I don't want to get into a huge recap about it so I'll leave it for the beginning. I'm not trying to bury soccer by doing this shortly because I'm not. I love the sport but I'm still very disappointed with the Bayern Munich loss. I understand how Chelsea put a wall behind their net with so many defenders but how they couldn't win was ridiculous. The main stars didn't show up from Arjen Robben to Frank Ribery which was very disappointing. I was shocked to see Ivica Olic make an appearance but less shock at him missing an easy game winner and missing a penalty in the shut out. Bayern has to be devastated because this was their year with the odds heavily stacked in their favor. Chelsea was clearly overmatched but snuck out with the win which means Chelsea will get a Champions League spot next year. That means my beloved Tottenham Hotspur will miss out and likely lose some stars. Luka Modric is all but gone because he's too good to miss another Champions League. Gareth Bale wouldn't surprise me if he decided to leave which he should because he belongs in Champions League. Spurs might possibly implode with their stars leaving but with the money they'll bring in, they might remain respectable. Its still a sad day as a Spurs fan because having a Croatian on the team was great. I highly doubt Vedran Corluka returns to Spurs after a productive spell at Bayer Leverkusen and Niko Kranjcar's time has run up in Spurs. Modric looks to be next which leads to a Croatian-less Spurs team for the first time since 2008. The player that won man of the match had to be Ashley Cole. He made Arjen Robben look worthless with his marking and really looked spot on. People give Cole some grief because he's not very emotional and has ripped on English people in the past but he's shown how great he can be. I'm a huge Leighton Baines fan and he's easily one of the best left backs in the world but Cole will keep that England spot at left back in the Euro Cup. I'll do a full Euro Cup preview on June 6th that will be up with predictions, awards, and other fun information. So soccer fans stay tuned for that, it should be great.
I'm sad to say that this bum is a Croatian. Ivica Olic disappointing Croatians since 2008.
This is a pretty special edition today because it's the one year anniversary of my auto biography on my high school life. This book was written about my freshman year from 2007 to senior year which ended in 2011. I'm proud of myself for finishing it because it showed my determination as a writer and it got lot of great reviews. People were impressed my story telling and how epic some of my stories were. It makes me feel blessed on the crazy life that I experienced in high school and still experience now. Of course you have a few haters out there since my book was pretty edgy and it got people's attention. I'll admit that I went over the line a bit with some people's personal background but if you rubbed me the wrong way or made me miserable well I didn't hide it. It was brought up if it left a major impact on my life which still annoyed me. I'm not going to brag how I got some threats yet nobody laid a finger on me. I'm not looking for negative publicity or attention with drama because its immature and I'm too old for that. I'm not afraid from it though if someone wants to challenge me because I don't back down. I admitted to the people that I offended that some of it got too personal which I apologized for but don't try to become a hot shot about it. I'm very happy with my work and I lost maybe two friends out of it that I was going to break off from anyway. If you're going to deny the truth or the past or my personal belief about our friendship or relationship well then that's not my problem. People need to respect my opinion sometimes either that or explain to me about their true feelings towards me. Otherwise you leave me no choice so that's my moral lesson here. I'm also going to talk the usual NBA playoffs which has gone fast so far with the Western Conference semifinals already over and the Heat resurrecting from the dead.
The Life Of A Teenage Enigma
207 pages of awesomeness.
I'm pretty excited to do this because I don't think everyone that I know and love haven't heard like the whole reason for this and story to making it. I remember going into 2011 with a chip on my shoulder and trying to do something. I've been doing work around a few blog sites doing some reviews of Falcons football, wrestling, and some soccer but it wasn't anything major. I wanted to do a huge project because my senior year was a joke and I had nothing to really do. I would have season tickets to see St.John's pull off an amazing year of basketball and drink beer. It was a fun lifestyle but I always want to be productive. I had my job at the library and consistently worked out so it wasn't like I was doing nothing. It was just time for me to do something that would make me work hard and to do something. I was thinking about what's something that I'm good at and would interest people in checking out. I've always wanted to write and work in a big company as a journalist along with the fact that I have so many crazy stories. I'm a storyteller to people and they always want to hear me well at least most people. A few people tell me to shut up and call me the biggest piece of s*** they ever met (how nice!). I decided to start working on this in early March although it didn't really take off till after my birthday weekend in early April. With March Madness going on, I got pretty caught up in that. It took around Easter vacation when I was seriously putting in four to five hours a day. If I wasn't working or in the gym on weekdays, it was on my computer. It was really nice not to have any work senior year because if I have school work it wouldn't have been done. It took around three months to fully complete so let's get into it. I'm going to do the years by each paragraph.
My freshman year was the absolute worst and I had some people say that it was really lame and dark at the beginning. The reason for that was because that was my life freshman year. If their was anything to describe me as freshman year other than wannabe tough guy was dark or lame. It was a really tough time for me as a person because I didn't care about much. It was just a year of being miserable after December with me failing so many subjects and starting to smoke a lot. I'm not going to say addicted because I really wasn't and few of my pothead friends would probably be offended if I told them how much I would smoke. I'm not going to say addicted but it was more than enough to have an effect on me of not caring about anything. Eventually I woke up when I lost a lot of my childhood friends which was about my 15th birthday. Nobody really wished me birthday and it was a really bad time for me. Eventually I won them over by apologizing and hanging out again for a bit. I stopped hating the world and started liking people again is to put a blunt. I stopped with all the rapping and dissing women which was so lame. If you would have seen my notebook freshman year, you would have thought I'm the biggest loser ever. I'm not going to go on a tangent about being miserable because its never enjoyable. I got past it by simply seeing friends again that would actually want to do things and not jut sit around smoking weed. Things started to improve when I realized I needed to start doing better in school so my family wouldn't be so down on me. The summer of 2008 is how I would phrase it was pretty fun. I was grounded due to going to summer school which was right looking back on it. My dad punished the hell out of me and made my life miserable but he would always go to bed around 9 at night so I'd sneak out to see friends. I did a lot but not every night because my mom even being the sweetheart she is would have boundaries. It was a pretty weird time but I got away with it without telling anyone. Nobody ever questioned me on why I'm hanging out so late either and I never wanted to bring up being grounded. I just went along with it but now I'm not really hiding anything so there you go. I would sneak out just to see people in the summer because a summer locked in the house is tortuous. The summer was decent with some nights but I never really got into the drinking just yet. I smoked at times but overall I was just learning to recover from an awful year.
