Tyson Chandler, who’s been sick with the flu, will play in Game 2 of the New York Knicks-Miami Heat first-round playoff series Monday night, as he’s feeling better and his fever is down, Yahoo! Sports’ Marc Spears reports via Twitter.
Chandler played just 21 minutes in Game 1 and wasn’t very productive—he had no points and no blocks, as well as just three rebounds and two steals. Reports yesterday said that even if he plays in Game 2, he’d again be limited.
Point guard Baron Davis, whose back stiffened up in Game 1, is a game-time decision but says he’ll play tonight. Iman Shumpert tore his ACL on Saturday and is out for several months.
Meanwhile, after the Knicks suffered a huge, 100-67 loss in Game 1, star forwards and co-captains Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire got their teammates together for a private workout at a Miami gym Sunday night, the New York Post reports.
“We’re definitely not at a low,” Anthony said, per The Post. “We’re definitely still a confident team. We felt we didn’t play our game (Saturday) and we want to correct that. (Today’s) a new day. (Today’s) Game 2 and Round 2.”
Anthony had just 11 points on 3-for-15 shooting on Saturday but says he doesn’t have to have a huge offensive game for the Knicks to win.
“We’re all going to have to do it," Anthony said, according to The Post. “Everyone’s going to have to do a lot more due to the lack of players we’re going to have. We don’t know who is going to play. Everyone’s going to have to do a little more than what they’re doing right now."
4.30.2012
Floyd Mayweather $1.8 million bet wager Clippers grizzlies Game 1
As the Los Angeles Clippers made their historic comeback against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, there was no one cheering harder than boxer Floyd Mayweather. That’s because Mayweather allegedly wagered $1.8 million on the Clippers, a six-point underdog.
According to a tweet cited by various websites, including Black Sports Online, Mayweather’s personal handicapper confirmed that the fighter made $1.8 million worth of bets on the Clippers across seven different sports books.
The Clippers trailed by 21 after the third quarter. They closed the gap to six, 96-90, on a Nick Young 3-pointer with 2:15 left in the game. Young hit another 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining to make the score 96-93. Mayweather was winning his bet at that point, and the Clippers went onto win the game outright, 99-98.
According to a tweet cited by various websites, including Black Sports Online, Mayweather’s personal handicapper confirmed that the fighter made $1.8 million worth of bets on the Clippers across seven different sports books.
The Clippers trailed by 21 after the third quarter. They closed the gap to six, 96-90, on a Nick Young 3-pointer with 2:15 left in the game. Young hit another 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining to make the score 96-93. Mayweather was winning his bet at that point, and the Clippers went onto win the game outright, 99-98.
Brooklyn Nets unveil new logo designed by Jay-Z
The move from New Jersey means a new look for the Brooklyn Nets. On Monday, fans got to see what that look will be next season.
The logo is black and white, and created by Jay-Z, a part owner of the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets keep the team's old "shield" design and, according to a news release from the team, Nets CEO Brett Yormark called it "the new badge for Brookyln."
The team's jerseys, according to netsstore.com, are coming in September, but you can purchase shirts and other apparel with the new logo today.
The Nets' final game in New Jersey drew a sellout crowd, but the team was slammed by Gov. Chris Christie as it made its way out of town.
The future of the team figures to be dictated more by the decision of point guard Deron Williams this summer and not a fresh new logo. For his part, Williams says winning remains the most important factor for him, but that he'll consider the Nets as a free agent this summer. The Nets finished well out of the playoff hunt with a 22-44 record, capped by a six-game losing streak to end the season.
The logo is black and white, and created by Jay-Z, a part owner of the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets keep the team's old "shield" design and, according to a news release from the team, Nets CEO Brett Yormark called it "the new badge for Brookyln."
The team's jerseys, according to netsstore.com, are coming in September, but you can purchase shirts and other apparel with the new logo today.
The Nets' final game in New Jersey drew a sellout crowd, but the team was slammed by Gov. Chris Christie as it made its way out of town.
The future of the team figures to be dictated more by the decision of point guard Deron Williams this summer and not a fresh new logo. For his part, Williams says winning remains the most important factor for him, but that he'll consider the Nets as a free agent this summer. The Nets finished well out of the playoff hunt with a 22-44 record, capped by a six-game losing streak to end the season.
4.28.2012
Deron Williams says winning most important, will still consider Nets
Deron Williams will still hit free agency, and he'll still consider returning to the Nets.
“I want to win, that’s first and foremost," the All-Star point guard said on the team's breakup day on Friday, according to the Star-Ledger. “So I’m going to go where I feel we have the best chance to win. I know we might not win a championship in the first year or two, but hopefully, (the place I go) has the chances of building something special, and has flexibility—just somewhere where I believe they’re headed in the right direction."
Williams said he could “definitely" see himself in a Nets uniform next season when the team moves into its new arena in Brooklyn.
“I’m still looking at all the possibilities here,’’ he said. “I went to the arena a couple days ago and saw how it was, and it’s going to be an exciting arena. It’s going to be a great place to play. And I’ve always been confident in this organization. Even though I was opting out I always said that doesn’t mean I’m not re-signing with the Nets; and that still remains the same."
New Jersey finished 22-44 and lost its last six games. Williams, 27, averaged 21 points, 8.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
“I want to win, that’s first and foremost," the All-Star point guard said on the team's breakup day on Friday, according to the Star-Ledger. “So I’m going to go where I feel we have the best chance to win. I know we might not win a championship in the first year or two, but hopefully, (the place I go) has the chances of building something special, and has flexibility—just somewhere where I believe they’re headed in the right direction."
Williams said he could “definitely" see himself in a Nets uniform next season when the team moves into its new arena in Brooklyn.
“I’m still looking at all the possibilities here,’’ he said. “I went to the arena a couple days ago and saw how it was, and it’s going to be an exciting arena. It’s going to be a great place to play. And I’ve always been confident in this organization. Even though I was opting out I always said that doesn’t mean I’m not re-signing with the Nets; and that still remains the same."
New Jersey finished 22-44 and lost its last six games. Williams, 27, averaged 21 points, 8.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
Too old to rock in the NBA playoffs? Not these Spurs
Last year’s NBA playoffs seemed to be such a changing of the guard. Out with the old—very old, the way some of the more veteran contenders went out—and in with the new. The time had come for the Thunder, Heat and Bulls. Time had run out for the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs.
Oh, those Spurs. Wheezing their way out of the 2011 postseason, the No. 1 seed in the West bounced by the No. 8 Grizzlies. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, slow, hobbling, done. And now, a year older.
Those Spurs … your 2012 NBA champions.
Yeah, it’s a little bit of a trendy pick, seeing as how the Spurs have lost two games since mid-March and somehow stretched past the Thunder for home-court in the West. But these Spurs are trendy for a reason, a lot of them, actually.
Not really. Guessing a champion this year is even more of a crapshoot than last year, when absolutely nobody outside of Mark Cuban’s household picked the Mavericks to win it all. As Sean Deveney pointed out, there are a million variables in play this year that usually aren’t, many of them resulting from the lockout, and no team went untouched by them.
It’s not that hard to find ways for Miami, Chicago and Oklahoma City to lose. Yes, for the Spurs, too, if only because of last spring. Yet there are so many signs that these Spurs are not like last year’s.
They’re also not quite like the four previous versions that won NBA titles, the last time five years ago—but they don’t really need to be. Besides, this version looks stronger than the Spurs teams since then, and that counts for a lot more.
The most critical difference: Everybody’s healthy, rested and in rhythm. In past years, when one or more parts of the main trio missed lots of time, the team never clicked well enough without them—and that’s happened each of the previous four seasons. Last season in the series against Memphis, it was Ginobili hurting all series long, and Duncan was shaking off a season’s worth of nicks, bruises and twists.
Not the case this year. Gregg Popovich, along with Boston’s Doc Rivers, did the best jobs imaginable—and the only jobs possible—nursing their aging stars through the compressed season. If not for Tom Thibodeau’s miracles getting Chicago to thrive without Derrick Rose so often, Popovich would be waved through to an easy Coach of the Year win.
The playoffs are what he aimed for—Parker, amazingly, is the only player on the roster to average 30 minutes a game—yet he managed to wring 50 wins out of the group. They’ve won 10 in a row, and shortly before that had won 11 in a row. In the first streak, they won three games in three nights; in their current run, they won three games in three nights on the road.
Credit Parker for much of that. The calls for him to get MVP consideration were legit. The 2007 Finals MVP—still easy to forget that sometimes—played so refreshed that he and his team have no reason to fear the young point guards in his path in the West. Not Russell Westbrook, not Ramon Sessions, not even Chris Paul or one of last year’s tormentors, Mike Conley (both possible opponents in the second round).
Also, credit the kind of depth that might even challenge the title teams of the past. While depth isn’t always as crucial in the playoffs as in the regular season, for this team it can only help, so good thing they have Gary Neal, DeJuan Blair, rookie Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and late additions Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson.
Also: Good thing they don’t ever have to count on Richard Jefferson again.
And they have Duncan, even at 36, even after playing the fewest minutes per game of his career. (But extend his stats in the big categories out to what his minutes likely will be in the playoffs and … wow.)
You can count on LeBron James, on Kevin Durant, on Derrick Rose … or you can count on the four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP. You sure you know who you’d choose?
Especially in this season, when absolutely nothing is a sure thing? When in doubt, count on what that player, and this team, has done this year, and for a long time.
Out with the old? Back in with the old.
Oh, those Spurs. Wheezing their way out of the 2011 postseason, the No. 1 seed in the West bounced by the No. 8 Grizzlies. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, slow, hobbling, done. And now, a year older.
Those Spurs … your 2012 NBA champions.
Yeah, it’s a little bit of a trendy pick, seeing as how the Spurs have lost two games since mid-March and somehow stretched past the Thunder for home-court in the West. But these Spurs are trendy for a reason, a lot of them, actually.
Not really. Guessing a champion this year is even more of a crapshoot than last year, when absolutely nobody outside of Mark Cuban’s household picked the Mavericks to win it all. As Sean Deveney pointed out, there are a million variables in play this year that usually aren’t, many of them resulting from the lockout, and no team went untouched by them.
It’s not that hard to find ways for Miami, Chicago and Oklahoma City to lose. Yes, for the Spurs, too, if only because of last spring. Yet there are so many signs that these Spurs are not like last year’s.
They’re also not quite like the four previous versions that won NBA titles, the last time five years ago—but they don’t really need to be. Besides, this version looks stronger than the Spurs teams since then, and that counts for a lot more.
The most critical difference: Everybody’s healthy, rested and in rhythm. In past years, when one or more parts of the main trio missed lots of time, the team never clicked well enough without them—and that’s happened each of the previous four seasons. Last season in the series against Memphis, it was Ginobili hurting all series long, and Duncan was shaking off a season’s worth of nicks, bruises and twists.
Not the case this year. Gregg Popovich, along with Boston’s Doc Rivers, did the best jobs imaginable—and the only jobs possible—nursing their aging stars through the compressed season. If not for Tom Thibodeau’s miracles getting Chicago to thrive without Derrick Rose so often, Popovich would be waved through to an easy Coach of the Year win.
The playoffs are what he aimed for—Parker, amazingly, is the only player on the roster to average 30 minutes a game—yet he managed to wring 50 wins out of the group. They’ve won 10 in a row, and shortly before that had won 11 in a row. In the first streak, they won three games in three nights; in their current run, they won three games in three nights on the road.
Credit Parker for much of that. The calls for him to get MVP consideration were legit. The 2007 Finals MVP—still easy to forget that sometimes—played so refreshed that he and his team have no reason to fear the young point guards in his path in the West. Not Russell Westbrook, not Ramon Sessions, not even Chris Paul or one of last year’s tormentors, Mike Conley (both possible opponents in the second round).
Also, credit the kind of depth that might even challenge the title teams of the past. While depth isn’t always as crucial in the playoffs as in the regular season, for this team it can only help, so good thing they have Gary Neal, DeJuan Blair, rookie Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and late additions Boris Diaw and Stephen Jackson.
Also: Good thing they don’t ever have to count on Richard Jefferson again.
And they have Duncan, even at 36, even after playing the fewest minutes per game of his career. (But extend his stats in the big categories out to what his minutes likely will be in the playoffs and … wow.)
You can count on LeBron James, on Kevin Durant, on Derrick Rose … or you can count on the four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP. You sure you know who you’d choose?
Especially in this season, when absolutely nothing is a sure thing? When in doubt, count on what that player, and this team, has done this year, and for a long time.
Out with the old? Back in with the old.
4.27.2012
NBA playoff predictions: Heat lead an unpredictable field
It was, obviously, an unusual year in the NBA, what with a lockout-shortened 66-game season creating more of a grind for players and coaches, and the standings perhaps not quite reflecting how good or bad some of the team’s in this year’s postseason could be. As the first games tip off, there is more of a sense of unpredictability in these playoffs.
“I think the playoffs are wide open,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, there’s the favorites out there, and they’ve earned that right, but I don’t think … everybody else, all of them have confidence, too. Everybody, I think every single team thinks they have a shot this year. I think if it had been 82 games, it would have been the same. This is one of those years that the favorites are the favorites, they deserve to be the favorites. But the underdogs, they’re confident.”
Put the records and the seedings aside, coming into the postseason, here’s how the teams involved stack up:
1. Miami Heat. Considering the way they started the seaspm, the Heat’s 46 wins are a bit disappointing. But they’ve shown that, when they’re dialed in, they can be ferocious defensively and efficient offensively.
2. Chicago Bulls. Point guard Derrick Rose, oft-injured and frequently the recipient of hard fouls, will be a key to this postseason. If Chicago is to get to the Finals, he simply must play better than he did in last year’s playoffs, and withstand physical play.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden give Oklahoma City potent perimeter scoring. But eventually, they’ll need something—anything—out of their big guys on the offensive end.
4. San Antonio Spurs. They’re healthy and still smarting from the first-round disappointment they suffered last year. The Spurs might not have enough for another title run, but they should make it to the Final Four.
5. L.A. Lakers. Dealing with Andrew Bynum and Metta World Peace, coach Mike Brown will have to be part-time psychiatrist to nudge the Lakers into a substantial playoff run, but they loom as a second-round threat to the Thunder.
6. Memphis Grizzlies. If the West is to be wide open, Memphis might be the team to take advantage. They have youth and size on their side, they have a healthy Rudy Gay and they gained important playoff experience last year.
7. Boston Celtics. They were 24-10 in the second half of the year, and if they can get by the Hawks in the first round, they’re in a similar situation as the Lakers—they could be a very tough out for Chicago in Round 2.
8. L.A. Clippers. The matchup with the Grizzlies is about as bad a pairing as the Clippers could have drawn. Frontcourt depth has been a problem all year, and having Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin behind DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin isn’t much of a solution.
9. Indiana Pacers. The Pacers closed with a 17-6 mark, thanks in large part to the improved play of Danny Granger. He figures to be the key player in whatever sort of run the Pacers can make as the No. 3 seed.
10. New York Knicks. They’re 18-6 under Mike Woodson, with small forward Carmelo Anthony leading the way. That means this is not your average No. 7 seed, and it’s certain that the Heat have taken notice of that.
11. Atlanta Hawks. Josh Smith at center? The Hawks are already without Al Horford, and could be without Zaza Pachulia, too. Coach Larry Drew can be creative with his lineups, so expect to see some interesting combinations in the Hawks’ series against Boston.
12. Dallas Mavericks. The defending champs angled themselves into a matchup with the Thunder, the team they took out in the conference finals last year. The Mavs probably have too much talent to be a No. 7 seed, but they’ve been a disappointment all season.
13. Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets closed on an 11-4 run, but just three of those wins were against playoff teams—they beat the Thunder in the final week and Orlando twice without Dwight Howard.
14. Utah Jazz. The Jazz have enough size, with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, to give San Antonio some trouble. But they don’t have a whole lot of experience.
15. Philadelphia 76ers. Give some credit to the Sixers, who put together a late four-game road winning streak (albeit against bad teams) to rescue their spot in the postseason.
16. Orlando Magic. Without Howard, they fizzled to close the year. Their 3-point shooting might be the only thing that gives them a chance to win a game or two.
Predictions
Wide-open? Maybe. Heck, it’s not that hard to imagine a Knicks-Lakers meeting in the Finals. Or Celtics-Grizzlies. But before the season got underway, the best guess was Oklahoma City coming out of the West and Miami in the East. Let’s stick with it.
East first round
1. Bulls over 8. Sixers, 4-1
2. Heat over 7. Knicks, 4-1
3. Pacers over 6. Magic, 4-1
4. Celtics over 5. Hawks, 4-2
East semis
Bulls over Celtics, 4-3
Heat over Pacers, 4-2
East finalsHeat over Bulls, 4-2
West first round
1. Spurs over 8. Jazz, 4-1
2. Thunder over 7. Mavericks, 4-3
3. Lakers over 6. Nuggets, 4-2
4. Grizzlies over 5. Clippers, 4-2
West semis
Spurs over Grizzlies, 4-2
Thunder over Lakers, 4-3
West finals
Thunder over Spurs, 4-2
NBA Finals
Heat over Thunder, 4-1
“I think the playoffs are wide open,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously, there’s the favorites out there, and they’ve earned that right, but I don’t think … everybody else, all of them have confidence, too. Everybody, I think every single team thinks they have a shot this year. I think if it had been 82 games, it would have been the same. This is one of those years that the favorites are the favorites, they deserve to be the favorites. But the underdogs, they’re confident.”
Put the records and the seedings aside, coming into the postseason, here’s how the teams involved stack up:
1. Miami Heat. Considering the way they started the seaspm, the Heat’s 46 wins are a bit disappointing. But they’ve shown that, when they’re dialed in, they can be ferocious defensively and efficient offensively.
2. Chicago Bulls. Point guard Derrick Rose, oft-injured and frequently the recipient of hard fouls, will be a key to this postseason. If Chicago is to get to the Finals, he simply must play better than he did in last year’s playoffs, and withstand physical play.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden give Oklahoma City potent perimeter scoring. But eventually, they’ll need something—anything—out of their big guys on the offensive end.
4. San Antonio Spurs. They’re healthy and still smarting from the first-round disappointment they suffered last year. The Spurs might not have enough for another title run, but they should make it to the Final Four.
5. L.A. Lakers. Dealing with Andrew Bynum and Metta World Peace, coach Mike Brown will have to be part-time psychiatrist to nudge the Lakers into a substantial playoff run, but they loom as a second-round threat to the Thunder.
6. Memphis Grizzlies. If the West is to be wide open, Memphis might be the team to take advantage. They have youth and size on their side, they have a healthy Rudy Gay and they gained important playoff experience last year.
7. Boston Celtics. They were 24-10 in the second half of the year, and if they can get by the Hawks in the first round, they’re in a similar situation as the Lakers—they could be a very tough out for Chicago in Round 2.
8. L.A. Clippers. The matchup with the Grizzlies is about as bad a pairing as the Clippers could have drawn. Frontcourt depth has been a problem all year, and having Reggie Evans and Kenyon Martin behind DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin isn’t much of a solution.
9. Indiana Pacers. The Pacers closed with a 17-6 mark, thanks in large part to the improved play of Danny Granger. He figures to be the key player in whatever sort of run the Pacers can make as the No. 3 seed.
10. New York Knicks. They’re 18-6 under Mike Woodson, with small forward Carmelo Anthony leading the way. That means this is not your average No. 7 seed, and it’s certain that the Heat have taken notice of that.
11. Atlanta Hawks. Josh Smith at center? The Hawks are already without Al Horford, and could be without Zaza Pachulia, too. Coach Larry Drew can be creative with his lineups, so expect to see some interesting combinations in the Hawks’ series against Boston.
12. Dallas Mavericks. The defending champs angled themselves into a matchup with the Thunder, the team they took out in the conference finals last year. The Mavs probably have too much talent to be a No. 7 seed, but they’ve been a disappointment all season.
13. Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets closed on an 11-4 run, but just three of those wins were against playoff teams—they beat the Thunder in the final week and Orlando twice without Dwight Howard.
14. Utah Jazz. The Jazz have enough size, with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, to give San Antonio some trouble. But they don’t have a whole lot of experience.
15. Philadelphia 76ers. Give some credit to the Sixers, who put together a late four-game road winning streak (albeit against bad teams) to rescue their spot in the postseason.
16. Orlando Magic. Without Howard, they fizzled to close the year. Their 3-point shooting might be the only thing that gives them a chance to win a game or two.
Predictions
Wide-open? Maybe. Heck, it’s not that hard to imagine a Knicks-Lakers meeting in the Finals. Or Celtics-Grizzlies. But before the season got underway, the best guess was Oklahoma City coming out of the West and Miami in the East. Let’s stick with it.
East first round
1. Bulls over 8. Sixers, 4-1
2. Heat over 7. Knicks, 4-1
3. Pacers over 6. Magic, 4-1
4. Celtics over 5. Hawks, 4-2
East semis
Bulls over Celtics, 4-3
Heat over Pacers, 4-2
East finalsHeat over Bulls, 4-2
West first round
1. Spurs over 8. Jazz, 4-1
2. Thunder over 7. Mavericks, 4-3
3. Lakers over 6. Nuggets, 4-2
4. Grizzlies over 5. Clippers, 4-2
West semis
Spurs over Grizzlies, 4-2
Thunder over Lakers, 4-3
West finals
Thunder over Spurs, 4-2
NBA Finals
Heat over Thunder, 4-1
Western Conference playoff preview: Mavericks present threat to favored Thunder
The defending champs almost missed the playoffs. The top seed this year was the top seed last year, but is hoping to avoid the same fate of getting knocked out in the first round. The expected favorite stumbled down the stretch, and the wily veteran darkhorse will be without a starter for six games. The West playoffs—with the Dallas Mavericks at No. 7, the San Antonio Spurs No. 1 again, the Oklahoma City Thunder finishing 7-7 in their last 14, and the Lakers playing without the suspended Metta World Peace—figure to be a wide-open proposition this year.
Upset alert: Mavericks over Thunder
Oklahoma City has championship aspirations, but before they can get there, they’ve got to exorcise the demon that has haunted them since last spring—Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki, who displayed individual brilliance, averaging 32.2 points and twice topping the 40-point mark, in carrying the Mavericks past the Thunder in five games in last year’s conference finals. Dallas is limping into the postseason, but there is still enough talent on hand to give the Thunder a good first-round run.
Sweep alert: Spurs over Jazz
Utah does have a few things going for it that could help the Jazz avoid a sweep—they have a very deep frontcourt, they are an excellent homecourt team and, after all, the Spurs were knocked out by a No. 8 seed last year. But San Antonio is healthy and rested this time around, not to mention a little bitter about how last season ended.
Coach under pressure: Vinny Del Negro, Clippers
It’s not that Del Negro has done a terrible job with the Clippers—they did enter the final week with a chance to win the Pacific Division crown. But Del Negro’s contract is up at the end of this year and the team’s front office doesn’t seem to have much confidence that he is the guy to take this team to a championship. It will likely take a trip to the conference finals for the Clippers to keep VDN on board.
Stars to watch
Russell Westbrook, Thunder. Westbrook took some heavy criticism for shooting too much in last year’s postseason. The criticism probably went a bit overboard, but the numbers show that Westbrook was too much of a gunner—though he averaged 23.8 points, he shot just 39.4 percent from the field and 29.2 percent on 3-pointers.
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies. Last year was bittersweet for Gay. He got his first taste of the postseason, watching his Grizzlies upset the Spurs in the first round and take OKC to a Game 7 in the conference semis. The problem was, Gay had a shoulder injury and did not participate. He was his usual self this season, and with power forward Zach Randolph slow to return to form after knee surgery, look for Gay to be a big scorer in the playoffs.
Blake Griffin, Clippers. The Clippers have been too dependent on point guard Chris Paul this season, especially after the team lost guard Chauncey Billups to an Achilles injury. That won’t change in the playoffs, but L.A. needs to get a big series out of Griffin in order to get past Memphis.
Andrew Bynum, Lakers. The Nuggets will throw Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov at Bynum, and those three should stand no chance of slowing Bynum. But they will try to get under Bynum’s skin with repeated fouls, and he will need to resist frustration and keep his focus.
Players you may not know but will
Gordon Hayward, Jazz. College hoops fans, of course, remember Hayward from his Butler days. But he is becoming an increasingly effective NBA player as the year has gone on. He did not play much in the Jazz finale, but before that, in 12 April games, Hayward averaged 17.2 points on 51.1 percent shooting and 50 percent from the 3-point line.
Devin Ebanks, Lakers. Ebanks is in his second year, and his scoring average (3.6 points) won’t garner much attention. But he has been solid when thrust into the starting lineup, and that is where he will be with small forward Metta World Peace suspended for six postseason games.
Danny Green, Spurs. Green is a classic Spurs role player, overlooked elsewhere but emerging as a productive shooting guard in the team’s starting five. He is obviously not a top option for San Antonio, but he can fill the scoring gap when he needs to—he topped 20 points four times this season.
Can’t miss matchup: Al Jefferson vs. Tim Duncan
Jefferson (19.4 points, 9.7 rebounds) quietly had one of the best seasons of his career. Duncan, even at 36, is still a very effective big man, with averages of 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 28.2 minutes. Jefferson has posted good numbers in his career against Duncan, but according to Basketball-reference.com, Jefferson has a career record of 1-21 against Duncan.
Outlook
No. 1 Spurs over No. 8 Jazz, 4-1
No. 2 Thunder over No. 7 Mavericks, 4-3
No. 3 Lakers over No. 6 Nuggets, 4-2
No. 4 Grizzlies over No. 5 Clippers, 4-2
Upset alert: Mavericks over Thunder
Oklahoma City has championship aspirations, but before they can get there, they’ve got to exorcise the demon that has haunted them since last spring—Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki, who displayed individual brilliance, averaging 32.2 points and twice topping the 40-point mark, in carrying the Mavericks past the Thunder in five games in last year’s conference finals. Dallas is limping into the postseason, but there is still enough talent on hand to give the Thunder a good first-round run.
Sweep alert: Spurs over Jazz
Utah does have a few things going for it that could help the Jazz avoid a sweep—they have a very deep frontcourt, they are an excellent homecourt team and, after all, the Spurs were knocked out by a No. 8 seed last year. But San Antonio is healthy and rested this time around, not to mention a little bitter about how last season ended.
Coach under pressure: Vinny Del Negro, Clippers
It’s not that Del Negro has done a terrible job with the Clippers—they did enter the final week with a chance to win the Pacific Division crown. But Del Negro’s contract is up at the end of this year and the team’s front office doesn’t seem to have much confidence that he is the guy to take this team to a championship. It will likely take a trip to the conference finals for the Clippers to keep VDN on board.
Stars to watch
Russell Westbrook, Thunder. Westbrook took some heavy criticism for shooting too much in last year’s postseason. The criticism probably went a bit overboard, but the numbers show that Westbrook was too much of a gunner—though he averaged 23.8 points, he shot just 39.4 percent from the field and 29.2 percent on 3-pointers.
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies. Last year was bittersweet for Gay. He got his first taste of the postseason, watching his Grizzlies upset the Spurs in the first round and take OKC to a Game 7 in the conference semis. The problem was, Gay had a shoulder injury and did not participate. He was his usual self this season, and with power forward Zach Randolph slow to return to form after knee surgery, look for Gay to be a big scorer in the playoffs.
Blake Griffin, Clippers. The Clippers have been too dependent on point guard Chris Paul this season, especially after the team lost guard Chauncey Billups to an Achilles injury. That won’t change in the playoffs, but L.A. needs to get a big series out of Griffin in order to get past Memphis.
Andrew Bynum, Lakers. The Nuggets will throw Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov at Bynum, and those three should stand no chance of slowing Bynum. But they will try to get under Bynum’s skin with repeated fouls, and he will need to resist frustration and keep his focus.
Players you may not know but will
Gordon Hayward, Jazz. College hoops fans, of course, remember Hayward from his Butler days. But he is becoming an increasingly effective NBA player as the year has gone on. He did not play much in the Jazz finale, but before that, in 12 April games, Hayward averaged 17.2 points on 51.1 percent shooting and 50 percent from the 3-point line.
Devin Ebanks, Lakers. Ebanks is in his second year, and his scoring average (3.6 points) won’t garner much attention. But he has been solid when thrust into the starting lineup, and that is where he will be with small forward Metta World Peace suspended for six postseason games.
Danny Green, Spurs. Green is a classic Spurs role player, overlooked elsewhere but emerging as a productive shooting guard in the team’s starting five. He is obviously not a top option for San Antonio, but he can fill the scoring gap when he needs to—he topped 20 points four times this season.
Can’t miss matchup: Al Jefferson vs. Tim Duncan
Jefferson (19.4 points, 9.7 rebounds) quietly had one of the best seasons of his career. Duncan, even at 36, is still a very effective big man, with averages of 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 28.2 minutes. Jefferson has posted good numbers in his career against Duncan, but according to Basketball-reference.com, Jefferson has a career record of 1-21 against Duncan.
Outlook
No. 1 Spurs over No. 8 Jazz, 4-1
No. 2 Thunder over No. 7 Mavericks, 4-3
No. 3 Lakers over No. 6 Nuggets, 4-2
No. 4 Grizzlies over No. 5 Clippers, 4-2
Jeremy Lin feeling ‘great’ on knee, targets second-round return
Jeremy Lin is on course to return to action for the second round of the NBA playoffs, should the New York Knicks get past their first-round opponent.
The Knicks are matched up against the Heat, so they are a huge underdog to do that.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson said the team is counting on Lin to be back by round two, TNT’s Marty Snider noted during the Knicks-Bobcats broadcast Thursday night, and when asked if that’s his plan, too, Lin told Snider, “Absolutely, that’s my plan to be back in round two.”
Lin practiced with the team on Wednesday, and Snider reported that he spent about 40 minutes shooting by himself on the court at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte before Thursday’s game. Lin can run and shoot on his surgically repaired knee, but can’t cut on it, according to Snider.
“It felt great, I’m working back slowly, but it really felt good today,” Lin said, per Snider. “(But) I don’t want to push it too much.”
The Knicks are matched up against the Heat, so they are a huge underdog to do that.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson said the team is counting on Lin to be back by round two, TNT’s Marty Snider noted during the Knicks-Bobcats broadcast Thursday night, and when asked if that’s his plan, too, Lin told Snider, “Absolutely, that’s my plan to be back in round two.”
Lin practiced with the team on Wednesday, and Snider reported that he spent about 40 minutes shooting by himself on the court at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte before Thursday’s game. Lin can run and shoot on his surgically repaired knee, but can’t cut on it, according to Snider.
“It felt great, I’m working back slowly, but it really felt good today,” Lin said, per Snider. “(But) I don’t want to push it too much.”
4.26.2012
Has Steve Nash played his final game for the Phoenix Suns?
Steve Nash’s contract with the Phoenix Suns is expiring, so questions about whether this was his last season with the team are naturally being asked.
Nash has maintained that he wants to see the Suns’ roster improved before he re-signs with the team, and he reiterated that stance Wednesday night, after the team’s final game of the season, a 110-106 loss in Phoenix to the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite the Suns being eliminated from playoff contention the previous night by losing to the Utah Jazz, a crowd of 17,172 turned out for the meaningless game against the Spurs, largely to watch Nash in what may have been his last game with the team, the Arizona Republic reports, and chants of "We want Steve" broke out in US Airways Center.
"It was obviously amazing to get that type of reception and support," Nash said, per the Republic. "It's very special because it's not something I asked for or imagined. To get that kind of reaction means it's authentic, the relationship I thought we had. It really feels special. The fans have been phenomenal and it's meant a lot to me to play in a city like this as long as I have and to feel important to the fans and community. I just feel like a very lucky guy."
Nash said he has "no clue" about where he’ll play next season, but added, "I think the team could use more playmakers. It depends on your strategy. You could go for bigs. You could go for consistent 20-a-game scorer. Or you could go for a few more playmakers at different positions. The team and the club need to really analyze what their philosophy is moving forward and put a contingency plan together to build the best team. It'll be an interesting period."
In other words, Nash is clearly leaving open the possibility of moving on. He’s 38 and has been in the league for 16 years, and while he scored just 12.5 points per game—his lowest average since the 1999-2000 season—he shot a career-best 53.2 percent from the field and dished out an NBA second-best 10.7 assists per game. So there will be plenty of teams interested in bringing aboard the veteran point guard.
Nash has maintained that he wants to see the Suns’ roster improved before he re-signs with the team, and he reiterated that stance Wednesday night, after the team’s final game of the season, a 110-106 loss in Phoenix to the San Antonio Spurs.
Despite the Suns being eliminated from playoff contention the previous night by losing to the Utah Jazz, a crowd of 17,172 turned out for the meaningless game against the Spurs, largely to watch Nash in what may have been his last game with the team, the Arizona Republic reports, and chants of "We want Steve" broke out in US Airways Center.
"It was obviously amazing to get that type of reception and support," Nash said, per the Republic. "It's very special because it's not something I asked for or imagined. To get that kind of reaction means it's authentic, the relationship I thought we had. It really feels special. The fans have been phenomenal and it's meant a lot to me to play in a city like this as long as I have and to feel important to the fans and community. I just feel like a very lucky guy."
Nash said he has "no clue" about where he’ll play next season, but added, "I think the team could use more playmakers. It depends on your strategy. You could go for bigs. You could go for consistent 20-a-game scorer. Or you could go for a few more playmakers at different positions. The team and the club need to really analyze what their philosophy is moving forward and put a contingency plan together to build the best team. It'll be an interesting period."
In other words, Nash is clearly leaving open the possibility of moving on. He’s 38 and has been in the league for 16 years, and while he scored just 12.5 points per game—his lowest average since the 1999-2000 season—he shot a career-best 53.2 percent from the field and dished out an NBA second-best 10.7 assists per game. So there will be plenty of teams interested in bringing aboard the veteran point guard.
Derrick Rose, Jeremy Lin top NBA's jersey sales
NEW YORK -- Move over, Kobe and LeBron: Only Derrick Rose could top Linsanity when it came to jersey sales over the past year.
The league's reigning MVP has the top-selling jersey at the NBA Store and nbastore.com since April 2011, the NBA said Thursday. Knicks guard Jeremy Lin was No. 2, despite his merchandise not even being available until his stunning breakthrough in February.
Bryant was third and James fourth, unusually low spots for two of the NBA's biggest superstars. Bryant had been No. 1 six times and James twice since 2001.
Carmelo Anthony rounded out the top five, helping the Knicks finish second in team merchandise sales. The Bulls were No. 1 for the first time since April 2001.
Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys:
1. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
2. Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks*
3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Miami Heat
5. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks*
8. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
9. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
10. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
11. Amare Stoudemire, New York Knicks
12. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
13. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
14. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
15. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers*
The league's reigning MVP has the top-selling jersey at the NBA Store and nbastore.com since April 2011, the NBA said Thursday. Knicks guard Jeremy Lin was No. 2, despite his merchandise not even being available until his stunning breakthrough in February.
Bryant was third and James fourth, unusually low spots for two of the NBA's biggest superstars. Bryant had been No. 1 six times and James twice since 2001.
Carmelo Anthony rounded out the top five, helping the Knicks finish second in team merchandise sales. The Bulls were No. 1 for the first time since April 2001.
Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys:
1. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
2. Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks*
3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Miami Heat
5. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks*
8. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
9. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
10. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
11. Amare Stoudemire, New York Knicks
12. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
13. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
14. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
15. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers*
4.24.2012
Peace out: World Peace can't outrun the Artest rap sheet
It was a scary moment, watching the burly biceps of Lakers forward Metta World Peace come down, hard, on the back of James Harden’s head, leaving Harden down on the count, with a concussion. For all the time he has spent in the last few years attempting to remake his image, the league’s suspension showed that a flowery name change can’t cover up one’s past misdeeds.
Today, World Peace learned his punishment—his suspension will run seven games. That’s more severe than the five games that seemed possible at minimum, but not nearly as harsh as some of the calls that would have sent him out for the entire postseason. If it had been anyone but MWP tossing that elbow, the suspension probably would have been three games, maybe four. But the league office is all too aware of what Ron Artest has done in the past, no matter what he calls himself now.
“The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area,” commissioner David Stern said in a statement. “We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations.”
