It's NBA Finals Preview Time

This is the series the NBA was hoping for as soon as the lockout was over. Two teams who will make up for the lost two months in November/December. Two teams in which have some of the most marketable players the NBA has seen in a long time. A team that has promised so much and has yet to deliver and on the other hand a team that has taken their talents to a whole new level over the last two seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Miami Heat in a best of seven NBA Final Series beginning on Wednesday.

It couldn't get any bigger. Kevin Durant v LeBron James, two of the best players in the NBA over the last three or four seasons. For any basketball fan this is going to be fun! Mouthwatering, frothing, exciting are some of the words I've heard around town already. Facebook and twitter blew up as soon as the Heat won the East. There was instant excitement for the upcoming final series. This is what the NBA wanted and needed. Congratulations David Stern you can now relax again. I can't wait to see how many (if any) technical fouls are called on the Thunder this series.

As I've done with previous series I'm going to preview the match-ups and give my verdict.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook v Mario Chalmers.
As I said with the last series, Chalmers can't stop any good point guard and this is no different. His confidence will be riding low as Rondo ran rings around him all series. Rusty does the same here. Westbrook is too quick and also has a jumpshot that Rondo doesn't have. LeBron may have to take turns with Chalmers in guarding him. There is no harm in putting Chalmers on Sefolosha. I can see this happening a fair bit actually. Westbrook needs to be smarter in this series and really limit turnovers and bad shots as Miami are lethal on the fastbreak.
VERDICT: Westbrook no question and is a massive contender for MVP.

Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha v Dwayne Wade
This should be a great contest if they guard each other. We saw that Wade struggled in the Boston Series against the length of Pietrus and Ray Allen hassling him all game long. Thabo has that length which could trouble Wade. If Wade does guard Thabo he could be saving energy for the offensive end. Thabo isn't a massive offensive threat unless connecting on open three's. Wade is going to have to be much better in this series against the Thunder. He also needs to stop bitching to the refs. All series against the Celtics he was seen complaining to the refs while Boston scored in transition.
VERDICT: Wade just for his god given talent. He isn't playing his best basketball at the moment and he will need to for the Heat to steal an away game.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant v LeBron James

What a match up! Kevin Durant is playing some of his best basketball these playoffs. He is virtually unstoppable. On the other hand so is LBJ. You could not ask for a better matchup. Everyone will have their opinion on who is the better player obviously, but you could not look past James. He is on fire at the moment on both ends of the floor and is literally carrying his team through these playoffs. He will have to work very hard on the defensive end this series trying to stay in front of KD. Durant has also been lights out these playoffs. One of many things going for KD is his ability in the crunch. He has been big time finding the bottom of the net in the 4th quarter when the going has got tough. Look for LBJ to put his hand up especially in the fourth quarter to put a stop to the Durantula.
VERDICT: LBJ just for his ability to be brilliant on both ends of the floor. In no means am I saying he is better as I love KD's game. I would have the ball in KD's hands in the last five minutes any day of the week over LBJ.

Power Forward: Serge Ibaka v Chris Bosh
Yes Chris Bosh will be starting from now on after that game seven performance. He will have a much more athletic defender guarding him now though. Ibaka can defend out to the three point line with no problems. He will force Bosh to shoot over a hand at all times. He will also be a major deterrent to LBJ and Wade getting to the rim. Ibaka must not get into foul trouble in this series. It could hurt the Thunder big time. They do have Collison coming off the bench who is also very good at defending his opponent. Bosh will have to make his outside shot and continue to bring that passion to the court every night for the Heat to win away from home.
VERDICT: Serge Ibaka is a big key to the Thunders defence and keeping LBJ and Wade outside of the paint.

Centre: Kendrick Perkins v Udonis Haslem
I have no idea who starts in this position for the Heat. Perkins may even be defending Bosh at some point. I think Perkins is like Ibaka, the rock in the Thunders defence. He will also use his size in the post on offence. This could free up their outside shooters if his baby hook is falling. I think the Thunder need to make his presence felt on offence early. If it's not working then Brooks will have to make a decision if to keep him in the game or get Collison in. Haslem has been a little all over the place in these playoffs. His outside jumpshot hasn't been as reliable as it's been in the past and his defence has been garbage. Haslem is going to have to pull his finger out for the Thunder big man to respect his jumpshot and not be a target for the Thunder's offence.
VERDICT: Perkins. His strength on both offence and defence could be a telling story in this Finals.