The sophomore year of high school was a complete blast compared to 2008. I was on second honors most of the year because I knew how to take school seriously and it was just so much craziness. I would be talking to girls constantly and my sports teams were doing great. If you sat down with me to talk about the Falcons 2008-2009 team, you would tell me to shut up after ten minutes. It was a pretty epic year also with the Heat making the playoffs after stinking for a few years. It was just great to finally be able to walk like I wasn't absolute trash which may sound silly. My family would praise me for my hard work and I was getting showered with some pretty big rewards. I'll never forget that Christmas where I literally got an IPOD, an xbox 360, and a new TV in my room. It made me feel rich for the first and only time in my life. I felt like I deserved it but eventually it was like I didn't want to turn into those rich snobby kids. You see those kids on MTV on the sweet sixteen shows and I'm thinking like there so lame. It was a pretty fun time for most of the year and I eventually got with the drinking program. I'll admit I started out as a major lightweight struggling to drink six coors lights sometimes. It was awful in taste but Coors Light is like water. Most of my friends were lightweights well except Kevin who has to get a shout out because he drank like a man at age 15 (I miss him very much). It was also a mostly a non-drama year with my only drama telling my mat teacher that I didn't care what she had to say. With her grouchy voice, I'll never forget the echo of her voice and my facial expression like I was about to die. It was Mrs.Fincher by the way for my Cross guys, I know some of you got a heart on for her. She's cool and I'll admit she was a bit of a turn on but that voice makes me want to leave the room sometimes. What made this year so memorable had to be the summer because that's when full drinking mode was in affect. It was the rebel lifestyle of drinking in parks and jumping in pools at midnight. I didn't have to sneak out anymore and it was just living the good life. I'd work two days a week with my dad even if I was hungover even though he never found out. It was an awesome summer minus some drama with a girl I really liked. I'm not going to mention names of people that hate me because my life is at peace. It sounds lame but we don't get along anymore and she's just a flat out b****. Anyway that was my only drama since I really liked her and she didn't see me that way. Then she hooked up with a guy while my grandpa died (double punch in the face). That was the only rough part other than the drama was my grandparents dying in a matter of two months. My mom was going through such rough moments that I was there to always support. It hurt my summer a little bit but the nights of belly flopping in the pool and drinking was just a blast. I miss the days of not needing any money and getting to act like a maniac. I could write a book that's called "I miss being 16" because it was that awesome. I took advantage of my last summer without work or drama or any of that annoying stuff.
Now we get to junior year which was a very frustrating year. It was just everything with school being really hard with the workload a junior gets. My teams had disappointing seasons after looking so promising. My social life was still going well with all my friend intact and making even more new friends but the drama was killing me a bit. I'm trying not to put an individual into a whole big thing here but she has to be mentioned. Her name was Samantha and you probably know who I'm talking about already because she was so important in my life. You always get that one high school girl that you'll always depend on and you love so dearly. I had so many crushes but she never seemed to get away in my head. She was becoming like everything to me yet I feared putting everything on the line. If only I had the mindset that I have know when it was early 2010. We were still close and we were like best friends that would talk all the time. She always just wanted to be friends and never really was into me that way. It was that great case of "friends" that just eats inside of guys especially me. She was perfect for me and we got along so well but eventually I just kept being more annoying. I'd go for her for advice and eventually I pushed her one day when my mom got laid off and she snapped at me. Then everything fell apart and it was just so depressing. I wasn't that depressed at first because my cousin had her baby and things were still going good for me in school. i was just working hard and hanging out with my new baby cousin. Eventually it was hurting me a bit and I would try talking to her but she wouldn't budge. She wouldn't give me the answer to why she couldn't stand me and it killed me. Summer 2010 was really lame for the most part even though my dad went away for few weeks. When my dad isn't home, I'm basically running the show and everything is free. My mom is awesome and I'll always listen to her but usually I can do whatever I please. My dad is the strict one that doesn't allow much in terms of having people over. It was great with him gone but that summer was so bad. The parties were lame and my friends were starting to get a reputation as "reckless at parties that cause fights and incidents" even though I always stayed away. I've learned my lesson a few times of being reckless especially at my friend's Donna sweet sixteen. That's a long story that is too long to get into but I basically should have been in a hospital that night but somehow landed home and recovered. If you read my actual book, it would blow your mind. That summer went by fast with not much going and being jobless which stunk. I was just waiting for football season to start and other things to begin because things were so lame. I wasn't really into any girls and it was hard to see certain girls because the ones I'm friends with are so spaced out. I'd always wondered if I put them in a room, you would hear like fights everywhere because their was someone out of the group that didn't like another. I could only dream though but to end this year off, it was frustrating despite a few good moments. I wasn't grounded or anything but I was pretty down on some things. The whole Samantha incident killed me and we eventually talked face to face. When that happened, we went back and forth. My ego was pretty big at the time for no apparent reason but it was just like I've been waiting for this. I completely failed and she basically said I lost her trust. It sucked so bad then things got even more heated. She was like whispering in someone's ear and I see everything shady around me so I wasn't leaving like this. I played her game and whispered in her ear that she was pathetic which looking back on wasn't smart but that's pretty bad***. We got into a whole fight and everything just ended outside of Oasis. The Greeks always play a role in hurting my life in some way.
