76ers shock Celtics
Three points and then I’ll be done. First, Andre Iquodala! Who knew? After a dismal 1^st half and a lousy 3^rd quarter, Iquodala came to life in the 4^th quarter and carried the 76ers to a shocking Game 4 victory to even their series with Boston at two. As someone who’s been as hard on Iquodala as anyone since he signed that massive contract, it was nice to see him step into the superhero role last night. Even better, it was nice to see him earn all that money he’s being paid in such a critical game. I’ve always criticized Iquodala for thinking he’s a superstar and carrying himself like one on the court to the detriment of the team. On Friday night, he played the role of superstar perfectly. The big three to tie the game with three minutes left, the crucial fade away at the elbow to give Philly a two point lead, and of course, the dagger corner three to seal the deal were all Kobe-esque. It was Philadelphia’s most clutch basketball performance since Allen Iverson clowned Tyron Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals.

Second, the Celtics are dumb. When they play with urgency and intensity, the 76ers can’t compete. Yet, for whatever reason, the Celtics continue to either show up late or check out early in the NBA Playoffs. Friday night looked an awful lot like the Celtics Game 6 against Atlanta in the 1^st round. Only this time, the 76ers made the Celtics pay and stole a huge game. Even worse for Boston, the series is now guaranteed to go six and possibly seven games. Had the Celtics closed out Game 4, they’d be heading to Boston for Game 5 with a 3-1 lead. It’s unlikely the 76ers win an elimination game in Boston. As a result, the Celtics would have extended time to rest and get healthy while the Pacers and Heat continue their rugby match. Instead, the Celtics won’t have any extended down time between series, if they even advance at all.

Third, the Celtics are playing with fire. They had the 76ers right where they wanted them after Game 3; dejected with no confidence. You could see early in Game 4 the 76ers accepted the fact that the Celtics were simply the better team. While Philly never quit, the swagger they had after Game 2 was long gone. By collapsing in Game 4, the Celtics gave it all back and then some. Young teams are unpredictable.  When you beat them down, they’re likely to go away. However, when you hand them a win in dramatic fashion, the ensuing life/confidence/belief becomes contagious. Three days ago the 76ers believed they could compete in this series. As of 12 hours ago, the 76ers believe they can win this series. That’s a big problem for the decrepit and inconsistent Celtics.

Lakers win Game 3
I got a little wordy in my excitement about the 76ers, so let’s make this quick and to the point. What’s going through the heads of the Thunder? Are they thinking they’re still the better team after losing a close Game 3. Or, are they questioning themselves after coming oh-so-close to losing two games in row? If it weren’t for a Laker collapse, this is a 2-1 series in favor of Los Angeles. It’s popular to crown the Thunder the victor in this series and argue the Lakers only won Game 3 out of desperation and with a huge assist from the officials. Not quite. (Ok, so the huge assist from the officials is accurate. In fact, it probably equaled 10 assists.)

Regardless, I still believe the Lakers have outplayed the Thunder for the better part of the last two games, and that’s without Andrew Bynum or Paul Gasol dominating. Game 3 was a vintage Kobe Bryant performance. He gutted the Lakers to that win. Also, there’s a reason the Thunder has struggled from the field in the last two games. Los Angeles has been physical with the Thunder’s big three and the Thunder doesn’t have a role player to spark the team off the bench. (James Harden is not a role player.)

I’m not ready to declare the Thunder in trouble, but I’m willing to accept Charles Barkley may have been right all along; the Thunder can’t win a title shooting jumpers.

Heat gets beat down
I should spend time congratulating the Pacers and acknowledging how well they battled to win Game 3. But that’s not as fun as railing on the struggling Heat.

To be honest, I feel a little bad for Miami. It’s never fun to watch a team compete without one of its important pieces. While it’s fun to make fun of Chris Bosh and discuss how little he’s done in Miami, it’s impossible to argue the Heat don’t miss him. Without Bosh, Miami has only three to four reliable players. Last night, the Heat had just three; LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, and Ronny Turiaf/Mike Miller who combined to equal one decent player. Notice Dwyane Wade missing from that list?

