1) Indiana closing it out. After splitting the two games in New York and then sweeping the two-game home stretch in Indiana, the Indiana Pacers hold a commanding 3-1 lead on the New York Knicks and are one more road victory away from guaranteeing a spot against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Outside of a dominating 105-79 victory over the Pacers in Game 2, the Knicks have looked exceedingly vulnerable, a chilling contrast from their record-setting start to the season -- fewer three-pointers, Carmelo Anthony at small forward instead of power forward, and a lot of one-on-one offense. In Game 4, the Knicks shot just 35.6% from the field, and 61 of their 87 field goal attempts came from three players (Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Raymond Felton). If the Knicks continue their freakish stagnancy, they won't last beyond tonight.
2) Golden State staying alive. This is a personal choice. I'm a big fan of the Golden State Warriors and want to see them survive. They're down 3-2 to the San Antonio Spurs, but this is their last stand at home to force a Game 7. Earlier in the playoffs, Zach Lowe of Grantland called the Warriors' new offense -- particularly, Stephen Curry's new role thanks to the absence of David Lee -- "a glitch in the program." There's few things I enjoy more than watching a shooter dismantle a team from afar. Here's hoping Stephen Curry can do that tonight.
3) Golden State's Backcourt. On the heels of my gushing over Curry, I'd be remiss not to mention his partner in crime, Klay Thompson, whose production has plummeted since his 34-point, 14-rebound career night in Game 2 -- 17 points in Game 3, 10 points in Game 4, and just 4 in Game 5. The Warriors will need another great night from Thompson along with Curry to extend the Warriors' season to Game 7 -- will they get it?
Indiana Pacers
Each day that there's a playoff game, we'll have three things to watch in the NBA playoffs. Each note will be accompanied by a contest. We'll announce winners after each round. Here's today's three things to watch:
1) Indiana doing it again. The Pacers now have a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, and it's no accident. While New York runs its offense through Carmelo Anthony at a historic rate (more on that in a bit), the Pacers utilize a balanced attack. Three different players (David West, Paul George, Roy Hibbert) have led the Pacers in scoring in their three games against New York, and they've gotten important contributions from George Hill and D.J. Augustin (in Game 1). It's not just their offense: the Pacers have done an excellent job funneling three-point attempts away from New York like no team has been able to this year. At home, their success should continue tonight.
2) An unlikely hero. With San Antonio joining the world in expecting Stephen Curry to shoot the Warriors through the playoffs, the Warriors got two unlikely heroes in their two series wins: guard Klay Thompson (who put up an enormous 34-14 in Game 2) and Harrison Barnes (who somehow took 26 field goal attempts in their Game 4 overtime victory). I'm guessing Thompson will do it again: you can only stay at home on Curry for so long without giving Thompson some open looks.
3) Melo the shooter. As Kevin Pelton of ESPN noted today, Carmelo Anthony is currently using 38.7% of his team's possessions in the playoffs, the highest of any multi-series playoff performance ever. He's taken 230 field goal attempts in the playoffs, just ten fewer than his next two teammates combined. If that trend continues and Anthony continues to shoot poorly -- just 39.1% in the playoffs an 29.5% from deep -- it could spell trouble for New York.
Will Thunder strike again? (AP)
Each day that there's a playoff game, we'll have three things to watch in the NBA playoffs. Each note will be accompanied by a contest. We'll announce winners after each round. Here's today's three things to watch:
1) Indiana vs. Manhattan. The Pacers defeated the Knicks 102-95 in Game 1 on the road, thanks to a balanced effort -- six Pacers scored in double figures and they led by 16 heading into the fourth quarter. With a win today, the Pacers would secure a dominating home-court advantage -- needing just two wins with as many as three more games at home. The Pacers produced a convincing 44-30 edge in rebounding, unexpectedly led by Brooklyn-born guard Lance Stephenson.
2) Kevin Durant. Oklahoma City barely eked out a victory in Game 1, winning 93-91 against the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the league's best defenses and a team that starts Marc Gasol, the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Kevin Durant led OKC to victory behind 35 points on 13-26 shooting, adding 15 rebounds and a 19-footer to take the lead for good with 11 seconds left. There's few ways -- if any -- to stop Kevin Durant, but if any team has the capability of doing it, it's the Grizzlies, who employ both Gasol and Tony Allen, arguably the league's best perimeter defender. Memphis has a bevy of talented scorers, and the Thunder barely won even with Durant's routine explosion and may need an unlikely hero to seal Game 2.