Senior year finally begun and it didn't start off all that great. It was the same dull life where people didn't want my friends at parties and I didn't know that many people anymore. It wasn't until 2011 when I got to know so many people. I'll do my shout outs after but basically I was still stuck with the same guys on weekends. It got really lame and things were dull. The cool things going on had to be my Falcons going 13-3 and I'm a football nerd so I'm mentioning it. It was an awesome season and I just remember watching them win game by game. Then as a Heat fan, I got to witness LeBron James and Chris Bosh join the heat which was crazy. That was ironically one of the my only highlights in 2010, which is pathetic. Anyway eventually senior year was getting good around New Years when I was re uniting with people at this New Year's party. I got to know people like Nick Zav and Mike Goglia that I've been friends with but I became really cool with. That's when things changed when I actually started to talk to different people and then got to do things on weekend. Then St.John's started to play great and I'm a seasons ticket holder thanks to my awesome uncle, so going to the Garden and see them beat top 25 teams in the country was incredible. They were beating Georgetown, Duke, Pittsburgh, and UConn where I sat in the 8th row every game. It was in the students section too so I got rowdy and even made some appearances on CBS. My face book wall blew up with comments about how they saw me yelling on TV which is hilarious. It was really memorable to go to those games because they were such an underdog and it was the only New York team that I truly loved.
Then I had my job and I was making some decent money for a 17 year old kid. The only rough part about senior year was probably my SAT's which stunk because I was awful at standardized tests. It was just a lack of being focus so I had no one to blame but myself when I couldn't get into a decent college. It hurt for a week or so but I had to accept reality. Senior year continued to get going and eventually I started getting into bars. A few places allowed you in if you were 18 and we were rolling. A few places like Brefines Pub (aka sleezys to my friends reading this) and Fillmores which is my personal favorite place because their wasn't a time there that I didn't have fun. Senior year was a complete blast and I'm so happy that I made the best of it because their wasn't going to be another year like that again with absolutely no workload. The year was a breeze and I made the most of it with everything. I got to see my favorite band live in Three Days Grace in mid April which was a really cool moment. Samantha and I became friends again after I literally mailed her a four page letter. I literally went to her house and put it in her mail box. It wasn't a matter of missing her but it was something that I had to get off my chest. I was maturing and had to confess a lot of things because if I didn't make things right, it was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. It took about two months to see her face to face again after writing that letter and it was pretty wild. It was just me, Samantha, and my two buddies Paul and Anthony (major shout out to them, those are my boys). We were just a restaurant and I barley said a word until I said these exact words "alright I didn't come here to f*** around, I'm here for personal business (what a promo!). We talked for about an hour and we eventually became cool again. That's all I really wanted just to know that we don't have any hatred between us. I celebrated with a Guinness that night because my memory is insane and I remember things like that. That just completed my awesome senior year then I started writing my book a few weeks later. Samantha and I became legit friends a few months later before she moved to Staten Island which sucked because I haven't seen her in almost a year).
That's how basically the book went and then I started sending it out to people. I've calculated the link and actual copies that I've given out and it was 487. Do I think that 487 read the whole thing? I'm positive that they didn't but it was cool for them just to take the time to check it out. I know people that read the whole thing and would e-mail me their thoughts chapter to chapter. It was pretty cool like people would complain "you talk to much Croatian soccer" or "I'm sick of these wrestling references". In the end, most people enjoyed it and they were telling me that they were laughing so hard. The best thing I've heard from people that read it was from two guys named Danny Olivo and Joe Addamo. I don't see them a lot anymore but they were always cool guys. One day we were just eating lunch and they told me at their prom after party that they read my book. It was four in the morning and they skipped to the fun chapters and read the stories. They were laughing so hard about all the stories of drinking in forests and making beer runs. That was the funniest thing I've heard and it made me feel like "wow I can make people read my book at a damn after prom". I like to thank everyone who read it because it took three months to fully complete it. The only thing that I felt bad was getting a bit too personal about information of a few girls. I brought up some topics that shouldn't have been brought up and I've apologized to them. Most of the girls understood what I did and they respected my work for the most part even if I went overboard. I ripped a few girls because they either rubbed me the wrong way or made my life miserable. I don't feel bad for that but giving out some personal information from them that I know was pretty stupid. Other than that, I'm happy with my work and its still the coolest thing I've done. Could we see another book coming out in the future? I would say it's a good bet because I got more stories to tell and people really enjoyed it. My Facebook wall was getting pretty loaded with comments and my phone was blowing up for a few days. The end of May going into early June was really cool talking to people about it and it made me feel accomplished. If i could make an estimate about a possible new book, it could be the summer of 2013. I'm not saying it's a definite but it could happen. I'll keep you updated as always, thank you for caring.
