Author: John Paulsen (Page 556 of 937)

      Pay attention! Cavs/Celtics tonight

      March 6, 2009 /

      The Celtics are a game back of the Cavs and are still without the services of Kevin Garnett, but they’ll have home court advantage tonight when they host Cleveland in the third of four regular season meetings between the two teams.

      The Cavs have won four straight and nine of their last ten, while the Celtics have split their last four, with losses to Detroit at home (ouch!) and to the Clippers in L.A. (double-ouch!). They are 4-3 without Garnett (if you count the game he was injured) and it’s unfortunate that he isn’t able to play in this crucial matchup.

      What’s at stake? Well, since KG is out, the C’s have a built in excuse if they lose, so the psychological impact won’t be great (unless, of course, Boston can pull out a win without one of its stars). So far, the home team has won each matchup this season with the Celtics winning back in October and the Cavs rolling at home in January.

      Home court is huge in the playoffs, so this game is doubly important. It’s one thing to win a game, but it’s another to win and hang a loss on your biggest rival for the #1 seed.

      Tip-off is at 8 PM on ESPN.

      NBA, Television

      Amare won’t be back for the playoffs

      March 6, 2009 /

      There was some conjecture that Amare Stoudemire might be back for the postseason, but his doctor has put the kabosh on that.

      “It’s very difficult to explain to anyone how serious this is,” Dr. Pravin Dugel said, according to The Arizona Republic. “It’s more serious than any knee or ankle surgery. The healing is excruciatingly slow and delicate.”

      It had originally been hoped that Stoudemire could recover enough to resume activity in eight weeks. But Dugel said the recovery could take months, according to the report. And Stoudemire is not even allowed to attend Suns home games, due to the danger any jarring could pose.

      Stoudemire suffered the injury to his right eye on Feb. 18 in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He suffered multiple tears and had a “very large” and “traumatic” retina detachment with blood in his right eye at the time of surgery, Dugel said.

      The Suns are 4-4 since Stoudemire’s injury, with wins over the Lakers, Thunder, Bobcats and Raptors. Their four losses are against the Celtics, Lakers, Magic and Heat. Outside of a win against the Lakers, they seem to be in a pattern of beating bad teams and losing to good ones. If Shaq continues to stay healthy, the Suns will be competitive, though they are currently sitting in the #9 position in the West, so missing the postseason is a distinct possibility.

      NBA

      Blazers playing with time

      March 6, 2009 /

      In the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, Ric Bucher explores how the Portland Trail Blazers are using the fact that they’re a Pacific Coast team to their advantage. (Insider subscription required.)

      After consulting with doctors and a sleep expert, the team decided the best way to succeed away from home was to act as if they’d never left. So the Blazers stay on Pacific Coast time, no matter where they are. On the East Coast, that means 11 a.m. wake-ups and 10 p.m. practices to go with the club-kid bedtime.

      So instead of starting a trip with an early-morning flight, the Blazers take off closer to noon. Players get a full night’s sleep in their own beds. That makes them less likely to nap after boarding. And no napping means they rarely miss meals. Sure, the guys can’t explore the local nightlife immediately upon arrival; that’s when they practice. But they do get to skip the traditional morning shootaround on game days in favor of another good night’s rest.

      The Blazers haven’t lost their edge back home, either. [Dr. Charles] Czeisler has taught them about circadian rhythms and body clocks, so now they know that by the start of a second half in Portland, an Eastern squad will be feeling the effects of melatonin, the body’s hormone that regulates sleep. “We look for it,” Jensen says. “We know it’s our chance to jump on our opponents.”

      We see it all the time in sports. An East Coast team has to travel to the West Coast and they underperform (or vice versa). There’s definitely something to this theory and the Blazers are smart to try to use it to their advantage. Unfortunately, East Coast teams can’t do the same thing. No matter when they fall asleep or when they wake up during a West Coast road trip, game time is still 10 PM or 11 PM Eastern, and that’s when the melatonin kicks in.

      NBA, News

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