The Donald Sterling Situation

I'm sure you are well aware of the TMZ report that came out late last week that purportedly had Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making some very disturbing, and racist remarks.

Here is one of Sterling's notorious quotes from the conversation, "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people... Do you have to?"

TMZ first broke the story late last week about an audio recording they obtained that has what is believed to be Donald Sterling having a conversation with his former girlfriend V. Stiviano. 

The conversation was regarding Stiviano posting a picture to her Instagram account with NBA legend Magic Johnson. Sterling was upset that Stiviano would publicize her friendship with Magic Johnson on Instagram because he was a black man. 

I am not sure if Sterling is aware of most of his employees but a majority of them happen to have the same skin color as the man he abolished his girlfriend from taking pictures with.

DeadSpin.com was able to get a hold of an extended version of the conversation, almost 15 minutes long. In the extended version, what is believed to be Sterling, is making comments about how he "supports" these players.

Here is an excerpt from the recording, "I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Do I know that I have—Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners, that created the league? 

The two went back and forth in the audio with Sterling digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole with every word that come from his mouth.

Shelly Sterling, Donald's estranged wife that he had been separated from for years, has stood up against Donald Sterling. She said, "Our family is devastated by the racist comments made by my estranged husband.  My children and I do not share these despicable views or prejudices."

This isn't the first time Donald Sterling has come under fire for racist remarks.

In 2009 an article in ESPN: The Magazine had a former property supervisor saying that Donald Sterling would not rent to Blacks, Latinos and people with children.

Here is a quick excerpt from that article:

When Sterling first bought the Ardmore, he remarked on its odor to Davenport. "That's because of all the blacks in this building, they smell, they're not clean," he said, according to Davenport's testimony. "And it's because of all of the Mexicans that just sit around and smoke and drink all day." He added: "So we have to get them out of here." Shortly after, construction work caused a serious leak at the complex. When Davenport surveyed the damage, she found an elderly woman, Kandynce Jones, wading through several inches of water in Apartment 121. Jones was paralyzed on the right side and legally blind. She took medication for high blood pressure and to thin a clot in her leg. Still, she was remarkably cheerful, showing Davenport pictures of her children, even as some of her belongings floated around her.

Elgin Baylor, a former Clippers general manager and NBA legend, has had some problems with Sterling as well. In 2009 a wrongful-termination lawsuit was filed by Baylor who said that Sterling had a "plantation mentality." The reason why Baylor was filing the lawsuit was regarding an instance where Sterling said, "Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players." Baylor said he was shocked at what he was hearing when Sterling replied, "Do you think that's a racist statement?" and that's when Baylor told him, "Absolutely. That's plantation mentality."

The news has been referenced by everybody in the NBA universe, from the Los Angeles Clippers and their coach Doc Rivers, to the greatest player of all time and owner of the Charlotte Bobcats Michael Jordan. Even our commander and chief Barack Obama has responded to this issue when he was asked during a trip to Malaysia over the weekend.

As of right now the options on the table that I am hearing are he can sell the team to someone, say Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim Partners. 

Another option would be to suspend the owner. The repercussions that would come from that could be tremendous seeing as how the entire nation believes this man to be an abomination to everything in the NBA and what it stands for.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who hasn't even been on the job for six months, has to make a decision that will impact his entire career as the commissioner.

Now we must wait on Silver's decision which should come by Tuesday. The decision is an easy one and has been echoed throughout the NBA. That message is that Donald Sterling has no business in the NBA and should be forced out immediately.

Only Adam Silver knows exactly what will come next in this process I just hope he understands that allowing a man like Donald Sterling to continue his business in the NBA is a very, very bad look.


*UPDATE:
Adam Silver has made his decision and the punishment for Donald 
Sterling is a lifetime ban from the Clippers Organization, a $2.5 million fine that is the highest allowed in the NBA constitution, and Silver will be urging every owner in the NBA to force Sterling to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

It shouldn't be hard to convince the rest of the owners in the NBA since most of them have already came out condemning Sterling's remarks.

