ECF: #1 Indiana Pacers vs #2 Miami Heat playoff series thread

I don't get why people are saying INDY is playing over their heads?? The only area of the game they are playing over their heads is hitting their 3 point looks. They are getting good looks though. Other than that, they are only playing over their heads with regards to how they were playing for the past 2 months. If you get rid of that, they are playing a good brand of basketball and taking advantage of the match ups that have seemingly persisted over the past two years vs MIA.

:lol I get the Heat coasting schtick but this Pacers team took them to 7 last year. They obviously play them tough and have no fear of Miami, they've literally geared their entire season for this series.....

I still think Miami wins but people are expecting them blow Indy out by 20 each game. The Heat haven't looked dominant since their 20+ winning streak last year tbh....

DPG taking kids to school.

Indiana built thier team primarily for Miami!

Rose blows. Lance will make em dance did he really invoke Juicy J? What a shitty halftime. Simmons knows hoops but is a much better writer than public speaker. The chick is Ok and Collins is solid but ABC has the worst coverage. Even JVG is overrated. Tries too hard Breen is also solid.

MIA is not playing a crisp brand of ball though. Like Coach Spo & Collins said though, MIA is making a lot of mistakes and not playing as aggressive on defense. They forced some TO's, but a lot of that was just bad spacing by INDY and bad passes. Plus, if Bosh is not able to hit a jump shot, it makes it really tough for MIA's strategy to work. The whole point of spacing the damn floor is to make those shots. If they aren't making them, it might force Spo to abandon the small lineup and by then it might be too late this game.

3rd quarter should be huge, but INDY with a 10 point lead and rest for their main guys bodes well.

Breen sucks IMO - only one worth their salt is JVG/Collins/Simmons.

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Originally Posted by TIMMYtoZO

:lol Sup Calvin? Where the fuck are you at, tbh? We are at Vanessa's already prepping for the game.

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:lol sup Johnny? I've got sidetracked, I'll be there asap... I'll bring another keg

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

Big first half for INDY. More importantly than hitting 3's is they got good looks in most of their sets. Paul George hasn't even had to exert himself on offense either which for them is massive as he normally has the burden of the offense on his shoulder.

On defense, it's really Wade that is getting the good looks in the half court. Lebron is doing damage but it's mostly off of TO's and in transition. MIA is getting a whole lot of nothing from the majority of their bench. Should be interesting in the 2nd half.

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Solid analysis. As I write this Jalen Said something else stupid can you tweet him again to stfu?

Spo starting UD like I thought he would. I expect the Heat to play much better going forward tbh.

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Originally Posted by Mugen

:lol I get the Heat coasting schtick but this Pacers team took them to 7 last year. They obviously play them tough and have no fear of Miami, they've literally geared their entire season for this series.....

I still think Miami wins but people are expecting them blow Indy out by 20 each game. The Heat haven't looked dominant since their 20+ winning streak last year tbh....

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agree with this.

I really think Indiana can take it. I think Spurs can take either Pacers or Heat. How does Pacers matchup with Thunderefs though, because my fear is if Pacers advance, the league will try to roll out the red carpet for Thunderefs.

Haslem is still alive?

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

Breen sucks IMO - only one worth their salt is JVG/Collins/Simmons.

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Breen doesn't add much or take anything away but I could see how some hate him his Ray call in game 6 will be a classic though.

So I guess Bosh not hitting and the good looks for INDY forced Spos hand to abandon the strategy. I think that its a bit of an overreaction (especially if you believed starting Battier was a good idea in the first place), but let's see how this goes.

Breen is terrific IMO.

If Lolbert keeps drawing dem fouls, it doesn't matter if he bricks every shot he throws up

:lol Indy getting them Thunder calls tbh

The weird thing to me is two things:

1) It's not like West is going to have to expend more energy guarding Haslem. Battier at least spaces things better.

2) Having Haslem in over Battier helps with West and allows Lebron to switch onto George, but George wasn't the problem in the first half for MIA. Maybe it's more of an offensive thing with Lebron having more energy to play offense vs having to bang with West on defense. That's a huge responsibility.

just got home... game any good?

