D-Wade, Heat Protected Their House In Game 1
As the calendar flips to May, the NBA Playoffs roll on into the second round, as only eight teams are left in the hunt. The first round saw two upsets: the #5 Hawks avenged last year’s sweep at the hands of the #4 Magic in the Eastern Conference, and the eighth-seeded Grizzlies pulled a shocking upset over the top-seeded Spurs out West. The second round should be even more competitive, as the teams below or barely above .500 (Pacers, 76ers, Knicks) have already been discarded. Not only that, but the lowest seed remaining, the #8 seed Grizzlies, have been playing with an energy and toughness that makes them dangerous going forward. They were in action last night against Kevin Durant, while the Big 3 squared off against the Big 4 in Miami. Let’s take a look at the action.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (3) @ Miami Heat (2)
5/1: Game One–HEAT 99, Celtics 90 (1-0, Miami)
If anyone still thought that the Miami Heat were LeBron’s team, hopefully last night’s game put that to rest. Dwyane Wade demolished the Boston Celtics in Game One, helping the Heat take a 1-0 series lead on the strength of his 38 points. The Celtics allowed a league-low 91.1 points per game during the regular season, but the Heat rang up 99 on them last night, and D-Wade was responsible for 38.3% of them. With a plus-8 +/- rating (compared to LeBron’s +1), Wade shot 14-21 (66.7%) from the floor and 8-9 from the free throw line. His remarkable efficiency did not end there, as the former Marquette star picked up three steals while only turning the ball over twice. By comparison, LeBron turned the ball over three times to go with only two steals. While King James cost his team one possession, D-Wade created a possession for the Heat, and he took advantage with his sharpshooting all night long. Wade better continue stepping up for Miami because Chris Bosh looked totally overmatched against Kevin Garnett last night. He scored only seven points on 3-10 shooting against the Celtics’ interior defense after averaging 19.8 points per game in the first round. If KG is going to continue to shut down Bosh, Wade–or somebody else–better step up if the Heat want to win this series. Last night James Jones did, going 5-7 from downtown and 10-10 from the free throw line en route to 25 points. The Heat shouldn’t count on him though, as James had not scored over 15 points in a game since December 2, 2010. The moral of the story: D-Wade was great for the Heat, but they are in trouble if they cannot find a consistent third scorer.
To read Andrew’s insight on the Grizzlies-Thunder series visit: SportStatistics
Game 1 Breakdown: Inside Analysis On Sunday’s Semis
D-Wade, Heat Protected Their House In Game 1
As the calendar flips to May, the NBA Playoffs roll on into the second round, as only eight teams are left in the hunt. The first round saw two upsets: the #5 Hawks avenged last year’s sweep at the hands of the #4 Magic in the Eastern Conference, and the eighth-seeded Grizzlies pulled a shocking upset over the top-seeded Spurs out West. The second round should be even more competitive, as the teams below or barely above .500 (Pacers, 76ers, Knicks) have already been discarded. Not only that, but the lowest seed remaining, the #8 seed Grizzlies, have been playing with an energy and toughness that makes them dangerous going forward. They were in action last night against Kevin Durant, while the Big 3 squared off against the Big 4 in Miami. Let’s take a look at the action.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (3) @ Miami Heat (2)
5/1: Game One–HEAT 99, Celtics 90 (1-0, Miami)
If anyone still thought that the Miami Heat were LeBron’s team, hopefully last night’s game put that to rest. Dwyane Wade demolished the Boston Celtics in Game One, helping the Heat take a 1-0 series lead on the strength of his 38 points. The Celtics allowed a league-low 91.1 points per game during the regular season, but the Heat rang up 99 on them last night, and D-Wade was responsible for 38.3% of them. With a plus-8 +/- rating (compared to LeBron’s +1), Wade shot 14-21 (66.7%) from the floor and 8-9 from the free throw line. His remarkable efficiency did not end there, as the former Marquette star picked up three steals while only turning the ball over twice. By comparison, LeBron turned the ball over three times to go with only two steals. While King James cost his team one possession, D-Wade created a possession for the Heat, and he took advantage with his sharpshooting all night long. Wade better continue stepping up for Miami because Chris Bosh looked totally overmatched against Kevin Garnett last night. He scored only seven points on 3-10 shooting against the Celtics’ interior defense after averaging 19.8 points per game in the first round. If KG is going to continue to shut down Bosh, Wade–or somebody else–better step up if the Heat want to win this series. Last night James Jones did, going 5-7 from downtown and 10-10 from the free throw line en route to 25 points. The Heat shouldn’t count on him though, as James had not scored over 15 points in a game since December 2, 2010. The moral of the story: D-Wade was great for the Heat, but they are in trouble if they cannot find a consistent third scorer.
To read Andrew’s insight on the Grizzlies-Thunder series visit: SportStatistics
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