[2014] The Finals

Will the Spurs end our long national nightmare?

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Could they possibly drag a potential 7 game Finals series out any further? This could take about 20 days total since the end of the conference finals o_O
 
I use to be a Heat hater but now I just don't really care for them I just want to watch good basketball and I really hope we get it after a somewhat crappie 2nd and 3rd rounds.
 
James is out there trying to cool down in the overheating building,...and he's got on full length spandex pants, an under shirt, a 3/4 sleeve on one arm, and a head band. Makes sense o_O
 
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Game 1

It was a close fight, but heat was fade at 4th quarter. and lebron james was injured plus i dont know what happen to Mario Chalmers when he's going inside not less than 2 minutes he got fouled. he did that 4x. i dont know what happen to Miami when lebron got injured they play so bad.

Thoughts on game 1?
 
IMO there's a good chance POP turned that AC off and had his players hydrate for days before the game. "If your not cheating your not trying" lol
 
That was one impressive display by the Spurs. I was very impressed. Wonder how the Heat will bounce back from that little debacle. They got mauled.
 
That game was BS. As a fan of basketball, I was embarrassed by all the fake drama. What is this Wrestlemania? You're telling me the temperature on the court is 90 degrees in the most important game of the season so far and over the course of a 2 and a half hour game you can't suspend the game long enough to get that fixed? Just play on? Embarassing. Miami's entire game is built around being more athletic than the other team. Their defense requires them to run all over the court and disrupt passing lanes and they were winning until the last 5 minutes when the entire team looked completely dead and unable to compete. Yeah, no kidding. Everyone says before the game that the Spurs will win if they can force Miami to play their slow paced deliberate game and nobody thinks the 90 degree temperature worked in their favor? The whole fourth quarter they kept showing Lebron on the bench and I know that look he had on his face. He was completely gone. It was obvious. Everyone wants to hate on him for quitting on his team but basketball is not played in adverse weather conditions, it's played in a gym in a controlled environment. Can we reasonably expect these players to be prepared for 90 degree temperatures after 48 minutes of running up and down the court? This is the Finals, the pinnacle of the NBA season. Get it right or suspend the game.
 
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hrdboild said:
That game was BS. As a fan of basketball, I was embarrassed by all the fake drama. What is this Wrestlemania? You're telling me the temperature on the court is 90 degrees in the most important game of the season so far and over the course of a 2 and a half hour game you can't suspend the game long enough to get that fixed? Just play on? Embarassing. Miami's entire game is built around being more athletic than the other team. Their defense requires them to run all over the court and disrupt passing lanes and they were winning until the last 5 minutes when the entire team looked completely dead and unable to compete. Yeah, no kidding. Everyone says before the game that the Spurs will win if they can force Miami to play their slow paced deliberate game and nobody thinks the 90 degree temperature worked in their favor? The whole fourth quarter they kept showing Lebron on the bench and I know that look he had on his face. He was completely gone. It was obvious. Everyone wants to hate on him for quitting on his team but basketball is not played in adverse weather conditions, it's played in a gym in a controlled environment. Can we reasonably expect these players to be prepared for 90 degree temperatures after 48 minutes of running up and down the court? This is the Finals, the pinnacle of the NBA season. Get it right or suspend the game.
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This was genius tactic from Pop it's along the same lines as soaking the field when playing an uber athletic football team. I love playing pick up games and growing up in Sac you better believe I have played in 100+ degree weather and it sure as heck takes a toll on you late in the game but you press on just like the rest of the players did the difference was the Spurs where physically and mentally prepared for it.
 
hrdboild said:
That game was BS. As a fan of basketball, I was embarrassed by all the fake drama. What is this Wrestlemania? You're telling me the temperature on the court is 90 degrees in the most important game of the season so far and over the course of a 2 and a half hour game you can't suspend the game long enough to get that fixed? Just play on?
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Okay, I really shouldn't nitpick, but there is just so much wrong here. 1) Do you happen to know how much the HVAC system for a pro sports arena costs? It isn't like they keep a spare swamp cooler around just in case. If this was a regular season game, sure you can reschedule, but the Finals are major television events. They have to coordinate with ABC and the ESPN networks. They have to coordinate with the NHL to not overlap with Stanley cup games. Short of the AT&T center catching fire, there isn't much that would cause them to postpone or reschedule.

Embarassing. Miami's entire game is built around being more athletic than the other team.
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Not quite. Lebron's game is built around being bigger and more athletic than his matchup. Everyone else on the team (and I mean everyone) is built around either finesse (Bosh, Wade, Allen) or thuggishness (Chalmers, Birdman, Haslem).

Their defense requires them to run all over the court and disrupt passing lanes and they were winning until the last 5 minutes when the entire team looked completely dead and unable to compete. Yeah, no kidding.
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Their defense requires them to play a semi-zone man defense, double the post every time, and make good judgments on perimeter rotations. FWIW, the Heat used to have a great defense. They have been slowly getting worse each year since their first championship. This year, the Heat ranked 16th overall for defensive effectiveness behind Orlando, Denver, and Phoenix.