That’s right, DWade, one of the gutsiest competitors in the NBA, has apparently stooped to an agitated grump as his athleticism declines. If you’ve watched Wade at all this season, it’s clear the wear and tear of his Allen Iverson-esque reckless abandon has started to catch up with his body. While he’s still one of the NBA’s best players, he can’t take over a game whenever he wants and single-handedly decimate a defense by attacking the rim anymore. What’s worse, he’s compensated for his declining athleticism by becoming a bully and quite frankly, a word that rhymes with bassmole.

In early April, Wade gave Rip Hamilton an intentional forearm shiver that sent Hamilton to the floor. It was an ejection worthy offense but Wade only got a technical foul. In Game 2, Wade lazily threw a shoulder into Darren Collison as Collison drove to the rim for a breakaway lay up. Wade should’ve been ejected. It was a dirtier play than Jason Smith’s body check on Blake Griffin earlier in the year. Of course, Wade was not ejected.

In Game 3, Wade had perhaps his worst postseason performance; 5 points on 2/13 shooting and 5 turnovers. Miami head coach Eric Spoelstra at one point was unimpressed with Wade’s shot selection and let Wade know about it. Wade responded by trying to get at Spoelstra as if he was an opposing power forward that tried to decapitate Wade in the paint. It was pathetic.

I understand emotions are high in the playoffs, but Wade is a Finals MVP. He’s supposedly the leader of the Miami Heat. Leaders rally their teams. They don’t attack coaches. Leader’s put forth effort on the floor, regardless of the score. Wade quit early in the 4^th quarter Thursday night. He lingered on the offensive end to complain about non-calls. He closed out on shooters with the urgency of an offensive lineman at a vegan buffet. He didn’t talk to his teammates. He kept to himself and pouted.

I love Wade, but I can’t remember a more appalling performance from an NBA superstar. Yes, they all have awful games, but when they do, the great ones find other ways to contribute. Two years ago, Tim Duncan scored only 8 points on 4/23 shooting against the Pacers but grabbed 26 rebounds. Even when Kobe Bryant struggles offensively, he asserts himself defensively. Wade simply gave up.

If the Heat hopes to even advance to the conference finals, they’ll need their leader to get his head right. Or, they could simply find a new leader. Perhaps the other Miami superstar who, despite an off night, was still hustling, grabbing rebounds, and attacking the Pacer defense long after the game was decided is an option? If ever the time was right, it’s now. LeBron James must take over this team.

Spurs win big, again (As seen by my brother, Derek)
The Spurs came flying out of the gates in Game 2. They moved the ball as well as they had in the Utah series and quickly built a 15 point lead. However, the Spurs starters watched as their 2nd unit let that lead slide all the way down to 4 by the end of the half. As a Spurs fan, the question was why?

1. Were they showing a Celtic-like response of growing complacent with a big lead? No. Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan never let this happen.  [Editor’s Note: Duncan admitted post-game the Spurs lost focus a bit. This is why Pop admitted earlier in the spring that he thinks big leads early in the 1^st half are a problem because the team tends to lose its aggressiveness and there’s too much time for the opponent to bounce back.]

2. Did the Clippers finally figure out how to beat the Spurs? No. The Spurs began losing the lead when their jumpers stopped falling. They moved the ball just as well as they did when they built the lead, but this time the shots didn’t stick. And in non-Spurs fashion, the 2nd unit panicked. Manu started driving uncontrollably and either turning the ball over or putting up bad shots. The other guys started forcing the issue instead of continuing to work the ball around in order to find the open shot. Even when the starters came back, this theme continued for the rest of the half. The Spurs were lucky to hold a four point advantage at the break.

3. Did the Clippers do anything well? Yes. Just like Game 1, the Clippers 2nd unit outplayed and outworked the Spurs’ 2nd unit. This is one area of concern for the Spurs moving forward. The likes of Eric Bledsoe, Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, and Mo Williams play a more physical style than the Spurs would prefer. Additionally, this unit can score in bunches if they get hot from three. Throw in the Spurs lack of shots in the second quarter, and the Clippers bench suddenly became a problem.

