of course those speculations were wishful, of course they aren't capable of a sweep, and of course miami won't go away.

but did anybody really expect they would get four sweeps? (i'll admit i predicted a sweep of miami before the playoffs started, but it was mostly just for show).

this team, good as they have been throughout the past few years haven't swept one single playoff series. Hell, if i remember right, they've only won two series 4-1 and they were first rounders. In fact, I think they have fallen behind in every single series over the past few years (except the finals against LA).

everything is a struggle in the playoffs for this squad. that is simply reality. has been, is now, and will continue to be. if anybody's feeling that their expectations of playoff ease have been disappointed, all i can say is that those expectations were delusional and they deserve their disappointment. all this team has ever promised (as far as what their play indicates we can expect of them at playoff time) is that they will underachieve until their *sses are on the grill. so what is there to be disappointed about? that this didn't change? for god's sake: they more or less say it explicitly: if it ain't rough, it ain't right. it's their identity, period. get used to it.

after these losses, i'm just looking to see if there's any sign that they won't be able to pull their nuts out of the fire later in the series. so far in this one, i don't see any of those signs.