The New Orleans Hornets dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in such a fashion that it was the final straw for Avery Johnson's job as coach for the Mavericks. The San Antonio Spurs didn't have a huge threat in the Phoenix Suns in round one either, dropping one of five, but the four they won weren't really all that "dramatic". So that makes the Hornets' win by almost 20 in the first game against the Spurs makes it that much of a surprise overall.
I'm not saying I doubted the Hornets ability to beat the Spurs, what I am surprised about it is the ease that the Hornets seem to have in dispatching the defending champions in this game. David West played like a man on fire in scoring 30 points, and Chris Paul did his normal high level of points and assists as well. But the biggest difference was the clamping down on Tim Duncan, who was only 1 of 9 from the field and many are saying this is his worst game--ever.
But again, you've got to give credit to the defense and Byron Scott's planning. I know that there are some great teams still left in both conferences, but my money is on the team from the Big Easy carrying home the title after seeing them thus far in the playoffs. Call me crazy, but this team is amazing.
TAGS: Basketball, Byron Scott, Chris Paul, David West, Hornets, Nba, Nba Playoffs, New Orleans, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio, San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, Tim Duncan, Western Conference
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Utah was thinking sweep when they went home up 2-0. I mean, come on, let's face it, we're talking about the NBA's best home team and all they needed to do was just do what they were supposed to do--that wasn't being cocky, it was merely playing the percentages. But that of course did not happen, and the Rockets stole one in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz went back to Houston up 3-1 and hoping to close it out there, but Tracy McGrady and crew would have none of that, basically embarrassing the Jazz by almost 30. Now they return to Utah once again, and it is now a situation where Utah needs to be thinking about panicking just a little, because if they falter once again, my bet is on Houston to come back and win the series if it goes to game seven back in Texas.
The key to winning at home this game for Utah? Two words: Deron Williams. He is now the leader for this team and has to step up much like his point guard predecessor John Stockton did during crunch time. Carlos Boozer may be the scorer for the team, but Williams is the heart and soul, and in order to move on now, he's got to play very tough for them to get into the next round.
TAGS: Basketball, Deron Williams, Houston, Houston Rockets, Jazz, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Rockets, Tracy Mcgrady, Utah, Utah Jazz, Western Conference
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No, not Mark Cuban. I know some people who hate the Dallas Mavericks wish that he was gone, but I mean with Avery Johnson. The beleaguered coach suffered yet another first round exit this year and that was that--Cuban had enough and it was time for a change. Mike D'Antoni continues to pray in Phoenix to keep his job, but for Johnson, his run is thankfully over.
Even a midseason trade for Jason Kidd couldn't save the Mavericks, who have never to seem to have recovered from one of the biggest upsets in history after Golden State dispatched the Mavs in round 1 of last year. In Johnson's reign as coach, he will also have to live down that Dallas had a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals versus the Heat only to lose it all.
But the NBA rumor mill and coaching carousel continues to ride on, and word on the "street" (because that's how I roll.....LMAO) is that the Bulls and Knicks may be in the market for Johnson's services. While I liked Avery as a ball player, I am not so sure I am still completely sold on his coaching abilities. While he's no Isiah Thomas, he is also no Byron Scott. Perhaps in a few years, but not quite yet. So perhaps this change can propel the Mavericks in the direction they want to go--but don't count on this being the only move they make in the offseason. It IS Cuban, don't forget...
Picture Source: NBAE
TAGS: Avery Johnson, Basketball, Byron Scott, Coaching, Dallas, Dallas Mavericks, Firings, Isiah Thomas, Mark Cuban, Nba
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Caron Butler was talking some hard smack--well, maybe not hard smack, but he was kind of prophetic--near the end of the game, after Butler had made an amazing drive on Lebron James with 4 ticks on the clock, he whispered to James to miss and let the series go back to Washington for game 6. And right after that, James' layup attempt at the buzzer fell short, and with it, Washington's season has at least one more game to go.
