Tag: Cleveland Cavaliers (Page 42 of 53)

      Couch Potato Alert: 4/17

      April 17, 2009 /

      John Madden was, um, colorful in the color analyst role on a NFL telecast. His catch phrases were the sound effects from the old Batman television series. After every play, you were guaranteed a “boom” or a “bam” from Madden in his description. He brought fun to the no fun league (NFL), and his name is synonymous in the gaming community for playing video football. And Madden was a maverick in another way; he left on top in two professions. He will be missed.

      The NBA and NHL postseasons start this weekend, and there are a few good baseball games on the tube as well.

      All times ET…

      NBA Playoffs
      Sat, 12:30 PM: Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics (ESPN)
      Sat, 3 PM: Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC)
      Sat, 8 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ San Antonio Spurs (ESPN)
      Sat, 10:30 PM: Houston Rockets @ Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN)
      Sun, 3 PM: Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers (ABC)
      Sun, 5:30 PM: Philadelphia 76ers @ Orlando Magic (TNT)
      Sun, 8 PM: Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks (TNT)
      Sun, 10:30 PM: New Orleans Hornets @ Denver Nuggets (TNT)

      NHL Playoffs
      Fri, 7 PM: Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins (Versus)
      Fri, 10 PM: St. Louis Blues @ Vancouver Canucks (Versus)
      Sat, 1 PM: New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals (NBC)
      Sat, 8 PM: Montreal Canadiens @ Boston Bruins (Versus)
      Sun, 3 PM: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers (NBC)
      Sun, 7 PM: Vancouver Canucks @ St. Louis Blues (Versus)
      Sun, 10 PM: Anaheim Ducks @ San Jose Sharks (Versus)

      MLB
      Sat, 3:40 PM: St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs (Fox)
      Sun., 1 PM: Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees (TBS)
      Sun., 8 PM: St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago Cubs (ESPN)

      Couch Potato Alert, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television

      Here’s how the NBA Playoffs are going to go…

      April 16, 2009 /

      Sure, with its seven-game format, the NBA Playoffs aren’t quite as consistently dramatic as March Madness, but there are a number of compelling storylines as we head into this year’s postseason. Will KG return in time to help the Celtics try to repeat? Will LeBron and the Cavs ride home court advantage to the Finals? Can Chris Paul and the Hornets put a less-than-stellar regular season behind them and make a run? Can Kobe finally win a title without Shaq?

      The Playoffs start on Saturday, and looking at the matchups, I think I have a pretty good idea how things will play out. Granted, I’m likely to make a few mistakes along the way, but that’s part of the fun, right?

      EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND

      #1 Cavaliers vs. #8 Pistons
      Let’s see – the Pistons limped into the playoffs, going 8-9 in March and 3-5 in April. Earlier in the season, they traded away arguably their best player (Chauncey Billups) and the guy they got in return (Allen Iverson) is (rumored to be) spending his time getting banned from the local casinos. If Detroit had held onto Billups, maybe they’d be able to make this a series, but without him, they’re floundering. I hope Joe Dumars has fun with that cap space!

      #4 Hawks vs. #5 Heat
      Here’s a first round battle between two teams that don’t have a legitimate chance of making the Finals. If the NBA were to adopt a single-elimination format (or even three-game series across the board), maybe….maybe…one of these teams could get hot and make a run. As it stands, the winner will have the right to face a determined Cavs team in the second round. Not that it matters, but I’m going with the Hawks here. They have home court advantage, have won three of four against the Heat this season and are simply a better team. Hats off to Dwyane Wade for willing the Heat this far, but I don’t think we’re going to see a LeBron/D-Wade matchup in the second round. (Not unless Jermaine O’Neal discovers the Fountain of Youth by this weekend.)

      Continue reading »

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Doc Rivers on Garnett: “There is no way he can play.”

      April 16, 2009 /

      The Boston Celtics repeat hopes took a hit today as head coach Doc Rivers stated that Kevin Garnett is not ready to play, and insinuated that his star forward may not be ready for the entire playoffs.

      “I don’t see it. I just don’t,” Rivers said. “I’ve flipped completely, because I was watching him move (before) and he looked great. But after today, there’s no way he can play.”

      “The guy’s a warrior and you can see him trying to mask it, but after 20 minutes of running, there’s just no way,” Rivers said.

      This morning, Rivers raised the serious possibility that the layoff would extend through the playoffs.

      “It may send a message to our guys that there’s nobody you’re waiting for,” Rivers said in reference to his team’s reaction. “And it can help us in that way. That’s the only way it can help us.”

      With a healthy Garnett, the Celtics are title contenders. Without him, they’re just a good NBA team. This is obviously great news for the Cavs, Magic and even the Bulls, who now have a shot at pulling off an upset of the #2-seed in the East.

      NBA

      Ray Allen elbows Anderson Varejao in the groin…

      April 13, 2009 /

      …and I don’t blame him.

      You can see that Varejao locked Allen’s elbow and wouldn’t let go, throwing him to the floor. Everybody focuses on the elbow to the groin, but what Varejao did was just as bad. Why is he locking Allen’s arm up on the free throw? Is he trying to injure him? If Varejao releases Allen’s arm there, nothing happens.

      NBA, NBA Finals, Video

      Cavs blow out C’s for 39th home win

      April 13, 2009 /

      LeBron posted 29 points (including 5 of 8 from long range — take that, Bill Simmons), seven assists and four rebounds as the Cavs rolled over the Celtics, 107-76. They’re one win away from matching the 1985-86 Celtics for the best regular season home record in league history.

      Chris Sheridan comments on the state of the Celtics…

      The defending champs will be there when it counts, once they have Kevin Garnett back at 100 percent, right?

      Problem is, Boston coach Doc Rivers is keeping No. 5 under wraps until Wednesday night, meaning he’ll have seen Garnett play about 80 minutes of total floor time over the final 26 games to get himself prepared for the postseason.

      Or: The Orlando Magic are going to be a heckuva matchup for someone, especially the Cavs, with their deadly inside-outside game anchored by Dwight Howard and all those shooters. The problem with that one (aside from Jameer Nelson’s absence) is that the school of thought that produced those kinds of pronouncements underwent a curriculum change when Hedo Turkoglu’s ankle crumpled Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J. on the same night that Brook Lopez was outplaying Howard. This came one night after David Lee of the Knicks outplayed Howard, and the Magic’s dreams of the No. 2 seed began to die a quick death.

      Anyone want to buy into the premise that the Cavs might have their hands full if they meet up with the Chicago Bulls in the first round? That’s about the only pre-weekend thought that endures even a little.

      “The teams at the bottom, that’s where you have to look who’s surging,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “Chicago is playing really well, and if that’s who you have to face, so be it.”

      As good as the Cavs have played this season, it would have been nice to see LeBron and Co. seize the bragging rights in the Eastern Conference instead of having it handed to them on a platter. Sure, they still have to go out and win games, but what was shaping up as a really interesting Eastern Conference playoffs is looking more and more like the Cavs’ tuneup for the Lakers in the Finals. Kevin Garnett’s knee is bad, Jameer Nelson is out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury and Hedo Turkoglu just sprained his ankle. Barring a semi-miraculous return for KG, I just don’t think there’s anyone in the East that can upend the Cavs right now.

      NBA, NBA Finals

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