Uh, Inty, the Heat are the ones that are leading 3-1. Unless you meant the Thunder being the first team to do so.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8077467/that-boy-competed Two things I really enjoyed/appreciated from this latest Simmons article: 1) The 10% theory: Every great/elite NBA player has 10% of their game that's always full of problems, weaknesses, etc. 2) No matter how you feel about The Decision/Miami etc, you can't deny the incredible basketball LeBron has been playing since game 6 of this year's ECF. I, and so, so many others will not like/jump for joy for the likely outcome for tomorrow night's game 5, but it will be a fact that LeBron will have finally made that leap which will forever change the conversation/the way LeBron is viewed as an NBA player.
Nah, Skip Bayless will still dogpile him about his legacy. He just won't be able to call him the "Ringless King" anymore.
So ... next year we find out that Chris Bosh is Lebron's sister, and it makes that kiss scene all that much more awkward?
The last team in any playoff series to blow a 3-1 series lead was... the '05-'06 Lakers! I'm still incredibly annoyed by this fact. The last time I got teary eyed (not ashamed to admit it) after a Lakers loss was after game 6 of this series... it would have been a legitimate upset if the Lakers had pulled it off. I don't get teary eyed anymore, though, after tough playoffs losses... I just become very silent & stoic (most of the time... after Boston's title clinching win in the '08 Finals (me & friend left the bar area of the restaurant we were at after Garnett's "Anything is POSSIBLE!!!!!"), I kicked an empty chair on the way out... also shaved off my beard (last time I did this, by the way) because I had lost a bet on the series).
Nope... they were tied 2-2 at one point in the series against Portland, and were down 2-1 against Miami in The Finals.
I'm also incredibly annoyed by the Lakers blowing that series. Had they won, we would have finally had a Lakers/Clippers playoff series. That would have been great. But what I'm more annoyed by is that the '06 Spurs should actually be the most recent team to overcome such a deficit. But Manu Ginobili committed one of the dumbest fouls in NBA history, and that was that.
i am surprised at how many analysts are outright counting the thunder out of this series, especially after the way they turned the table on san antonio. i mean i get the 0-30 thing, but how many of those thirty teams were facing the prospect of having to win won at home and then go on the road for the last two games? i'd wager the answer is "most". and the thunder have been right there in both of the first two games played in miami. all they have to do is eek one out and they can force this thing back to okc. but we'll see, i'm just hoping for at least one more good game.
It's not too surprising, though, given the historical factors (no team has ever comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win The Finals), the home court (I suppose) advantage for Miami tonight, and the will of LeBron (and Wade) to just get it done tonight. I don't it will be a blowout, and (obviously) it wouldn't be shocking if OKC did win tonight... I just don't see it happening, but hoping I'm proven wrong.
It's more a reflection of the chances tonight, I guess. That is, they've been given no chance in this particular game. If they were to surprise a win, the pundits will change their tune pretty quickly given their home ground advantage in the last 2 games. Have to say I really dislike the 2-3-2 format. If Heat win the title tonight they'll have played more games at home than the team with the supposed advantage. Too much of a power shift because of one away victory early in the series.
And if Miami does win, I believe they would be only the 2nd team in NBA history to win their 3 home games since the format change... the other team (that I know for sure) who did it? Detroit in 2004. *shakes fists*
C'mon, Tunick, you oughta know better. How can you forget Miami's legendary comeback against Dallas in 2006?
Hmm, true. [face_doh] I suppose the point still holds true for a team winning the 3 home games in this format, with the 3rd win being the title clincher.
Off the top of my head, I don't know. And Mike Miller is having himself a hell of a game... Fisher hitting that 3 in the first quarter was niiiiiiice to see.
