Re: {--Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers - East Conf. Finals 2013--Miami 3- 2--}
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/201...-apologizes-miami-heat-play-vs-indiana-pacers
MIAMI -- Struggling through his worst scoring stretch in almost a decade, Miami Heat center Chris Bosh said he apologized to his teammates after Game 6 and hopes to be more assertive in Monday's Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers.
Bosh has failed to score in double digits in three consecutive games for the first time since his rookie season in 2003-04. Bosh said he hopes to have a better Game 7 after "not being aggressive and not playing my best ball."
Most Wins Without Finals
The Heat won 66 games this season, but with a loss in Game 7 they won't reach the NBA Finals. Only three other teams in NBA history have won at least 66 games and not made the NBA Finals that season. LeBron James has already "accomplished the feat" with the 2008-09 Cavaliers.
Wins Team Season
68 Celtics 1972-73
67 Mavericks 2006-07
66 Cavaliers 2008-09
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Bosh has been largely outplayed by Pacers big men David West and Roy Hibbert. Bosh has averaged just 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks on 41.1 percent shooting in the series.
"It's hard, it's difficult," Bosh said. "Everything you're going to do in the postseason is difficult. And you're going to be put in situations you don't want to be in and you're going to have to do things that you don't want to do. It's part of it, so you might as well get used to it, being miserable and really loving it."
Bosh has found himself more on the perimeter in this series. He has averaged 2.3 3-point attempts in this series, which is up from his regular-season rate of one per game. The 6-foot-11 center has shot the ball well, making 50 percent of his tries from downtown, but it has pulled him away from the paint.
When asked if there would be changes to his game Monday, Bosh indicated that he might have been doing too much of that lately.
"I changed my game in Games 1 through 6 and it hasn't really worked," Bosh said. "I just need to do what I do and just let it all hang out."
Bosh, like his teammates, has struggled to challenge Hibbert at the rim. When asked if he was worried about Indiana's 7-2 center, Bosh said he hadn't followed through on his mental approach.
"What would I worry about him for?" Bosh said. "That's been my attitude, I just haven't really employed it."
Bosh was also asked about Dwyane Wade's implication after Game 6 that LeBron James was trying to "self-will" the Heat to victory and that the Heat needed to share the ball better.
Bosh agreed with Wade's sentiment that James can't will the team alone to victory.
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy weighs in on Pacers-Heat, the roles of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, whether he is considering a return to coaching and more.
More Podcasts »
"He can't," Bosh said in reference to James. "It's never been like that in team sports history. We can't just sit around and expect LeBron to do all the work and hope that he has a 50-point game. We have to do our part."
Both Bosh (ankle) and Wade (knee bruise) have been limited recently due to injuries while James has referenced going "back to his Cleveland days." Wade is averaging a playoff career-low 14.0 points per game. So far in the series, James has scored more points than Bosh and Wade combined (171 to 155).
"If you look at our best games, LeBron didn't score 30 or 40 points," Bosh said. "He probably had 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. That's still a great game, but that just means the ball is moving and guys are being aggressive."
The Heat are 21-9 in games in which James scores at least 30 points this season (playoffs included). The one loss coming against the Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals when James scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting with three assists and five turnovers. The Heat are 4-1 this season when James registers a triple-double with the one loss coming against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 27.
After Game 7, James acknowledged that his teammates haven't been up to par.
"I mean, we can state the obvious; they're both struggling," James said of Wade and Bosh.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that James, Wade and Bosh haven't had any issues trying to get on the same page offensively.
"If we're trying to figure that out now, we're in trouble," Spoelstra said. "We have had two deep playoff runs where we have worked that out. Does it always work out perfectly? No. That's what happens when you play against a worthy opponent."
Spoelstra expects Wade and Bosh to play better on Monday.
"They're both big-game players and the bright lights inspire them more than shrink them," Spoelstra said. "This is why this team was put together, for moments like this."
James and Wade did not speak at Monday's shootaround ahead of Game 7 at AmericanAirlines Arena. In NBA history, home teams are 89-23 (.795) in Game 7s.