What was most encouraging was the Spurs response in the 2nd half. Going into the locker room, the Spurs players were mad. They didn’t need Pop to yell at them (though he probably did) because they were mad at themselves. Look back at Manu’s halftime interview and you will see what the team’s mentality was. They were disappointed with their level of play and vowed to do something about it. This is what makes the Spurs great. They inspire and hold one another accountable. They point the finger of blame where it belongs and are not afraid to respond.

And respond is probably the best description for the Spurs second half. The ball started swinging once again and the shots started falling. Before the Clippers knew what hit them, they were already down double digits with no hope of recovery. This time, the Spurs 2nd unit maintained a double digit lead until the starters returned to finish off the discouraged Clippers.

What can we take away from this game?

1. Tony looked the same as he did in Game 1 until the forth quarter. He was clearly angry and began playing as he had all season. Hopefully this carries into Game 3.

2. Danny Green is becoming one of the Spurs most reliable shooters. He is consistently hitting 3’s at the most opportune times. He is fearless and showing championship mettle.

3. Kawhi Leonard, while not as offensively significant, is playing great defense all around. He is swarming Chris Paul and anyone else in front of him.

4. Gary Neal found his stroke in the 3rd quarter. He is going to be key whenever that 2nd unit comes in because he can create his own shot and facilitate for others.

5. Blake Griffin is improving as the games go on. He is hitting more jumpers and sinking his shots from the stripe. Unfortunately, he is still in over his head. He can’t keep Duncan or Boris Diaw out of the lane, and doesn’t have the skill set to get past the Spurs solid defense. Having said that, I think this series will go a long way in Griffin becoming a better all-around player.

6. Vinny Del Negro is a decent coach, but trying to go against Pop is really making him look bad. Hopefully he doesn’t get fired because of this series.

7. Chris Paul must be really injured. Yes, the Spurs are playing good defense, but his play is very uncharacteristic right now. He doesn’t have that killer attitude and he is turning the ball over way too much. It will be interesting to see if some home cooking will get him going once again.

[My thoughts: The Spurs need their bench to play at a high level to succeed as the playoffs continue. It may not be an issue against the Clippers, but it’ll certainly matter if the Spurs move on to face the Thunder. Yes, the Thunder bench is nothing spectacular. However, the Thunder big three are all under 25 years of age. The Spurs big three are all 30+ now. The Thunder can and will throw their stars on the floor for 40-45 minutes a night in big games. The Spurs can do this too, but the toll on the older bodies would limit the Spurs over the long haul. Therefore, it’s imperative the bench extends or at the very least, maintains leads when on the floor to allow Pop to continue to use his aging stars sparingly and to keep them fresh as they make their title run. The first six quarters of this series were a disappointment for the Spurs bench. Thankfully, the last two look to have changed that trend. Hopefully that continues.]

Lakers, Kobe Bryant choke
Choke. It sounds harsh, but that’s the only way to describe the final minutes of Game 2 on Wednesday night. With just under two minutes remaining in the 4^th quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers had a five point lead and possession. Then the wheels came off.

First, Kobe Bryant carelessly lobbed a pass right into Kevin Durant’s hands. Easy layup for Durant. Right after that, Kobe allowed a Steve Blake pass to sail right through his hands and out of bounds. Thunder ball again. After getting a stop, the Lakers foolishly went to Kobe again (0-3 in the quarter and missing badly, too). This time, Kobe took an off-balance fade away that was tightly contested and partially blocked by James Harden. Thunder ball. Harden attacked the rim for an easy lay in to put the Thunder down one. 56 seconds to go.

