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Miami did not let suspensions slow them down last night as they closed out the Pacers in 6 games to reach the eastern conference finals. Dwyane Wade took control of the game (dropping 41pts and 10 reb) as he answered to any runs that the Indiana Pacers had to lead the Heat to a 105-93 victory. The game was in Indiana’s favor for the most part of the first half but as the game went on it just kept looking like the Heat were simply the better team and wanted it more. There were some questionable calls on the Pacers in the first half so much that the Heat’s new label of “Flop City” was trending worldwide on Twitter. Our very own Freep tweeting about it, laughing because it seemed like the referees were the ones keeping the Heat in the game. Second half was a different story, as Wade led the Heat’s scoring. LeBron wasn’t a scrub at all, scoring 28 points himself and had key plays down the stretch to fight off any late rally from the Pacers. It was a late rally that the Pacers couldn’t hold on to that killed them in the end. They had to spend the entire 4th quarter fighting uphill but Indiana never had the offensive efficiency to match the Heat shot for shot. Now, Indiana has gone fishing and the Miami Heat can watch tonight’s game 7 with the rest of us and await their opponent in the east finals.

This weekend’s games:
Saturday 5-26
Game 7: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
8:00ET (series tied at 3)
Everyone loves a game 7, right? Even with how ugly the last couple of games of this series have been I’m still excited about the final game to this series. I’m leaning Boston here for a couple of reasons. History favors the Celtics very much when it comes to game 7s historically. I also think the Celtics can’t play much worse than they did in Philly the other night. I feel like the 76ers have reached the peak and the Celtics will take of business at home.

Sunday 5-27
Game 1: Oklahoma City at San Antonio Spurs
9:00ET (series tied at 0)
We have a veteran team with tons of championship experience absolutely obliterating teams against a young athletic team with a bright future looking to take the next step. Are people being too quick to write off the Thunder? I know, the Spurs have looked unbeatable but I can’t see the Thunder getting roll over as quickly as most people think. I can’t wait to see the Parker-Westbrook matchup at the point among the other great players going head to head. This series has the potential to be a classic.

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Did anyone bet that Boston’s leading score for game 5 would be Brandon Bass? It was the first time in his entire career that he ever led scoring outright for the entire game. It was Bass’ big game along with Rondo’s control from the point that led the Celtics to a 101-85 win over Philadelphia and a 3-2 lead in the series. The 76ers had control for most the game up until midway through the 3rd quarter when the Celtics went on big runs and eventually the game turned into a rout once the 4th quarter got going. Turnovers hurt Philadelphia the most because they led to easy transition buckets for Boston which caused the crowd to get rowdy and well, you get the point. Philadelphia must limit those if they intend to make this series come back to Boston for a 7th game. Do I think it will? Well, neither team has won two in a row so it’s very probable. Let’s see how it plays out.

Looks like Kobe resorted back to his 2006 version by scoring 42 points and a having no assists in his last game for this season. The Thunder simply outplayed the Lakers in the second half to win 106-90 and secure their spot in the western conference finals with a 4-1 series victory. Durant, Westbrook and Harden were all great in leading the scoring for the Thunder, they asserted their dominance by starting a strong second half and eventually putting the final dagger in the Lakers hopes in a 4th quarter scoring spree. The Lakers’ trio of Kobe, Bynum and Gasol seemed out of sync when they were all playing at the same time, never really getting their scoring. So what’s next for the Lakers? Right now, let’s start preparing for what looks to be an instant classic in the western finals between the Spurs and Thunder this Sunday.

Tonight’s game:
Game 5: Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat
8:00ET (series tied at 2)
After huge games by Wade and James has this series turned in favor of the Heat? Both teams are taking advantage of the couple days off to made adjustments. Indiana knows how to play against Miami to win and vice versa. Swing game so you know it’s big.

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What a crazy weekend in the NBA. I don’t even know where to start! Let’s just go with early action on Friday between the Celtics and 76ers. How about that Andre Iguodala? Looking at the box score you’d think that he did terrible and for the most part he did. It was Iguodala’s huge shots late in the game that secured a 92-83 win for Philadelphia and a series that’s tied at two games going back to Boston. The Celtics looked in control most of the game but it was the Sixers youth and bench that rallied them back during the third and fourth quarter. Now a best of 3 series, we’ll see how the Celtics can respond heading that home. Kevin Garnett in particular must improve from his miserable game 4 performance and go back to formula that worked so effectively in game 3. Looking more and more like this one is going all the way to game 7.

