Sheridan Hoops

NBA players react to Paul George’s monster dunk over Chris Anderson

James Park — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:57:22 +0000

Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers on Friday had various moments of craziness and awesomeness from both teams – primarily from LeBron James and Paul George.

LeBron made this incredible pass to Mike Miller just before half time, and had this incredible block against Roy Hibbert. As usual, he was mostly dominant with 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and eight rebounds. Unfortunately, the uncharacteristically-costly two turnovers he had down the stretch of the fourth quarter that prevented the Heat from having any chance of winning the game will stick out the most for him.

George’s biggest moment came towards the end of the third quarter, when he blew by James and threw down the best dunk of the postseason on Chris “Birdman” Anderson:

James came right back down after the dunk to hit this ridiculous 3-point shot, and the two forwards shared a slap of the hands at the end of the quarter to show respect for each other’s performance:

It was a rare moment for two players going head-to-head in a tense playoff game, which was a pleasure to witness. Mostly, though, players around the league were buzzing about George’s ridiculous dunk, and rightfully so:

Paul George dunk was crazy!!!!!!

about 4 hours ago via Echofon ReplyRetweetFavorite

@JHarden13

James Harden

OH MY @Paul_George24!!!! Put it on his head!

about 4 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@ChandlerParsons

Chandler Parsons

Daaaaaayummmmm!!! @Paul_George24 And I called the 3!

about 4 hours ago via webReply RetweetFavorite

@Baron_Davis

Baron Davis

Good sportsmanship by LBJ! Rated PG! Slap Five! Just went big bird hunting!!! Bird-Man Bird-Man!

about 4 hours ago via Seesmic ReplyRetweetFavorite

@3Deezy

3D AKA D.SCOTT

Back to back amazing plays by Paul & Lebron. I love the mutual respect to end the quarter! #NBAPlayoffs

about 4 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@JalenRose

JALEN ROSE

My bro killin @Paul_George24 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

about 4 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@Ju_Smith4

Gregory Smith

Crazy dunk by @Paul_George24

about 4 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@rudygay22

Rudy Gay

SH Blog: Raptors closing in on Ujiri; Howard warming on Rockets; Wolves like Oladipo, Shabazz

Dan Malone — Sat, 25 May 2013 01:40:16 +0000

Even though the Pacers lost Game 1, they had to have impressed many impartial observers. Maybe the Heat won’t have an easy path to the Finals after all. Or maybe the first game was an aberration and they’ll turn on the jets and roll over Indiana from here on out. We’ll see, I guess. For some analysis of what went wrong for Indy at the end of OT, check out Chris Sheridan’s column blaming Paul George.

And since we’re about to start another offseason, that means it’s Dwight Howard rumor season yet again. This time, though, he might just get to choose where he goes, and we can skip the whole process of putting together trade packages and then those deals falling through. We can hope. To get started on the next chapter of the Dwightmare, check out Peter May’s column advocating for the Rockets as Dwight’s next stop.

Now here’s all the latest news from around the NBA:

It’s looking like the Raptors might pull off a coup. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports writes: “The Denver Nuggets have granted the Toronto Raptors permission to speak to the NBA’s Executive of the Year, Masai Ujiri, and a meeting is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Unless Denver responds soon with a market-value contract extension to keep its general manager, Ujiri is prepared to leave Denver for the chance to rebuild the Raptors organization, league sources said. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke is aggressively pursuing Ujiri to become the Raptors’ general manager and plans to present an offer that will pay him nearly $3 million annually over the course of a multiyear contract, league sources said.Denver has long been reluctant to pay its top front-office executives market value, and current contract extension talks with Ujiri are believed to include figures that are nowhere near the commitment that Toronto’s willing to make.”
That said, Ken Berger of CBS Sports notes that there are other names in the running: “The Toronto Raptors have asked permission to interview Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard to head up their basketball operations, league sources told CBSSports.com on Friday. As with similar requests from teams to speak with assistant coach Brian Shaw for head coaching vacancies, the Pacers have indicated that they prefer to wait until their season is over to grant permission for interviews. The Pacers trail the Heat 1-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 2 on Friday night in Miami. … The Raptors job is attractive to potential candidates because the team does well financially and is prepared to commit significant resources to restoring the team to prominence. Former Staples Center executive Tim Leiweke is in full command of the Raptors’ decision-making process and vision as president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. League sources told CBSSports.com that one of the possibilities that Leiweke has identified is teaming Pritchard with Oklahoma City assistant GM Troy Weaver, whose name has been attached to several front-office searches in the past two years. It is unclear whether the Raptors have reached out to the Thunder to ask permission to interview Weaver, though it is highly unlikely that Oklahoma City would grant permission for Weaver to entertain a lateral move.”

