By Adi Joseph, USA TODAY
LeBron James is the NBA's best, most valuable player. But he makes it too easy for his critics to snicker sometimes.
In the Miami Heat's 78-75 loss Tuesday night in Game 2 of their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers, James missed two free throws that would have tied it in the final minute. He struggled through the second and third quarters. But he finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and six steals while putting the team on his shoulders in the first and fourth quarters.
Dwyane Wade should have made that driving layup with 16.8 seconds remaining to tie it. The Heat's other star (Chris Bosh is out indefinitely with an abdominal strain) missed his final four field goal attempts. But Wade has a championship. And Wade isn't the MVP. So critics will greet those statistics with, "James should have been the one taking those shots, too."
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James won't ever meet some people's expectations. He could win, "not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven" NBA championships, and some people will wonder why he didn't win nine. And it's games such as this one that validate those critics. The Pacers are underdogs. James hasn't been one since he entered the public eye at age 15.
One person known to exceed expectations: Tim Duncan. The San Antonio Spurs star was a hyped No. 1 overall pick, like James, but he delivered the Spurs a title in his second season and has added three rings since. Duncan, 36, was at top form Tuesday in a 108-92 Game 1 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. Duncan finished with 26 points on 12-for-20 shooting with 10 rebounds in 35 minutes. Moreover, he looked like the Duncan of old, pulling out amazing post moves even on the worst entry passes.
More winners and losers from Tuesday's NBA action:
Winners
The Spurs: Pick one, pick all. Duncan was the star, but Manu Ginobili totaled 22 points and all the scrappy plays he always contributes. Rookie Kawhi Leonard is the next evolutionary step in the Bruce Bowen stopper role for San Antonio, complete with efficient shooting from the corner. And Boris Diaw had 12 rebounds and five assists in his unique role as a 6-8 starting center with point skills. The Spurs have won 15 in a row, and no one is doubting their status as a top-flight contender.
Good coaching: Of the four second-round matchups, only one (the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics series) pits two excellent game coaches. And it's showed. Gregg Popovich of the Spurs is the best in the league, and Vinny Del Negro was run out by the Chicago Bulls and their fans for strange mismanagement before the Clippers picked him up. Mike Brown of the Los Angeles Lakers and Eric Spoelstra of the Heat still have a lot to prove as The Guys Who Couldn't/Can't Win A Title With LeBron, and they're facing rising stars in Scott Brooks of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Frank Vogel of the Pacers. The NBA is a players' league, but the coaching mismatches in this round will affect things. Or maybe Brown or Spoelstra will break through.
Defense: It'd be easy to criticize the offenses for the low score in the Heat-Pacers game. But it'd be unfair. The Pacers stormed into the lead because the completely shut down the Heat in a 28-14 third period. That came after a stretch spanning parts of the first and second periods in which the Heat held the Pacers to eight points on 27 possessions.
George Hill: He was defending Wade expertly on that missed layup in the final seconds. And he converted a free throw on the ensuing possession to give the Pacers a three-point lead that stood up. Hill was a stabilizing presence for the Pacers, who used three small guards (Hill, Leandro Barbosa and Darren Collison) at one key juncture in the game. He also deftly defended Mario Chalmers, who finished 2-for-10 and missed a tying three-point attempt.
Norris Cole: The rookie from Cleveland State had played seven total minutes in the Heat's previous five games. But he was sharp in 17 minutes Tuesday, making both of his shots, including a dunk on a two-on-one fast break with James. At the least, he played better than Chalmers.
Eric Bledsoe: The Clippers' backup point guard had a breakthrough performance with the team's stars hurting. He scored 23 points with five rebounds and four assists, and he attacked the basket with his ridiculous athleticism. We want to see more of him, alongside Chris Paul or otherwise.
Charles Barkley's physical fitness: The TNT analyst brought out the shake weight (not for the first time). You know you want to see this. Look at his smile.
Amar'e Stoudemire:�This tweet is plain classy. And heartbreaking.
Losers
Wade: We've discussed the four late misses. But Wade was generally off his game at a time when the Heat needed him. Bosh is out, and Wade must pick up that responsibility. What he doesn't need to be doing is picking up ugly flagrant fouls, like this one on Collison. He did have this amazing block on Paul George.
Clippers All-Stars: It's tough to be too hard on Paul and Blake Griffin. They're immensely fun to watch, and they're both playing hurt. Del Negro said he would manage their minutes, and Griffin was held to 28. But Paul played 37 in one of the worst performances I can remember from him. They combined to go 10-for-30 from the field for 21 points. How hurt are they? Los Angeles will go nowhere without those two in rhythm, and this series could get out of hand quickly if they don't step up.
Chalmers: Most of it's been said already: 2-for-10, missed open three-pointer to tie, bad defense on Hill and Barbosa. He's not a star, but he's better than that.
Udonis Haslem: The former Florida Gator started in Bosh's stead. And that's about all he did. On his first two touches, Haslem missed an open jumper badly, then threw an interception. During his 12 minutes played, the Heat were minus 12. And James played at power forward for much of the second half, which is very grueling for a guy expected to also run the offense and defend wing players. The Miami Herald wrote about Haslem's declining minutes before the game.
Danny Granger: The win's nice. But Granger complained about being a decoy entering the game, and he made sure he was noticed during it. The Pacers' best player needs to shoot better than 5-for-14. That said, he earned some cred during a little scuffle in which he knocked off James' headband.
Bryon Russell's stand-up comedy career: We didn't find this tweet funny at all. But we're sure your tweeples got it, Bryon.
Former NBA assistant John Carroll: �Plagiarism is not cool.
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