Category: NBA (Page 557 of 595)

Detroit 84, Cleveland 82 (series tied, 3-3)
The Pistons advanced to 9-2 in elimination games over the past three seasons, and that experience and determination were on full display on Friday night. Rasheed Wallace finally backed up all of his big talk – the forward scored 14 points over the last 15 minutes, finishing with 24 points, including 4-8 shooting from long range. Chauncey Billups also played well in the clutch, hitting an impossible jump shot to give the Pistons a four-point lead with 2:20 to play. Still, the Cavs had opportunities, but they gave up five offensive rebounds over the last 1:40. LeBron James led Cleveland with 32 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, but with the Cavs down two with 0:48 to play, he failed to box out Tayshaun Prince on a missed shot from Wallace – Prince tipped the ball to Richard Hamilton. On the ensuing possession, Wallace took another shot – this time from the left baseline – and instead of floating down to the right baseline or block (where 80% of misses are going to go), James stood in front of the basket. When the miss flew off to the right baseline, James was out of position and was unable to grab the board. The Cavs had to foul, and Billups made one of two free throws to give the Pistons a three-point lead. Cleveland decided not to call a time out with 0:10 to play, so LeBron brought the ball up court and was fouled with 0:01 to play. He made his first free throw and intentionally missed his second, and the ball was almost tipped in (accidentally) by Chauncey Billups. Getting back to the defensive rebounds, I sure hope his mistakes are pointed out in the Cavs’ film sessions. It seems trivial, but had the Cavs cleared either one of those boards, they would have had a realistic shot to win the game.

San Antonio 91, Dallas 86 (series tied, 3-3)
With Jason Terry missing the game due to his cheap shot punch of Michael Finley in Game 5, the Mavericks didn’t have very many options in the clutch. The Spurs were able to outlast the Mavs behind a great game from Manu Ginobili (30 points, 10 rebounds) who looks as if he’s finally recovered from the calf injury that has slowed him the last few months. Tim Duncan wasn’t as efficient as usual, but managed 24 points and eight rebounds in the win. With Terry out, the Mavs needed a good game from either Devin Harris or Jerry Stackhouse and neither guy delivered. The duo combined for just 17 points on 7-29 (24%) shooting. Dirk Nowitzki kept his team in the game, posting 26 points, 21 rebounds and five assists. Dallas has squandered a 3-1 series lead, and now has the unenviable task of trying to win Game 7 on the defending champs’ home court. The Mavs are definitely capable – they just have to relax and make their open shots.

L.A. Clippers 118, Phoenix 106 (series tied, 3-3)
The Clippers played well in the face of elimination, shooting a phenomenal 61.5% from the field en route to a decisive victory over the #2-seeded Suns. Elton Brand once again dominated the front line of Phoenix, posting 30 points, 12 boards and five blocks. In the series, he’s averaging 30.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 4.8 apg and 3.5 bpg, while shooting .585 from the field. Four other Clippers scored in double figures, led by Corey Maggette, who went for 25/8. Quinton Ross chipped in 18 points, hitting jumper after jumper, making the Suns pay for doubling off of him. Shawn Marion had another great game for the Suns, scoring 34 points and grabbing nine boards in the loss. Game 7 is on Monday, and if it is as exciting as the series has been, it should be a doozy. Hopefully, we don’t get a letdown like Game 7 of the Suns/Lakers series.

You read that right. The general manager of the Clippers – yes, the Clippers – is set to win the NBA’s Executive of the Year award.

At 47-35, the Clippers had their highest victory total since moving to California, second-best record in franchise history and set a road mark with 20 wins.

They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, and won a postseason series for the first time in 30 years, defeating the Denver Nuggets, 4-1, in the first round.

Baylor acquired point guard Sam Cassell and a lottery-protected first-round pick in August from the Minnesota Timberwolves for guards Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers. Before the trade deadline, Baylor sent inconsistent forward-center Chris Wilcox to the Seattle SuperSonics for three-point specialist Vladimir Radmanovic.

This sort of reminds me of the Oscars, where the Academy awards an actor for their body of work, not just for a specific performance. The franchise’s turnaround started when Baylor and owner Donald Sterling orchestrated a trade that brought Elton Brand to the team in exchange for Brian Skinner and the draft rights to 2001 #2 pick, high schooler Tyson Chandler. Apparently, Bulls GM Jerry Krause believed that Chandler was destined for stardom. Considering that Brand had already proved his worth, averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in his first two seasons with the Bulls, the trade is going down as one of the biggest boondoggles in modern-NBA history. Since 1999, the Clippers have drafted quite well:

1999 (#4) – Lamar Odom
2000 (#3, #30) – Darius Miles, Marko Jaric
2001 (#2) – Tyson Chandler (traded to Chicago for Elton Brand)
2002 (#8, #12) – Chris Wilcox, Melvin Ely
2003 (#6) – Chris Kaman
2004 (#4) – Shaun Livingston
2005 (#12) – Yaroslov Korolev

The only potential superstar on that list is Livingston, but Kaman has developed into a top 10 center, and has provided strength and consistency inside. The franchise wisely let Odom get away in free agency and the team has since traded Miles, Chandler, Ely, Jaric and Wilcox, but all of those players are all still in the league, and the pieces they got in return (namely Elton Brand, Sam Cassell and Vladimir Radmanovic) have been integral in the Clippers’ recent resurgence.

Baylor let Brand test free agency in the summer of 2003, and eventually matched the 6-year/$84 M contract that the forward signed wth the Miami Heat, getting the future All-Pro at a fairly reasonable price. That same summer, the Clippers matched Utah’s 6-year/$42 M offer to Corey Maggette (for whom Baylor traded away a protected first-round draft pick in 2000). The Jaric and Lionel Chalmers trade to Minnesota for Sam Cassell (and a future first round draft pick) was another steal, while the Wilcox for Radmanovic trade gave the Clippers a much-needed long range shooter. I’m still not sure about the signing of Cuttino Mobley (after letting Bobby Simmons go for the same price), but he does give the team a second low post scorer and is a career .432 3-point shooter. Throw in the signing of undrafted free agent Quinton Ross, who has become the team’s best perimeter defender and a capable shooter, and you have the meat of the Clippers’ rotation. Baylor has put together a team that has a nice mix of veterans and youngsters, creating an elusive chemistry which is so coveted in the NBA.