Butler lead the team with 32 points, 9 boards and 5 assists. This was a bittersweet day for the Wizards, who won the game but found out they would be without Gilbert Arenas for the rest of the punctuated season. Hobbled by a bone bruise, the three-time All-Star played in the first four games of the series but was not the sharpshooting Agent Zero who has led the Wizards in the past.
And so we go back to D.C. for another possible elimination game for the Wizards--again. As this series was supposed to be tight throughout, it finally is playing up to the drama that everyone thought it would have after the Cavaliers started it off like it was going to be very ho-hum. Can Washington push it back to Cleveland for game 7? Very, very possible, but make sure to not miss game six--it's gettin' good!
TAGS: Basketball, Caron Butler, Cavaliers, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, Hoops, Lebron James, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Washington, Washington Wizards, Wizards
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Boston was looking to have a little R & R after they saw the other series in the Eastern conference looking like they were going to go to at least 5, 6, maybe even 7 games. I mean, here was a team that was up 2-0 and heading to Atlanta, brimming with confidence to head back to Beantown with a sweep.
They forgot that one person really didn't see it that way--his name happens to be Joe Johnson. He almost single-handedly has kept Atlanta in winning the two games at home.
Now heading back to Boston with the series knotted 2-2, the Celtics will not get that rest they anticipated and actually may have underestimated the heart of the Hawks. While no Boston player will come out and say it, let's be honest--the Celtics had the best record in the league this year, and it took up until the final game of the season for Atlanta to even make the playoffs in the downtrodden Eastern Conference. To think that they would be forced at least to six games in the playoff series was probably laughable by the Celtics' standards.
But here we are, and Boston now must turn on the homecourt advantage and at a minimum hope that they can sneak one in Atlanta to win the series or else be faced with a very improbably seventh game of the opening round. Do I think Atlanta can do it? No, I don't--but I do believe they can stretch it to the maximum; it's just that Atlanta is not a good road team and of course Boston at home is like "buttah". But at least perhaps this will give more credibility to the conference than many--including myself--did not give to it previously.
Picture Source: NBA/Getty
TAGS: Atlanta, Atlanta Hawks, Basketball, Boston, Boston Celtics, Celtics, Eastern Conference, Hawks, Hoops, Joe Johnson, Nba, Playoffs
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Detroit had felt a little disrespected--ok, a LOT disrespected. Here were the Philadelphia 76ers, who not only were not even thinking playoffs just three months ago, now up 2-1 on the Pistons and holding a double digit lead at home in game 4. And then--boom---a little Rasheed Wallace and getting his teammates fired up was all it took to make the Sixers big opportunity go kaput.
Even though "Don't Stop Believin'" was blasted throughout the arena, the Pistons took charge in a bug way after being down as many as 14. Wallace's technical foul got his team fired up, and before the Sixers knew what hit them, the Pistons were up by double digits and did not look back.
I still give Philly credit for being even at 2-2, but let's be honest here--Detroit is kind of like San Antonio, not flashy but painfully good in terms of executing maybe a little more boring than most teams--but they win win win--and at this stage in the game, it's all that matters. This could be the huge pendulum swing in the series and I have a feeling Detroit is going to really go out big against this cocky Philly team.
Picture Source: Getty Images
TAGS: 76ers, Basketball, Detroit, Detroit Pistons, Eastern Conference, Hoops, Nba, Philadelphia 76ers, Pistons, Playoffs, Rasheed Wallace, Sixers
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Lebron James was mad. And you don't want to get the King mad. But--still--in classic form--a la Michael Jordan--when the moment called for it, James did what everyone would not think he would do--and dish it to get the win. His assist to Delonte West in the closing seconds led to a big three by West to win the game for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the upset-minded Washington Wizards, 100-97.
The series, which has been extremely physical, featured a flagrant foul so hard that it knocked James' trademark headband clear off his head. Instead of losing his cool, James continued to play hard and finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds. In the closing seconds, the Wizards draped everything but the kitchen sink on James, who unexpectedly dropped it off to West. It was a sweet victory for the King.
