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Don't look now, but
the best team in the eastern conference through
the NBA regular season, and a western conference power many had tipped
to win it all, are in a deep play-off hole.
The Indiana Pacers, who finished on top of the eastern
conference, trail the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks 2-1 after losing 98-85
in Atlanta on Friday. The Hawks finished six games below .500 through
the regular season but, in playmaker Jeff Teague and sharpshooter Kyle
Korver, have troubled the inconsistent Pacers.
Teague finished with 22 points and 10 assists while Korver
added 20 points. For the Pacers Paul George, considered an emerging
superstar earlier in the season, and centre Roy Hibbert again struggled.
George had only 12 points and Hibbert has only 18 points in the opening
three games.
If the pain of the scoreboard wasn't enough, that the Hawks'
supporters chanted ''overrated'' at the visitors as they left the floor
will surely play on the minds of Frank Vogel's team. So worrying has the
Pacers' slump become that Hibbert may losing his starting spot for game
four on Sunday Australian time.
''We're going to look at everything,'' Vogel said. ''He
[Hibbert] has not played well in the series to this point. But we still
have confidence in Roy Hibbert.''
The Pacers have not been afraid to verbally challenge each
other in public, and nothing had changed in the locker-room after this
defeat. ''We have a dream of winning it all,'' George said. ''We've got
be much more tougher than that. I don't think it's there. Our toughness
is questionable right now.''
In the west, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each scored 30 for
Oklahoma City but it wasn't enough as the Thunder dropped game three
98-95 in over-time to the physical Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies lead the series 2-1, having prevailed in
back-to-back overtime games. Power forward Zach Randolph had 16 points
and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who will attempt to extend their
franchise-record 15-game home winning streak when the series resumes on
Sunday.
Durant cannot afford to have another night where he missed
all eight of his three-point attempts if the Thunder are to avoid
heading for a second-straight play-off series loss to the Grizzlies.
''Personally, I think we missed a lot of good looks, some open threes,
some lay-ins, some I wish I could take back,'' Durant said.
As was the case in game two, this latest contest featured an
improbable four-point play, this time by Westbrook, who tied the game at
85 with 26.6 seconds remaining. Each side then botched an opportunity
to claim the win in regulation.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks was confident Durant would regain
his long-range groove. ''Kevin is really prideful,'' Brooks said. ''He
loves what he does and loves doing it with the guys that he's playing
with. He was frustrated a few times with himself missing shots he
normally makes in his sleep.''
The Golden State Warriors, missing injured Australian centre
Andrew Bogut, have also fallen behind 2-1, after dropping game three
98-96 at home to the Los Angeles Clippers. In an engaging contest
between two fierce rivals, it was Clippers' power forward Blake Griffin
(32 points) who was the difference in what Clippers coach Doc Rivers
described as ''winning ugly''.
''He has just been great. He is making jump shots. I keep
going back to his work [rate] – tomorrow we won't do much but he will be
back in the gym,'' Rivers said.
The Warriors' ''splash brothers'' pairing of Klay Thompson
(26 points) and Steph Curry (16 points, 15 assists) helped spark a late
rally but Curry couldn't deliver a late three-pointer to pinch victory.
''This is going to be a long series. We have spoken about that,''
Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.
For Dwight Howard's Houston Rockets, the Charlotte Bobcats
and the Chicago Bulls, there's even more to worry about, for each has
lost the opening two matches of its series.
The Bulls, simply, have been unable to create and score late
in games against the Washington Wizards, while Rockets coach Kevin
McHale will face an uncertain future should his team be swept by the
Portland Trail Blazers. The Rockets need to curb Blazers centre LaMarcus
Aldridge, who has poured in 46 points and 43 in the opening two games.
SERIES STANDINGS
NBA play-offs:
Eastern conference first round:
Atlanta 2 v Indiana 1
Miami 2 v Charlotte 0
Brooklyn 1 v Toronto 1
Washington 2 v Chicago 0
Western conference first round:
Dallas 1 v San Antonio 1
Memphis 2 v Oklahoma 1
Portland 2 v Houston 0
Los Angeles Clippers 2 v Golden State 1
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