San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies (SAS leads 2-0)
9 p.m./ESPN

It seems like it has been a long time since the Spurs and Grizzlies got together to play a basketball game. You know in this Conference Finals series that will determine who goes to the NBA Finals. Three days off is too much to wait.

Especially with how the Grizzlies have had to stew over a blowout loss in Game One and then a come-from-behind overtime loss in Game Two. Memphis wanted the split before coming home where this series should get even more interesting.

The Grizzlies have yet to lose at home this postseason and have been historically difficult to defeat at FedExForum. Memphis went 32-9 at home and consistently have a racous crowd over at the "Grind House" for Playoff games. San Antonio could take a firm control of this series if they can break that code.

Easier said than done. This is the location where Memphis started a comeback against Los Angeles to win in the first round. This is the location where the Thunder went to see their Western Conference defense end. Memphis left with a 3-1 lead. Now the Grizzlies hope to even this series up and repeat some recent history.

It will be extremely difficult to do that again with San Antonio as the opponent.

The Spurs got some consistently dominant play from Tony Parker in Games One and Two as they built their large leads over the Grizzlies. Memphis should know it cannot fall behind by 15-plus points, even at home, to get these two must-win games. San Antonio also is likely aware of the difficult task ahead in getting a win on the road.

Heading back to San Antonio tied at two should not be an option for the Spurs. The ghosts of last year would begin circling then.

Put that together, with some time to stew, and you have a game that should be very important for both teams.

Before you start talking about LeBron James and his turnovers late in the game or Indiana's grit and determination in evening the series after a disappointing loss in Game One, talk about what a great and entertaining basketball game Game Two of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals was.

The Pacers came out determined and took control of the game. LeBron James responded in kind with a run of dominance of his own. The two teams went back and forth. The game came down to the final moments again, fulfilling the promise Game One set and at points topping it.

James had 36 points on 14-for-20 shooting, adding eight rebounds to his total. He did have five turnovers, including two key turnovers late int he game. It was hardly a complete game for James despite his mastery throughout the majority of it. Ultimately it ended as a loss as the Pacers held on for a 97-93 win at American Airlines Arena in Miami on Friday night.

On the other side, Paul George scored 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting and had six assists and Frank Vogel tinkered with getting Indiana into its offense quicker and getting the ball down low to Roy Hibbert and David West. The Hibbert part worked at least as the center had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers.

Like Game One though, this game will be remembered for the amazing plays and sequences the two teams put on seemingly back-to-back-to-back. It was nonstop action.

It is a rare sight to see anybody have a moment to breathe when things get going. As LeBron James did to Paul George after the specific sequence of highlight-induced euphoria above, all you can do is offer your respects. Hopefully there are five more games just like this one.

After a thrilling Game 1 versus the Heat, the Pacers went back to practice but got some bad news. Center Roy Hibbert injured his right thumb in practice which required taping but he did complete the practice session. 

Hibbert, who is having postseason averages of 14.4 points, 2.5 blocks, 9.7 rebounds and shooting 47%, is expected to play despite the injury. Of course if Indiana wants any shot at upsetting the Heat, he needs to be on the court.

His size and shot-blocking ability caused much trouble for Miami in Game 1 where he blocked 2 shots and grabbed 9 rebounds in the overtime loss. However, he must be more aggressive in the paint in Game 2. 

Also, he cannot be on the bench during crucial times as he was in Game 1. 

Head coach Frank Vogel, for some reason, sat Hibbert when the game was on the line. A critical coaching move that may have cost the Pacers Game 1. 

Hibbert, though, says he is ready to speak up should this happen again.

Ever since the Dallas Mavericks won the 2011 championship, Mark Cuban has had his eye on the future. An odd thing to do after reaching the top of the league.

He sold off much of the core of that championship team, letting Tyson Chandler walk in free agency to New York and letting Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and Jason Kidd leave in free agency soon after. He turned to signing veterans on short-term contracts, hoping to keep cap space open for the next era of Mavericks basketball.

With Dirk Nowitzki in tow, he probably figured he could entice a star to join for another championship run and then anchor the team after Nowitzki retires.

The first idea did not work as Deron Williams spurned the Mavericks over the summer and Dwight Howard opted in to the final year of his contract. Cuban was left holding the bag so to speak and had to quickly put together a roster for this upcoming season . . . while still maintaining cap room for the summer of 2013.

The result was Dallas missing the Playoffs for the first time since 2000. Mark Cuban will not like seeing that happen a second time. Yet, he has stuck to his guns in building through and making a big splash in free agency.

Yes, Cuban has not given up on the Dwight Howard dreams and the Mavericks might be looking to move their first lottery pick in more than a decade to keep the cap room to sign him. Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports several sources are saying the Mavericks will try to shop the 13th pick in the upcoming draft in hopes of keeping cap room to make a run at Dwight Howard.

It was an instant classic. A game for the ages and any other terms to describe the epic battle between the Pacers and Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and at the center of t all was Paul George and Lebron James.

George and James clashed throughout Game 1 and provided fans with some great memories. From George's clutch three-pointer to force overtime to James' game-winning layup for Miami.

If this is how Game 1 went between these two competitors, one can only hope for more in Game 2.

Check out the best of the best from Paul and Lebron through the lens of the NBA's "Phantom Camera."

