Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have copious amounts of championship jewelry in their possessions www.bearsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-roquan-smith-jersey , and their teams committing to the level of defense necessary to win in the postseason is a major reason why that’s the case.
Vastly improved defense will be what both coaches demand – or at least hope for – on Monday.
Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs just didn’t have enough answers for Golden State in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, and Spoelstra’s Miami Heat offered Philadelphia absolutely no resistance in a second-half meltdown that opened their Eastern Conference series. The Warriors and 76ers are both looking to take 2-0 leads when those matchups resume on their respective home floors.
”We understand that we are not favorites,” San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili said. ”We are underdogs. We talked about it, and to get a win here, we’ve got to overachieve. We’ve got to do better than we think we can do, even. So we’ll fight as hard as we can in Game 2.”
That will have to be a mantra for both the Spurs and the Heat.
The Spurs allowed Golden State to shoot 54 percent in what became a 113-92 playoff-opening win for the defending NBA champions. Game 1 in Philadelphia was even more one-sided, as the 76ers closed the game on a 74-40 run in what ended up as a 130-103 rout – the most points that any Heat team has allowed in any postseason game.
”We have to learn from it,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. ”It’s a seven-game series. They beat our butt in the first one. But at the end of the day, they’re up 1-0 no matter which way they did it. We definitely have to make adjustments. We can’t go into the game saying, `Oh www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jeremiah-attaochu-jersey , they’re not going to make those shots again.”’
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A look at Monday night’s matchups:
HEAT AT 76ERS, Philadelphia leads 1-0. Game 2, 8 p.m., TNT.
Need to know: Philadelphia has now won 17 consecutive games, as well as 24 of its last 25 at home (not counting a ”home” loss in London to Boston), and is coming off its fourth outing of 130 points or more this season. ”If that’s the way it’s going to be, then we’ve got to conquer it,” Spoelstra said. ”We’ve got to find a way.”
Keep an eye on: Miami will have to change how it attacks screens and gets out on Philadelphia’s shooters, but that’s obviously easier said than done. Philadelphia will be brimming with confidence, and rightly so. 76ers coach Brett Brown knows the Heat will make adjustments Josh Sitton Color Rush Jersey , and it’ll be incumbent on him to react on the fly in Game 2.
Injury update: 76ers star center Joel Embiid was released from the NBA’s concussion protocol Sunday, but he will not play in Game 2. He’s recovering from surgery to repair an orbital fracture. For Miami, point guard Goran Dragic played Saturday through a sore right knee that has dogged him for a couple weeks.
Pressure is on: It was just one game, but Miami knows it can’t have a combined 13-for-40 shooting effort from its starting lineup again, or see Hassan Whiteside – the $23 million center – be a complete nonfactor while playing only 12 minutes.
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SPURS AT WARRIORS, Golden State leads 1-0. Game 2, 10:30 p.m., TNT.
Need to know: When Golden State senses a chance to grab command, it usually pounces – as evidenced by how the Warriors are 8-0 in their last eight Game 2s. The Spurs have never dropped six consecutive postseason games under Popovich, though that streak will likely be seriously tested unless San Antonio comes up with some very different ideas very quickly.
Keep an eye on: San Antonio likely needs to get LaMarcus Aldridge going very early www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dallas-goedert-jersey , to see if he can get in the rhythm that avoided him in Game 1. For Golden State, Klay Thompson bided his time in Game 1 and wound up shooting 11 for 13 – playing a brilliant game, getting teammates open with hard cuts in the early going before the ball found him.
Injury update: Warriors star Stephen Curry and Spurs star Kawhi Leonard both remain out, but there’s no new major issues for either team.
Pressure is on: Oddly, it’s probably more on the Warriors than the Spurs. Golden State lost 10 of its final 17 regular-season games, and doesn’t want to see this series open with a split that will see the return of ”what’s wrong with the Warriors?” questions.
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Blaine Hardy was supposed to be a short-term starter while injured Tigers pitchers recovered.
A string of solid outings by the veteran left-hander, though, has Detroit management reconsidering that plan.
Nicholas Castellanos homered and Hardy pitched one-run ball into the sixth, leading the Tigers over the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Sunday for their fifth straight win.
Hardy (3-1) allowed one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He has given up two runs or less in six of his seven starts – the first starts of his five-year career.
Manager Ron Gardenhire said he’s considering a six-man rotation when Francisco Liriano returns from the disabled list – a week after dismissing that as an option.
”We got some guys in there who might need extra days that could probably use it,” Gardenhire said. ”We started thinking we could probably do this with some of these guys Riley Sutter Capitals Jersey , give them a breather going into All-Star break.”
Hardy said he won’t be sweating out a decision.
”I’ve really gone start to start from the get-go,” he said. ”Even if they tell me I’m in the rotation for the rest of the year, I’m probably going to do the same thing. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Jose Iglesias added an RBI single as Detroit improved to 8-1 against the White Sox this season, including 6-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Castellanos homered twice on Saturday and connected again in his first at-bat Sunday. Before Saturday, he was mired in a 1-for-21 slump over the previous five games.
Matt Davidson hit his 12th homer and Kevan Smith had two hits for Chicago, which has dropped four straight.
James Shields (2-8) allowed three runs on six hits in six-plus innings. Shields walked Jeimer Candelario with one out in the first and Castellanos followed with a homer.
”I got behind in the count to Castellanos,” Shields said. ”I thought he just popped it up, but it ended up going over the fence. They’re hot right now.”
After Davidson’s solo homer in the second – his first since May 13 – Iglesias drove in Niko Goodrum in the fourth to make it 3-1.
THE HEAT IS ON
The temperature at the start was 92 degrees and it rose a couple of degrees from there.
”The only place I’ve probably seen hotter weather is Texas,” Hardy said. ”It’s one of those things where you go out there and try to go as long as you can.”
CLOSING TIME
With closer Shane Greene unavailable after pitching four straight days, Joe Jimenez struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
”He’s been throwing really well as a setup guy whenever we put him in www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-isaac-yiadom-jersey ,” Gardenhire said. ”You can see the velocity. He’s a power guy and he’s confident now. He’s gotten over that I-don’t-want-to-make-a-mistake thing and he just attacks.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: LHP Daniel Stumpf (ulnar nerve irritation) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday.
White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (rotator cuff inflammation) reported no problems following a 25-pitch session on Saturday. The plan is for him to throw another session – 25 pitches or more – during the three-game series at Cleveland.
UP NEXT
Tigers: LHP Matthew Boyd (4-4, 3.23 ERA) starts the opener of a two-game series at Cincinnati on Tuesday night. RHP Sal Romano (3-7, 5.67) pitches for the Reds.
White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (3-1, 2.29 ERA) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday night. Covey is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his last three starts. RHP Trevor Bauer (5-5, 2.69) goes for the Indians.
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