Official Miami Heat thread

[Meho]

That's why complaining about refs is pointless. The refs were heavily inclined to Indiana BUT it doesn't matter at the end, because Indiana was a better team by far yesterday. Same with Miami 2 nights ago, where they were easily the better them. Mentioning the refs is therefore completely retarded, especially if you've been a long time basketball fan.

not when uv read tim donaghy's book...do a lil more research before u make such bold claims. this is david stern and the nba we talkin bout here.

Again, I'm well aware of what goes on with the refs. But one game it's one team, other game it's another. And most importantly, one season is one team, next season other. And yes, right now Miami is being favored. But next season, or in 2,3 seasons a new team will be favored. It has happened before, it's happening right now, and it will always happen. It's like a natural cycle of basketball.. Thing is, the teams being favored are always the ones who are usually the best anyways.

[Hack Wilson - real]

Points
1.   LeBron James-MIA   387
2.   Paul George-IND   358
3.   Carmelo Anthony-NYK   346
4.   Kevin Durant-OKC   339
5.   Tony Parker-SAS   322
6.   Roy Hibbert-IND   305
7.   David West-IND   288
8.   Stephen Curry-GSW   281
9.   Zach Randolph-MEM   261
10.   Marc Gasol-MEM   258

[Sccit]

That's why complaining about refs is pointless. The refs were heavily inclined to Indiana BUT it doesn't matter at the end, because Indiana was a better team by far yesterday. Same with Miami 2 nights ago, where they were easily the better them. Mentioning the refs is therefore completely retarded, especially if you've been a long time basketball fan.

not when uv read tim donaghy's book...do a lil more research before u make such bold claims. this is david stern and the nba we talkin bout here.

Again, I'm well aware of what goes on with the refs. But one game it's one team, other game it's another. And most importantly, one season is one team, next season other. And yes, right now Miami is being favored. But next season, or in 2,3 seasons a new team will be favored. It has happened before, it's happening right now, and it will always happen. It's like a natural cycle of basketball.. Thing is, the teams being favored are always the ones who are usually the best anyways.

yea, but look at the big picture, the series will end up favoring miami with some calls made in indiana's favor to throw off the general fan. thats all we pointin out.

[Hack Wilson - real]

NDIANAPOLIS -- As the final buzzer sounded, these Miami Heat pushed to the brink in the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James refused to wait a moment before beginning a determined and deliberate process of elevating his decaying Miami Heat. One by one, they walked out of the failure of Game 6, into the uncertainty of a Game 7, and James stood at mid-court clapping, cheering and cajoling his fading, failing teammates as they passed him on the way into the losing locker room.

"This is where your brotherhood gets strengthened," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Or, perhaps, this is where the team that was supposed to be basketball's greatest modern dynasty lets a championship destiny perish for the second time in three years.

After a 91-77 loss on Saturday night, the Heat march into a Game 7 with an understanding that they're no longer constructed for victory unless LeBron James plays out of his mind, plays out of this world. That happens – happens a lot – but this becomes a slippery slope for the Heat's championship chances when that becomes a necessity for victory.


Three years ago, the Big Three brashly introduced themselves on a rising stage, stepping out of the smoke and into the clear. Now, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh come out of the smoke coughing and wheezing and doubled over, no longer standing shoulder to shoulder with James.

The best player in the world remains relentless in his public support and belief of his co-stars, but he didn't indulge his close friend's delusion of the circumstances of the Heat's playoff demise.

"We have to do a better job of getting opportunities for me and Chris to succeed," Wade said.

Wade missed layup upon layup, leaving eight, maybe 10 points on the floor. Over and over, Wade reached the rim, but couldn't close on the most elementary of finishes. Better job of getting opportunities for him? That's a code for blaming his coach and sparing himself the reality of his responsibilities.

James refused to play the part of an enabler on Saturday night. This is time for self-reliance, time for truth telling. He's lent himself to be a cheerleader, to keep encouraging his teammates, keep telling them that he believes in them. His job isn't to tell lies or manufacture fairy tales.

"I am able to replay a lot of plays in my head," James said, and soon he started to list – one by one – the circumstance of every, easy Wade miss on Saturday night. No video clips needed, James remembered them all.

