Category Archives: miami heat

Chris Bosh Out for Game 4

The Miami Heat will have to find another way to stop the Boston Celtics from scoring in the paint. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said that Chris Bosh won’t play Sunday. He has not advanced enough in his recovery from his lower-abdominal strain. They will keep evaluating him in hopes of him returning later in the series.

Boston scored 58 points in the paint during Game 3, the most they have scored in a playoff game since 2008. Kevin Garnett looked like he was in his twenties again by scoring 24 points rather easily. Rajon Rondo has even had success hit floaters and scoring in the paint.

Since Game 4 of their series with Indiana, Miami have done a great job in overcoming the absence of Bosh. Can they do it again in Game 4?
It is hard to replace Bosh’s 18 points and 7.9 points per game that he averaged during the regular season. Miami’s bench isn’t strong since an overwhelmingly large portion of their salary cap is distributed to Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bosh. Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, Eddy Curry, and Ronny Turiaf are the available power forwards and centers on the team. Center Dexter Pittman is still suspended due to his flagrant foul on Lance Stephenson that occurred during Game 6 of their series with the Indiana Pacers. Haslem, Anthony, and Turiaf have been rotating in and out of the game filling the Heat’s power forward and center positions.

During the regular season, Boston struggled to put up points on a regular basis. They are a great defensive team and have won games because of it. Their identity had to change when Avery Bradley went down with a shoulder injury. He was their defensive spark plug and will miss the remainder of the playoffs. Rondo increased his scoring with an unprecedented offensive output in Game 2 of the series. Boston is being more aggressive and leaving everything out on the court. Coach Doc Rivers apparently knows when to push the accelerator.

Game 4 of the series takes place Sunday at 8:30pm EST.

Get your popcorn ready! (I hope Terrell Owens doesn’t own that trademark)

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Will Chris Bosh Play in the Eastern Conference Finals?

The Miami Heat have missed the presence of Chris Bosh since he was injured in early in the series with the Indiana Pacers. After the injury, Miami said that Bosh would be ‘out indefinitely. They defeated Indiana in six games, but 90% of their plays were isolation plays with either Lebron James or Dwyane Wade taking it to the rim. Bosh gives the Heat a third option and frees up James and Wade out of double teams.

They are still unsure when he would be back. A timetable is hard to set for a lower abdominal/high groin injury. A player could come back in as early as two weeks or need to sit out a maximum six to eight weeks.

When will Bosh be back for the Heat? Will it be in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics or could he be out for the remainder of the 2012 NBA Playoffs?

ESPN reported that Bosh participated in an on-court workout at American Airlines Arena on Sunday. Assistant coach Keith Askins ran Bosh’s workout over the seeing eye of team president Pat Riley. He worked on his lateral movement, shot some free-throws, and did some catch and shoot footwork. It was reported to be an extremely light workout, but it is a sign that he could be back sometime in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra commented to the media that he is preparing the team to play without Bosh. He is taking each game one at a time and if Bosh is ready to play, he will adjust his game plan.

Miami needs Bosh to play as soon as possible. They don’t want to rush him and gamble a setback, but they were only 1-3 against Boston this year. Boston likes to play small, but would benefit by playing bigger against a Bosh-less Heat. Kevin Garnett has been playing center and are a much better team since making that change. They will be without Avery Bradley for the rest of the post-season because of a small tear in his shoulder. He is one of the best defender on the team and Ray Allen will have to step up on defense.

My prediction is that Miami will play the first few games without Bosh. If they win two out of the first three games, the Heat will wait after Game 4 to make a decision to bring him back for Game 5. If Miami is 3-1 after that game, Bosh will sit…if Boston ties up the series, he’ll be back for the next game. I think Game 5 is the earliest that you will see him back on the court.

