Heat Put Away Pesky Sixers, Celtics Up Next
The King Lebron James finally took care of a pesky Philadelphia 76ers team, winning Game 5 at home to take the opening round NBA Eastern Conference series 4 games to 1. Wade scored 26 points and Bosh added 22 points and 11 rebounds as Miami and his star player Lebron James turned back a determined Philadelphia side 97-91 and will now advance to the inevitable showdown with the Boston Celtics who ignominiously ended James’ season-and his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers-in the last years Eastern Conference Finals.
The Heat won the game and the series, but NBA betting enthusiasts that took the Sixers as generous +11′ road underdogs ‘brought home the bacon’ with the pointspread cover. Philadelphia covered three of the five games in the series including their outright victory in Game 4. The 188 combined points scored just made it OVER the posted total of 187. For totals players, the game had plenty of drama and didn’t go OVER until a dunk by Dwayne Wade as time expired moved the score from 186 points to 188. It was only the second game of the series to exceed the total and Miami has gone UNDER in six of their last eight dating back to the regular season.
The series victory was the first since Miami won the 2006 NBA Finals. After the game, Wade said that the Sixers provided a good tune up for the Celtics challenge ahead: “We’re going to be ready. Philly got us ready.”
LeBron James didn’t have much to say about playing the team that knocked him out of the playoffs a season ago while a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers:
“Looking forward to it.”
Philadelphia didn’t go down without a fight, twice narrowing the lead to a single point in the final minute. Sixers’ coach Doug Collins was pleased with his team’s effort:
“We fought to the finish as we said we were going to do.”
The King James had plenty of trouble with Philly’s defense, and particularly in the early part of the game. The Sixers held him to 3 points in the first half-a career low. At times during the series the Heat have looked very distracted and that same approach will send them home early against the battle tested Boston. Game 1 of the Heat/Celtics series will be Sunday afternoon in Miami.
Michael Phelps is a freelance writer and noted authority on price per head sports sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a giraffe. He is currently working on an autobiography of former Obama’s science advisor John Holdren.