Today, World Peace learned his punishment—his suspension will run seven games. That’s more severe than the five games that seemed possible at minimum, but not nearly as harsh as some of the calls that would have sent him out for the entire postseason. If it had been anyone but MWP tossing that elbow, the suspension probably would have been three games, maybe four. But the league office is all too aware of what Ron Artest has done in the past, no matter what he calls himself now.
“The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area,” commissioner David Stern said in a statement. “We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations.”
Down stretch, teams eschew home court for rest
BOSTON—It was, at halftime, 34-28, Miami. The Celtics were shooting 31.4 percent from the field, and the Heat were only slightly better, 40.5 percent. Boston had gone with a starting lineup that featured Sasha Pavlovic and Ryan Hollins in place of Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. The Heat were without Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, with Mike Miller, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem in their place.
Bear in mind, this was not a throwaway game for either team. For the Celtics, slated to play the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs starting this weekend, home-court advantage was at stake. For the Heat, a chance to stay in the chase for the No. 1 seed in the East was in play—which would mean home court in a potential conference final showdown against Chicago. In the end, the Celtics won, 78-66, meaning they will continue jockeying with the Hawks for playoff position this week, while the Heat will have to settle for second in the East.
But the game serves to highlight what has become a bit of an embarrassing problem for the league lately—teams with sewn-up playoff spots are simply not taking the fight for seeding all that seriously, choosing to focus on rest rather than on moving up in the standings or securing home-court advantage.
Bear in mind, this was not a throwaway game for either team. For the Celtics, slated to play the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs starting this weekend, home-court advantage was at stake. For the Heat, a chance to stay in the chase for the No. 1 seed in the East was in play—which would mean home court in a potential conference final showdown against Chicago. In the end, the Celtics won, 78-66, meaning they will continue jockeying with the Hawks for playoff position this week, while the Heat will have to settle for second in the East.
But the game serves to highlight what has become a bit of an embarrassing problem for the league lately—teams with sewn-up playoff spots are simply not taking the fight for seeding all that seriously, choosing to focus on rest rather than on moving up in the standings or securing home-court advantage.
Celtics unsure about Allen's return from ankle injury
BOSTON—It was no surprise, before the Celtics tipped off against the Heat at TD Garden, that they would be without Ray Allen.
In fact, it’s getting to the point where the Celtics are expecting Allen not to play, rather than to return to the lineup.
On Tuesday morning, Allen said that MRI scans of his troublesome right ankle, which has now kept him out of 14 games for Boston, showed that he has bone spurs. Celtics coach Doc Rivers expressed concern about the slowness with which the ankle has healed. In the meantime, Rivers said, nothing new had been uncovered about the ankle.
“It’s the same,” Rivers said. “We don’t know anything. It’s a concern, like I said, but other than that, we just have to wait and see.”
After Allen returned from his ankle injury the first time, in early April, the Celtics hoped to incorporate him into the rotation off the bench, a new role for Allen, because Avery Bradley had played well in the starting five. Allen, shooting 45.3 percent on 3-pointers, played four games as sixth man before the ankle became too painful to play on again.
The Celtics have one more game on the docket before the playoffs start this weekend, on Thursday against Milwaukee. There is a chance that the Celtics could be playing for home-court advantage in the first round in that one, and Rivers said he expects to have many of his injured players—Kevin Garnett (hip flexor), Rajon Rondo (back), Greg Stiemsma (foot) and Mickael Pietrus (knee) all sat out against Miami—back on the floor for that one. But Allen is unlikely.
“We’d play them because they will be rested,” Rivers said. “Except for if a guy is injured, he’s injured. Ray couldn’t play in that game. I am hoping (Pietrus) will be able to play. Rondo should be able to play. But they’re all should and woulds, but there’s no definites. That’s just the way it is right now.”
In fact, it’s getting to the point where the Celtics are expecting Allen not to play, rather than to return to the lineup.
On Tuesday morning, Allen said that MRI scans of his troublesome right ankle, which has now kept him out of 14 games for Boston, showed that he has bone spurs. Celtics coach Doc Rivers expressed concern about the slowness with which the ankle has healed. In the meantime, Rivers said, nothing new had been uncovered about the ankle.
“It’s the same,” Rivers said. “We don’t know anything. It’s a concern, like I said, but other than that, we just have to wait and see.”
After Allen returned from his ankle injury the first time, in early April, the Celtics hoped to incorporate him into the rotation off the bench, a new role for Allen, because Avery Bradley had played well in the starting five. Allen, shooting 45.3 percent on 3-pointers, played four games as sixth man before the ankle became too painful to play on again.
The Celtics have one more game on the docket before the playoffs start this weekend, on Thursday against Milwaukee. There is a chance that the Celtics could be playing for home-court advantage in the first round in that one, and Rivers said he expects to have many of his injured players—Kevin Garnett (hip flexor), Rajon Rondo (back), Greg Stiemsma (foot) and Mickael Pietrus (knee) all sat out against Miami—back on the floor for that one. But Allen is unlikely.
“We’d play them because they will be rested,” Rivers said. “Except for if a guy is injured, he’s injured. Ray couldn’t play in that game. I am hoping (Pietrus) will be able to play. Rondo should be able to play. But they’re all should and woulds, but there’s no definites. That’s just the way it is right now.”
Knicks remove GM Glen Grunwald's interim tag; is Mike Woodson next?
The New York Knicks have promoted Glen Grunwald to executive vice president and general manager after he assembled numerous pieces of a playoff roster this season.
Grunwald has been serving on an interim basis since July, after Donnie Walsh opted not to return. He acquired center Tyson Chandler before the season to become the defensive presence the team long lacked, and signed key players such as Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis, Steve Novak and JR Smith along the way.
The Knicks went into Tuesday still with hopes of finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference, despite a tumultuous season that saw coach Mike D'Antoni resign in March.
Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan says in a statement the Knicks look forward to Grunwald continuing in his role "for many years to come."
The move to remove the interim tag from Grunwald’s titles may portend the organization’s decision to name Mike Woodson the team’s permanent head coach, Newsday's Al Iannazzone suggests. Woodson was named interim coach when upon D'Antoni's departure.
Star forward Carmelo Anthony “endorsed Woodson today and Grunwald and Woodson were college teammates” at Indiana, Iannazzone tweets.
Grunwald has been serving on an interim basis since July, after Donnie Walsh opted not to return. He acquired center Tyson Chandler before the season to become the defensive presence the team long lacked, and signed key players such as Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis, Steve Novak and JR Smith along the way.
The Knicks went into Tuesday still with hopes of finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference, despite a tumultuous season that saw coach Mike D'Antoni resign in March.
Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan says in a statement the Knicks look forward to Grunwald continuing in his role "for many years to come."
The move to remove the interim tag from Grunwald’s titles may portend the organization’s decision to name Mike Woodson the team’s permanent head coach, Newsday's Al Iannazzone suggests. Woodson was named interim coach when upon D'Antoni's departure.
Star forward Carmelo Anthony “endorsed Woodson today and Grunwald and Woodson were college teammates” at Indiana, Iannazzone tweets.
SBD: ABC sets its NBA audience record for second straight season
ABC averaged a 3.3 Nielsen rating and 5.4 million viewers for its 15 NBA games this season, marking the network’s best regular-season averages since ESPN/ABC acquired TV rights prior to the 2002-03 season. A 3.3 rating means that an average of 3.3 percent of homes with at least one television tuned in for NBA games on ABC.
The figures also mark the best NBA averages for any broadcast network since NBC during the 1998-99 season, which was also shortened by a labor dispute.
Compared to last season’s record-breaking figures, ABC is up 10 percent in rating and 6 percent in viewership. ABC is also up 43 percent and 47 percent, respectively, from the 2009-10 season.
The figures also mark the best NBA averages for any broadcast network since NBC during the 1998-99 season, which was also shortened by a labor dispute.
Compared to last season’s record-breaking figures, ABC is up 10 percent in rating and 6 percent in viewership. ABC is also up 43 percent and 47 percent, respectively, from the 2009-10 season.
Nepotism in union may explain Fisher’s call for external audit
National Basketball Players Association president Derek Fisher asked that the union have an external audit performed on its business practices, and now Bloomberg News sheds some light as to why he may have made that request: since 2001, the NBPA paid almost $4.8 million to executive director Billy Hunter’s family members and their professional firms.
Fisher’s call for an outside audit did not go over well with Hunter. He called for Fisher’s resignation and summoned the unanimous support of the eight-member executive committee.
As detailed by Bloomberg, here are Hunter’s family’s financial connections to the union: his daughter and daughter-in-law are on union staff; another daughter is special counsel at a law firm used by the PA; and Hunter’s son is a principal at a financial firm that was paid $45,526 a month for work performed for the union.
NBPA spokesperson Dan Wasserman told Bloomberg that the union is aware of all of this but said Hunter was not available for comment.
“It’s not a criminal act, but it’s not something I would do,” Marvin Miller, the famous former head of the baseball players union, said.
Robert Barbato, a business ethics professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said in light of the nepotism, he understands Fisher’s concerns.
“The involvement of so many family members who are receiving significant economic benefits raises enough of an ethical concern that an independent review seems required,” Barbato told Bloomberg in an e-mail. “Unless there is a reasonable explanation for calling for his resignation, I’m especially concerned that the executive committee has tried to silence Derek Fisher.”
Jerome Williams, a former NBA player and executive board member, believes that an outside examination is warranted.
“It’s a fine line because of how many players are represented and the amount of money that’s influenced by one person,” Williams told Bloomberg. “As a former vice president, I would have to advise the group that it would be wise to diversify.”
Fisher’s call for an outside audit did not go over well with Hunter. He called for Fisher’s resignation and summoned the unanimous support of the eight-member executive committee.
As detailed by Bloomberg, here are Hunter’s family’s financial connections to the union: his daughter and daughter-in-law are on union staff; another daughter is special counsel at a law firm used by the PA; and Hunter’s son is a principal at a financial firm that was paid $45,526 a month for work performed for the union.
NBPA spokesperson Dan Wasserman told Bloomberg that the union is aware of all of this but said Hunter was not available for comment.
“It’s not a criminal act, but it’s not something I would do,” Marvin Miller, the famous former head of the baseball players union, said.
Robert Barbato, a business ethics professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said in light of the nepotism, he understands Fisher’s concerns.
“The involvement of so many family members who are receiving significant economic benefits raises enough of an ethical concern that an independent review seems required,” Barbato told Bloomberg in an e-mail. “Unless there is a reasonable explanation for calling for his resignation, I’m especially concerned that the executive committee has tried to silence Derek Fisher.”
Jerome Williams, a former NBA player and executive board member, believes that an outside examination is warranted.
“It’s a fine line because of how many players are represented and the amount of money that’s influenced by one person,” Williams told Bloomberg. “As a former vice president, I would have to advise the group that it would be wise to diversify.”
Al Horford reverses course, says he’ll be back for Hawks
After telling Yahoo! Sports that it was unrealistic for him to be back for the playoffs, Hawks center Al Horford told the site that he will play limited minutes—about 15 minutes per game—beginning with Atlanta’s final regular-season game, Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.
A doctor told Horford, who’s been out since Jan. 11 with a torn pectoral, that the weakness in the muscle he’s feeling is normal.
Horford told Yahoo! that the doctor who performed surgery on him, Xavier Duralde, “gave me the OK. I'm feeling pretty good about it now. He just said, 'You're going to be limited. That's all. You can go out there and play limited time.' That's kind of why I'm back in there. ... "
The Hawks will play the Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
"It remains to be seen what I can bring," Horford added. "But I hope to bring some scoring. They can't expect a lot from me defensively because it's been a while since I've even played. That's one of the things that will hold me back, but scoring I can help. And also with presence with the team in general.”
Horford also said he expects to play for his native Dominican Republic at the FIBA World Olympic qualifying tournament from July 2-8 in Venezuela, Spears reports.
A doctor told Horford, who’s been out since Jan. 11 with a torn pectoral, that the weakness in the muscle he’s feeling is normal.
Horford told Yahoo! that the doctor who performed surgery on him, Xavier Duralde, “gave me the OK. I'm feeling pretty good about it now. He just said, 'You're going to be limited. That's all. You can go out there and play limited time.' That's kind of why I'm back in there. ... "
The Hawks will play the Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
"It remains to be seen what I can bring," Horford added. "But I hope to bring some scoring. They can't expect a lot from me defensively because it's been a while since I've even played. That's one of the things that will hold me back, but scoring I can help. And also with presence with the team in general.”
Horford also said he expects to play for his native Dominican Republic at the FIBA World Olympic qualifying tournament from July 2-8 in Venezuela, Spears reports.
Baylor freshman Quincy Miller changes mind, headed to NBA Draft
It seemed inevitable when the NCAA moved up its deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft -- from mid-June to early May and then finally to just eight days after the Final Four -- that some basketball player would ignore that date and declare when he saw fit.
It seemed unlikely the player who’d do that, though, would be forward Quincy Miller.
Which means sticking it to Baylor.
Miller told Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears he is leaving Baylor and signing with an agent, ending his college career after just one year. Miller made his announcement in a press conference on April 10 -- that NCAA deadline we talked about -- that he would return to the Bears as a sophomore. The NBA allows players to place their name on the early entry list until this Sunday.
At 6-9, 210 pounds, Miller is long and agile, but he proved to be far from a finished product as a college freshman. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24 minutes per game, struggling as a defender and with his jumpshot. He had only one double-figure scoring game in the NCAA Tournament, getting 10 points in the Bears’ first game, against South Dakota State. He was overwhelmed in the Elite Eight against eventual national champion Kentucky, shooting 1-of-6 from the field for three points in 19 minutes.
Miller had entered Baylor as Scout.com’s No. 4-ranked prospect, but he was coming off a knee injury that kept him from competition during most of his senior year in high school and appeared to need more time to regain his confidence.
Draft analysts rank Miller as a potential first-round pick -- Draft Express lists him as the 18th best NBA prospect. Baylor now loses four of its top six scorers from last season’s 30-win team.
Baylor had kept star forward Perry Jones for a second season after Jones determined he was not physically or mentally prepared for NBA-level competition. The school's run of recent athletic success also includes the Heisman Trophy won by quarterback Robert Griffin, who will become the No. 2 player selected in Thursday's NFL Draft.
It seemed unlikely the player who’d do that, though, would be forward Quincy Miller.
Which means sticking it to Baylor.
Miller told Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears he is leaving Baylor and signing with an agent, ending his college career after just one year. Miller made his announcement in a press conference on April 10 -- that NCAA deadline we talked about -- that he would return to the Bears as a sophomore. The NBA allows players to place their name on the early entry list until this Sunday.
At 6-9, 210 pounds, Miller is long and agile, but he proved to be far from a finished product as a college freshman. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 24 minutes per game, struggling as a defender and with his jumpshot. He had only one double-figure scoring game in the NCAA Tournament, getting 10 points in the Bears’ first game, against South Dakota State. He was overwhelmed in the Elite Eight against eventual national champion Kentucky, shooting 1-of-6 from the field for three points in 19 minutes.
Miller had entered Baylor as Scout.com’s No. 4-ranked prospect, but he was coming off a knee injury that kept him from competition during most of his senior year in high school and appeared to need more time to regain his confidence.
Draft analysts rank Miller as a potential first-round pick -- Draft Express lists him as the 18th best NBA prospect. Baylor now loses four of its top six scorers from last season’s 30-win team.
Baylor had kept star forward Perry Jones for a second season after Jones determined he was not physically or mentally prepared for NBA-level competition. The school's run of recent athletic success also includes the Heisman Trophy won by quarterback Robert Griffin, who will become the No. 2 player selected in Thursday's NFL Draft.
Sporting News hands out our 2011-12 NBA awards
This was, of course, not a typical NBA season. The lockout left us with a compressed schedule, strange and lengthy road trips, and the dreaded back-to-back-to-backs. The regular season may have been one most teams would like to forget, but with the end of the year upon us, it's time to award the exceptional performances over these bizarre four months.
Most Valuable Player
This was a good race for much of the year, with LeBron James’ individual brilliance pitted against Kevin Durant’s great numbers in combination with his team’s best-in-the-league record. But as the Thunder ran out of steam down the stretch of the season, finishing 6-6 in their last 12 games and 15-10 in their last 25, he could no longer claim team superiority, and Durant’s candidacy became more of a purely statistical battle with James.
Though Durant’s numbers are outstanding (a league-best 27.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 49.7 percent shooting), they don’t quite stack up with what James has done (27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 53.1 percent shooting). And while Durant’s length makes him a tough defender, James is one of the league’s top all-around defensive players.
Sporting News ballot
1. LeBron James, Heat
2. Kevin Durant, Thunder
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. Chris Paul, Clippers
5. Tony Parker, Spurs
Coach of the Year
There are always good candidates for this award, and it tends to go to a new-ish coach whose team exceeds expectations—of the last eight coaches of the year, five have been in their first full seasons with their teams. This points to Indiana’s Frank Vogel, but this is a year in which that trend should be bucked.
A strong case can be made for Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau to win back-to-back COYs, after he handled a rash of injuries that allowed him to tip off with his usual starting five just 14 times. There’s also Boston’s Doc Rivers, whose roster was also battered by injuries and had to use 18 different starting lineups.
But the most impressive job this year came from 16th-year Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who plugged in parts like Danny Green, Gary Neal, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills, Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw to help overcome the aging of Tim Duncan and an injury to Manu Ginobili, keeping the Spurs at the top of the West.
Sporting News ballot
1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs
2. Doc Rivers, Celtics
3. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls
Rookie of the Year
Had Ricky Rubio remained healthy and kept the Timberwolves on the playoff path, he would have given Kyrie Irving, the top pick in last year’s NBA Draft, a run for this award. But as it stands, Irving (18.8 points, 5.5 assists, 46.8 percent shooting) was clearly the best player first-year player, and looks to be a piece the Cavs can use as a cornerstone going forward. Kenneth Faried, chosen by Denver with the 22nd pick, has proven to be the surprise of the draft, and Leonard’s performance, particularly at the defensive end, has helped Spurs fans forget the George Hill trade.
Sporting News ballot
1. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers.
