It’s About Damn Time, It’s About Damn Time!
The long road to a championship, rode long by a champion.
NBA Rookie of the Year, 8-time NBA All-Star selection, 2008 Scoring Title, 3-time NBA MVP, and 6-time NBA All First Team selection would seem to be enough accolades to be considered one of the best ever. Well, for Lebron James it wasn’t until last night when he led his Miami Heat to the NBA Title and picked up his first ever Championship ring and Finals MVP award. The dark cloud that has been following over Lebron’s head since he decided to take his talents to South Beach has finally gone away and now the best player in the world can get the credit he deserves. I can’t say I was rooting for James to win it, but as a basketball fan and they way he won it was absolutely remarkable.
Over sounds of Thunder, the Heat lightning struck and burned
From the opening tip in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, James seemed determined to finish the series in Miami and not have to travel back to the most hostile environment in the NBA, OKC. Fittingly, Miami’s first two points were from an emphatic slam by James and from that point on you just felt that his talents had finally surfaced in South Beach the way he promised his fans back in 2010. Throughout the playoffs I was cheering against Miami for no other reason than I am a huge supporter of the underdog. I mean I am a Mets, Knicks and Jets fan. In this game, as the minutes slowly diminished and Miami was rapping up their rout of the Thunder, 121-106, I found myself smiling and slightly impressed with what Miami had accomplished.
Double Check? No, I was just checking to make sure I didn’t wet myself from laughing!
There’s something to be said about winning a championship, but there is a lot more to be said about a team that wins a championship when most of the world is rooting against them. As much as I would like to not give any credit to anyone except Lebron, I can’t. This Championship run was a legitimate team effort. From consistently strong games from Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, to surprising shooting performances from Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers, there was really no chance for OKC. The second that the Thunder developed a game plan, Miami seemed to have their counterattack ready to go.
It was Miller time even before the celebrations began!
In the clinching game 5, Miami’s surprising star was non-other than “Sir Limps A Lot,” Mike Miller. Like a robotic zombie, Miller limped up and down the court and just drained 3-pointer after 3-pointer. Miller entered the game 0-3 from downtown, but after game 5 finished he was an astonishing 7-11 for the series. For all you math whizzes out there, that means he went a lights out 7-8 from beyond the arc in an NBA Title clinching game…that is amazing! I hate to say it but even Miami’s undeserving coach seemed to of run a few plays that actually looked like he knew what he was doing. I find it remarkable that a team that has basically been together for 2 years waited till their final game of the NBA Finals to show the world their best stuff.
Yeah – something even bigger than MY head and that shines as much as me.
Sure Miami won their second Championship ever as a franchise and it was a total team effort, but what the fans of basketball will always remember this series as is Lebron’s first title. Now, will it be the first of many like Lebron promised us two years ago? In my opinion I think it is. If last night’s game, and all of the playoffs for that matter, is any indication of how Lebron’s game is improving then the rest of the world should step aside. Michael Jordan didn’t win his first Championship until he was 28 and the now 27 year-old James has a platform to measure the rest of his career against. Congratulations to the Miami Heat for winning the NBA Championship and a special congratulations to Lebron James for not only proving the haters wrong, but proving that he is the best player in the world.
Super Mario and the Heat Are One Game Away
Big 3 look good, but Mario is the real chalmer.
It wasn’t Lebron James, it wasn’t Dwayne Wade and it wasn’t Chris Bosh, so who pushed the Miami Heat to a 104-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 4 of the NBA Finals? His name is Mario Chalmers and he was absolutely marvelous. When the Heat were down and needed a place to turn, Mario took a note out of Russel Westbrook’s book and focused more on scoring rather than passing. Now that is not typically the mentality you want from your starting point guard but there are many times when it is effective. Chalmers scored 25 points which was only 1 point behind James for their team high. There were times late in the game where Chalmers looked as dominant as he once did when he played for the Kansas Jayhawks.
West broke without Westbrook
OKC came out to a blazing start and seemed to have complete control over the game. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they really only had one player show up and that was Russel Westbrook. Westbrook had a performance that I can only describe as one of the most impressive offensive outbursts I have ever seen in an NBA Finals game. Russel had a stat line of 43 points, including 17 in the fourth, and 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Westbrook’s PIC (Partner in Crime), Kevin Durant, seemed a little flat during the game and although he finished with 28 points he never seemed to make the big shot that shifted momentum back into the Thunder’s favor. Sixth man of the year, James Harden, was pathetic all game and if he doesn’t turn it around then the Thunder have absolutely no chance to beat Miami Thursday.