A few shout outs to people are obviously all my family, don't really need to get into names. My main friends through the book like Paul, Anthony, Joe, Kevin Campbell, and Frank really stood out to me. A few other guys that were my boys in high school had to be guys like Kevin Durkan, Nick A (damn Greeks and their last names), John A, Mike Goglia, Alex Z. I don't stay in contact with a lot of girls these days because of school and things so the list won't be long. Obviously Samantha will always be someone I care about in my life and I'll always love. I got a few other girls like Donna, Antoniette, and Karen who are girls that I give some love to in the book and still to this day. That's all that really sticks out to me, don't be offended if I forgot you. This is only from the book and obviously I made a lot of friends during this year. You know who you are is my lame way of putting, please don't beat me over it. At least its better than I love everyone because that's totally false. Some girls I absolutely hate these days that I mentioned so yeah it's not all hearts and roses when it comes to that. This was fun to recap and I hope for those that haven't read it, that you get interested and want to check it out. If you already read it, well I hope you enjoyed the mini recap.
Conference Semifinals
The playoffs seem to be flying by but thats mainly because of the Western conference series. I remember listening to Bill Simmons, who is like a hero to me. If I met Bill, I'd probably be in complete awe and praise him like crazy. Simmons said on his podcast that the Western conference semifinals will blow away the Eastern conference semifinals in terms of game quality and excitement with Thunder- Lakers and Clippers- Spurs series. That didn't turn out that well with a clean sweep by Spurs and Thunder wining in five. The Eastern conference has both series at least going to six games which is enjoyable. Let's break it down. Also I want to indicate that I'm not doing a Spurs vs Thunder series preview until Friday because the series doesn't start till Sunday. These reviews are longer because it has been a while since I covered games. NBA has ran a few back to back games especially on the West Coast so there is plenty to cover.
This looks so wrong on so many levels. Why Fish why?
1. Spurs vs 5. Clippers- My original prediction was five at the start of the playoffs but it changed to sweep before the round begin. The Clippers just couldn't handle the all around play of the Spurs. I didn't get to catch much of these games due to the Champions League final and Over The Limit but I got to see the 4th quarter of each game. The series looked officially over after the Spurs went on a 24-0 run to erase a 20 point lead from the Clippers in Game 3. With Tony Parker being the catalyst that he's been all season with 23 points and 10 assists, the Spurs proved to be too much. They started to double team Blake Griffin after Griffin started out on fire early on dominating the paint. They started to surround and challenged the role players. That proved to be effective with guys like Caron Butler, Randy Foye, and DeAndre Jordan proving to be non factors again. Chris Paul was frustrated once again and went 5-17 in another tough outing for him. The Spurs know how to defend you all across the court with their scheme and make sure that Paul won't get any clean looks. They did get a spark from Mo Williams who had a nice Game 3 off the bench with 19 points but they never gave Blake Griffin enough support. They went on a major cold streak while Parker was finding guys like Leonard and Green open to hit big shots. Leonard was very efficient going 5 for 7 with 14 points showing that he's the future for the Spurs. Despite Blake Griffin's big game, Tim Duncan was right on par shooting 8-16 with 19 points and 13 rebounds in a big game. Duncan was just as good as Griffin with his crafty style and fundamental foot work in the low post. The Clippers look deflated after losing by ten in Game 3 but they didn't lay down in Game 4. Chris Paul finally had a huge game shooting 9-18 with 23 points and 11 assists. The game was very even for the most part with the Spurs being more careless than usual while the Clippers continued to get their role players involved. It was just another case of who can bring it off the bench with no sort of mindset of wondering how long they should play someone like Eric Bledsoe who scored 17 points off the bench. It looked at times like the Clippers wouldn't go down with a sweep but eventually the Spurs turned it up even without Manu Ginobili being all that effective. They were led by dynamic duo of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker along with a really good performance from the Spurs bench. They have been great all season and that didn't stop with three players scoring double digits in the points column. Ginobili was just decent but players like Gary Neal and Tiago Splitters. The Spurs know how to use their bench with all the depth they have in there while the Clippers head into another off season looking to make the next step.
MVP Of The Series- I'm going to stick with Tony Parker again even though Tim Duncan has a great claim. Parker was mostly the catalyst once again in the series and really out played Chris Paul through out the series. You can make a claim for Duncan who had some really bright moments but its tough for me not to take Parker. You could take either guy here.
2. Thunder vs 3. Lakers- It ended one game shorter but many people feel that it was clearly an over matched Lakers team. Lakers looked fatigued late in games and simply doesn't have enough depth. When they were getting drained, the Thunder were causing turnovers or getting on fast break to get easy buckets with pure speed to space the game out. The only full game I managed to watch in the last three games that I haven't covered in the last three games was the only Lakers win in Game 3. They were fired up even though it was a tough shooting for most of their players. Kobe Bryant shot 9-25 again but he saved his best for the free throw line going 18-18. It was vintage Kobe night where he wasn't accepting a loss no matter how bad he's shooting. Thunder shot 37 percent that game with all their role players such as Ibaka, Fisher, and Sefolosha all having poor games. Both Sefolosha and Ibaka make up for it with their hard work defensive forcing either Kobe into poor shots or not allowing Pau Gasol to really get involved in the game. The difference was that the Lakers simply made more stops and got to the free throw line. Other than Kevin Durant, nobody really stepped up in the end for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had a nice game but with only two assists doesn't help the team get others involved. Lakers began to key on both main stars and James Harden shot poorly. That could be a recipe of disaster for the Thunder but then again that's with every team with role players. Role players are important to every team and the best teams have a solid role player core. That's why the Lakers and Clippers have been eliminated with ease because they either have no bench (Lakers) or too many ineffective role players (Clippers). Game 4 was a classic but sadly I only got to see highlights. The Lakers absolutely blew it getting outscored by 12 in the fourth quarter. It was the Westbrook and Durant show for most of the game with the players combining for 68 of the Thunder 103 points.
