How about a little passion!

In the Eastern Conference, the only comparison between the Boston and Chicago series versus the Miami and Atlanta series is both involve a Game 7. While the B’s and C’s played epic hoops, the Heat and the Hawks traded being chumps from game to game. The closest game has been 10 points and the two teams managed to score a grand total of 152 in that colossal affair, giving me flashbacks to San Antonio Spurs title chases. If talk is cheap, these two teams shop at the Dollar Store, because these two immature teams have seldom backed up words with actions.

The Commish, David Stern should require all teams to play hard in ALL playoff games. If you googled the term – going thru the motions- team photos of Miami and Atlanta would be at the top of the page.

Atlanta may be 15-5 ATS revenging a loss where team scored less than 85 points, but without Al Horford, does this soul-less have a chance to even win outright? These days, when Mike Bibby is carrying your team, your chances of emerging victorious are about as good as Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. While trying to connect the last two adjectives from the prior sentence, Josh Smith comes to mind. Smith was needed to come up big in Game 6 with Horford out and he clanked 10 of 13 attempts, realizing a grand total of seven points.

While the one youngster from California wants to skip his last year of high school basketball and play overseas to prepare him for the NBA, even five years of seasoning hasn’t raised the level of Smith’s play in terms of defense and childish play.

When you consider Atlanta was in position to closeout Miami with a win to end the series, the word narcissism comes to mind.

It’s not like the Hawks have cornered the market on lacking maturity, Jamaal Magloire is a veteran player and when his Miami teammates are playing well, his natural orneriness has a function otherwise he too comes off a punk-ish.

Call me a cynic (I’m frequently called worse), but whatever treatment Dwayne Wade got for his “ailing” back between games five and six, I want some. Maybe the Atlanta announcers don’t have much use for Wade, but no denying this guy when challenged to rise to the occasion, he is magnificent.

Besides D-Wade, coach Erik Spoelstra will need the same players who stepped up in Game 6, to do so again. Michael Beasley is still young and foolish, but if he can channel inner basketball player again, he gives the Heat a shot being 26-12 ATS after having lost two of their last three games this season. James Jones and Mario Chalmers have to be on same page with Wade, if so, this actually could be compelling series finale.

The fine fellows over at Betjamaica.com have Atlanta favored by 5.5 with total slipping to 181. I suppose the way these two teams have played the number is about right. Based on past performance of the last six games, the number should either be the Hawks by 10 or a pick for these goofy clubs.

If you want my opinion (I know you didn’t ask), I’d flip a coin for the side and bet the Under. Don’t see either team being clutch enough throughout the contest to keep the score close to total.

This Game 7 starts at 1 Eastern on ABC, with the winner earning an all-expense paid trip to Cleveland.

Article by Red Wydley.