By: Nick Bartlett
I heard it all yesterday. What happens if the Heat lose Game 6 and the series to the Celtics? Who is to blame? Which one of the Big 3 needs to go? Will it be Eric Spoelstra’s last game? Will Kevin Durant be considered better than LeBron James because of it?
I mean how could the Heat come back after losing 3 straight to the Celtics by winning Game 6 at Boston? Everyone figured this was it for Miami (admittedly I was very skeptical as well). The Celtics have the more complete team. No one can handle KG in the post. The veteran savvyness is too much for the Heat. Miami doesn’t play like a team. The Big 3 just can’t be successful together. Blah, blah, blah.
Then LeBron made a statement. I could go on and on about the spectacular performance and the ridiculous degree of difficulty of what he did, but I think we all understand that. It’s the implications of this game that are hilarious.
Now all of the sudden the Celtics are too old again. Their old, tired legs finally caught up to themselves. They don’t have the firepower to stick with the younger, more athletic Heat. Their run is over. This is their last hurrah. There’s no way they win Game 7 in Miami. Blah, blah, blah.
Can anyone just admit that the playoffs are played on a game to game basis rather than based on momentum and that no one can accurately depict exactly what is going to happen? Who knew LeBron would go off for 45-15-5? Who knew the Celtics would go 1-14 on three pointers and miss all the same key shots that they were hitting in Game 5? Who knew Paul Pierce would shoot horrendously? No one.
So before we throw Spoelstra under the bus, disband the Big 3, or accuse LeBron of not being clutch enough to lead, let’s take a step back and watch the beauty of the game and the series unfold. That’s why it’s a best of 7 series instead of a best of 5.
Same thing goes for the Celtics now. Just because they lost Game 6 doesn’t mean it’s all over for them. There is nothing more they could have done to stop King James. They also just missed shots they’ve been hitting in the past 3 games. It happens. It doesn’t mean Spoelstra went from being a complete idiot to a genius from Game 5 to 6. The Heat (mostly LeBron) just hit shots and Boston didn’t.
Let’s stop over-analyzing each game and appreciate the series for what it represents as a whole. Sure mistakes are being made and there are specific things each team is doing well and poorly. But it’s really come down to who is going to get open looks and who is going to knock them down. It seems overly simple, but that’s what it is at the end of the day.
Miami fans are hoping LeBron carries his Game 6 performance into Game 7. Boston fans are hoping KG plays like he did in Games 3-5 and that Pierce rebounds from his awful Game 6. Which, if any or all, of these scenarios happen in Game 7 is a toss-up.
Let’s just enjoy the series and the extremely high-level of basketball while we can. There’s no need to break up the Big 3 of either team just yet. There’s no need to fire any coach or restructure either team.
There’s just a need to be happy that we’re so fortunate to see such contrasting teams fight it out in Miami on Saturday in a Game 7. I can’t wait.
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