They both shot over 50 percent as well with the Lakers having no sort of answer. Metta World Power couldn't contain Durant's uncanny ability of hitting the outside shot or getting past him driving the ball while Westbrook had an array of Lakers guard him but their wasn't any answer to it. It was mostly a mistake free game other than the shot blocking ability of each team. Both teams went over six blocks in this game with Serge Ibaka having 5. He had a solid game all around with 14 points but the 5 blocks led to some easy fast break points. In the end though, it was another case of Kobe Bryant not really looking to anyone other than Bynum. Bynum had a solid game 9-15 with 18 points but everyone else either shot poorly or couldn't get involved. Pau Gasol really struggled to get involved with the offensive game plan most of the series while Metta World Power was limited in the series using most of his energy to guard Durant. In the end, it was Durant making the play over Kobe hitting a huge three pointer after a Pau Gasol turnover while Kobe missed a difficult three. The games were really fun to watch in this series so I made sure to tune in to Game 5 in 2nd half but I missed out on the fun for the most part. I'm not sure if the Lakers laid down or if the Thunder just blew them off the court but it was a combination of both. Gasol worked really hard in the game with 16 rebounds and constantly banging bodies down low but it seemed like the Lakers were finished and couldn't recover from the Game 4 heartbreak. Bynum was mostly a non factor with Sessions and World Power (I love that name for Metta) mostly being left out with Kobe's desperation mindset. Kobe took 33 shots and actually was efficient hitting 18 of them but they weren't going to win that way. Lakers bench was once again a complete non factor with nobody contributing and the Lakers never executed any kind of offensive game plan. I know that Oklahoma City is better but since Mike Brown is the coach, this reminded me of when he was coaching the Cavs and going up against the Celtics in the 2nd round. That was the last year for LeBron and in the playoffs, he started to take too many shots particularly jump shots and the Cavs were finished. The Thunder didn't do anything really impressive that wasn't expected other than out rebound the Lakers by 15. When Andrew Bynum only had four rebounds that were just all defensive, you know that he's not fully into the game. Bynum's size and talent automatically gets him at least eight so something had to be wrong. Thunder moved on with their version of big three taking mostly the scoring load with James Harden finally stepping up in the series scoring 17 points on 6-10 shooting. Thunder move on a game faster than I thought while Lakers go into another off season possibly thinking of blowing up their team. I think it's going to happen because the Lakers are too good to lose this easily in the 2nd round for the 2nd straight year. I'm positive that Gasol will be gone but possibly Bynum? It should be interesting Laker fans.
MVP Of The Series- This is another toss up but I'm going with Kevin Durant here. Both Durant and Westbrook had their moments of brilliance but Durant made more of an impact in the clutch. We saw it in both scrappy wins in Game 2 and 4 on how great Durant is in the clutch. He made more of an impact in the end of games and never really struggled in the series unlike Westbrook who was brutal in Game 2. Both players are playing at an elite level right now and if they continue to play like this, nobody is stopping them.
2. Heat vs 3. Pacers- I'm going to take full responsibility Heat fans that read the blog or even Heat bashers. I'll admit that after Game 3, I thought it was all over. Dwayne Wade looked gassed and tired playing like a shell of himself. The Heat couldn't buy a three pointer in Game 3 and they just looked completely over matched down low. After my pick of Miami in 5 (original prediction was a sweep), I thought Indiana would finish them in Game 6. That prediction took a complete 180 with the return of Dwayne Wade's all star form and LeBron James showing why he's the best in the world at what he does (classic line). The comeback started in the 2nd half of Game 4 with the Heat down by 8 in the break. Wade was still struggling from the field and the Heat weren't finding much help around LeBron. It seemed like another game doomed for failure and the Heat were going to lay down. It wasn't the case with the third quarter being all Miami and a 14 point differential with the Heat advantage out of that quarter. Dwayne Wade went 6 for 6 in that quarter looking like his old self by slashing to the room and hitting those difficult angled jumpers. He was working with LeBron on the quick passes for easy buckets that are known to be so effective. At one point in the game, the Heat's amazing duo had 38 straight points which is insane. Indiana had no answer for them and they also had no answer for their poor shooting. The backcourt really struggled with George Hill taking poor shots and Paul George failing to step up when needed with even worse shots. They got a nice boost with Collison off the bench who ironically was the only player that was doing anything in the 2nd half besides Danny Granger. Pacers stayed close during the game but the Heat proved to be too much even when they doubled Wade or James. It was also a breakout game for Udonis Haslem who has been struggling all season. I'm a big supporter of Haslem as a Heat fan and he's always been productive despite his limited ability. It was tough seeing him struggle that much with his mid range jumper that was so reliable over the years. He stepped up hitting three huge jump shots at the end of the game with one good eye thanks to an elbow by Tyler Hansbrough in the 3rd quarter. Haslem came up huge in the end to preserve the eight point win. The main story other than the return of Wade playing up to his ability and of course LeBron's 40 point game with 18 rebounds was how Indiana really falls in love with the jump shot far too often. They went 7 for 22 from down town but they also forgot to go to who's been effective most of the series. David West only went 3-8 while Roy Hibbert went 4-9 which isn't a smart game plan for Indiana. They won Game 2 and 3 based on dominating the paint and using both men to over power the undersized Heat core down low. Instead Indiana started shooting way too many jumpers and it cost them a game that could have won them the series. Instead momentum changed and Miami seemed to be primed for a big breakout Game 5 and it happened.
