2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 6

Deja vu. The results of game six have confirmed what we've already seen: The NBA Finals come down to Miami and San Antonio. But hopefully with different results.

Miami won the Eastern Conference Friday night in a blowout game. They beat Indiana by 25 points and the end score was Miami (117) vs Indiana (92). San Antonio won the Western Conference Saturday night, but in a much closer game. Although the Thunder tried their hardest, it was clear the Spurs would come out in the end as the winners. They won by five and the end score was San Antonio (112) vs OKC (107).

Many NBA fans (including myself) are hoping history won't repeat itself in the much anticipated 2014 finals. Whatever happens, it's bound to be a sensational series. What do you think will happen--redemption season for the Spurs or three-peat for the Heat?

I would say Spurs in six, but with the new finals format at 2-2-1-1-1 and Tony Parker not at 100%, I'm going to say (and hope) Spurs in seven.

Game one of the finals starts tonight with the Spurs and Heat at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 5

Indiana stays alive a little bit longer with Miami's LeBron James in major foul trouble, and San Antonio shows OKC who they really are even with the Thunder's third best player back in the series. Click here for full highlights from the Pacers-Heat game and here for the Spurs-Thunder game. 

Here are the results from game five:

Indiana Pacers (93) vs Miami Heat (90) Heat lead series 3-2

San Antonio Spurs (117) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (89) Spurs lead series 3-2 

Game six is tonight (right now, actually) with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Saturday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 7:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Games 3 and 4

Conference finals aren't going as I planned. Miami is on the verge of knocking Indiana out (apparently the Pacers' great ball playing was very short-lived), and OKC has made an amazing comeback to tie the series against San Antonio with Serge Ibaka back from his calf injury. (I'm actually okay with the second part.) I still think the Spurs will come out the winners in the end, but I cannot wait to see how the West plays out. From the way the first two games went, I thought it was going to be a boring series, but the Western Conference proves me wrong once again. The East, on the other hand, looks about right. 

Here are the results from games three and four:

Game 3:

Indiana Pacers (87) vs Miami Heat (99) Heat lead series 2-1

San Antonio Spurs (97) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (106) Spurs lead series 2-1 

Game 4:

Indiana Pacers (90) vs Miami Heat (102) Heat lead series 3-1

San Antonio Spurs (92) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (105) Series tied 2-2 

Game five starts tonight with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Thursday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 2

Results of game two:

Indiana Pacers (83) vs Miami Heat (87) Series tied 1-1

San Antonio Spurs (112) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (77) Spurs lead series 2-0 

Miami showed up in game two against Indiana in the East, but it looks like there is no competition for who will win in the SAS-OKC series in the West. 

With a couple days off, game three starts Saturday night with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Sunday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 7:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 1

Who will go to the finals? It all comes down to these two series. 

Indiana took game one last night playing basketball like they did the first half of the regular season--full of energy and great ball handling. They've been in a lethargic state for the entire postseason, but there's something about the Heat that brings out the best in many Eastern Conference teams. Ever since Indiana was eliminated by Miami in game seven of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, they've been waiting for the opportunity to redeem themselves. Game one was that day.

The all-around stats for the Pacers were amazing: Paul George had 24 points and seven assists, David West and Roy Hibbert each had 19 points, Lance Stephenson had 17 points and eight assists, and George Hill had 15 points. CJ Watson added 11 off the bench.

Although Miami's LeBron James and Dwayne Wade played their parts (James had 25 points, five assists and three steels and Wade had 27 points and four assists), the third member of the Heat's Big Three--Chris Bosh--didn't come through (he only had nine points). Not to mention, Miami's other two starters--Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers--had a combination of nine points. Ray Allen added 12 off the bench, but it wasn't enough to win.

The score for the Eastern Conference Final's game one:

Indiana Pacers (107) vs Miami Heat (96)   

Although San Antonio struggled against OKC at times (after a 16-point deficit, the Thunder came to tie the game and even take the lead a couple times), the Spurs blew the Thunder away in the fourth quarter and ended up winning by 17. 

San Antonio's Big Three showed up tonight: Tim Duncan had 27 points and three assists, Manu Ginobili had 18 points and three assists, and Tony Parker had 14 points and a whopping 12 assists. OKC's dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook showed up as well (Durant had 28 points and five assists and Westbrook had 25 points and seven assists), but foul trouble and turnovers didn't help their cause. Not to mention OKC's third best player, Serge Ibaka, is out indefinitely with a calf injury, and the continuing problem of two players outscoring the rest of the team doesn't work in the long run. It'll get you far, but as we've seen in the last three years, it doesn't get you to the finals (2011, 2013) or win you championships (2012).

