While the Heat Look Vulnerable, The Spurs Look Dominate

The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs (along with the Thunder) are considered to be the best teams in their respective conferences. Tonight, the Heat and the Spurs looked like completely different teams.

Photo Credit: Robert Duyos/Sun Sentinel

The Indiana Pacers are not supposed to compete with the Miami Heat, especially in South Beach. The Pacers certainly tried hard. They missed 24 out of 29 shots at one point in Game 2. They gave up an 11-point second half lead. The team's scoring in the fourth quarter was outscored by two Heat players. But somehow this Pacers team managed to beat the Heat and level the series at a game a piece. The Heat looked lost at times on offense, going 1-16 from three in the game. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade both played great, but neither could come up with a big play at the end of the game.

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The Los Angeles Clippers gave the San Antonio Spurs a fight in the first half, until they ran out of steam. Then, the Spurs shut the door and made sure it stayed shut. After surviving past the Grizzlies in Memphis, the ailing Clippers had to go straight to San Antonio for Game 1. The Spurs, meanwhile, looked sharp and rested. Tim Duncan scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili added 22 points, as the Spurs routed the Clippers 108-92. Tony Parker didn't play very well, but it didn't really matter for the Spurs. The Spurs have now won 15 games in a row, the longest playoff sustained winning streak since the 2004 Spurs won 17 in a row. NBA Coach of the Year, Gregg Popovich, has the Spurs running on all cylinders.

These two teams clearly look like polar opposites. The Heat look disorganized and disgruntled. Despite having the two best players on the court, they couldn't figure out a way to beat a lackluster effort from the Pacers. The Spurs meanwhile look like a machine. They have been called boring and old, but they don't care. They win a lot of basketball games and that's what it all comes down to. The Heat are going to have to play a lot better to compete for a championship. I am certain they will, but they looked a lot more vulnerable than most people thought they were. The Spurs, on the other hand, just keep rolling along. They haven't let their weaknesses stop them yet. Until some does make that happen, I am not going to waste my time trying to find them.