The Heat would need Bosh in the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are big and play great interior defense. They will not be able to beat either of those teams with him.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Udonis Haslem & Dexter Pittman Both Suspended, Flagrant Fouls (VIDEO)

The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers are fighting like the basketball court in the middle of an octagon. The fifth game of this series was a battle. Both teams tried to hold their ground, but frustration started to set in and the play started to get chippy.

This series is one of the most physical in recent memory. The tension is starting to build and players are taking their aggression out on each other.

Miami won Game 5 and lead the series 3-2, but they could end up without two of their big men. Udonis Haslem and Dexter Pittman committed moronic fouls that will cost them games. Haslem will be suspended for Game 6 and Pittman received a suspension of three games.

The video of these fouls are below…after the jump.

Tyler Hansbrough started the foul contest after he was too physical with Dwyane Wade. The play was borderline, but Wade sold it by laying on the court for nearly thirty seconds. The Heat answered when Udonis Haslem put both hands in Hansbrough’s face and pushed his head back. In most cases, this would have been a Flagrant Two, which would eject Haslem from the game. He was only cited for a Flagrant One, the same level of Hansbrough’s foul. During the second-half, Marv Albert and Steve Kerr mentioned that Commissioner David Stern would review Haslem’s foul on Wednesday.

Possibly the most aggressive foul was committed by the Heat’s Dexter Pittman in the final minute of the game. Lance Stephenson was coming in the paint to rebound the ball, but Pittman jumped over to his side of the paint and put an elbow right in Stephenson’s throat.

Why would two back-of-the-rotation guys go at it like this? It started when Lance Stephenson held up the “choke sign” when Lebron missed a couple late-game free-throws. Miami didn’t take kindly to that and believe that Stephenson needed to learn to respect other players. Before Game 4 in Indianapolis, the Heat’s Juwan Howard crossed the half-court line and confronted Stephenson.

Pittman’s foul was planned and it has no place in the NBA. The Heat can survive without him. He is expendable and this is why he was chosen to commit the hard foul.

Nearly ever major player in this series have been close to fighting each other. Danny Granger and Lebron James have been talking trash to each other and it nearly came to blows twice. Because their team leaders are going at it, it is open season for the rest of the roster. It didn’t help when Wade tackled Darren Collison in Game 2. Wade was not suspended for Game 3, in which infuriated the Pacers and their fans.

The Heat will need to activate Eddy Curry, who has not played a single minute in these playoffs. Game 6 of the series is on Thursday in Indianapolis at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.

Here are the videos of the Miami Heat’s flagrant fouls and a video breakdown from Newsy.com…

Game 5: Udonis Haslem’s flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough

Game 5: Dexter Pittman’s flagrant foul on Lance Stephenson

Game 2: Dwyane Wade flagrant foul on Darren Collison

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

10 Reasons: Why Indiana Pacers Can Win NBA Title

The Indiana Pacers didn’t have a nationally televised game this season. At one point this season, they had the NBA’s lowest attendance numbers in the league. Yes, even the Charlotte Bobcats were beating them in attendance for most of the season. Indiana surprised everyone this year and took a leap from last year’s #8 seed to this year’s #3 seed in the playoffs.

NBA analysts have been divided on whether the Pacers benefited from this year’s schedule or if they are legit. Indiana is full of young players who are still peaking, so they are a bit unpredictable. They started off the season on fire, but suffered a mid-season slump. After acquiring Leandro Barbosa, they went 18-9 and finished the season 42-24. Can the Pacers be consistent enough to win a series against the Miami Heat? How does Indiana match-up against the best teams in the West?

1. Roy Hibbert is a defensive nightmare for the Miami Heat. Hibbert is one of the most improved players in the NBA. He hasn’t put up get offensive numbers in the playoffs, but he can block any guards that drive in the lane. There aren’t many legit big men in the playoffs and the ones that are left (Joakim Noah, Andrew Bynum, Marc Gasol), he has had big games against in the past. Joel Anthony isn’t an offensive threat, but Hibbert is more physical and will be able to score.