Staying in the east it was all LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (combining for 70pts, 27reb and 15ast) yesterday afternoon as the Heat used a huge second half to knot the series against Indiana. It’s exactly what the Heat needed from their two stars to get back on track and swing the momentum their way headed back home for game 5. Combined with trying stop Wade and James, the Pacers also struggled from the field during key stretches late in games and that was the main reason of their demise. So what now for game 5 in South Beach? The way this series has developed so far I see anything and everything happening. Is another game 7 looming in the eastern conference?

What else can you say about this Lakers-Thunder series? The Lakers rebounded nicely in game 3 Friday night and it was looking like Los Angeles would tie the series Saturday night but Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had other plans. Led by Westbrook and sealed by Durant (ridiculous 3 pointer with 13.7 seconds left in the game) the Thunder beat the Lakers 103-100 and took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series heading back to Oklahoma City. The Lakers led most of game 4 but it was the late game heroics of the Westbrook-Durant combo that had the final word in this game and I think this series. Can the Thunder give the final blow or will the Lakers fight enough to keep the series going in an elimination game tonight?

The San Antonio Spurs have won 8 straight playoff games (18th straight win overall) as thy swept the Clippers as they await their final opponent in the west. The game was closer than the rest of the series but even with Chris Paul playing effectively to lead the Clippers, Tim Duncan and the Spurs had an answer to everything that Los Angeles threw at them. It was valiant effort by the Clippers but that this point San Antonio looks like a team that has their eye on the final prize. Most people think the Thunder will give them all they can but we’ll have to wait and see until they get there. Right now, the Spurs can sit back and ice their knees while watching everyone else battle for a spot in the conference finals.

Tonight’s games:
Game 5: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
7:00ET (series tied at 2)
Game 5 is a swing game. I’m not sure of the exact statistic but the team that wins game 5 will most likely win the series. I don’t need numbers to tell me that.

Game 5: Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30ET (OKC leads 3-1)
We have a young and hungry team with the chance to finish off a series against a proven veteran team that has their backs against the wall fighting for playoff life. What else is there to say?

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Before the series between the Heat and Pacers began, I knew that if Pacers center Roy Hibbert ever had a good-to-great game there would be zero chance of the Heat winning the game. That is exactly what happened last night. Hibbert dominated inside (19pts, 18reb, 5blk) as he led the Pacers to rout the Heat 94-75 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Without Bosh the Heat needed their stars to step up but aside from LeBron James and Mario Chalmers no other Heat player impacted the game. Lots of attention was put on Wade who clearly looked banged up and scored only 5 points. A bigger story around him was a clash between Wade and head coach Spolstra, incidents that are always overblown. It’s a hostile environment and when a team is losing as bad as the Heat were at the time, tempers will flare so it’s nothing to worry about. The Heat need to worry about the Pacers because Indiana has all the momentum now playing with confidence and determination.

More of the same between the Spurs and Clippers except the Spurs managed to do win in a different way. The Spurs dominated in the paint (50 points) on route to a 105-88 victory and what looks like a decisive 2-0 lead in the series. The Clippers just look outmatched in every part of the game and Chris Paul has been frustrated the entire time. He had more turnovers (eight) than points and assists combined. Scary stat because if Paul can’t make changes to bring his game up these next two games in Los Angeles then this series will be over very quickly. The Spurs can continue to do the same, go through Duncan and Parker to make this another step towards the ultimate prize in June.

Tonight’s games:
Game 4: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
8:00ET (BOS leads 2-1)
After the Celtics dominated game 3 how will the 76ers respond once again at home? Boston executed their game plan perfectly last game so I could see this game being much closer after adjustment are made on both sides. If the Celtics win tonight this series is probably over.

Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers
10:30ET (OKC leads 1-0)
Can the Lakers bounce back at home after a disastrous finish in game 2? Can the Thunder take advantage of a furious rally and continue their momentum on the road? The Lakers aren’t coming back from 0-3 so you can pretty much label this a “must win” in their books.

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The game between the Celtics and 76ers was close to begin with but as the first half ended the Celtics began to go on runs and eventually pulled away for good with a big 3rd quarter. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo led the charge (combining for 51 pts 19 reb and 18 ast) for Boston as they took a 2-1 series lead with a 107-91 victory on the road. Garnett particularly looked like he was sending a statement, seen multiple times talking trash after making a basket. No argument from Philadelphia because they were simply beat no matter what part of the game you looked at. That’s the problem with the Sixers last night, they need to improve everywhere and go back to the formula that worked in game 2. On a side note, NBA legend Julius Erving (Dr. J) and Eagles’ QB Michael Vick were in attendance.

