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      ECF Game 5: We have a series

      May 26, 2010 /

      Man, between the Suns’ tying up the Lakers in the West and the Magic’s two-game winning streak in the East, the playoffs just got a whole lot more interesting.

      A series of injuries to the Celtics’ bigs along with some timely buckets from Rashard Lewis (9 points in the fourth quarter) and Jameer Nelson (24-5-5) led to a decisive 113-92 win for the Magic in Game 5.

      Dwight Howard posted 21-10 while J.J. Redick continued his fine play off the bench, scoring 14 points and hitting 2-of-3 threes.

      Now the pressure shifts back to the Celtics, who need to close out the Magic in Game 6 or else they’ll have to try to avoid being the first team to lose a series after leading 3-0 by winning Game 7 on the Magic’s home floor.

      Jeff Van Gundy didn’t think that the C’s would feel pressured since they have so much experience, but he shouldn’t underestimate the “making bad history” aspect of this scenario. No team wants to be the first in league history to suffer a collapse of this magnitude, and given the collapse of the Boston Bruins, it will definitely be on the C’s collective psyche.

      Complicating matters, the Celtics will be a little unsure of the availability of certain players for Game 6. Kendrick Perkins faces suspension unless one of his technicals is rescinded (which is likely to happen) and Glen Davis may not be able to play due to a concussion he suffered in Game 5. Rasheed Wallace also left Game 5 with back spasms, so the C’s could be very thin on the front line.

      If they expect to close out the series, the Celtics need better play from Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, who combined to shoot 8-for-25 from the field for just 19 points in Game 5.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Wes Welker not familiar with Ashley Dupre’s work

      May 26, 2010 /

      Patriots’ receiver Wes Welker, who has spent the better part of the offseason rehabbing his knee following an injury that occurred in Week 17 of last year, is catching flack from some fans after he attended a party at the Playboy Mansion and a photo of him and Ashley Dupre started making the Internet rounds.

      From the Boston Globe:

      “It’s funny, man,” Welker told the Herald during a break at the Old Spice Wes Welker Football Camp yesterday. “I’ve been working so hard, and it’s like, ‘Oh, Wes is rehabbing at the Playboy Mansion or something.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, it’s one night.’ ”

      “And then I get a picture with somebody – I don’t even know who it is,” Welker said, laughing and incredulous. “And it ends up to be who it is. And I’m like, ‘Oh man, that’s great.’ My mom is like, ‘Wes, what are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘I had no idea who it was!’ ”

      As the NFL’s leading receiver and a public figure, Welker acknowledged the reality that he might want to avoid such situations in the future.

      Welker never got to meet Hugh Hefner, but he lauded the party.

      “Probably my last,’ a joking Welker said.

      If this is the worst thing Welker ever does as a player in the NFL, consider himself Mother Teresa among his peers. He’s a young, single guy – the fans that are criticizing him need to give him a break.

      I’ll be honest, I had to look up who Ashley Dupre was, so it’s not far-fetched that he wasn’t familiar with her either. I’m sure he’s posed for many photo ops throughout his career and not known who the person was. The fact that this photo was taken at the Playboy Mansion doesn’t mean much and neither does him being there in the middle of his rehab. A guy has the right to go out and there have been many an athlete that have visited Hugh Hefner’s love palace. It’s not a big deal.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      What Game 4 means for the Magic

      May 26, 2010 /

      Yes, the headline is that they avoided elimination and live to fight another day. Orlando’s odds of advancing have obviously gone up, but just how much? John Hollinger explains…

      The good news, however, is that they already accomplished the hardest part by winning Game 4. Teams down 3-0 have struggled mightily in that contest, but those with a home Game 5 haven’t faced as many problems. Historically, home-court advantage teams trailing 3-1 are 43-17 in Game 5, a 71.7 percent success rate.

      Should they survive Game 5, 36.7 percent of the home-court-advantage teams facing Game 6 elimination have prevailed. Combine the two probabilities and you get about a 1-in-4 shot for the Magic to become the fourth team in league history to force a seventh game after being down 3-0.

      The interesting thing about the Orlando/Boston series is that the Magic have two of the next three games at home. Most teams that fall down 0-3 are inferior to their opponents and probably don’t have home court advantage. But Orlando does have home court advantage and is arguably as talented as Boston. It’s a matter of effort and execution.