On the Lakers ensuing possession, it became painfully clear why Mike Brown has never been known for his offensive schemes. The Lakers were fumbling over themselves as Metta World Peace clumsily charged into the lane and lost the ball. On a fortunate bounce (or roll) the ball ended up in Kobe’s hands with six seconds on the shot clock. Drive to the rim and force a foul? Nah. Dribble drive and pull up for a 12 footer? No thanks. Rush a three even though there’s enough time to create a better opportunity? Sure, why not? Brick. Durant would then give the Thunder the lead on a sweet runner over Bynum. Finally, came the Lakers dumbest possession of all.

If you have the two biggest, most talented big men in the series who dominated the offensive glass for most of the night, wouldn’t it make sense to take the potential game-winning shot with enough time on the clock to allow for a potential tip-in or second opportunity? I understand not scoring too early and giving OKC another chance, but having Kobe dribble around until only six seconds remained while knowing OKC had a foul to give was beyond stupid. You have to force the Thunder to use that final foul before there’s only five seconds left.

Instead of Kobe attacking and breaking down the defense to free up Gasol or Bynum on the offensive boards, Kobe got fouled on the floor with five seconds left. On the ensuing inbounds play, the Lakers found Steve Blake open for three. He promptly bricked it and the Lakers lost. 0 points over the final two minutes. Outscored 8-0. Two ugly turnovers. And Bynum and Gasol didn’t touch the ball once on the offensive end. I don’t know who to blame more: Kobe Bryant for his horrible play/decisions or Mike Brown for allowing it to happen. Either way, the Lakers won’t win this series. You can’t blow opportunities like that in the playoffs and hope to survive. Just ask the Memphis Grizzlies.

My favorite part of those closing minutes was Kobe Bryant’s angered look that Steve Blake took the Lakers final shot. Listen, I love Kobe as a competitor. He’s truly special. But come on, Blake’s corner three was the best shot the Lakers had seen in the last two minutes. We always criticize LeBron for deferring to open teammates in these situations but is it any better to dominate the ball and force shots like Kobe did Wednesday night? Sure, you could make the “at least you lose with your best player taking the shots” argument, but that argument is fatally flawed when most of those shots never had a chance of going in. We rip LeBron for the dumbest things sometimes and let Kobe off easy because he has rings.

As for the Thunder, this is what makes them so beatable. In Game 1, the Thunder couldn’t miss. They were on fire and therefore unstoppable. But, as Charles Barkley loves to say, “You live by the jumper you die by the jumper.” Game 2 was evidence of that. The Thunder struggled immensely from the field, scoring only 29 2^nd half points. When the Thunder’s shots are not falling, they can’t do anything offensively. There’s no inside force to throw the ball to for an easy bucket. Transition baskets are few and far between in the postseason. That leaves the Thunder with only one option; keep shooting. While that strategy worked against the equally inept Laker offense, it’ll be hard for the Thunder offense to keep pace with a team like the San Antonio Spurs if the two were to meet in the conference finals.

Celtics crush 76ers
Wednesday night’s thumping was a big brother win. It reestablished the pecking order in the series and reminded the younger, spryer 76ers that winning one game doesn’t make you a champion.

The 76ers received a lot of attention and hype following their Game 2 victory in Boston. On Tuesday alone, I encountered Andre Iquodala on a podcast and two TV shows, including PTI. Iquodala didn’t say anything outrageous, but he did mention how confident the young 76ers were and he didn’t shy away from his success in shutting down Paul Pierce. If the Celtics were looking for some motivation, the excessive attention surrounding the 76ers the last two days certainly provided it. In fact, Game 3 was more of what I expected from the Celtics all along. Their overall lack of effort/interest/urgency in the first two games of this series was almost shameful, but that all changed Wednesday night.

From the opening tip the Celtics were aggressive. Rajon Rondo continually attacked the rim, finishing with 13 points in the opening quarter. Pierce also torched the 76ers early, including two thunderous dunks from the hobbled star. Yet, despite Boston’s hot start, the 76ers still led after one quarter. I thought we might have ourselves a nice game. I was wrong. Boston went on to outscore the 76ers 61-33 over the next two quarters. Kevin Garnett went into beast mode and completely decimated the Philadelphia defense. They simply couldn’t stop him. Rondo continued his aggressive play in attacking the paint and finding open teammates when the defense collapsed. It was a vintage Celtics performance.