The series was supposed to be a tough one all the way around, but it has been the Cavs who has gotten the last laugh it seems, going up now 3-1 with 2 of the last 3 at home. With the Wizards seemingly trying to literally knock James out of the picture, it hasn't worked, and it may once again end up with a Cleveland victory over Washington--for the third year in a row.
Picture Source: AP
TAGS: Basketball, Cavaliers, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, Delonte West, Eastern Conference, Lebron James, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Washington, Washington Wizards, Wizards
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Phoenix fans are seething; the frustration has gotten to a level that probably borders on what most Americans have for President Bush--ok, maybe not that bad, but considering the amount of wins this team has piled up in the regular seasons and nothing really to show in the postseason--not even a finals appearance--and now that they are down 3-0 to the San Antonio Spurs and on the verge of losing a postseason series to them for the second year in a row...well, you get my point.
What's the deal here? Well, I would like to point back to the boneheaded trade made three quarters through the season for Mr. Shaquille O'Neal. Not only did I point out, as the vast majority of sports fans did as well, that gaining a player that didn't even get close to the "mesh" that was going to be needed for the Suns' playing style, but this is also a player with a proponent for injuries and is on the decline in his great career.
And so here we are. Yes, the Suns were facing a team they thought they could really be able to beat, but you forget just how good the Spurs are every single year. This is a team that was won 3 of the last 5 world championships and their core players are still there--and only getting better. Meanwhile, Steve Kerr is trying to hard to tinker with Phoenix and Steve Nash seems like his once-superman style is starting to show cracks.
No team has ever come back from 3-0, and this year won't be any different. Here's to the new "Isiah" of the league, Mr. Kerr. You should be ashamed of what you have done with this franchise thus far.
Picture Source: AP
TAGS: Basketball, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Phoenix Suns, Playoffs, San Antonio, San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, Steve Kerr, Suns, Western Conference
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The Toronto Raptors are not exactly chopped liver; I mean, come on, this is a team that is fully capable of doing big things, but they've just been beaten out by the Orlando Magic in the first two games. And it's not that they have been playing bad--quite to the contrary.
Behind Jose Calderon's 18 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds, the Raptors were able to finally beat out the Magic 108-94. But Calderon wasn't the only one who played well: Jamario Moon had 11 points and 10 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup for Toronto, while Chris Bosh and Jason Kapono each scored 15 points and Anthony Parker 10.
There was a scary moment at the end of the game, when Jameer Nelson basically collapsed with back spasms. Nelson didn't have a stellar game, but if he's down, that could be a big deal as he is definitely a floor leader for the Magic and regardless of how well Dwight Howard can play, if Jameer is not on the floor, this series will be knotted very quickly.
Picture Source: NBA.com
TAGS: Anthony Parker, Basketball, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Jason Kapono, Jose Calderon, Magic, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Orlando, Orlando Magic, Raptors, Toronto, Toronto Raptors
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Ahh, how things change so quickly in the NBA. Yao Ming went down with a season-ending injury. The Houston Rockets went on a winning streak after that is one of the best all-time in the NBA. So then, what happens? They have home court advantage against the Utah Jazz and promptly lose BOTH to go down 2-0 and head to Salt Lake City to face the NBA's best home team.
Yikes.
Houston hasn't won a playoff series in over a decade, and the biggest nemesis has been in the form of Deron Williams. Not even a bruised tailbone or a seemingly tweaked ankle can stop the point guard, who scored 22 in the double digit game 2 victory. Last year, the Jazz also ended the run for Houston, but that was in seven games. This time, the Jazz could be looking to break out their brooms.
What can you say? Is Houston cursed like the Chicago Cubs? They seemed to have all the answers even after their all-star center went down. But this again shows just how STRONG the Western Conference is; I mean, even Phoenix is scratching their heads after falling down 2-0 to San Antonio. I feel bad, but I also feel that Utah is definitely the better team here, and it seems that while Houston always falls apart in the playoffs, the Jazz are a team that always seem to peak at the right time.
Picture Source: AP
TAGS: Basketball, Deron Williams, Houston, Houston Rockets, Jazz, Nba, Nba Playoffs, Rockets, Utah, Utah Jazz, Western Conference
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