Let's get physical

Australia’s Olivia Newton John made this song famous during the disco era of the 70’s. After 40 years, it’s making a comeback, literally and figuratively. Game 5 in the Miami-Indiana semis series gave justice to the song, and more.

The Heat won by a blowout but it was the side events that made the game interesting. Prior to this game, bad blood’s already brewing between the two squads with the taunts, choking gestures, flopping claims from Pacer coach Frank Vogel and additional contacts after the whistle has been blown.

You’ve seen Game 5. It started when Tyler Hansbrough introduced his open palm to Dwayne Wade’s head with an emphatic slap. Oh yes, Wade dropped to the floor with a resulting cut above his right eye. A few minutes later, in an apparent payback, Udonis Haslem, likewise with a cut on the same area as Wade’s that he got in Game 4, returned the favor to Hansbrough and levelled him with a double barrelled shot to the chest.

The roughhousing party ended with Dexter Pittman landing a flying elbow to Lance Stephenson’s throat area, accompanied with a stupid wink. This is in obvious retaliation to Stephenson’s choking gesture addressed to LeBron James during their game at Indiana where LBJ failed to bail out the Heat.

Flagrant fouls were assessed on Hansbrough, Haslem and Pittman. Hansbrough avoided a suspension but Haslem will sit out today’s game while Pittman is given a 5-game vacation. There will be corresponding monetary fines on these hard fouls, but David Stern hasn’t talked to me yet on how much. Hehehe.

With Chris Bosh already out with a strained abdominal muscle, Miami’s inside presence is further depleted with Haslem’s suspension. Pittman plays center for the Heat but he’s almost a non-entity. It’s Haslem’s loss that matters most.

Indiana also has problems with their bigs. Starting forwards Danny Granger and David West have left ankle sprain and left knee sprain respectively and they’re iffy today.   The missing personnel notwithstanding, today’s game will be one big fight.

How are flagrant fouls assessed? According to the NBA, it depends on how the contact was made, “whether the player mount up to commit the foul, the potential for injury, the severity of the injury inflicted and whether the foul led to an altercation.” Game officials as well as other related staff decide on the matter.

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Philadelphia has another chance to advance as they outlasted Boston yesterday. The Sixers showed a balanced offense with five players producing double figures. The Celtics should adjust in the seventh game. They can’t win the series if only Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce show up at game time. Boston should and must prevail in this series if only for their court savvy. A Boston – Miami conference finals is in the horizon, that is if Indiana and Philadelphia decides to change the landscape.

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Thanks to Kobe’s selfish motives, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum’s inconsistencies and an unreliable bench, the Lakers exited the playoff semis for the second straight year. Reports say that an overhaul is in order. Go ahead, management already dismantled the team this season, why not send it down more to the quagmire of mediocrity.

Five titles in eleven years including back-to-backs should make Laker management move heaven and earth to protect the lofty status but since Jerry Buss entrusted the team to his sons, well, Laker Nation suffered the outcome.

With $79.2 million locked for their big 3 plus four other players for the 2012-2013 season, and an additional $4.5 million if Ramon Sessions exercises his option, the Lakers are sure tempted to do away with some of their players on this list. Gasol, Bynum and Metta World War are candidates although Bynum has a strong chance of staying in L.A.

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Spurs versus Thunder.   This is a good series. OKC with its high scoring duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and San Antonio’s clinical and almost surgical game. This will go the distance. I want the Thunder to win this one for Derek Fisher but common sense dictates a Spurs victory. Giving credit to OKC, in less than 4 years, they rose from the NBA’s whipping boys to legitimate title contenders.

Tim Duncan and company are on an 18-game win streak and they’re the fist team since the 2001 Lakers to sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs on the way to the championships. I’m looking forward for the Spurs to replicate the feat.

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