2. Paul George is turning into an elite defender. George came into the league with a big question mark. He had all of the tools to be a great player in the league, but no one knew if he would develop into one. He was good at a lot of things, but not great. He didn’t have a position out of college, much like Evan Turner. He has improved his game at every level and could be the Pacers’ franchise player very soon. In the past, Indiana has relied on Dahntay Jones to defend the team’s best scorer. He has done well, but he is an offensive liability. He takes too many bad shots and he has a quick trigger. George was top-10 in steals, steal %, and steals per game. He would guard Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Dwayne Wade with Danny Granger sharing the duty.

3. Danny Granger is a consistent scorer. I couldn’t say this at the beginning of the season, but he finished the season on a hot streak. He raised his points per game to 18.7 and finished the season shooting 38% from behind the arc. He doesn’t have the pressure to be the team’s leading scorer, since George, Hibbert, and David West could all easily have 20-point games. I have confidence in him taking the final shot and cemented his place as the team leader.

4. David West is fully-healed from his knee surgery. Before the All-Star break, West wasn’t playing maximum minutes and Tyler Hansbrough would often finish the games at power-forward. West is turning into a 20-10 guy and help the Pacers go 18-9 down the stretch. He is the enforcer in the paint, much like Kendrick Perkins was during the Boston Celtics title run. Teams are scared to go in the paint with West and Hibbert occupying it.

5. George Hill is a better starting point-guard than Darren Collison. When Collison went down with an injury a month ago, Hill stepped in and the team went on a seven-game winning streak. The team is much better on the fast break than in the half-court and Hill is a better scoring threat on the break. Hill only averages 1.0 turnovers per game, Collison improved his turnovers per game to 1.9, but Hill is better with the ball. Pacers’ fans are now happy that they traded their first-round draft pick (that turned into Kawhi Leonard) to the Spurs for Hill.

6. Indiana’s bench is one of the deepest teams in the league. At the trading deadline, the Pacers traded a second-round draft pick to Toronto for Leandro Barbosa. They needed a bench scorer and he has delivered. Hansbrough, Barbosa, Collison, Louis Amundson, Jones, and Lance Stephenson are an exciting second unit. Hansbrough and Amundson are motor guys that always fight for the ball and Jones can deliver perimeter defense. They will have an advantage when the opposing team rests their starters.

7. Indiana has the confidence that they can beat any team. As in #8 seed in last year’s playoffs, they made the Chicago Bulls fight for every win. They weren’t supposed to make that series close, but Derrick Rose had to give 100% to win that series. They have beat most of the teams in the playoffs and have only had a few games this season that were out of reach early. The team is peaking at the right time in the season.

8. The Pacers are an excellent road team. They had a winning road record (19-14) and even averaged more points per game away from home (95.5). If they slip up at home, like they did against the Magic in Game 1, they can make it up on the road. I know that it is tougher to win on the road in the playoffs, but like I said before, their confidence is at a season-high.

9. Derrick Rose’s unfortunate injury opens up the Eastern Conference race. Indiana has to play their way through Miami to face where Chicago would be, but they match-up well again the top part of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. Miami will be their toughest challenge in the East, so if they make it to the Conference finals, they will be favored. They will have a difficult match-up against the Western Conference winner, but it won’t be as lopsided as experts would predict.

10. A playoff match-up against Indiana will be a “trap series” for the Heat. Miami has only one goal, to win the NBA Championship. Their season would be a disappointment if they fall short of their goal. No matter who the Heat face in the second-round, Magic or Pacers, their focus will be past their opponent. A team will be able to sneak a couple wins against them throughout the playoffs, so that extra win could sway the series. I’m excited to see Indiana play Miami, since the entire country will be rooting for them to knockout Lebron and his “South Beach talents.”

No matter how far the Pacers make it in the playoffs, this season will be considered a success. They are a young team and are expected to make the playoffs many times in the near future.

