A lot has taken place since the last time NBA Update was featured in the paper. We have now moved past the conference semi-finals and the respective conference finals are treading very different paths.

In the East, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers got by the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks 4-1 and 4-2 respectively to set up the conference finals that everyone expected. In the West, the San Antonio Spurs finally got the better of the Golden State Warriors, but unfortunate for the Oklahoma City Thunder; the Memphis Grizzlies who were making their first ever appearance in the conference finals brushed them aside 4-1.

Here’s how the respective conference finals have progressed so far.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

AS we had discussed earlier, everyone had expected the Heat and the Pacers to meet in the finals. With the Heat being the Heat (not to mention defending champions) and the Pacers boasting the second best defensive record over the 82-game regular season, an exciting final was expected.

Thus far they have not disappointed though the Heat hold a slim 2-1 advantage. In the opening game it look a brilliantly designed play for LeBron James to hand the Heat a 103-102 overtime victory but the Pacers stole Game 2 97-93. In Sunday’s Game 3 the Heat had a mockery of the Pacers defence, amassing 70 points by half-time before easing to a 114-96 win.

The analysts are hoping for a seven-game series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Experience reigns supreme

FOLLOWING their dominant display over the Thunder and the Spurs’ struggle against the Warriors, many were expecting the Grizzlies to continue grinding their way to the NBA Finals. But how warped those expectations were.

Led by the seemingly ageless Tim Duncan and the watchful eye of tactician coach Greg Popovich, the Spurs have controlled this series like a child playing with a game console.

So dominant is their play that by the time you read this story the conference finals could very well be over as the Spurs with their 3-0 advantage went for the clean sweep in front of a Memphis crowd that had not witnessed defeat like this before the Game 3 loss.

The last two games were pushed to overtime, but Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker showed the class that has kept the trio together for the better part of 11 years to cruise to victory.