Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat May 30, 2013

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 Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat are heading back to South Beach for Game 5 on Thursday. After Miami played a nearly perfect Game 3, it appeared that the plucky Pacers were finally going to succumb to the Heat team that ran roughshod over the NBA during the 2012-13 regular season.

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat: Game 5 Preview and Predictions

Deadlocked in a 2-2 tie, the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat are heading back to South Beach for Game 5 on Thursday. After Miami played a nearly perfect Game 3, it appeared that the plucky Pacers were finally going to succumb to the Heat team that ran roughshod over the NBA during the 2012-13 regular season.

Now, the Heat will have to sort out a couple of critically problematic areas if they hope to regain the upper hand.

Of course, they do technically have an edge in that two of the series' final three games are slated to be played in Miami. But from what we've seen so far, home-court advantage hasn't counted for much. And regardless of where the games take place, if the Heat can't find a way to at least be competitive in the paint and on the glass against the bruising Pacers, Indiana could very well win this series.

That's the long view of things, anyway.

More immediately, the Heat will need more than six combined field-goal makes from Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The duo, along with the rest of Miami's supporting cast, basically abandoned LeBron James in Game 4—a somewhat surprising disappearance after a solid effort in Game 3.

If the Heat reserves show up, knock down shots and help out on the glass, Miami can push Indiana to the brink by winning Game 5. But if the Pacers continue to dominate on the interior, the Heat could be in serious trouble.

USA vs Belgium May 29, 2013

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Several downtown streets are closed to film scenes for “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” set for spring 2014 release. No sign of Scarlett Johansson. Crews, cranes, stuntmen, extras and smashed-up police cars — just another day on the banks of Lake Erie. (I kid because I love — Wife of Insider’s hometown.) A few blocks north at FirstEnergy Stadium, America’s team (with captain Clint Dempsey) will begin the busiest stretch of an important year with an 8 p.m. ET friendly against Belgium. Washington is the next stop for Sunday’s tune-up against Germany, then World Cup qualifiers at Jamaica on June 7, vs. Panama in Seattle on June 11 and vs. Honduras in Utah on the 18th. Coverage tonight has moved to ESPN from ESPN2, and will appear on UniMas in Spanish as well.

The United States and Belgium face off in a high-profile friendly ahead of key World Cup qualifying matches next month. Both sides are in the process of reincorporating players as their European club seasons come to an end.

 June will be a busy month for the American squad. It starts with a friendly against Germany, and three qualifiers follow, including two at home. Building some chemistry and momentum ahead of those important clashes is the biggest key Wednesday night.

Ecuador vs Germany May 29, 2013

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When Germany and Ecuador meet on Wednesday afternoon, two of the top 10 teams in FIFA's rankings (Germany is currently No. 2, while Ecuador is No. 10) will do battle. However, this friendly will mean very different things for the two countries.

For Germany, this is the first game in a U.S. tour and a chance for several younger players to make their mark. For Ecuador, this game is more like a warm-up for the team with big World Cup qualifiers against Peru (June 7) and Argentina (June 11) on deck.

Any way you look at it, this is an intriguing matchup between two very strong countries. Let's break down this international friendly.



When: Wednesday, May 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida

England vs Ireland May 29, 2013

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For the first time since 1995, England will face Ireland in an international match, this one a friendly being played at Wembley Stadium.

When these teams last met inside Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, the game was halted after 28 minutes amidst riots. The hope is that history won't repeat itself.

While England won't have key players such as Tom Cleverley, Jack Wilshere, Steven Gerrard and Andy Carroll for this match, the team will have some of the game's biggest stars, including Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

But don't expect Ireland to just roll over and concede defeat because England has more talent. This game is going to be fun, folks. Let's break it down.



Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England

When: Wednesday, May 29 at 3 p.m. ET

Spurs vs Grizzlies May 27, 2013

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The San Antonio Spurs are on the brink of their first NBA Finals since 2007, and they will look to finish off the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday at the FedExForum.

More: Spurs coverage at Pounding The Rock Grizzlies coverage at Grizzly Bear Blues NBA playoff coverage
The Spurs appeared in danger of letting the Grizzlies back in the series early in Game 3, falling behind by 18 in the first quarter. But things quickly turned around in the second quarter, and the deficit was just four at halftime. The game remained close the rest of the way, with the game going to overtime after Mike Conley missed a shot as time expired.

Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter dominated the overtime period, with the two big men combining for 13 of the Spurs' 18 points to grab a 104-93 victory. Duncan had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the game.