If your team is up by 7 points with only 2 minutes left and you lose the game, I’d consider it a solid choke. A veteran team like the Lakers shouldn’t the mistakes they did when they did. Whether you consider it a Thunder rally or a Lakers choke, Oklahoma City takes the 77-75 victory to take a 2-0 series lead as it shifts to Los Angeles. I’m still a bit indifferent about the play that was run for Kobe but ended being a wide-open 3 point miss by Steve Blake. The Lakers played well defensively the entire game but those last two minutes looked like a completely different game. You have to give the Thunder credit for taking advantage of the situation by driving to the lane and getting big steals because in the end they made the plays to win the game. We’ll have to see how this affects the Lakers’ mentality because they absolutely cannot lose the next game and be down 0-3 to a team as good and relentless as the Thunder.

Tonight’s games:
Game 3: Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers
7:00ET (series tied 1-1)
How will this series change as the venue changes to Indiana’s? The Pacers stole home court form the Heat so they’ll be looking to defend their own with a similar formula. Can the Heat give LeBron and Wade enough support to pull out a victory? Either that or they need to correct the mistakes they made late in game 2.

Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
9:30ET (SAS lead 1-0)
Game 1 was all Spurs but with some much needed rest this game could be much more competitive. Personally I’m hoping to see the great point guard battle that was highly anticipated. Chris Paul has to have a great game or else Los Angeles could be looking at a 0-2 hole. The Spurs could use a better game out of PG Tony Parker to lead them but if they shoot as well as they did in game 1 it’s smooth sailing from here.

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Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers wasn’t exactly finesse-style basketball but it was indicative of what both teams could see in the immediate future. The Pacers were able to get ahead of Miami mostly by beating them at their own game and the result was a 78-75 victory. Indiana played excellent team defense (mostly around the perimeter) and they outscored Miami in the fast break. That’s not easy when you have James and Wade hounding for block from behind during transition buckets. It was weird because I figured the Pacers would go to their big men with Chris Bosh being out but they actually went with guard heavy lineups and wore out the Heat that way. It was evident late in the game with LeBron and Wade missing free throws and layups late in the game. Credit that to a combination of fatigue and LeBron’s annual playoff anti-clutch moments.

The Spurs’ week-long rest did little to slow them down against the Clippers taking the first game 108-92. The game was close up until the 3rd quarter where Tim Duncan (26 pts 10 reb) took charge of any comeback the Clippers had in mind. Duncan looked like his old self and Chris Paul was off the entire night. The great point guard match-up that I predicted never developed so we’ll have to see how that goes the rest of the series. Los Angeles must do a better job of defending the perimeter because if the Spurs are going to have open looks from 3s (they shot 52%) then this series will be short. I expect the hobbled Clippers to be better come game 2 due to rest but they definitely have things to work on.

Tonight’s games:
Game 3: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
7:00ET (series tied 1-1)
The Celtics have their hands full as the series moves back to Philadelphia where the 76ers are 3-0 so far this postseason. Boston will need Rondo to establish offensive chemistry early, particularly with Garnett. Can the Sixers rely once again on their bench? They need another solid performance to take the series lead at home.

Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30ET (OKC leads 1-0)
The Lakers must rebound after getting blown out on the road. They’re shown adversity after big losses after they fell a couple times big in the last series so we’ll see how they respond. One of the keys? Well, don’t let the two best players on the Thunder (Durant and Westbrook) shoot 58% from the field. OKC center Kendrick Perkins is a game-time decision due to injury so the battle in the paint between the big men will be huge tonight.

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I know, you all missed me dearly. You were wondering where I went and how I’m doing. I’m flattered but worry no more. My crazy couple of weeks is over and I’m finally back so we can get some sports on here again. How has everyone been enjoying the playoffs? My Mavericks’ pathetic title defense put a damper in my party to start off but the rest of the first round was exciting to watch. Two game 7s in the first round and I think we’ll be seeing a couple more in the conference semi-finals.

