Archive for May, 2012

WATERCOOLER CHAT: SPURS TAKE LEAD, VINNY BACK, OWENS CUT FROM OWN TEAM

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs beat up the Thunder in Game 1.  In game 2, the Spurs absolutely trounced the Thunder for most of the game.  San Antonio simply could not miss from behind the three-point line.  Tony Parker had an amazing game with 34 points and 8 assists.  These Spurs can pass the ball better than any team in the NBA.  But, in the 4th quarter, the Thunder came powering back with high-scoring from their Big 3:  Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.  They even brought an 18 point lead down to 7 points.  But it was too little, too late, as the Spurs can not be swindled out of a victory at the end.  They went on to win and take a 2-0 lead in the series.  San Antonio 120, OKC 111.

Elsewhere in the NBA, some surprising news out of Los Angeles.  The Clippers had one of their best seasons in years.  This was mostly thanks to their addition of Chris Paul.  He completely turned that team around.  Throughout the season, head coach Vinny Del Negro caught a lot of flak for his poor coaching decisions.  Everyone said that the Clippers, with all their young talent, would be a title threat if they just had someone who knew how to coach them properly.  People thought they would get rid of Del Negro, and maybe bring in Stan Van Gundy from Orlando.  But yesterday the Clippers announced that Del Negro would be back for the 2012-2013 season.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in the NFL, former superstar Terrell Owens is still looking for a job.  He’s willing to play for any team that will give him a chance.  He’s 38 years old now, but still feels he’s got a little juice left.  After all, the 49ers are taking a chance on Randy Moss next season, so why can’t TO catch a break.  Owens has ownership in an indoor football league team called the Allen Wranglers.  He decided that he would play for them in the off-season, but yesterday, he was oddly cut… from his own team.  The team cited that he didn’t show up for practice, games, and even a charity event at a hospital.  They had seen enough, and cut ties with Owens.  With the cut, he also loses his ownership piece.  This guy’s glory days may be behind him.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SPURS WIN AGAIN, HEAT ROLLS THROUGH, BONDS WANTS A JOB

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In the NBA, it was Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.  This is the match-up that everyone has been waiting for in the West; two teams that are firing on all cylinders. Game one was neck and neck in the first half.  Kevin Durant had one of his standard amazing nights with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and the Thunder even had an 8 point lead at the end of the third quarter.  But the Spurs are known for saving their best basketball till the end.  And that’s exactly what they did.  The Spurs just exploded, playing stellar defense and hitting all their shots.  Manu Ginobili was in solid form for the Spurs, putting up 26 points on the evening.  The Spurs won this game handily at the end (regardless of the final score), and didn’t even play their best basketball.  With the win, the Spurs have won 19 straight games, and haven’t been beaten once in the playoffs.  Wow!  San Antonio 101, Oklahoma City 98.

Then, it was Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.  Everybody expected the Heat to dominate the Celtics, but Boston had no intention of lying down in Game 1 (or any game of this series).  Kevin Garnett is playing some of his best basketball this season (saving his best for the playoffs), and he posted a great night for the C’s (26 points, 10 rebounds).  But, remember, the Celtics are an aging team that tries to play the game at their slower pace — a half court game.  That’s nice, but it definitely didn’t work against a very fast Miami team (who is also extremely tenacious on the defensive side). LeBron went crazy again with 32 points and 13 rebounds, as the Heat simply rolled through the Celtics in the 4th quarter en route to a Game 1 win.  This series might be over in 5.  Miami 93, Boston 79.

BASEBALL

It looks like the San Francisco Giants may be getting a new, unlikely employee.  Barry Bonds had his glory days with the Giants, shattering the top two records in the sport — home runs in a season, and all-time home runs.  However, he was ostracized from the sport for steroid abuse, and many wanted asterisks next to his name in the record books.  Bonds was never convicted for steroid use, but is referring to himself currently as a convicted felon (he gave an evasive answer to a grand jury in 2003).  Now, it looks like Bonds wants to work for the Giants in some capacity — potentially as some kind of baseball adviser.  Giants ace Tim Lincecum has been struggling as of late, and Bonds says he would have the answers for him if Lincecum sought his advice.  Bonds really wants to help the Giants, but will the Giants give him a chance?  We shall see.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SIXERS COME ALIVE, CHANGES COMING FOR LAKERS, CHRISTMAS FOR NINERS

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In the NBA, it was Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.  The Celtics needed one more win to close out the Sixers, but the Sixers were hoping to stay alive on their home court.  To kick things off before the game, Philly brought out the perfect person to hype up the crowd.  None other than former Sixers superstar Allen Iverson.  He came to center court (in a Lou Williams jersey) and wished the Sixers good luck.  From that point on, things moved… slowly.  These two teams played some sloppy basketball and headed into half time with both teams in the 30-point range.  That’s extremely low.  Then, in the second half, the Sixers finally came alive with Jrue Holiday having a 20-point night for the Sixers.  The Celtics clawed back, but it wasn’t enough, and now we’re headed to a Game 7 in Boston.  And in Game 7… anything can happen.  Philly 82, Boston 75.

