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DAILY NBA GAME PREVIEWS BEGIN WHEN THE REGULAR SEASON STARTS

NBA Game Previews for Thu, May 30

Pacers at Heat, Game 5, 8:30 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Several times around the start of these playoffs, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra insisted that the postseason path his team would wind up navigating had the potential to be more challenging than the route they took to the NBA championship a year ago. He's apparently correct, probably to his own chagrin. The defending NBA champion Heat are in a bit of trouble. They can't get enough rebounds, can't get Dwyane Wade on track, can't get consistency out of Chris Bosh - and will likely see all those story lines either grow exponentially or basically disappear Thursday night, when they host to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of a super-competitive Eastern Conference finals that's now knotted at two games apiece. ''We have a great locker room of Alpha competitors,'' Spoelstra said Wednesday. ''And so they take this very seriously. We're playing against a worthy opponent and if we don't play well, they beat us. If they don't play well and we impose our identity, we beat them. That's what this is all about. So let's lace 'em up and let's get ready for Game 5.''

The AP reports: The Heat have scored 402 points, the Pacers 394. The Heat have shot 47 percent from the field, the Pacers 46 percent. The Pacers have shot 37 percent from 3-point range, the Heat 34 percent. Miami is better at forcing turnovers, the Pacers are better at rebounding. Miami has forced Indiana into 14 more turnovers in the series, but the Pacers are outrebounding the Heat by 10 boards per game. Pacers center Roy Hibbert is averaging 12 rebounds; Bosh has grabbed 13 rebounds - total - in the series, or as many as Miami guard Ray Allen has despite being half a foot shorter and playing 32 fewer minutes.

The AP reports: Game 5 was a cavalcade of mistakes for the Heat, who had their second-worst shooting night of the entire season at 39 percent. James fouled out for only the fifth time in his career, though Miami was clearly miffed at some late-game calls. Bosh went 1 for 6 with only three rebounds. Wade, that aching right knee still apparently an issue, missed 10 of his 15 shots. And despite it all, the Heat still had the lead in the final minutes.


NBA Game Previews for Tue, May 28

Heat at Pacers, Game 4, 8:30 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Pacers coach Frank Vogel walked into Monday's practice with a simple message for players as they adapt to Miami's new wrinkle - using LeBron James in the post. He's not going to overhaul the team's philosophy for Game 4. They just need to execute better. Less than 24 hours after blowing a chance to take control of the series at home against the defending NBA champs, the Pacers walked back into Bankers Life Fieldhouse trying to figure out what went wrong in Game 3. It didn't take Vogel long to come up with a few answers. ''We've got to do a better job on the ball, we've got to be more active on our helps and we've got to double (LeBron James) more,'' Vogel said before players watched the ugly reminders on tape. ''We're not going to double him every time he touches the ball, but we'll look at some things and try to break his rhythm.''

The AP reports: Anything would be helpful at this point with Indiana in desperate need of a win, now trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. They were hoping home-court advantage would help them take command of the series after stealing one in Miami. Instead, James and his teammates refused to give in against a Pacers team that has repeatedly shown it will not back down from challenges. After scoring 36 points in a Game 2 loss, the NBA's four-time MVP promised to make up for the two turnovers in the final 30 seconds of that game. Did he ever.

The AP reports: James scored 22 points in Game 3 and seized control of the offense by working from the post. The surprise move allowed the Heat to beat the Pacers at their own game, outscoring Indiana 52-36 in the paint and opening up mid-range jumpers for James' teammates. The Heat wound up shooting 54.5 percent from the field, setting a franchise playoff record with 70 points in the first half and committing just five turnovers - a performance that even had the Heat calling it their best game of this year's playoffs.

The AP reports: Pacers center Roy Hibbert credited All-Star swingman Paul George for making things tough on James throughout the first three games of the series but acknowledged George needs more help from teammates to protect the middle. Vogel, who has relied almost exclusively on man-to-man defense, is now talking about double-teaming the Heat's most versatile player.


