Heading into Game 7

Much is at stake for the Celtics and 76ers tonight. One win will determine who goes on to face the Miami Heat. Both of these teams will look to set the tempo early, and they need to execute in all facets of the game if they want to come out the victors tonight.

Tonight's game is big for both teams. Boston has their back up against the wall. They wanted to finish this series off in game six, but the scrappy 76ers managed to pull off the victory. This could very well be the last time the big three are together in Boston, and they want to end it on a high note with a win tonight.

Energy and Passion

Boston has relied on Rondo for much of this series. He has had numerous triple doubles, and he will be a pivotal piece tonight for Boston. Also helping out on the offensive end, Garnett and Pierce have been key for mid-range shots and post-up scoring.

They will need both of these players to play like there is no tomorrow because this could be there last season with the big three. Their latest loss ended with a final score of 75-82. Pierce scored 24 points and Garnett had 11 rebounds. They will need a better performance tonight if they want to move on to face the Heat.

The 76ers are right where they wanted to be. Their energy and unwillingness to quit has fueled them into a game seven scenario, and they have got much needed production from Iguodala and Williams. Iguodala has been big for them in this series.

His emphatic dunks and clutch 3-point shooting is a big reason why they are in this situation. In their win, Holiday scored 20 points and Brand had 10 points. They will need Evan Turner to also play light out in order to help out on the offensive end.

Keys to Victory

Game seven will come down to who can get off on the offensive end first. The 76ers will look to keep this a fast paced game and use their perimeter shooting to open things up down low. They need Iguodala and Turner to play to the best abilities in order to prevail tonight.

The Celtics will want to slow the pace down and use the big man Garnett to open things up for their shooters. Rondo will need to establish Pierce and Allen, and will also need to continue his excellent rebounding abilities to give them second chance opportunities. If they can do these things, then they will have a date with the Miami Heat in what should be a compelling series.

Tonight's game is what the playoffs are all about. The chance to win a title is up for grabs, which always makes both teams play to their best abilities. Fans should expect a gritty game full of action plays and emphatic dunks. There has never been a better time to be a fan of the 76ers and Boston.

Heading Into Game 4

The Miami Heat are set to take on the Pacers today for game 4 in their series. The Pacers are leading the series 2-1, and they will look to take out the heavily favored Miami team.

Miami has been plagued with a serous injury in this series. They are without their star center in Chris Bosh, who was sidelined with an abdominal strain. He is doubtful to lay this series, but the Miami is hoping they can pull together and tie the series today with a win.

Dwayne Wade No Shows

Game 3 was turmoil for Miami. They simply could not get on the same page and Dwayne Wade didn't have a good outing. He even got into a heated debate with head coach Eric Spoelstra, which was the center of attention in game 3. They were outplayed in their last game with the final score being 94-75.

In their loss, Lebron James had 22 points and Chalmers had 25 points. They will need a better outing from Dwayne Wade, who only managed score 5 points. They will also need Battier to knock down open threes, which is something he didn't do in game 3, going 0-7 from the field.

The Pacers are riding high after their latest performance. They certainly believe they have the heart to match the Heat's skill and they certainly seem to be doing just that. In their latest win, Hill scored 20 points and Granger had 17. Hibbert also had a breakout game scoring 19 points with 18 rebounds. They will need the same type of collaborative effort if they want to go up in the series 3-1.

Keys for Game 4

Game 4 will come down to execution on both ends of the floor. Miami needs to better showing from Dwayne Wade and their perimeter shooting to take the weight off Lebron James's shoulders. They will also need to contain Hibbert and Granger if they want to tie the series today. Spoelstra told his team to simply take a break and get their mind off the game in hopes of coming back refreshed for game 4. They seemed rededicated and refocused, which should only help them today against the Pacers.

For the Pacers, they need to continue to match Miami's energy and get the rebounds on both ends of the floor. Hibbert needs to continue his dominance on the defensive end to thwart off Miami from getting easy points. They will also need production from Hill and Granger to keep them in it. If they can do all of these things, then they will have put Miami into a formidable position.

Heading Into Staples Center

The Spurs are set to take on the Clippers tonight for game 4 in their series. San Antonio currently leads the series 3-0, and they will be looking to shut out the Clippers with a win tonight.

San Antonio seems to be unstoppable as of late. In game 3, it was looking like a blowout early with the Clippers leading by over 20 points in the first half. San Antonio battled back and managed to only be down by 7 at the end of the half. They would then take the lead and end the game with a final score of 96-88. In their win, Parker scored 23 points and Duncan grabbed 13 rebounds. Parker also had 10 assists, which sent them up 3-0 in the series.

The Clippers are looking for any type of momentum heading into tonight's game. They will do everything in their power not to get swept in the series, and they will need to play better defense if they want to do just that. In their loss, Griffin scored 28 points and had 16 rebounds. Chris Paul had over 11 assists, but it was not enough the stop the red hot Spurs.

Keys for Game 4

In order to the Clippers to make this game competitive tonight, they will need a better showing from Chris Paul. He only scored 12 points, and they will need him to get better production from the field if they want to avoid being swept. Blake Griffin also needs to grab rebounds on both ends of the floor if they want to stand a chance tonight, but it may be too little too late.

San Antonio is looking to sweep the Clippers tonight and get some much needed rest for their older team. They will need to contain Blake Griffin and Chris Paul tonight, and they will also need production from Tony Parker. Parker has had a sensational regular season averaging 19.4 points. Look for him to have another breakout out game tonight.

Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat is often caught up in controversy because of his position among the Big 3. However, he is hitting the headlines for a different reason now: an injury has Bosh out indefinitely, most likely taking him away from the Heat for the remainder of this series and maybe even the NBA Playoffs.

In the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Bosh was taken out of the game for what was said to be a lower abdominal muscle strain. An MRI has been done to confirm this diagnosis.

"This season has to be extended for me to play again," said Bosh. "So that's what's on my mind."

In game one, the Heat were down pretty much the entire game. They finally came back for the win. Now, Chris Bosh has played a major role in the Heat's entire season. When LeBron James was choking, Bosh was hitting shots both near and far.

The Heat came back in game one at a time when Bosh was not in the game. So, the Indiana Pacers still have to keep their guard up and know that the series will not be easy without him.

Bosh being out will certainly make this series more interesting, though. Fans will get to see if the Heat resort to the flopping that the Pacers' head coach, among others, have accused them of, or if they will just play good old-fashioned aggressive basketball.