Elsewhere in the NBA, with the Lakers early (albeit expected) playoff exit, they are clearly left wondering what they should do next.  Sure, Kobe will be back and in pursuit of his 6th championship (again), but Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said that “major changes are coming”.  So what does that mean? Basically that everybody except for Kobe can be shipped out of town.  Most people think that will be Andrew Bynum, potentially in a straight up trade for Magic superstar Dwight Howard.  Sure, Howard is probably a little better than Bynum, but the Lakers need speed and youth and agility.  Having a big man down there doesn’t exactly change their circumstances.  Many Laker fans are hoping they’ll add Sixers swing man Andrew Igoudala in the off-season.  That would take some of the scoring burden off Kobe.  Either way, expect to see a lot of different faces on the Lakers next season, because they can’t compete in the West with the current roster.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in the NFL, with teams started to open up their camps to light practices, the 49ers have been having a great time thus far.  A key quote came from quarterback Alex Smith.  He said that addition of all his new wide receivers is ‘like Christmas’.  Smith has been criticized for his throwing abilities in the seasons past, but he always had the excuse that the 49ers were short on weapons.   Now that the 49ers brought in Randy Moss, Mario Manningham from the Giants, and drafted college star A.J. Jenkins from Illinois, Smith’s excuses are drying up.  Plus, the Niners also drafted versatile running-back and receiving weapon LeMichael James from Oregon.  So this is the year that Smith will have to have a breakout statistical season.  And, right now, he thinks it’s all just one big Christmas present.  Should be an interesting, fun-to-watch season in San Francisco.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT’S LEBRON CATCHES FIRE, KINGS TO FINALS, DRIVER WINS DANCING WITH STARS

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In the NBA, it was Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.  LeBron and the Heat were able to steal a game in Indiana to even up the series and regain home field advantage.  Could they take the lead in the series WITHOUT Chris Bosh (whose currently getting treatment on his abdominal strain)?  The answer:  absolutely.  The Pacers stayed in the game for a while, but the Heat had a 9 point lead going into halftime.  Then, in the second half, LeBron James caught fire.  He had 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists as the Heat totally destroyed the Pacers — so much so that the Pacers took out their stars in the 4th quarter to rest them and keep them from injury.  The Pacers are just trying to stay alive and force a Game 7.  Miami 115, Indiana 83.

HOCKEY

And in the NHL Playoffs, the #8 Los Angeles Kings have simply been scorching in the post-season.  That’s what’s so much fun about hockey playoffs — the teams that secure a spot can find the perfect chemistry at the perfect time and make a huge run towards the Stanley Cup.  The Kings had a 3-1 lead heading into Game 5 against the Phoenix Coyotes and were looking to close out the series.  The Kings had the lead towards the end of the game, but Keith Yandle tied things up for the Coyotes.  We needed an overtime!  Then, in OT, the Los Angles Kings Dustin Penner put in a goal to send the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals.  LA Kings 4, Phoenix 3.

Finally, in some very important news, it was time for the Dancing With The Stars finale.  This year’s athlete of choice was long-time Green Bay Packers wide-receiver Donald Driver.  Dancing With The Stars has a track record of athletes taking home the top prize with both Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith both winning top honors.  And last night, you can add Donald Driver to that list.  He beat out Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and Cuban actor William Levy.  This is a nice win for the Packers who had a great season in 2011, but a horrible playoff effort, losing to the Giants by a lot.  That’s a bright spot for their season if there is one.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS GRAB WIN, OKC MOVES ON, VAN GUNDY LOOKING FOR JOB