I just hope that this is the year that Indiana hangs their first banner as a member of the NBA.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Amar’e Stoudemire Hates Fire Extinguishers

When an athlete is able to play at the highest level in their sport, it can be hard to lose. You are used to dominating at every level, then you hit a wall and can’t seem to get over the hill. Players deal with their frustration differently. You can hit the gym, talk it over with teammates, or forget it and move on. If it was only that easy for a certain member of the New York Knicks. A moment of frustration could end the season for Amar’e Stoudemire or Amare Stoudemire (for those who lack an apostrophe on their keyboards).

I promise that no fire extinguishers or their cases were hurt in the writing of this blog post.

The New York Knicks lost to the Miami Heat (104-94) in Game 2 of their best-of-seven playoff series. This is the second defeat in a row. They were dominated in the fourth quarter with ease. Most say that this was a “must win” game for the Knicks. They now face an an incredible challenge to come back in this series.

Yahoo! reports that while exiting the court, Stoudemire punched the glass of a fire extinguisher case. He cut his hand and later left the arena with a heavily bandaged hand and his arm in a sling. It was reported that there was a great deal of blood in the Knicks locker room and that a paramedic that to assist in helping him with his injury. Stoudemire later tweeted, “I’m so mad at myself right now, I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed for home for a new start.” The extent of his injury has not be reported yet, but due to the amount of blood and the bandage/sling medical equipment, it could be substantial.

It is unknown if Stoudemire is healthy enough to play in the rest of the series or if he will receive any discipline for his destruction of the arena’s property. He was just recovering from a back injury and he would join Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, and possibly Baron Davis on the injured list. Davis missed the first-half of this game after his own back injury flared up on him. It is unknown if Lin will be able to play in this series and Shumpert will be out until next season with a torn ligament.

The Knicks have a nearly improbably task ahead of them. If they win one game in this series, I would consider it a moral victory. Carmelo Anthony can only do so much and he’s already maxed out. I will continue watching this series for Steve Novak, a “White Boy of the Year” nominee. They can go into the 2012-13 season with a decent draft pick in a very deep draft, a healthy Jeremy Lin, and either Mike Woodson or a new coach. They will be a better team next year, if they can stay healthy…and Stoudemire stops trying to fight fire extinguishing equipment.

Photo credit goes to Timothy Burke for his hilarious Photoshop talent. Go to Deadspin for his awesome photo and video work.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

It’s Time For Cleveland Fans To Move On

I missed the game when it was on tonight because of a medical problem, but I found a feed online and watched Cavs/Heat game in its entirety. I knew it was bad when the Cavs starting lineup consisted of Joey Graham and Anthony Parker, guys who should be a #9 and #10 guy on a contender. The game could have been worse if Lebron didn’t sit out the entire 4th quarter. All Cavs fans should have tried to attend the game, because I hope everyone who watched this game got it out of their system, because it is now time to move on.

Lebron James came back to Cleveland and was showered with boos and expletives. He deserved every decibel of noise the fans gave him. I’m not even a Cavs fan, but I can relate to a passionate fanbase that yearns for a championship, I’m a Chicago Cubs and Indiana Pacers fan. If Reggie Miller left to go to the Knicks during his prime, I would have been in the crowd the next time he played in Indianapolis and given him everything I could dish out. Saying that, after the initial visit, even by halftime, the boos should start to go away. The wound is very fresh in Cleveland, but look at your lineup, you have holes from 1-12. The team isn’t good and they are actually over-achieving right now. A record of 7-11 was not expected by any experts at the start of the season, some actually predicted that a record of 20-52 could be their season record. I’m sure the Cavs will make moves to improve their team and it will look quite different by the end of the season. Anderson Varejao looks like a player that many teams would like and Cleveland can get depth in return.

