Wednesday, April 23, 2014

TIED UP --or-- TIED-UP ?

   The Charlotte Bobcats entered Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the defending champion Miami Heat with a lot of pride and determination.   

   The Bobcats had come back from the worst team (ever) in the NBA two years ago, with only seven (7) wins the entire season, to 43 wins this season and a berth in the playoffs.  They tripled their win total from 2012 to 2013 (7 to 21) and more than doubled the win total from last year (21 to 43).  

   But as they, and all of us, know- the playoffs marks a brand new season- where all teams begin again at 0-0, and the only advantage that you possess over your opponent is your ability on the court.  That fact might often benefit the lower-seeded team, but in the first game, on Miami's home court, the Heat eventually prevailed, and won going away, by double digits, 99-88.

   Two factors played big in the Heat win :  the exit of Bobcats star center Al Jefferson in the first half, and the un-Bobcat-like 20 turnovers in the game.  Before his injury, Charlotte actually held several leads over the Heat.  Jefferson strained the plantar fascia in his left foot, and while he returned in the second half, he was never the same, playing with a noticeable limp. The Bobcats led the league in several categories this year, including lowest number of turnovers, averaging only 11.6 per game.  Against the Heat, they nearly doubled this total.  The Heat were second in the NBA in steals and opponents' turnovers.  And this game was no exception.

  Even so, the Bobcats looked remarkably well at times, hung close, and were within five points in the fourth quarter.  But the Heat blew the game out with an 18-4 run, and never looked back.  While Charlotte seemed competitive in the first half, and even in the third quarter, during the last period, Miami showed they were the better team.

  After this beating the Cats took in Game 1, can they possibly bounce back in Game 2 to tie up the series ?   Or will they be "tied-up" by the Heat, with their backs against the wall at 0-2 of a 3-game series ?   We will find out tonight.. 


GAME TWO of the Bobcats-Heat series is TONIGHT

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