The Miami Heat are in an unfamiliar situation. The clear favorites to win the title heading into the 2013-14 NBA season, they now just might be the underdogs as they go on the road, down 1-0 to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite the one game hole and Indiana holding the East’s top seed, though, you won’t catch the Heat making excuses or backing down. Instead, Lebron James and co. will simply look to make adjustments.

”My approach is the same every game,” James said, “[I have to] try to put pressure on the defense, try to get to the free-throw line to help us win. I got to the rim, I got my shots going, but I’ve got to do a little more, too.”

James had no trouble scoring on the Pacers in game one. It was the rest of his teammates that found it to be a little difficult, while the Pacers owned the inside of the paint.

That’s going to be the key to game two, as the Heat try to avoid an uncharacteristic 2-0 hole in Indiana. Can they slow down Roy Hibbert and David West, while also executing at a high level on offense?

The reality is, they simply have to. The Heat are better than the game one tape showed, while this Heat roster as it as it currently constructed have never lost a playoff series that they started down, 1-0.

Miami is one of the best teams in the league at adjusting and polishing up their execution. With their backs against the wall in a crucial game two, they’ll have to lean on history and do just that, yet again.

Whether the Heat win this series in the end remains to be determined, but it’s foolish to bet against King James this early. Look for him to raise his level of play on defense and get his teammates involved more in the scoring. If he can do that, the Heat should even things up at one game a piece.

Pick: Heat 108, Pacers 99

The Conference Finals already got going on Sunday afternoon, as the Miami Heat fell to the Indiana Pacers on the East’s side. Things finally get going one day later out west, as the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to San Antonio to take on the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

Probably one of the biggest keys to this game was going to be Serge Ibaka’s impact as a defender and shot-blocker down low. However, with a calf injury taking him out of this series, Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw may operate as they please inside the paint.

If that happens, the Spurs are obviously going to hold a major advantage. That advantage weighs into this matchup even more with the first two games of their seven game series coming at home.

With that said, the Thunder still have some true toughness and tenacity in the likes of Steven Adams and Kendrick Perkins and could still make life difficult for San Antonio’s bigs.

On paper, though, the way for the Thunder to beat the Spurs is for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to come out afire from the start. They’ve lost a key mid-range shooter and a defensive specialist, so for OKC to have any chance in winning this series, their top two guys need to be even more aggressive and also step it up on the other end.

Luckily for the Thunder, Spurs point guard Tony Parker (hamstring) isn’t 100% and Manu Ginobili is coming off of a rough second round series. If Parker can’t get back to full strength in time, Westbrook might go nuts on San Antonio’s backups. In fact, he might do it, anyways.

For now, the Spurs have all of their guys and are at home, so we’ll give them the nod to get this series rolling.

Pick: Spurs 104, Thunder 102

The Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs have finally arrived, and with no surprises. While the Indiana Pacers got pushed to their limits by the Atlanta Hawks in round one, they escaped a full seven game series and got through round to battle the Miami Heat.

Miami had zero trouble in round one with a sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats, and lost just one game to the Brooklyn Nets in round two. Both team’s quick outs in the second round of the playoffs had them wrapping up their second series at the same time, giving neither a distinct advantage.

In fact, with center Roy Hibbert finally coming alive in the second round of the playoffs, the number one-seeded Pacers might actually hold the upper hand in this series. Indiana clearly has the edge in size and scoring down low, as David West and Roy Hibbert should win most battles against Chris Bosh and the Miami spare bigs.

It’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Indiana has to worry about, although both Paul George and Lance Stephenson seem to be more than up to the task to try to limit them.

The seven game Eastern Conference Finals series starts out in Indy’s advantage regardless of what you think of the matchup, as game one lands in Indiana.

Still, these two sides were highly competitive during the 2013-14 NBA regular season and there isn’t much to work with to suggest one holds a distinct edge over the other.

What we do know for sure, however, is that both teams can play elite team defense when they put their minds to it, and that the Pacers are probably Miami’s toughest matchup throughout the entire Eastern Conference. If the Heat’s bid for a three-peat title run is going to end, it probably starts with Indiana getting the job done in game one at home. It won’t be easy, but that’s exactly what the Pacers should do.

Pick: Pacers 89, Heat 86

The Indianapolis Colts may have to look for new ways to put pressure on the opposing quarterback to start the new 2014 NFL season. According to various reports, the team will be without stud pass rusher Robert Mathis, who has reportedly violated the league’s substance abuse policy and will be suspended for the season’s first four games.

Mathis will be allowed to practice with the team in camp and will be able to play in all of their preseason games, but will not be able to return to the field until week five of the 2014 regular season.

Per reports, Mathis tested positive for a fertility drug called Clomid, which is a substance that is currently banned by the league.

Mathis made a public announcement apologizing to his fans and the Colts, explaining that he used the drug to help he and his wife could get pregnant – which they successfully accomplished.

It’s a controversial happening, but Mathis still consumed a banned product, and will likely be forced to serve his four game ban, despite a potential appeal.

