I realize that, for most, this is not news, but Bill Walton said something especially contradictory during the Heat/Bulls game. After labeling the game as a “must-win” for the Heat early in the first quarter, he later said, “Miami does not have to win today to win this series.”
Make up your mind, Bill.
There were some thrillers and some snoozers on Friday and Saturday – here’s what happened:
Cavaliers 97, Wizards 96 (Cleveland leads series, 2-1)
Maybe LeBron James is developing that killer instinct after all. The King scored 41 on 16 of 28 shooting, including the final bucket with 0:05 remaining, which gave Cleveland the lead for good. He clearly traveled on the play and then whined about not getting a foul call as he ran down court. But he scored the winning bucket, and that’s all that matters.
Sacramento 94, San Antonio 93 (San Antonio, 2-1)
I thought the Kings had a shot in this series and the last two games proved why. After losing a heartbreaker in Game 2, Sacramento kept fighting in Game 3, holding a lead for much of the game before finding themselves down, 93-92, with 0:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. Mike Bibby stole the ball from Manu Ginobili with just four seconds to play and pushed the ball up to Kevin Martin, who made a circus layup to win the game at the buzzer.
LA Lakers 99, Phoenix 92 (Lakers, 2-1)
Which team is the #2 seed? The Lakers balanced attack proved to be too much (yet again) for the Suns, who haven’t looked particularly good in this series. Five Lakers scored in double figures, led by Smush Parker’s 18 points. Parker somehow managed to play almost 40 minutes without tallying a single rebound or assist. Lamar Odom has stepped up his game in the postseason, going for 15 points and 17 rebounds in Game 3. And you have to hand it to Luke Walton, who parlayed limited ability (and a NBA father) into a scholarship at Arizona, a starting assignment for the Lakers and 17 points and 10 rebounds on Friday night. Somehow, Walton attempted more shots than any other Laker, even Kobe. If this keeps up, Phoenix is in serious trouble.
New Jersey 97, Indiana 88 (series tied, 2-2)
New Jersey snatched back home court advantage with a win in Game 4. Vince Carter once again led the Nets with 28 points, six boards and seven assists. The Pacers were their own worst enemy, turning the ball over a brutal 22 times.
Dallas 94, Memphis 89 (OT) (Dallas, 3-0)
Poor Memphis. Had they lost a couple more games during the regular season, they would have been the #6 seed with home court advantage over the Denver Nuggets in the first round. Instead, they’re the #5 seed and get to face the Mavericks, one of the league’s elite teams. Dirk Nowitzki was the star again, dropping 36 points, including a difficult, overtime-forcing three at the end of regulation. He also tallied nine boards and five dimes. This series is all but over.
Milwaukee 124, Detroit 104 (Detroit, 2-1)
As a longtime Bucks fan, it feels so good to type this: Bucks rout the Pistons. Michael Redd filleted the Pistons defense for 40 points on a stellar 14 for 21 shooting. Redd scored in every manner imaginable, hitting long jumpers, driving to the hole and at the free throw line. Six Bucks scored in double figures, while T.J. Ford had a game-high 15 assists. Milwaukee’s 124 points was the most that the Pistons gave up all season. Expect Detroit to come out angry in Game 4.
LA Clippers 100, Denver 86 (Clippers, 3-1)
The Nuggets had no bounce in Game 4, and looked like a team that is about to go home for the summer. Seven Clippers scored in double figures, led by Corey Maggette’s 19 points off the bench. If you remember, Maggette was almost traded to the Pacers for Ron Artest, but Indiana backed out of the deal over worries about Maggette’s foot. Maggette has since resigned himself to the notion that he won’t be with the team next season, but I think he’s jumping the gun. Just because the Clippers tried to trade him for Artest doesn’t mean that they don’t think he’s a valuable asset. Anyway, expect this series to be over on Monday, with a possible “Hallway Series” in round two (as the Lakers and Clippers square off).
ESPN writers John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli conducted an online mock draft of the first round. Here’s how they projected the first few picks to go:
1. Texans – Reggie Bush, RB
When you have the chance to get a once-in-a-generation player, and add him to one of the league’s worst offenses, money shouldn’t be the overriding factor. The Texans will take Bush.2. Saints – Mario Williams, DE
Saints would prefer to move down and take someone like Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk, but aren’t getting many offers. Even with two former first-round ends on the roster, Williams is too good to pass up.3. Titans – Vince Young, QB
Lots of intrigue in the Titans war room, with battle lines drawn between the Young and Matt Leinart supporters. The last time we looked, Bud Adams was still signing the paychecks, and the Titans’ owner is believed to favor Young.4. Jets – D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT
The fans might want Leinart, but it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is if you can’t protect him. Ferguson is one of the safest picks in the draft and he’ll help solidify a shaky line.5. Packers – A.J. Hawk, LB
Hawk has been the main Packers target the entire offseason. He’ll add skill and leadership to their defense. While Hawk is the likely pick, don’t be surprised if general manager switches off to give Brett Favre tight end Vernon Davis.6. 49ers – Vernon Davis, TE
The 49ers are fine whether they get Davis or Hawk. Figuring they would probably end up with Davis, the 49ers traded up with Denver to get the 22nd pick in the first round and be in position to get a defensive back or a linebacker. The 49ers just need starters.7. Raiders – Matt Leinart, QB
Aaron Brooks was signed as a one-year fix at quarterback, so the Raiders can’t turn down a franchise quarterback, whether it’s Leinart or Young. Al Davis isn’t the biggest fan of left-handed quarterbacks, despite the success of Ken Stabler, but Leinart is too talented to pass up.