Sixth Man: James Harden v Shane Battier
Harden has been amazing for the Thunder for the past two seasons. The Heat are going to have to work really hard to stop him. Wade or James could put their hand up. If they do they are going to have to spend a lot of energy running around after him. If Spoelstra puts Mike Miller or James Jones on him they will get torched. His ability in crunch time has been phenomenal. Shane Battier was phenomenal on the offensive end against the Celtics. He was underdone on defence as Garnett was just too big and too strong. He hit some monster threes when Miami needed them most. He also surprised me with his ability to put the ball on the floor and find an open man. I wonder how long this is going to keep up. If he does it will help LBJ and Wade enormously.
VERDICT: James Harden's ability to tear a game apart is enough for me. However Battier's ability to lock up Durant could also be a telling tale in this series.

I can't wait to see how this series pans out. The Thunder fans are amazing and I can't see Miami stealing one of the first two games. Miami will have have to go home and hold court for all three games. I can't see that happening unless LeBron goes for 40 a night!

VERDICT: OKC win this series in Six and Westbrook gets MVP.

Miami Heat Win The East

Well we are all set for one of the most mouth watering contests in years as the Miami Heat beat Boston in Game 7 today. It was an extremely tight game until the Heat pulled away in the last quarter.

It was all about LeBron pre match! His big game in game six was the reason the Heat were still alive. However I believe it was all about Chris Bosh today. His 19 points on 8-10 shooting was critical in their win. He was lethal from the outside and came up with some big baskets in the fourth quarter. Who would have thought Bosh was so important to that Miami big three. I think many people who in the past have cursed on him will be eating their words as they eat dinner tonight.

I think Boston fought hard all game long but I felt their strategy on LeBron James wasn't the right one. They guarded him too tightly and allowed him to get to the rim which led to dunks or free throws. James was 1-10 outside the paint and that one shot was 2 metres behind the 3 point line on the shot clock buzzer. However they persisted with Bass guarding him at the top of the three point line. It killed them massively.

The Heat will take some confidence into the NBA Finals especially with their big road win in Boston. I will have my match up preview on the blog tomorrow. Hope you have a chance to check it out.

Here are the highlights from todays big game:

THUNDER ON THEIR WAY TO THE NBA FINALS

What an incredible game six that was in Oklahoma! It looked as if they were playing the game at the Cameron Indoor in front of the Crazies. The crowd was phenomenal and why wouldn't they be when they witnessed some of the most entertaining basketball they've seen all year.

OKC came out victors at home and take great confidence into the NBA Finals knowing they have home court advantage. They will meet either Miami or Boston beginning on Wednesday the 13th June Australian time.

San Antonio had one of the best first halves you will see from an NBA team. They started red hot and continued that form up until half time. They scored 63 points away from home and led by 15. They simply could not miss. Tony Parker was amazing, he could't put a foot wrong. It wasn't as if OKC were playing terrible, the Spurs were making some incredible threes. Stephen Jackson was unreal all night from beyond the arc hitting 6 from 7.

However in the second half a new OKC team came out. They were hungrier on defence and KD went to work on the offensive end along with his pals Rusty and Beard man Harden. Tony Parker was woeful in the second half. He seemed to lose his rhythm and way allowing OKC to get in on the fast break and do damage on the scoreboard. I disagree with Pop's coaching strategy at the beginning of the second half. He did not call a time out until the Thunder had gone on an 11-2 run. That is insane, especially with the way the crowd was screaming and clapping. The first five minutes of a quarter is most crucial when trying to stave off a comeback. Personally I would have called a time out after OKC went on a 4-0 run. I know it sounds like nothing but it is huge when it's over a 2:30 minute period and you haven't scored.

I thought Derek Fischer was key in the last few minutes when the Spurs kept on coming at them. He made a big three to put them up five with 4:30 to go and a bank shot with 2 minutes left to put them up six. James Harden's fearlessness in the clutch is amazing for someone his age and inexperience in big matches. I can't imagine what it's going to be like if this team sticks around when they are actually in the prime of their careers. It's scary!

I'm thinking OKC wants to play Boston. They will rip them apart in the big man department. Boston will struggle to get that easy lob pass in which they are having their way with Miami at the moment. That is a big part of their offence in their series against the Heat. OKC will shut that down and they will have to make big plays from the perimeter. Westbrook will also be able to contain Rondo much better than what Chalmers is capable of. Miami match up a little better but I still don't think they have enough depth to match the Thunder.