How do you feel about his penalties? Do they fit? I would love to hear your take on this whole situation so drop a comment!

LaMarcus Aldridge Is Blazing To Super Stardom

If you have paid any attention to the Portland Trailblazers and Houston Rocket playoff series than there is one thing that is certain, LaMarcus Aldridge is a beast!

We are witnessing the seven year veteran make a transition from an All Star to a Super Star in front of our very eyes and what better way to make your impression across the nation than on the NBA Playoff's national stage.

After scoring a career-high 46 points in the first game of this series LaMarcus Aldridge went on to score 43 points in game two. Aldridge is now only the third active player to score 40+ points in two consecutive playoff games (Kobe Bryant 2001, LeBron James 2009).

Another interesting fact about Aldridge's play in this series is how he is now the first player with 80+ points and 15+ rebounds in their team's first two playoff games since Michael Jordan did it in the 1997 playoffs. He is also only the third player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in games 1 and 2 on the road (Joining Michael Jordan and Tracy McGrady).

In this series Aldridge is currently averaging 44.5 points and 13 rebounds. He is accruing these numbers with a steady dose of work inside the paint and his deadly mid-range game (Shooting just over 65% in the paint and just over 50% from mid-range).

This guy is just unbelievable right now and I really don't think the Houston Rockets can slow him down. They can put former defensive player of the year Dwight Howard on him but even then he finds a way to outwork the big man. The Rockets have tried to double team Aldridge but then he is able to find a mismatch on the floor and exposes their defense.

The Rockets have no answer for this blazing super star but will have another chance to try and slow him down tonight in Game 3 at the Moda Center at 7:30pm PT on ESPN.

Are The Washington Wizards For Real?

Gary Dineen/Getty Images

In what may be the biggest show out of the NBA Playoffs, the Washington Wizards are proving to the nation that they deserve to be in the playoffs.

So are the Washington Wizards for real or are the Chicago Bulls really that bad?


The Wizards came into the playoffs as the 5th seed out of a weak Eastern Conference. Their 44-38 record wouldn't have even got them into the playoffs if they were in the Western Conference (Eighth seed in the West, Dallas Mavericks, got into the playoffs with a 49-33 record).

 
Now they have a two game lead over the Chicago Bulls and can close out the series with two more wins. The Wizards two wins over Chicago both came at the United Center in Chicago. The next two games will be played at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The Wizards have a good chance of closing out this series in the next two games based on the fact that their record at home was the same as on the road this season, 22-19.


In the first game it was a front court domination game where Marcin Gortat and Nene controlled the paint on both sides of the court. John Wall and Bradley Beal played decent games in their first playoff appearances. However, compared to their usual numbers they actually had a sub-par performance when the Wizards shocked the state of Illinois with a 9-point win over the Bulls in game one of the series.

 
The second game is when Bradley Beal stole the show. Beal put up a game-high 26 points, just one over the Bulls leading scorer DJ Augustin who had 25 points on the night. Wall also played a better game than the first and finished with 16 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. 


Don't go counting the Bulls out just yet. There is still a lot of basketball to be played and this is a veteran led team with a lot of playoff experience. They have former coach of the year Tom Thibodeau, who has been able to continually coach his team into the playoffs even though they have been without their star player, Derrick Rose, for just about two seasons now; They also lost their second best scorer when they traded Luol Deng earlier in the season to the Cavaliers. Coach Thibodeau does it every year using a defense first approach, led by defensive player of the year Joakim Noah.


The Washington Wizards have surprised most of the nation so far and will have a chance to prove that they have what it takes to win in this series this Friday, April 25th 5:00pm PT on ESPN for what should be an excellent game 3.

Seahawks Add Terrelle Pryor, Bolster QB Depth

(Otto Greule, Jr./Getty Images)

The Seattle Seahawks have acquired third year quarterback Terrelle Pryor from the Oakland Raiders for a seventh round draft pick in this year's draft, but the question is why?

