Hello Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

On Sunday, the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 88-77 to close out the first round series 4-0.  This has made it the third straight year the Miami has swept their first round opponent out of the playoffs. The Heat were without all-star guard Dwayne Wade, as he rested up a bruise right knee that has been giving him problems the entire series. The absent superstar did not worry the Heat, Lebron James picked up the slack by putting up great numbers in route to the victory. He finished the game with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists; veteran shooting guard Ray Allen also contributed 16 huge points off the bench. In the four games of the series the Heat was not really challenged as each game was a blowout. But that does not change the “Win All” mentality of the team. “Yeah, it was a great series and although we may have won it easily, that does not change the fact that every game and team is different and we approach each game that way”, Lebron James stated when ask about the relax environment of the Heat’s first round opponent.
 

The Heat now awaits the winner of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls series. The Heat leads the season series between both of the teams 3-1.

Lebron James leads Heat to a win in Game 1

In what many believed would be an intriguing series, Miami ousted the Milwaukee Bucks 110-87 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series. Lebron James led the way with 27 points on 9-for 11 shooting (81%) with 10 rebounds and 8 assists, finishing two assists shy of a triple double. James has never taken fewer shots in a playoff game than he did on Sunday night. But still being able to finish with the most points in the game shows the complete dominance James has on the NBA today. Ray Allen also contributed with 20 points off the bench and the defending champion Heat picked up where they left off in the NBA playoffs a year ago. Although the Heat may end up sweeping the Bucks out of the playoffs, the series will be a good one because the Bucks play unafraid of the defending champions and give their all each game. 

Below you can find the tentative schedule for the remainder of the games in the series.

 

•        4/23 Game 2 @Miami 7:30pm (ET)
•        4/25 Game 3 @Milwaukee 7:00pm (ET)
•        4/28 Game 4 @Milwaukee 3:30pm (ET)
•        4/29 Game 5 @Miami TBD
•        5/1 Game 6 @Milwaukee TBD
•        5/3 Game 7 @Miami TBD

I predict a 4-0 sweep but I would not be surprised if the Bucks manage to pull of one upset in the seven game series.

Here come the Playoffs!!!

The regular season is over and the Miami Heat finished with the best record in the NBA at 66-16. That is the best record in franchise history. The Heat will face number eight seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat controlled the season series 3-1 with their only loss to the Bucks coming when their star players Lebron and Dwayne Wade sat out due to injuries. This should be a very intriguing match up but fairly easy for the Heat to move past.

Here is a highlight clip of amazing plays that the Miami Heat was able to provide for the fans:

Follow along as the Heat intend to repeat as World Champions!!!

The Streak is Over at 27

In two of my posts, “22 and Counting!!!” and “STREAK UPDATE!!!” I clearly explained the historic win streak that the Miami Heat had begun. Back on February 3rd 2013, Miami traveled across the Canadian border to play against the Toronto Raptors. The Heat went on to win the game by a double digit margin but they didn’t realize that the victory would jump start them into setting a historic streak. As the weeks went on, the streak grew larger and larger and the Miami Heat was once again the center of attention in all of sports media.

 “This streak is good for the NBA, it gives us as fans something to look forward to or be excited for,” Hall of Famer and ESPN NBA Countdown analyst Magic Johnson stated when asked about the streak. I wholeheartedly agree with Magic because the streak is exciting and although every human is not a fan of the Miami Heat, once it is known that a team is close to breaking records everyone watching becomes a little more intrigued with the situation.

Unfortunately the win streak came to an end at an amazing 27 games, on March 27th, 2013 when the Heat traveled to Chicago to face the Chicago Bulls. In a game that many considered poorly refereed the Heat lost 97-101. The officiating team received a lot of flack because of the “nonbasketball” plays that the Bulls were making in order to combat the physical abilities of Lebron James. In the clip below you’ll see Bulls guard Kurt Hinrich tackling James to stop the play, but Hinrich must have forgotten that they were playing basketball not football. 

I’m not here to make any excuses for the Heat and Lebron James because they could have still won the game, but a few mishaps in the final moments prevented the streak from continuing.  But all in all, the streak was great for the entire NBA as it added another exciting element to the 2012-2013 regular season.  The streak ended at a perfect time. As the playoffs approach, many of the key players such as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh can now rest up and get ready to capture their second consecutive championship.