June 4, 2013
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
Miami, the defending NBA champions, found themselves facing elimination on Monday night, after the Indiana Pacers forced game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. But while the Pacers put up a fight, it was clear by the second half that this would not be another down-to-the-buzzer night.
LeBron James scored thirty-two points and nabbed eight rebounds, while Dwayne Wade put up twenty-one points in Miami’s 99-76 blowout over Indiana. The Pacers started out strong, and even lead 21-19 after the first quarter. But the momentum quickly shifted, due in part to the fifteen turnovers Indiana gave up in the first half. By halftime, James had scored eighteen points and Miami led 52-37.
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown alumnus and Indiana star, scored only eighteen points on the night, while 2013 All-Star Paul George contributed just seven and fouled out early in the fourth quarter. By then, the fans in American Airlines Arena had already started celebrating.
This marks the third consecutive NBA Finals appearance for Miami. While they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 last year. The championship was the first for James, who also walked away with MVP honors. The Heat will face the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, starting with game one on Thursday.
Nationals
For the first time this season, the Nationals (28-29) have dipped below .500. After losing three of four to the Orioles, the Nats only managed one win against the division-leading Braves. The losses pushed Washington even further back in the standings; they now trail Atlanta by seven games, and have a fragile hold on second place, leading the Phillies by just half a game.
The Nats have a chance to bounce back this week, with a three-game series against the Mets. Despite sweeping the New York Yankees last week, they are still just 22-32, and 11.5 games back in the National League East.
The Nats will have to attempt their comeback without their best hitter, Bryce Harper (.287, 12 HR, 23 RBIs). Harper has been on the disabled list since May 27 for the knee injury he suffered when he crashed into a wall at Dodger Stadium earlier in the month. Harper sat out a couple of games, but returned to the roster before he had a chance to fully heal. In just his second year in the league, Harper is learning the hard way that it is sometimes better to sit out than to play injured, both for himself and his team.
“After I hit the wall here, I should have probably gone on the DL and really just tried to get better and come back fifteen days later. But with a lot of guys out, I wanted to stay in the lineup,” he told reporters. “Of course I want to play every day. It’s something that maybe I’ll learn more in my career, to take off fifteen days instead of lose the month.”
With the loss of Harper, the Nationals welcome Jayson Werth back to the lineup on Tuesday. Werth has been sidelined since the beginning of May with a hamstring injury, but the team is confident he is ready to make a return—and an impact.