It’s interesting that Pasquarelli believes that the Titans will take Young over Leinart. Many think that Tennessee’s “internal dispute” over the two QBs is just a smokescreen to keep other teams from trading up to the #2 spot to grab Leinart. Teams would less likely to try to trade up if they believed there was a chance that the Titans would pass on Leinart. I’m guessing that Leinart will go to Tennessee and that Young will be the QB that will fall to Oakland.
Also, if the Jets do pass on Leinart (or Young for that matter), expect a lot of “boos” from the NY Jets faithful, who will no doubt be out in force at the draft.
The NBA playoffs continue this weekend, with a total of 11 games on four different networks. The NFL Draft starts Saturday and continues on Sunday, with coverage provided by ESPN and ESPN2. NBC has two NHL playoff games – one on Saturday and one on Sunday. There is only one nationally televised MLB game, the Texas/Cleveland tilt on ESPN Sunday night.
NBA
Fri, 8 PM: Cleveland @ Washington – ESPN
Fri, 10 PM: San Antonio @ Sacramento – ESPN 2
Fri, 10:30 PM: Phoenix @ LA Lakers – ESPN
Sat, 3 PM: New Jersey @ Indiana – TNT
Sat, 5:30 PM: Dallas @ Memphis – TNT
Sat, 8 PM: Detroit @ Milwaukee – ESPN
Sat, 10:30 PM: LA Clippers @ Denver – ESPN
Sun, 1 PM: Miami @ Chicago – ABC
Sun, 3:30 PM: Phoenix @ LA Lakers – ABC
Sun, 7:30 PM: Cleveland @ Washington – TNT
Sun, 10 PM: San Antonio @ San Antonio – TNT
NFL
Sat, 12 PM – 8 PM: NFL Draft – ESPN
Sat, 8 PM – 10 PM: NFL Draft – ESPN2
Sun, 11 AM – 6 PM: NFL Draft – ESPN
MLB
Sun, 8:05 PM: Texas @ Cleveland – ESPN
NHL
Sat, 3 PM: NY Rangers @ NJ Devils – NBC
Sun, 2 PM: Philadelphia @ Buffalo – NBC
The Cavs/Wizards, Spurs/Kings and Suns/Lakers play tonight. Here’s what happened last night:
Indiana 107, New Jersey 95 (Indiana leads series, 2-1)
Now they’ve done it. They’ve gone and pissed Jermaine O’Neal off. Who is “they,” you ask? I’m not exactly sure, but after being fined for comments about the officiating, O’Neal filleted the Nets for 37 points and 15 rebounds in Game 3. The Pacers enjoyed 25 points, eight assists and five boards from Anthony Johnson, who seems to be perennially underrated. I’m not sure why Indiana keeps going with Jamaal Tinsley when AJ is the better guard. The Pacers held the Nets to just 39% shooting and only allowed double-figure scoring from the Nets’ “Big 3.” Game 4 is pretty much a must-win for the Nets, who don’t want to go home down three games to one.
Chicago 109, Miami 90 (Miami leads series, 2-1)
The Bulls are not dead yet. Chicago capitalized on one of Shaquille O’Neal’s worst games, blowing out the Heat and embarrassing them in the process. O’Neal had just eight points and four rebounds and went 0-6 from the free throw line. In fairness, he was plagued by foul trouble and only played 24 minutes. Chicago’s balanced attack – which included four players scoring 19+ points – was too much for a Miami squad that was without the Diesel. Chicago is not going to roll over in this series, so the Heat better use this game as motivation if they want to avoid turning this into a three-game series.
Denver 94, LA Clippers 87 (LA leads the series, 2-1)
This game wasn’t about who played better, it was about who played worse. The Clippers missed a golden opportunity to effectively win the series. Tied 70-70 going into the fourth quarter, the Clippers just looked out of synch, scoring only 17 points in the final period, going a miserable 5 of 16 (31%) from the field while committing four turnovers. Elton Brand didn’t play his normal game, but did manage 17/8 before fouling out, which shows you just how consistent of a player he is. Denver didn’t exactly play well either, but they did enough to get the victory. Five Nuggets scored double-digits, led by Carmelo Anthony’s 24 points.
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