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In the NBA, it was Game 5 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.  With the series tied at 2 a piece, this game in Boston was pivotal.  Even Will Smith was in attendance to cheer on his hometown Sixers.  The Sixers were hoping to steal a game in Boston and have a chance to close it out in Game 6 back in Philly, but the Celtics definitely wouldn’t make that easy.  The game started out rather competitive with Elton Brand having a pretty decent night for the Sixers with 19 points and 6 rebounds.  But, in the second half, the Celtics started to roll and got a surprisingly amazing game from an unlikely source:  Brandon Bass.  Bass had 27 points and 6 rebounds to help the Celtics grab the key win.  Now the game heads back to Philly, where the Sixers are in a must-win situation.
Next up, it was Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Thunder were able to steal a game in LA, giving them a 3-1 lead in the series, and you can bet that they had every intention of closing out the series on their home floor in OKC.  But Kobe Bryant wouldn’t go down quietly.  He did his thing, pretty much taking over the game and posting an alarming 42 points on the night.  He kept it close all the way up to the 4th quarter, but then the Thunder just turned electric.  A key steal from Russell Westbrook, resulting in an off-balance lay-up excited the crowd to a fever pitch and it would be all they needed to nab the win and advance to the Western Conference Finals to play the Spurs.  The Lakers, however, now have to ask some serious questions in the off-season, because they clearly can’t compete in the West with this current line-up.  Oklahoma City 106, LA Lakers 90.

And finally in the NBA, the Orlando Magic, after a disappointing season full of internal turmoil, have decided to part ways with their coach Stan Van Gundy.  Van Gundy was actually responsible for turning the Magic around these past couple seasons, even leading them to a championship.  But, according to sources, Magic star Dwight Howard didn’t get along with Van Gundy, and the Magic want to keep their superstar happy.  Then again, who knows if Howard will be the same after his back surgery.  So, now jobless, Van Gundy is looking for a job.  And all things considered he’s a pretty good coach.  So who’s looking for a good coach that can make intelligent decisions down the stretch?  Did someones say… ‘The Clippers?’

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: TOUGH WEEKEND FOR KOBE AND CREW, LEBRON DOMINATES, NEW RIVALRY IN BASEBALL

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In the NBA, it was a difficult weekend for Kobe Bryantand the Lakers.  They suddenly found themselves in a 2-0 hole to a very tough Oklahoma City team.  They pulled out a win Friday night, bringing it to 2-1, and looked to even up the series at Staples Center on Saturday night.  The Lakers had the lead most of the way, keeping at just about a 10-point margin most of the game thanks to a 38 point, 8 rebound night from Kobe Bryant.  But then, in the 4th, the Thunder picked up the pace and made it a game.  That’s when Kobe went into ‘leadership’ mode and started taking a lot of shots — bad shots that is.  He just kept missing, and gave Kevin Durant the chance to ice the game.  Kevin Durant got the ball, dribbled up to the 3-point line, and SWISH — gave the Thunder the lead they needed to hold and steal a victory on the Lakers court.  The series is now 3-1, headed back to OKC.  OKC 103, LA Lakers 100.And on Sunday, LeBron and the Heat had Game 4 of their challenging series against Indiana.  Without Chris Bosh — the Heat are a different team.  Plus, on top of that, Wade is playing hurt — so much so that he had to have his knee drained before Game 4.  They desperately needed a win on Indiana’s court if they wanted to keep their championship hopes alive.  The game was neck and neck most of the way.  The Pacers Danny Granger put up 20 points in a solid night for the Pacers, but, unfortunately for Indiana, LeBron James turned into the LeBron James of the Cleveland years — the guy who dominates entire games.  LeBron had a remarkable 40 point, 18 rebound, and 2 block night.  The Pacers had no chance of stopping him, and now the series is tied at 2 games a piece.  Miami 101, Indiana 93.

BASEBALL

Finally, in baseball, there is a new rivalry brewing between the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals.  Baltimore vs. DC.  This is notable because these teams have been so horrible for a while, but now they are both competitors.  Sure, they’re in different leagues, which is what is so wonderful about inter-league play.  Ace Stephen Strasburg took the mound for the Nats and essentially dominated the Orioles.  He had 8 strikeouts, but guess what else… Strasberg homered in the game as well.  Strasberg is one of those players whose just amazing at everything.  Not too many major league pitchers can hit a home-run.  The Nats got the win, but don’t be surprised if these two squads meet up in the World Series.  Washington 9, Baltimore 3
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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PACERS CATCH FIRE, SPURS NOT SLOWING, DEATH THREATS FOR BLAKES

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In the NBA, it was Game 3 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.  The Heat were without Chris Bosh for the second game in a row, and that puts them at a serious disadvantage in the front court against Indiana’s big men.  But, the Heat still had Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.  Would that be enough to compete with a red-hot Pacers team riding high off a win in Miami?  The first half stayed close, with the Heat getting a strong night from point-guard Mario Chalmers (25 points).  In the second half, however, the Pacers just caught fire — especially their center Roy Hibbert, an emerging top player in the league. Hibbert had 19 points and 18 rebounds, and 5 BLOCKS as the Pacers absolutely crushed the Heat.  The Heat better steal the next game from the Pacers or they’re in serious trouble.  Indiana 94, Miami 75.