Tweet of the Day: Ira Winderman

Michael Brumagin — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:58:48 +0000

Miami Sun Sentinel beat writer, Ira Winderman, gets the nod for Tweet of the Day for this clever quip about the Heat’s 2013 NBA Playoffs run.

In '06, the Heat collected 15-Strong cards Last year, check marks on a trophy. In this title run, the Heat clearly are collecting testicles.

about 9 hours ago via webReply RetweetFavorite

@IraHeatBeat

Ira Winderman

In 2006, when the Heat overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA title, their season long mantra was “15 Strong.”

Last season, the Heat (as a team) seemed to be motivated by the need to get their first title together with the big three—especially after having come up short in the 2010-11 Finals at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

The title achievement was a check mark on the “To Do” list, particularly for LeBron James, who was publicly maligned for coming up short in 2011 after having proclaimed that he and the Heat would win not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven [championships] during the Heat’s very public unveiling of the Big Three.

Now, en route to what they hope to be the team’s third championship [this unit's second], the Heat seem to be, as Winderman noted, “collecting testicles.”

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indian Pacers, there were two instances wherein a Heat player seemed to take a shot at the lower man region of his defender. Neither instance was called flagrant, though both were whistled as offensive, and clearly they were.

In the first quarter Miami forward Shane Battier took off for a layup, directly challenging Pacers center Roy Hibbert. As he rose up, he brought his right, non-jumping leg up in an effort to create space between himself and Hibbert.

His knee, however, did not make it north of the midsection before making contact.

Later in the game, late in the fourth quarter, Heat guard Norris Cole drove hard down the right wing with David West between himself and the basket. As he drew near West, his arm hooked between his legs in an apparent WWE-style “low blow.”

If attacking their opponents’ man region was the goal, they still have a roster of 13 men to go.

We’ll have to wait for Game 2 to see who their next target is or if there is any form of retaliation.

Previous Tweet Posts:

Tweet of the Night: Kevin Durant continues to support difficult situation in OKC

Tweet of the Night: Jermaine O’Neal and Bill Simmons question Vogel’s decision to bench Hibbert in final seconds of Game 1

The Evening News: Celtics deny Nets’ request for Rivers; Wade’s knee worse than last year; Cavs like Porter

Jacob Eisenberg — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:35:11 +0000

Hello and welcome to the Evening News.

As the playoffs continue, we’ll keep you updated every evening. What’s happening today?

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Celtics deny Nets’ request to interview Doc Rivers

Jackie MacMullan of ESPN reports that the Boston Celtics have declined the Brooklyn Nets’ request to interview Doc Rivers for the team’s coaching vacancy.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge acknowledged that Rivers has received interest from several teams.

“We know people want Doc,” Ainge said. “We know people want [Rajon Rondo] and KG and Paul Pierce. They are the Celtics. They’ve all had great success.”

Rivers has three years and $21 million left on the contract that he signed in May of 2011. He is currently the highest paid coach in the league.

Though the Celtics face a myriad of questions going into the offseason, Ainge fully expects to have his coach with him at training camp.

“Doc has told me he’s coming back,” Ainge said. “I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward.”

The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, will continue to search for a veteran leader after they let interim coach P.J. Carlesimo go following their first round exit in the playoffs.

As we discussed last night, Carlesimo believes that Brooklyn’s front office has unrealistic expectations for the team’s future.

Dwyane Wade has more knee pain this season than last

Dwyane Wade told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that his knees are in more pain this season than they were last season.

