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The Indiana Pacers attained a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Miami Heat largely by playing their game.
Feed the post (center Roy Hibbert, power forward David West) on offense; deny the post and the rim and play aggressive man defense.
The Pacers fell 101-93 to the Heat in Game 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday because they didn’t play that game.
Now they have to notch another win in Miami if they are to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Last night the Indiana Pacers treated the Miami Heat like Wall Street/the U.S. Government treats anyone who opposes Goldman Sachs- total obliteration. Indiana put on the whooping stick as the Heat trailed by as many as 21. Today, the fallout continues, as the Heat cancelled their media session and practice.
It’s circling the wagons time, as the presumptive favorite to win the NBA title, especially so after the Chicago Bulls utterly collapsed following the catastrophic injury to Derrick Rose, struggle massively. It’s only a 2-1 deficit, but they’ve lost home court and those who win game 3 win the series 82% of the time.
And now you have coach Erik Spoelstra and star player Dwanye Wade at each other’s throats. Watch the video below
They say small-market NBA teams who can’t attract superstars have to build slowly and economically.
Knowing that makes Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird’s being named 2011-12 NBA Executive of the Year that much sweeter — in many ways, it’s representative of the job he’s done over a span of four years leading up to what his team did Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Pacers thrashed the glitzy, superstar-laden Miami Heat 94-75 to take a 2-1 lead in the teams’ Eastern Conference Semifinal series.
And it was Bird’s blue-collar boys — particularly center Roy Hibbert (19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds Thursday) — that collectively have outshined the Heat’s superstars in this series.
The 2012 NBA Draft figures to consist of a deeper, more talented group of prospects that the 2011 class. Team needs HAVE been taken into consideration with this 2012 NBA mock draft and the order is based off the end of the season NBA standings. Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report.
(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)
Check out our ridiculously early 2013 NBA Mock Draft. Click here for The Sports Bank’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
The 2012 NBA Draft figures to consist of a deeper, more talented group of prospects that the 2011 class. Team needs HAVE been taken into consideration with this 2012 NBA mock draft and the order is based off the end of the season NBA standings. Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report and the team name for a list of off-season needs.
(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)
Check out our ridiculously early 2013 NBA Mock Draft. Click here for The Sports Bank’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
It was another third quarter.
Just one that meant so much more — monumentally more.
The Indiana Pacers, who have built quite a reputation for themselves as a third-quarter team during the 2011-12 season, used another strong effort in that period, and by extension in the second half, to escape AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday with a 78-75 win against the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, evening the series at 1-1. The win broke the Heat’s streak of consecutive home playoff wins at 13.
The grit the Pacers displayed in churning out a powerful second half and a win gives them home-court advantage in the series beginning Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Indiana Pacers made their presence felt early Sunday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
A few glaring problems, however, prevented the upstart team from completely shocking the nation with an opening-game victory.
The Pacers, the East’s No. 3 seed, couldn’t shake deep foul trouble, poor free-throw shooting and quiet nights from wings Danny Granger and Paul George, falling 95-86 to the second-seeded Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.
This time three years ago, the Indiana Pacers had fallen so far out of the public eye, both nationally and in their own city, there was talk the franchise might soon be on the move.
Now, they’re about to be as relevant in sports nation as they can be — they’re playing a playoff series against the most polarizing team in the NBA — and maybe in American sports.
Fresh off a 4-1 opening-round victory against the Orlando Magic in which the Pacers gained back much of the lost connection with local fans, they carry the momentum of their first playoff series win in seven years into an Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup with the second-seeded Miami Heat.
Does Indy stand a chance?
TBS/TNT sideline reporter Jaime Maggio got a lot of attention during 2011 March Madness. During that time of year, when college basketball routinely sees an exponential growth in popularity and coverage, America creates new media stars too.
“It sounds like the breakout performer so far in Chicago is CBS/TBS sideline reporter Jaime Maggio,” tweeted SI.com writer Stewart Mandel. “Not on the preseason depth chart.”
And her stock rose again as she covered the NBA Playoffs between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.
Now she’s back covering the 2011 MLB playoffs and getting a ton of newfound interest on the internet, and now the 2012 NBA playoffs.
I am well aware that the 2012 NBA Draft has not even occurred yet. Still, we are looking ahead to the 2013 NBA Draft with insanely early projections on how it may unfold. Team needs and outstanding trades have NOT been taken into consideration with this 2013 NBA mock draft. Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report.
(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)
CLICK HERE FOR THE SPORTS BANK’S 2012 NBA MOCK DRAFT
Check out The Sports Bank’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
The 2012 NBA Draft figures to consist of a deeper, more talented group of prospects that the 2011 class. Team needs HAVE been taken into consideration with this 2012 NBA mock draft and the order is based off the end of the season NBA standings. Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report.
(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)
Check out our ridiculously early 2013 NBA Mock Draft. Click here for The Sports Bank’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
The 2012 NBA Draft figures to consist of a deeper, more talented group of prospects that the 2011 class. Team needs HAVE been taken into consideration with this 2012 NBA mock draft and the order is based off the end of the season NBA standings. Click on the players’ name for a complete, in-depth scouting report.
(By the way, The Sports Bank was graded as the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.)
Check out our ridiculously early 2013 NBA Mock Draft. Click here for The Sports Bank’s 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
UPDATED: 5/1/12
