NBA May 5th Playoff Preview

Indiana Pacers @ Orlando Magic - 2:00 PM EST, ESPN
The Pacers lead the series 2-1 due in large part to their offensive efficiency over the last two games. They have eclipsed the 90-point mark in both games, while the Magic have yet to score more than 81 points in a game this series. You also can't overlook the job the Pacers have done defensively, a thoroughly impressive effort throughout the series so far.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Los Angeles Clippers - 4:30 PM EST, ESPN
The Grizzlies seemed to have Game 1 in the books, before the Clippers rallied from down 27 to win. The Grizzlies though showed resiliency as they bounced back with a Game 2 win at home. Now, the series shifts to Los Angeles. The Grizzlies have had their road struggles this season, so the Clippers will look to use the home crowd to their advantage.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks - 7:30 PM EST, TNT
The Thunder may be looking for the sweep Saturday night, but it hasn't been easy eliminating the defending champions. Game 1 and 2 were thrillers that saw Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook step up for the Thunder. Game 3 in Dallas was dominated by the Thunder. The Thunder will look to finish off the Mavericks, who are on the brink of playoff disappointment.

San Antonio Spurs @ Utah Jazz - 10:00 PM EST, TNT
This matchup has been what every 1 v. 8 seed battle is expected to be, the Spurs have obliterated the Jazz in the first two games. They will look to continue their strong play in Salt Lake City. The Spurs have used big runs to crack the prior games wide open. The Jazz will have to look to prevent that defensively. Jazz center Al Jefferson believes the Jazz should use their big lineup more to matchup with the size of the Spurs.The bottomline is they have to do something if they want a shot at turning around this series.

Remembering Junior Seau's Infectious Attitude

Junior Seau was loved by so many. Being a home-grown talent of San Diego, Chargers fans quickly embraced him. His joy and passion for the game quickly infiltrated the league. Fans around the world enjoyed watching him go all out. Tragically, Seau was found dead at the age of 43 in his Oceanside home. The police are investigating his death from the standpoint of a suicide.

Seau quickly became a San Diego legend. The linebacker was a 12-time Pro Bowler, named a member of the NFL's 1990s All-Decade team, and a member of the Chargers' only Super Bowl team in 1994. Seau is almost certainly a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he will become eligible in three years. His actions both on and off the field displayed a love for people.

Seau inspired so very many. While his sudden death is very, very sad, it is important to remember who he was as a person. He was a happy man, who loved what he did. I believe Seau would want us to mourn his death, but he would want to focus more on remembering who he was before this happened. I think that is the least we can do, especially after all he did for those around him. Junior Seau will always be remembered as one of the all-time greats.

The Truth Seemingly Wills Celtics to Victory

Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Boston Celtics looked like they were destined to be down two games to none. They were down by 11 in the second half of Game 2, without their two starting guards, and running out of energy because of a short bench. Someone had to take over and that someone was Paul Pierce. Pierce came out on fire scoring the Celtics' first nine points of the night, but labored through a stretch of poor shooting in the second and third quarters. But he had not come this far just to watch another game slip away.

Starting towards the end of the third quarter, Pierce aggressively took the game over. His toughness on offense when combined with lockdown Celtics defense on the other end of the court resulted in the Celtics making a run. Pierce's run surpassed the Atlanta Hawks' lead single-handedly. Pierce's 18 points down the stretch, including 13 in the fourth quarter, outscored the whole Hawks team (15 points) over that stretch.

After making a couple free throws with just over a minute left to seal the comeback win, Pierce paused on the way back to the bench and tebowed as he thanked God. Celtics fans certainly have Pierce and God to thank for the victory. The win swings the home-court advantage to Boston, where the Celtics will at least have Rajon Rondo back from suspension. Ray Allen will likely be another game-time decision. Paul Pierce has breathed new life into this Celtics team. He may be past his prime, but he can still showcase his vintage clutchness from time to time. Simply put, that is the truth.

Individual Players' Poor Choices Costing Teams Chances to Win

Photo Credit: Lynne Sladky/AP Photo

Everyone knows who egotistical athletes can be at times. We have all acted that way at one point or another. What is unfortunate is when you allow these attitudes to turn into actions that affect other people. That is what three NBA players who are often in the spotlight have done. I already blogged about Metta World Peace elbowing James Harden. His seven-game suspension was a weaksauce move by the league. The Lakers still won Game 1, but the lack of depth and cohesiveness in the playoffs, could come back to bite them in the playoffs.

Sunday, the Boston Celtics were frustrated by how they played and some of the officiating in the game, which was understandable on both accounts. However, Rajon Rondo let the frustration get the better of him. After a loose ball foul call on Brandon Bass, Rondo yelled at the official, which earned him his second technical of the game, and proceeded to chest bump the official. This left the NBA with no choice. I am sure that the league didn't want to suspend Rondo for a instance like this, but they didn't have a choice. The rules are very clear about player contact with the officials. Today, Rondo was suspended for Game 2. This leaves the Celtics, who are already down one game to none in the series, without one of their best players and substantially less guard depth. This puts his team in a real predicament.

Tonight, the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks to take a 2-0 series lead. The Knicks were obviously disappointed, but one star player acted rashly as a result. Amare Stoudemire punched the glass around a fire extinguisher following the loss. He suffered lacerations on his left hand, which required stitches. Stoudemire is almost certainly out for Game 3, basically a must-win for the Knicks, and possibly out for the whole series. The Knicks clearly need him to have a chance in this series. Poor choices have consequences. It is unfortunate, but they most certainly do. When an athlete puts his or her personal ego first, it hurts the team and its chemistry badly. What I would suggest to athletes is that they need to work on thinking being for they act. The choices they make affect lots of people.

Clippers Clip Grizzlies in Astonishing Style

Photo Credit: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Clippers trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 21 points at the end of the third quarter in Game 1 of their playoff series. Clippers point guard Chris Paul pleaded with Head Coach Vinny Del Negro to let him in the game to start the fourth. The Clippers, who were down as much as 27 in the game, gained some momentum in the fourth. Paul and bench player Nick Young led the way. Paul, despite struggling for most of the first three quarters, finished with 14 points and 11 assists. Young gained additional playing time when Caron Butler broke his left hand. He brought the energy the Clippers needed to comeback. Young scored 19 points, including three from beyond the arc.

So as I said, the Clippers tried to make their frantic comeback in the fourth quarter. With Paul and Young leading the way, the Clippers went on a shooting spree and played stifling defense, which combined with cold shooting by the Grizzlies helped close out the game. The Clippers were down by 24 points with under eight minutes to go in the game. All the Clippers managed to do was go on an incredible 28-3 run to win the game. The victory set the record for the largest comeback after three quarters in NBA playoff history.


I am not sure what I should take from this game. The Clippers had a miraculous comeback, but played poorly for the vast majority of the game. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, looked super convincing, until their drought over the final nine minutes. What does matter from this game, is the advantage and confidence gained from this experience and victory. Ultimately, the Clippers stunned the Grizzlies to say the least.