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

The weird thing to me is two things:

1) It's not like West is going to have to expend more energy guarding Haslem. Battier at least spaces things better.

2) Having Haslem in over Battier helps with West and allows Lebron to switch onto George, but George wasn't the problem in the first half for MIA. Maybe it's more of an offensive thing with Lebron having more energy to play offense vs having to bang with West on defense. That's a huge responsibility.

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It's #2. You can't have Bron bang with their best interior player and have him carry the offense especially if Wade is unalbe to play two great halves in a row...

:lol these calls

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Originally Posted by ElNono

just got home... game any good?

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Pretty entertaining with Lance clowning around.

Bosh missing has caused the most issues, but the spacing is so much worse right now with Haslem in.

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Originally Posted by TIMMYtoZO

Miami is in great shape. After all of that, they are only down 10. They'll make adjustments and take control in the 3rd. Indiana is playing way over their heads, tbh.

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Honestly, this game has shown us this series doesn't bode well for Indiana. They are making it rain beyond the arc, Stephenson in mid season form and Lebron so far missing in action and they are only up by 10. Like KK81 said, expect Lebron, Ray or Allen go HAM in the second half to close this out.

did PG ask Lebron for any tips, tbh? :lol

West is bullyin' niggas down low tbh. Lunch money stealing bullllllllllllyyyy

indy looking good

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Originally Posted by ElNono

just got home... game any good?

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Not really; it's about as exciting as an eastern conference game can get.

I just don't like the strategy of having Chris Bosh take more 3s than a true 3 point shooter like Ray. Spo has done a lot of great things for this team, but he falls in love with "floor spacing" too much.

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

So I guess Bosh not hitting and the good looks for INDY forced Spos hand to abandon the strategy. I think that its a bit of an overreaction (especially if you believed starting Battier was a good idea in the first place), but let's see how this goes.

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did spo abandon small ball?

so with ESPN covering the East, do we have to listen to Reggie Miller every game?

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Originally Posted by BC3

did spo abandon small ball?

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Yup - overreacted IMO and started the second half with Haslem over Battier.

I'd like to see Bron on the block more against PG.

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Originally Posted by D-Wade

I just don't like the strategy of having Chris Bosh take more 3s than a true 3 point shooter like Ray. Spo has done a lot of great things for this team, but he falls in love with "floor spacing" too much.

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TBH, he's done the opposite this game. He yanked Shane and put in Haslem to start the 2nd half.

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Originally Posted by jeebus

Not really; it's about as exciting as an eastern conference game can get.

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but but the east is better than Dad Killer's era. :cry

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Originally Posted by D-Wade

I just don't like the strategy of having Chris Bosh take more 3s than a true 3 point shooter like Ray. Spo has done a lot of great things for this team, but he falls in love with "floor spacing" too much.

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this game is an anomaly, because he is not hitting a high percentage ... but as I recal it Chris Bosh is clutch this season from the three point line

Yup - Bosh got some good looks. Him missing those put Spo in a bind. He felt he had to abandon the game plan very early.

Great sequence by Lance.

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Originally Posted by HI-FI

but but the east is better than Dad Killer's era. :cry

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Oh. Then in that case, I'm wrong. :cry

nice bailout, refs. I guess you gotta hold the ball for a good minute before a jumpball is called.

Damn Indiana spanking that ass.

Agreed w/ JVG. I hate that timeout rule.

Lame call

Miami's got Indiana right where they want them.

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Originally Posted by Fireball

this game is an anomaly, because he is not hitting a high percentage ... but as I recal it Chris Bosh is clutch this season from the three point line

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He's still 4 of 10 from the floor. Say two of those threes go in and he's all the sudden shooting well above his averages both from the floor and 3, and it's still a 10 point deficit.

Miami gonna come back and win. Indy's gone full retard on offense again.

V

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Originally Posted by Fireball

so with ESPN covering the East, do we have to listen to Reggie Miller every game?

