pacers?
One of the most high-profile players to hit free agency this summer will be Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash. The 38-year-old continues to express interest in returning to the Suns, although there is heavy speculation that he will instead sign with a contender such as the Heat. He’s also been linked to the Blazers, Knicks, and Raptors in various scenarios. Where do you think Nash will play in 2012/13?
Fresh off their victory over the Nuggets on Saturday evening, the Lakers will head to Oklahoma City on Monday for Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs to take on the Thunder. A re-energizedPau Gasol has the Lakers looking dangerous even against a heavily-favored Thunder squad.
The return of Metta World Peace in the final game of the series proved to be critical to the Lakers' success against the Nuggets and could potentially be a difference maker against the Thunder. The Lakers will also need improved play from Ramon Sessions or he could continue to lose minutes to Steve Blake, who put together an outstanding performance Saturday night at the Staples Center. Andrew Bynum showed flashes of brilliance at times against Denver but still needs to prove that he can play at a high level for an entire series, not just a few games.
What do you think? Will Kobe's supporting cast be able to come through against the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden as they did against the Nuggets in Game 7?
Yesterday we asked which player was having the most impressive first round, and most of you believe it’s Celtics forward Paul Pierce. Tonight we’re wondering which team is playing better team basketball? Who looks to be on the right track towards winning the championship?
Now that we’re eight days into the 2012 NBA playoffs, and each team has played at least three games, we ask which player has been the most impressive? There are several big names who’ve stepped up, and some others who’ve struggled. Who’s been the best?
After a dominant performance in Game One, the Heat took a 2-0 lead over the Knicks on Monday, prompting an outburst of frustration that will sideline Amare Stoudemire for Game Three. Stoudemire spoke to reporters about his injured hand today, saying there's a "great chance" he'll be back on Sunday, though reports earlier today suggested Amare could miss the entire series.
Of course, whether or not Stoudemire plays again this season may depend on how long the series lasts. With the Knicks in disarray, Chris Perkins of Sheridan Hoops writes that winning the series in even five games would be a disappointment for Miami. The other three series in the East are all tied at a game apiece, so the Heat could benefit from the extra rest if they can finish the Knicks off quickly.
What do you think? Will Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks bounce back from the fire-extinguisher incident to make a series of it? Or will the Heat finish off New York in four?
Last night, in what basically amounted to a play-in game for the Western Conference's eighth seed, Utah took advantage of their deep front court and home crowd to defeat Phoenix. The Jazz are now scheduled to face off against the number one seeded Spurs. With last year's tough first round loss to Memphis fresh in everybody's mind, this sets up a very interesting first round series. Utah's great strength is their very skilled front court, headed by Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. Last year the Spurs struggled against the Grizzlies dynamic duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Will history repeat itself?
The Oklahoma City Thunder will face an interesting predicament next season, as both James Harden and Serge Ibaka enter the final season of their rookie contracts. With stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook already signed to long-term max deals, the team will try to find a way to lock up the rest of its core. An excess of talent is certainly a good problem to have, but it won't be easy for the Thunder to bring all their players back — Durant and Westbrook alone are slated to earn $30MM+ in 2013/14, the first year in which luxury-tax penalties increase.
Harden has made great strides in each of his first three seasons, earning his first All-Star berth and scoring 16.8 PPG on .491/.390/.846 shooting in 2011/12. His 21.1 PER this year raises his career average to 17.2, and he's become arguably one of the top shooting guards in the NBA and the odds-on favorite for Sixth Man of the Year.
Ibaka, meanwhile, isn't the scorer than Harden is, but he's averaging 10+ rebounds per 36 minutes for the third straight season, and is leading the league in blocks with an incredible 3.7 per game. His 17.5 career PER is actually slightly better than Harden's mark, and he's a legit contender (and David Aldridge's pick) for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award.
GM Sam Presti says the team will do everything it can to ink extensions for Harden and Ibaka, and perhaps one or both players would accept slightly below-market deals to keep playing for a perennial title contender. I think retaining both is possible, perhaps at the expense of Kendrick Perkins, but let's say circumstances prevent the Thunder from keeping both players. If you're Presti, which player is your top priority? Who do you re-sign to play alongside Durant and Westbrook long-term? Harden or Ibaka?
Metta World Peace attacked Thunder guardJames Harden on Sunday afternoon with a vicious elbow to the side of the head after World Peace scored on a dunk near the end of the second quarter. The blow caused Harden to collapse on the ground, writhing in pain. World Peace unsuccessfully attempted to convince officials that he was merely celebrating his thunderous two-handed slam with the raucous Lakers crowd.
As a result of his actions, World Peace was ejected from the game for a Flagrant 2 while Harden was treated for concussion-like symptoms and did not return in second half. Given World Peace's notorious history involving violence, many talking heads including Magic Johnson and Jon Barry concluded it would be appropriate for the former St. John's star to receive a suspension for his actions. With the Lakers set to conclude their regular season on Thursday against the Kings, it would not be unlikely for a potential suspension of World Peace to extend into the playoffs.