Last year’s knee injury involved cartilage damage, which required arthroscopic surgery in July and forced him to miss the Olympics. This season, Wade is afflicted with a severe bone bruise.

Wade’s injury hasn’t healed with the extensive time off he’s been given throughout the playoffs. His production on the court is clearly suffering.

“I feel the same,” Wade admitted. “Time doesn’t help me right now. It’s unfortunate I’ve had to deal with this thing for two months now.”

Wade is second on the team in scoring in the playoffs despite only averaging 13.7 points a game. According to the Wall Street Journal, if the Heat do go on to win the title, Wade’s point total would be the lowest scoring output from a championship team’s second leading scorer since Jim Pollard in 1954.

Still, Wade has shown glimpses of his greatness throughout the postseason and remains confident that he can contribute at an elite level.

“When I feel great, I’m going to attack,” said Wade. “When I don’t, I know how to be a team player and give of myself for other guys. … Even though my knee isn’t 100 percent, it ain’t gone.”

Cavaliers considering Otto Porter for top pick

Michael Lee of the Washington Post reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers are considering Otto Porter for the top pick in next month’s draft.

While the general belief is that Cleveland will end up selecting Nerlens Noel, a source close to the Cavaliers told Lee that the team likes Porter’s skill set.

Chris Grant, the Cavaliers’ GM, has a history of choosing prospects earlier than others anticipate. Both Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters were considered to be borderline top-10 picks by many experts before the Cavaliers took both fourth overall in consecutive years.

Porter told Lee last week that he believes he would be a worthy choice for the Cavaliers.

“I definitely see myself up there,” Porter said last week in Chicago. “My versatility. I think that’s definitely going to show when I get to the NBA. My ability to rebound, bring it up the court, make something happen or set up the play. Anything that it has in store for me, I think my versatility is going to carry over.”

We have Porter going third to Washington in our latest mock draft.

SH Blog: Carlesimo says Nets have unrealistic expectations, LeBron disagrees with MJ’s scouting report

James Park — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:04:43 +0000

It’s always interesting to hear candid thoughts from former players or coaches about the situations of the teams they used to play for or coached.

P.J. Carlesimo, the former interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, is now an ESPN analyst. Able to share all his thoughts in an objective matter, Carlesimo had plenty to say about what level of talent the Nets really have, why it’s bad for the league to be a players league, and what it really means when headlines say a coach has “lost the locker room”. Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News has all the details:

“But, again, everybody starts the year saying we want to win a championship. Brooklyn has more reason to say that than a lot of the other teams in the league. I still would not call them one of the favorites. I wouldn’t put that on whoever is lucky enough to get the job. I think it’s a team that could win a lot of games. I think it’s a 50-win team, a playoff team and a team that could do well, particularly in the Eastern Conference. But to win a championship is a bear. …I still do think it’s a good job. I think the expectations are maybe not totally realistic, but you’d rather have that from your owner and you know he’s got the wherewithal to back it up. That’s his goal.”

Not many believed the Nets were true contenders this season, especially after seeing how badly some of the key signings – like Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries – had regressed, along with the consistently inconsistent play of Joe Johnson. It’s intriguing to hear Carlesimo note that he, too, privately believed that too much was expected of him and this team so soon.

“What is not good in the league right now, and it’s just reality – it’s a players league; there is no question about that. But it can’t be the point where players hire and fire coaches because that’s not going to work. If you look at the places that have been successful, it’s where the best players – look at Miami. It’s because Dwyane and LeBron have Spo’s back. Spo, a lot of people when he got the job people said how can he coach this big three, this famous group? What makes it work is those guys empower him. …It doesn’t make it easy to coach when you don’t feel that your general manager or your owner has your back.”

The simple translation of the above quote appears to be this: “My players didn’t support me as their coach, so I was basically doomed and that’s not fair.” The interesting note and irony about how coaches are enabled by players is that Deron Williams constantly shared his support of Carlesimo through much of the season. Perhaps what he said to the media and what his body language said on the court stated two different things.

“It’s spin that the players or agents or general manager trying to rationalize as opposed to saying, hey, that’s my coach. I back him a hundred percent; end of discussion. When you have anything short of that kind of backing, you get people throwing out things like that well, he’s lost the locker room. That’s because an agent is upset that his player isn’t playing, or a player doesn’t like the way he’s being asked to do something or the general manager is trying to sense would it be a popular thing if we got rid of this guy? Say what it is. Let them say what it is. This particular player won’t play for him or something like that, doesn’t like him, this guy’s a player. When you fire a player’s coach, it’s because he’s too easy on players. That’s all spin or what you say when you make a change or how you’re trying to sell a change when you’re trying to make it.”

The fascinating thing about hearing things of this nature from a guy like Carlesimo is that we sometimes wonder why some coaches do the things they do. Generally, there is a tendency to feel negatively towards them when they fail and simply think they just don’t get it. You hear the man speak, though, and it’s crystal clear that he is quite aware of his surroundings and has a great understanding of why things happen the way they do.

When fans hear from the media that a coach has “lost the locker room”, they usually believe in the sentiment. What they don’t consider is that all it takes for a rumor of that nature to float around is for a single unhappy player or his agent to whisper into the ears of a reporter. For example (and I’m not saying this is what happened), a promising second-year player like MarShon Brooks, who barely got any playing time under Carlesimo, could easily express his displeasure privately. It doesn’t take a whole lot for his agent to spread rumors that the locker room is at an unrest, and that’s not a fair situation for a coach, who can only do so much to repair the image that has been portrayed of him by an unnamed source.

Carlesimo is probably bitter about how things ended for him in what could potentially have been his final run as the head coach of an NBA team. Based on his logic about what went down and the situations he was forced to deal with, it’s hard to blame him.

Onto other news from around the league:

Tweet of the Night: Kevin Durant continues to support difficult situation in OKC

James Park — Fri, 24 May 2013 05:16:45 +0000

They tried to run with “he’s not nice” as a slogan for Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant. That may very well be true when you’re talking about the way he devastates his opponents on the basketball court, but he is anything but “not nice” off the court.

Durant willingly donated $1 million – no small amount for any athlete or celebrity – to assist in disaster relief efforts of the horrific tornado that hit and devastated Oklahoma on Tuesday. It’s obvious that Durant wishes to support the city he plays for in every way possible during such difficult times, and his efforts continued on Thursday, convincing Nike to support the cause as well.

Reached out to my @Nike fam to see if they could help Oklahoma.They're in. http://t.co/XSbQ2xawcu

May 23, 2013 11:02 pm via Echofon ReplyRetweetFavorite

@KDTrey5

Kevin Durant

Nike will match the bar set by Durant and donate $1 million worth of Nike products to those affected by the tornado. Here are the details from the Nike site:

Nike stands with Kevin Durant to support the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes. $1M worth of Nike products will be donated to those affected by the storms, and the profits from Oklahoma City KD V Elites sold on Nike.com between May 23 and June 15 will go towards Oklahoma Relief efforts.

It’s trying times like these where some truly show just how much they really care. Durant has been a great role model and is setting quite an example of how to be a positive influence for a community as an athlete.

It’s a great gesture by Nike as well. Handing out athletic equipment won’t necessarily solve any long-term issues, but the willingness to support the victims in any way possible shows the caring and dedication necessary to help them get through this horrifying situation.

Tweet of the Night: Jermaine O’Neal and Bill Simmons question Vogel’s decision to sit Roy Hibbert

Tweet of the Day: Daryl Morey

Follow @SheridanBlog

The Evening News: LeBron disagrees with Jordan; Dwight likes Warriors; Knicks scorers were injured

Jacob Eisenberg — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:00:13 +0000

Hello and welcome to the Evening News.

As the playoffs continue, we’ll keep you updated every evening. What’s happening today?

Here’s the latest from around the league:

LeBron James says Jordan’s scouting report is “wrong”

After driving left to score the game-winning layup in overtime to beat Indiana in Game 1, LeBron James shared his opinion of Michael Jordan’s scouting report on him.

In February, Jordan told ESPN that he had studied James’ game and had come up with a strategy to defend the MVP.

“So if I have to guard him,” Jordan told ESPN’s Wright Thompson, “I’m gonna push him left so nine times out of 10, he’s gonna shoot a jump shot. If he goes right, he’s going to the hole and I can’t stop him. So I ain’t letting him go right.”

James heard the interview months ago and waited until today to share his thoughts.

“That theory is wrong, I guess,” James said of the Jordan report.

According to Synergy Sports, James actually drives left more often than he drives right. Moreover, James shot nearly eight percent higher going to his left than he did going to his right throughout the season.

Dwight adds Golden State to summer list

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that Dwight Howard has added the Golden State Warriors to his list of realistic destinations in free agency.

Previously, the only teams that were considered to intrigue Howard were the Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, and Hawks.

While the Warriors lack the cap space to sign Howard outright, they do have several young assets and expiring contracts that could be used to entice the Lakers into a sign-and-trade.

Still, Golden State appears to be a long shot in the Howard sweepstakes.

With Andrew Bogut’s productivity in the postseason and with Stephen Curry’s emergence as a legitimate star, the Warriors’ long stated desire to acquire a superstar via trade appears to have now been tempered.

Carmelo Anthony had torn labrum, J.R. Smith had fluid in knee

According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, the Knicks’ two leading scorers were downplaying injuries throughout the postseason.

On Wednesday, an MRI revealed that Carmelo Anthony suffered a small tear in his left shoulder at the end of the regular season. The Knicks are hopeful that Anthony will not need surgery and intend to let him rest for at least the next three weeks to allow him time to heal.

Anthony was visibly in pain throughout the postseason and admitted to reporters on Monday that the injury had been affecting his play. ”It was bothering me since it happened.”

Anthony’s postseason scoring numbers remained similar to the totals he posted in the regular season. However, Anthony’s efficiency dropped substantially in the playoffs. His field goal percentage dropped from 45% to 40.9%.

Meanwhile, a league source confirmed to the New York Post today that J.R. Smith had been playing in the postseason with fluid in his knee. It is unclear whether Smith will need to undergo a procedure to drain the fluid.

This surprising news could explain Smith’s postseason slide. According to another source, Smith started privately complaining about his knee during the Knicks’ first round matchup with the Celtics. He never used it as an excuse and told the media after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that he deserved the entire blame for the Knicks’ postseason struggles.

Smith’s production dropped significantly in the playoffs. In the regular season’s final month, he averaged 22 points on 48% from the field. However, for much of the postseason, Smith could not buy a basket.

He finished with postseason averages of 14.3 points per game and a 33% shooting percentage from the field.

LeBron James unanimous pick for All-NBA Team

Chris Bernucca — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:23:47 +0000

LeBron James fell one vote shy of being the unanimous MVP. He had no such issues with the All-NBA Team.

The superstar forward of the Miami Heat was the only unanimous selection to the First Team, announced Thursday by the NBA. He was chosen by all 119 media members, whose voting habits remain somewhat questionable.

James was joined on the First Team by Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant (102 votes), Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (97), Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (91) and San Antonio center Tim Duncan (45).

The Second Team is Memphis center Marc Gasol (38), New York forward Carmelo Anthony (24), Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook (20), San Antonio guard Tony Parker (16) and Clippers forward Blake Griffin (0).

The Third Team is Lakers center Dwight Howard (17), Houston guard James Harden (5), Miami guard Dwyane Wade (3), Golden State forward David Lee (0) and Indiana forward Paul George (0).

Among others receiving votes – in other words, those believed in the eyes of voters to be among the top six guards, top six forwards or top three centers this season – were the head-scratching selections of Pau Gasol, Kenneth Faried, Raymond Felton, Rudy Gay, J.J. Hickson and Dirk Nowitzki.

Come on.

Did the Hickson vote come from the same guy who voted for Luke Babbitt for the Sixth Man Award?

The homer voting among media has gotten totally out of hand. Every year, it looks more and more like the All-Star Game voting done by fans.

If you’re wondering how we voted, just check the table below. A red name is an exact match. A blue name is a matching selection for a different team.