Everyone says before the game that the Spurs will win if they can force Miami to play their slow paced deliberate game and nobody thinks the 90 degree temperature worked in their favor?
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Umm, what? The Spurs aren't run and gun like the Nuggets or Golden State. They ranked 12th overall for pace of play, but that ranking is deceptive. They are one of the fastest teams in the league, often getting into sets and beginning their relentless motion within the first five seconds of the shot clock.

The Heat, by comparison, are the fourth slowest team by pace of play in the league. A slow game favors the heat.

The whole fourth quarter they kept showing Lebron on the bench and I know that look he had on his face. He was completely gone. It was obvious. Everyone wants to hate on him for quitting on his team but basketball is not played in adverse weather conditions, it's played in a gym in a controlled environment. Can we reasonably expect these players to be prepared for 90 degree temperatures after 48 minutes of running up and down the court? This is the Finals, the pinnacle of the NBA season. Get it right or suspend the game.
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Sorry, but no. Maybe Lebron cramped because of the heat, but he also cramped up in the finals series against OKC.

Also, if the 38 year old Duncan, the 36 year old Ginobli, and the 33 year old Parker can play in the heat, then the 28 year old Lebron in peak physical condition should be less effected, not more. The higher risk was to the old farts on the spurs bench, not the young fella who was carried off the court.
 
Hadlowe said:
Okay, I really shouldn't nitpick, but there is just so much wrong here. 1) Do you happen to know how much the HVAC system for a pro sports arena costs? It isn't like they keep a spare swamp cooler around just in case. If this was a regular season game, sure you can reschedule, but the Finals are major television events. They have to coordinate with ABC and the ESPN networks. They have to coordinate with the NHL to not overlap with Stanley cup games. Short of the AT&T center catching fire, there isn't much that would cause them to postpone or reschedule.

Not quite. Lebron's game is built around being bigger and more athletic than his matchup. Everyone else on the team (and I mean everyone) is built around either finesse (Bosh, Wade, Allen) or thuggishness (Chalmers, Birdman, Haslem).

Their defense requires them to play a semi-zone man defense, double the post every time, and make good judgments on perimeter rotations. FWIW, the Heat used to have a great defense. They have been slowly getting worse each year since their first championship. This year, the Heat ranked 16th overall for defensive effectiveness behind Orlando, Denver, and Phoenix.

Umm, what? The Spurs aren't run and gun like the Nuggets or Golden State. They ranked 12th overall for pace of play, but that ranking is deceptive. They are one of the fastest teams in the league, often getting into sets and beginning their relentless motion within the first five seconds of the shot clock.

The Heat, by comparison, are the fourth slowest team by pace of play in the league. A slow game favors the heat.

Sorry, but no. Maybe Lebron cramped because of the heat, but he also cramped up in the finals series against OKC.

Also, if the 38 year old Duncan, the 36 year old Ginobli, and the 33 year old Parker can play in the heat, then the 28 year old Lebron in peak physical condition should be less effected, not more. The higher risk was to the old farts on the spurs bench, not the young fella who was carried off the court.
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Two years ago they lost power during the middle of the Super Bowl. They took a break and fixed the problem. Baseball has delayed or cancelled World Series games because of rain. Sure technically you can play through 90 degree temperature but is it wise to do so? In a regular season game if it's not unsafe they probably play on. In the Finals? Get it right. There's a championship on the line. How long of a delay are we really talking about here to divert some power from somewhere else to the AC system? 3 or 4 hours?

Watching the game, Miami had the lead when Lebron went to the bench in the fourth quarter and he was clearly more affected by the temperature than anyone else. The Spurs were up by 4 when he came back into the game and immediately hit a layup. So Miami is down 2 with 4 minutes left when Lebron goes to the bench for the last time and they lose by 15. Those last 4 minutes Miami is playing without the best player in the league on San Antonio's court and it's 90 degrees. Tony Parker and Manu are bragging after the fact that they're used to playing in arenas without AC over in Europe. This isn't Europe, this is the US, the birthplace of basketball, and it's the Finals. Kudos to San Antonio for doing a better job of adjusting, but I want to see the better basketball team win not the team that endures heat better. I suppose an argument could be made that you don't get to be a champion unless you weather whatever challenges come your way. My argument is that enduring 90 degree temperature changes the strategy of the game arbitrarily and you can't do that in a playoff series where every game is important.
 
hrdboild said:
Two years ago they lost power during the middle of the Super Bowl. They took a break and fixed the problem. Baseball has delayed or cancelled World Series games because of rain. Sure technically you can play through 90 degree temperature but is it wise to do so? In a regular season game if it's not unsafe they probably play on. In the Finals? Get it right. There's a championship on the line. How long of a delay are we really talking about here to divert some power from somewhere else to the AC system? 3 or 4 hours?

