While the Heat rises and Pacers fail, reality becomes clear

MANILA, Philippines – The Indiana Pacers wanted this.

All season long the team talked about how significant homecourt advantage was to them. They discussed to anyone who would listen how they feel they would’ve beaten the Miami Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals had Game 7 been played at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, rather than at the American Airlines Arena.

They pressed on, jumping to an early season rally that saw them run through the NBA in the first three months. They masqueraded as a team which had already won championships, even if their total number of titles since moving from the ABA to the NBA is a big, fat zero.

Paul George will be MVP, warned Roy Hibbert. I’m going to be Defensive Player of the year, he said. They were going to be champions.

“We want Miami,” all of them kept demanding.

And they got Miami. They got homecourt advantage. The only problem was, once again, the Indiana Pacers crumbled under the severity of the moment, looking like a collection of bickering children when the spotlight was on them. They talked trash and they acted like a bunch of boys who had already won something, only when they ran into a bunch of men who have actually won NBA championships, the Indiana Pacers have looked as small as ever. 

One game away from elimination.

One game away from even more humiliation.

One game away from a summer that promises to be as unforgiving as ever.

No, the Indiana Pacers are most likely not going to be NBA champions. And they sure as hell don’t deserve to be. 

Me vs. We

Chris Bosh wasn’t having the best series.

In Game 3, the often cool-headed stretch forward was called for a technical foul. Was he upset that a personal foul was called on him prior? Yeah, maybe. But even the most head-shaking calls in the past have never irked Bosh to the point that he would vent enough frustrations to earn a T. But this was different. Bosh wasn’t pissed that he had just sent Paul George to the free throw line. He was mad because he couldn’t get a bucket to save his life.

For the seventh straight game, the nine-time All-Star was held to single digits against Indiana. Miami won Game 3, but their big man was upset. According to Bleacher Report’s Ethan J. Skolnick, concern was growing amongst Heat brass. Bosh was a mess, in a way.

But on that night, while dining in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Chris got a surprise from his teammate Dwyane Wade. “Flash,” “Three,” or whatever the heck he wants you to call him was fighting some demons of his own, trying to prove to his doubters he isn’t as “done,” or “washed up” as they say he is. But Wade knew Bosh needed him – a friend, someone who could cheer him up. And in those moments they spent together, basketball became of no importance. Like brothers, the two guys bonded over other things, clearing each other’s minds of the grind they were going through.

The result?

Twenty-five points, six rebounds, and an early barrage of three-pointers that put the game out of Indy’s hands before the first quarter came to a close. Bosh was back, and the Heat boarded their flight to Naptown up 3-1, with this series probably ending the way Indiana expected it to – back on their home floor. The difference? This war might not come to a close in Game 7. It could most likely finish in Game 5, in front of Indiana’s home crowd.

The Heat are a band of brothers. Want to call Wade washed up and insult him for his horrendous wardrobe arsenal? Fine. Want to tease Bosh with your feminine jokes? Go ahead. Want to scrutinize LeBron for being a traitor, coward, flopper, or whatever else? By all means, do it. They don’t care. Because in that locker room they are a united front. And that transcends to the basketball court, where they have taught the Pacers a lesson in championship basketball over the past three games.

Furthermore, the Pacers have learned a valuable lesson the Heat also realized when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011: next time, you might want to ease on the chest pumping and trash-talking until you actually win something.

Taking notes, Born Ready?

LeBron can say whatever he wants; Lance Stephenson’s comments gave him more reason to obliterate Indiana. So, Stephenson’s had one good year, engaged “The King” in some trash-talking, and he suddenly has the cojones to say he’s been able to get James to show a sign of weakness? Please.

Nevertheless, Miami residents should send “Born Ready” some fruit baskets. Thirty-two points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in Game 4, with most of the damage taking place prior to the final quarter. Real smart, Stephenson.

How about Paul George? The next big thing? After collecting most of his points in garbage time of Game 4, the Indiana Pacers All-Star – no, he is not a superstar – had some pretty interesting words.

“Looking at the stat sheet, we outplayed them. You got to give them credit. They won this game at the free throw line. They really just were able to get to the line more than we were, but I thought we outplayed them tonight.”

Hold up, what?

Maybe someone should tell PG his team has taken 94 free throws in this series, while the Heat have attempted 87.

But, no, Paul George, tell us more about the referees, or what you like to call “home cooking.”