It took a while but I found the definition of Referee that seems to fit: “a person who is willing to testify to the character or capabilities of someone”. So not necessarily someone who judges play, but a character reference for Lebron.
Now I don’t like making excuses, especially in the Finals, but something is getting out of hand. The refereeing in this series as well as every one of Lebron James’ series, has been inconsistent and unfair. Westbrook had 43 points, he took 18 shots from within the painted area and seemed to get hacked nearly every time. He accumulated 3 foul shots. Lebron and Wade had 51 points combined, they took a total of 17 shots from within the painted area and got to the line 17 times. That stat seems a little off because there is no way the calls can be that lopsided. OKC went to the foul line the second most amount of times out of every team in the NBA during the regular season but only made it there 16 times in game 4. That is a fucking joke because the refs seem to cradle Lebron James’ testicles in their hands as he hacks players without whistles on a regular basis. Even my PIC, NYBobby, called me during the game to say he noticed what I and the basketball world have been saying all year.
Despite obvious help from refs, James still manages to be the best B-baller on his own.
ESPN analyst Steven A. Smith has been criticizing the refereeing all playoffs long and said this morning that one of the reasons that Durant is getting the shit end of every call this series is because he is too skinny. That really pisses me off because with that logic I should be in the NBA because my fat ass would be getting every call in my favor. Now I will stop bitching about the refs and give some credit where credit is due. Lebron James is the best player in the world. He can dominate whenever he wants and in game 4 he even proved that he can score without being able to use his legs. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game that James was cramping because he was dehydrated. Well Erik, maybe you should grab the man a cup of water once in a while because he is about to win you your first of many undeserved championships. The series seems to be slipping away from OKC and now Thursday’s game will determine if these two teams are going to travel back to Oklahoma. If OKC can win Thursday then its anyone’s series from there on.
The Fundamentals Are Not So Fun
My, am I excited! This might really happen.
Last night was the perfect description of what Pat Riley and the Heat organization envisioned when they put together their team of all-stars in 2010. Fluid ball movement and precision passing for easy baskets inside the paint is the only way Miami can succeed and they did it nearly flawlessly last night in their 91-85 victory. Led by 29 points and 14 rebounds from James, Miami found different ways to hurt the Thunder throughout game 3 of the NBA Finals last night. Wade, although he had a poor shooting performance, finished the game with 25 points and 7 boards and 7 assists, which was without question his best game of the Finals thus far. Chris Bosh also provided his second straight double-double since being reinserted into the starting lineup that seems to have the Thunder flustered.
This James was just not up to the task that the other James was.
So where did the Thunder go wrong last night? Durant finished with a respectable 25 points with over 50% shooting, while Russel Westbrook added a hard-fought 19 points. The key missing piece to the puzzle was James Harden. The sixth man of the year shot a pathetic 2-10 from the floor and finished with a dismal 9 points. The Thunder can not beat the Heat in Miami without the spark off the bench that has made them such a formidable team throughout the year.
Not since Alan Ladd has a Shane been this heroic
[if you are not over 50 you probably don’t get this reference]
Erik?
Erik?
Maybe the reason that the Thunder lost isn’t because Miami’s “Big 3” got their shit together, or because James Harden was building a house with his bricks last night, or because Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra has a striking resemblance to a Tarsier Monkey from his native lands of the Philippines (I don’t know why I feel the need to trash him, but I do). Maybe the reason the Thunder lost is based solely upon their lack of execution when it comes to basketball fundamentals. OKC shot an out-of-character 15-24 from the foul line and committed 6 fourth quarter turnovers. They also finished the game with a minuscule 11 assists on 33 field goals made. While the Thunder went most of the season lacking an assist man, they were also the best foul shooting team and they committed the second fewest turnovers, so these two stats are inexcusable. If OKC has any hope of making it out of Miami alive then they better get their act together. And maybe Scott Brooks shouldn’t ever have his two best players, Westbrook and Durant, on the bench for the same time for 5 minutes like he did at the end of the third quarter where Miami made their comeback.
P.S. NBA referees please know that it is acceptable to call fouls on Lebron James!
