Hoops

NBA Finals Game 4

Anyone think that it is over next game? I think James and Wade are going to have huge games and close it out at home

Yeah, the onus should be on the away team to come back and snatch it, not the other way around.

This is where the 2-3-2 Finals format is unfair. The Thunder are on the back foot, and could sorely use home support in game 5. What's more, they deserve it as the higher-ranked team.

Have OKC never heard of a flex cut? Durant needs to move to get the catches he wants. He's had a disappointing series, it was a chance to become a man, but he is obviously not ready to be on the big stage. He better tell his teammates "look at the number on my back, that's how many shots I will take tonight".

Also, Westbrook did play a good game, but not a smart one. Fair enough he gets good looks at the rim, but just because he scored, that doesn't mean that another person wouldn't score if they moved the ball on a bit.

The theory that when Chalmers fires, the Heat win has been proven again...

Completely agree MACDUB. Harden was Soften out there in game 4. Dude has been soft and looking for special treatment ever since Artest elbowed him. He's gotta "Harden" up :P

Just because I've made a fair bit of $$$ through betting doesn't mean I'm a full time gambler, so I lost nothing today. Time to kick back and enjoy the Wednesday races on SKY and TVN.

"Westbrook needs to pass the ball more..when he scores so much they hardly ever win"

Oh my god. I dont want to hear it. That is disgusting. The dude scores 43 points and you find a way to critique his game. Horrible

If you want to blame someone, blame Harden, because he wasn't aggressive and confident in his abilities.

Well Mick, over the last 4 years I've made enough $$$ off of betting to pay for multiple overseas trips as well as purchasing a few investment properties. I'd say I know more about sporting patterns and idiosyncrasies than you believe me to.

The biggest mistake anyone can make is believing that sport (especially in America) is an even battle. It's not, it's a multi-million dollar enterprise designed to make money. Take the Yankees of the MLB: do you really think that the MLB is a level playing field when teams like the Yankees have a 200 million dollar payroll? Same goes for teams like the Lakers and Celtics in the NBA, two teams who are iconic in basketball but would be screwed over majorly with a hard cap. Then there's the Oakland Raiders of the NFL who front office officials I've spoken directly to in person understand that the Raiders will never receive any favours from the NFL be it on or off the field, with documentation of the "Raiders vs the NFL" theory dating as far back as the 70s with the Immaculate Reception.

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that there are some people in sporting administrations who bend the rules to un-level what is supposed to be a level playing field.

Guess that blows Chewy's prediction out of the water? Or is it a conspiracy that the league wants Lebron to "get" his first ring?

Westbrook 11pts in last quarter so far...

James with almost a triple-double with 10min to go...

Still close but I'd be feeling pretty good if I were a heat fan. The Heat are confident and their game plan is working, whereas the thunder are missing defensive assignments and are playing too much iso offensively. Can't watch final qtr but if I had to bet I'd say the heat will scrape home again

Anyway back to the game... Durant with a rough call to open the 3rd. Clear block of Wades shot. Heat player smarter in 2nd qtr. Westbrook is a damn good scorer but it's so frustrating the way his tunnel vision prevents him from seeing Durant wide open at times. Battier doing great job of denying Durant the ball too

Isaac it's not hard to micro-manage games at all. Whether it be by putting a player in foul trouble, certain 50-50 no calls etc. It's quite obvious at least from my perspective that they do this. For example, how many times will you see a team be cruising in the 2nd half with a comfortable 10 point lead. All of a sudden there are a few more whistle blows, the opposition gets to the line more and then the game is closer again.

There is almost a "template" that can be observed over the last few years in regards to playoff series. Game 1 more often than not is a comfortable win to the home side, by around 8-12 points. Game two is much closer, always goes down to the wire, the away team tends to get more calls in this game. Game 3 usually a comfortable win to the home team. Game 4 similar to game 2. Game 5 the refs tend to let them play more if it's 2-2.

It just annoys me that there are plenty of games in the playoffs where I don't even bother watching because I can accurately gauge what will happen during the course of the match. And I'm positive that I'm not the only one..

The Gold Coast Blaze played the South Dragons yesterday and the boxscore is available.

Blaze imports struggled and the Dragons got up easily, despite being without Groves and Horvath.

Shannon Seebohm started for the Dragons and, while fairly luckless from the field, reportedly looked very comfortable playing at that level.

I don't know much about Seebohm - any info from readers? Someone that the 36ers should've had their eye on a little more closely?

Jacob Holmes had 11 and 12. Matt Burston was in good form apparently and Shane Heal paced them with 29 points.

Blaze were missing James Harvey and Son of Joyce.

This series will go to at least 6 games, partially due to the talent of both teams, partially due to the NBA wanting to draw out the series, more games = more money for the league. If some of the contentious fouls on Durant are left alone and he gets as much freedom from the refs as LeBron, OKC should win.

Game will be close in the 4th, but OKC will be cooler under pressure like they were in game 1. OKC by 4