I mean, it’s not like Miami forcing you guys to 14 turnovers and converting 20 points out of those miscues had anything to do with your loss, right? Or maybe we should mention that the Heat’s starters outscored the Pacers’ by nine, 76-67, and the defending champs’ bench outplayed Indy’s once again. Or how about the fact that Indiana couldn’t throw an entry pass to the post to save their life?

But, yeah, you’re right, you definitely outplayed them. 

You know what’s most interesting? It’s that before going on a barrage against the game’s officials, George found the time to criticize Stephenson, his teammate, for trash talking James.

Via Ben Golliver of SI (NBA):

“Lance is young, that’s a teaching point,” George said. “That’s a learning lesson for him. Sometimes you have to just watch what you say. You’re on a big stage, everything we say is going to be bulletin board material. It’s really going to have a powerful meaning behind it. We have to be smarter with situations and voicing our opinions sometimes.

“When you make comments regarding trash talking and just being caught up between another player in a matchup, you’ve got to bring it.  You’ve got to bring it. I’m pretty sure a lot of people were going to be tuned in to see what Lance was going to do because of what he said. Maybe there’s a lot of pressure on him, and everybody goes through situations where you just struggle. Just because of what was said and what was done, it just wasn’t a good time for him.”

Jeez, talk about throwing your teammate under the bus. How about mentioning that, in their last five games, George has averaged 18 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting an unflattering 40% from the field. Oh, and that guy who calls himself “Born Ready?” 15.6 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 6.2 APG on 55% shooting. Stephenson has been the Pacers’ best player recently, not George.

Oh and let’s not forget about Roy Hibbert. You know, that two-time All-Star who just went scoreless for the fourth time these Playoffs. He actually had the audacity to somewhat blame his coach, Frank Vogel – who is a tremendous young mentor in the NBA today – for his struggles.

Via Brian Windhorst of ESPN:

“The game plan really wasn’t to utilize me as much; I’m just trying to be effective as I can,” Hibbert said. “Would I like a little bit more touches early on? Yeah. But that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes.”

Really, Roy? You’re seven-foot-two, 290 pounds, and were facing a team that didn’t have its only quality back-up big in Chris Andersen. And you scored 0 POINTS. Oh, and you wanted to be Defensive Player of the Year, yes? You just let your man, Bosh, go off for 25 while letting him shoot jumpers in your face the entire first half. Look at the replay, Hibbert didn’t even bother putting up a hand to contest one or two of Chris’ jumpers.

They say David West is one of the most respected, toughest, and old-school guys in the league, not to mention someone who can kick anyone’s ass. Maybe he should try instilling some sense into his teammates, if he hasn’t already. 

A champion and a contender

Some of the wisest men always say that adversity displays one’s true colors. The Pacers have been through nothing but adversity the past few months, and what we’ve seen hasn’t been pretty. We’ve heard about the alleged fist fight that broke down between Stephenson and the newly-acquired Evan Turner, who’s been useless in the Eastern Conference Finals, a day before the Playoffs. We’ve heard some nasty off-court rumors about George and his antics away from basketball.

And now in their duel with the Heat, everything is coming full circle for the Indiana Pacers.

When Dallas humbled Miami in June 2011, Dwyane Wade could have crucified LeBron James through the media for his disgusting performance in the series. But he didn’t. Instead, he took him out to a vacation, talked some sense into him, and James returned in 2012 as his best version both in and away from the game. 

George, meanwhile, tried to deflect blame. As an alternative, he put the focus on the officiating and discussed Stephenson’s comments. Not exactly leader-esque from your supposed superstar, am I right?

When Bosh was going through his toughest ordeal in recent memory, Wade consoled him and helped the sweet-shooting big man rediscover his stroke.

Think George did that for Hibbert after Game 4?

When the Pacers shot 37 free throws to the Heat’s 15 in Game 1, did Miami whine about the referee crew during the post-game media session? Or did they man up, take the L, and tie the series in Game 2?

Indiana kept talking the talk. They wanted Miami, and they got them. They wanted homecourt advantage, and the Heat practically handed it to them on a silver platter by resting Wade, James, and Bosh down the stretch of the regular season. Only the Pacers failed to walk the walk. At the moment, they have turned their frustrations towards each other, while their rivals – the team they were supposed to dethrone – is coasting to a fourth straight finals appearance.

Indiana received what they wanted. But, with the exception of Game 1, they forgot to show up. And now, they are getting what they deserve.

All hell has broken loose. – Rappler.com