The Raiders have been trying to unload Pryor this offseason since they gave the starting job to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin. Not too long following that decision the Raiders traded away a sixth round pick for a veteran in Matt Schaub. Schaub should be looking to redeem himself from the mockery of a season he had last year with the Houston Texans.

Pryor asked to be traded from the Raiders once he lost his starting job. The Raider's agreed that the two should separate and granted Pryor his request a day before offseason workouts began.

The Seattle Seahawks outlook, at least from general manager John Schneider's perspective, is great especially from a competing stand point. Adding Pryor to the defending Super Bowl champion’s roster further adds to the depth of a team that is stacked in just about every position, except the offensive line but that's a story for another time.

The talks of getting Pryor to play a different position was quieted after Schneider said, "We haven't had discussions about switching positions". 

When Schneider referred to adding Pryor to the depth chart he had said that he was an "Explosive athlete", which caused the talk about whether they would want to utilize his athletic abilities at a different position.

The Seahawks just re-signed backup quarterback Tavaris Jackson to another 1-year deal and starting quarterback Russell Wilson is still waiting on an extension. This trade now makes Wilson the third highest paid quarterback on the Seahawks; Tavaris Jackson is set to make $1.25 million, Terrelle Pryor is set to make $705 thousand, and Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson will be making $662 thousand next season.

(The Seahawks also have 2nd year quarterback B.J Daniels who they claimed off waivers from the 49ers last season who may be an x-factor in the backup quarterback competition) 

Now we have to wait and see how Coach Pete Carroll plans on fitting Pryor into the offensive scheme. It should make for an interesting offseason with Terrelle Pryor and Tavaris Jackson playing it out for the back up role to Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson. 

NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference 1st Round Look-In

Alright so now that all the seedings are official it is time to take a look into each match-up we have in the Eastern Conference.

Here is a look at the match-ups of the first round (ESPN's NBA playoff bracket here):

 

 

#8 Atlanta Hawks vs #1 Indiana Pacers:

Credit: Philly.com

The Hawks squeaked into the playoffs after beating out the New York Knicks for the final eighth seed out of the East. The Pacers have had their troubles these last couple months, especially Roy Hibbert who has amassed only 9 points and 12 rebounds in his last 4 games! The Atlanta Hawks best player, Al Horford, hasn't played since December 26th and he is not expected to return during their series with the Pacers. The Pacers should be able to run past the Hawks and make it to the second round. However I can see the Hawks pulling off an upset if Hibbert continues his downward spiral towards oblivion.
Prediction:
Indiana Pacers in 6 games

#7 Charlotte Bobcats vs #2 Miami Heat:

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Maybe the most hyped story of this series will be "LeBron & the Heat vs MJ's Bobcats". Lebron James will get a chance to take on a team owned by the greatest player of all time. Knowing LeBron's attitude I think it’s safe to say he will be showing his 'A' game, especially if Michael attends any of the games. This will be Michael Jordan's first playoff appearance since being the owner of the Bobcats, and the franchise's first appearance since Larry Brown coached them to their only playoff appearance in 2009-10. The Heat will run away with this series but the Bobcats should be able to sneak out one win against the champs.
Prediction:
Miami Heat in 5 games

#6 Brooklyn Nets vs #3 Toronto Raptors:

Getty Images

The Raptors are making their first playoff appearance since the end of the 2008 season. The have a young squad ready to make a statement to the NBA. Kyle Lowry has helped lead this team to the playoffs and is showing why he should have been voted an All Star this year. The Brooklyn Nets are talented, experienced, and have a coach that was just playing in the league last year. Kevin Garnett is finally getting back into the swing of things and with Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce around, the final shot will be a tough defensive match-up for the Raptors. The true match-up to watch will be Lowry against Brooklyn's Deron Williams. I expect this series to be close every game.
Prediction:
Brooklyn Nets in 7 games

#5 Washington Wizards vs #4 Chicago Bulls:

Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls have been able to stay around the top of the Eastern Conference even though they have been without their best player for almost 2 full seasons now. The Washington Wizards have made a return to the playoffs after a 6 year hiatus thanks to great team play and elite play from their star point guard John Wall. The Bulls have one of the best defenses in the league, led by Joakim Noah, who should win a landslide Defensive Player of the Year award. The Wizards will have the advantage on offense but Chicago's defense will figure a way to limit Wall and will be the difference maker.
Prediction:
Chicago Bulls in 6 games

What do you think will be the outcome?

49ers Leading Another Unlawful Offseason For The NFL

We haven't even made it to the NFL Draft and already the 49ers are leading the way in this year's annual NFL offseason "Law Breakers" competition.

I mean that sarcastically, but I wouldn't bet against it not being a competition with the way NFL players are racking up police records every offseason.

We are now accustomed to seeing an NFL player making bad choices and being plastered all over SportsCenter. This year seems to be no different than recent year's past and the San Francisco 49ers are looking to lead the way in this year's offseason class.

New England Patriots former tight end Aaron Hernandez ran away with the biggest arrest of the offseason last year when he was arrested in connection to the death of Odin Lloyd. Well Aaron I know you probably won't be able to read this where you're at, but no need to worry about your trial stealing headlines this summer. 

This year, the 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has decided to move ahead of the pack when he was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport over the weekend. Smith was arrested for indicating he had a bomb when TSA had randomly selected him for secondary screening. He posted $20,000 bail and was released shortly after.

He hasn't been the only 49er to make it into police records this offseason. Just last week 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was linked to a police report out of Miami that included Quinton Patton and former 49er and current Seattle Seahawk Ricardo Lockette.

Even ESPN has their methods of persuading someone to believe a player may be guilty with the way the represented Colin when they referred to the incident. ESPN usually uses a player’s team photo when they are talking about them but with the Kaepernick news, the producers at ESPN used a photo of him wearing his hat backwards and to the side with headphones, mildly hinting a "Thug" look. Now one might not first think anything of the photo but they are showing him in a bad light when so many people already are quick to judge the QB based off of his tattoos and the way he dresses.

The truth surrounding this incident is slowly making its way through the media and it seems like no convictions will be made to any NFL player.

Oh but that's not all for the 49ers. I know by now you have to be thinking theirs no way that the 49ers let another one of their players have a run-in with the law. Well it happened. 49ers Cornerback Chris Culliver just pleaded not guilty to a hit-and-run incident and felony possession of brass knuckles for an incident that occurred late last month.

The drama is far from over in San Francisco, with a lot of information still unknown at this point. I wouldn't suggest you rush to an opinion on any of these matters until they have been convicted but this has to same something about the 49ers organization and their handle on things.

A majority of the players who end up having a run-in with the law during the offseason usually tend to have had some talk about their behavioral issues before they were drafted including Aaron Hernandez and Aldon Smith.

What should matter to the 49ers management most is why they are having so many behavioral issues with their players? I know people get caught up in situations where they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but you also have to take accountability for yourself with these situations.

The 49ers have acknowledged each players incident but will not speak further until each issue is resolved.

Is this what we should expect from the NFL and its players? There are a lot of kids who grow up watching football and this is the message that the NFL is sending to them. Aldon Smith can miss five games because he was in rehab at the beginning of last season and within 6 weeks of being back is pulled over and found with assault rifles and marijuana, and maybe the most mind boggling part is that his coach, John Harbaugh, let him suit up for the next game that was about three days after his arrest.

After Harbaugh's speech regarding the Seahawks and their off-the-field problems from last season when he said, "We want to be above reproach in everything and do everything by the rules. Because if you don’t, if you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost, according to Bo Schembechler (His former coach at Michigan). And Bo Schembechler is about next to the word of God as you can get in my mind. It’s not the word of God, but its close.”

Now it looks like Harbaugh needs to point all that attention he was giving the Seahawks last offseason to his team this year around.

The NFL's bad boy reputation is exceeding itself once again this offseason and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. For a record of arrests check out this link I found, it’s missing the most recent but the size of it alone is incredible.

Is this picture what we should expect NFL players to look like?

Is this picture what we should expect NFL players to look like?

Chances Of A Miami Heat Three-Peat

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Miami Heat are hoping to make their way back to the NBA Finals for a chance at accomplishing something that has only happened three times in history, Three-Peat.

The Miami Heat are looking to join two teams to make the NBA Finals four consecutive year's, the 1982-85 Los Angeles Lakers and the 1984-87 Boston Celtics. However, neither of those teams won three straight championships.

Their has been only three times in NBA history that a team was able to pull of a three-peat; The 1991-93 Chicago Bulls, the 1996-98 Chicago Bulls, and the most recent the 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers.

Their is a reason that only a few  teams have been able to pull off either of these feats and its simple, it's an extremely difficult task to pull off. Each one of the above mentioned teams were full of the NBA's greatest players; Depending on whom you ask these teams were full of top 5-10 NBA players of all time.

The Heat look like they will enter the playoffs as the #2 seed out of the Eastern Conference. They are a game behind the leading Indiana Pacers and have two games left in the regular season,  against the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers; the leading Pacers have one game left against the Orlando Magic.

The Heat were able to make it all the way to the NBA Finals the last two times they entered the playoffs as the #2 seed; 2011 NBA Finals loss to Dallas, 2012 NBA Finals win over Oklahoma City.

This year's Miami Heat squad looks a little different than their last three playoff runs with LeBron James averaging the most turnovers and his lowest rebound and free throw % since his first season in Miami. When you watch James through the end of the season you can see how much this season has drained him.

The second in command, Dwayne Wade, is also having an off year. Wade has only played in 52 games this season, which is his lowest since the 07-08 season; Wade played in 49 games in 2011-12 but that was a lockout year. 

Wade is averaging the near lowest of his career this season in minutes, rebounds, steals, and maybe most obviously his points.  In order for Miami to have a chance at a three-peat they will need more production from their number two guy. If his injuries persist then the Heat will be in a world of trouble come playoff time.

Next on the totem pole is Chris Bosh who has had to step up during Wade's injury plagued season. Unfortunately for the Heat, Bosh has also had his woes this season. Bosh is averaging his lowest PPG since his rookie season and his lowest RPG of his entire career. That's not a good look for a team that already had their troubles down low.

In the 48 games the Heat have played since January 1st, they have had their Big Three in only 26 of them. The most troubling part of this stat is their record in those 26 games, 14-12.

This will be the hardest test for the Miami Heat since the LeBron era began. Just to get back to the NBA Finals will be a test, not to mention the chemistry problems they have showed this season.

As for now the Eastern Conference will be going through Indianapolis, a place that Miami has not won in the regular season since February 2012. The Heat have been able to pull out some wins at Bankers Life Fieldhouse during the playoffs. Over the last two years the Heat have won twice in the 2012 playoffs and one in last year's playoffs in Indy.

The real question for the Heat will be whether Wade plays or not.  

If Wade has to miss significant time during the playoffs the Heat could be in for a humbling experience this year, and miss their shot at the legendary Three-Peat.

What's In A Name?

(ClevelandFrowns.com)

I am about to approach one of the biggest issues in America and I hope you guys can take what I am about to say seriously. Whether you agree or disagree does not matter, what matters is that you hear it and open your mind to it.

The Cleveland Indians home opener came over the weekend. The picture above was taken before the game started. The old saying that a picture says a thousand words, well one thousand words is the minimum when you look at this one.

The man in the picture is Robert Roche, a Chiricahua Apache tribe member and Executive Director of the American Indian Education Center in Parma, OH. The man on the left is Pedro Rodriguez, a Cleveland Indians fan who is dressed as a "Cleveland Indian". Rodriguez is one of the fans who believe that the wacky way he dresses is all in good fun, but when you see the picture above are those the same feelings you endure?

So what is exactly in a name? Well if that name is depicting someone in a way that they would not want to be seen then what's in a name is simple, Pain.

The look on Roche's face says enough about how he feels regarding this fan disrespecting his ancestry "In good fun". From the red paint on his face to the cheaply made Native American head dress this looks like a mockery if I have ever seen one. I also have a lot of Native Americans in my family so this picture really hits home for me and is something I have deep feelings about.

Roche is a regular protester at Cleveland Indians home openers and here is what he had to say about it, "The issue is simple... We are not mascots. I'm nobody's mascot. My children are not mascots. It mocks us as a race of people. It mocks our religion."

As far as I am concerned, being a Mexican American, if this man was to dress up depicting any of my cultures in this way, I would be deeply offended as well. Now I understand wanting to go crazy for your team but the feeling alone that it brings to the individual that it is "Honoring" is sickening.

With all of the advocacy groups around the US it is hard to tell what group to believe in and what groups are just people complaining. Well, the groups hoping to change the names of franchises such as the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and one the most disrespectful of them all, the Washington Redskins are ones that you can believe in. The Washington Redskins should have been forced to change their name ages ago but for some reason they continue to persuade the decision makers around them that calling a team "REDSKINS" is acceptable. This topic has been debated for years but it seems to really be picking up steam nowadays with regular protests at away games for many of these franchises. 

We have already seen some changes to Universities that at one point in time used a Native American mascot and have since changed. 

Marquette University may be the most widely known when they changed their mascot from the Warriors to the Golden Eagles in 1994 and the president of the University, Rev. Albert J DiUlio, stated "We live in a different era than when the Warriors nickname was selected in 1954. The perspective of time has shown us that our actions, intended or not, can offend others. We must not knowingly act in a way that others will believe, based on their experience, to be an attack on their dignity as fellow human beings."

Eastern Washington University who may have had the most obscene mascot, known as the Savages, made an early jump to make things for the better when they changed their mascot to the Eagles in 1973. The student body voted to make the name change because they deemed the old moniker, Savages, as no longer acceptable. Now how can a student body, which is full of 18 to 21 year old's, make the stance to change their schools name in the early 70's, while grown adults in ownership positions in the year 2014 be so set in their ways.

Now, I understand the comeback from the other side saying these names are honoring the Native Americans but I tell you what, you approach a random Native American and yell "Go Redskins" to him and see what his response is. My bet is that he doesn't take it too kindly. Now why is it that if you could not call a Native American a Redskin but a team a is supposedly honoring them with the name Redskin. It's absurd!

If America is all about changing for the better, for the future, why is it that when it comes to these kinds of ordeals we do nothing? We can vote for equal rights to all, to allow people of the same sex to get married, and legalize Marijuana but when it comes to having a backbone to racial issues we are in the same boat we were in 12 years ago when this cartoon was posted that looks eerily familiar to the picture above.

(By Lalo Alcaraz/Pocho.com)

We need to stand up America, and understand that times have changed and things of this nature are NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE!

Feel free to leave me comments with your thoughts on this topic, I would love to discuss this further.

Did the Indiana Pacers Hit Their Peak Too Soon?

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers best basketball looks to be behind them at this point of the season.

After spending the majority of the year sitting atop the eastern conference the Pacers have dropped eight of their last 11 games as well as losing 10 of 18 in March. 

Their record is still good enough for second in a weak eastern conference with their closest threat for the 2 seed being Toronto, who is 7 1/2 games back. The Pacers still have a chance for the 1 seed but with the way they have looked lately, the chances look slim. 

So did the Indiana Pacers hit their peak too early in the season?

The Pacers still have the best home-record in the NBA, but the days when they had the best record in the NBA are gone, now ranked 5th in the NBA after a disgusting losing streak over the past month and a half.

March couldn't have went by faster for the Pacers leading man Paul George. George averaged his lowest ppg of the season with 18.7. That shouldn't surprise you if you saw his shooting for the month as he was also getting his lowest FG% (.372) and 3P% (.297).

Center, Roy Hibbert, has been a shadow of his early season self and his rebound total can attest to it; grabbing only 12 rebounds in his last four games. 

Now the team is resorting to benching Hibbert for most of the game, only allowing him to play 9 minutes in their last outing against the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers hit a new low in that game, recording a franchise-worst 23 points in the first half. Coach Frank Vogel said the benching of his star center was because Hibbert looked "Worn down". 

Their goal for the season was to come into the playoffs as the 1 seed and get home field advantage throughout the eastern conference. They still have four games remaining to try and grab the top spot and will need all the help they can get to sneak into the 1 seed in the East.

Two of those games will be a tough outing for the Pacers. They'll be facing the defending champion Miami Heat, in Miami on Friday night. Getting a night off and then coming back home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder who are being led by Kevin Durant, who is having one of the most impressive MVP runs in recent memory.

The Pacers look to be the only true threat to stopping the Heat from making a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals. They have won four of the last six regular season games with all of those wins coming at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

It's not too late for Indiana to get back on track and set themselves up for a great playoff run. The Miami Heat are not having their best season and if the Pacers can steal the win in Miami on Friday and hold down the fort when the Thunder come to town on Sunday, they can still grab the top seed in the East.

Rik Rok's Final Four Talk

We are about to witness one of the greatest Final Fours of all time.

The Final Four is set with only #1 seed standing, Florida, one #2 seed, Wisconsin, a #7 seed, UConn, and an #8 seed Kentucky. They have won a combined 14 national championships between them with Kentucky leading the way with 8 (UConn - 3, Florida - 2, Wisconsin - 1).

Final Four: #8 Kentucky Wildcats vs. #2 Wisconsin Badgers 

Saturday April 5th, 5:49pm PT on TBS

The Kentucky Wildcats have proven the most this tournament. After their up and down season where they started the year as the pre-season #1 and went through a rough season where they floated around the mid-teen range, eventually falling out of the top 25 by seasons end. Now they are outworking every team they have faced in the tournament. Coach Calipari is leading his third Kentucky team to the Final Four in the last 4 years. He's coached 4 teams to the Final Four in the last 7 including his Memphis team led by future NBA MVP Derrick Rose; Calipari also coached the University of Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996.

The Wisconsin Badgers are making their third Final Four appearance in school history; Wisconsin is 1-1 in winning the national championship when they make the Final Four, winning it all in 1941 and losing in the Final Four to Michigan State in 2000. The Badgers season was filled with a lot of hope after starting 16-0, then went to being questioned on their capabilities after losing 5 of 6 following their undefeated run. Since then they are 13-2 with their two losses both coming at the beginning of March. They are battle tested after winning the OT thriller over Arizona last weekend and the experience should help when they face the freshmen of Kentucky. Coach Bo Ryan has his Badgers playing like a well oiled machine, as he has all season and they should come ready to play this Saturday.

So who’s your pick to win?

Final Four: #7 Connecticut Huskies vs. #1 Florida Gators 

Saturday April 5th, 3:09pm PT on TBS

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The UConn Huskies have been tearing through the 2014 NCAA tournament. Senior guard Shabazz Napier has played his heart out so far, and like I said previously he is doing his best Kemba Walker impression and it will not be complete until he gets back to the championship game; Napier is averaging just over 23 ppg, 6 rpg, and 4.5 apg. Second year Coach Kevin Ollie is the man behind the scenes who helped direct UConn to their third Final Four appearance since 2009. The Huskies are only one year removed from their NCAA sanctions that kept them out of the tournament last year, and with the play of this team and their coach you could never tell. 

The Florida Gators are the only #1 seed left standing after Arizona lost to Wisconsin in the Elite 8. They are the favorite to win it all and have been since the tournament started when they were given the #1 overall seed. The Gators are making their first Final Four appearance since winning back-to-back titles after the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Senior guard Scottie Wilbekin has been the anchor for this senior-laded team and is averaging 16 ppg through the tournament. The Gators have been on a roll all season long and have not lost since the 2nd of December! If you follow the Gators you would know that their last loss came at the hands of their Final Four opponent, the UConn Huskies; For that matter the Gators only two losses this season came from 2 of the other 3 Final Four teams.

So who’s your pick to win?

The Final Four is only a couple days away so I hope to spark some conversations on who you have and why you choose them so leave a comment or we can talk on a 140 letter basis @therealrikrok89.

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