Miami Gets Away With Murder
Big 3 had 3 big quarters, and just enough in the 4th
In a thrilling NBA Finals game 2, the Miami Heat were able to hold on to be the first team this postseason to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home court. With a 100-96 victory against OKC, the Heat travel home tied 1-1 in their best-of-seven series. Miami came out firing on all cylinders and scored from wherever and whenever they wanted to. Dwayne Wade found his shot early and Shane Battier once again proved why he was one of the better off-season pickups by draining three quick 3-pointers. Lebron was dishing with ease and Chris Bosh manhandled both Perkins and Ibaka for the first 3 quarters. The Heat led by as many as 17 points and looked as if they were going to run away with the game.
Let’s see – 4 quarters and 48 minutes. If we play 46 great minutes, is that enough?
That’s when Lebron James got to enjoy his favorite part of every game, the fourth quarter. As if it were rehearsed, the Thunder cut Miami’s 13 point lead down to 4 with just 5 minutes running off the clock. It was quite incredible the way that Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook were able to tear apart a defense that was able to keep them relatively quiet through three quarters. Durant’s performance was even more impressive with the fact that he was playing with 5 fouls with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game. Lebron James had an overall great game and he seemed to be the little life the Heat had in the fourth, but he was nearly not enough. Wade looked as if he was nonexistent towards the end of the game and Scott Brooks seemed to devise a defensive plan that completely took Miami out of their rhythm.
Take a look kid – that’s what home looks like with a loss. It ain’t pretty.
The Thunder kept chipping away and it started to look like Miami was losing control. With their lead cut to 3, Lebron took the ball and made a beautiful fade away bank shot over Thabo Sefelosha with just under 96 seconds remaining. After a clutch three pointer by Durant followed by the stereotypical missed three by Lebron in the closing seconds, the Thunder possessed the ball just under 20 seconds. Westbrook quickly got the ball into the fiery hot hands of Durant. Durant made a stylish cross over dribble and pulled up for a routine 12-foot jumper when Lebron seemed to have raked his arm and leg for what should have been a foul call. Unfortunately for the Orange and Blue, the whistle wasn’t blown and Miami gained possession and the win.
To the victor go the Spoelstras.
The most impressive play for Miami was probably from the newly inserted into the starting lineup Chris Bosh. With 16 points and 15 rebounds, Bosh finally provided those big man numbers that the Heat have been missing all playoffs. Even with Bosh and Battier having great games and Lebron and Wade both filling the stat sheet as usual, the Heat still almost found a way to lose. Mr. Inconsistency, a.k.a Erik Spoelstra, couldn’t find a single lineup that worked in the fourth quarter and like usual seemed to defer all of his decisions to King James. Well Spoelstra, it seems as if your brilliant coaching tactics have once again led Miami to a victory. I would like to thank the NBA referees for once again proving their infatuations with Lebron James.
Two Man Game
First half assessment – let’s see, the little round red thing with the strings hanging on it; we’re supposed to hit that, right?
Miami came out of the gates scorching hot and the Thunder looked in trouble from the get go. Lebron was shutting everything down that came his way and role players like Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier were hitting their open shots on every James or Wade doubled pass out. OKC’s real 6th man, their fans, were removed from the game quickly and the advantage that has helped the Thunder remain perfect on their home court during the postseason was no longer present. Coach McFly called multiple time outs and made earlier than usual substitutions to try to answer this Miami Heat onslaught. Trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, OKC did everything they could just to stay alive in the game and keep themselves within a small run to mount a comeback.
Okay, so those other 3 guys in the white uniforms are allowed to score too? No one told me!
After slicing the Heats’ lead nearly in half and trailing only by 7 points going into halftime, the Thunder looked as if the momentum in the game was falling in their favor. At this point in most Miami Heat recaps of games, I would usually find a way to insult coach Spoelstra but I think I can leave him alone for this one. Clearly the Thunder had a halftime plan and they executed it perfectly.
Their plan of, “pass the ball the Kevin Durant or Russel Westbrook and score,” seemed to work flawlessly as the two players single-handily out scored the entire Miami Heat team in the second half 41-40. Add that with the support they received from Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha and you have a half of basketball completely dominated by the home team. It seemed as if every time that OKC had an offensive possession, they scored. Durant scored 17 of his 36 points in a true anti-Lebron fashion…he did it in the fourth quarter. Westbrook nearly had a triple double with an impressive stat line of 27 points, 11 dimes and 8 boards.