Check out game highlights below courtesy of www.NBA.com

Miami v Boston Game 5 extravaganza

Well how about Game Five in Miami. One of the all time greats. There was great offence, excellent defence and big time shots. Miami started incredibly well and then Boston even though shooting terribly stayed within two points at the half time break. The Celtics continued to mount comeback after comeback until they hit the lead during the fourth quarter on some crafty moves by Rondo and some brilliant shooting by Pietrus and Garnett. They weren't to look back as Pietrus and Pierce hit huge threes to bury any chance of Miami holding court. Boston take a shock 3-2 lead heading back to the Garden on Friday.

Boston proved that experience matters come the crunch. Paul Pierce's three ball over a stretched LeBron James was amazing. It felt like he took an eternity to shoot that. Even though he was playing poorly Pierce stepped up in the fourth taking the ball strongly to the hoop and hitting some key perimeter jumpers.

On the other hand it was the same old story for LeBron James. He hit a wide open three and a uncontested layup in the fourth quarter. In the final 8 minutes of the game LeBron had four shots. Eric Spoelstra should have his contract ripped up no matter what happens in this series or even if they win the final. This is outrageous. He can't coach basketball to save his life let alone his career. He has been handed two of the best players ever to play the game and he shits himself in the final quarter every time.

The highlights of this awesome game can be viewed here (check out Wade's block and then Rondo's pass. Incredible from both guys).



Here are some awesome pics going around from today's game.

NRL and Gallop Part Ways

David Gallop has officially resigned from his position at the National Rugby League today. This is news people have seen coming for a couple of weeks now.

Over the course of his duty at the helm of the NRL David Gallop has gone to hell and back. He has had to deal with some of the biggest issues Rugby League has witnessed in the history of the game. I feel as if he has dealt with many of them as well as anyone could have. He has set a platform for the person who steps into his position.

Many Rugby League fans haven't seen eye to eye with a lot of Gallops decisions during his tenure. He had to deal with the Bulldogs and Melbourne Salary Cap drama, Brett Stewart's infamous court case and all the other moronic things NRL players do in their spare time. Even though I was shattered with what he did with the Bulldogs (stripping them of all their points), he was consistent when the Storm were caught.

I hope Gallop has left the Rugby League in a good position in terms of the broadcasting deal. I know this is one thing the fans have felt he could have done better in the past. The league needs to keep their players in this country and stop the exodus overseas. A large deal could be what helps the NRL get back on it's feet.

Gallop was quoted in saying that he will take a break and use his services elsewhere. Where do you think he will go? Will any other sporting organisation take him on board? I believe so. I think he is a very smart man who has dealt with issues no sporting code in Australia has. That has to benefit somebody greatly.

Shane Heal has already tweeted "Lets get Gallop to run the NBL. I thought he was great at the NRL.Would be terrific for basketball." I couldn't agree more. It would take basketball to a better place in Australian sport and give us a recognised face at the top.

Good luck David Gallop in your endeavours and thanks for keeping as much control as you could of our game in your time at the NRL.

Who will be next in charge of our beloved game?

All LOCKED Up

In both the East and Western Conference Finals the home team has held fort and will now play in a best of three. Could the NBA Playoffs get any better?

After going over both my Western and Eastern Conference previews I'm quite happy with how I felt the series would have developed.

I feel as if OKC are taking a lot of momentum to San Antonio for game 5. However Coach Pop will have something up his sleeve to keep the Spurs in front I think. The Spurs have not lost three in a row all season. I struggle to think it will be this one. They have not looked great in Oklahoma which suggests this could possibly go the distance. Kevin Durant's final quarter was simply amazing in game four. He absolutely torched the Spurs in every way possible.

I see game 5 being a lot more of a tussle and a little less free flowing than the first four games. The pressure is starting to mount on both sides and each possession means so much. I think we will stop seeing silly turnovers on the fast break and both sides will try to develop a post game before the small guys take over. Tony Parker is going to have to find his feet again after struggling in Oklahoma. Another one of those magical 16 for 21 nights will definitely help the Spurs stay ahead in this series.

What a series this Miami vs Boston is turning out to be! I find it a lot of the time you are guaranteed a big finish in the Eastern Conference just for the fact it is played much tighter than the West. Today was no different. Wade found himself wide open after Daniels bit on the shot fake. It wasn't to be an Boston evened up the series.

There was big call after big call in game four. Pierce fouling out and then Garnett's foul in the last few seconds of regulation were the big ones against Boston. Miami lost LBJ in overtime to a similar foul that we saw on Garnett. I think it was a square up for the call earlier. There were also some dubious charge calls which could have gone either way. One of the fouls I couldn't believe they missed was Wades block on Pierce. Did anyone else see the contact on the body?