The Heat have looked mediocre at times this year and no one can be sold that they are a championship team this year. Any team with size dominates them in the paint and grabs a ton of second-chance points. Roy Hibbert looked like Patrick Ewing against the Heat last week. Two or three years down the road, the Heat will be a beast of a team and veterans will want to go there to win a ring and play for the league minimum. I know that’s the last thing Cavs fans want to hear, but we know this is true. This has been a trend for years, just look at how loaded from top to bottom the contending teams are. Contending teams are magnets for veterans looking for jewelry.

Cleveland fans has been battered, chewed up, and spat upon by Lebron and his entourage. I hope tonight was the start of your therapy sessions. It’s time to move on and think about the future. You will most likely end up in the Lottery in the upcoming draft (it’s not a bad thing, you need to reload). Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, and many other guys could be there when you pick. This year’s draft looks like it could be a pretty good class. Who knows maybe Ohio’s own Jared Sullinger will be your next savior.

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Michael Beasley Goes To Rehab

Multiple outlets are reporting the Michael Beasley, last year’s first round pick of the Miami Heat, has entered a rehab facility in Houston, TX. We wish him well and hope that he can get his addictions and demons under control and be a force in the NBA.

Michael Beasley posted a picture on his Twitter page showing off his new tattoo. He got “SuperCool Beas” tattooed across the back of his shoulders, but what was so troubling was what was in the background of the picture. There was a mysterious baggie next to a 7-Up bottle. Soon after his posted the picture, both of his Twitter accounts were shutdown. Here is the picture that he posted showing the tattoo and the baggie.
I don’t know what’s going on that the dude, but the tattoo was enough for me to question his mindset. The angel wings tattoo is horribly done, probably something he had done before the NBA money started rolling in. Anyways, I must have written ten posts about Michael Beasley and how dominate he was at Kansas State. If the NBA rule stating that his graduating class must be one year out of school in order to enter the NBA draft, he may have went straight to the pros. If he had done that, I doubt anyone outside of Miami Heat fans would be rooting for this guy.

He had a decent season last year with the Heat, but Miami must have heard some rumblings of his problem. Rumors started going around that they were offering Beasley for a draft pick. I hope he turns things around and gets cleaned up. If he was playing last year with lungs dull of THC, he should play much better this season. I hope Miami does the right thing and sticks with him, because if they cuts ties with him now, he could come back and hurt them by excelling on another team. But also, Miami is kind of a party town, maybe it would be best if he played for Indiana or Milwaukee…just saying.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Predictions – 2008 NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is Thursday night and like everyone else, I’ve made my predictions. I am getting ready for the horrible suits, the draft picks making David Stern look like Verne Troyer, the analysts faking amazement, a foreign guy being selected in the 2nd round that no one knows, and the New York Knicks making a mockery of the entire process. The talent in the draft is very deep this year, so I am looking for a lot of trades.

1. Bulls – Derrick Rose, Memphis , PG – I don’t see any other scenario that the Bulls will not select Rose. Unless some offer comes available that they can’t refuse, Rose will be back home in Chicago.

2. Heat – Michael Beasley, Kansas State,PF – I know the Heat have been baiting the #2 pick out there to tempt a trade. Whoever ends up trading the Heat for this pick, will pick Beasley. If the Heat decide to keep it, look for either O.J. Mayo or Jerryd Bayless’s name to be called.

3. Twolves – O.J. Mayo, USC, G – Minnesota was unlucky during the Lottery draft, but they could end up with something really nice here. Mayo is a scorer and will help distribute the ball to Al Jefferson, who is bound to have a break-out season.

4. Sonics – Jerryd Bayless, Arizona, G – Bayless is one of those names that is on the rise the week before the draft. He did well in the individual workouts

5. Grizzlies – Eric Gordon, Indiana, G – I was a huge fan of Gordon at the beginning of the college season last year, but then he fell off. I know he had a wrist injury that bothered him, but I think he has a bit of an attitude and didn’t take to Dan Dakich after Sampson was dismissed. He could end up being a Gilbert Arenas-like player, but he could also end up being Shawn Respert.

