An odd development in the NBA playoffs. There are three playoff games tonight: (1) the Heat are trying to wrap up their series at home against the 76ers (the Heat lead 3-1); (2) the Thunder (who also lead 3-1) are trying to wrap up their series at home against the Nuggets; and (3) the Grizzlies (the number 8 seed) are trying to complete a huge upset by finishing off the number-1 seeded Spurs in San Antonio (the Grizz lead 3-1).
Now in any other league, Game 5 between the Grizzlies and the Spurs would be a big deal. In fact, I think it's the first truly meaningful game in the playoffs thus far. There is no prospect that the Heat or the Thunder will lose, while there is a chance that the Spurs (the number 1 seed in the West) could be eliminated.
But that's not how the NBA works. TNT is carrying a Heat/Thunder double-header, apparently figuring that Joe Fan wants to see LeBron and Kevin Durant. The Spurs, who won four NBA titles between 1999 and 2007, have been shunted over to NBA-TV. So if the Grizzlies do win tonight, almost no one will witness one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
On the other hand, the Association may know exactly what it's doing. With 9:10 left in the 2d quarter, the Spurs are already up 26-16. It may be that the Grizzlies will save their strength tonight, and make their big push to finish off the Spurs when the series returns to Memphis for game 6.
So far, it looks like the TV guys knew what they were doing. The Heat lead the Sixers by 3 points with sixteen seconds to go in the game, while the Spurs are up 48-38 with 41 seconds left in the first half.
ReplyDeleteThe Heat beat the Sixers 97-91, and they move onto the next round where they will play the Celtics.
ReplyDeleteThe Spurs lead 50-42 at the half.
The TV guys were wrong: that Spurs game ended up being tremendous. The Spurs were down 95-92 with 2.2 seconds to play when Manu Ginobli hit an unbelievable shot that appeared to tie the game -- but on review, his foot was on the line. So the score was 95-94. The Grizz made two FT's to make it 97-94 with 1.7 seconds to go. But Gary Neal (of Towson State!) hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send it to overtime, and the Spurs held off elimination with a 110-103 victory. Just a great, great game.
ReplyDeleteYeah but Durant scored 41.
ReplyDeleteI would have had the OKC and SA games as my double-header, and put the LeBrons on NBA-TV.
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