Category: NBA (Page 560 of 595)

Miami 103, New Jersey 92 (Heat lead series, 2-1)
Tied after three quarters, the Heat scored 31 points in the fourth quarter en route to a decisive victory in Game 3, and regained home-court advantage in the process. Dwayne Wayne flirted with a triple-double, posting 30 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, including 14-15 shooting from the charity stripe. Shaquille O’Neal stayed out of foul trouble for most of the game, and went for 19/9 in the process. If Wade is playing well and Shaq is on the court, the Heat are a tough team to beat. The Nets got 43 points from Vince Carter, who made 50% of the shots he hoisted. Nenad Krstic and Jason Kidd combined for 8-26 (31%) shooting, which really hampered New Jersey’s chances.

Phoenix 94, L.A. Clippers 91 (Suns lead series 2-1)
I attended Game 3 in L.A. and the Clippers squandered a golden opportunity to take control of the series, allowing the Suns to steal a victory. Considering that L.A. held Phoenix to 37% shooting, the Clippers problems were all at the offensive end. In the third quarter, L.A. shot a miserable 6 of 20 (30%) from the field and committed five turnovers, which allowed the Suns to build a nine point lead. For some reason, the Clippers stopped running the offense through Elton Brand, and instead used their All-Star as a screener for most of the quarter. This led to an 11-point Phoenix lead before Vladimir Radmanovic caught fire. The 6’10” forward hit four straight three-pointers and added a layup to lead his team on a 16-2 run that gave the Clippers the lead, 79-76, with just under seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter. But the Suns found themselves up by one with 0:28 to play, needing a bucket to seal the win. Steve Nash had a quiet game (12 points, 10 assists), but hit a tough fadeaway jumper with 0:03 to play that put the Suns up three. Radmanovic’s desperation three fell short at the buzzer and just like that, the Clippers’ home-court advantage is gone.

On another note, you know you’re in L.A. when the worst heckle you hear the entire game is “do something about your hair, Nash!”

ESPN’s Daily Dime has issued a list of the Top 10 point guards of all time. SI.com has their own list. Both sites have Magic Johnson #1.

My NBA memory only goes back as far as the ’80s, so I don’t feel comfortable comparing players from vastly different eras. The game has changed so much, even in the last 25 years, that it takes a degree in math to correctly compare Magic to Steve Nash. Throw in John Stockton, Isiah Thomas (the point guard, NOT the GM), Jason Kidd and even Gary Payton – who has sullied his reputation some by lingering a bit too long – and you have the makings of a good modern-era list. Some other names that should be mentioned are Tim Hardaway, Mark Price, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker and Terry Porter. And here’s a name that you can add to this list in a few years: Chris Paul. Who am I missing?

Note: I consider Allen Iverson and Dwayne Wade to be shooting guards.

Miami 111, New Jersey 89 (series tied, 1-1)
I wonder what the win % is for a home team in Game 2 of a seven-game series, after losing Game 1. I’d suspect it’s pretty high. The road team goes into the game feeling like they’ve already stolen home court advantage while the home team – usually the favorite in the series – puts forth supreme effort in order to avoid leaving home down 0-2. Such was the case with the Heat, who continue to look awful one game and terrific the next. Miami jumped out to a 41-19 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Dwayne Wade led the way for Miami with 31 points (on 12-19 shooting), six assists and five rebounds. Shaquille O’Neal stayed out of foul trouble and was able to post 21 points and six boards in just 29 minutes. Once the game got out of hand, Nets coach Lawrence Frank should have pulled Richard Jefferson, who was questionable for Game 2 with a bruised ankle. Why Frank played him 36 minutes, I do not know.

L.A. Clippers 122, Phoenix 97 (series tied, 1-1)
This is what the Lakers wanted to do, only they didn’t have the personnel to do it. Are Elton Brand and Chris Kaman an upgrade over Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown? You bet. The Clippers’ inside duo dominated the Suns to the tune of a combined 41 points and 26 boards, including 10 offensive rebounds. In fact, here’s a shocking stat: Clippers as a team had 19 offensive rebounds, which was only two fewer than the Suns’ defensive rebound total. Phoenix should be worried – L.A. ate them up inside, and that’s not an easy thing to fix. The Clippers have the advantage in the series, and if they focus on rebounding and taking good shots, they’ll advance.

Detroit 97, Cleveland 91 (Pistons lead series, 2-0)
You see it so often in the NBA – a team is trailing by 20 points and, with their opponent on cruise control, they put on a furious late rally, only to fall short in the end. Such was the case with the Cavs last night, led by LeBron James, who finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Drew Gooden made an appearance, scoring 17 and grabbing eight boards for Cleveland. But the story continues to be the offensive absence of Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who were two key offseason signings. Ilgauskas averaged 15/8 during the regular season, but is only producing 10/6, while Hughes is averaging 11.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds against season averages of 15.2/3.3/4.7. What’s more worrisome is his FG% – his percentage has dropped from 40.9% in the regular season to a miserable 31.8% in the playoffs. But the biggest problem for the Cavs is the Pistons. The squad continues to play efficient, team ball, getting double figure scoring from each of the five starters. Rasheed Wallace led the way with 29 points and nine boards, while Chauncey Billups had a good all-around game, finishing with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Given the way Miami is playing, Detroit looks like a strong favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals.

Dallas 113, San Antonio 91 (series tied, 1-1)
The Spurs probably have a little more talent, but their stars are banged up and they are playing a deep, hungry team in the Dallas Mavericks. The problem with Dallas has always been their competitive mindset. In the past, they have a history of folding when the game or series is on the line, but so far in these playoffs, the Mavs look like a different team. But the difference in the series might be the 2003 NBA Draft. That year, the Spurs picked #28 while the Mavs picked #29. A year after drafting Tony Parker at the end of the first round, the Spurs didn’t see anyone of that caliber available, although they were considering selecting the ACC Player of the Year Josh Howard, who had played at Wake Forest, Tim Duncan’s alma mater. Finally, they decided to make a pick for the Suns (Leandro Barbosa) in exchange for a future first round pick. In the NBA, draft picks are passed around like a groupie at a KISS concert, so it’s difficult to determine who the Spurs ended up with by trading away the pick. But the Mavs jumped on Howard, who has blossomed into a fine small forward. Howard went for 27/9 on Tuesday while Dirk Nowitzki played an efficient game, scoring 21 on 7-11 shooting. Tim Duncan continues to play his heart out (28/9 on 8-10 shooting) but isn’t getting much help from Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili, who combined for 28 points on 10-25 shooting. Ginobili hasn’t looked right all season and has missed considerable time due to injury. Parker strained his calf in Game 1 and it definitely caused him some problems in Game 2. If these injury woes continue, Dallas is going to be the team that advances.