Last night’s game 2 between the Celtics and Sixers was frustrating to watch. Neither team was able to get going offensively but it wasn’t the other was playing great defense. There were times when I didn’t know who was going to score for Philadelphia and it seemed like Boston didn’t either. The Celtics looked confused on defense but even then they were able to keep the game close. The 76ers looked like they were going to pull away for good late in the 3rd but the Celtics rallied back early in the 4th. It came down to a couple of key plays late in the game. A crazy layup but 76ers guard Evan Turner followed by a controversial offensive foul call on Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. Did I like the call? No. Not particularly because of the classic “that’s just playoff basketball” moment that it was. I still like the Celtics in this series but it will definitely be an interesting two games in Philadelphia.

The second game last night was also a close battle…for about a quarter and a half. The Lakers just looked tired and worn out after their intense game 7 battle in the previous round. Add that to the Thunder’s young AND fresh legs and this game out of hand quickly. If the Lakers don’t find a way to slow down Russell Westbrook (27 pts, 7 reb, 9 ast and 2 stl) they will be watching the conference finals at home on their TVs. Westbrook isn’t going to shoot 10 of 15 but LA has to make him commit turnovers because the Thunder committed only four last night. That’s much lower than their season average. The Lakers were effective in the paint so they must lean on their big men down low in the next game to establish early dominance. Changes must come on the Lakers or else the Thunder will finish this series off quickly.

Tonight’s games:
Game 2: Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat
7:00 ET (Mia leads 1-0)
What is the game plan for the Heat without Chris Bosh? LeBron and Wade carried the Heat after Bosh’s injury late in the first half of game 1. Can the Pacers take advantage of the situation and steal home court? They need a big game from their center Roy Hibbert to take complete advantage.

Game 1: Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
9:30 ET (tied at 0)
I really dislike the Spurs but I’m anxious to see this series. The biggest reason is the potential for an all-time great battle between the team’s point guards. Clippers PG Chris Paul is a bit banged up from the previous series but it’s still going to be great to see him to head-to-head with Spurs PG Tony Parker. The Spurs on the other hand are really healthy so I expect them to come out strong.

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Photo Credit: FameFlynet Pictures

God damn, where the hell has Irina Shayk gone over the past few weeks?! You'd think she'd at least throw her frustrated fan base a bone by hitting an exotic Spanish-flavored beach with boyfriend Cristiano Ronaldo, but I guess the lovebirds are fairly busy with each other these days.

These latest photos were snapped over the weekend as the pair were spotted at the Madrid Open tennis tournament. Cristiano took a second show all the haters that he loves his lil' Irina by feeding her some chocolate---probably the only thing she ate all day (besides nibbling on Cristiano's various body parts, of course)!

Another thing that has been on my mind was why "Battleship" director & producer Peter Berg didn't cast Irina Shayk in place of either Rihanna or Brooklyn Decker. Granted her English isn't the best, but her on-screen hotness more than compensates for any deficiencies. Plus, marketing the film in Russia & across Europe would've been 10x easier considering Irina's a fairly recognizable personality, thanks to her boyfriend.
Photo Credit: FameFlynet Pictures

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Photo Credit: INF Photo

Anybody catch the big fight?

Damn, this dude really has the hook up, huh? Looks like somebody wanted to get on Justin Bieber's good side & let him walk alongside Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he entered the ring for his fight against Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Vegas over the weekend. Rapper 50 Cent was also walking alongside the undefeated fighter carrying one his blinged-out belts, but I think it's safe to say that Justin Bieber looked somewhat awkwardly out of place.

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Photo Credit: Splash News Online

I still wanna give Kanye the benefit of the doubt and assume he's banging Kim Kardashian to get some material for an upcoming album. Following all the recent successes of artists creating award-winning music after getting their hearts broken, it's possible Yeezy is in search of the same sort of musical inspiration. We all know he can kill it from a lyrical standpoint, but there's only so much a brotha can rap about bitches & hos, money, tough upbringing & fast cars. It's time to fuck a reality TV diva & then trash her on a timeless album. Can't wait to hear what he comes up with next!!!

Anyway, these were snapped over the weekend as Kanye & Kim were enjoying the lovey-dovey stage of their temporary relationship. First they hit Serafina for lunch in the always-fashionable Meatpacking District, then they caught a showing of 'Wicked' on Broadway. If that wasn't enough, they cat-walked over to Joseph Leonard in the West Village for dinner, followed it up with some pre-sex dessert at Haagen Dazs, and ended the long day at Village East cinemas where they watched the hilarious 'Think Like a Man'. We can only assume they went back to Kanye's downtown pimp-pad & dabbled in some tantric sex following the movie---assuming they weren't tired after the long day!
Photo Credit: Splash News Online
Photo Credit: Splash News Online

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