Ballin: Miami Can't Score and the Clippers Can't Defend. Does Either Have a Chance?

Miami 75, Indiana 94: It all fell apart in the 3rd quarter. Miami couldn’t score. Then D Wade blew up at his coach, Erik Spoelstra, shouting, “Get out of my fucking face!” LeBron (10-of-22) settled for jumpers instead of attacking the basket. Mario Chalmers (25 points, five assists, zero turnovers) was the only effective Heat player at the offensive end, and he wasn’t nearly enough. Indiana leads 2-1, and at this juncture, it appears as if LeBron will go another season without getting a title. Where is the scoring going to come from? Battier was 0-7. Jones was 1-6. But Wade’s 2-for-13 hurt the most.

Roy Hibbert, who some of us loved back in the 2008 NBA draft, was dominant inside for Indiana with 19 point, 18 rebounds and five blocks. George Hill added 20, and Studio Gangster Danny Granger scored 17. Without Chris Bosh, the series kind of feels like Dallas-Miami in the Finals last year. Everyone’s waiting for LeBron to take over … but will he? Why can’t he channel the 2007 LeBron from this performance? The legendary 48/9/7 performance happened five years ago this month. Does that LeBron even exist anymore?

San Antonio 105, LA Clippers 88: The Spurs won their 16th in a row by rolling in the second half (again). Here’s what’s scary about the winning streak – 13 of the 16 wins are by double digits. Maybe the Clippers have wilted in the second half of consecutive games because they’re tired (seven games in 13 days), or perhaps because the Spurs are the most complete team in the league. It looks like both, but likely more the latter. The Spurs have no weaknesses. How are the Thunder going to beat them?

Chris Paul had eight turnovers, and now leads the NBA with 38 in the postseason. The Clippers made 9-of-13 three-pointers, but 18 turnovers were a killer. Blake Griffin scored 20 points, but only took one rebound. He was also whistled for perhaps the worst “flagrant foul” of the postseason. Way to sell the foul, Tony Parker.