2. Kenneth Faried, Nuggets.
3. Kawhi Leonard, Spurs.
Most Improved
This is one of the sillier honors in sports, because too often it goes to a player who does not necessarily improve, but merely gets more playing time. Or it goes to a player who just makes a natural progression from rookie to sophomore, or the expected third-year bump. The fact that Jeremy Lin, who played just 284 minutes last year and only 35 games this year, could be considered a candidate for this award points out how futile it is.
For me, the award should go to a player who does something to significantly improve his game, and no one in the league made a bigger leap from rotation player to high-quality starter than Milwaukee’s Ersan Ilyasova, who averaged 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds. He also shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, after a 33.5 percentage in his first three seasons.
Credit, too, goes to Brandan Wright, who looked like he would hobble out of the league before reinventing himself as part of Dallas’ center rotation. Andrew Bynum might have been a shoo-in if his improvement on the court had not been tempered by continued maturity issues.
Sporting News ballot
1. Ersan Ilyasova, Bucks.
2. Brandan Wright, Mavericks.
3. Andrew Bynum, Lakers.
Defensive Player of the Year
As tumultuous as the season has been for the Knicks, and as many different identities as they have had over the year, they have had one constant—Tyson Chandler in the middle. His impact on the Knicks defense has been obvious, as New York has gone from 27th to 13th in points allowed, from 26th to 10th in opponents’ field goal percentage, from 22nd to fifth in defensive rating (a measure of points allowed per 100 possessions) and from 26th to 11th in defensive rebounding percentage.
Sporting News ballot
1. Tyson Chandler, Knicks.
2. Kevin Garnett, Celtics.
3. LeBron James, Heat.
Sixth Man of the Year
James Harden would not only be a starter on most teams, he would be the leading scorer on many. But, playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, his talents are best employed off the bench, where he has averaged 16.8 points and dramatically improved his efficiency—he is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 39.0 percent on 3-pointers, up from 42.1 percent and 36.0 percent, respectively, over his first two seasons. Lou Williams pulled off the rare feat of leading his team in scoring while coming off the bench, and Mo Williams provided a consistent scoring punch for the Clippers, but this should be a near unanimous vote for Harden.
Sporting News ballot
1. James Harden, Thunder.
2. Lou Williams, Sixers.
3. Mo Williams, Clippers.
Most Valuable Player
This was a good race for much of the year, with LeBron James’ individual brilliance pitted against Kevin Durant’s great numbers in combination with his team’s best-in-the-league record. But as the Thunder ran out of steam down the stretch of the season, finishing 6-6 in their last 12 games and 15-10 in their last 25, he could no longer claim team superiority, and Durant’s candidacy became more of a purely statistical battle with James.
Though Durant’s numbers are outstanding (a league-best 27.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 49.7 percent shooting), they don’t quite stack up with what James has done (27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 53.1 percent shooting). And while Durant’s length makes him a tough defender, James is one of the league’s top all-around defensive players.
Sporting News ballot
1. LeBron James, Heat
2. Kevin Durant, Thunder
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. Chris Paul, Clippers
5. Tony Parker, Spurs
Coach of the Year
There are always good candidates for this award, and it tends to go to a new-ish coach whose team exceeds expectations—of the last eight coaches of the year, five have been in their first full seasons with their teams. This points to Indiana’s Frank Vogel, but this is a year in which that trend should be bucked.
A strong case can be made for Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau to win back-to-back COYs, after he handled a rash of injuries that allowed him to tip off with his usual starting five just 14 times. There’s also Boston’s Doc Rivers, whose roster was also battered by injuries and had to use 18 different starting lineups.
But the most impressive job this year came from 16th-year Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who plugged in parts like Danny Green, Gary Neal, Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills, Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw to help overcome the aging of Tim Duncan and an injury to Manu Ginobili, keeping the Spurs at the top of the West.
Sporting News ballot
1. Gregg Popovich, Spurs
2. Doc Rivers, Celtics
3. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls
Rookie of the Year
Had Ricky Rubio remained healthy and kept the Timberwolves on the playoff path, he would have given Kyrie Irving, the top pick in last year’s NBA Draft, a run for this award. But as it stands, Irving (18.8 points, 5.5 assists, 46.8 percent shooting) was clearly the best player first-year player, and looks to be a piece the Cavs can use as a cornerstone going forward. Kenneth Faried, chosen by Denver with the 22nd pick, has proven to be the surprise of the draft, and Leonard’s performance, particularly at the defensive end, has helped Spurs fans forget the George Hill trade.
Sporting News ballot
1. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers.
2. Kenneth Faried, Nuggets.
3. Kawhi Leonard, Spurs.
Most Improved
This is one of the sillier honors in sports, because too often it goes to a player who does not necessarily improve, but merely gets more playing time. Or it goes to a player who just makes a natural progression from rookie to sophomore, or the expected third-year bump. The fact that Jeremy Lin, who played just 284 minutes last year and only 35 games this year, could be considered a candidate for this award points out how futile it is.
For me, the award should go to a player who does something to significantly improve his game, and no one in the league made a bigger leap from rotation player to high-quality starter than Milwaukee’s Ersan Ilyasova, who averaged 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds. He also shot 45.5 percent on 3-pointers, after a 33.5 percentage in his first three seasons.
Credit, too, goes to Brandan Wright, who looked like he would hobble out of the league before reinventing himself as part of Dallas’ center rotation. Andrew Bynum might have been a shoo-in if his improvement on the court had not been tempered by continued maturity issues.
Sporting News ballot
1. Ersan Ilyasova, Bucks.
2. Brandan Wright, Mavericks.
3. Andrew Bynum, Lakers.
Defensive Player of the Year
As tumultuous as the season has been for the Knicks, and as many different identities as they have had over the year, they have had one constant—Tyson Chandler in the middle. His impact on the Knicks defense has been obvious, as New York has gone from 27th to 13th in points allowed, from 26th to 10th in opponents’ field goal percentage, from 22nd to fifth in defensive rating (a measure of points allowed per 100 possessions) and from 26th to 11th in defensive rebounding percentage.
Sporting News ballot
1. Tyson Chandler, Knicks.
2. Kevin Garnett, Celtics.
3. LeBron James, Heat.
Sixth Man of the Year
James Harden would not only be a starter on most teams, he would be the leading scorer on many. But, playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, his talents are best employed off the bench, where he has averaged 16.8 points and dramatically improved his efficiency—he is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 39.0 percent on 3-pointers, up from 42.1 percent and 36.0 percent, respectively, over his first two seasons. Lou Williams pulled off the rare feat of leading his team in scoring while coming off the bench, and Mo Williams provided a consistent scoring punch for the Clippers, but this should be a near unanimous vote for Harden.
Sporting News ballot
1. James Harden, Thunder.
2. Lou Williams, Sixers.
3. Mo Williams, Clippers.
Can Derrick Rose lead Bulls to title even at less than 100 percent?
While the Chicago Bulls are just one win—or a Miami Heat loss—away from clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, there’s clearly a concern about the health of star point guard Derrick Rose. Rose has battled a multitude of injuries this season, missing 26 of the Bulls’ 64 games, and just hasn’t looked like himself at times, especially late in the season.
Writes the Chicago Sun-Times, “Nobody expects (Rose) to be playing at an MVP level against the Pacers on Wednesday and Cavaliers on Thursday. ... The best-case scenario involves him returning as close as possible to 100 percent while the playoffs are under way.”
“He’s been out a long time,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, per the Sun-Times. “He’s finding his way, like Rip (Hamilton) has finally gotten comfortable after going through the extended period off. Derrick is going through the same thing. What Derrick has done in the past, he’s gotten up to speed very quickly. Hopefully, that will be the case this time around.”
Rose’s teammates, meanwhile, are confident in his ability to lead the team even if he’s not 100 percent.
“He’s matured so much that he still knows how to be effective even though he’s not 100 percent,” forward Luol Deng said. “Last game (against Dallas, when Rose had 11 points and eight assists in a 93-83 Bulls win), even though he wasn’t attacking or anything, he was still running the offense, running the team. He did a great job doing that.”
Added center Joakim Noah, “Derrick is a tough player. He demands a lot of attention out there on the court. Just having him on the court definitely helps us.”
Writes the Chicago Sun-Times, “Nobody expects (Rose) to be playing at an MVP level against the Pacers on Wednesday and Cavaliers on Thursday. ... The best-case scenario involves him returning as close as possible to 100 percent while the playoffs are under way.”
“He’s been out a long time,” coach Tom Thibodeau said, per the Sun-Times. “He’s finding his way, like Rip (Hamilton) has finally gotten comfortable after going through the extended period off. Derrick is going through the same thing. What Derrick has done in the past, he’s gotten up to speed very quickly. Hopefully, that will be the case this time around.”
Rose’s teammates, meanwhile, are confident in his ability to lead the team even if he’s not 100 percent.
“He’s matured so much that he still knows how to be effective even though he’s not 100 percent,” forward Luol Deng said. “Last game (against Dallas, when Rose had 11 points and eight assists in a 93-83 Bulls win), even though he wasn’t attacking or anything, he was still running the offense, running the team. He did a great job doing that.”
Added center Joakim Noah, “Derrick is a tough player. He demands a lot of attention out there on the court. Just having him on the court definitely helps us.”
PUBLISHED Monday, Apr 23, 2012 at 6:09 pm EDT
A look at three games Tuesday that will impact the NBA’s playoff picture
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz
The Suns did not do themselves any favors by dropping a 118-107 decision at home against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. They already faced a must-win in Utah tonigh, but now they also must beat San Antonio at home on Wednesday in order to secure a playoff spot.
First things first, though—beating the Jazz will not be easy. Utah has won three straight, averaging 117.3 points per game in doing so, and a win over the Suns will seal their spot in the playoffs. They also have the seventh-best record in the NBA at home, at 23-8, though the Suns can take heart in knowing they are the last team to defeat the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena, on April 4.
“We’ve got to bounce back,” Suns guard Shannon Brown said. “We got to go to Utah, tough environment, tough atmosphere, tough team. We gotta win. That’s basically what it comes down to.”
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
The chase for the No. 1 seed is all but over in the East, thanks to Miami’s loss to Washington at home on Saturday. The Heat need to win both remaining games, while the Bulls need to lose both of theirs for Miami to claim the top spot. If the Heat are a bit sanguine about losing the top seed, the reason will be right there in front of them on Tuesday—the Celtics are the No. 4 seed, and should Boston beat Atlanta in the first round, they are experienced enough to present a problem for the top seed in the second round, while the third-seeded Pacers are playoff newbies.
Boston is still in its own playoff rumble, because though the Celtics will be the No. 4 seed and Atlanta No. 5, the Hawks lead the Celtics by a game and would have homecourt advantage if that holds up through this week.
L.A. Clippers at Atlanta Hawks
The Clippers need the Lakers to lose to Sacramento on Thursday in order to have a shot at the Pacific Division title. That’s unlikely, but will not matter either way unless the Clippers can close out with wins in their final two games, in Atlanta and New York.
Don’t expect the Hawks to rest players in this one—as long as homecourt advantage in the first round is in play, they’ll keep pushing to stay ahead of the Celtics.
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz
The Suns did not do themselves any favors by dropping a 118-107 decision at home against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. They already faced a must-win in Utah tonigh, but now they also must beat San Antonio at home on Wednesday in order to secure a playoff spot.
First things first, though—beating the Jazz will not be easy. Utah has won three straight, averaging 117.3 points per game in doing so, and a win over the Suns will seal their spot in the playoffs. They also have the seventh-best record in the NBA at home, at 23-8, though the Suns can take heart in knowing they are the last team to defeat the Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena, on April 4.
“We’ve got to bounce back,” Suns guard Shannon Brown said. “We got to go to Utah, tough environment, tough atmosphere, tough team. We gotta win. That’s basically what it comes down to.”
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
The chase for the No. 1 seed is all but over in the East, thanks to Miami’s loss to Washington at home on Saturday. The Heat need to win both remaining games, while the Bulls need to lose both of theirs for Miami to claim the top spot. If the Heat are a bit sanguine about losing the top seed, the reason will be right there in front of them on Tuesday—the Celtics are the No. 4 seed, and should Boston beat Atlanta in the first round, they are experienced enough to present a problem for the top seed in the second round, while the third-seeded Pacers are playoff newbies.
Boston is still in its own playoff rumble, because though the Celtics will be the No. 4 seed and Atlanta No. 5, the Hawks lead the Celtics by a game and would have homecourt advantage if that holds up through this week.
L.A. Clippers at Atlanta Hawks
The Clippers need the Lakers to lose to Sacramento on Thursday in order to have a shot at the Pacific Division title. That’s unlikely, but will not matter either way unless the Clippers can close out with wins in their final two games, in Atlanta and New York.
Don’t expect the Hawks to rest players in this one—as long as homecourt advantage in the first round is in play, they’ll keep pushing to stay ahead of the Celtics.
Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry shuts it down for season
Kyle Lowry will have offseason surgery and miss the end of the Houston Rockets’ season. Lowry did not play in Sunday’s loss in Miami, which eliminated Houston from playoff contention, and will also miss the Rockets’ final regular-season game, Thursday against the Hornets.
Lowry, with pre-break averages of 15.6 points per game, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals, was being mentioned as an All-Star possibility in the first half of the season. But he was discovered to have a bacterial infection when he was hospitalized on March 8 for a sports hernia and groin infection in the middle of a Rockets East Coast road swing.
Lowry returned for an April 8 game against the Kings and played in nine straight games before deciding to shut it down. His post All-Star break averages fell to 11.4 points, 4.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 steals.
“With the injuries, I won’t be playing again this year,” Lowry said, per the Houston Chronicle. “With the groin and the sports hernia, it’s a lot to deal with. I made a decision to shut it down. ... I haven’t been healthy since I came back.”
He added, “If anybody has seen me play lately, it’s not who I am. It’s one of those tough processes, I tried to play with it and do what I can and not complain about it. It’s a situation I have to get it fixed and taken care of.”
Lowry, with pre-break averages of 15.6 points per game, 7.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals, was being mentioned as an All-Star possibility in the first half of the season. But he was discovered to have a bacterial infection when he was hospitalized on March 8 for a sports hernia and groin infection in the middle of a Rockets East Coast road swing.
Lowry returned for an April 8 game against the Kings and played in nine straight games before deciding to shut it down. His post All-Star break averages fell to 11.4 points, 4.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 steals.
“With the injuries, I won’t be playing again this year,” Lowry said, per the Houston Chronicle. “With the groin and the sports hernia, it’s a lot to deal with. I made a decision to shut it down. ... I haven’t been healthy since I came back.”
He added, “If anybody has seen me play lately, it’s not who I am. It’s one of those tough processes, I tried to play with it and do what I can and not complain about it. It’s a situation I have to get it fixed and taken care of.”
Lakers should sit Metta World Peace for NBA playoffs
Metta World Peace has left us with no other choice. Not after that sequence late in the first half of Sunday’s game at the Staples Center: the elbow that dropped James Harden in a heap, the fighting stance as Harden’s Thunder teammates circled him in retaliation, the wide-eyed, unfocused expression that looked disturbingly familiar.
That has to be the last time we see him on an NBA court this season.
It doesn’t have to be the NBA that does the entire deed, although rarely has the league been as justified to throw the book at a player as it is today.
The suggestion here: Suspend him for the Lakers’ final regular-season game, of course, and then for their entire first-round playoff series, whether it’s a sweep or a seven-gamer.
If they advance, the Lakers are entitled to pick it up from there, and tell World Peace to sit out the rest of the playoffs. Suspend him or deactivate him; it’s just semantics. But he has to go.
They may or may not need him. But they absolutely can’t trust him.
He may have thrown away this second act of his NBA career. The Lakers can’t allow him to throw away the thin chance it still has to win a championship along with it.
It’s sad that World Peace’s career has taken this turn. Yes, sad. Save your anger for elsewhere in cyberspace; it won’t get a soft landing place here. Understandable as it is in light of what he did and how inexcusable it was, the anger has already gone way out of proportion.
Lifetime ban? The dirtiest thing they’ve ever seen in sports? Another lazy resurrection of the images from Auburn Hills, plus the accompanying “thug” talk?
Take a deep breath, click on the video of the Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa in the Stanley Cup playoffs last week, then pull yourself together. Even Kevin Love might agree that there have been more heinous things done by NBA players this season.
Yet Metta World Peace brought it on himself. The overreaction doesn’t happen without the action.
There is no player in recent memory who could afford to do what World Peace did to Harden less than he could. Nobody knew that more than him. His acknowledgment of responsibility for his actions and persona is well-documented. His transformation from Ron Artest—who was Public Enemy No. 1, and who was a danger to himself, his career and his future—was remarkable.
The collapse of that transformation is disappointing, on multiple levels. But ultimate success, or even quick success, was never a guarantee. Mental-health issues never are.
He is the guy who gave an on-court shout-out to his therapist seconds after winning his ring with the Lakers two years ago, and the guy who raffled that ring off the following season to raise half a million dollars for mental health charities. But he’s also the guy who, just last spring, got himself thrown out of a playoff game against Dallas, and suspended from the next game.
Just as he’s the guy whose post-game apology and tweets Sunday could be truly sincere and honest in his mind, he’s also the guy who, during the on-court chaos after the elbow, had that glazed, unhinged, not-completely-there look straight from the Auburn Hills aftermath.
In the NBA’s big picture, World Peace is a repeat offender. He’s put the league in a spot it shouldn’t have to be in, after all the good it never gets credit for, all the double-standards it’s had to fight since the Palace brawl, even after its self-inflicted wounds during the lockout.
World Peace has now inflicted wounds that the NBA had nothing to do with, but will pay a heavy price for.
Meanwhile, he’s also a repeat Lakers offender. With everything else perpetually swirling around them, they can’t afford more of last spring, or more of Sunday.
As responsible as he is to his own well-being, World Peace owed something to the NBA and his team, too. He let them all down.
In return, he needs to sit down. The NBA gets its chance first. The Lakers owe it to everybody to sit him the rest of the way.
That has to be the last time we see him on an NBA court this season.
It doesn’t have to be the NBA that does the entire deed, although rarely has the league been as justified to throw the book at a player as it is today.
The suggestion here: Suspend him for the Lakers’ final regular-season game, of course, and then for their entire first-round playoff series, whether it’s a sweep or a seven-gamer.
