2014 NBA playoff schedule: Heat eye rebound against Nets, Spurs aim to eliminate Blazers
The Miami Heat enter their first rebounding game of the postseason while the Blazers hope to avoid a sweep against the Spurs.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat on Monday will come off their first loss of the postseason, while the San Antonio Spurs will have the opportunity to sweep the Portland Trail Blazers.
8 p.m. ET, TNT
It took seven games for the Miami Heat to find a road block. In front of a Brooklyn crowd ready to get behind its team, the Nets took Game 3 with a barrage of three-pointers as both teams scored only 26 points apiece in the paint. Even now, the Nets still have a tall task ahead of them with a 2-1 series deficit.
Hello, Brooklyn
The ways in which each team is going about its scoring is intriguing. While the Nets know their best shot at beating Miami is by stringing out what's traditionally been a good defense, it can backfire -- see the first two games -- when the Heat use missed jumpers to get into a groove with early offense. It's questionable if Brooklyn can replicate such a solid shooting night again. On the other side, however, there is a concern for the Heat that LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade won't get enough help. Ray Allen, after all, was the revelation in the first two outings.
Spurs vs. Blazers, Game 4
10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
The reality could be that the Portland Trail Blazers haven't been themselves, or that they've run into a San Antonio Spurs team playing in the most perfect ways. Whatever the truth is there, the fact is Portland trails the series 3-0 and will need to win at home in Game 4 to avoid elimination.
NBA Playoffs
The Blazers' starting lineup has yet to have enough of an advantage to mask the impact of the Spurs' bench. San Antonio point guard Tony Parker hasn't played better and Portland's favorite offense, the pick-and-roll game, isn't clicking with much efficiency. At least one of those things must change in the Blazers' favor if they want to extend their 2013-14 season.
See More:
