Up the Creek Without a Paddle?

All the cards are on the table in the Heat vs. Pacers series. Each team has shown their hand and the other has, at one point in time, capitalized on it. Although the stats favored Indiana to win in the previous three games (leading approximately 99 out of 144 minutes of play so far), they have still managed to falter against the Heat, making the series 2-1.

Many want to contribute the Pacers' loss Saturday to the Heat's bench points, with Ray Allen scoring 16 points in the second half. However, others aren't so convinced. The out-paced, Pacers could simply blame the Game 3 loss on turnovers. One can agree that unlike free-throws, turnovers do not win ball games, especially against a team like the Heat.

There is no clear-cut better team here. With all jaunting and visual epithets aside, this series will come down to one thing: Who wants it more? Sure, you must incorporate shooting percentages, defensive aspects, and ball handling efficiency into this equation. But without the heart to win, both of these teams are simply up the creek without a paddle.

We want to hear from you. Let us know who you think will take this game below!

---