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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat

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May 22, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
8:30 PM Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Heat

The Miami Heat will host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season when the Indiana Pacers visit South Beach in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. This will be a defensive battle and the team that can find a way to break through and score on a somewhat consistent basis will have a distinct advantage.

During the regular season, Indiana had the league’s most efficient defense (96.6 points per 100 possessions) while limiting opponents to 90.7 points per game on 42.0 percent shooting from the field. If Indiana hopes to have any success in this series, they will have to be solid and consistent on the defensive end of the floor possession after possession. Defense and rebounding will be the key to this series for the Pacers. Indiana, who outrebounded the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks by 9.8 boards per game in the first two rounds, will have to continue to own the glass to have a chance in this series. This is particularly true given the efficient manner in which the Heat have gone about their business this postseason.

Miami’s defense has been absolutely stellar during the playoffs. The Heat, who have not surrendered 100 points to a single postseason opponent, are leading the NBA in defensive efficiency (93.4 points per 100 possessions), opponent points per game (84.7), and opponent field goal percentage (40.9 percent) heading into these conference finals.

In addition to being the top defensive team during the playoffs, the Heat have been super-efficient on the offensive side of the ball. En route to an 8-1 playoff record, Miami has scored an incredible 109.1 points per 100 possessions and 1.36 points per shot while averaging 98.6 points per game on 49.1 percent shooting.

The Heat were incredibly efficient against the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls in the first two rounds of the playoffs. If Miami plays with that type of efficiency—particularly offensively—against the Indiana Pacers, the Heat will have a very good chance of making their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Memphis Grizzlies 89 San Antonio Spurs 93 Grizzlies Spurs

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 0-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 46-23

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder

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May 15, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Memphis Grizzlies Oklahoma City Thunder Thunder

The reigning Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder will try to avoid elimination when they host the Memphis Grizzlies in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The Thunder, who trail the Grizzlies 3-1 heading into Game 5, have to protect their home court if they hope to keep their postseason run—and hopes of another conference championship—alive.

Oklahoma City, who has participated in the last two Western Conference finals, has to find a way to win three in a row against the Grizzlies if it hopes to reach the conference finals for a third straight season. The first four games of this series have been decided by a total of 20 points and the Thunder have been in each of them until the final moments. Each game has been a one-possession game in the final 90 seconds. If a few late-game possessions had gone in Oklahoma City’s favor, it is quite possible that it could be the Thunder, instead of the Grizzlies, holding a 3-1 series lead.

But more often than not in this series, it has been the Grizzlies making plays in the closing moments. To put it simply, Memphis has found a way to win three games to Oklahoma City’s one. The Grizzlies have battled and fought the Thunder until the final buzzer and have earned their 3-1 series lead. If Memphis wants to end this series tonight, and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, the Grizzlies will have to show the same fight and resolve that has put them in this position.

A series is not over until a team wins four games, and with tonight’s game being played in Oklahoma City, where the crowd will be raucous from start to finish and the Thunder will literally be fighting for their playoff lives, Memphis will have a battle on its hands. If the Grizzlies want to get that fourth win and close out this series, they will have to survive a battle that will likely be like no other they have ever faced before.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
New York Knicks 82 Indiana Pacers 93 Pacers Pacers
Golden State Warriors 91 San Antonio Spurs 109 Spurs Spurs

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 43-19

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls

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May 13, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Heat
9:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Memphis Grizzlies Grizzlies

The Miami Heat will try to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Chicago Bulls in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The Heat, who surrendered home-court advantage when they lost Game 1, 93-86, last Monday, regained that advantage with a 104-94 Game 3 victory in Chicago on Friday night. If the Heat can get another win in Chicago tonight, they would head home to Miami with an opportunity to close the series out in Wednesday night’s Game 5.

The Heat are the only team that has not suffered a loss on the road this postseason. Given the fact that they have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Heat will be a very difficult team to beat in a seven-game series if they continue to pick up wins on the road. Miami, who has not lost a road game during the playoffs since Game 1 of last season’s NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, will try to extend its postseason road winning streak to an impressive five games.

The Bulls have put together a couple of streaks of their own. Which, unfortunately for them, are likely to be extended tonight.