While the loss of Mathis for any amount of time is bad news for Indy’s still transitioning 3-4 defense, it also means there could be a severe lack of depth and productivity at outside linebacker. With Mathis out of the picture to start the season, the Colts are expected to start second-year rush linebacker Bjoern Werner opposite of their other starter, Erik Walden.

Considering Mathis registered an impressive 19.5 sacks in 2013 – his first season in Chuck Pagano’s 3-4 system, Werner has some mighty big shoes to fill. Werner ran hot and cold as a rookie in 2013, registering just 2.5 sacks and looking somewhat uncomfortable on the outside in 13 games of action.

For Indy to not miss a beat, he’ll need to get stronger and more consistent on the edge.

The Oklahoma City Thunder just got dealt a pretty hefty blow to their NBA title hopes. According to Marc Spears via Twitter, the star big man is expected to miss the remainder of the 2014 NBA Playoffs due to a calf injury.

The official diagnosis of Ibaka’s calf injury is a grade three strain, which means he has a partial tear in the muscle. Further time on the court could cause a complete tear, which beyond being extremely painful, could require a lengthy rehab that would stem into next season.

Rather than have one of their star players play through intense pain and risk further injury, the Thunder are expected to shut Ibaka down in an effort to get him back next season at 100%.

Ibaka wasn’t having an amazing post-season run in terms of offense, but his fiery competitiveness and defensive presence was more than felt in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Ibaka’s mere presence made scoring down low very difficult for prolific scorers Zach Randolph and Blake Griffin through the first two rounds.

In fact, Ibaka had a history of success against the Thunder’s round three opponent, the San Antonio Spurs. With great size and shot-blocking ability, Ibaka figured to be a tough matchup for Tim Duncan, Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter down low in the paint.

Without Ibaka being able to go, the Thunder will be forced to turn to second-year big man Steven Adams, who is expected to start alongside center Kendrick Perkins against the Spurs when the two meet for the first time in their Western Conference Finals seven game series. Nick Collison is also expected to get extra minutes in lieu of Ibaka’s absence.

Ibaka continued his steady rise for the Thunder throughout the 2013-14 season, elevating his numbers across the board for the fifth straight season. Ibaka finished the regular season with a career high 15.1 points per game, while also boasting a career high 8.8 rebounds per game.

Known for his game-changing shot-blocking and shot-altering, Ibaka also remained a force on the defensive end during the regular season, as he blocked 2.7 shots per game, giving him four straight seasons with at least 2.4 blocked shots per contest.

Deron Williams may not be the only point guard on the move in New York. Per reports, the New York Knicks plan on trading star point guard Raymond Felton during the offseason. In fact, he was told as much during his exit interview with the team.

New team president Phil Jackson made Felton’s availability known per SNY.tv, although New York’s interest in moving on from Felton has been fairly transparent throughout the 2013-14 NBA season. In fact, there was chatter about Felton being involved in a deal that could have landed Toronto Raptors star point guard Kyle Lowry. That deal has since been destroyed, as the Raptors have likely decided to simply sign Lowry to a long-term contract.

Felton, on the other hand, now knows what everyone else expected: that his time with the Knicks has run out. Felton struggled mightily last season, scoring just 9.7 points per game, while putting up a ho-hum 5.6:2.0 assist to turnover ratio. Add in multiple felony charges related to weapons possession stemming from last summer, and the writing was more than on the wall for Felton.

The good news is that Felton would probably welcome a change of scenery at this point, while there should be several suitors for his services. There is the obvious chance that the soon to be 30-year old could recommit to his conditioning and experience a bounce back 2014-15 season, while he’d only be on his new team’s books for two more seasons. In fact, he’d even have a player option for the 2015-16 season, in which he could opt out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent.

While the former deal has been trashed, the Raptors could re-open trade talks if they struggle to lock up Lowry, while numerous other teams in need of point guard help could show interest in a potential deal. With Deron Williams on the trading block, the Brooklyn Nets couldn’t be completely ruled out as a potential trade partners, either.

Just one day after the Brooklyn Nets lost their second round playoff series to the Miami Heat, things are about to blow up. There was already speculation that numerous free agents such as Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston could depart, while the aging and increasingly ineffective Kevin Garnett could also retire.

But trade star point guard Deron Williams? Few really thought that was in the cards.

According to reports, the trade rumors are very true, as the Nets aim to “retool” their roster with the intent on building around shooting guard Joe Johnson and center Brook Lopez. Johnson showed up big in sports during the playoffs, while a healthy Lopez, who missed most of the 2013-14 season with a foot injury, could help the Nets ascend in the Eastern Conference.

The Nets apparently don’t view “D-Will” as part of that rise, as his inability to stay healthy or play at an elite level consistently has turned the Nets’ front office off to his long-term appeal. Add in the solid play of backup point guard Shaun Livingston, and the Nets may feel they can produce at the same level without Williams as they could by re-signing Livingston on the cheap.

