Tag: Heat

Brunt: Pacers can reach next level with win Tuesday night

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Founder The similarities are downright eerie. Last year: Lower-seeded Indiana entered Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals up 2-1 against Miami. The Pacers gained homecourt advantage by taking a game on the road. The Heat’s No. 2 scorer, Dwyane Wade, had been playing below his usual standard, adding fuel to […]

Greg Oden talks about his NBA future; Carmel beats Lawrence North

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Former No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden went back to Lawrence North on Friday night to watch his alma mater host Class 4A No. 1 Carmel. Oden led the Wildcats to state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. He played one season at Ohio State, where he was an All-American and helped the Buckeyes finish […]

Pacers could benefit from Hansbrough's, Stephenson's tactics

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Tyler Hansbrough and Lance Stephenson might have dropped the two biggest assists for the Pacers in their second-round series against Miami. By hammering Dwyane Wade in Game 5, the kind of foul Jeff Foster was famous for, Hansbrough turned Miami into a team that felt it needed to prove its […]

Pacers hope Granger, West stop hobbling before Game 6

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor It shouldn’t end this way. The Indiana Pacers have been relatively injury free all season long, and now, they risk the season ending with their two best players sidelined or at less than full strength. Danny Granger went down with a twisted ankle in Game 5 against the Heat, and David West went down […]

Pregame notes, Miami at Indiana, Game 4

Some things to look for in Sunday’s Miami-Indiana game: Roy Hibbert needs to remain dominant. He had 19 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in Game 3, but at times in his career, he has been inconsistent, especially on offense. The key to Roy’s success is how aggressive he is about getting position before he […]

Granger's time to seize greatness is now

For someone so skinny, somehow Reggie Miller’s shadow has engulfed Danny Granger. The Pacers’ high-scoring forward has his best opportunity yet to step out of it. Granger has taken many big shots during his seven-year career, but he’s known as a scorer who lacks a signature moment or performance in a big-time game. He now […]

Tanzanian (East African) brothers enjoy first NBA experience in Indy

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor INDIANAPOLIS — Brothers James and Penda Kopwe, natives of Tanzania, East Africa, followed the NBA for years but never attended a game. When they finally decided to go, they chose basketball country. They chose Indiana. The two attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference playoff series between the Indiana Pacers […]

Indiana 94, Miami 75: Hibbert dominates Game 3

This was the Roy Hibbert everyone was expecting to emerge. Indiana’s 7-foot-2 center had 19 points and 18 rebounds to help the Pacers defeat the Miami Heat 94-75 on Thursday night and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 second-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Hibbert has had great expectations placed on him because Chris Bosh, Miami’s […]

Notes: Miami at Indiana, Game 3

-LeBron James is averaging 30 points and 12 rebounds in the series against the Pacers. He leads all playoff scorers with 28.4 points per game. -Danny Granger is shooting 6-for-24 from the field in the series and has committed 10 fouls. Paul George is shooting 5-for-16 from the field and has committed 10 fouls. -Indiana […]

Oklahoma City’s title hopes against the Heat depend on Westbrook

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Nobody seems to like Russell Westbrook anymore. The Oklahoma City guard is getting ripped by national columnists, on the airwaves and by a lot of other people who claim to know a lot about basketball. If the Thunder win tonight, number zero will play a huge role. Don’t worry, OKC […]

Coronation for King James or new royalty?

Let’s hold off on this coronation for King James. Why? Because the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the NBA Finals. Sorry, LeBron. The honest truth is the Thunder are a better team, at least right now. In his pep rally after joining the Heat, LeBron famously said not one, not two and went on as […]