I thought Wade over the last two games hasn't been himself. He can't go back to Miami and play the way he has been playing in Boston. It could potentially mean Boston go home being up 3-2. It will be a big feat if Rondo and the Celtics can win this series but I'm not entirely convinced Miami can get a full team effort for the next three games. Boston's bench has all the confidence in the world heading into the fifth game. Could that be the telling factor?

Does anyone else believe LBJ thinks Udonis Haslem is more clutch than him? Why does he continue to pass the ball to him with two seconds left on the clock. I feel for Haslem a little bit. What is he seriously meant to do!

I'm really looking forward to these games. They are going to be rippers. Do they both go to seven games or does someone get the job done in six. What do you think?

If you're looking to have a bet, click on the link below and get signed up. Plenty of value floating about!

Battle Of The East

HEAT OR THE CELTICS? WHO YOU GOT?

Tomorrow at 10:30am Miami will begin their quest for a second straight NBA Finals appearance against the Boston Celtics. It is extremely disappointing that the Chicago Bulls are not fit enough to take on the Heat. That's old news now and I am moving on.

The Miami Heat are coming off a tough series against the Indiana Pacers. The Heat struggled at times with the size of the Pacers and had to rely heavily on their big two. LeBron and Wade came up big time in their four wins. Dwayne Wade was incredible in game six. He literally put them on his back and took them to the Eastern Conference finals. There were a few incidents in that series that pissed me off a little:

• Lance Stephenson giving the Heat the choking signal during their game three victory at home. Who on earth do you think you are? You are a nobody who woke up the dead. 
• In Game 5 Udonis Haslem clearly tried to take Tyler 'Crazy T' Hansborough's head off while defending his  jump shot. This was only given a flagrant one at the time and allowed Haslem to stay on the court. It is clearly a disgrace the NBA allowed him to take any further part in that game. The reason I say this is because if it was Metta World Peace he would have been ejected with no questions asked! I agreed with the one match ban, I thought that was enough.
• Also in Game 5 Dexter 'Who?' Pittman takes out Lance Stephenson with a flying elbow. It was exactly like Andrew Bynum's elbow on J J Barea if not worse. If someone cares to explain how this moron only got three games go right ahead. The NBA should be disgraced that we will see this guy play again in the playoffs. I go back to MWP again, if it was him we wouldn't be seeing him in the playoffs and maybe sometime into next season! David Stern and the rest of his puppets should be ashamed. 

The Boston Celtics had a very tough time taking care of the pesky Philadelphia 76ers. It took them 7 whole games to finish them off. It could have gone either way when Paul Pierce got fouled out with 4 and a half minutes left in game 7. However Rajon Rondo stepped up to the plate making some huge plays down the stretch. I think the NBA are very happy with the series they have been dealt. I don't think a Heat/76ers Eastern Conference final will have been too exciting. 

As I did with the Western Conference finals, I'm going to go through the key match-ups and decide on my winner and in how many games. 

Point Guard: Mario Chalmers v Rajon Rondo

Rondo is the X Factor on this Celtics team. If he doesn't play well, Boston don't win. There are no if's or but's about it. Chalmers will not be able to stop him or slow him down. Rondo should be able to get in the paint whenever he wants and distribute the ball to his shooters. The keyword here is 'shooters'. Will the Boston big guys continue to hit their shots? Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett are on a tear at the moment. If Ray Allen can find the bottom of the net it is going to help Rondo so much more. This is going to pull Joel Anthony out of the paint and create more room for Rajon to do his thing. Chalmers in the meantime is going to have to help LBJ and D-Wade out by hitting the open jump shot. If he can average 10-12 points in this series it will be big time in deciding the outcome. 

VERDICT: Stop the FIGHT! Rondo wins this hands down.

Shooting Guard: Dwayne Wade v Ray Allen 

Wade is one of the best players in the league when it comes to big matches. He showed what he is more than capable of doing when he torched the Pacers in their own gym. Now he will have an aging Ray Allen to run rings around. One thing for sure is that Allen will not stop running after Wade. He will try and make every shot of Wades difficult and make him work for every point. We all know Wade is going to get his points but is Ray going to find some form in this series? Allen has been struggling with his shot all playoffs since he has returned from his injury. However he did see one drop in game seven of the last series. Sometimes that is all that is needed for a shooter. I'm sure a few of my readers can vouch for that. If Allen gets hot it is going to force Wade to run through screens for an extended period which could tire him out. If Allen isn't hitting his shot Wade can cruise on and save energy for the offensive end where he is so deadly.