If they advance, the Lakers are entitled to pick it up from there, and tell World Peace to sit out the rest of the playoffs. Suspend him or deactivate him; it’s just semantics. But he has to go.
They may or may not need him. But they absolutely can’t trust him.
He may have thrown away this second act of his NBA career. The Lakers can’t allow him to throw away the thin chance it still has to win a championship along with it.
It’s sad that World Peace’s career has taken this turn. Yes, sad. Save your anger for elsewhere in cyberspace; it won’t get a soft landing place here. Understandable as it is in light of what he did and how inexcusable it was, the anger has already gone way out of proportion.
Lifetime ban? The dirtiest thing they’ve ever seen in sports? Another lazy resurrection of the images from Auburn Hills, plus the accompanying “thug” talk?
Take a deep breath, click on the video of the Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa in the Stanley Cup playoffs last week, then pull yourself together. Even Kevin Love might agree that there have been more heinous things done by NBA players this season.
Yet Metta World Peace brought it on himself. The overreaction doesn’t happen without the action.
There is no player in recent memory who could afford to do what World Peace did to Harden less than he could. Nobody knew that more than him. His acknowledgment of responsibility for his actions and persona is well-documented. His transformation from Ron Artest—who was Public Enemy No. 1, and who was a danger to himself, his career and his future—was remarkable.
The collapse of that transformation is disappointing, on multiple levels. But ultimate success, or even quick success, was never a guarantee. Mental-health issues never are.
He is the guy who gave an on-court shout-out to his therapist seconds after winning his ring with the Lakers two years ago, and the guy who raffled that ring off the following season to raise half a million dollars for mental health charities. But he’s also the guy who, just last spring, got himself thrown out of a playoff game against Dallas, and suspended from the next game.
Just as he’s the guy whose post-game apology and tweets Sunday could be truly sincere and honest in his mind, he’s also the guy who, during the on-court chaos after the elbow, had that glazed, unhinged, not-completely-there look straight from the Auburn Hills aftermath.
In the NBA’s big picture, World Peace is a repeat offender. He’s put the league in a spot it shouldn’t have to be in, after all the good it never gets credit for, all the double-standards it’s had to fight since the Palace brawl, even after its self-inflicted wounds during the lockout.
World Peace has now inflicted wounds that the NBA had nothing to do with, but will pay a heavy price for.
Meanwhile, he’s also a repeat Lakers offender. With everything else perpetually swirling around them, they can’t afford more of last spring, or more of Sunday.
As responsible as he is to his own well-being, World Peace owed something to the NBA and his team, too. He let them all down.
In return, he needs to sit down. The NBA gets its chance first. The Lakers owe it to everybody to sit him the rest of the way.
Al Horford says it’s not realistic for him to be back for playoffs
Center Al Horford does not expect to return from a pectoral injury for the playoffs, Yahoo! Sports Marc Spears reports via Twitter.
Horford, who’s been out since Jan. 11, told Spears, "I don't feel like it is realistic that I can play for the playoffs. Obviously, if we advance and start going we will see. But as of right now the way I feel I think I am out for the playoffs." The Celtics are the Hawks' first-round opponent.
Horford’s statement to Spears marks a change of heart from him telling reporters on Sunday that there was a chance he’d be back for the Hawks’ regular-season finale against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Asked to gauge his chances of playing in the playoffs on a scale of 1 to 10, Horford responded, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “I would say a 7. I really want to play. I don’t know if it’s the smartest thing for me physically but I want to be out there and I feel like it’s realistic.”
With Zaza Pachulia also out with a foot injury, the Hawks went with a small lineup against the New York Knicks on Sunday. In fact, their only two active centers—Erick Dampier and Jason Collins—did not play, both listed in the box score as ‘DNP COACH'S DECISION.’
Forward Josh Smith said when Horford left, “It changed matchups and what we could do down the stretch of games.”
Horford, who’s been out since Jan. 11, told Spears, "I don't feel like it is realistic that I can play for the playoffs. Obviously, if we advance and start going we will see. But as of right now the way I feel I think I am out for the playoffs." The Celtics are the Hawks' first-round opponent.
Horford’s statement to Spears marks a change of heart from him telling reporters on Sunday that there was a chance he’d be back for the Hawks’ regular-season finale against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Asked to gauge his chances of playing in the playoffs on a scale of 1 to 10, Horford responded, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “I would say a 7. I really want to play. I don’t know if it’s the smartest thing for me physically but I want to be out there and I feel like it’s realistic.”
With Zaza Pachulia also out with a foot injury, the Hawks went with a small lineup against the New York Knicks on Sunday. In fact, their only two active centers—Erick Dampier and Jason Collins—did not play, both listed in the box score as ‘DNP COACH'S DECISION.’
Forward Josh Smith said when Horford left, “It changed matchups and what we could do down the stretch of games.”
Durant concedes LeBron deserves NBA’S MVP award
By most accounts, it’s a two-horse race between LeBron James and Kevin Durant for this season’s NBA MVP award, although James has to be considered the favorite. Durant himself, humble as ever, acknowledged that it's James who deserves the honor.
“He deserves all the love (for MVP),” Durant said, per The Oklahoman. “He's playing phenomenal basketball. I'm just trying to get better every single game and trying to help my team as much as I can. I'm just blessed to be in that conversation.”
James is averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, and is even a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, The Oklahoman notes. Also, the Heat have been without James’ co-star, Dwyane Wade, for 15 of their 64 games so far this season.
Durant, meanwhile, holds a razor-thin lead over Kobe Bryant for the league’s scoring title, with a 27.9 points per game average on 49.7 shooting. He’s also averaging eight rebounds and 3.5 assists.
James and Durant have split their head-to-head matchups this season, with Durant scoring 28 points to James’ 17 in the Thunder’s win in Oklahoma City on March 25, and James scoring 34 points to Durant’s 30 in the Heat’s win in Miami in April 4.
“I don’t get involved in saying if I’m the MVP or not," James said, according to Fox Sports' Chris Tomasson. “We’ll see. We got a few games left. ... Just to be in the race, to hear my name in the race with KD and some of the other great athletes, some of the great athletes we have in the league, is very humbling."
Per Tomasson, Heat forward Shane Battier said of James, “His body of work of work speaks for itself. Historically, his numbers are on par with the all-time greats. It’s really a no-brainer, if there’s a question. Durant’s had a phenomenal year, and they’ve played great. But I just think LeBron has had a special, special season."
“He deserves all the love (for MVP),” Durant said, per The Oklahoman. “He's playing phenomenal basketball. I'm just trying to get better every single game and trying to help my team as much as I can. I'm just blessed to be in that conversation.”
James is averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, and is even a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, The Oklahoman notes. Also, the Heat have been without James’ co-star, Dwyane Wade, for 15 of their 64 games so far this season.
Durant, meanwhile, holds a razor-thin lead over Kobe Bryant for the league’s scoring title, with a 27.9 points per game average on 49.7 shooting. He’s also averaging eight rebounds and 3.5 assists.
James and Durant have split their head-to-head matchups this season, with Durant scoring 28 points to James’ 17 in the Thunder’s win in Oklahoma City on March 25, and James scoring 34 points to Durant’s 30 in the Heat’s win in Miami in April 4.
“I don’t get involved in saying if I’m the MVP or not," James said, according to Fox Sports' Chris Tomasson. “We’ll see. We got a few games left. ... Just to be in the race, to hear my name in the race with KD and some of the other great athletes, some of the great athletes we have in the league, is very humbling."
Per Tomasson, Heat forward Shane Battier said of James, “His body of work of work speaks for itself. Historically, his numbers are on par with the all-time greats. It’s really a no-brainer, if there’s a question. Durant’s had a phenomenal year, and they’ve played great. But I just think LeBron has had a special, special season."
NBA risers and fallers: Kobe, Durant battle for scoring title; Nets bid New Jersey adieu
RISING
1. The scoring-champ race. Three points. As of now, that’s all that separates Kobe Bryant (1,616 points in 58 games for an average of 27.86 points per game) from Kevin Durant (1,786 points in 64 games for a 27.91 average). Had Bryant, over the course of the season, made one more 3-pointer, he would be at 1,619 points, which would bump him slightly ahead of Durant in terms of scoring average.
Bryant has one game left, on Thursday in Sacramento. He has averaged 26.9 points against the Kings, the sixth-most against any team over his career. Durant has Sacramento (against whom he averages 28.3 points) and Denver (29.6) remaining. That means Durant is in the driver’s seat, but Bryant must make up only those measly three points.
In the end, it might be a more entertaining battle for fans and media members—both players, who faced each other on Sunday, have said that winning the title is not a big deal. “You guys know I can get it,” Bryant told reporters. “I’m not really tripping about it.”
2. The Pacific Division race. Back on March 23, it looked like there was no real reason to count the Clippers as a challenger to the Lakers in L.A. The Clippers had lost three straight and were 3.5 games behind the Lakers, with rumors being floated about the job security of coach Vinny Del Negro.
But give the Clippers credit—with their come-from-behind win over the Hornets on Sunday, they posted their 14th victory in their last 17 games, which has kept pressure on the Lakers to keep winning. The Lakers can wrap up the division with a win in Sacramento on Thursday, but should they lose, the door will be open for the other team in L.A.
3. Monty Williams. There is a new ownership group for the Hornets, and while there had been some trepidation about what might happen with the front office and coaching staff in the wake of the sale of the team, Williams has certainly made a strong case for keeping his job. He has established himself as one of the league’s brightest young coaches, and has shown here at the end of the season that the Hornets might have been a pretty good team had they been healthy—with star shooting guard Eric Gordon back from a knee injury, the Hornets have gone 5-2. Thanks to Minnesota’s late nosedive, the Hornets are likely to head into the 2012 NBA Draft with two top 10 picks, making the future fairly bright for Williams’ bunch.
FALLING
1. World Peace. Just when everything had been going so well for Metta World Peace, the player formerly known as Ron Artest, he goes and delivers an ugly blow to James Harden’s skull and gets ejected from the Lakers’ win over the Thunder on Sunday. MWP has averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his last 10 games, shooting 49.6 percent from the field. That had to make coach Mike Brown and his Lakers teammates feel pretty good about what they might get out of World Peace, who struggled for much of the year, in the postseason. Then came the elbow, and it will likely cost World Peace a five-game suspension, minimum—it would not be surprising to see the league come down hard on him, and knock him out for 10 games.
With only one regular-season game remaining, the Lakers will be without their starting small forward for much of the first round of the playoffs, and perhaps much of the second round, too.
2. New Jersey. A total of 35 seasons in New Jersey will come to an end on Monday when the Nets host the Sixers, and it will not be a finale awash in glory. The Nets will close out in Newark, their temporary home for the past two seasons, with one of the NBA’s worst records and one of the league’s saddest attendance figures, as they prep for their escape across the river to Brooklyn, where they’ll open the Barclay’s Center next season.
The franchise had one brief spurt of glory, a decade ago, when Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson helped lead them to the Finals twice, but beyond that, it has been a woebegone franchise, with more coaches (17) than playoff appearances (16) in 35 years. Of those postseason appearances, only six lasted beyond the first round.
3. Warriors’ draft. Everything seemed to be going so well at halftime of the Warriors’ game against the Timberwolves on Sunday. They trailed by 16, and looked like a pretty good bet to drop their ninth straight game, which would have moved them into a three-way tie with the Nets and Raptors for the sixth-worst record in the league. But then the depletion of Minnesota’s roster began to outweigh the depletion of Golden State’s roster, and the Warriors rallied to win by five. That keeps the Warriors at 23-41 and holding the eighth-worst record in the league.
Golden State has a vested interest in losing and falling behind the Raptors and/or the Nets in the standings—they owe their draft pick to the Jazz, unless that pick falls in the top seven. Some good scheduling is in line for the Warriors because, if they can lose their last two games, Toronto and New Jersey close the season against each other on Thursday. Someone has got to win that one.
RANK 'EM
(last week’s rankings in parentheses)
1. San Antonio Spurs (1).
2. Chicago Bulls (3).
3. Miami Heat (4).
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (2).
5. L.A. Lakers (5).
6. Indiana Pacers (7).
7. L.A. Clippers (6).
8. Memphis Grizzlies (8).
9. Boston Celtics (9).
10. Atlanta Hawks (10).
11. Denver Nuggets (12).
12. Dallas Mavericks (14).
13. Utah Jazz (19).
14. Orlando Magic (11).
15. New York Knicks (15).
16. Philadelphia 76ers (16).
17. Phoenix Suns (17).
18. Houston Rockets (13).
19. Milwaukee Bucks (18).
20. Portland Trail Blazers (20).
21. Detroit Pistons (25).
22. Toronto Raptors (21).
23. New Jersey Nets (22).
24. Golden State Warriors (23).
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (24).
26. New Orleans Hornets (26).
27. Sacramento Kings (27).
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (28).
29. Washington Wizards (29).
30. Charlotte Bobcats (30).
1. The scoring-champ race. Three points. As of now, that’s all that separates Kobe Bryant (1,616 points in 58 games for an average of 27.86 points per game) from Kevin Durant (1,786 points in 64 games for a 27.91 average). Had Bryant, over the course of the season, made one more 3-pointer, he would be at 1,619 points, which would bump him slightly ahead of Durant in terms of scoring average.
Bryant has one game left, on Thursday in Sacramento. He has averaged 26.9 points against the Kings, the sixth-most against any team over his career. Durant has Sacramento (against whom he averages 28.3 points) and Denver (29.6) remaining. That means Durant is in the driver’s seat, but Bryant must make up only those measly three points.
In the end, it might be a more entertaining battle for fans and media members—both players, who faced each other on Sunday, have said that winning the title is not a big deal. “You guys know I can get it,” Bryant told reporters. “I’m not really tripping about it.”
2. The Pacific Division race. Back on March 23, it looked like there was no real reason to count the Clippers as a challenger to the Lakers in L.A. The Clippers had lost three straight and were 3.5 games behind the Lakers, with rumors being floated about the job security of coach Vinny Del Negro.
But give the Clippers credit—with their come-from-behind win over the Hornets on Sunday, they posted their 14th victory in their last 17 games, which has kept pressure on the Lakers to keep winning. The Lakers can wrap up the division with a win in Sacramento on Thursday, but should they lose, the door will be open for the other team in L.A.
3. Monty Williams. There is a new ownership group for the Hornets, and while there had been some trepidation about what might happen with the front office and coaching staff in the wake of the sale of the team, Williams has certainly made a strong case for keeping his job. He has established himself as one of the league’s brightest young coaches, and has shown here at the end of the season that the Hornets might have been a pretty good team had they been healthy—with star shooting guard Eric Gordon back from a knee injury, the Hornets have gone 5-2. Thanks to Minnesota’s late nosedive, the Hornets are likely to head into the 2012 NBA Draft with two top 10 picks, making the future fairly bright for Williams’ bunch.
FALLING
1. World Peace. Just when everything had been going so well for Metta World Peace, the player formerly known as Ron Artest, he goes and delivers an ugly blow to James Harden’s skull and gets ejected from the Lakers’ win over the Thunder on Sunday. MWP has averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his last 10 games, shooting 49.6 percent from the field. That had to make coach Mike Brown and his Lakers teammates feel pretty good about what they might get out of World Peace, who struggled for much of the year, in the postseason. Then came the elbow, and it will likely cost World Peace a five-game suspension, minimum—it would not be surprising to see the league come down hard on him, and knock him out for 10 games.
With only one regular-season game remaining, the Lakers will be without their starting small forward for much of the first round of the playoffs, and perhaps much of the second round, too.
2. New Jersey. A total of 35 seasons in New Jersey will come to an end on Monday when the Nets host the Sixers, and it will not be a finale awash in glory. The Nets will close out in Newark, their temporary home for the past two seasons, with one of the NBA’s worst records and one of the league’s saddest attendance figures, as they prep for their escape across the river to Brooklyn, where they’ll open the Barclay’s Center next season.
The franchise had one brief spurt of glory, a decade ago, when Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson helped lead them to the Finals twice, but beyond that, it has been a woebegone franchise, with more coaches (17) than playoff appearances (16) in 35 years. Of those postseason appearances, only six lasted beyond the first round.
3. Warriors’ draft. Everything seemed to be going so well at halftime of the Warriors’ game against the Timberwolves on Sunday. They trailed by 16, and looked like a pretty good bet to drop their ninth straight game, which would have moved them into a three-way tie with the Nets and Raptors for the sixth-worst record in the league. But then the depletion of Minnesota’s roster began to outweigh the depletion of Golden State’s roster, and the Warriors rallied to win by five. That keeps the Warriors at 23-41 and holding the eighth-worst record in the league.
Golden State has a vested interest in losing and falling behind the Raptors and/or the Nets in the standings—they owe their draft pick to the Jazz, unless that pick falls in the top seven. Some good scheduling is in line for the Warriors because, if they can lose their last two games, Toronto and New Jersey close the season against each other on Thursday. Someone has got to win that one.
RANK 'EM
(last week’s rankings in parentheses)
1. San Antonio Spurs (1).
2. Chicago Bulls (3).
3. Miami Heat (4).
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (2).
5. L.A. Lakers (5).
6. Indiana Pacers (7).
7. L.A. Clippers (6).
8. Memphis Grizzlies (8).
9. Boston Celtics (9).
10. Atlanta Hawks (10).
11. Denver Nuggets (12).
12. Dallas Mavericks (14).
13. Utah Jazz (19).
14. Orlando Magic (11).
15. New York Knicks (15).
16. Philadelphia 76ers (16).
17. Phoenix Suns (17).
18. Houston Rockets (13).
19. Milwaukee Bucks (18).
20. Portland Trail Blazers (20).
21. Detroit Pistons (25).
22. Toronto Raptors (21).
23. New Jersey Nets (22).
24. Golden State Warriors (23).
25. Minnesota Timberwolves (24).
26. New Orleans Hornets (26).
27. Sacramento Kings (27).
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (28).
29. Washington Wizards (29).
30. Charlotte Bobcats (30).
4.23.2012
Bucks still have a chance to make postseason
A look at three of tonight games that will impact the NBA’s playoff picture:
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks
With five losses in their last seven outings, the Bucks have watched their playoff hopes all but vanish. They trail Philadelphia by three games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and with three games remaining for both teams, the Sixers’ magic number is one—Philly clinches a postseason berth with one more win or one more Milwaukee loss.
For the Bucks, moving on to the playoffs is unlikely but not impossible. They’re 2-0 against the Raptors this season and should be able to handle Toronto at home tonight.
They then play in Philly on Wednesday and in Boston on Thursday, and with Celtics coach Doc Rivers electing to rest his stars rather than fight for home-court advantage, that season finale becomes very winnable.
Philadelphia 76ers at New Jersey Nets
The 76ers, of course, must choke away their last three games for the Bucks to have a chance to get an invite to the postseason party. Fortunately for Milwaukee, all three of the Sixers’ final three games are on the road. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, they’re not against teams we’d describe as world beaters.
Tonight, Philly visits the New Jersey Nets, and while the Nets have lost four straight, look for them to play with emotion since it’s their final game ever at the Prudential Center (they’re moving to Brooklyn before next season).
But even if the Sixers lose tonight and in Milwaukee on Wednesday, they finish in Detroit, where they’ll look to complete a season sweep against the Pistons.
"We can't lose any sleep over what they (the 76ers) do," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We've created the position we're in."
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs
After the Lakers’ double overtime win over Oklahoma City yesterday —and San Antonio’s win against Cleveland—the Spurs now have a two-game lead in the loss column over the Thunder and can secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a win tonight.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, however, has not put much emphasis on getting that top seed, typically leaning toward resting his veteran stars before the playoffs. But Portland’s been playing some pretty uninspired basketball lately, losing its last five in a row, so even with a scaled-down lineup, San Antonio will be a sizable favorite to get the win on their home court.
Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks
With five losses in their last seven outings, the Bucks have watched their playoff hopes all but vanish. They trail Philadelphia by three games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and with three games remaining for both teams, the Sixers’ magic number is one—Philly clinches a postseason berth with one more win or one more Milwaukee loss.
For the Bucks, moving on to the playoffs is unlikely but not impossible. They’re 2-0 against the Raptors this season and should be able to handle Toronto at home tonight.
They then play in Philly on Wednesday and in Boston on Thursday, and with Celtics coach Doc Rivers electing to rest his stars rather than fight for home-court advantage, that season finale becomes very winnable.
Philadelphia 76ers at New Jersey Nets
The 76ers, of course, must choke away their last three games for the Bucks to have a chance to get an invite to the postseason party. Fortunately for Milwaukee, all three of the Sixers’ final three games are on the road. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, they’re not against teams we’d describe as world beaters.
Tonight, Philly visits the New Jersey Nets, and while the Nets have lost four straight, look for them to play with emotion since it’s their final game ever at the Prudential Center (they’re moving to Brooklyn before next season).
But even if the Sixers lose tonight and in Milwaukee on Wednesday, they finish in Detroit, where they’ll look to complete a season sweep against the Pistons.
"We can't lose any sleep over what they (the 76ers) do," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We've created the position we're in."
Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs
After the Lakers’ double overtime win over Oklahoma City yesterday —and San Antonio’s win against Cleveland—the Spurs now have a two-game lead in the loss column over the Thunder and can secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a win tonight.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, however, has not put much emphasis on getting that top seed, typically leaning toward resting his veteran stars before the playoffs. But Portland’s been playing some pretty uninspired basketball lately, losing its last five in a row, so even with a scaled-down lineup, San Antonio will be a sizable favorite to get the win on their home court.
World Peace ejected from Lakers' overtime win for elbow to Harden's head
Metta World Peace was ejected with 1:37 left in the first half of Sunday’s Lakers-Thunder game for flooring James Harden with a violent left elbow to the head. Harden, once he got up, was taken to the locker room to be examined.
After a fast-break dunk that cut the Thunder’s lead to 48-47, World Peace exulted, brushed up against the Oklahoma City guard and threw the elbow. To no avail, he tried to explain to the officials that he was just celebrating his dunk.
Harden had 14 points in 13 minutes before the incident. World Peace left the game with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals.
"I got real emotional and excited, and it was unfortunate that James had to get hit with the unintentional elbow," said World Peace in a statement after the game. "I hope he's OK. Oklahoma, they're playing for a championship this year. I apologize to the Thunder and James Harden. It was just unfortunate."
Harden was on the Thunder bench when the second half started but went back to the locker room shortly thereafter. ABC's Lisa Salters reported that Harden "cleared the baseline concussion tests" and had been cleared to play, but that he acknowledged he had a "little bit" of a headache. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen said later that Harden was experiencing concussion-like symptoms. Harden never returned to the game.
The Lakers went on to win the game, 114-106, in double overtime thanks to late scoring from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Bryant had 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds to go with a number of clutch baskets in the fourth quarter and both overtimes. Gasol continued his steady play, quietly putting up 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
"It's not so much that we beat Oklahoma, but how we did it," said Bryant, who shook off his own woeful shooting game with two key 3-pointers late in regulation. "In the playoffs, particularly if you don't have home-court advantage, you're going to have games like this. We have to have the poise and the confidence to just keep chipping away."
The Thunder were led by 35 points on 11-for-34 shooting and eight rebounds from Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook also had a cold night shooting, as he added 14 points on only 3-for-22 shooting to pair with 10 assists. Oklahoma City allowed the Lakers to come back to force overtime despite leading by 11 points with only four minutes remaining in regulation.
Oklahoma City is now 6-6 in its last 12 games, with all of its losses coming against teams firmly set in the playoffs. The Thunder lost to the Clippers twice, and dropped three in a row in games against the Grizzlies, Heat and Pacers before taking another loss against the Lakers.
After a fast-break dunk that cut the Thunder’s lead to 48-47, World Peace exulted, brushed up against the Oklahoma City guard and threw the elbow. To no avail, he tried to explain to the officials that he was just celebrating his dunk.
Harden had 14 points in 13 minutes before the incident. World Peace left the game with 12 points, five rebounds and three steals.
"I got real emotional and excited, and it was unfortunate that James had to get hit with the unintentional elbow," said World Peace in a statement after the game. "I hope he's OK. Oklahoma, they're playing for a championship this year. I apologize to the Thunder and James Harden. It was just unfortunate."
Harden was on the Thunder bench when the second half started but went back to the locker room shortly thereafter. ABC's Lisa Salters reported that Harden "cleared the baseline concussion tests" and had been cleared to play, but that he acknowledged he had a "little bit" of a headache. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen said later that Harden was experiencing concussion-like symptoms. Harden never returned to the game.
The Lakers went on to win the game, 114-106, in double overtime thanks to late scoring from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Bryant had 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds to go with a number of clutch baskets in the fourth quarter and both overtimes. Gasol continued his steady play, quietly putting up 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
"It's not so much that we beat Oklahoma, but how we did it," said Bryant, who shook off his own woeful shooting game with two key 3-pointers late in regulation. "In the playoffs, particularly if you don't have home-court advantage, you're going to have games like this. We have to have the poise and the confidence to just keep chipping away."
The Thunder were led by 35 points on 11-for-34 shooting and eight rebounds from Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook also had a cold night shooting, as he added 14 points on only 3-for-22 shooting to pair with 10 assists. Oklahoma City allowed the Lakers to come back to force overtime despite leading by 11 points with only four minutes remaining in regulation.
Oklahoma City is now 6-6 in its last 12 games, with all of its losses coming against teams firmly set in the playoffs. The Thunder lost to the Clippers twice, and dropped three in a row in games against the Grizzlies, Heat and Pacers before taking another loss against the Lakers.
Bynum puts health first, says he’ll pass on Olympic opportunity
USA Basketball needn’t knock on Andrew Bynum’s door if the organization wants to add the Lakers center to its list of players being considered to represent the U.S. at the London Olympics this summer.
With injuries keeping big men Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge off Team USA's Olympic roster, Bynum became an obvious potential replacement. But Bynum said he won’t accept an invitation to play in the Olympics because he wants extra rest and plans to have the same procedure on his knee that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant had in Germany last summer.
“I've got to take care of my legs in the off-season," Bynum said, per the Los Angeles Times. "I've got some things planned for my knees. ... I've got to do some therapy that I'm going overseas to do."
David Steele: Stern, owners responsible for miserable NBA season
The list of 20 candidates for Team USA’s roster for London has been whittled to 16, and USA Basketball chairmen Jerry Colangelo will meet with coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff on May 1 in Las Vegas, when they will decide whether to add to the list of finalists. In addition to Howard and Aldridge, Chauncey Billups also won’t be able to play because of injury, and Colangelo acknowledged that Lamar Odom is no longer being considered because of his poor season in Dallas.
"Lamar Odom had a year that is a forgettable year for him," Colangelo said. "I don't think he possibly, physically or emotionally, could be ready to participate and contribute."
With injuries keeping big men Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge off Team USA's Olympic roster, Bynum became an obvious potential replacement. But Bynum said he won’t accept an invitation to play in the Olympics because he wants extra rest and plans to have the same procedure on his knee that Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant had in Germany last summer.
“I've got to take care of my legs in the off-season," Bynum said, per the Los Angeles Times. "I've got some things planned for my knees. ... I've got to do some therapy that I'm going overseas to do."
David Steele: Stern, owners responsible for miserable NBA season
The list of 20 candidates for Team USA’s roster for London has been whittled to 16, and USA Basketball chairmen Jerry Colangelo will meet with coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff on May 1 in Las Vegas, when they will decide whether to add to the list of finalists. In addition to Howard and Aldridge, Chauncey Billups also won’t be able to play because of injury, and Colangelo acknowledged that Lamar Odom is no longer being considered because of his poor season in Dallas.
"Lamar Odom had a year that is a forgettable year for him," Colangelo said. "I don't think he possibly, physically or emotionally, could be ready to participate and contribute."
Kings to listen to trade offers for Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans and the Sacramento Kings may be headed for divorce, as the team is ready to entertain trade offers for the NBA’s former Rookie of the Year this summer, the Sacramento Bee reports. While Evans is eligible for a contract extension after the season, there have been no talks about a new deal between the player’s reps and the team, according to SI.com’s Sam Amick (via Pro Basketball Talk).
Evans’ reps, including agent Arn Tellem and his brother Reggie, met with Kings president Geoff Petrie this weekend, and Evans is “frustrated with how marginalized he's become” on the team, Amick reports.
Evans played point guard when he was named the NBA's best rookie in 2009-10. He was later moved to shooting guard, and has recently been starting at small forward. Evans is averaging 16.3 points and 34.5 minutes this season, his lowest averages over his three-year career. And those numbers decrease to 15.4 points and 33.2 minutes in the 25 games Evans has started at forward.
Asked about his brother being moved to small forward, Reggie Evans said, “If you ask me about that 20 games into next season, and they're losing, then I'm not OK with it because it's not putting the team in a better position to win. If they're winning, I don't care if Tyreke only scores 10 points. Next year is an important year for us. But that has yet to be determined."
Evans’ reps, including agent Arn Tellem and his brother Reggie, met with Kings president Geoff Petrie this weekend, and Evans is “frustrated with how marginalized he's become” on the team, Amick reports.
Evans played point guard when he was named the NBA's best rookie in 2009-10. He was later moved to shooting guard, and has recently been starting at small forward. Evans is averaging 16.3 points and 34.5 minutes this season, his lowest averages over his three-year career. And those numbers decrease to 15.4 points and 33.2 minutes in the 25 games Evans has started at forward.
Asked about his brother being moved to small forward, Reggie Evans said, “If you ask me about that 20 games into next season, and they're losing, then I'm not OK with it because it's not putting the team in a better position to win. If they're winning, I don't care if Tyreke only scores 10 points. Next year is an important year for us. But that has yet to be determined."
76ers’ Lou Williams reportedly ready to test free agency
Lou Williams, the Philadelphia 76ers’ sixth man and leading scorer, will opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
The Sixers would owe Williams $6.4 million next season if he decides not to opt out, the website notes. But, a source said, Williams has “indicated that he's not going to pick up his option. All indications are that he's going to opt out."
Sixers GM Rod Thorn, however, said, "He has not said what he will do, but we will react to that when the time comes."
Leading a team in scoring while coming off the bench is a rare feat. Williams, who’s averaging 15.0 points per game this season, could become the first player to be his team’s leading scorer without starting a game since Dell Curry did it for the Charlotte Hornets in the 1993-94 season, according to the report.
The Sixers would owe Williams $6.4 million next season if he decides not to opt out, the website notes. But, a source said, Williams has “indicated that he's not going to pick up his option. All indications are that he's going to opt out."
Sixers GM Rod Thorn, however, said, "He has not said what he will do, but we will react to that when the time comes."
Leading a team in scoring while coming off the bench is a rare feat. Williams, who’s averaging 15.0 points per game this season, could become the first player to be his team’s leading scorer without starting a game since Dell Curry did it for the Charlotte Hornets in the 1993-94 season, according to the report.
Jordan says Clippers have had enough of cheap shots against Griffin
Blake Griffin complained last week he’s “definitely sick of taking hard hits,” and now his teammates are warning opponents that if the perceived cheap shots continue, there will be retribution.
"I feel like people are intentionally trying to hurt him," Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said, per ESPN Los Angeles. "It'll all come back around."
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro scoffed at criticism that the Clippers haven't done enough to protect Griffin against the hard fouls, ESPN notes.
"What do all these people think you should do? Do they know the rules?" Del Negro asked rhetorically. "... Of course, we're going to do whatever we can to protect Blake and to protect any player but there's also a time and place to do it. You can only get so many technical fouls and you can only do so many things. It's up to the league to step in to put enough suspensions and fines on people when it happens as best they can."
Explained Jordan, "If Blake gets fouled, I can't go punch someone in the nose. We can't do that but throughout the course of a game, other fouls happen to other players on the opposite team and if they happen to be hard fouls, they happen to be hard fouls. We're going to protect our teammates; it doesn't matter who it is."
Griffin, himself, is trying to take the high road. "I'm not going to say anything; I'm not going to do anything," Griffin said, per the L.A. Times. "Right now we're playing for something bigger. We're trying to get a win and keep pushing in this playoff. So that's the last thing on my mind, really."
"I feel like people are intentionally trying to hurt him," Clippers center DeAndre Jordan said, per ESPN Los Angeles. "It'll all come back around."
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro scoffed at criticism that the Clippers haven't done enough to protect Griffin against the hard fouls, ESPN notes.
"What do all these people think you should do? Do they know the rules?" Del Negro asked rhetorically. "... Of course, we're going to do whatever we can to protect Blake and to protect any player but there's also a time and place to do it. You can only get so many technical fouls and you can only do so many things. It's up to the league to step in to put enough suspensions and fines on people when it happens as best they can."
Explained Jordan, "If Blake gets fouled, I can't go punch someone in the nose. We can't do that but throughout the course of a game, other fouls happen to other players on the opposite team and if they happen to be hard fouls, they happen to be hard fouls. We're going to protect our teammates; it doesn't matter who it is."
Griffin, himself, is trying to take the high road. "I'm not going to say anything; I'm not going to do anything," Griffin said, per the L.A. Times. "Right now we're playing for something bigger. We're trying to get a win and keep pushing in this playoff. So that's the last thing on my mind, really."
Utah Jazz a win against Phoenix Suns away from clinching playoff spot
The Utah Jazz are in sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the NBA’s Western Conference, and can clinch a spot in the postseason with a win at home Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns.
The Jazz improved to 34-30 with a win Saturday night at home against the Orlando Magic. The Suns were blasted at home by the Denver Nuggets, 118-107, and Denver clinched a playoff spot with the win. The Suns and Rockets are both 33-31, tied for ninth-place in the West.
A Jazz win Wednesday would eliminate both with Suns and the Rockets, even if Houston is able to win in Miami on Sunday night. Phoenix, however, has won both games against the Jazz this season, and a win in Utah would put the Suns in the driver’s seat for the West’s final playoff burst. The Suns close their season at home against the the Spurs on Wednesday, and Phoenix may benefit if San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich decides to rest some of his Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“We got to go into Utah — tough environment, tough atmosphere, tough team — and we got to win," Suns guard Shannon Brown told reporters after Phoenix’s loss to Denver on Saturday. "That's basically what it comes down to."
Said Jazz center Al Jefferson, per the Deseret News, "We close, we close. So you know we got to go and take it."
The Jazz improved to 34-30 with a win Saturday night at home against the Orlando Magic. The Suns were blasted at home by the Denver Nuggets, 118-107, and Denver clinched a playoff spot with the win. The Suns and Rockets are both 33-31, tied for ninth-place in the West.
A Jazz win Wednesday would eliminate both with Suns and the Rockets, even if Houston is able to win in Miami on Sunday night. Phoenix, however, has won both games against the Jazz this season, and a win in Utah would put the Suns in the driver’s seat for the West’s final playoff burst. The Suns close their season at home against the the Spurs on Wednesday, and Phoenix may benefit if San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich decides to rest some of his Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“We got to go into Utah — tough environment, tough atmosphere, tough team — and we got to win," Suns guard Shannon Brown told reporters after Phoenix’s loss to Denver on Saturday. "That's basically what it comes down to."
Said Jazz center Al Jefferson, per the Deseret News, "We close, we close. So you know we got to go and take it."
Stern, owners responsible for NBA's miserable season
The NBA regular season is really ending on a high note, isn’t it?
Witness the marquee game of the night Saturday. Well, not so much the marquee game as the one most representative of what’s happening in the league in the final week of the lockout-compressed regular season. In Miami, the Heat, still with an outside chance of getting home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs, hosted the Wizards, still with a chance of winning the rights to Anthony Davis in the lottery.
LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat because, as star players across the NBA have been doing for a month, they needed the rest, playoff position be damned. Dwyane Wade dislocated a finger early, sat out the rest of the game and probably will miss a handful more -- also a common theme among stars this season who have needed rehab more than rest because of fairly serious injuries.
The Wizards won to cap a week in which they beat the Bulls in Chicago with no Derrick Rose or Luol Deng. A normally inexplicable feat is easily explained by the fact five All-Stars played a total of 2 minutes 40 seconds in the games.
But this is what you get for your money this season. Well done, David Stern and owners.
Sorry for the pre-emptive strike, but it’s never too early to cut off a blame-the-players tirade, which never seems far away. Let’s remember who locked out whom, and who put this slapdash schedule together.
Remember that when the likes of Rose, Wade, Kobe Bryant, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tim Duncan and three of Boston’s Big Four enter the playoffs next weekend with gaps in their playing and preparation time. Some are still hurting.
Remember that when Orlando stumbles into the postseason while Dwight Howard recovers from back surgery.
And, if that’s not enough -- if diluting or even corrupting the playoffs with beaten-up, broken-down players wasn’t bad enough -- don’t forget that Howard now won’t play in the Olympics this summer in London. Neither will Andrew Bynum, who told reporters that, even if he's asked, he's not interested in playing for Team USA because he needs to rest and get treatment for his knees.
You all yearned for the fresh-faced purity of college ball to return to the games? Here comes the 19-year-old Davis, maybe, to play center on the defending Olympic champs because he might be all they have left.
So, let’s review. Last summer’s labor dispute was dragged out beyond the limit by guys like Michael Jordan, the architect of a Bobcats team that’s staring the worst record in NBA history in the face this week; and Paul Allen, whose Trail Blazers team isn’t as bad as Jordan’s but is tanking much more blatantly.
Because of it, the players suffer physically. Teams like San Antonio, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Orlando and the Lakers suffer because of the players’ unavailability. Fans suffer from the sharply decreased level of play, and from devalued games for which they’re still charged full price, or are still served up on television. (The NBA last week offered the final week of League Pass for the bargain price of $49. Hey, as long as they’ve gone elbow-deep into your pockets, for fewer dates and lesser quality, why not try shoulder-deep?)
To top it off, America runs the risk of coming home from London with less than gold. History tells us that won’t be received well back here.
But at least the players are staying united in their common struggle, untroubled by internal union strife.
Oh, wait ... no, they’re not.
Since arguably the most physically and mentally taxing year of their careers is now hitting the home stretch and demands their greatest concentration, there’s no better time for players to referee the latest feud between union president Derek Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter, who is trying to oust him.
These aren’t lightweight issues on the table. The executive committee has to navigate them now. So do each team’s player reps. So does Fisher himself, who’s only working to provide the final piece to his new Oklahoma City team’s championship puzzle while defending himself and his record and hiring a public relations firm to help.
Just another part of the fallout from the disaster that was the lockout.
Well, not was. Is.
Witness the marquee game of the night Saturday. Well, not so much the marquee game as the one most representative of what’s happening in the league in the final week of the lockout-compressed regular season. In Miami, the Heat, still with an outside chance of getting home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs, hosted the Wizards, still with a chance of winning the rights to Anthony Davis in the lottery.
LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat because, as star players across the NBA have been doing for a month, they needed the rest, playoff position be damned. Dwyane Wade dislocated a finger early, sat out the rest of the game and probably will miss a handful more -- also a common theme among stars this season who have needed rehab more than rest because of fairly serious injuries.
The Wizards won to cap a week in which they beat the Bulls in Chicago with no Derrick Rose or Luol Deng. A normally inexplicable feat is easily explained by the fact five All-Stars played a total of 2 minutes 40 seconds in the games.
But this is what you get for your money this season. Well done, David Stern and owners.
Sorry for the pre-emptive strike, but it’s never too early to cut off a blame-the-players tirade, which never seems far away. Let’s remember who locked out whom, and who put this slapdash schedule together.
Remember that when the likes of Rose, Wade, Kobe Bryant, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tim Duncan and three of Boston’s Big Four enter the playoffs next weekend with gaps in their playing and preparation time. Some are still hurting.
Remember that when Orlando stumbles into the postseason while Dwight Howard recovers from back surgery.
And, if that’s not enough -- if diluting or even corrupting the playoffs with beaten-up, broken-down players wasn’t bad enough -- don’t forget that Howard now won’t play in the Olympics this summer in London. Neither will Andrew Bynum, who told reporters that, even if he's asked, he's not interested in playing for Team USA because he needs to rest and get treatment for his knees.
You all yearned for the fresh-faced purity of college ball to return to the games? Here comes the 19-year-old Davis, maybe, to play center on the defending Olympic champs because he might be all they have left.
So, let’s review. Last summer’s labor dispute was dragged out beyond the limit by guys like Michael Jordan, the architect of a Bobcats team that’s staring the worst record in NBA history in the face this week; and Paul Allen, whose Trail Blazers team isn’t as bad as Jordan’s but is tanking much more blatantly.
Because of it, the players suffer physically. Teams like San Antonio, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Orlando and the Lakers suffer because of the players’ unavailability. Fans suffer from the sharply decreased level of play, and from devalued games for which they’re still charged full price, or are still served up on television. (The NBA last week offered the final week of League Pass for the bargain price of $49. Hey, as long as they’ve gone elbow-deep into your pockets, for fewer dates and lesser quality, why not try shoulder-deep?)
To top it off, America runs the risk of coming home from London with less than gold. History tells us that won’t be received well back here.
But at least the players are staying united in their common struggle, untroubled by internal union strife.
Oh, wait ... no, they’re not.
Since arguably the most physically and mentally taxing year of their careers is now hitting the home stretch and demands their greatest concentration, there’s no better time for players to referee the latest feud between union president Derek Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter, who is trying to oust him.
These aren’t lightweight issues on the table. The executive committee has to navigate them now. So do each team’s player reps. So does Fisher himself, who’s only working to provide the final piece to his new Oklahoma City team’s championship puzzle while defending himself and his record and hiring a public relations firm to help.
Just another part of the fallout from the disaster that was the lockout.
Well, not was. Is.
Heat's Wade vows to be ready for playoffs
Less than three minutes into Saturday's home game against the Washington Wizards, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade caught his left index finger in Jordan Crawford's jersey and yanked it out of the socket.
Wade went straight to the locker room and didn't return to the game, which the Wizards won 86-84.
More important than the loss to the Wizards is how long Wade will be lost from the lineup.
Chances are, he will miss the Heat's final three regular-season games, starting with Sunday's home game against the Houston Rockets.
A doctor reset Wade's finger and results of an X-ray were negative.
"I'm not crying about it," Wade told The Associated Press while wearing a splint on his finger. "When I was sitting at the table before they could put it back in, the worst-case scenario was surgery, and the best-case scenario was this. Obviously it will be sore for a couple days, but I'll be ready to go when the playoffs start, for sure."
The playoffs start next weekend.
Fellow Heat All-Stars Chris Bosh and LeBron James sat out Saturday's game.
Neither has a serious ailment.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said James is treating some minor bumps and bruises but is feeling fine. James has missed just one other game this season.
Bosh, who has missed three games in a row, has been dealing with nagging injuries. The Heat hope to have him back before the end of the regular season, which is just five days away.
Wade went straight to the locker room and didn't return to the game, which the Wizards won 86-84.
More important than the loss to the Wizards is how long Wade will be lost from the lineup.
Chances are, he will miss the Heat's final three regular-season games, starting with Sunday's home game against the Houston Rockets.
A doctor reset Wade's finger and results of an X-ray were negative.
"I'm not crying about it," Wade told The Associated Press while wearing a splint on his finger. "When I was sitting at the table before they could put it back in, the worst-case scenario was surgery, and the best-case scenario was this. Obviously it will be sore for a couple days, but I'll be ready to go when the playoffs start, for sure."
The playoffs start next weekend.
Fellow Heat All-Stars Chris Bosh and LeBron James sat out Saturday's game.
Neither has a serious ailment.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said James is treating some minor bumps and bruises but is feeling fine. James has missed just one other game this season.
Bosh, who has missed three games in a row, has been dealing with nagging injuries. The Heat hope to have him back before the end of the regular season, which is just five days away.
4.21.2012
Struggling Bulls try to hang on to East's No. 1 seed
A look at three of tonight's NBA games that will impact the playoff picture:
Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls
The Bulls lost for the fifth time in their past 10 games Thursday in Miami, and though the loss came without Derrick Rose, it’s probably time to get concerned about how Chicago is closing out the year. The loss to the Heat put the top seed in the East into play, with Miami only one game back in the loss column.
A loss here gives the Heat an opportunity to tie the Bulls and would create an interesting tiebreaker scenario: The Bulls and Heat split their games this year, and could wind up tied in the second tiebreaker, conference record.
That would send them to the third tiebreaker, record against East playoff teams. For that tiebreaker, the Bulls had been hoping that the Bucks (a team Chicago swept) would earn the eighth playoff spot, but now that it looks like the Sixers will finish No. 8, that tiebreaker would go to Miami.
Of course, it won’t matter if the Bulls can just get back to winning games.
Dallas, meanwhile, has clinched a playoff spot by virtue of owning tiebreaker edges over the Suns, Jazz, Nuggets and Rockets. The Mavs have the No. 6 seed, which means a potential playoff rematch against the Lakers.
Dallas probably would not mind slipping to seventh or eighth and getting a matchup against the Spurs—the Mavericks split with San Antonio this year but were soundly swept by the Lakers.
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
It’ll be a big day for the bottom of the Western Conference bracket, as two of the teams scrambling to punch their postseason tickets in the final week square off in Phoenix.
The outcome of this one represents a wide swing—a victory would wrap up a spot in the postseason for the Nuggets and could move them into the No. 6 spot ahead of Dallas, while a loss would move Phoenix within a half-game of Denver and throw the Nuggets’ playoff spot into jeopardy.
The Suns have been inconsistent lately, but they have played well at home, winning four of their last five including a huge win Thursday over the Clippers.
Even with a loss, Denver does have a couple of advantages in this final week: The Nuggets have the tiebreaker over the Suns and the two teams chasing Denver, the Suns and Jazz, play each other, meaning at least one team is guaranteed to lose another game.
Orlando Magic at Utah Jazz
The Jazz technically are out of the playoff picture at this point, but they control their destiny and, with three games at home (and a 22-8 mark at EnergySolutions Arena), their destiny seems to involve the postseason.
They play an Orlando team reeling from the loss of center Dwight Howard, sporting a 4-8 record in its past 12 games. The Magic are sitting at No. 6 in the East and, with four games remaining, still have the potential to fall behind the Knicks and wind up seventh. That would require four straight losses by the Magic and four straight wins by the Knicks, but the way things are going, it’s a possibility.
Getting the No. 6 seed means Indiana in the first round, and though the Pacers are the hottest team in the league, they’re a better matchup than the Bulls or Heat would be for whichever team finishes seventh.
Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls
The Bulls lost for the fifth time in their past 10 games Thursday in Miami, and though the loss came without Derrick Rose, it’s probably time to get concerned about how Chicago is closing out the year. The loss to the Heat put the top seed in the East into play, with Miami only one game back in the loss column.
A loss here gives the Heat an opportunity to tie the Bulls and would create an interesting tiebreaker scenario: The Bulls and Heat split their games this year, and could wind up tied in the second tiebreaker, conference record.
That would send them to the third tiebreaker, record against East playoff teams. For that tiebreaker, the Bulls had been hoping that the Bucks (a team Chicago swept) would earn the eighth playoff spot, but now that it looks like the Sixers will finish No. 8, that tiebreaker would go to Miami.
Of course, it won’t matter if the Bulls can just get back to winning games.
Dallas, meanwhile, has clinched a playoff spot by virtue of owning tiebreaker edges over the Suns, Jazz, Nuggets and Rockets. The Mavs have the No. 6 seed, which means a potential playoff rematch against the Lakers.
Dallas probably would not mind slipping to seventh or eighth and getting a matchup against the Spurs—the Mavericks split with San Antonio this year but were soundly swept by the Lakers.
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
It’ll be a big day for the bottom of the Western Conference bracket, as two of the teams scrambling to punch their postseason tickets in the final week square off in Phoenix.
The outcome of this one represents a wide swing—a victory would wrap up a spot in the postseason for the Nuggets and could move them into the No. 6 spot ahead of Dallas, while a loss would move Phoenix within a half-game of Denver and throw the Nuggets’ playoff spot into jeopardy.
The Suns have been inconsistent lately, but they have played well at home, winning four of their last five including a huge win Thursday over the Clippers.
Even with a loss, Denver does have a couple of advantages in this final week: The Nuggets have the tiebreaker over the Suns and the two teams chasing Denver, the Suns and Jazz, play each other, meaning at least one team is guaranteed to lose another game.
Orlando Magic at Utah Jazz
The Jazz technically are out of the playoff picture at this point, but they control their destiny and, with three games at home (and a 22-8 mark at EnergySolutions Arena), their destiny seems to involve the postseason.
They play an Orlando team reeling from the loss of center Dwight Howard, sporting a 4-8 record in its past 12 games. The Magic are sitting at No. 6 in the East and, with four games remaining, still have the potential to fall behind the Knicks and wind up seventh. That would require four straight losses by the Magic and four straight wins by the Knicks, but the way things are going, it’s a possibility.
Getting the No. 6 seed means Indiana in the first round, and though the Pacers are the hottest team in the league, they’re a better matchup than the Bulls or Heat would be for whichever team finishes seventh.
Union unanimously gives Derek Fisher a vote of no confidence
The lockout has been over for nearly five months, but within the NBA’s Players Association, a power struggle continues.
On Thursday, Yahoo! Sports reported that the rift that developed between union president Derek Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter was ongoing, with Hunter calling for Fisher’s resignation. Fisher, refusing to give up his post, convinced the executive committee to vote for an independent auditor to look into Hunter’s time as executive director. Hunter responded with a memo to players stating that the audit had been canceled because it was irrelevant.
Now, though, the NBPA has released a statement claiming that on Wednesday, the eight-member executive committee had delivered a unanimous vote of no confidence in Fisher’s leadership.
Fisher told them he has no plans to step down.
"I along with many others are extremely disappointed with the Executive Committee," Fisher said Friday in a statement. "Their demand for my resignation and their need to protect the NBPA management and their own best interests instead of protecting the players we were elected to serve is unfortunate.
“I have tried to convey the legal and moral obligations we have as union officers. Sadly, the executive committee has now waged a personal character attack on me to divert attention from the real issue. The truth.”
A rift between Fisher and union executive director Billy Hunter seemed to develop during the lockout, Fisher often speaking to the media alone while Hunter left quickly after negotiating sessions.
“The Executive Committee based its decision on numerous instances over the past six months where Fisher engaged in conduct detrimental to the union, including acting in contravention of the players’ best interests during collective bargaining, declining to follow the NBPA Constitution, and failing to uphold the duties of the Union President,” the statement read. “To avoid further damage to the NBPA and its 450 members, the Executive Board again calls for Derek’s resignation.”
Fisher fired back with his own response late Friday. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that Fisher said, in a statement: "So the next step is simple. All players have a voice. Any and all players may request an independent review of the business practices and finances and a player representative vote can be taken at a time when all 30 player representatives can be present. A firm of the players choosing may conduct the review.
“The allegations that are now being directed at me are defamatory. But I urge our members to order an independent review beginning immediately and that will be proven along with finding out definitively if there are any issues with the NBPA's business practices and finances.”
During the lockout, several instances of schisms within the union surfaced. Fisher and Hunter were often at odds over the player-owner split of basketball-related income, with Fisher willing to negotiate to a deal that started at a 50-50 split and Hunter (under pressure from the league’s agents) unwilling to drop below 52 percent for players and 48 percent for owners. When the split between Fisher and Hunter became known, a report that Fisher was acting in conjunction with the league in hopes of landing a job with the league after his playing days were over, it was clear that the relationship between the two was not salvageable.
The statement also addressed Fisher’s call for an audit. “The NBPA performs annual financial audits and shares the results of those audits with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at its annual meetings,” the statement said. “The NBPA completed a financial audit in February and will share the results of the audit with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at the union’s summer meeting. Additionally, the NBPA conducted two business reviews following the negotiation of the 1999 and 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreements, and with the support of the entire Executive Committee, the union will conduct another business review in a timely manner. We hope for a swift and complete resolution to these issues.”
Now, with the resolution of the NBA’s lockout well in the rearview mirror, Fisher and Hunter are still at odds and, given the executive committee’s vote, it’s clear that Hunter has the upper hand. Even if he is successful in ousting Fisher, Hunter might not be out of the woods. His contract runs up in four years, and as one NBA agent said on Friday, “It would be the right thing for Derek to go. But it is also time for Billy to go. It is hard for players, at this point, to have much confidence in either one of them.”
On Thursday, Yahoo! Sports reported that the rift that developed between union president Derek Fisher and executive director Billy Hunter was ongoing, with Hunter calling for Fisher’s resignation. Fisher, refusing to give up his post, convinced the executive committee to vote for an independent auditor to look into Hunter’s time as executive director. Hunter responded with a memo to players stating that the audit had been canceled because it was irrelevant.
Now, though, the NBPA has released a statement claiming that on Wednesday, the eight-member executive committee had delivered a unanimous vote of no confidence in Fisher’s leadership.
Fisher told them he has no plans to step down.
"I along with many others are extremely disappointed with the Executive Committee," Fisher said Friday in a statement. "Their demand for my resignation and their need to protect the NBPA management and their own best interests instead of protecting the players we were elected to serve is unfortunate.
“I have tried to convey the legal and moral obligations we have as union officers. Sadly, the executive committee has now waged a personal character attack on me to divert attention from the real issue. The truth.”
A rift between Fisher and union executive director Billy Hunter seemed to develop during the lockout, Fisher often speaking to the media alone while Hunter left quickly after negotiating sessions.
“The Executive Committee based its decision on numerous instances over the past six months where Fisher engaged in conduct detrimental to the union, including acting in contravention of the players’ best interests during collective bargaining, declining to follow the NBPA Constitution, and failing to uphold the duties of the Union President,” the statement read. “To avoid further damage to the NBPA and its 450 members, the Executive Board again calls for Derek’s resignation.”
Fisher fired back with his own response late Friday. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that Fisher said, in a statement: "So the next step is simple. All players have a voice. Any and all players may request an independent review of the business practices and finances and a player representative vote can be taken at a time when all 30 player representatives can be present. A firm of the players choosing may conduct the review.
“The allegations that are now being directed at me are defamatory. But I urge our members to order an independent review beginning immediately and that will be proven along with finding out definitively if there are any issues with the NBPA's business practices and finances.”