Last nights game was a joy to watch as a Heat fan with everything coming together. After struggling all season with his jump shot, Shane Battier came alive hitting 4-6 from three point range. Battier has always been a terrific on ball defender but he needs to hit those open outside shots because they will come to him. It finally happened yesterday and it could be a start to something. Indiana hung around early but it was another tale of the 3rd quarter. The games in the series have been won on 3rd quarter with most games having a break out team in 3rd quarter to really make the game wide open. It was the Heat in this one especially with Danny Granger going down with a sprained ankle. Indiana tried to go to their method of winning by using West and Hibbert in the post but they combined to shoot 8 foe 23 from the field. Miami rotating defense was on par for most of the night and forced Indiana into a 6-21 shooting night from three point land. Indiana looked out of it and never seemed to recover while Miami was running all over them on the fast break. LeBron had another terrific game with 30 points 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Wade had 28 points proving that it wasn't a one game fluke. Miami shot 61 percent last night which is impressive and they don't seem like they're stopping any time soon. They are in a rhythm right now especially with Anthony and Haslem playing much better. That could change though after Haslem dirty foul on Hansbrough which will probably merit a suspension. It should only be one game but I'd be shocked if he avoids suspension because it didn't look like he was going for the ball and it was a hard shot. The series is getting very physical but Miami is starting to dictate the pace after getting blown off the court in Game 3. The complex of the series can change in an instant and I should've known better before making that bold prediction that Indiana would finish them off. I think Granger will play tomorrow because a minor sprained ankle isn't too serious but I can't see them winning. Miami's defensive scheme has got them locked in and the dynamic duo is in attack mode. If they keep up the great shooting from three point range, this could be a blow out again. I'll be shocked if this series goes back to Miami.
MVP Of The Series- I can't find a toss up in this series for once because LeBron James has been off the charts. He's been productive in every game and has dominated the last two games. He's been put Miami on his back when called upon while not taking many poor shots. It has been fun to watch him play so freely and run the court because sometimes he gets too caught up in half court offense and taking mid range jump shots. He's not shying away from contact and not shying away from the new born tough guy look of Granger. I'm not going to get into Granger and his motto of trying to be a tough guy, but its pretty pathetic to say the least.
4, Celtics v 8. 76ers- I can't really get into this too much because I haven't caught much of either game (tough scheduling). I'm going to watch tonight's game since I'm free of all work. My small impressions from the series is that I'm pretty interested by it even though the last three games haven't gone down to the wire. It has been one team outplaying the other which has been a let down but that's basketball. It can't always be about last minute shots. My impressions from Game 4 was that Kevin Garnett actually had a poor game. Garnett has been arguably the best big man in the playoffs (LeBron has taken over the award for best player in playoffs) and he finally was off going 3 for 12. Boston couldn't get much going offensively with nothing coming from their bench once again. Ray Allen never got going while nobody on the bench stepped up. Garnett was the major problem in the game which was shocking because his shooting was down and had seven turnovers. A big man should never be anywhere near those numbers so I think it was a matter of trying to hard. Boston got great games out of Pierce and Rondo with a nice contribution from Brandon Bass. They all shot 50 percent but the rest of Boston was mostly invisible or struggling. They actually shot better than the 76ers ( 42 to 37) but they turned the ball over 17 times and got out rebounded by 14. 76ers take advantage with their athleticism and speed to get easy shots which was the case. They got away with an awful game from Evan Turner shooting 5-22 with just solid games from Iguodala and Lou Williams. It wasn't a flashy win and nothing to get ecstatic over as a casual fan but the 76ers took it.
Game 5 was a different story with the rise of Brandon Bass. Bass has always been a solid player that can hit the outside jump shot and be physical down low despite being undersized. Bass scored 27 points shooting 9 for 13 from the field. It was even more impressive that he got to the foul line 10 times even if he's a role player. If he can play on a level like this, Miami will have even bigger problems to deal with (Pacer fans its over). Rondo was his usual self with a double-double of his own. The 14 assists always play a big role in Boston games and they always seem to win when Rondo gets at least ten. They didn't need any big scoring game from Pierce and Garnett got back on form with 20 points on 8-17 shooting. It was a commanding Boston win by 15. Philadelphia actually shot well from 46 percent but Boston shot 52 percent while getting to the free throw line 17 times more. They got completely outplayed in the 2nd half by getting outscored by 19 points combined. The main scorers struggled to get much going in Williams, Iguodala, and Turner being frustrated all night. I had Boston in six games when the series started (original prediction had Chicago like everyone else would) and I'm sticking with it. Boston is the veteran team that always delivers even when they don't need the win. They'll end it tonight in what should be a very close game.
MVP Of The Series- It has been a pretty even series in terms of production but I'm going to pick Garnett. Other than Game 4, he's been terrific most of the series. His Game 1 performance of scoring 29 points and 11 rebounds was the main reason Boston slipped away with a 1 point win. The blowout in Philadelphia in Game 3 was captivated by Garnett's 27 points and 13 rebounds. He's been one of the main guys or the main guy when Boston wins. He's still playing at a high level and doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. I can't wait for the Miami Boston series because I have zero idea what Miami will do if Bosh misses time in that series. I also can't wait for complaints that I'm writing off the Pacers and 76ers already. I'm sorry folks but even if either team somehow wins Game 6, they don't have much of a shot in Game 7. That is all, I think I've talked way too much basketball but that's what the playoffs do to you as a fan that has loved this since the age of 5.
