Bobcats "Out" -- Hornets "In"

  I want to say "I'm sorry" for not continuing to cover the Bobcats playoff games, but  (as I've said before) ..  I don't get paid for this.. and every time I started to write a blog about a playoff game, I was so discouraged by watching them come so close to beating a great team like the Miami Heat, it was just too much for me.  

   I do think that the new Hornets will be a much improved team next year.  I believe that owner Michael Jordan and the team front office will work to get new, talented players to blend with the core team that is already in place to make the Charlotte Hornets (it's kinda strange to say that) an even better team.  One thing's for sure- I don't see the Hornets taking any steps back from what their predecessor the Bobcats have accomplished.  I definitely see our team continuing to be in the playoff picture, and even winning a series. It will happen.  Just not sure of the time frame, but I believe it could happen next year.

   Now- who will win the NBA Championship this year ?  I'd love to see your input in the form of comments.  Feel free to share.  My picks?   I'd probably say..

MIAMI HEAT vs. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

  

    Wait a second-- isn't that the SAME two teams that played last year?  Umm.. yes.  And I'm not going to be a bit surprised if they end up in the Finals again this year.  If not them, it could be the Mavericks or the Trailblazers.  I thought that the Indiana Pacers might be the team in the East, but their lackluster performance against the Hawks has made me change my mind about them.  I do not think that anyone else will challenge the Heat in the East.

  But time will tell.. check back for periodic updates on the new Charlotte Hornets.

Bobcats-Heat / Game 2 Summary

Game 2: Bobcats vs Heat

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This was the closest game of the series.  This was a much closer series than the 4-0 sweep indicates.  Unfortunately, the Bobcats will not get another chance under this team banner.  Next season, the Bobcats will once again become The Charlotte Hornets.
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This game’s first half was looking like a different spin on Game 1.  Center Al Jefferson reinjured his left heel, but still tried to play, although hobbling on just one good leg. The Bobcats committed their league-leading average of 12 turnovers in just one half, which led to 18 Heat points. 

It began to look like a Heat blowout with just 1:40 left in the half, when LeBron James stole an errant pass and broke loose for a slam dunk.  Then a couple of possessions later, a layup finished a 9-0 run by the Heat to go up by 16 at 57-41 with one minute remaining.  However, two 3-pointers by Bobcats guards Neal and Walker closed out the scoring and cut the lead to ten, 57-47, at the half.

The second half began strong for the Bobcats as they scored the first six points to cut the Heat lead to four, 57-53, and continued to keep it close throughout the third quarter.  Several Bobcats players came up big with McRoberts and Kidd-Gilchrist as key contributors. But it seemed that every time that Charlotte would pull almost even with the Heat, either James, Chris Bosch, or another role player would step up with a clutch shot to spoil a Bobcats comeback. 

The Heat went up by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter at 91-77, but the Bobcats came back once again with a 10-0 run to cut it back to an 4-point difference, 91-87,  with under 5 minutes left.  Then, as if it were scripted, Chris Bosch came back with two straight baskets to extend the Heat’s lead to eight.  The lead went up and down by a point or two, until the 1:42 mark, when an Al Jefferson layin cut the lead down to just three at 97-94.  

Neither the Heat nor the Bobcats seemed to want to win the game in the last minute, as Charlotte missed two shots, but Miami turned the ball over twice on an offensive foul and a bad pass. Kemba Walker hit a huge 3-pointer at 12 seconds left, and it was 98-97, the closest score in the second half. James hit two free throws to put the Heat back up three.  With 10 seconds left, Charlotte had the ball and a chance to tie the game, but lost the ball on a steal. 

                       FINAL SCORE:  Miami 101, Charlotte 97

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

BOBCATS FACE THE CHAMPS FIRST

   They say, "the tougher they are, the harder they fall."  And, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going."  Well.. the Charlotte Bobcats will face one of the toughest teams in the league when they go against the #1 East seed Miami Heat on Sunday at 3:30 pm EST, live on ABC TV.

   You could also be right in saying that the Bobcats are also tough.  They've been on a streak lately, passing .500 and not looking back, winning games in a row, and eight of their last nine. They finished the regular season a respectable 43-39.  Granted, in that streak, they beat possible weaker teams like Philadelphia and Washington twice, and Cleveland, but they also beat Atlanta and Chicago.  In contrast, their opponent, the Miami Heat, have lost five of their last six games.

  We will cover the Bobcats playoff series with Miami, with posts on each game with highlights and commentary.  Hopefully, our team will give a good showing.  I'm not making a prediction of an upset.. not just yet.

STAY TUNED FOR COVERAGE OF THE CHARLOTTE-MIAMI PLAYOFF SERIES

 

Better Late than Never

   I'm officially (well, sort of) launching a BRAND NEW Bobcats/Hornets Blog today.  I've focused my attention in the sports realm to my favorite teams, the Carolina Panthers in the pro football (NFL), and the UNC Tar Heels in college basketball (NCAA).  Now, the Charlotte NBA franchise has finally caught my eye.  They are now above .500 for the first time in many months or years.  A couple of years ago, they set an NBA record for the lowest win total in a season.. I believe they were 7-65.   But now their record stands at 40-38.  They just beat the Washington Wizards, their coach Michael Jordan's old team, by 84-78, and vaulted past the Wizards into sixth (6th) place in the NBA East standings. They have already secured a place in the playoffs.  Chances are slim to overtake the fifth place team, the Brooklyn Nets, as they are three games ahead, with only four games to play.  But, our local team has shown us that they can finally play.  Acquisition Al Jefferson has brought a new energy to this team, which was loaded with recent college draft players.

  I'll be trying to keep touch with the Bobcats' playoff games.  The last, and only, time they made the playoffs, in 2010, they were swept in the first round.  Let's hope for a better showing this time around.  And I believe that they will have more success this year.

 NEXT POST : 

A Recap of the Regular Season & A Preview of Our First Round Playoff Matchup