According to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, forward Luol Deng and guard Kirk Hinrich, who have missed five and six consecutive games, respectively, are “most likely out” again tonight. Even without these two starters, the Bulls—like they have all season long—will continue to compete and find a way to give themselves a chance to win this game. But with the minutes piling up on the other Bulls, Miami’s ability to score the ball—and Chicago’s relative lack thereof—it will be difficult, though not impossible, for the Bulls to avoid dropping their third consecutive game at home this postseason.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
San Antonio Spurs 87 Golden State Warriors 97 Spurs Warriors

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 0-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 39-19

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors

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May 10, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
8:00 PM Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Heat
10:30 PM San Antonio Spurs Golden State Warriors Warriors

The Golden State Warriors earned an all-important split and snatched home-court advantage from the San Antonio Spurs with a 100-91 victory in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals matchup. It was the Warriors’ first road win over the Spurs in over 16 years. Now that they have snapped their 30-game road losing streak to San Antonio, the Warriors will try to maintain home-court advantage with a victory in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day.

Golden State won all three of its home games against the Denver Nuggets in the first round and will be looking to improve its record at Oracle Arena to a perfect 4-0 this postseason with a win tonight. The Warriors, who would be up 2-0 in this series, were it not for their epic collapse in Game 1, won both of their home games against the Spurs during the regular season.

San Antonio has struggled to keep Golden State’s shooters in check through the first two games of this series. The Warriors, who led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage during the regular season at 40.3 percent, are shooting a league-best 40.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc this postseason. And with Klay Thompson, after a phenomenal eight-for-nine three-point shooting performance in Game 2, shooting 60 percent from that distance in this series, Golden State has improved that number to 41.5 percent through two games of this Western Conference semifinal.

In addition to shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter, the Warriors are getting the job done on the defensive side of the ball as well. They have held the Spurs under 45 percent from the floor in each of the first two games and the Warriors are outshooting San Antonio 48.3 percent to 41.8 percent for the series. Golden State is also beating the Spurs on the boards. The Warriors won the rebounding battle in each of the first two games and are outrebounding San Antonio for the series, 105-93.

If Golden State can outrebound and outshoot—particularly from three-point land—the Spurs again tonight, the Warriors will likely maintain home-court advantage and take a 2-1 series lead.

Wednesday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Chicago Bulls 78 Miami Heat 115 Heat Heat
Golden State Warriors 100 San Antonio Spurs 91 Spurs Warriors

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Wednesday’s Games: 1-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 37-16

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat

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May 8, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs Spurs

The Chicago Bulls imposed their will on the Miami Heat and snatched home-court advantage from the defending NBA champions with a 93-87 Game 1 victory in South Beach on Monday night. Including the playoffs, the Bulls have now won nine of their last 17 contests against LeBron James and the Heat. With a split and home-court advantage already in hand, the Bulls will have an opportunity to put some real pressure on James and the Heat with a victory in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day.

The Bulls opened this Eastern Conference semifinals matchup strong defensively. Chicago limited Miami, who scored an NBA high 110.3 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, to just 15 first-quarter points. Chicago’s defense, which held James to just two points in the first half, was solid for the entire contest and forced the Heat to shoot a frigid 39.7 percent from the field.

But it was the way that Chicago finished the game offensively that really made the difference. The Bulls, who outscored the Heat 35-24 in the final stanza, closed the game with a flurry. Led by Nate Robinson, Chicago went on a 10-0 run in the final 2 minutes to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point victory. Robinson broke an 86-86 tie with a 19-foot jumper at the 1:17 mark and capped off his game-high 27-point performance by scoring the game’s final seven points.

The Heat will need to start and finish tonight’s game much better than they started and finished Game 1 if they want to avoid falling into a 2-0 deficit. The Bulls will compete with intensity and grit for the full 48 minutes and beyond if necessary. If Miami wants to give itself a chance to tie this series at one game apiece and head to Chicago with an opportunity to regain home-court advantage with a victory in Game 3, the Heat will have to match Chicago’s intensity and grit from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Indiana Pacers 79 New York Knicks 105 Knicks Knicks
Memphis Grizzlies 99 Oklahoma City Thunder 93 Grizzlies Grizzlies

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 36-15

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