<div align="center"><u><font size="6"><font color="blue">Eastern Conference Semifinals</font></font></u></div> <div align="center"><u><font size="6"><font color="#0000ff">Game 5</font></font></u></div> <div align="center">@</div> <div align="center">Time: 8:00pm EST</div> <div align="center">Place: Conseco Field House</div> <div align="center">Tv: TNT, RSN</div> <div align="center">==========================</div> <div align="center"><u><font size="5">Probable Starting Lineups:</font></u></div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center">Dwayne Wade/Jamaal Tinsley</div> <div align="center">Wade has just been killing the Pacers all series, there is just nothing that Indiana can do to stop him from scoring. I would suggest quick double teams to get the ball out of his hands so he can force others to step up. Artest was ineffective guarding him so this is looking to be a big mountain for the Pacers to climb. Tinsley has been playing and shooting well on offence but his defence is just non-existant making him a liability. I would not even call him a sieve on defence, more like a black hole. </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center">Eddie Jones/Reggie Miller</div> <div align="center">Eddie Jones has just been a shadow of himself during this series. It's either he's choking bigtime or the defence has just gotten to him. Probably a bit of both. Reggie Miller's last two games have really been.....pathetic. Sometimes I think he defers TOO much to Artest and O'neal. This last two games he is a combined 1 for 6. He needs more plays run for him and he needs play like Reggie Miller. I look for Reggie to feed off the home crowd and raise some hell.</div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center">Caron Butler/Ron Artest</div> <div align="center">Butler definitely stepped up his play the last two games. Probably because Artest was not on him as much due to guarding Wade and Jones. He needs to continue his play if the Heat have any chance of winning this game. Artest scored 28 points in Game 4 but his teammates just didn't step up. I'm not going to complain about his D but he has to guard Wade more effectively. He is the only one capable on that team of making a difference on him.</div> <div align="center"><font size="4"><font color="#ff0000">Key</font></font><font size="4"><font color="red">Matchup</font></font></div> <div align="center">Lamar Odom/Jermaine O'neal</div> <div align="center">Lamar Odom must really like that home cooking because he damn sure played like it. There must be something in his momma's stew that made him have a mini breakout in games 3 and 4. Could be steroids....JO on the other hand has been having two monster games averagin 33 points. When he is hot his teammates go cold. They need a good team effort to take advantage of these games by JO.</div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center">Brian Grant/Jeff Foster</div> <div align="center">Brian Grant has been the difference in this matchup. He has been grabbing boards and scoring points. Jeff Foster has been Jeff Foster. All defence and boarding but no offence at all. He needs to box out Grant and keep Odom under a leash in Game 5.</div> <div align="center">=========================</div> <div align="center"><u><font size="5">Bench Players</font></u></div> <div align="center">Miami</div> <div align="center"></div> <div align="center">Miami's bench has just been great in this series. By bench I just mean Rafer Alston and Udonis Haslem. Rafer has been playing amazingly solid as the backup PG and Haslem hasn't been scoring but grabbing boards. Any less of a good effort out of these players will cause Miami to lose.</div> <div align="center">Indiana </div> <div align="center"></div> <div align="center">Indiana's bench was just non-existant in game 4. Al Harrington especially has to pick up the slack and become the player he was in the regular season. Give Bender a chance!!</div> <div align="center">==========================</div> <u><font size="5">Keys to the Game:</font></u> Miami <ul> [*]Keep boarding the ball. Miami has been winning the battle of the boards with Indiana suprisingly. They have to keep up the work on the boards to win on the road. [*]Get to the Damn Line! If you are a visitor in any arena, free throw shots are key to stealing games. Keep on driving to the basket and create contact. There is no way you will win if you settle for jumpers like game 1. [*]Eddie Jones: Pick up your skirt. You teammates need you to step it up Shirley. Thats all I have to say. [/list]Indiana <ul> [*]Artest has to keep on attacking the Miami Heat. There is no one on the Heat that can matchup up with him because he is so strong. Pass out of the double teams and this game is in the bag. [*]Find out a new strategy on how to guard Dwayne Wade. You have to give this guy the respect he deserves on defence. [*]Keep to the original plan and don't deviate. JO will come back this game. All you have to do is work it inside and let the ball move. Miami has no chance if JO gets single coverage. [*]The most important key to this game: PLAY DEFENCE!! Have some pride when someone scores on you. [/list]<u><font size="5"><font color="blue">CourtVisions Prediction.....</font></font></u> Indiana 80-78. I feel with this series being a best of 3 now, each team will fight tooth and nail for the victory. But Indiana squeaks by with a two point win.
I like both teams and am for either winning and moving on. That would be somewhat strange though seeing as the Pacers not only hold the best record, but are arguably the best in the Eastern Playoffs and practically the East. The fact that the Heat are away really lower my hopes of them taking this. I don't think it'll be a far off game or a slaughter, I predict it to be something like CV's prediction. Butler needs to be the defensive guy that he is, otherwise Artest will cause most of the upset. I'm hoping Odom will hold up some more and have the strength to fend off J'O. I think another key is that Harrington ought to play like he usually does, if the Heat's bench plays well, they have to convert. Pacers by 5 in an 98-93 game.
<u>Game recap:</u> <font color="black"><div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"></font> <font color="black">INDIANAPOLIS, May 15 (Ticker) -- </font><font color="black">Jeff Foster</font><font color="black"> practically was perfect, helping the Indiana Pacers remain perfect at home. In the best game of his career, the forgotten Foster had playoff career highs of 20 points and 16 rebounds to power the Pacers to a 94-83 victory over the Miami Heat and a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Sharing a frontcourt with All-Star forwards </font><font color="black">Jermaine O'Neal</font><font color="black"> and </font><font color="black">Ron Artest</font><font color="black">, Foster often is overlooked. He assumed the starting center spot from </font><font color="black">Scot Pollard</font><font color="black"> early in the season and averaged 6.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, playing all 82 games. </font><font color="black">The four-year veteran had been very quiet in this series, scoring just 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting. He was left alone on the offensive end and made the Heat pay, making his first nine shots and drawing chants of his name from the sellout crowd of 18,345 at Conseco Fieldhouse. "They probably had to figure out what to say," Foster joked. "I was smiling; it was very special." "Jeff Foster was just outstanding," O'Neal said. "I tell him at practice every day that he has not tapped into his true talent." </div></font>
Jeff Foster: Amazing. This was a great game for him. Without his contributions, the Pacers would have lost.