During the lockout, several instances of schisms within the union surfaced. Fisher and Hunter were often at odds over the player-owner split of basketball-related income, with Fisher willing to negotiate to a deal that started at a 50-50 split and Hunter (under pressure from the league’s agents) unwilling to drop below 52 percent for players and 48 percent for owners. When the split between Fisher and Hunter became known, a report that Fisher was acting in conjunction with the league in hopes of landing a job with the league after his playing days were over, it was clear that the relationship between the two was not salvageable.
The statement also addressed Fisher’s call for an audit. “The NBPA performs annual financial audits and shares the results of those audits with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at its annual meetings,” the statement said. “The NBPA completed a financial audit in February and will share the results of the audit with the Executive Committee and Player Representatives at the union’s summer meeting. Additionally, the NBPA conducted two business reviews following the negotiation of the 1999 and 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreements, and with the support of the entire Executive Committee, the union will conduct another business review in a timely manner. We hope for a swift and complete resolution to these issues.”
Now, with the resolution of the NBA’s lockout well in the rearview mirror, Fisher and Hunter are still at odds and, given the executive committee’s vote, it’s clear that Hunter has the upper hand. Even if he is successful in ousting Fisher, Hunter might not be out of the woods. His contract runs up in four years, and as one NBA agent said on Friday, “It would be the right thing for Derek to go. But it is also time for Billy to go. It is hard for players, at this point, to have much confidence in either one of them.”
Celtics to sign former BC standout Williams for center depth
The Boston Celtics, seeking added depth for their frontcourt, were close to signing free-agent center Sean Williams this afternoon, according to unidentified sources with knowledge of the deal, cited by ESPN.com.
The Celtics on Thursday waived center Jermaine O'Neal, whose season ended after wrist surgery last month, providing the roster space for Williams.
Williams was expected to join the Celtics in Atlanta and be in uniform for tonight's game against the Hawks, according to unidentified sources cited by ESPN.com.
Williams was a standout player at Boston College but hasn't reached his potential in the NBA.
The 6-foot-10, 235-pounder was waived in March by the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 8.1 minutes in eight games with the Mavs but averaged 15.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 27 games for the Texas Legends, Dallas' D-League affiliate.
ESPN.com notes that Williams joins former Cleveland Cavaliers center Ryan Hollins as new big men brought in by the Celtics late in the season to replace O'Neal and Chris Wilcox to back up resurgent Kevin Garnett, who has played primarily center this season, and rookie surprise Greg Stiemsma.
Meantime, the Boston Herald reported that guard Rajon Rondo (back spasms), Mickael Pietrus (right knee swelling) and Ray Allen (right ankle swelling) didn't travel to Atlanta with the team on Thursday and weren't expected to be there for tonight's game.
The newspaper reported that Allen's injury, in particular, appears to have Celtics officials concerned because of how long it has bothered him. An MRI two weeks ago was negative, but Allen continues to struggle with the ankle.
The Celtics on Thursday waived center Jermaine O'Neal, whose season ended after wrist surgery last month, providing the roster space for Williams.
Williams was expected to join the Celtics in Atlanta and be in uniform for tonight's game against the Hawks, according to unidentified sources cited by ESPN.com.
Williams was a standout player at Boston College but hasn't reached his potential in the NBA.
The 6-foot-10, 235-pounder was waived in March by the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 3.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 8.1 minutes in eight games with the Mavs but averaged 15.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 27 games for the Texas Legends, Dallas' D-League affiliate.
ESPN.com notes that Williams joins former Cleveland Cavaliers center Ryan Hollins as new big men brought in by the Celtics late in the season to replace O'Neal and Chris Wilcox to back up resurgent Kevin Garnett, who has played primarily center this season, and rookie surprise Greg Stiemsma.
Meantime, the Boston Herald reported that guard Rajon Rondo (back spasms), Mickael Pietrus (right knee swelling) and Ray Allen (right ankle swelling) didn't travel to Atlanta with the team on Thursday and weren't expected to be there for tonight's game.
The newspaper reported that Allen's injury, in particular, appears to have Celtics officials concerned because of how long it has bothered him. An MRI two weeks ago was negative, but Allen continues to struggle with the ankle.
Lakers' Bryant expected back tonight against Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, showing no ill effects from an all-out mid-week test of the sore shin that has sidelined him for seven games, is expected back in the lineup tonight in San Antonio (9:30 ET, ESPN).
He didn't hesitate when asked by the Los Angeles Times whether he could play all 48 minutes against the Spurs.
“If I have to," he said.
Bryan has been sidelined for two weeks by the sore left shin, but in his absence the Lakers (40-23) have gone 5-2.
According to the Times, they compensated for his absence in a variety of ways:
• They relied more on ball movement.
• Forward Metta World Peace took on added leadership.
• Forward Matt Barnes improved his shooting percentage.
• They improved on defense.
• And, perhaps most important of all, their belief in themselves as a team grew.
"With us having the ability to win some games, our guys are gaining some confidence," Lakers coach Mike Brown said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "Not only that, (Bryant) is gaining confidence in them.
"Different guys are having to step up at different times through the course of his absence. That could only help us come playoff time or the time we get him back."
The Times noted that the Lakers shouldn't feel they're a better team without Bryant, nor have they ever suggested they are. But by going 5-2 in his absence, they held on to third place in the Western Conference, gave Bryant some needed rest and raised everyone's collective level of play.
"He makes us better," said World Peace, who averaged 16.3 points in the seven games, more than double his season average. "I can't wait to get Kobe back. I just can't wait.
"We'll get him back in shape. I came here to play with Kobe. I know what type of player Kobe is, and I wanted to win some rings. That's why I came to L.A."
Bryant—who leads the league in scoring (28.1 ppg) but is shooting only 43 percent, his lowest since his second season—plans to play in at least two of the Lakers' final three regular-season games to get ready for the playoffs, Yahoo! Sports reported.
After tonight’s game, the Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and then close the regular season Thursday at Sacramento.
According to the website, the Lakers could decide to sit Bryant against the Kings because the playoffs begin two days later.
After the Lakers’ victory Wednesday over the Warriors, Bryant talked with reporters about his return and what he’ll try to accomplish in the regular season’s closing days: “It will kind of establish my rhythm more. It finishes the season up the right way and generates the momentum we need toward the postseason.”
According to multiple media reports, Bryant, who last played April 6, went through a tough on-court workout with Lakers assistant Phil Handy about three hours before the Warriors game. Bryant reportedly was healthy enough to play against Golden State, but the Lakers opted to give him a couple more days.
Lakers trainer Gary Vitti "said specifically when we decided to shut (Bryant) down that it's better to be overcautious,” Brown said, according to Yahoo! Sports. “If you sit him for five days, and it looks like it's feeling good and then you put him out there and then he re-aggravates it, those five days that you sat him were wasted and you got to start him all over again."
He didn't hesitate when asked by the Los Angeles Times whether he could play all 48 minutes against the Spurs.
“If I have to," he said.
Bryan has been sidelined for two weeks by the sore left shin, but in his absence the Lakers (40-23) have gone 5-2.
According to the Times, they compensated for his absence in a variety of ways:
• They relied more on ball movement.
• Forward Metta World Peace took on added leadership.
• Forward Matt Barnes improved his shooting percentage.
• They improved on defense.
• And, perhaps most important of all, their belief in themselves as a team grew.
"With us having the ability to win some games, our guys are gaining some confidence," Lakers coach Mike Brown said, according to Yahoo! Sports. "Not only that, (Bryant) is gaining confidence in them.
"Different guys are having to step up at different times through the course of his absence. That could only help us come playoff time or the time we get him back."
The Times noted that the Lakers shouldn't feel they're a better team without Bryant, nor have they ever suggested they are. But by going 5-2 in his absence, they held on to third place in the Western Conference, gave Bryant some needed rest and raised everyone's collective level of play.
"He makes us better," said World Peace, who averaged 16.3 points in the seven games, more than double his season average. "I can't wait to get Kobe back. I just can't wait.
"We'll get him back in shape. I came here to play with Kobe. I know what type of player Kobe is, and I wanted to win some rings. That's why I came to L.A."
Bryant—who leads the league in scoring (28.1 ppg) but is shooting only 43 percent, his lowest since his second season—plans to play in at least two of the Lakers' final three regular-season games to get ready for the playoffs, Yahoo! Sports reported.
After tonight’s game, the Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and then close the regular season Thursday at Sacramento.
According to the website, the Lakers could decide to sit Bryant against the Kings because the playoffs begin two days later.
After the Lakers’ victory Wednesday over the Warriors, Bryant talked with reporters about his return and what he’ll try to accomplish in the regular season’s closing days: “It will kind of establish my rhythm more. It finishes the season up the right way and generates the momentum we need toward the postseason.”
According to multiple media reports, Bryant, who last played April 6, went through a tough on-court workout with Lakers assistant Phil Handy about three hours before the Warriors game. Bryant reportedly was healthy enough to play against Golden State, but the Lakers opted to give him a couple more days.
Lakers trainer Gary Vitti "said specifically when we decided to shut (Bryant) down that it's better to be overcautious,” Brown said, according to Yahoo! Sports. “If you sit him for five days, and it looks like it's feeling good and then you put him out there and then he re-aggravates it, those five days that you sat him were wasted and you got to start him all over again."
Knicks' Amare Stoudemire returning Friday night
New York Knicks big man Amare Stoudemire, sidelined since March 24 with a bulging disk in his back, will play tonight in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, interim coach Mike Woodson said after this morning's shootaround, ESPN New York reported.
"Don't know how many minutes I'll play him, just kind of gauge it as we go along," Woodson said, according to the website. "It's good to have him back."
Stoudemire will be back in the Knicks lineup the day after he said he would return before the end of the regular season in a video he posted on his YouTube channel, STAT TV.
"Absolutely," Stoudemire says in a video, "I'll be back before the playoffs."
The Knicks clinched a playoff berth Thursday night when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers.
"We just thought about when would be a good time to get a few games under my belt, and we figured tonight would be a good start," Stoudemire said, according to ESPN New York, adding that he doesn't feel any pain in his back. "We did great job of just attacking the injury and making sure everything around the injury is secure."
The Knicks had hoped to see Stoudemire test his injury Thursday in a scrimmage at the team's practice facility, but, according to a team spokesman cited by ESPN New York, they couldn’t scrimmage because they didn't have enough players available.
After Stoudemire participated in the team's shootaround this morning, the decision was made.
Carmelo Anthony has been starting at power forward in Stoudemire’s place. Woodson has said that Anthony would move back to small forward when Stoudemire returns.
The Knicks are 9-4 without Stoudemire, but without him they have lacked a consistent second scorer after Anthony.
"Carmelo's been playing great basketball. Iman Shumpert's playing great defensively. Tyson Chandler's having a phenomenal season so far. … So, collectively, we're playing total team basketball, which is fun to be a part of," Stoudemire said in the video.
Stoudemire was shooting around 40 percent from the field and averaging 17 points—well below his career averages—before he went out with the back ailment.
Speaking after the Knicks' 104-95 win over New Jersey on Wednesday, Anthony said nothing would change upon Stoudemire’s return. He is looking forward to having his fellow All-Star back in the lineup, ESPN New York reported.
"That's another body that we're missing that we definitely can use," Anthony said. "Another rebounder, another guy we can go to; we don't have to rely on me every night. So I'm looking forward to having Amare back."
Meanwhile, ESPN New York reports that the Knicks are expected to add big man Dan Gadzuric to their roster and will waive forward Bill Walker to make room. The absence of Jared Jeffries (sore right knee), who is expected to rest until the playoffs, has left the Knicks thin.
"Don't know how many minutes I'll play him, just kind of gauge it as we go along," Woodson said, according to the website. "It's good to have him back."
Stoudemire will be back in the Knicks lineup the day after he said he would return before the end of the regular season in a video he posted on his YouTube channel, STAT TV.
"Absolutely," Stoudemire says in a video, "I'll be back before the playoffs."
The Knicks clinched a playoff berth Thursday night when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers.
"We just thought about when would be a good time to get a few games under my belt, and we figured tonight would be a good start," Stoudemire said, according to ESPN New York, adding that he doesn't feel any pain in his back. "We did great job of just attacking the injury and making sure everything around the injury is secure."
The Knicks had hoped to see Stoudemire test his injury Thursday in a scrimmage at the team's practice facility, but, according to a team spokesman cited by ESPN New York, they couldn’t scrimmage because they didn't have enough players available.
After Stoudemire participated in the team's shootaround this morning, the decision was made.
Carmelo Anthony has been starting at power forward in Stoudemire’s place. Woodson has said that Anthony would move back to small forward when Stoudemire returns.
The Knicks are 9-4 without Stoudemire, but without him they have lacked a consistent second scorer after Anthony.
"Carmelo's been playing great basketball. Iman Shumpert's playing great defensively. Tyson Chandler's having a phenomenal season so far. … So, collectively, we're playing total team basketball, which is fun to be a part of," Stoudemire said in the video.
Stoudemire was shooting around 40 percent from the field and averaging 17 points—well below his career averages—before he went out with the back ailment.
Speaking after the Knicks' 104-95 win over New Jersey on Wednesday, Anthony said nothing would change upon Stoudemire’s return. He is looking forward to having his fellow All-Star back in the lineup, ESPN New York reported.
"That's another body that we're missing that we definitely can use," Anthony said. "Another rebounder, another guy we can go to; we don't have to rely on me every night. So I'm looking forward to having Amare back."
Meanwhile, ESPN New York reports that the Knicks are expected to add big man Dan Gadzuric to their roster and will waive forward Bill Walker to make room. The absence of Jared Jeffries (sore right knee), who is expected to rest until the playoffs, has left the Knicks thin.
Howard's back surgery could affect Team USA process
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard’s back surgery, reportedly scheduled for today, brings to four the number of players among the 20 finalists for Team USA who won't be able to participate at the London Olympics this summer.
“We’ve talked about injuries,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told FoxSports.com Thursday night, after the Magic confirmed that Howard would have back surgery, ending his season and likely his shot at playing for Team USA. “Obviously, if our ranks are really thinned we wouldn’t rule out adding some additional people. But it’s too early to say that we will do that.”
According to the report, guard Chauncey Billups (torn Achilles) is definitely out, forward LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) is likely out and forward Lamar Odom has been eliminated from consideration after being made inactive the rest of this season by Dallas.
Colangelo is scheduled to meet with coach Mike Krzyzewski and his Team USA staff May 1 in Las Vegas, at which point they’ll discuss adding players to the list of finalists, Colangelo told FoxSports.com.
“That’s only a week-and-a-half away, and we’ll address that,” Colangelo said.
With Howard apparently joining Aldridge and Odom off the list, the only other big men among Team USA finalists are Tyson Chandler, Chris Bosh, Kevin Love (who has been out recently with a concussion) and Blake Griffin.
According to FoxSports.com, Colangelo wouldn’t refer to any specific position but said that USA Basketball would “address it” if the feeling is that the team is thin at a particular spot.
“If there is a candidate out there, we’ll have private discussions,” Colangelo said, while not confirming any specific names. FoxSports.com pointed to Lakers center Andrew Bynum as a potential addition to the list of finalists.
The original 20 finalists were announced in January, but “we’re going to continue to take inventory as to where things stand,” Colangelo said.
In addition to Chandler, Love, Bosh and Griffin, the other Olympic finalists are Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.
James and Wade expressed concern for Howard after their team, the Miami Heat, defeated Rose’s Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, while also acknowledging that they don’t expect to play with him in London.
“It sucks, honestly for him, first of all,” James said. “We all know he’s a guy who’s pretty much been durable throughout his NBA career so far, and there for the Magic or our team. He’s a big part of our team in the Olympics, and I hate to lose him because of an injury. I wish him the best and hope he gets back to full strength.”
Added Wade: “It’s very unfortunate, one of the great players in our game. You never want to see anyone go through an injury. Obviously, we’re sure he will bounce back. One thing about this league, we have some of the best doctors and trainers. It’s very unfortunate for him and his family. I’m sure Orlando will miss him and the Olympic team is going to miss him. But the biggest thing is that he gets healthy and he’ll get back to be an amazing player he is for this game.”
“We’ve talked about injuries,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told FoxSports.com Thursday night, after the Magic confirmed that Howard would have back surgery, ending his season and likely his shot at playing for Team USA. “Obviously, if our ranks are really thinned we wouldn’t rule out adding some additional people. But it’s too early to say that we will do that.”
According to the report, guard Chauncey Billups (torn Achilles) is definitely out, forward LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) is likely out and forward Lamar Odom has been eliminated from consideration after being made inactive the rest of this season by Dallas.
Colangelo is scheduled to meet with coach Mike Krzyzewski and his Team USA staff May 1 in Las Vegas, at which point they’ll discuss adding players to the list of finalists, Colangelo told FoxSports.com.
“That’s only a week-and-a-half away, and we’ll address that,” Colangelo said.
With Howard apparently joining Aldridge and Odom off the list, the only other big men among Team USA finalists are Tyson Chandler, Chris Bosh, Kevin Love (who has been out recently with a concussion) and Blake Griffin.
According to FoxSports.com, Colangelo wouldn’t refer to any specific position but said that USA Basketball would “address it” if the feeling is that the team is thin at a particular spot.
“If there is a candidate out there, we’ll have private discussions,” Colangelo said, while not confirming any specific names. FoxSports.com pointed to Lakers center Andrew Bynum as a potential addition to the list of finalists.
The original 20 finalists were announced in January, but “we’re going to continue to take inventory as to where things stand,” Colangelo said.
In addition to Chandler, Love, Bosh and Griffin, the other Olympic finalists are Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.
James and Wade expressed concern for Howard after their team, the Miami Heat, defeated Rose’s Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, while also acknowledging that they don’t expect to play with him in London.
“It sucks, honestly for him, first of all,” James said. “We all know he’s a guy who’s pretty much been durable throughout his NBA career so far, and there for the Magic or our team. He’s a big part of our team in the Olympics, and I hate to lose him because of an injury. I wish him the best and hope he gets back to full strength.”
Added Wade: “It’s very unfortunate, one of the great players in our game. You never want to see anyone go through an injury. Obviously, we’re sure he will bounce back. One thing about this league, we have some of the best doctors and trainers. It’s very unfortunate for him and his family. I’m sure Orlando will miss him and the Olympic team is going to miss him. But the biggest thing is that he gets healthy and he’ll get back to be an amazing player he is for this game.”
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