0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/30/2016
Luke Walton has a proud papa today, but he also hopes that father doesn’t know best. Bill Walton’s body didn’t enable him to become the heart of an NBA dynasty, but the legendary center lasted long enough to win NBA titles for different teams in different decades. Luke Walton’s father appreciates the long view — […]
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When Austin Rivers came to the Los Angeles Clippers, it was impossible to ignore — whether founded or not — the idea that coach and general manager Doc Rivers was trying to advance his son’s career. The inclination to think that favoritism was at the root of Doc’s decision was understandable. Moreover, Doc certainly does […]
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By its very nature, Game 7 is a crapshoot. Six battles, six episodes of jousting and probing and punching and counterpunching, give way to a single theater of events, one isolated thrill ride of 2.5 hours in which percentages and laws of averages don’t mean very much. The finality of a Game 7 — in […]
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The Portland Trail Blazers did not have a better roster than the Los Angeles Clippers — not if the injured duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is part of the equation. The Clippers might be the most luckless organization in the NBA, but in many intersections of luck and effort, a pinch of wisdom […]
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Dwyane Wade, like former teammate LeBron James, was made for one of the most underrated crucibles in all of sports. Most sports fans and analysts pay close attention to Game 7s, those moments when a long series reaches the ultimate crescendo. Yes, Game 7s are almost always special, and they certainly reveal what exists inside […]
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 19: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder takes a shot in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 19, 2014 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/29/2016
The Oklahoma City Thunder probably know what the word “redemption” means, but let’s go to the dictionary anyway: redemption (n.) – the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. The payments made by the Thunder — as they enter the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday against the […]
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Atlanta sports fans of a certain age — scarred forever by the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals — will always love seeing the Boston Celtics lose. Atlantans, not accustomed to playoff moments which work out favorably for their teams, deserve this hour of celebration. They’ve been through far more than their fair share of postseason agonies. […]
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The Atlanta Hawks will try to win respect when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but on Thursday night in Boston, they won the right to think that their 2016 season was not a failure. All team-sport professional athletes want to win the championship of their league, but anyone who puts […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/28/2016
Sports always carry a richly psychological component, but for the Portland Trail Blazers, the between-the-ears reality of high-stakes competition was never more profound than on Wednesday night. In Game 5 of the Western Conference first round against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Trail Blazers figured to win. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin were out. J.J. […]
Apr 17, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Justise Winslow (L) talks to Heat guard Josh Richardson (R) during the second half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 123-91. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Matt Zemek
The Miami Heat’s 2016 season is not over, but it seems reasonable to say — even now, before an elimination game Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets — that Miami’s presence as a threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers has been oversold. Game 5 of the Heat’s Eastern Conference first-round series on Wednesday night illustrated the […]
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Courtney Lee is a rebounder — and not principally in the sense of being a player who grabs missed shots. Yes, Lee’s rebounds at the end of Games 4 and 5 have put the Charlotte Hornets in position to eliminate the Miami Heat this Friday in North Carolina, but the story of Courtney Lee’s rebounding […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/27/2016
The Toronto Raptors and their fans were immersed in a typically miserable NBA playoff experience. After the Game 7 heartbreaker against the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, and the humiliating sweep at the hands of the Washington Wizards in 2015, the Toronto Raptors needed to get it right in 2016. Toronto citizens consider hockey and not […]
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In a very real sense, the Los Angeles Clippers and DeAndre Jordan are playing with less pressure in the final games of their Western Conference first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. No Chris Paul. No Blake Griffin. The Clippers are no longer an NBA title contender after very briefly seeing a sliver of daylight […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/26/2016
The people of Dallas can be very proud the day after their Mavericks were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder put an end to the Mavs’ season in Game 5 of the first round on Monday night. It was the result everyone expected, the inevitable conclusion of a series in which one […]
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For Chris Paul, the morning of Tuesday, April 26, 2016, must feel like “The Morning After.” For most observers of the league — as fans and chroniclers — the same feeling exists. For a few teams, however, this Tuesday morning doesn’t bring with it the scent of carnage or rubble, but opportunity. So much of […]