Then, it was Game 2 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs beat up the Clippers in Game 1, but the Clips had some time to adjust to the Spurs schemes, and would look to even up the series.  The Spurs had no interest in that happening.  They came out and basically informed the Clippers that they have no right to go any further in the playoffs. Tony Parker had another fantastic night with 22 points, and the Spurs were scorching from 3-point range, connecting on 10 treys.  The Spurs don’t show any signs of slowing down.  We might be headed towards a Spurs/Thunder exciting Western Conference Final.  San Antonio 105, LA Clippers 88.

And finally, after the Lakers meltdown on Wednesday in which they blew a 7 point lead with just 2 minutes to go, the news only gets a little worse.  They were left scratching their heads how they gave up an easy win which could have made everyone forget about how they were trounced in Game 1.  At the end of Game 2, the Lakers went to Steve Blake for the game winning shot, but he bricked it, and the Lakers lost.  Now, it appears that Steve Blake and his wife Kristen have been receiving death threats on Twitter of all places.  Kristen had to block 500 people from viewing her profile for her own safety.  It’s a shame that fans react this way, but that’s the sad truth about sports — people are passionate to a dangerous fault.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PACERS STEAL GAME, SPURS HUNGRY, ROSE INJURY SERIOUS

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.  But, the Heat would have to win this one without Chris Bosh.  That would present a difficult challenge for them, as the Pacers have a very big presence down low in Roy Hibbert and Paul George.  The game started out with the Heat doing their thing and getting out to a sizable lead.  It didn’t hurt that LeBron scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.  They looked to be on their way again.  But, in the second half, the Indiana Pacers… came alive.  David West had a spectacular night for the Pacers with 16 points and 10 rebounds.  The game was quite close with just a few minutes to play, and everybody thought the Heat would take it.  Except… they couldn’t hit their free throws, and that includes LeBron.  And somehow, the Pacers found themselves up 3 points with just under 10 seconds to go.  Who would take the shot for the Heat?  Um… Mario Chalmers.  He took it, and missed it, and the Pacers stole a game from the Heat IN Miami.  Wow!  Indiana 78, Miami 75.

Next up, it was Game 1 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs.  And you better believe that that the Spurs were hungry to play.  The Spurs came out hard from the beginning, but it took them a bit to pull away.  In the meantime, the Clippers saw an emerging hero step up in young second-year point guard Eric Bledsoe.  He had 23 points and 4 assists.  But, once the Spurs pulled away, there was no looking back.  Tim Duncan looked like his young self, posting a double-double on the night with 26 points and 10 rebounds.  This game could have been a lesson for the Clippers.  They might switch up their play to get an edge on the Spurs.  Remember, the Clippers are an up and coming team, but they are loaded with stars.  If they get hot, the Spurs better watch out.   San Antonio 108, LA Clippers 92.

And finally, in some disturbing NBA news, it looks like Derrick Rose’s ACL injury is more serious than people thought.  He went down in Game 1 in their first round series against the Sixers, and people thought he would be out for the playoffs.  But now, according to doctors, it appears that Rose might have to be out 8 – 12 months.  So, best case scenario, Rose doesn’t come back until after the all-star break NEXT SEASON.  And, at worst, the Bulls will have to make the playoffs without Rose next year, then hope that Rose can join them in the post season.  This is very bad news for the Bulls organization who were hoping they had a Hall of Fame player at full strength for at least the next 8 years.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: NBA ROUNDUP

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 in the series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.  The Sixers trailed 1-0 in the series, and were lucky to have a seat in the 2nd round thanks to the injury that sidelined the Bulls Derrick Rose in Round 1.  That essentially gave the Sixers a ticket to the 2nd round.  But, in Game 1, the Sixers got beat up by the Celtics and found themselves instantly in a hole.  And, in Game 2, the Celtics looked to build on that momentum.  In the first half, it was all Celtics, as thanks to Rajon Rondo’s 13 assists, the Celtics had their way with the Sixers.  It was set to be a route, BUT the Sixers came surging back late in the 4th quarter.  Kevin Garnett was the star for Boston with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but in the end, he had made a horrible offensive foul which allowed the Sixers to hold on to the lead and grab Game 2 on the road.  Philadelphia 82, Boston 81.

