Category: NBA (Page 563 of 595)

In a recent interview with ESPN, 11-time NBA all-star Charles Barkley revealed that he has a gambling addiction.

Whenever Barkley holds an interest in a subject, you better believe his voice will be heard in the media. And in the light of recent comments by golf pro John Daly over his gambling addiction, Barkley’s remarks shouldn’t come as a surprise.

During the interview, Barkley’s comments were almost strange and contradictory and he almost gave viewers the impression that he wants to quit, but can’t.

“Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem but I don’t consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble. It’s just a stupid habit that I’ve got to get under control, because it’s just not a good thing to be broke after all of these years,” he added.

“It’s unfortunate that it has become a story, because I was asked an innocent question about John Daly and I said ‘I understand, gambling is a bad habit,'” Barkley said during halftime of TNT’s coverage of Game 5 of the Pistons-Bucks series. “I’m going to continue gambling. I like to gamble. It’s really nobody’s business, because it’s my own money, I earned it.

A bad habit is biting your nails. A bad habit is cursing too much. Gambling large sums of money regardless of if you can afford to lose it isn’t a bad habit it’s an addiction.

Barkley gave similar back and forth comments like the ones up above throughout the entire interview. He essentially was stating over and over that he has a problem, yet he doesn’t, because he’s rich and he’s having fun.

The fortunate part is that he understands that he has a problem. On the flip side, however, it’s the same old Charles we have known to love (or hate) who tells the world to buzz off because he’s going to do whatever he wants to do.

Barkley has estimated his overall gambling loss is “probably $10 million.” He also commented that he needs to work on betting “only” a thousand dollars a hand, instead of $20 thousand a hand.

Whether it’s alcohol, drugs or gambling, an addiction is an addiction and this sounds like a major addiction. Hopefully for him, somebody can get through to him before the situation spirals out of control.

If it hasn’t already, that is.

Cleveland 121, Washington 120 (OT) (Cavs lead series, 3-2)
Things were looking a little grim for the Cavs, down by one with 3.6 seconds to play in overtime. They had already squandered a seven point lead with 1:18 to play in regulation, giving Washington all the momentum going into the extra period. But the Wizards allowed LeBron James to catch the ball going towards the basket and the young superstar did the rest, slicing his way along the baseline before exploding towards the front of the rim for a layup between three Washington defenders. The shot was incredible – there’s maybe one other guy in the league that has the skill set to pull it off (Kobe Bryant), but he usually settles for jumpers. James finished with 45 points, seven rebounds and six assists, shooting a remarkable 61% from the field. Overshadowed by James’ game, Gilbert Arenas went for 44/5/4, marking the first time since the 2001 NBA Finals (Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal) that two players in the same playoff game scored 40 or more. These teams seem very evenly matched, so there is no telling what will happen on Friday when the two meet again in Game 6.

Detroit 122, Milwaukee 93 (Pistons win series, 4-1)
In a result that won’t surpise anyone, the Detroit Pistons dispatched the Bucks and will now await the winner of the Cavs/Wizards series. Lost in all the LeBron James/Gilbert Arenas drama, Richard Hamilton had a fine game, scoring 40 points on 15 for 23 shooting. Milwaukee was impressive in their blowout win in Game 3, and it looked for a moment that this might turn into a series, but the Bucks just aren’t ready defensively to compete with the Pistons.

New Jersey 92, Indiana 86 (Nets lead series, 3-2)
Vince Carter isn’t choking in these playoffs…yet. Carter posted 34 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in his second consecutive monster game. In the series, he’s averaging 30.2/8.8/5.4 on 47.8% shooting from the field. Richard Jefferson scored 24, Nenad Krstic chipped in 19 while grabbing 11 rebounds, and Jason Kidd delivered 15 assists in the victory. After an inauspicious start to the series, the Nets are finally playing like the team that performed so well down the stretch. Still, they are not dominating the Pacers, so it will be interesting to see – if they can close out the series – how they play against a better team (Miami or Chicago).

Miami 92, Chicago 78 (Heat, 3-2)
Dwayne Wade took a hard fall late in the second quarter, but x-rays were negative and he was able to return after a shot to dull the pain, finishing with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. Miami shook off two pretty poor performances in Chicago to defend home court and give them the opportunity to close out the series on Thursday. Wade only has one day’s rest before Game 6, and I wonder how his bruised hip is feeling today.

San Antonio 109, Sacramento 98 (Spurs, 3-2)
Three words made the Spurs feel much better in Game 5: home sweet home. San Antonio shot 57.4% from the field, with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan combining for 72 points on 26 of 40 shooting (65.0%) from the field. After playing better ball than the Spurs for three consecutive games, the contest was a letdown for the Kings, who were led once again by Bonzi Wells (38 points, 12 rebounds). Mike Bibby (eight points, four assists) and Brad Miller (10 points, two rebounds) were held in check. Game 6 is Friday in Sacramento.

Phoenix 114, LA Lakers 97 (Lakers, 3-2)
On the heels of winning the league’s Most Improved Player award, Boris Diaw celebrated with an almost-triple double, posting 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the blowout win. The Suns’ offense finally woke up, with six players scoring in double figures. Despite not playing all that well, Phoenix was in both games in Los Angeles, so Game 6 should be interesting. The Lakers do not want to come back to Phoenix to try to close the series out, so expect Kobe Bryant to be a little more aggressive offensively.

Boris Diaw spent last season on Atlanta’s bench. A year later, he’s going to win the league’s award for Most Improved Player, playing for the Suns.

Diaw set career highs in almost every statistical category including points (13.3), rebounds (6.9), assists (6.2) and minutes (35.5), playing in every game until skipping the meaningless season finale in Portland with strep throat. During his first two seasons in Atlanta, Diaw averaged 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

The Hawks tried to use Diaw at point guard and when that didn’t work out, they decided to throw him in along with two first round draft picks in the trade that brought Joe Johnson to the team. With Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas out of the lineup with season-ending injuries, Diaw filled in at center for the size-depleted Suns.

Once Stoudemire returns, the Suns will be really scary.

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.