Above everything, James understands that even his greatness can't overcome Wade and Bosh missing 15 of 19 shots for the game, a formula for failure with the way the Pacers pound the Heat on the boards, pound them inside.

"We can state the obvious: They're both struggling," James said.

Yes, Wade's knee has been troublesome for weeks; Bosh turned an ankle in the series. They're still commanded to find a way, because champions do.
"My rhythm seems off," Bosh said. "It's been like that the whole series."

This is no time for rhythm, only results. The Pacers' David West played with a 103-degree fever, a league source told Yahoo! Sports, and somehow he delivered on a night that started out with him missing seven straight shots, with his coach telling him, "You have nothing tonight" and trying to take him out of the game.

West refused to sit and played his part in pushing the Heat back to Miami for a Game 7. If the Heat are still going to get past Indiana on Monday night, there promises to be a terrific toll taken on them with the San Antonio Spurs awaiting in the NBA Finals. Yes, Boston pushed Miami to a Game 7 a year ago, but Bosh had returned late in the series and Miami gathered momentum as those conference finals unfolded. Now, they gather doubt.

Chris Andersen comes back for Game 7, and history suggests that Wade loves creating these desperate scenarios for himself – only to rise again to the cheers of the adoring South Florida masses. And yet, to watch these Heat now, it is impossible to imagine how they won 27 straight games this season. That feels like a different team, a different season.
This is a grind for Miami, dominance left far, far back in the distance. This is sheer survival now. So yes, James played the part of the cheerleading, optimist leader late Saturday night, professing a belief in his heart when perhaps a different truth about his teammates exists in his eyes.
"Those guys are professionals, as championships, we'll figure it out," James said. "And me as the leader, I'll have to help them figure it out."

Whatever revelations transform Wade and Bosh between games 6 and 7, whatever they draw upon to salvage this series, make no mistake: The burden on LeBron James to carry this roster has never been so extraordinary, the presumption of Heat victory never so uncertain.

Before they left the floor, James had started to prepare these Miami Heat for Monday and a most unmistakable mission: Sparing themselves the embarrassment of a second collapse in three seasons, sparing themselves of history remembering this team not as a dynasty for the ages, but one of sport's great disappointments.

Three years ago, the stage rose, and the smoke spit out and the Big Three emerged to change championship basketball forever in the NBA. Only now, Miami is wobbling the way those old Cleveland Cavaliers used to this time of year, when the genius of LeBron James couldn't overcome the pedestrian play surrounding him. He's far more equipped to handle all that now, but rest assured he never came to Miami believing that he had to pitch perfect games to advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

So here comes Game 7 for the Miami Heat now, here comes everything for a franchise fighting to hold off the Indiana Pacers and advancing age, fighting to hold off 2014 free agency and a forever feeling of failure should they let this series – and maybe this entire era – slip away.

[Chamillitary Click]

LMAO @ THAT TECH ON LEBRON


this game is scripted

how was that not a tech? the reffing did not favor indiana in this game at all...it was even. a set-up to game 7, where miami will get the benefit of EVERY whistle. believe that.

Speaking from experience.

[Meho]

That's why complaining about refs is pointless. The refs were heavily inclined to Indiana BUT it doesn't matter at the end, because Indiana was a better team by far yesterday. Same with Miami 2 nights ago, where they were easily the better them. Mentioning the refs is therefore completely retarded, especially if you've been a long time basketball fan.

not when uv read tim donaghy's book...do a lil more research before u make such bold claims. this is david stern and the nba we talkin bout here.

Again, I'm well aware of what goes on with the refs. But one game it's one team, other game it's another. And most importantly, one season is one team, next season other. And yes, right now Miami is being favored. But next season, or in 2,3 seasons a new team will be favored. It has happened before, it's happening right now, and it will always happen. It's like a natural cycle of basketball.. Thing is, the teams being favored are always the ones who are usually the best anyways.

yea, but look at the big picture, the series will end up favoring miami with some calls made in indiana's favor to throw off the general fan. thats all we pointin out.

I am looking at the big picture and telling you that this shit happens every season with the team that's supposed to win.

[Chamillitary Click]

Lol, NIK will slight LeBron in any way imaginable. That kind of hatred started the holocaust.