NBA Game Previews for Mon, May 27

Spurs at Grizzlies, 9 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Go ahead and call the San Antonio Spurs old. They’re also experienced enough to know what to do only a win away from their first NBA Finals berth since 2007. Finish off the Memphis Grizzlies. “Absolutely, absolutely,” Spurs center Tim Duncan said Sunday before a short practice. “We know they’re not going to lay down. We’re going to have to beat them. We understand what we have going here, and we understand that we want to finish is as quickly as we can.” The Spurs wasted a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference final a year ago when Oklahoma City won four straight games. They know time is running out for their current Big Three, featuring the 37-year-old Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili along with coach Gregg Popovich. The franchise is in its 16th straight postseason has four NBA titles but hasn’t played in the Finals since 2007 at a time when Ginobili recalls the Spurs were being called old even then.

The AP reports: San Antonio are up 3-0 after rallying from an 18-point deficit in the first quarter Saturday night and winning 104-93 in overtime. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took turns scoring points in the fourth quarter and beyond after the Spurs played so ugly in the first 12 minutes that Ginobili said Sunday he still wasn’t sure how they won. It certainly didn’t hurt that the Spurs had a three-day layoff between Games 2 and 3 with both going to overtime. If they win Game 4 on Monday night and sweep the Grizzlies on out of the postseason, the Spurs can rest up until Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off June 6.

The AP reports: The Grizzlies’ biggest challenge is shooting better, both overall and at the free throw line. They shot only 39.2 percent (38 of 97) Saturday night and would not have needed overtime if they hadn’t gone 10 of 18 at the free throw line. Zach Randolph is only 7 of 16 at the line after not even getting a free throw attempt in Game 1. Randolph has an NBA-best seven double-doubles this postseason but isn’t scoring as he did against the Clippers or Thunder. Randolph went 1 of 4 in the fourth quarter and overtime combined Saturday night. “We ain’t been down like this, 0-3, so it’s a different mindset,” Randolph said. “It’s now do or die. We’ve got to come out tomorrow and come out like we came out last game and just sustain it and not break down towards the end of the game.”


NBA Game Previews for Sun, May 26

Heat at Pacers, Game 3, 8:30 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Chris Bosh stood up in a relatively quiet Miami Heat locker room and offered a concise, blunt and accurate assessment of where things stand so far in the Eastern Conference finals. ''Our backs are against the wall,'' Bosh said. He's absolutely correct. Advantage, Indiana. Over the first two games of these Eastern Conference finals in Miami, it was Indiana that primarily had control, never allowing the reigning NBA champions to hold anything more than a five-point lead. The Pacers got a split for their efforts, and now head home to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Sunday night, surely aware that they've already taken a huge step toward pulling off what would undoubtedly be called a huge upset. ''It's even. It's 1-1,'' Pacers star Paul George said. ''They have the possibility of a split as well and taking home-court advantage back. So it's even. We don't feel like they've got the upper hand on us. We don't feel like we've got the upper hand on them.''

The AP reports: Other than letting Game 1 slip away when LeBron James was allowed basically unfettered access to the rim for an easy score on the final play of overtime, Indiana couldn't have asked for more out of its few days in South Florida. The Pacers handed the Heat what became their fourth loss in 50 games. They grabbed home-court advantage. They had the Heat juggling rotations more than at any point so far in this postseason.

The AP reports: So far in this postseason, work has seemed easy for the Pacers in Indianapolis. Indiana is 6-0 at home in these playoffs, winning by an average of 14 points. The Heat are 4-0 on the road this postseason, also winning those games by an average of 14 points.

The AP reports: The Pacers defended the 3-pointer better than anyone in the league during the regular season, while Miami had the second-best percentage from beyond the arc. That matchup has been all Indiana so far, with the Pacers keeping the Heat to a 30 percent clip. Ray Allen, the most prolific 3-point shooter in league history, is 1 for 6 from that distance. Shane Battier is 0 for 6. Norris Cole, who came up big in the Chicago series, is 1 for 4.

