SB Nation Kansas City: All Posts by Michael Jones

• Pacers upend Knicks, take 3-1 series lead

NBA Playoffs 2013, Bulls vs. Heat Game 5: Dwyane Wade steps up to lift Miami, 94-91

2013-05-16T01:52:50Z

Jimmy Butler missed a three-pointer from the wing that would've tied the game, allowing the Miami Heat to overcome the Chicago Bulls, 94-91, at the American Airlines Center in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night.

For more on the Bulls, visit Blog A Bull | For more on the Heat, visit Hot Hot Hoops

Dwyane Wade's tip-dunk near the three-minute mark gave Miami a seven-point lead and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. They never looked back, despite Chicago cutting it to within three at the one-minute mark behind baskets by Carlos Boozer and Nate Robinson. The Heat managed to carry that momentum to a series win and become the first team to advance into the NBA conference finals.

Wade's tip-dunk, easily the play of the game, is worth another look:

For Miami, it took a balanced effort to conquer the Bulls. Four of the five starters scored in double figures, led by LeBron James' 23 points. He just 5-of-13 from the field, but mitigated those issues by making 12-of-15 free throws. Wade was clutch down the stretch after struggling with his knee injury in the first half, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Carlos Boozer led the way for the Bulls, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Nate Robinson got into early foul trouble, but managed to add 21 points and six assists.

The first half was a rollercoaster ride that saw the Heat dominate from the opening tip and hit their first seven shots. Chicago looked rattled as they committed five turnovers in the first quarter before going on a 20-5 run that spanned through the first and second frames. Boozer was the star of the half and finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

The Bulls also did a serviceable job on James, who scored 10 points while hitting 2-of-4 shots in that same span. They got the ball out of his hands early, and it helped them force the rest of the Heat squad to beat them.

The third quarter saw the momentum stay with the Bulls, who continued to stifle the Heat with tough defense and force contested shots. The Heat are at their best when they get easy buckets in transition, and the Bulls put a stop to the easy scores. Neither team scored a fast break point in the third, and the Bulls did their job in maintaining a 77-69 lead through three.

But it was all Miami in the fourth, and they outscored Chicago 25-14 in the final frame. The Heat shot 46 percent from the field and committed just 10 turnovers, while giveaways cost the Bulls, who had 16 of their own.

Miami will move on to face the winner of the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers series. They were 1-2 against the Pacers and 1-3 against the Knicks during the regular season.

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: The Pacers are happening

• Spurs win easy vs. Warriors

• Pacers upend Knicks, take 3-1 series lead

Bulls vs. Heat score update, Game 5: Chicago shows fight, leads 53-47 at the half

2013-05-16T00:13:41Z

The Chicago Bulls looked like they were all but finished as the Miami Heat opened Wednesday's Game 5 by hitting their first seven shots, but they didn't go quietly and eventually took the lead at the half, 53-47, at American Airlines arena.

For more on the Bulls, visit Blog A Bull | For more on the Heat, visit Hot Hot Hoops

The Bulls went on an incredible 20-5 run and were the aggressors in the second quarter after a dismal start. Carlos Boozer led the way for Chicago with 19 points and six rebounds, while Nate Robinson added 14 points, including a three-pointer to end the half that put the Bulls up by six.

Miami's big three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade combined for 31 points, and they'll have to keep producing to stave off the resilient Bulls. Miami started out hot, but ended up shooting just 45 percent from the field and 22 percent from beyond the arc.

It looked like the game was going to get out of hand early, as Miami went on a 22-4 run to start the game. The Bulls responded by toughening up on defense and refocusing on their identity. Miami shot 61 percent from the field and committed just two turnovers in the first frame. The Bulls, on the other hand, turned the ball over five times, resulting in 10 easy points for the Heat.

Our own Jason Patt wrote up a Game 5 preview and asked some important questions:

Will the Heat deliver an early death blow?

It appeared that Miami would and, realistically, they should have with a big start to the game. But Chicago's comeback is the story of the first half.

