MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/19 April) – This Holy Week looks auspicious for Filipino sports lovers. Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao redeemed himself against Timothy Bradley in their grudge rematch on Palm Sunday. And on Easter Sunday, this basketball-crazy country will start the week watching the first games of the NBA playoffs.
In the Eastern Conference, all eyes will be on whether the LeBron James-led Miami Heat can make their fourth finals stint and earn their third title in a row. They will face Michael Jordan’s franchise Charlotte Bobcats in the first round. Charlotte has never won against Miami since 2010, aside from never having won a playoff game, a “record” held by no other NBA team.
After losing 14 of its last 25 games, Miami may not be as menacing as last year when they ended the regular season with a 66-16 record highlighted by a 26-game winning streak.
They are two games behind the Indiana Pacers, a strong title contender. Yet the playoffs may change the intensity of Miami’s game, and they may just be holding back their firepower. (Remember Sun Tzu’s counsel of feigning weakness when you are strong?)
Miami, however, is in trouble if Dwyane Wade could not perform 100 percent due to a recurring hamstring injury. Wade did not play in most of the games that they lost. Clearly, like the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen tandem of old, Miami needs the lethal James-Wade combination. Chris Bosh alone could not effectively complement James.
As the top seed in the East, Indiana takes on eighth seed Atlanta Hawks. If both Indiana and Miami succeed in disposing of the other playoffs contenders, they will again battle for a ticket to the Finals. Last year, Miami earned the right to be in the championship after a grueling series with Indiana that went the distance. It was a series that could have gone either way, except that Indiana showed immaturity in handling close games.
The Chicago Bulls, however, cannot be underestimated. Since January 1 they have performed better than either Indiana or Miami. Who knows, they might frustrate hopes for a repeat of last year’s Eastern Conference finals rematch. But first they have to stop the Washington Wizards especially John Wall.