Series is Tied Up

             After the Indiana Pacers destroyed the Miami Heat in Game 3 and took a 2-1 lead in the series, it seemed as if the Pacers were going to roll right into the Eastern Conference Finals. The underdog Pacers were had become the favorite and had a great chance to take a 3-1 lead with Game 4 being played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Well, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade had something to say about that. In Game 4, those two combined to score 70 points and lead their team to a 101-93 win. Now, the series is tied at 2-2 and Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami. If Indiana wants to win this series they have to win at least one game on Miami’s court.

            What was so different about the Heat from Games 2 and 3 than from Game 4? What did the Heat do that the Pacers couldn’t control? Plain and simple, Lebron James played like the MVP he is. He finished the game with 40 points and 18 rebounds. He played the kind of game he had when he was in Cleveland. He put his team on his shoulders and carried them to victory. Plus, he had that one guy Dwayne Wade helping him out.

            If Lebron and Wade have two more games like they had in Game 4, then Miami will undoubtedly win this series. The question now becomes; will they be able to repeat those numbers? I am extremely anxious to find out the answer because nobody really knows for sure. Will those two have the energy to play 40 minutes a game and drive to the hoop on nearly every possession? Will they play with the same focus and determination? Will the Pacers’ Roy Hibbert and David West stay out of foul trouble and prohibit Wade and James from driving from to the hoop? Who knows?

            The safer guarantee would be that the Pacers will play the same way they have all season and the way they played in Game 3. Indiana’s starting five combined for 79 of the team’s 94 points and Hibbert and West combined for 27 rebounds.  Their 79 points was 4 more than what the entire Heat team scored. They also out-rebounded the Heat 52-36. In the two losses for the Pacers this series, they lost the rebounding battle. It is safe to say that the duo the Pacers desperately need big games from are David West and Roy Hibbert.

            Game 5 is Tuesday night in Miami. It should be a dog fight as this series has turned into a best of three. Game 6 will be played in Indianapolis and Game 7, if necessary, is in Miami. 

            The other series being played in the Eastern Conference is tied up at 2-2 as well between the 76ers and Celtics. In the Western Conference, the Spurs have already swept the Clippers and Thunder lead their series 3-1 against the Lakers. The expected series between the  Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will be epic.