Month: May 2006 (Page 20 of 20)

Dallas 102, Memphis 76 (Dallas swept the series, 4-0)
I guess the Clippers had the right idea. Lose that game against Memphis on April 18th and, as a reward, get home court advantage in the first round against a vulnerable Denver squad. With that victory, Memphis clinched the fifth seed and a date with Dallas, the second best team in the conference. Two weeks later, the Grizzlies have been swept. The Mavericks have been great and look like the hottest team in the league. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 31.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in the series, playing like he’s ticked off that he wasn’t named the MVP. Dallas gets to sit back and wait for the victor of the Spurs/Kings series, which looks like it might go seven games.

Detroit 109, Milwaukee 99 (Detroit leads series, 3-1)
This game was a lot closer than the final score would indicate. The Bucks held a 86-85 lead with 5:54 to play, but the Pistons showed a lot of fortitude in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a short Milwaukee shooting drought to pull away down the stretch. The young Bucks are going to lose this series, but they will take some valuable playoff experience into next season.

LA Clippers 101, Denver 83 (Clippers win series, 4-1)
The Clippers advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 30 years with a blowout victory over the Nuggets. Five Clippers scored in double figures, with Corey Maggette, Elton Brand and Cuttino Mobley all going for 20+. Though there are rumors that Maggette might be on the trading block this offseason, the team should seriously consider keeping him. Unless his foot is going to be an ongoing problem, Maggette has as much upside as just about any small forward in the league. More and more it is looking like there will be a “Hallway Series” out West, with the Clippers and the Lakers squaring off in round 2. This will be a golden opportunity for the Clippers to establish themselves as the premier team in Los Angeles. That’s assuming, of course, that the Lakers don’t blow a 3-1 series lead against the Suns.

Chicago 93, Miami 87 (series tied, 2-2)
More and more, it’s looking like the Bulls are the better team in this series. Chicago enjoyed great games from a group that is quickly becoming the team’s “Big 3” – Kirk Hinrich (21 points, nine assists), Ben Gordon (23 points, four three pointers) and Andres Nocioni (24 points, seven rebounds). They still don’t have anyone who can score with their back to the basket, but who needs that when you have these guys draining jumper after jumper? The trio shot a combined 23 of 47 (49%) from the field. The Bulls were also able to limit Dwayne Wade, who did amass 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, but only shot 35% from the floor. After a miserable Game 3, Shaquille O’Neal went for 16/8, but he was limited by foul trouble again and only managed to play 24 minutes.

LA Lakers 99, Phoenix 98 (Lakers lead the series, 3-1)
The Suns had this game won. Only, they didn’t do what they needed to do to win it. Phoenix was up, 90-85, with 0:12 remaining in regulation and made two critical mistakes to allow the Lakers to force an overtime. First, they allowed Smush Parker to hit a three with 0:07 to play. In all fairness, it was a very tough shot, so it’s hard to fault the Suns for that. But the ensuing play – Parker knocking the ball away from Steve Nash, ultimately leading to a game-tying raindrop from Kobe Bryant? Inexcusable. Still, the Suns were in position to win again in overtime, leading 98-95 with 0:49 to play. After another driving layup from Kobe, Nash dribbled into a double-team and seemingly tried to call a timeout before getting tied up with Luke Walton. Walton won the ensuing jump ball and Kobe hit a phenomenal game winner at the elbow. The Suns are capable of taking three in a row (two at home) from the Lakers, but this loss will be very difficult to get over. Lost in all the drama, Shawn Marion really got jobbed. He fouled out of the game with 2:37 in regulation and the last three fouls he was called for looked to be complete BS. I expect he’ll have a great Game 5.

Washington 106, Cleveland 96 (series tied, 2-2)
How did the Wizards turn a 13-point third quarter deficit into a 10-point victory. Two words: Gilbert Arenas. Washington’s All-Star turned in 26 points in the last 17 minutes (20 in the 4th quarter) to rally the Wizards past the Cavs. Arenas finished with 34 points, five rebounds and six assists. LeBron James started off hot, scoring 18 points in the first quarter, but went silent for long stretches in the second half, allowing Washington to get back into the game.

“They switched their defense up and started running Gilbert Arenas at me so I didn’t want to force anything,” James said. “I gave the ball up and we just missed some open shots.”

This is turning into an interesting series, as each team has already won on the other’s home court.

Sacramento 102, San Antonio 84 (series tied, 2-2)
That’s right, you read that score correctly. Here’s what I said about the Kings in my playoff preview:

The top of the West is not as dominant as it once was and I really think Sacramento, who has won 19 of their last 27, has a great shot to beat the Spurs. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are banged up and they will have their hands full with Ron Artest, Mike Bibby and Brad Miller.

Well, you can add another name to that list of Kings: Bonzi Wells. The guard went for 25/17, shooting 9 of 11 (82%) from the field. Five Kings scored in double figures, including Brad Miller’s 19 and Mike Bibby’s 16. Ron Artest also made his presence felt, shutting down Manu Ginobili. The whirling dervish only scored three points. For all intents and purposes, Sacramento should be leading the series, 3-1. Will the loss in Game 2 come back to haunt them? Only time will tell.