The AP reports: James has scored 66 points in the series, one less than what Wade and Bosh have combined for against the Pacers. He also leads the Heat in free throws made and attempted, offensive rebounds, total rebounds and assists in the series.


NBA Game Previews for Sat, May 25

Spurs at Grizzlies, 9 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: The towels are showing up all around Memphis. They hang over neighborhood signs and even at a door to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The sentiment? Believe Memphis. The Grizzlies certainly do. Yes, they are down 0-2 to San Antonio in their first Western Conference final, but they take heart in knowing they dug themselves out of an 0-2 hole in the first round against the Clippers. No NBA team has won separate series in the same postseason after losing the first two games. The Grizzlies now see only opportunity at home, where they have yet to lose this postseason. ''We got to believe,'' Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. ''We got to be confident. We got to believe. Game 2 went down, we came all the way back and went to overtime, so we got to have that confidence and we got to believe in ourselves.''

The AP reports: ''We're down 0-2 and we've got to take care of home just like they took care of home,'' Grizzlies guard Tony Allen said Friday. ''Simple as that.'' The Grizzlies' confidence also stems from a return to the arena they call the ''Grindhouse.'' They set a franchise record winning 32 games there this season, and they are 19-1 here since Feb. 8. Memphis also has lost three straight only twice this season, the last in mid-January. This series took a three-day break after the Spurs won 93-89 in overtime Tuesday night in Game 2. The Grizzlies took off Wednesday after flying home and practiced Thursday and Friday. The Spurs practiced Wednesday and Thursday before taking off Friday. The home team has won 17 of the last 20 games between these teams, and the Spurs lost both trips to Memphis during the regular season. With strong memories of blowing a 2-0 lead to Oklahoma City in the Western finals, the Spurs know the games in Memphis will be hard.

The AP reports: It would be tough for the Grizzlies to shoot much worse than they did in the first two games in San Antonio, including a stretch where they missed seven straight layups in one sequence. They missed 15 of 18 attempts inside 5 feet in the first half, a statistic that surprised Grizzlies guard Mike Conley because of their strength scoring in the paint.

The AP reports: The Grizzlies also want to make Spurs point guard Tony Parker work harder and spend more energy bringing the ball up the court. That also might slow Parker from getting his teammates involved, something he did all too well in Game 2 with a playoff-best 18 assists.

The San Antonio Express-News reports: For much of the season, the Grizzlies’ best offense has been to throw the ball at the rim, then let Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol score on offensive putbacks. Memphis enjoyed a 19-4 edge on the offensive glass in Game 2 but converted those second chances into only eight points. Expect that ratio to rise in Memphis, meaning the Spurs have to do a better job of limiting the Grizzlies to one shot per possession. Something akin to Game 1, when Memphis managed only 10 offensive boards, should suffice.

The San Antonio Express-News reports: A precautionary MRI to monitor the recovery of Tony Parker’s bruised left calf revealed he’s on track and, as expected, ready to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday. “Everything is fine,” Parker said of the procedure, which was done before Thursday’s practice. “They still see a lot of blood but the size is going down. Like I said (Wednesday), I feel like I’m turning the corner and I feel like I’ll be fine for Saturday. “It feels better. Now, (the bruise) is like spread out. That’s why it felt like my Achilles was inflamed. Now it’s fine. Rest and treatment — ice and massaging to move all the blood out of there.”

The AP reports: Allen did not talk to reporters after Saturday's shootaround for Game 3 against the Spurs. But Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said whether Allen hit his head on the floor or not had nothing to do with the flagrant foul. Allen was grabbed out of the air by Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on a fast-break drive to the basket, and Hollins said it didn't matter if Allen hit his head. ''They reviewed it, they still called it a flagrant,'' Hollins said. ''Flopping is not a part of the game and shouldn't be a part of the game. That's why we have rules in place. There's probably a few more that could be called on a lot of people that are still in the playoffs.''