Trading Williams could be a notion that is easier said than done, however. Not only is Williams owed an astronomical $63 million on his ridiculous contract, but he also is a huge injury risk. Not only does he have chronic ankle issues, but he also admitted he may even need further surgery on them in the offseason.

While it’s going to be insanely difficult to find a suitor to trade for Williams, there are actually several teams that could hypothetically be interested in bringing him on. After all, if Williams is healthy and can regain his form of only a couple of seasons ago, he could potentially help a playoff contender take things to the next level.

Potentially interested teams could include the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and others.

The hits just keep on coming for Aaron Hernandez, don’t they? Already in jail awaiting trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd in an industrial park last summer, the former New England Patriots star tight end has now been formally indicted for killing two men in May of 2012.

Hernandez’s motive for killing Lloyd initially was believed to have something to do with covering up this double homicide. The fact that Hernandez is now being charged with the murders furthers the theory that he set to and in fact did kill Lloyd because he knew something and was afraid he would “talk”.

The two men Hernandez is believed to have gunned down in May of 2012 are Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado. Per the Boston Globe, the two were stopped at traffic light when Hernandez shot them.

Per reports, Hernandez met the two victims on a chance encounter at a Boston nightclub and later followed them in his car. Hernandez then allegedly pulled up next to the men in his car and fired multiple shots, killing Abreu and Furtado, while injuring a third unidentified man.

Police were able to recover the murder weapon and the vehicle Hernandez had been driving.

The same cannot be said for the murder weapon used in the killing of Odin Lloyd, while the two cases have yet to be officially linked together, as well.

The investigation into the deaths of Abreu and Furtado had previously be put on hold with no real leads, until Hernandez popped up as a suspect for the murder of Lloyd. The irony is that it unfortunately took the death of Lloyd, who may or may not have known about Hernandez’s involvement with the double murder, to reveal Hernandez as a suspect in the first place.

Fresh off of a new $40 million deal signed with the Patriots in 2012, Hernandez is now facing three murder charges.

Two second round series down, two to go. Round two of the 2014 NBA Playoffs continues on Thursday night, and in that same breath it could very well conclude, as well. Not if the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards have anything to say about it, that is.

Both teams have found themselves down 3-2 in their respective series, but will need to win tonight to force a game seven. It might be especially difficult for L.A., considering they’re fresh off of an epic collapse and a game that may have been marred in controversy.

Still, both teams have a shot at extending their series and they’ll take the court tonight in an effort to do just that. Let’s break down both games and see if either can get it done:

Indiana Pacers (1) @ Washington Wizards (5) – 7:00 PM ET

Indiana has to be the toughest team to figure out in this year’s playoffs. They’re the East’s top seed, yet for at least half of the playoffs they’ve played like a six seed, at best. They got dominated in game one against the Wiz, barely won game two, and then dominated the next two. Then come game five, and they get absolutely worked.

Despite their lack of a true identity at times, it’s still going to be quite the haul for the Wiz to win back to back games. They have a chance with this one at home, but the Pacers should look to follow suit so they can start preparing for the Miami Heat in the next round.

Pick: Pacers 89, Wizards 84

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3) – 10:30 PM ET

The Clippers should have won game five. They should be up 3-2 right now, going home to close out an impressive series win against the Thunder. Instead, they folded down the stretch in their last game (albeit with a ton of help from the refs).

It’s not likely they’ll get over such a crushing loss in time to beat the Thunder. Look for OKC to close this thing out and get ready for the top-seeded Spurs in the next round.

Pick: Thunder 109, Clippers 105

The Detroit Pistons are hopefully heading in a positive direction. According to reports, the team has reached an agreement with Stan Van Gundy to take over as head coach.

Van Gundy signed a five-year deal worth roughly $35 million to be the team’s latest head coach, while he is also expected to be named the team president and oversee all basketball operations for the team.

Van Gundy enters Detroit with good experience and a history for helping his teams execute at a high level on the offensive end of the floor. He’ll certainly have his work cut out for him heading into the 2014-15 NBA season, however, as he has to deal with headcases Brandon Jennings and Josh “Smoove” Smith.

While Van Gundy has been out of basketball for the past two seasons, he was highly successful in a two-year stint with the Miami Heat, as well as a five-year run with the Orlando Magic. Van Gundy helped guide the Magic to an NBA Finals loss in 2008, and coached the Magic to five straight playoff appearances in his five years with the team.

Van Gundy eventually had a falling out with star center Dwight Howard, who many speculated was the reason behind Van Gundy’s departure. In fact, Van Gundy even admitted to the media that someone from “management” had leaked the information. Van Gundy was subsequently let go, which caused a domino effect that ended with Dwight Howard being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and GM Otis Smith also being replaced in the front office.

While it will be an uphill battle to shape the Pistons back into serious contenders, Van Gundy is arguably one of the best coaches they could have landed. Van Gundy also has loads of talent to work with, as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond can be beasts down low and point guard Brandon Jennings can dominate in spurts, as well.