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 Duncan returns to All-NBA First Team
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The NBA announced its All-NBA teams Thursday and it looks oddly familiar to the one it had 10 years ago. OK, maybe not that familiar. But familiar (and notably deserved) names have made the list yet again.

Kobe Bryant became an All-NBA First Team player for the 11th time in his career and the eighth consecutive year. That was expected after another scorind deluge from the Lakers guard and the way he continues to pour it on even as his body seemingly finally broke down.

The surprise though came when Gregg Popovich announced to the Spurs that not only did Tony Parker make the second team, but Tim Duncan earned his first All-NBA nod in three years and his first first team selection in six years. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports Duncan was "especially touched" when his coach announced he had returned to the All-NBA First Team after such a long absence.

Duncan, now leading his team in the Western Conference Finals, has become a bit of an ageless wonder it seems. He has looked better this year than he has in the past few seasons and has proven he has some go left in him after 16 years in the league. Duncan has always been Mr. Consistency and that is hardly going to change with age.

Those who have not watched him in a while should appreciate the treasure he is.

The All-NBA First Team was led by the Duncan and Bryant selections but also included Thunder's Kevin Durant, the Heat's LeBron James and the Clippers' Chris Paul. Yes, that means Duncan was the center (a position label he has tried to avoid his entire career).

The All-NBA Second Team consisted of: the Thunder's Russell Westbrook, the Spurs' Tony Parker, the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony, the Clippers' Blake Griffin and the Grizzlies' Marc Gasol. The Third Team is: the Heat's Dwyane Wade, the Rockets' James Harden, the Pacers' Paul George, the Warriors' David Lee and the Lakers' Dwight Howard.

Jerry Stackhouse was a guest on ESPN's Highly Questionable and gave us quite the insight on NBA fights.

Stackhouse started off talking about how he had to fight for everything growing up but it soon turned into a discussion on any scraps he got into while he has been in the NBA.

From Kirk Snyder to Christian Laettner, Stack opened up on fights he got into during his time in the NBA.

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If they stay at #1, the Cavs could take Nerlens Noel of Kentucky. But if they are scared off by his injury concerns, moving the pick would be a smart move

The NBA's Draft Lottery took place Tuesday in New York City, leaving the Draft hopes and dreams of a bunch of NBA teams to a random selection of ping-pong balls.

And, like they did in 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers -- with a full army of owner Dan Gilbert's sons -- won the Lottery, giving them the top overall pick in June's festivities at the Barclays Center.

Even in a lesser-talented class like the one for this season, holding the first slot in the draft pecking order is a great advantage that allows teams either to pick whomever they could want, or trade the selection to another eager franchise for a lucrative haul in return.

The Cavs are looking at both of those options now at this early stage.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, Cleveland is open to hearing trade offers for the No. 1 pick. Far from making any deal at all, the Cavs -- still in rebuilding mode after losing LeBron James to the Heat -- are just looking to expand their possible options with their second top-pick in three years, a smart way to approach this offseason from Cleveland GM Chris Grant.

With a ton of draft picks in the 2013 edition and equally impressive cap space, the Cavaliers can afford to take a risk in trading their first-overall pick for more depth later on in the Draft or maybe a current NBAer who can contribute this year.

Nerlens Noel, a power forward from the University of Kentucky, is projected by many to be the top prospect for this draft class and there is a lot of talk that he is who Cleveland covets the most with the top pick. But his ridiculous athleticism and high-flying capabilities come with a very big drawback: his injury trouble. Noel is expected to miss nearly the first two months of the 2013-14 season with an ACL injury that cost him much of his freshman year at Kentucky, his only college season.

From Windhorst, as quoted from Grant: "You want to look at all your options and make the best decision for your team. This is a valuable asset that we can add to the group, whether it's in trade or keep it and add a player."

It is nice to see a team on the rebound like the Cavaliers making the informed decisions regarding player acquisition, the very decisions that general managers of bad teams make over and over again that keep them in the lottery. Looks like Cleveland is finally on the way back to prominence, a good thing for the NBA and the team's dedicated fanbase.

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Who is ready for some hot ping pong ball action?

For the first time, the NBA released the ACTUAL NBA Draft Lottery drawing following Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery announcement. Maybe they hoped to dispel the conspiracy theorists after Cleveland won its second lottery in three years.

Take a look:

Wait, that isn't the right video. Although there are as many bounces around the drum and disappointment for the Grizzlies as there was in that Lottery room. Here is the actual NBA Draft Lottery:

The NBA Draft Lottery actually takes place in that back room where observers from each team turn in their cell phones and have no communication with the outside world until after the results are unveiled on ESPN. The people sitting in that nice New York studio are just there for show.

It still makes you wonder how the league stretches the show out to 30 minutes. It feels pretty ridiculous after actually watching ping pong balls get drawn from a drum in anticlimactic fashion.

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LeBron James capped off an incredible Game One overtime victory against the Pacers with, well, just watch:

Miami Heat take Game One in overtime 103-102 over the Indiana Pacers. The Eastern Conference Finals are off to a roaring start.

LeBron's game winner was just the capstone on a miraculous night of clutch shots and competitive basketball. The game was close the entire way with some up-and-down play throughout. Forcing overtime came down to Paul George making a couple of clutch shots, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in regulation.