NBA Game Previews for Fri, May 24

Pacers at Heat, Game 2, 8:30 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Losing a game at the final buzzer, no less than a playoff game on the road against the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat, would seem to have potential to demoralize the Indiana Pacers. Or not. ''Our belief,'' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said Thursday, ''has strengthened.'' Barely 12 hours after LeBron James scored on a drive as time expired in overtime to give the Heat a win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers were more steeled than shaken when they arrived for practice at the arena where it all went awry in the series opener. The second-guessing of Vogel's decision to keep Roy Hibbert on the bench for the final play was still going strong, but the Pacers insisted that they're mentally fine. A short memory would likely help Indiana now, especially with Game 2 of the series back in Miami on Friday night. ''Very encouraged,'' Vogel said. ''Our belief in our ability to beat this team has strengthened after Game 1. Our familiarity in the playoffs, in the playoff series grows with each day, grows with each game, and there's a lot of things we can definitely do better.''

The AP reports: For as intense and down-to-the-wire as Game 1 was, with 35 ties or lead changes over 53 scintillating minutes where neither team ever held more than a seven-point lead, both the Pacers and Heat are expecting Friday to simply be better. Matching the level of drama may be difficult, but the actual level of play, they think, will improve. It's easy to see how that could be the case, after a series-opener where both teams were turnover-happy - 20 for Indiana, 21 for Miami, hardly the norm for either side - and play was at times choppy thanks in part to 58 personal fouls being called.

The AP reports: In Miami's case, key reserves Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Norris Cole combined to shoot 2 for 16. In Indiana's case, George - who finished with 27 points - only had two at halftime, and Lance Stephenson shot just 2 for 10. ''We can get better,'' James said. ''I think both teams didn't play to the level that they're capable of playing at in Game 1. But both teams had a chance to win.'' The Heat usually have more than a chance to win. They're now 46-3 in their last 49 games, and 28-0 when Andersen grabs at least four rebounds. Still, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was pleading for more.


NBA Game Previews for Wed, May 22

Pacers at Heat, Game 1, 8:30 p.m. ET -- The AP reports: Dwyane Wade's rookie season ended with a playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The next year, the Miami Heat were headed to the Eastern Conference finals and certain that an NBA championship was in their sights. That's when Wade learned a valuable lesson: Never take playoff chances for granted. Wade hurt his rib cage on a simple crossover dribble during that 2005 East title series, and the Heat season ended with a Game 7 home loss to Detroit. He's been to the East finals three times since, prevailing in them all, and on Wednesday will look to take a first step toward a fourth conference championship when the Heat play host to the Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff rematch from a year ago.

The AP reports: ''I know I'm blessed to be going to the Eastern Conference finals for my fifth time,'' Wade said. ''But I would like a lot more in my career. It's a good thing. We've been very successful in my tenure here. But I want more.'' For Wade and Udonis Haslem, this marks five East finals appearances in nine years. For LeBron James, it's a fifth trip to this round in the past seven years, now three straight with Miami after a pair of trips to the East finals with Cleveland. For Ray Allen, it's a fourth East title-round trip in six years, the first three of those coming with Boston. Experience, it all favors Miami.

The AP reports: For the Pacers, this is pretty much uncharted waters. Only one current Pacers player has ever appeared in a conference-final game, and that was backup big man Ian Mahinmi, who played exactly 71 seconds in one game of the 2011 West title series without so much as taking a shot. Nonetheless, the Pacers seem far from bothered by the fact that this stage is a new place for them. ''There's four teams left playing basketball in the NBA and this is something we've been looking forward to all year,'' Pacers forward David West said. ''We lost to this team in the second round last year, so we've already gotten a step farther this season.'' Indiana took Miami to six games last season, leading the series 2-1 at one point, and left an impact on the Heat with words, actions and play. The series was always physical, at times bloody, and it took some superb efforts by Wade and James for Miami - which was without Chris Bosh for 5 1/2 of those six games - to put the Pacers away.