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Related: About this forumUnreal, Chicago misses 4 straight free throws and Melo just tied it
This game should be over. 11 seconds left tie game.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Last edited Sun Apr 8, 2012, 04:43 PM - Edit history (1)
Game tying 3-pointer in the 4th with 11 seconds left. 3 here to take 1-point lead with 8.2 seconds left. Chicago squandered another lead with over a minute left but it wasn't as ugly this time.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Up to about 2 weeks ago.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Chicago is different because they were without Rose and they can't really use the schedule as an excuse in this game as they had plenty of rest with a well rested Rose coming in. They just simply collapsed in final minutes of overtime & 4th and Melo hit 3-pointers when he often came up short this season in similar situations.
Look at losses for Miami and OKC, they either came on the road or in back-to-back situations. Miami's loss to Memphis at home can be attributed to a letdown factor which exists when teams came off a win against a top team(OKC) to struggle against a lesser opponent. Gambler strategy is to spot those type of games because it makes sense for teams to prepare extra hard & have the motivation factor that doesn't exist in simply another game. Miami's other recent losses were on the road against Boston after coming from Toronto. OKC & Indiana in back-to-back nights. Chicago & Orlando back-to-back nights.
Oklahoma City is coming off losses in Miami & Indiana. The home loss to Memphis could be attributed to letdown after win against Chicago. Their other loss was on the road in Utah which is just a very tough place to play. I don't know what it is about that place.
It is frustrating that analysts are overreacting to unfavorable match-ups when it is easy to predict where teams will win depending on scheduling factors (several teams have had stretches of 5 games in 6 days) or road games where they are tougher than ever this season without mentioning this. I thought what Chicago did in Orlando by holding them to 59 points was unbelievable until a sports writer from other than ESPN pointed out that Orlando was on the second game of a back-to-back with the first game a relatively close loss on the road against Miami while Chicago was coming off a favorable stretch of home games on their first road trip with a day rest. I really hope there isn't another year like this because there has been some awful basketball going on.
Point is I fully expect those three teams to advance in playoff series that sensible scheduled with appropriate rest. I think if Indiana falls back they could be a tough draw. Philadelphia is one of the best defensive teams in the league and those types could always make things difficult. I don't know what to make of this short-handed Knicks team that manages to keep winning. Of course if Phoenix makes it, they will most likely be an #8 seed so obviously I hope OKC doesn't make it past them.