      Can the Magic come back? Absolutely. If I’m Stan Van Gundy, I tell my team that while it’s true no team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit, it’s going to happen someday, so why not today? It’s a cliche, but cliches exist for a reason — Orlando has to take this series one game at a time.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Goodell to review Roethlisberger’s “behavioral evaluation” within the week

      May 26, 2010 /

      NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told the media at the owners meetings on Tuesday that he would review the behavioral evaluation he ordered as part of Ben Roethlisberger’s six-game suspension within a week. If Goodell determines that Big Ben has made progress, then he may allow the quarterback to rejoin the Steelers for offseason workouts.

      What I would like to know is what process Goodell is planning to take when determining whether or not Roethlisberger should have the privilege to return to his team. What is Goodell going to do, send Big Ben into a crowded bar filled with horny chicks to see if he’ll behave himself? I’m not trying to sound insensitive in light of the previous allegations against Roethlisberger, but seriously – how is Goodell going to know whether or not the QB is worthy enough to return to football?

      Furthermore, how is Goodell going to determine whether or not he should lighten Big Ben’s suspension from six to four games? Anyone can behave themselves for a month if they want something bad enough. Who’s to say that Roethlisberger has learned anything? Does Goodell have a couple of eagle scouts watching the quarterback’s every move?

      I guess Goodell will just have to go with his gut and trust that Roethlisberger has suffered enough embarrassment to have changed (or is in the process of changing). I don’t doubt that the commissioner is taking this matter seriously, but I would love to find out what constitutes Big Ben learning his lesson and therefore, what it is that he did to earn a four-game suspension over a six-game penalty if that is indeed the outcome here.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Bill Simmons’ idiot’s guide to Russian Mark Cuban

      May 26, 2010 /

      I missed this column over the weekend, but it’s a pretty good read for those interested in the Nets’ new owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Here is Simmons’ prediction for Prokhorov’s first offseason:

      Still, allow me two making-a-splash predictions for this summer. The first: MRMC pounces on Phil Jackson with an absolutely unfathomable offer. How unfathomable? Five years, $85 million. Yeah. That’s what I mean. Prokhorov is already on record as saying that he wants an NBA coach. Why not overpay to get one of the greatest ever? How could the Lakers possibly come close to matching that commitment? And why would Jackson say no to finishing his career in the New York area for the most lucrative coaching deal ever, BY FAR? I say the Godfather offer gets made, and I say Jackson takes it.

      Second, instead of chewing up Jersey’s cap space with overpaid free agents, I bet Prokhorov trades for Andrei Kirilenko — his former CSKA star, as well as an expiring 2011 contract of $17.82 million — in a deal that won’t cost Jersey anything because Utah (struggling to find money for Carlos Boozer) could easily replace Kirilenko with its lottery pick (No. 8 overall) and a second trade. For the Nets, even if they just rented Kirilenko and picked Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors (the draft’s best power forward) at No. 3, that’s an intriguing short-term front line (Favors, Kirilenko and Brook Lopez) and they’d maintain flexibility for a run at Carmelo in 2011 and/or have Kirilenko’s expiring deal to shop this February. And it would go over big back home for Prokhorov. Win, win and win.

      That is a lot of money, but would Jackson agree to coach the Nets? I guess it would depend on how quickly they can turn the roster around. I’d say this is a long shot. But still, with Jerry Buss asking Jackson to take a pay cut, it would make a potentially huge raise pretty intriguing.

      The Nets missed out on the chance to draft John Wall, but they will have a shot at either Evan Turner or Derrick Favors at #3, or even DeMarcus Cousins if they decide that he’s not crazy enough to pass up. Cousins is more of a center, while I could easily see the developing Favors playing alongside Lopez. If Philly takes Favors #2, Turner would be a nice consolation prize, and he can play shooting guard if the Nets have their eye on Carmelo Anthony next summer.

      Regardless, the Nets are going to be an attracting landing spot for free agents over the next few years, especially when the move to Brooklyn finally happens. Players like to play for owners who are willing to spend to win, and there’s a great chance that the Nets will have one of the biggest payrolls within five years.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

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