[Sccit]

That's why complaining about refs is pointless. The refs were heavily inclined to Indiana BUT it doesn't matter at the end, because Indiana was a better team by far yesterday. Same with Miami 2 nights ago, where they were easily the better them. Mentioning the refs is therefore completely retarded, especially if you've been a long time basketball fan.

not when uv read tim donaghy's book...do a lil more research before u make such bold claims. this is david stern and the nba we talkin bout here.

Again, I'm well aware of what goes on with the refs. But one game it's one team, other game it's another. And most importantly, one season is one team, next season other. And yes, right now Miami is being favored. But next season, or in 2,3 seasons a new team will be favored. It has happened before, it's happening right now, and it will always happen. It's like a natural cycle of basketball.. Thing is, the teams being favored are always the ones who are usually the best anyways.

yea, but look at the big picture, the series will end up favoring miami with some calls made in indiana's favor to throw off the general fan. thats all we pointin out.

I am looking at the big picture and telling you that this shit happens every season with the team that's supposed to win.

we supposed to accept that now and not say anything? i dont get it??

[Meho]

In a way, yes. It's always gonna happen. There's nothing you can do if your only position of power is writing about it on a message board.

[M Dogg™]

I thought Miami wouldn't fall apart until next year. I don't see them beating the Spurs if they keep playing like this.

[Hack Wilson - real]

I thought Miami wouldn't fall apart until next year. I don't see them beating the Spurs if they keep playing like this.

yeah man this is reminding me of the Cleveland years for Lebron.

[M Dogg™]

I thought Miami wouldn't fall apart until next year. I don't see them beating the Spurs if they keep playing like this.

yeah man this is reminding me of the Cleveland years for Lebron.

See, when the 3 came together, people assumed they'd win forever, but Wade was already showing some signs of aging, and he had hit the 30 year mark. Bosh is not a true inside presents, and Miami had a small window to win many games. At the same time, it's very hard to make it to the NBA Finals year after year after year. That's what makes careers like Jordan's, and Kobe's, and Magic's, and Russell's, and West's and Bird's all so amazing. These guys took their window of opportunity and went to the finals as many times as possible. That's very hard t do, playoff basketball is much more physical and it's a grind.

I am not even really blaming the rest of the Heat, it's just that this team wasn't built to grind this much, and the players brought in to mash in the inside (Anderson, Anthony and Battier) all are 30 and over. Those legs can't take these long runs year after year after year. I thought LeBron was good enough to carry the team, as from everything I saw this man looked like a pure beast. But even if the Heat win game 7, I can't picture this team beating the Spurs. If they are struggling against the Pacers, then the Spurs will take them out in 5-6 games.

Also, if the Heat don't win this year, LeBron can never be put next to Kobe's name again, And lets not get started on Michael Jordan.

[Hack Wilson - real]

I thought Miami wouldn't fall apart until next year. I don't see them beating the Spurs if they keep playing like this.

yeah man this is reminding me of the Cleveland years for Lebron.

See, when the 3 came together, people assumed they'd win forever, but Wade was already showing some signs of aging, and he had hit the 30 year mark. Bosh is not a true inside presents, and Miami had a small window to win many games. At the same time, it's very hard to make it to the NBA Finals year after year after year. That's what makes careers like Jordan's, and Kobe's, and Magic's, and Russell's, and West's and Bird's all so amazing. These guys took their window of opportunity and went to the finals as many times as possible. That's very hard t do, playoff basketball is much more physical and it's a grind.

I am not even really blaming the rest of the Heat, it's just that this team wasn't built to grind this much, and the players brought in to mash in the inside (Anderson, Anthony and Battier) all are 30 and over. Those legs can't take these long runs year after year after year. I thought LeBron was good enough to carry the team, as from everything I saw this man looked like a pure beast. But even if the Heat win game 7, I can't picture this team beating the Spurs. If they are struggling against the Pacers, then the Spurs will take them out in 5-6 games.

Also, if the Heat don't win this year, LeBron can never be put next to Kobe's name again, And lets not get started on Michael Jordan.

yeah it's easy to forget that Wade played 3 years in college  (pretty sure)

[Sccit]

In a way, yes. It's always gonna happen. There's nothing you can do if your only position of power is writing about it on a message board.

okay, but dont expect it not to get mentioned every time it blatantly takes place

[Sccit]

if indiana makes the finals, they will beat the spurs as well

and wade played 2 years of college, not 3