3) Carmelo Anthony's shooting. Anthony is no stranger to shooting -- Game 1 marked the 44th time this season that he's recorded more field goal attempts+free throw attempts than points. He averaged 28.7 points on 28.8 FGA+FTA per game in the regular season, which makes this proposition basically a 50-50. The Knicks will be most successful if Anthony's shooting efficiently -- will he?
By defeating the Indiana Pacers Friday night, the Brooklyn Nets guaranteed home-court advantage at least through the first round of the playoffs. At 47-32, they 3.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks with three games remaining, meaning that even if they lose the rest of their games and the Hawks win outright, they would still finish one game ahead of the Hawks for the fourth seed.
At 44-36, the Atlanta Hawks are currently a half-game ahead of the 43-36 Chicago Bulls for the fifth seed, which would be the Nets' first-round opponent. The Boston Celtics are no longer in contention for the fifth seed, but could be the sixth seed.
The Nets still have a mathematical chance at the third seed... MORE →
Former Indiana Pacers assistant coach and current Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King chatted with Mark Boyle of the Indiana Pacers about his time in Indiana, what he's doing now with the Nets, and his plans to get into politics. Spoiler: King references a public but still little-known fact that he was offered to run for Senate by former New Jersey Senator & Governor Jon Corzine, even getting handed $3 million upfront to help run his campaign.
Fun listen. Check it out below.
Listen: Pacers Weekly: Billy King
Warm-Ups
Pacers vs Nets tonight instagr.am/p/VnCEfJAoO3/
— Bryan Clauson (@BryanClauson) February 11, 2013
@bk_nets_beat i think I just threw up.. That's a horrendous lineup
— Fake Billy King (@DaRealBKNetsGM) February 11, 2013
At Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the Indiana @pacers vs Brooklyn Nets. I'm very excited to be this close to an (ex) Kardashian.
— Chris Colby (@SeeDubyaSee) February 11, 2013
I equate currently watching the Nets to going to the dentist. You know you have to go(watch), and it will be painful.
— BSchulz (@BSchulzBKN) February 11, 2013
D-Will out tonight. (AP)
Tonight: The 29-22 Brooklyn Nets travel to Indiana to play the 31-20 Indiana Pacers, at 7:00 P.M. EST tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pacers had won five straight before losing to the Toronto Raptors 100-98 in overtime Friday night. The Nets have lost back-to-back games and six of their last nine games.
Watch & Listen: Tonight's game is broadcast on YES Network. Ian Eagle and Greg Anthony are on the call. The game is radio simulcast on WFAN, and in Spanish on WADO.
More on tonight's game, including injuries and stats, after the jump... MORE →
Check out the results from your fan grades on Sunday night's 97-86 Brooklyn Nets victory over the Indiana Pacers:
WARM-UPS:
@konjames10 on a 10 day contract with the #Nets Former New Jersey Net now a #Brooklyn #Net #HelloBrooklyn
— Brandon Robinson (@ScoopB) January 13, 2013
#Nets starting line up tonight: Deron, Joe, Bogans, Reggie, and Brook
— Nets Courtside (@NetsCourtside) January 13, 2013
Nets game with the fam twitter.com/killxmishh/sta…
— mishh (@killxmishh) January 13, 2013
@paul_george24 is back so we actually have a chance against the Nets hopefully we can beat these mfs....let's go Pacers!!!
— *Bullwinkle* (@RonRobinsonIII) January 13, 2013
The Nets are having Russian entertainer Oleg Kolomyets introduce the players as part of the "Evening of Russian Culture."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 13, 2013
Lopez after a fourth-quarter jumper. (AP)
The Nets rode an excellent fourth quarter to victory, outscoring Indiana 28-11, and their offensive success came from bucking conventional wisdom. What makes the Pacers so successful defensively is their ability to turn away shots near the rim. The Pacers are full of long defenders like 7'2" Roy Hibbert and Ian Mahinmi in their frontcourt, and buoy those talents with quick, long wing defenders like the 6'9" Paul George turning away shots. The Pacers focus their defense close to the rim and at the corners, as you can see from their shot chart:... MORE →
Players
de02de02de02RT @MarsDaBlackman: When I get married I'm walking the aisle to rocko - uoeno
13 hours ago#NETS
THE BK GAME STAFF
Speaking of Deron Williams, on how he embodies everything both wonderful and flawed about Brooklyn: http://t.co/paNXeNue2u
6 hours ago Feel like it's NBA destiny that Lance Stephenson is becoming the next DeShawn Stevenson.
7 hours ago Funny: Brook Lopez was snubbed from the All-Star voting ballot for the same reason that he should've made an All-NBA team.
11 hours ago-
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