Watching the game, Miami had the lead when Lebron went to the bench in the fourth quarter and he was clearly more affected by the temperature than anyone else. The Spurs were up by 4 when he came back into the game and immediately hit a layup. So Miami is down 2 with 4 minutes left when Lebron goes to the bench for the last time and they lose by 15. Those last 4 minutes Miami is playing without the best player in the league on San Antonio's court and it's 90 degrees. Tony Parker and Manu are bragging after the fact that they're used to playing in arenas without AC over in Europe. This isn't Europe, this is the US, the birthplace of basketball, and it's the Finals. Kudos to San Antonio for doing a better job of adjusting, but I want to see the better basketball team win not the team that endures heat better. I suppose an argument could be made that you don't get to be a champion unless you weather whatever challenges come your way. My argument is that enduring 90 degree temperature changes the strategy of the game arbitrarily and you can't do that in a playoff series where every game is important.
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I don't recall the lights going out or it raining on the court. If it got too warm to the point of being dangerous, I am sure they would have postponed.

I can't believe you are whining about LBJ cramping. What if it was a twisted ankle or something? Should they postpone the game until he gets better in that case as well?
 
yeah... can't say i have any problem whatsoever with the nba choosing to play on last night. it was an unfortunate circumstance. did it impact the quality of play? it certainly did, to some degree. however, it wasn't hazardous to the health of the players to proceed, as long as each team took the proper measures to keep them as cool and as hydrated as possible (which they did). it was challenging, it was taxing, and it added a layer of unnecessary drama to the opening game of the finals, but both teams were faced with the same exact conditions. hard to cry foul there, if ya ask me...

like spoelstra, pop regularly went to his second unit quicker to give the starters some extra rest, and the spurs seemed effective enough in spite of it all (apart from an unusually high number of turnovers). i also didn't hear any complaints from the 38-year-old tim duncan, the 36-year-old manu ginobili, or the 32-year-old tony parker. hell, even lebron's 38-year-old teammate ray allen brushed the heat off as "right in [his] wheelhouse," and their 30-year-old teammate, chris bosh chimed in to say, "i don't care. i'm from texas, man. we couldn't afford air conditioning in high school..."

it was the 29-year-old superstar from akron, ohio who folded under less-than-ideal conditions. of everyone in the arena, it was perhaps the greatest athlete of his generation who couldn't take the heat. he's had cramping problems in warm environments in the past. i don't know why it's a recurring problem for lebron's physically-peak body to perform under such conditions; call it the curse of greatness, an achilles heel of sorts...

whatever it is, you don't suspend play before tip-off simply because one guy might have to take himself out of the game, even if he's the best there is. these are world class athletes, after all. you hope the problem gets fixed before the final buzzer sounds, and if it doesn't, you evaluate the situation from quarter to quarter to determine if the health of the players is in danger. the refs never made such a determination, so they played on. would most of us have preferred it if lebron had been on the court at the end of the game? of course. it would have made for a more thrilling finish if he was on the court and able to perform; he couldn't go. but everyone else could. so they played on...
 
Wouldn't the heat make it harder for the Spurs? Since they rely on ball movement and shooting much more when it's hot your hands and the ball become slippery therefore your ball control goes to crap which could explain there turnovers.

LeBron's cramping could be a result of a number of thing's including maybe something mental not just the heat itself.
 
hrdboild said:
Two years ago they lost power during the middle of the Super Bowl. They took a break and fixed the problem. Baseball has delayed or cancelled World Series games because of rain.
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The Finals is the only major championship series that is being played at the same time as another major championship series. Unlike the Superbowl, which basically runs unopposed, or the World Series, the championship for a sport which regularly plays games on consecutive days, delaying a game is not a tenable solution for The Finals.

How long of a delay are we really talking about here to divert some power from somewhere else to the AC system? 3 or 4 hours?
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A 3-4 hour delay puts the end of the game around three in the morning eastern time. When you're the NFL, you can get away with something like that; that would be ratings death for the NBA.
 
hrdboild said:
Two years ago they lost power during the middle of the Super Bowl. They took a break and fixed the problem. Baseball has delayed or cancelled World Series games because of rain. Sure technically you can play through 90 degree temperature but is it wise to do so? In a regular season game if it's not unsafe they probably play on. In the Finals? Get it right. There's a championship on the line. How long of a delay are we really talking about here to divert some power from somewhere else to the AC system? 3 or 4 hours?
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You made a big assumption that wasn't supported by any kind of fact. An electrical failure might well include parts of the AC system itself. Trouble-shooting something that complex isn't a 10-minute handyman kind of job. Fried circuits can be hard to find and even harder to replace on short notice.
 
Series tied 1-1 Miami heat wins 98-96. what a great game for Lebron James with 35points + 10 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard fouled out i think he did great on guarding lebron but lebron has a lot advantage on leonard. it was a great game on both teams. Best Basketball Odds
 
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HereWeVivek said:
yuck, the Heat are scum
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Yup. James had a great second half. Those 4 missed free throws really hurt the Spurs down the stretch.

The flopping by the heat was atrocious. It will go unremarked by the league (just like last year.) The officiating wasn't godawful, just mostly pretty bad. The blown call on Wade tackling Danny Green twice in the out of bounds play in the fourth was a game breaker.
 
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