Eastern Conference Finals Thread. (1) Miami vs (3) Indiana

[4Corners]

Nah, with the other series ending early he needs this one to go 7.

Gotta D/A dude. What Stern needs is LeBron in the finals and if they win tonight the series is basically over. Indy should be up 3-1. They can hang with the Heat. I see your point but Miami is no longer a lock to go to the finals.

No LeBron means a lot of people aren't watching.

[Ken]

Gotta D/A dude. What Stern needs is LeBron in the finals and if they win tonight the series is basically over. Indy should be up 3-1. They can hang with the Heat. I see your point but Miami is no longer a lock to go to the finals.

No LeBron means a lot of people aren't watching.

 

The longer the Heat plays, the better. If Indy take Miami to 7 and the Spurs do the same, that'll be pretty good ratings.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Not really sure you could say that... game had many different runs and swings. It did help with Miami's momentum but there was still a ton of time left.

But a quick 10-0 run like that? On top of that Hansbrough made that shot... so they would have been up 12.

 

The fact is that Heat fans will try to argue that LeBron would have one them the game if he hadn't fouled out on a phantom call and I can maintain the fact that the Pacers would have run away with the game if it wasn't for the phantom shot clock call.

 

Just pointing out that though there were bad calls, they were on both sides.

[4Corners]

The longer the Heat plays, the better. If Indy take Miami to 7 and the Spurs do the same, that'll be pretty good ratings.

Sure I can understand that point - but I don't think it's a given that they are going to beat Indy.

I think Stern would take a 5 game ECF series with LBJ and the Heat in the finals than a 7 game ECF series Miami may not win.

[Ken]

But a quick 10-0 run like that? On top of that Hansbrough made that shot... so they would have been up 12.

 

The fact is that Heat fans will try to argue that LeBron would have one them the game if he hadn't fouled out on a phantom call and I can maintain the fact that the Pacers would have run away with the game if it wasn't for the phantom shot clock call.

 

Just pointing out that though there were bad calls, they were on both sides.

 

Still 8:26 to go, so again it's hard to say how things would've turned out.

 

I get your point but we've seen crazier things happen in less time so it's not a sound argument. 

 

Joey Crawford just ruins games. Thank god I'm a neutral cuz I don't know how pissed I would be if I was a Heat/Pacer fan.

[X-Clown]

But a quick 10-0 run like that? On top of that Hansbrough made that shot... so they would have been up 12.

The fact is that Heat fans will try to argue that LeBron would have one them the game if he hadn't fouled out on a phantom call and I can maintain the fact that the Pacers would have run away with the game if it wasn't for the phantom shot clock call.

Just pointing out that though there were bad calls, they were on both sides.

The heat lost the game because they lost the battle of the boards, and convincingly. Still to say that the pacers were going to run away with the game without that missed call is just wishful thinking.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Still 8:26 to go, so again it's hard to say how things would've turned out.

 

I get your point but we've seen crazier things happen in less time so it's not a sound argument. 

 

Joey Crawford just ruins games. Thank god I'm a neutral cuz I don't know how pissed I would be if I was a Heat/Pacer fan.

 

PIE for 100% truth.

 

I feel like he calls more fouls and techs than any other ref in the league... 

 

He only gets to ref because of seniority, he can barely get his tired ass up the court.

[HeatCheck]

I think we can all agree, regardless of the bad calls, that the most deserving team won. Pacers outplayed the Heat for longer stretches of the game. There were times the Heat stepped up defensively and went on mini-runs but Pacers just wanted it more. Not trying to excuse the calls, but the better team won.

[4Corners]

Stern's going to have a ratings nightmare on his hands if its a SA/IND finals.

The average fan, the neutral fan, may not be watching. That is his target demographic.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

The heat lost the game because they lost the battle of the boards, and convincingly. Still to say that the pacers were going to run away with the game without that missed call is just wishful thinking.

 

Just as accurate as people saying that LBJ would have won the game in the final minute and a half for the Heat.

[carolina-chuck]

Pacers!!!

[X-Clown]

I think we can all agree, regardless of the bad calls, that the most deserving team won. Pacers outplayed the Heat for longer stretches of the game. There were times the Heat stepped up defensively and went on mini-runs but Pacers just wanted it more. Not trying to excuse the calls, but the better team won.

Like I said before, the pacers won because of their rebounding and hustle, not because LeBron fouled out. Had the heat pulled off the comeback, I don't think you can pin the whole thing on one botched call with 8 minutes left.

[X-Clown]

Stern's going to have a ratings nightmare on his hands if its a SA/IND finals.

The average fan, the neutral fan, may not be watching. That is his target demographic.

While I can agree that it's what he wants for a finals matchup, I can assure you that his revenue chart is going to look better if there are 2 more eastern conference finals games. And if the master plan was to make sure the heat are in no matter what, amount of games be damned, why have the heat shot less FTs in every game, 35 less for the series?

[carpanfan96]

I don't want to see Wade or James in another NBA finals ever again, so the Pacers need to get it done and knock those punk bitches out.