Heat Lightning not as bright as the Claps of Thunder!
With their 104-95 loss in game 1 to OKC, Miami is going to have to develop a game plan to see if they can weather the Thunder’s storm leading into game 2. Step one should be helping Dwayne Wade find his old form that made him the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. Wade started the game sluggish and finished even worse. He scored a meaningless 19 points on 7-19 shooting, which is only as good as it was because of a few nice dishes from Lebron that made for easy layups. Miami stands no chance of beating this young and talented Thunder team without exceptional games on a nightly basis from both Lebron and Wade. The same goes for OKC’s Durant and Westbrook. These teams lean heavily upon their stars and in game one, Miami’s two scored a combined 49 points compared to the 63 scored by Duranbrook or Westurant…you choose. I also think that for Lebron and Wade to find themselves open more often, Miami’s worthless coach Erik Spoelstra (I knew I couldn’t make it through the whole article), is going to have to start Bosh. I don’t think it’s rocket science, I mean this guy is paid $20 million a year and is one of the best perimeter PF/C shooters in the game. Game one is over and I am sure all the basketball fans in the world like myself are craving game 2 but we will have to wait until Thursday night to see it. I predict that the Thunder will remain perfect in the sea of Blue that fills the Chesapeake Energy Arena on a nightly basis.
The Best in the West
Oooooooo-klahoma where the wins come sweepin’ down the plain!
Like I said a couple of days ago, if the Thunder shoot 50% or better than the Spurs will be heading home… permanently. Well, that is exactly what happened last night in Oklahoma as the Thunder went on to beat the #1 seeded San Antonio Spurs 107-99 in game 6 of the Western Conference Finals and win the series 4-2. The Spurs had more 3’s made, more assists, less turnovers, more steals and at one point were up by 18 points in the game. So how did this team of seasoned veterans lose to the up-and-coming young guns of Oklahoma? It’s easy, OKC wanted it much more.
Scott thought Durant durable, said there would be no Kevin cave-in. Brooks brokers no breaks and is proven right.
For the first time all season, OKC coach Scott Brooks, a.k.a Marty McCoach, left his star player Kevin Durant in the game for all 48 minutes of regulation. Durant had 34 points and 14 rebounds, making Brook’s decision look pretty genius.
After the game Brooks went on to say, “It’s an amazing moment for him to play like this in this moment, in this setting, and I wasn’t going to take him out, I was not going to take him out. I don’t care how many times he looked at me fatigued. He has enough, and I think all of our guys have enough to play. You just have to fight through it.”
Unfortunately, Spurs and Ducan do not.
Huge games from both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were not enough to help San Antonio move on to their 5th Finals appearance in a decade and a half. Duncan put in 25 with 14 rebounds and Parker followed that up with 29 points and 12 assists, but with Manu having his worst game of the playoffs with only 10 points and 1 assist, the Spurs just did not have enough. As a life long Knicks fan, I had grown to despise the slow-tempo style of play the Spurs have had for years, especially when they beat by Knicks in 5 games in the 2000 Finals, but this season was different. Even though coach Popovich stuck to his usual by-the-book mentality, the Spurs had a sort of swagger in their offense that propelled them into the best record in the NBA and the second highest scoring team. I found myself rooting for them when the Knicks weren’t involved, which was most of the season. I wanted to see Tim Duncan get that Final ring on his way to the Basketball Hall of Fame, but unfortunately he and the Spurs came up just short.
Hmmm – coach Brooks and NBA West champions. Think there might be something mystical about Westbrook playing so well?
I am happy to see a young and talented team make it to the NBA Finals because it gives hope to all of those teams that consider themselves in their “rebuilding” years. So keep your head up MJ, maybe your Bobcats can be here in 5 years…but probably not. OKC will have an extremely tough matchup with whomever comes out of the East. Whether it is Boston or Miami, Durant is going to need a lot of help from his right-hand man Westbrook. Westbrook showed some slight inconsistencies while playing the Spurs in games 1 and 2, but then he got his shit together and played like the all-star he is to help reel off 4 straight wins against arguably the NBA’s best team. Regardless of who comes out of the East, I am extremely excited to see what OKC can do under the biggest spotlight the NBA has to offer.
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