And, in the second game of the double-header, it was Game 1 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Thunder have been dormant for a week, awaiting the winner of the Nuggets/Lakers series.  Now, on short rest, Kobe and the Lakers had to travel to OKC to take on a very hungry Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  Well… this game wasn’t pretty.  From the very beginning it was a slaughter.  The Lakers simply had no answer for the Thunder.  Westbrook had 27 points and 9 assists on the night, which definitely helped the Thunder maintain essentially a 30-point lead throughout most of the game.  The Lakers are going to have to make adjustments for Game 2 if they hope to have any semblance of a chance in this series.  OKC 119, LA Lakers 90.

And finally, some scary news out of Miami.  This is the year where the Heat think they have a fantastic chance to win the NBA title.  They have 3 amazing stars and a road to the championship that isn’t that difficult (relatively speaking).  But, in Game 1 of their series against the Pacers, their star power forward Chris Bosh went up for a dunk and pulled an abdominal muscle.  The only cure to this is a prolonged period of rest.  Essentially lying on your back for 4 to 6 weeks.  That would basically put Bosh out for the rest of the playoffs.  However, there is another option, which is to take a medical shot that alleviates the pain, but would make Bosh more susceptible to a more serious injury.  If they do in fact lose Bosh, they are in serious trouble, as they need his low-post presence to defend Indiana’s big men.  This just goes to show you how difficult it is to win an NBA Championship.  We’ll see what happens here, but he is definitely out for Game 2.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: NBA PLAYOFF WEEKEND RECAP

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Saturday night was a big night for the Lakers in Staples Center.  They blew a 3-1 series lead, allowing the Nuggets to climb back to a 3-3 tie.  Not only that, but the Nuggets have discovered how to gel on all cylinders.  They’re playing as a perfect cohesive unit, and suddenly look very hard to beat.  But, as everybody knows, Kobe is very difficult to take down on his home court — especially in a deciding game.  The game started off close, but soon the Lakers would climb higher.  Pau Gasol got his game into gear, putting up 23 points and 17 rebounds as the Lakers big-men established their dominance.  In the second half, the Nuggets actually were able to climb back into the game behind stellar play from their speedy point-guard, Ty Lawson (24 points).  But, in the end, with the Lakers pulling away, Kobe hit a clutch-three to seal the deal.  He even got a pat on the rear from Lakers fan Justin Timberlake.  The Lakers will now take on Durant and the Thunder in Round 2.  LA Lakers 96, Denver 87.
And on Sunday, it was Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies.  Memphis has had a resilient run rebounding from a 3-1 series deficit to tie it up at 3 a piece and bring the series back to Memphis.  The Clippers were also pretty banged up as both their stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin weren’t at 100%.  All things pointed towards the Grizzlies stealing the series back from the Clippers, but the Clippers had no intention of leaving early.  The first half was neck and neck, with Chris Paul getting it done for the Clips and big man Marc Gasol excelling for the Grizz.  But, in the second half, the Grizzlies weren’t playing their best basketball, and allowed for the Clippers to stay in the game.  You can’t do that against Clips, because… in the 4th quarter, the Clippers outside shooters got hot and suddenly the Clippers found themselves up 10, and there was no looking back.  Los Angeles takes the game, and will move on to play the Spurs in the second round.  LA Clippers 82, Memphis 72.

Next up, it was Game 1 of the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers.  Miami is on a mission this year.  Anything short of hoisting up the championship trophy at the end of the season will be considered a failure.  This game was also on the heels of LeBron winning his 3rd MVP award.  That puts him in an elite class of players that have won 3 MVPs.  Abdul-Jabar has the record with 6 MVP awards (not exactly easy).  Surprisingly, the Pacers kept this one close the entire way, but, in the end, you have to remember that the Heat have Bosh, Wade, and LeBron, and it’s very tough to shut them down.  The Heat did their ‘fast-break’ thing, and suddenly found themselves up by a decent margin in the closing minutes.  LeBron had 32 points on the night to take the game.  But, make no mistake, this series will be a battle.  Miami 95, Indiana 86.

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