Month: May 2006 (Page 17 of 20)

Phoenix 126, L.A. Lakers 118 (OT) (series tied, 3-3)
In what many are calling the best first round in NBA Playoff history, the Suns/Lakers matchup has been the best series. From Kobe Bryant delivering the Lakers an unlikely victory in Game 4, giving L.A. a 3-1 advantage, to the Suns scrappy play in Games 5 and 6 to even the series 3-3, this has been a battle for the ages. It’s a story that could have been ripped from a Hollywood script – you’ve got an unlikely hero (Steve Nash) going up against formidable enemies (Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson), facing all sorts of adversity along the way.

The last time Phoenix visited L.A., disaster struck. They blew a five point lead with 0:12 to play, eventually losing, 99-98, in overtime. This time, the Suns found themselves down, 105-102, when Tim Thomas hit a three with 0:06 to play to force an extra period. In overtime, Phoenix took control, going on a 15-6 run from which the Lakers would never recover. Steve Nash had a great game, scoring 32 and dishing out 13 assists. Shawn Marion went for 20/12, while the league’s Most Improved Player, Boris Diaw, tallied 19 points and seven assists. But the two most valuable contributions came from a couple of Phoenix role players. Leandro Barbosa filled in for a suspended Raja Bell by scoring 22 points on 7-9 (78%) shooting. Tim Thomas, acquired from Chicago during the season after injuries to Kurt Thomas and Amare Stoudemire decimated the team, went for 21/10, and hit two crucial three-pointers late in the game. Kobe Bryant had his first huge scoring game of the series, dropping 50 on 20-35 (57%) shooting. His supporting cast played well, but L.A. just doesn’t have enough firepower to compete with the Suns when they are scoring like they did in Game 6. The two teams travel back to Phoenix for Game 7 on Saturday (8:30 PM, TNT), and if the game reflects the series, it should be a battle.

New Jersey 96, Indiana 90 (Nets win series, 4-2)
Indiana put up a fight, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough. The Nets overcame a career night by journeyman Anthony Johnson (40 points) to put the Pacers away in six games. Richard Jefferson scored 30 and Vince Carter scored 24 while Jason Kidd was two points shy of his ninth playoff triple double. The Pacers were once again without Peja Stojakovic, who missed his fourth game of the series. The Nets will go on to play the Heat, while the Pacers face uncertainty in the offseason. Stojakovic is a free agent and Stephen Jackson has already indicated that he wouldn’t mind a trade this summer. Danny Granger looks to be a nice prospect, so I’m not sure resigning Stojakovic is the right move. The Pacers are fairly deep at guard, with Johnson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Jamaal Tinsley, but they should be starting Johnson at point guard which means that Tinsley would be an overpaid backup (33.6 M over the next five years). In the frontcourt, O’Neal is signed through 2009/2010, and has been great when he’s not saddled by injuries. He could use some help up front either in the form of a scoring small forward (Stojakovic) or a free agent center.

Miami 113, Chicago 96 (Heat win series 4-2)
Boy, it’s hard to figure this Miami team out. At times, they look unstoppable and, at other times, they look unmotivated and sluggish. Many questioned the offseason additions of Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and Jason Williams, who collectively don’t have a reputation of creating team chemistry. But when the team shares the ball and plays together, they are tough to beat. Shaqulle O’Neal had 30 points and 20 rebounds, playing his best game of the series. Dwayne Wade chipped in with 23 points and six assists. Chicago’s “Big Three” (Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon) combined for 64 points on 47% shooting, but it wasn’t enough to keep the game close.

Chicago is in a good position going into the offseason. They finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the East, and thanks to Isiah Thomas and that Eddy Curry trade, they look forward to a top three pick in the draft. With Hinrich, Nocioni, Gordon, Luol Deng and Chris Duhon, they are loaded at guard and small forward, but are desperate for a power foward who can score inside to play alongside defensive-minded Tyson Chandler. There has been talk all season of the possibility of landing Kevin Garnett in a trade, and if they can find a way to do it without losing Hinrich or Nocioni, they’d be wise to pull the trigger. However, it’s going to be tough because the Bulls just don’t have the big-salary players to match Garnett’s 20 M salary.

In a recent interview with ESPN, 11-time NBA all-star Charles Barkley revealed that he has a gambling addiction.

Whenever Barkley holds an interest in a subject, you better believe his voice will be heard in the media. And in the light of recent comments by golf pro John Daly over his gambling addiction, Barkley’s remarks shouldn’t come as a surprise.

During the interview, Barkley’s comments were almost strange and contradictory and he almost gave viewers the impression that he wants to quit, but can’t.

“Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem but I don’t consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble. It’s just a stupid habit that I’ve got to get under control, because it’s just not a good thing to be broke after all of these years,” he added.

“It’s unfortunate that it has become a story, because I was asked an innocent question about John Daly and I said ‘I understand, gambling is a bad habit,'” Barkley said during halftime of TNT’s coverage of Game 5 of the Pistons-Bucks series. “I’m going to continue gambling. I like to gamble. It’s really nobody’s business, because it’s my own money, I earned it.

A bad habit is biting your nails. A bad habit is cursing too much. Gambling large sums of money regardless of if you can afford to lose it isn’t a bad habit it’s an addiction.

Barkley gave similar back and forth comments like the ones up above throughout the entire interview. He essentially was stating over and over that he has a problem, yet he doesn’t, because he’s rich and he’s having fun.

The fortunate part is that he understands that he has a problem. On the flip side, however, it’s the same old Charles we have known to love (or hate) who tells the world to buzz off because he’s going to do whatever he wants to do.

Barkley has estimated his overall gambling loss is “probably $10 million.” He also commented that he needs to work on betting “only” a thousand dollars a hand, instead of $20 thousand a hand.

Whether it’s alcohol, drugs or gambling, an addiction is an addiction and this sounds like a major addiction. Hopefully for him, somebody can get through to him before the situation spirals out of control.

If it hasn’t already, that is.