MEDIA	SHERIDAN	BERNUCCA
ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM
LeBron James	LeBron James	LeBron James
Kevin Durant	Carmelo Anthony	Kevin Durant
Tim Duncan	Al Horford	Al Horford
Chris Paul	Dwyane Wade	Chris Paul
Kobe Bryant	Kobe Bryant	Kobe Bryant
ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM
Carmelo Anthony	Kevin Durant	Carmelo Anthony
Blake Griffin	Tim Duncan	Tim Duncan
Marc Gasol	Marc Gasol	Marc Gasol
Tony Parker	James Harden	Tony Parker
Russell Westbrook	Russell Westbrook	James Harden
ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM
Paul George	Paul George	Blake Griffin
David Lee	David Lee	Paul Pierce
Dwight Howard	Brook Lopez	Brook Lopez
James Harden	Chris Paul	Russell Westbrook
Dwyane Wade	Tony Parker	Dwyane Wade

May: Right move for Dwight would be rising Rockets over aging Lakers

Peter May — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:47 +0000

It seems to me we are all missing the obvious here. Dwight Howard has absolutely no intention of re-signing with the Lakers. Why should he?

Have you looked at that roster?

Howard is entering what should be the prime of his career. He turns 28 in December. He is the only – and I mean ONLY – player on the Lakers’ roster under the age of 32 who you would even remotely want on your team, long term.

Jodie Meeks? Earl Clark? Please.

Forget for a moment Howard’s apparent unease with coach Mike D’Antoni. Forget for a moment the money he would be forfeiting by signing elsewhere. Forget for a moment that it’s – ta-da! – Los Angeles, with all the potential endorsement opportunities and glam time.

Focus instead on what Howard should (and most likely is) focusing on: Why should he spend the next five years of his career playing for a team that very soon – maybe even next season – is going to be in serious rebuilding mode?

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each have one more year left on their respective contracts. Steve Nash has two. Bryant, currently rehabbing a torn Achilles, could well hang ‘em up after next season; there are a lot of miles on that Mamba. Gasol is still a valued commodity, but he turns 33 in July and is about to be displaced by his younger brother as the family’s best player. Nash is still crafty, albeit injury-prone, and turns 40 next February.

You could try to sell Howard on sticking around for next season to see if the Lakers could do what they were unable to do this season – namely, be a factor in the Western Conference. But why would he even devote a nanosecond to such preposterous talk? The Lakers are going down – soon.

As Sheriff Ray Bledsoe famously noted in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid – “Your times is over and you’re gonna die bloody. And all you can do is choose where.”

Sure, the Lakers could talk wistfully about the summer of 2014 and all the cap room they could have, but cap room is just that. There are zero guarantees and, as Howard already knows, a player re-signing with his old team can make a lot more money. Or suppose Howard stays and the Lakers have a summer like the Bulls had in 2000, when they saved all their cap room for Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady and ended up with Ron Mercer and Brad Miller?

Sheridan: Paul George to blame more than Vogel

Chris Sheridan — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:34:07 +0000

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel is taking a ton of heat (pun intended) today for removing Roy Hibbert from the lineup for the final play of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals last night when LeBron James made a driving layup at the buzzer in overtime for a 103-102 victory.

And make no mistake, Vogel made a mistake — he even admitted as much in the postgame interview room.

But what about Paul George, who would have been the hero of the game for his clutch 3-pointer that forced regulation and for knocking down the three free throws that gave Indiana a 102-101 lead prior to James’ heroics?

In my opinion, George is more to blame for the loss than Vogel.

On the final inbounds play, George came out too far when the inbounds pass was thrown to James. He came out so far, in fact, and was so intent on making James go to his left that he overstepped what should have been his defensive zone. James blew past George as though he was standing still, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Some advice to the Pacers: If James is going to beat you, make him beat you with a jump shot. And if a similar situation unfolds down the line, double-team him and make him pass the ball.

If you want to rip Vogel, rip him for not having a second perimeter defender blitzing James as soon as it was clear he would receive the inbounds pass. You can rip him for benching Hibbert, but there is much more to it than that.

More on Wednesday night’s Game 1 in this interview with CineSport’s Noah Coslov: