2014 Playoffs - Winners and Losers

[Grinder]

Hawks-Pacers
Winner - Mike Scott - While Paul Millsap is the most important player for the Hawks, Scott was the driving force behind Atlanta opening up an ultimately insurmountable 30 point lead. Scott is a great guy to have off the bench to come in and score in bunches and is exactly the kind of player that can swing 1 or 2 playoff games in your favor. That kind of offensive spark off the bench is invaluable to any playoff team and manifested itself in this game when Scott buried 3 after 3 and put an another dent into an already bruised Pacers team.

Loser - Roy Hibbert - I don't think much needs to be said here.
0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls.

Spurs-Mavericks
Winner - Boris Diaw - I've often criticized Diaw for being too tentative to pull the trigger when he gets good looks and some of the shots he knocked down last night are a big reason why. Boris has always been a player with a feel for the game that few guys his size have but when he looks for his own shot on top of his passing, defense, and rebounding, the Spurs become that much more daunting of an opponent. His late 3 pointer looks to have saved San Antonio from another excruciating playoff disappointment.

Loser - DeJuan Blair - This might seem like an odd selection since Blair played very well when he was on the floor and was one of the driving forces behind the Mavs' comeback but hear me out. The Mavs had all the momentum on their side up until Blair was ejected. His brainless decision to kick Splitter in the head gifted the Spurs three free points at a crucial juncture of the game and really injected life back into the Spurs just when it looked like they were starting to fade. You simply can't lose your head and give anything away freely in playoffs as evidenced by the tightness of every series in the West.

[Grinder]

Thunder-Grizzlies
Winner - Mike Miller - The Grizzlies are great defensively but they struggle to score consistently in the half court and their 3 point shooting is nothing to write home about. That's why Mike Miller going off like he did last night may ultimately be the turning point in the series. As we've seen in the past few years, Miller has a penchant for having a big game on the big stage. He just did it a little earlier in the playoffs than we've come to expect. Not only was his long range shooting on point but his passing, rebounding, and help defense all were welcome contributions. Some of the younger fans might forget but games like this were the norm Miller in his first stint with the Grizzlies. If this guy can show up for one more game, it'll probably be all she wrote for the Thunder.

Loser - Kevin Durant - In what's shaping up to be KD's career worst playoff series, the likely MVP once again could not shake off Memphis' rough, smash mouth style of defense. The constant ball denial, shading, and blitzing of Durant has made him the most prolific scorer in the league look pedestrian. 26 points on 24 shots and 3 times as many turnovers as assists just won't get it done against a team as tough defensively as Memphis. Durant's one foul also tells me he wasn't aggressive enough on defense which simply won't do in a series as physical as this one. I was tempted to list Scott Brooks here for his odd lineup decisions and poor play calling at important junctures of the game.