If one were to simply look at the box score, they’d naturally assume the 76ers came out flat and took their Game 2 victory for granted. While the 76ers were far from perfect, they weren’t awful. The Celtics were just better. Philadelphia can only compete in this series if it’s a dogfight. When clicking, the Celtics offense is too much for the 76ers to match. It’s no secret Philadelphia struggles to score. It’ll be nearly impossible for the young 76ers to win any postseason game that requires them to score 90+ points.

Although Boston is known for its defense, its greatest advantage in this series is its offense. If the Celtics assert themselves offensively and force the 76ers to keep up, the 76ers will take themselves out of the game due to their inability to consistently score. Not that it really matters, though. Game 3 was a statement game by the Celtics. The younger brother got a little too confident after stealing a victory when big brother lost focus. Wednesday night’s drubbing re-established the Celtics as the alpha male in this series. If Boston keeps that mentality, there’s nothing the 76ers can do except watch and learn.

They lack Urgency.

Great teams don’t take nights off. The Flyers have already called out of three contests this postseason. It’s become painfully obvious the Flyers need a reason to play at their very best, because “winning” apparently isn’t cutting it.

Against the Penguins in Round 1, the Flyers had years of hatred and disdain pushing them to greatness. Watching 90% of the “experts” pick the Penguins to dispose of the Flyers and reach the Stanley Cup Finals certainly helped, too. On top of that, the Flyers (and their fans) sincerely despise Sidney Crosby. The opportunity to send the Penguins home early from the playoffs was all the motivation the Flyers needed to elevate their game.

Then, after the Flyers had pummeled the Penguins into submission and grabbed a 3-0 series lead, the Flyers lost interest. They had proved they were the better team. The Penguins were groveling for mercy. The Flyers needed a new challenge. What the Flyers forgot, though, is you can’t take days off in the playoffs. As a result of the Flyers lack of urgency, the Penguins battled back to force a critical Game 6 in Philadelphia. The stakes were raised again. The Flyers had a reason to play. Urgency returned and the Flyers crushed the Penguins.

Fast-forward to Sunday’s victory against the Devils in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was obvious the Flyers were missing the same urgency they showed in Game 6 against Pittsburgh. The Devils came out sharp, controlled the puck and took a 1-0 lead into the 1^st intermission. Again, the Flyers found themselves up against the wall. Urgency returned, the Flyers battled aggressively for the next 40 minutes of regulation before dominating overtime and getting the victory on Danny Briere’s rocket from just inside the blue line.

In Game 2, the Flyers maintained that same intensity and urgency that won them Game 1 and jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Flyers had control, the Devils looked overmatched. Urgency was now gone. Thus, the Flyers mustered only two shots in the second period and blew a 1-0 3^rd period lead by surrendering three goals in the first 15 minutes of the final period. Only then did the Flyers ratchet up their level of play. Only then did the urgency that flustered the Pittsburgh Penguins… that won the Flyers Game 1… that handed the Flyers an early 1-0 lead in Game 2… return. But by then it was too late. An empty net goal sealed Philadelphia’s fate before their inspired play could produce results.

Teams that survive the NHL Playoffs and hoist the Stanley Cup in early June are rarely the most talented team in the tournament. The Stanley Cup Champion is the team that wanted it most, the team that played every second of every minute of every game of every series as if it were overtime of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Playing with a sense of urgency on a nightly basis doesn’t always equal winning. It’s about desire, effort, and intensity.

Right now, the New York Rangers play with that intensity. The Los Angeles Kings and Mike Richards play with that intensity. The Phoenix Coyotes play with that intensity. Even Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals have played with that intensity throughout the playoffs. The Flyers have not, and until they maintain the necessary level of urgency to be the last team standing, they’ll continue to be a fun team to watch and a nice story, but not Stanley Cup champions.