Western Dominance and Eastern Struggles

Four games, four wins. It’s becoming a common refrain for the San Antonio Spurs in this 2011-2012 season. It’s something that the Los Angeles Clippers became all too familiar with after Coach Gregg Popovich’s crew swept them out of the playoffs, 4-0. The combined efforts of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin fell short time and time again in the face of the Spurs’ onslaught. Even as Tim Duncan dominated inside like he did in the early 2000s, the trio of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green took care of the perimeter and quickly sent the Clips home packing and wondering what the future holds for head coach Vinny del Negro.

The more established team in L.A., the mighty Lakers, fared no better than their co-tenants at the Staples Center. Aside from a Game One blowout, each game against the Oklahoma City Thunder had been close, something that was supposed to swing in the favor of playoff veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace. But the Thunder have been showing how they’ve grown up quickly in this year’s playoffs, withstanding almost every Laker run, and forcing the Lakers into bad shots and turnovers. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been delivering big time for Coach Scott Brooks, and the defensive combination of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins has punished both Gasol and Andrew Bynum, forcing the seven-footers into uncomfortable shots. Games 2 and 4 in this series saw OKC step into passing lanes, force errors by L.A., and leave the 16-time champions wondering how they could let leads slip away late. Coach Mike Brown’s late-game decisions to just let the Lakers play by not mapping out any clear schemes is drawing criticism, and could be a reason for Brown not returning once the playoffs end. If not for the Lakers’ 41-42 free throw performance in Game 3 (Bryant himself going 18-18), this series would have ended in a sweep too. Instead, the Thunder eliminated L.A. 4-1 and sending the Lakers into an offseason of uncertainty.

When the Chicago Bulls were eliminated, it seemed as if everyone was clearing the way for the Miami Heat to square off against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Apparently nobody told the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers of that plan as the two underdogs have been scratching and clawing to keep their respective series interesting.

Miami was supposed to destroy Frank Vogel’s charges, but the Pacers have given Erik Spoelstra’s crew everything they can handle. Some might point to the loss of Chris Bosh to an abdominal strain as the cause for the Heat machine stalling, but others can just look at the inconsistent play from Dwyane Wade as the culprit. One game after a dismal 5 point, 5 turnover performance that was highlighted by a clash with Spoelstra on the Heat bench, Wade delivered with 30 points, 22 in the second half, as the Heat tied the Eastern Conference Semifinals at two games apiece. 3-time MVP James was no slouch either with 40 huge points and 18 rebounds to scatter Indiana’s early optimism. The Pacers need something more akin to their Game Three blowout win, when David West, George Hill, and Danny Granger showed that they have a “Big Three” of their own.

Coach Doug Collins is loving life in Philadelphia now. After taking out the top-seeded Bulls, nobody expected the Sixers to put up much of a fight versus the veteran-heavy Boston Celtics. But a team composed of Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Elton Brand, and rising star Evan Turner are sending a message to the rest of the NBA: Philly is here, and we will not go quietly. No clear-cut star shines brighter than the rest for this team, and that’s just fine with Collins. It means anyone and everyone is expected to show up and rise to the occasion when necessary. Boston has relied on Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo since 2008, and Coach Doc Rivers’ team has been up and down in this match-up primarily because of the strong play by the Sixers. Brandon Bass delivered for the Celtics in Game Five though to give them a 3-2 edge over Philly. The question now is if there’s anything left in the 76ers or can Boston close them out in two days.

Clearly, San Antonio has emerged as the team to beat in these playoffs. Two series sweeps means the Spurs’ veterans can rest longer while the other teams battle it out everywhere else. With their elimination by a younger, deeper, meaner Thunder team, you might have seen the last of this incarnation of the Lake Show. Focus now goes to the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Thunder. Out East, it’s anybody’s guess right now which among the four teams will tussle in the Eastern Conference Finals. Star power is nice, but team chemistry, desire, and will could prove to significant enough to torpedo the hopes of both powerhouses in Boston and Miami.

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