6. Knicks – Danilo Gallinari, Italy, SF – I know there is history between D’Antoni and Gallinari’s father, but it would be hard for the Knicks to pass up on Russell Westbrook here too. Gallinari would be playing David Lee’s position and we like Lee a lot.

7. Clippers – Russell Westbrook, UCLA, G – The Clippers are in need of a point guard and this seems to be a pretty good fit. They need someone to distribute the ball to a healthy Elton Brand. If Bayless is still here, I could see them taking him or moving up to acquire Bayless.

8. Bucks – Joe Alexander, West Virginia, SF – I know the Pacers would love to have Alexander, but he will not fall to #11. Alexander is a high-energy guy that should play well with Andrew Bogut and Yi.

9. Bobcats – Brook Lopez, Stanford, C – I know Kevin Love is still available, but Lopez would fit with Emeka Okafor a little better. The duo of Okafor/Lopez would be a defensive show every night. I could see them being a David Robinson/Tim Duncan-like duo defensively, but I can see the Bobcats trading this pick since they already have a roster full of young guys.

10. Nets – Kevin Love, UCLA, PF – I know the Nets really like Brook Lopez, but Love isn’t bad for a consolidation prize. His offensive skills could stretch the defense and help Carter and Jefferson get some much-needed points in the paint (We know those boys like to dunk).

11. Pacers – Kosta Koufos, Ohio State, C – The Pacers could be stretching a little with picking Koufos this high, but like him, from what I hear. He had some really good workouts and he finished the season strong for Ohio State with being named NIT MVP. This also fills the “white boy” quotient for the Pacers.

12. Kings – Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, C – The Kings would like to move Brad Miller to PF and by drafting Hibbert, it would help them solidify their front court. In the Western Conference, it is important to have some big bodies clogging the lane, Hibbert is wide enough to cover it himself, as long as Stephen Curry isn’t driving to the hole.

13. Blazers – Anthony Randolph, LSU, PF – The Blazers are not going to keep this pick, so I am picking Randolph to go at the #13 spot. A team that can afford to let Randolph sit on the bench of spend two seasons in the D-League will jump up and pick him. If the Blazers actually keep this pick, they will most likely go International and pick Alexis Ajinca from France. They already have a roster full of young big men and they can wait a few seasons before he comes to the U.S.

14. Warriors – Mario Chalmers, Kansas, PG – By picking Chalmers, the Warriors are saying bye-bye to Baron Davis. They are in need of a point guard since it is very unlikely that Davis will re-sign with the team.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Beasley Holds The Mayo

The Kansas State/USC game was set to showcase two of the top freshmen in the country, O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley. Mayo had a decent game and showed flashes of greatness, but Beasley and Bill Walker was a 2-man wrecking crew. USC made a run with about 10 minutes left in the game, but Beasley was cleaning the glass like he was a homeless guy at a stoplight.

Winning this game pretty much solidifies Beasley as the #1 pick in the draft. He was probably going to be first overall anyways, but winning a game on a national stage, like when he beat Kansas, doesn’t hurt his case. The Miami Heat is tanking games for a reason, if they match Dwayne Wade with him, they are back in the playoffs next season

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

America's White Boy

Category Archives: miami heat

Chris Bosh Out for Game 4

Will Chris Bosh Play in the Eastern Conference Finals?

Udonis Haslem & Dexter Pittman Both Suspended, Flagrant Fouls (VIDEO)

Top 10 YouTube Videos of NBA Flops

10 Reasons: Why Indiana Pacers Can Win NBA Title

Amar’e Stoudemire Hates Fire Extinguishers

It’s Time For Cleveland Fans To Move On

Michael Beasley Goes To Rehab

Predictions – 2008 NBA Draft

Beasley Holds The Mayo