Well playas…the NBA Playoffs are finally upon us!!! After a four month hiatus and a genius move on the league’s part to create a bubble to finish the season. The Indiana Pacers enter the first round of the playoffs with the hungry and very dangerous Miami Heat.
They’ve played the Heat in two if their final three seeding games in the bubble. So if this series goes 7 games they will have played each other 9 of 10 games. For the sake of entertainment I hope it goes 7 games because we all need it. Well…the Pacers would like to get it over on the winning side as soon as possible I would think.
This will be the fifth time the Pacers and Heat have met in the playoffs. Indiana only won the first meeting which was a second round matchup in 2004. Miami won the next three meetings from 2012-14 when LeBron and Co. were known as the Heatles.
It’s a new day though now. No Philistine to contend with and that’s a huge plus. However, Jimmy Buckets is always a problem for the Pacers as he comes in averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists per game. Not to mention he and TJ Warren are always at each other’s throats.
That should make the series interesting right from the gate. Warren was on fiyyyahhhh in the bubble at one point averaging 37 points per game. However, in their meeting against Miami last Monday he was held to just 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting in their 114-92 loss.
Look for Spoelstra and Co. to key on Warren even more in this series. That means that Victor Oladipo will need to find his rhythm sooner rather than later. He hasn’t been able to find it in the bubble up to this point. They’re already playing without Domantas Sabonis who is out with plantar fasciitis. Hopefully Malcolm Brogdon can continue to contribute with his solid 18.2 points and 6.3 assists that he’s popped off in the bubble.
It should be fun to watch and in my Bart Scott voice, “Can’t Wait!” It’s a 4pm tip so get the wings ready playas! Let’s go!