They both shot over 50 percent as well with the Lakers having no sort of answer. Metta World Power couldn't contain Durant's uncanny ability of hitting the outside shot or getting past him driving the ball while Westbrook had an array of Lakers guard him but their wasn't any answer to it. It was mostly a mistake free game other than the shot blocking ability of each team. Both teams went over six blocks in this game with Serge Ibaka having 5. He had a solid game all around with 14 points but the 5 blocks led to some easy fast break points. In the end though, it was another case of Kobe Bryant not really looking to anyone other than Bynum. Bynum had a solid game 9-15 with 18 points but everyone else either shot poorly or couldn't get involved. Pau Gasol really struggled to get involved with the offensive game plan most of the series while Metta World Power was limited in the series using most of his energy to guard Durant. In the end, it was Durant making the play over Kobe hitting a huge three pointer after a Pau Gasol turnover while Kobe missed a difficult three. The games were really fun to watch in this series so I made sure to tune in to Game 5 in 2nd half but I missed out on the fun for the most part. I'm not sure if the Lakers laid down or if the Thunder just blew them off the court but it was a combination of both. Gasol worked really hard in the game with 16 rebounds and constantly banging bodies down low but it seemed like the Lakers were finished and couldn't recover from the Game 4 heartbreak. Bynum was mostly a non factor with Sessions and World Power (I love that name for Metta) mostly being left out with Kobe's desperation mindset. Kobe took 33 shots and actually was efficient hitting 18 of them but they weren't going to win that way. Lakers bench was once again a complete non factor with nobody contributing and the Lakers never executed any kind of offensive game plan. I know that Oklahoma City is better but since Mike Brown is the coach, this reminded me of when he was coaching the Cavs and going up against the Celtics in the 2nd round. That was the last year for LeBron and in the playoffs, he started to take too many shots particularly jump shots and the Cavs were finished. The Thunder didn't do anything really impressive that wasn't expected other than out rebound the Lakers by 15. When Andrew Bynum only had four rebounds that were just all defensive, you know that he's not fully into the game. Bynum's size and talent automatically gets him at least eight so something had to be wrong. Thunder moved on with their version of big three taking mostly the scoring load with James Harden finally stepping up in the series scoring 17 points on 6-10 shooting. Thunder move on a game faster than I thought while Lakers go into another off season possibly thinking of blowing up their team. I think it's going to happen because the Lakers are too good to lose this easily in the 2nd round for the 2nd straight year. I'm positive that Gasol will be gone but possibly Bynum? It should be interesting Laker fans.
MVP Of The Series- This is another toss up but I'm going with Kevin Durant here. Both Durant and Westbrook had their moments of brilliance but Durant made more of an impact in the clutch. We saw it in both scrappy wins in Game 2 and 4 on how great Durant is in the clutch. He made more of an impact in the end of games and never really struggled in the series unlike Westbrook who was brutal in Game 2. Both players are playing at an elite level right now and if they continue to play like this, nobody is stopping them.
Lame attempts all around fellas to stop this man.
2. Heat vs 3. Pacers- I'm going to take full responsibility Heat fans that read the blog or even Heat bashers. I'll admit that after Game 3, I thought it was all over. Dwayne Wade looked gassed and tired playing like a shell of himself. The Heat couldn't buy a three pointer in Game 3 and they just looked completely over matched down low. After my pick of Miami in 5 (original prediction was a sweep), I thought Indiana would finish them in Game 6. That prediction took a complete 180 with the return of Dwayne Wade's all star form and LeBron James showing why he's the best in the world at what he does (classic line). The comeback started in the 2nd half of Game 4 with the Heat down by 8 in the break. Wade was still struggling from the field and the Heat weren't finding much help around LeBron. It seemed like another game doomed for failure and the Heat were going to lay down. It wasn't the case with the third quarter being all Miami and a 14 point differential with the Heat advantage out of that quarter. Dwayne Wade went 6 for 6 in that quarter looking like his old self by slashing to the room and hitting those difficult angled jumpers. He was working with LeBron on the quick passes for easy buckets that are known to be so effective. At one point in the game, the Heat's amazing duo had 38 straight points which is insane. Indiana had no answer for them and they also had no answer for their poor shooting. The backcourt really struggled with George Hill taking poor shots and Paul George failing to step up when needed with even worse shots. They got a nice boost with Collison off the bench who ironically was the only player that was doing anything in the 2nd half besides Danny Granger. Pacers stayed close during the game but the Heat proved to be too much even when they doubled Wade or James. It was also a breakout game for Udonis Haslem who has been struggling all season. I'm a big supporter of Haslem as a Heat fan and he's always been productive despite his limited ability. It was tough seeing him struggle that much with his mid range jumper that was so reliable over the years. He stepped up hitting three huge jump shots at the end of the game with one good eye thanks to an elbow by Tyler Hansbrough in the 3rd quarter. Haslem came up huge in the end to preserve the eight point win. The main story other than the return of Wade playing up to his ability and of course LeBron's 40 point game with 18 rebounds was how Indiana really falls in love with the jump shot far too often. They went 7 for 22 from down town but they also forgot to go to who's been effective most of the series. David West only went 3-8 while Roy Hibbert went 4-9 which isn't a smart game plan for Indiana. They won Game 2 and 3 based on dominating the paint and using both men to over power the undersized Heat core down low. Instead Indiana started shooting way too many jumpers and it cost them a game that could have won them the series. Instead momentum changed and Miami seemed to be primed for a big breakout Game 5 and it happened.