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Miller Kerr and Marv

Bang! Back down to 13. Miami still hanging around despite Indiana playing lights out.

Being complacent and taking stupid shots like David West did..is not going to get it done.

The officiating has been great thus far and I always bitch about officiating.

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Originally Posted by Trainwreck2100

V

Miller Kerr and Marv

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well, as Kerr is now the coach of Golden State, we are stuck with Reggie Miller ...

David West has a 30 lb advantage on Battier so he gets the ball in the post and throws up an air ball 15 foot jumper over him :lol

Indy doesn't know how to maintain leads cause as soon as they get one their offense goes to shambles

Small lineup has cut into the lead some..

:lol backdoor sweep in the making. Don't worry about it Heat nation

Never saw the Bulls shit the bed like this in a Conference Final.

The Rape

Pedo getting ready to go on a rape rampage tonight

:lol if they start calling moving screens, this might be over soon

Indy with some thunder-esque calls :lol

somebody ask Harlem if this is an historic freethrow differential so far...

Hibbert's taken more FTs than the Heat? Expect that to change next game :lol

so many whistles for Indiana

maybe NBA wants a OKC-Pacers finals, because thats the only way OKC can win?

Refs want this to be a long series so expect fair and at times in favor of Indiana officiating

Sup with Lebron today. So passive.

:lol This is why I laugh when people claim Miami and LeBron get all the calls....

:lol nice meltdown at the end here

Mahinmi has played awful this game. All day.

lol Yawn mahinmi

:lmao

I wish the current Spurs had a reputation for being 'tough and blue-collar'; it would be nice to get calls like this

Yep, here we go...

Like I said. Miami is still going to win this game because Pacers can't close.

:lol buttholes getting tight,,

Pacers shit the bed in the last few minutes

What a terrible shot by George Hill there at the end, kept Miami very much in this game.

Lance Stephenson about to knock Mahinmi out for being so terrible :lol. He's been pissed at him all day for his play

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Originally Posted by jeebus

:lol nice meltdown at the end here

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Yep.

Pacers have so much confidence against the Heat, they know they can take these guys, they play above their expectations

You just can't throw that pass against MIA, especially when it's near Lebron. It's just a terrible pass that leads to an immediate score as you've seen a hundred times. That pass cannot be straight across.

Miami is still hanging around despite EVERYTHING Indy has thrown at them. :lmao

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Originally Posted by IrisHockey

:lol buttholes getting tight,,

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Evident by Pacers fans giving them a standing O just before that George shot, you know they were getting nervous :lol

Is it just me or have teams been giving up huge leads more than usual this post-season? Spurs (against Mavs), obv. Clippers against OKC, and potentially this...

Haters getting shook :lol

The Pacers are falling asleep. The Heat win off playing hard: offensive boards, steals, and fast breaks. You can't afford to sleep on them

Mahinmi throwing this lead away for the pacers. They'd be better off playing scola.

Missed the first 3 quarters, not a surprising outcome, tbh..as I said the other day, this is going to be a tight series for a few reasons:

- Miami hasn't been tested, so far, so it will take them 2-3 games to play withmore intensity
- Pacers are extremely confident against Miami
- Refs..Indiana always has a massive officiating advantage against the Heat, but it's ignored because the Pacers are theloveable underdog in the matchup

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Originally Posted by itzsoweezee

Mahinmi throwing this lead away for the pacers. They'd be better off playing scola.

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He's been horrendous all day. Multiple blown defensive assignments, turnovers, missed lay up. Surprised he's still in the game tbh.

:lol George Ginobili tbh

WTF Wade

Hill with a solid Manu impersonation...

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Originally Posted by Mugen

:lol George Ginobili tbh

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Originally Posted by ElNono

Hill with a solid Manu impersonation...

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:lol

Lolbert

Pacers looking scared

Hibbert softer than a wet tissue

:lol Hibbert

Heat getting catfished

Paul George traveled...

Miami have been really, really bad on D today.

Wow, a lot of blown opportunities for Miami.

Tech but not a flagrant?

Champs losing compusre :lol