Running Out of Gas?


I have been a Lakers fan all my life. I remember a few years ago, after the Lakers got Karl Malone and Gary Payton to join Kobe Bryant and Shaq, it seemed a title was destined. The Lakers got to the NBA Finals, but they didn't win. The team had been to the finals for the fourth time in five years. In between that time, Bryant had played in the Olympics. The team simply ran out of gas. It was too many games in too many seasons.

When the Miami Heat got to the NBA Finals last week, in a re-match with the Spurs that they beat last season, it seemed they might be poised to win a third straight title. Now, down 3-1 heading into tonight's Game Five in San Antonio, it's a different story.

Why? There are a lot of possibilities, not the least of which is the talent on the Spurs roster, but a big explanation might be they're out of gas. This is the fourth straight year the team has been in the NBA Finals, and they also had some time in the Olympics in 2012. That's a lot of games, a lot of abuse, and a lot of mileage for these players.

In addition, during many playoff series these past four seasons the Heat have had to play seven games to win. That combined with grueling regular season schedules, and it's no wonder their ability is starting to wane.

LeBron James said history is meant to be re-written, hoping to come back from a 3-1 deficit. It's possible, but doesn't seem likely based on the series to this point.

James might be the best player in the NBA, but even the best gets tired. Will the Heat be able to bounce back? I don't think so, but we'll see if they have what it takes to rise above and grind out another seven game series win beginning with a game five victory in San Antonio tonight.

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