Last nights game was a joy to watch as a Heat fan with everything coming together. After struggling all season with his jump shot, Shane Battier came alive hitting 4-6 from three point range. Battier has always been a terrific on ball defender but he needs to hit those open outside shots because they will come to him. It finally happened yesterday and it could be a start to something. Indiana hung around early but it was another tale of the 3rd quarter. The games in the series have been won on 3rd quarter with most games having a break out team in 3rd quarter to really make the game wide open. It was the Heat in this one especially with Danny Granger going down with a sprained ankle. Indiana tried to go to their method of winning by using West and Hibbert in the post but they combined to shoot 8 foe 23 from the field. Miami rotating defense was on par for most of the night and forced Indiana into a 6-21 shooting night from three point land. Indiana looked out of it and never seemed to recover while Miami was running all over them on the fast break. LeBron had another terrific game with 30 points 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Wade had 28 points proving that it wasn't a one game fluke. Miami shot 61 percent last night which is impressive and they don't seem like they're stopping any time soon. They are in a rhythm right now especially with Anthony and Haslem playing much better. That could change though after Haslem dirty foul on Hansbrough which will probably merit a suspension. It should only be one game but I'd be shocked if he avoids suspension because it didn't look like he was going for the ball and it was a hard shot. The series is getting very physical but Miami is starting to dictate the pace after getting blown off the court in Game 3. The complex of the series can change in an instant and I should've known better before making that bold prediction that Indiana would finish them off. I think Granger will play tomorrow because a minor sprained ankle isn't too serious but I can't see them winning. Miami's defensive scheme has got them locked in and the dynamic duo is in attack mode. If they keep up the great shooting from three point range, this could be a blow out again. I'll be shocked if this series goes back to Miami.
MVP Of The Series- I can't find a toss up in this series for once because LeBron James has been off the charts. He's been productive in every game and has dominated the last two games. He's been put Miami on his back when called upon while not taking many poor shots. It has been fun to watch him play so freely and run the court because sometimes he gets too caught up in half court offense and taking mid range jump shots. He's not shying away from contact and not shying away from the new born tough guy look of Granger. I'm not going to get into Granger and his motto of trying to be a tough guy, but its pretty pathetic to say the least.
4, Celtics v 8. 76ers- I can't really get into this too much because I haven't caught much of either game (tough scheduling). I'm going to watch tonight's game since I'm free of all work. My small impressions from the series is that I'm pretty interested by it even though the last three games haven't gone down to the wire. It has been one team outplaying the other which has been a let down but that's basketball. It can't always be about last minute shots. My impressions from Game 4 was that Kevin Garnett actually had a poor game. Garnett has been arguably the best big man in the playoffs (LeBron has taken over the award for best player in playoffs) and he finally was off going 3 for 12. Boston couldn't get much going offensively with nothing coming from their bench once again. Ray Allen never got going while nobody on the bench stepped up. Garnett was the major problem in the game which was shocking because his shooting was down and had seven turnovers. A big man should never be anywhere near those numbers so I think it was a matter of trying to hard. Boston got great games out of Pierce and Rondo with a nice contribution from Brandon Bass. They all shot 50 percent but the rest of Boston was mostly invisible or struggling. They actually shot better than the 76ers ( 42 to 37) but they turned the ball over 17 times and got out rebounded by 14. 76ers take advantage with their athleticism and speed to get easy shots which was the case. They got away with an awful game from Evan Turner shooting 5-22 with just solid games from Iguodala and Lou Williams. It wasn't a flashy win and nothing to get ecstatic over as a casual fan but the 76ers took it.
Game 5 was a different story with the rise of Brandon Bass. Bass has always been a solid player that can hit the outside jump shot and be physical down low despite being undersized. Bass scored 27 points shooting 9 for 13 from the field. It was even more impressive that he got to the foul line 10 times even if he's a role player. If he can play on a level like this, Miami will have even bigger problems to deal with (Pacer fans its over). Rondo was his usual self with a double-double of his own. The 14 assists always play a big role in Boston games and they always seem to win when Rondo gets at least ten. They didn't need any big scoring game from Pierce and Garnett got back on form with 20 points on 8-17 shooting. It was a commanding Boston win by 15. Philadelphia actually shot well from 46 percent but Boston shot 52 percent while getting to the free throw line 17 times more. They got completely outplayed in the 2nd half by getting outscored by 19 points combined. The main scorers struggled to get much going in Williams, Iguodala, and Turner being frustrated all night. I had Boston in six games when the series started (original prediction had Chicago like everyone else would) and I'm sticking with it. Boston is the veteran team that always delivers even when they don't need the win. They'll end it tonight in what should be a very close game.
MVP Of The Series- It has been a pretty even series in terms of production but I'm going to pick Garnett. Other than Game 4, he's been terrific most of the series. His Game 1 performance of scoring 29 points and 11 rebounds was the main reason Boston slipped away with a 1 point win. The blowout in Philadelphia in Game 3 was captivated by Garnett's 27 points and 13 rebounds. He's been one of the main guys or the main guy when Boston wins. He's still playing at a high level and doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon. I can't wait for the Miami Boston series because I have zero idea what Miami will do if Bosh misses time in that series. I also can't wait for complaints that I'm writing off the Pacers and 76ers already. I'm sorry folks but even if either team somehow wins Game 6, they don't have much of a shot in Game 7. That is all, I think I've talked way too much basketball but that's what the playoffs do to you as a fan that has loved this since the age of 5.
Final Word/ Plugs
I'm keeping this short because I'm about to head out to play some basketball for the first time in months. I'll be back Friday with more basketball playoff coverage and preview of UFC 146. It will be the usual all Friday sports edition. If you want to read my actual full book, well contact me at any of these links below with your e-mail and it will be sent to you. I'm sure that you will enjoy it. I hope you have a good day.
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