The score for the Western Conference Final's game one:

San Antonio Spurs (122) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (105) 


Game two starts tomorrow night with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Wednesday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 8pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 6

Well I knew Indiana would win game six and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, but I didn't expect the Clippers to lose in the West... :( So here we are again with #MIAvsIND and #SASvsOKC--Deja vu from last year's conference finals.

Here are the results from game six:  

Indiana Pacers (93) vs. Washington Wizards (80) Pacers win series 4-2 

Oklahoma City Thunder (104) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (98) Thunder win series 4-2

Game one of the conference finals started yesterday afternoon in the East with the Pacers and Heat at 2:30pm (Pacers won, woo!) and ends tonight in the West with the Spurs and Thunder at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 5

Both teams from last year's finals close out their series tonight and take game five. Wizards continue to hold on and the Clippers are still in shock from their one-point loss. 

Here are the results from game five: 

Indiana Pacers (79) vs. Washington Wizards (102) Pacers lead series 3-2 

Oklahoma City Thunder (105) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (104) Thunder lead series 3-2

Miami Heat (96) vs. Brooklyn Nets (94) Heat win series 4-1

San Antonio Spurs (104) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (82) Spurs win series 4-1

Game six is tomorrow night with the Pacers and Wizards at 7pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 9:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Games 2, 3 and 4

Graduation week has delayed my updates, but it looks like the only series worth watching without knowing the definite outcome is OKC and LA. Here are the results.

Game two: 

Indiana Pacers (86) vs. Washington Wizards (82) Series tied 1-1 

Oklahoma City Thunder (112) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (101) Series tied 1-1

Miami Heat (94) vs. Brooklyn Nets (82) Heat leads series 2-0

San Antonio Spurs (114) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (97) Spurs lead series 2-0

Game three:

Indiana Pacers (85) vs. Washington Wizards (63) Pacers lead series 2-1 

Oklahoma City Thunder (118) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (112) Thunder leads series 2-1

Miami Heat (90) vs. Brooklyn Nets (104) Heat leads series 2-1

San Antonio Spurs (118) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (103) Spurs lead series 3-0

Game four:

Oklahoma City Thunder (99) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (101) Series tied 2-2

Indiana Pacers (95) vs. Washington Wizards (92) Pacers lead series 3-1 

Miami Heat (102) vs. Brooklyn Nets (96) Heat leads series 3-1

San Antonio Spurs (92) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (103) Spurs lead series 3-1

Three of the four series has the potential to end with the next game. Game five starts tonight with the Pacers and Wizards at 6pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 8:30pm. It ends Wednesday night with the Heat and Nets at 6pm and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at 8:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 1

Indiana Pacers (96) vs. Washington Wizards (102) 

Oklahoma City Thunder (105) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (122)

Miami Heat (107) vs. Brooklyn Nets (86)

San Antonio Spurs (116) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (92)

Game two starts tomorrow night with the Pacers and Wizards at 6pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 8:30pm. It ends Thursday night with the Heat and Nets at 6pm and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at 8:30pm. 

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Predictions: Round 2

So I'm a little late with predictions for round two--I'm still thrown off by how unexpected round one was (and how wrong I was)--but here they are:

Eastern Conference

Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards--This series is a toss-up. The Wizards have proven themselves to be a contender team and since the fragile Pacers aren't looking better since the postseason started, I'm thinking Washington could very well take this one. John Wall and Bradley Beal have brought the Wizards to the second round for the first time since 2005, but the only reason I want Indiana to win is because Miami has a hard time with them and the Pacers would certainly tire the Heat out. With my favorite teams--Chicago and Golden State--out in the first round, my only priority is finding a team to possibly beat the Heat or, at least, make their lives difficult before they head to the finals. Wizards in six or Pacers in seven.

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets--This should be a good series. With some of the ex-Boston stars on Brooklyn now, the memory of almost beating the Heat in game seven two years back in the Eastern Conference Finals will surely push Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Co. to make this series last as long as possible. Heat in six.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers--I don't know if it's possible, but this series should be even more exciting than GSWvsLAC and MEMvsOKC. As much as I love the KD/Westbrook duo, in the long run, I don't think they can beat the Heat in the finals so I don't want them to win. I also don't think they can beat the Clippers even though both teams are highly offensive teams. Unless OKC finds a way to stop DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin on defense, the Clippers are nearly unstoppable. Clippers in seven.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers--This is also going to be a fun series. Old talent versus young energy will make it an exciting one. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard have brought the Trail Blazers to the second round for the first time in 14 years, but I think the talent of the Parker/Duncan/Ginobili trio, not to mention the coaching of Gregg Popovich, will win out in the end. Spurs in six.