James had the gall to guarantee there would be no Game 6 in Chicago, and it appears that the Bulls have taken it personally and responded in a big way.

Are the Bulls out of gas?

Despite being down by as many as 18 in the first, the Bulls came roaring back early in the second quarter and immediately showed signs of life as they began to do damage in the paint, exploiting Miami's biggest weakness.

Their jump shots were flat early, but when they made their run at the end of the first quarter and into the second, they found the strength to keep fighting. We have a basketball game on our hands, which didn't seem possible with the odds stacked in Miami's favor.

Can Robinson find the magic again?

Two fouls in the first quarter threatened to take the Bulls' de facto superstar out of the game early, but head coach Tom Thibodeau was forced to play him anyway. It turned out to be a smart move, as the veteran guard put together a performance that displayed all of the fight that's carried him throughout his career.

He's beaten the odds at every step of his basketball career. In Game 5, he has his team poised to do just that, as well.

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: The Pacers are happening

• Spurs win easy vs. Warriors

NBA playoffs 2013, Warriors vs. Spurs Game 5: San Antonio got easy looks to win

2013-05-15T14:21:50Z

The San Antonio Spurs used a strong shooting performance to pull off a decisive win against the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night; it's the way they pulled off their 40-for-77, 51.9 percent shooting performance that stands out.

For more on this story, visit Pounding the Rock

The Spurs scored 44 points in the paint and scored 23 points off 14 Warriors turnovers, 11 of which came in the dominant second half. They scored 12 fast break points and converted on 5-of-5 looks in transition. They won the offensive rebounding battle, 8-7.

San Antonio won this game by making things easy on themselves, taking care of the basketball and converting on high-percentage shots. Their shot chart shows it:

In terms of easy shots, 42 of their 77 looks came from short range. That was largely due to the dribble penetration of Tony Parker, who knifed through the defense to score 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while dishing out 10 assists. Speaking of ball movement, that's another factor that caused the Spurs to shoot so efficiently.

"In the first half, the ball movement was great," Parker told reporters after the game. "In the second, we were aggressive."

The result of said movement was the 30 assists the Spurs ended up with at the end of the game and a second half that saw them make things look easy as they outran the younger Warriors out of the building. Part of that was due to head coach Gregg Popovich being so frugal with his stars' minutes down the stretch in the regular season.

"I want to make sure that we have Timmy (Duncan), Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) down the stretch in games. So I've got to make sure I manage it."

(Quotes via NBA Live Streaming)

More from SB Nation:

NBA Playoffs 2013: Tracy McGrady plays in the 2nd round for first time in career

2013-05-15T13:32:39Z

Even though San Antonio Spurs forward Tracy McGrady didn't fill up the stat sheet in his team's 109-91 win on Tuesday night, his appearance in Game 5 had significance; it was the first time the former All-Star played in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

For more on this story, visit Pounding the Rock

It was with an uninspiring line to be sure -- zero points, two rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot -- that he finished the game. But for a player who will go down as one of the greatest scorers of his era, it was a significant career achievement.

The seven-time All-Star signed with the Spurs for the remainder of the season on April 16. With the team on the brink of advancing to the Western Conference Finals and potentially the NBA Finals, he could be in store for a few more career milestones before he hangs up his sneakers.

Over his 15-year career, McGrady averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.9 blocks per game. He likely won't ever get close to that type of production again, but to at least be a part of a championship-caliber team is meaningful.

More from SB Nation:

NBA Playoffs 2013, Warriors vs. Spurs Game 5: San Antonio earns convincing win, 109-91

2013-05-15T04:15:22Z

The San Antonio Spurs dominated the second half and held serve at home against the Golden State Warriors with a 109-91 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals at the AT&T Center on Tuesday night.

More: Golden State of Mind Pounding the Rock

Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, while Kawhi Leonard was clutch and added 17 points and seven rebounds. The Spurs overcame their shooting previous woes in a big way and shot 51.9 percent from the field, including 10-for-21 from the three-point line.