VERDICT: I'd be taking Wade any day of the week but the Heat must keep an eye on Allen. He may just put out the Heat's fire. 

Small Forward: LeBron James v Paul Pierce

LBJ looks as if someone has waved the red cape in front of his face and said charge. Indiana did not know what had hit them in their final three playoff games. James torched them in every way possible. The guy can do everything bar take a game winning/tying shot ;) He may be called upon in this series. I can tell you one thing the Boston fans will be egging him on all game. The problem is he has heard it all before. The heckling is nothing new to him. James will know however that he must win this series for it all to stop. He will have Paul 'The Truth' Pierce trying to stop him though. Can Pierce slow the raging bull down? I don't think he can over seven games. He may not need seven games though. Pierce must stay out of foul trouble for Boston to be competitive. I don't think they have anyone else that can contain James. Pierce is an almighty clutch player and will definitely be called upon during this series.

VERDICT: Silly question. LBJ wins this one quite easily. I will say however I'd be taking Pierce if I needed the game winner/tie any day of the week.

Power Forward: Shane Battier v Kevin Garnett 

Battier has stepped into Chris Bosh's position and given them a much needed physicality in the paint. He did a superb job on David West in the Indiana series. He will be called on to defend KG in this one. I think he struggles with this matchup. Garnett is so much smarter than West and doesn't take as many stupid shots or shots that just aren't on. Everything KG does is within the structure of the Boston offence. Battier has the advantage of getting a hand up on KG's perimeter shots as he will be able to contain the dribble. This is something Elton Brand and co for the 76ers couldn't do. Battier is going to have to continue to hit his three ball like he did in game 6 of the last series. He came out feeling confident and hit a few threes early. If he is hitting his shots Garnett will be forced out of the painted area which could allow for plenty of offensive rebounds for the Heat. If not, Garnett will be at his best, gobbling up the boards and keeping the likes of Wade and James out of the paint. KG has the nickname of 'The Ticket' for a good reason. Whenever the Celtics are in trouble and need a win they go to the big fella for the bucket inside. He knows when he is needed, this is one of his key traits. If he continues to hit his outside jump shot the Celtics might be headed to another NBA Finals.

VERDICT: I'd be taking KG in this one. I know exactly what I'm going to get from him night in night out. Battier is a mixed bag on offence and could turn out to be a liability on defence if KG gets going.

Centre: Joel Anthony v Brandon Bass 

Anthony does one thing and does it well, blocks and changes opposition shots. He is a liability on offence and isn't used much at all. At times it's 5 on 4. I think Boston may use this to their advantage during the series. On the other hand Brandon Bass has found a new gear in his play during the playoffs. He has found that happy medium with his jumpshot which is helping the rest of the team find theirs. If he can somehow drag Anthony out of the paint by continuing to hit perimeter shots, Miami could be in a bit of strife. Bass needs to stay aggressive even if his jumper is not falling. He must also help out on the defensive glass and limit second chance opportunities for the Heat. 

VERDICT: It's a tough one because you know what Anthony brings to the table every night. Bass on the other hand is a little all over the place. However Bass is the form player so I will take him on in this one.

Coach: Erik Spoelstra v Doc Rivers

Spo needs this desperately! If he doesn't win this year it's curtains. That is a lot of pressure on a young coach. He is going to have to find time for the big two to rest. He will also need to find the motivation for his role players and to get them going from the beginning of the series. On the other hand you have one of the better coaches going around. Rivers knows all the tricks of the trade and will have a brilliant game plan on how to destroy the two-headed monster in Wade and James.

VERDICT: Rivers in a beat-down.

This series is going to be incredibly scrappy. The players are going to have to fight for every possession like it is their last one. Baskets will be hard to come by and this series definitely won't be as fluent as the Western Conference one. It is how the coaches get their team ready for the grind. The team who is patient enough for the full 48 minutes could be the team who comes out with the series win and takes their talents to the NBA Finals. 

This all being said I think Miami goes through but only just. I think Boston gives themselves a really big sight. They match-up really well and it will come down to one or two plays in which will decide the outcome of the series. I think Boston playing a seven game series against Philly could hurt them big time. I can't count them out though. 

I'm looking forward to watching the difference in style to how the Western Conference is being played out. Miami in 6 for me.