The Warriors, led by Harrison Barnes' 25 points and seven rebounds, saw their backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry struggle all night long. The two sharp shooters finished with just 13 points combined and went a dismal 6-for-22 from the field. Jarrett Jack's 20 points helped mitigate the stars' issues finding the bottom of the net, but Golden State committed 14 turnovers, which sealed its fate.

Though the box score shows a tightly-contested game from a numbers perspective, the Spurs dominated the hustle stats; getting to loose balls, making easy shots in transition and contesting all of Golden State's looks.

The first half was one of polar opposites in which the Spurs dominated the first quarter but came back down to Earth in the second San Antonio shot 72.2 percent in the first quarter followed by a 33.3 percent in the second. Tim Duncan scored all 10 of his first half points in the first frame and went cold in the second after the Warriors made a defensive adjustment.

Thompson and Curry each failed to find rhythm in the first half and combined for just nine points on 4 of 16 shooting. Barnes scored 15 and Jack added nine in first half.

The third quarter was all San Antonio, with the Spurs building a double-figures lead by dominating the quarter 29-19. The Spurs started off hot and finished the third with a 55.6 percent mark from the field. Parker scored nine during that stretch and the Spurs lead swelled to 14 points. San Antonio forced six turnovers in the quarter, scoring 10 points off those giveaways.

That essentially told the story for the rest of the game. The Spurs closed out the Warriors in the fourth and held them to just 19 points in the final 12 minutes.

Game 6 now turns in to a literal must-win game for Golden State with the series shifting back to the Bay Area on Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

More from SB Nation:

Warriors vs. Spurs score update, Game 5: San Antonio leads tight game at half, 54-51

2013-05-15T03:03:45Z

The San Antonio Spurs had the upper hand in the first half of the de facto three-game series against Golden State Warriors. The Spurs led Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, 54-51, at the halftime.

More: Golden State of Mind Pounding the Rock

A 10-5 run to start the second quarter got the Warriors back in the game after being down by as many as 12 points. The bench, led by veteran Jarrett Jack's nine points, came alive for the Warriors.

Tim Duncan led the way for the Spurs with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds. He got off to a strong start in the first quarter, scoring all 10 of his points in the first 12 minutes before the Warriors bottled him up in the second. Kawhi Leonard added nine points on 4-of-5 shooting. The Spurs shot an unsustainable 72.2 percent from the field in the first quarter and finished at 51.3 percent from the half.

The Warriors shot well in their own regard in the first half, particularly in the first quarter with a 52.4 percent mark from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Stephen Curry continued to show signs of injury and was clearly still hobbled by the left ankle that nearly kept him out of action in Game 4. He finished the half with seven points, while Klay Thompson added just two. Harrison Barnes picked up the slack and led all scorers with 15.

SB Nation's Rodger Sherman broke things down before the action began and looked at some keys to the game. Here's a look at them after 24 minutes of action:

How do Klay and Curry do?

Thanks to head coach Mark Jackson, the Bay Area's dynamic duo now has to live up to the "best backcourt in NBA history" moniker. So far, it's been rough going for the young guards who have struggled to find their shot early on, shooting just 4-for-16 from the field combined.

Fortunately, Barnes is emerging as a star and made up for their deficiencies.

Can the Spurs snap out of their shooting slump?

The Spurs looked like they were going to snap out of their shooting slump in a big way in the first quarter, but reverted to their old ways in the second as the Warriors' defense flustered them into tough looks.

It was a tale of two quarters for San Antonio, who shot a blazing 72.2 percent from the field in the first before coming back down to earth in the second with a sub-40 percent performance.

Can anybody grab defensive rebounds?

In such a tightly-contested game and series, extra possessions mean a lot. In the first four games of the series, one team has had 10 or more offensive rebounds seven times. That means that second chance opportunities have been abundant.

In Game 5, though, each team has cleaned up their act on the glass.

Both teams have nine offensive boards combined, and they've also managed to take care of the ball with just nine combined turnovers.

It's going to be a fun second half.

More from SB Nation: