0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 5/2/2014
Everyone has been trying to push Deron Williams one way or the other these last few years. He has not quite recaptured the play that had him in the same conversation as Chris Paul among the league’s best point guards. Injuries have sapped him of that as the expectations for his team have grown. Williams […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
The NBA Playoffs continue at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN as the Trail Blazers host the Rockets looking to finish off their series in the Western Conference first round. Before each game, we will have a quick preview of the upcoming game with a matchup to watch and a stat to chew on as you watch […]
0 comments by Josh Burton
The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2013-14 season with a 27-55 record, which was good (bad?) for a .329 winning percentage, the sixth-worst mark in the entire NBA. Why were the Lakers so bad? First off, superstar Kobe Bryant only was able to play six games all year because of a debilitating knee injury. Point […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
David Lee fouled out with a little more than five minutes leaving the Warriors without many big men options. Jermaine O’Neal sprained his knee earlier in the game and was knocked out of the game. Hilton Armstrong and Marreese Speights were just not options if the Warriors wanted to survive.
So Mark Jackson went small. And it worked.
Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Stephen Curry was aggressive and looking for his shot scoring 24 points on 9-for-24 shooting.
The Clippers could not get Blake Griffin going or DeAndre Jordan, who was extremely active defensively especially early in the game. Griffin scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Jamal Crawford had 19 points off the bench.
Game 7 is Saturday.
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 5/1/2014
The talk in Oklahoma City was all about the headline in The Oklahoman dubbed “Mr. Unreliable.” Whether it was directed at Kevin Durant or not, the paper might be willing to debate. That is how the nation took it. They had reason to believe it after Durant struggled at the end of Game Five and […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
David West had the ball at the elbow and time winding down. The Pacers had spread the floor and George Hill was itching to cut. West waved him off. The shot clock still counted down and West had to make his move. So he dribbled twice, getting himself into the paint. He stopped quickly — […]
It has been a rough start to the 2015 season for Blake Griffin. Photo by Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
The NBA Playoffs continue at 10:30 p.m. on TNT as the Warriors host the Clippers hoping to avoid elimination in the Western Conference first round. Before each game, we will have a quick preview of the upcoming game with a matchup to watch and a stat to chew on as you watch the game. Previously […]
Happy days are here again! Mike D'Antoni resigns as the Lakers coach. I couldn't be happier!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 1, 2014
Magic Johnson was happy to say the least when news broke that Mike D’Antoni would resign from his position as head coach of the Lakers.
D’Antoni had two disastrous seasons marred by the stars squabbling and injuries of the Kobe Bryant-Dwight Howard tandem to the injuries that plagued his team this past season. Missing the Playoffs is not a thing that happens to the Lakers very often.
Johnson was among those who were pushing the team to re-hire Phil Jackson. Of course, the Lakers suddenly pulled back their offer, according to reports, and went with D’Antoni, a coach that new owner Jim Buss felt would recapture the Showtime era and provide a more exciting brand of basketball while winning.
None of that happened. The Lakers finished with the second worst record in the West this year.
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The Rockets have two of the best players at their respective decision, but no championship expectations? Photo by Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich on 4/30/2014
James Harden was struggling — 3 for 12 and no points in the second half — as the game entered its final stages. Game Five was following the similar pattern of the previous four games of this series. The Rockets raced out to the lead, and then slowly watched it crumble eventually succumbing to defeat […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q-TX5wnQJM
The Raptors had a 20-point lead at home in a critical Game Five. The Nets were dead int he water.
Then Brooklyn scored 44 points in the final quarter. 44! And brought the game within reach. A 3-pointer tied things up late.
Then Kyle Lowry, always confident, stepped in and put things away. The Nets were frantic at the end and missed their opportunity to force overtime miraculously with the deficit they faced. Toronto won Game Five 115-113 and took a 3-2 series lead into Game Six.
Lowry had 36 points on 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. That helped match Joe Johnson’s 30-point performance. DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and Mirza Teletovic added 17 in support of the stars of the night.
And, of course, hold off that crazy Nets run at the end of the game. The young Raptors team still needs to learn how to put opponents away in the Playoffs.
They got the thing that mattered most though — the win.
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qfR1LIcJZQ
This is what a one seed against an eight seed is supposed to look like. Maybe a bit of a sweat at some points, but complete control over the pace and deficit of the game.
Tony Parker got things started scoring 10 points in the opening quarter on his way to 23 points — on 23 field goal attempts — and Manu Ginobili scored 19 points off the bench. San Antonio had the rhythm and flow the team has sometimes lacked against Dallas.
The Mavericks could not get over the hump this time though. Vince Carter scored 28 points off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki had 26 points and 15 rebounds. And Monta Ellis scored 21 points. That was the majority of Dallas’ scoring in the 109-103 loss. Offensive ingenuity just was not on the menu for the Mavericks.
A 3-2 deficit? That is.
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
It was quite a scene at Staples Center on Tuesday as the Clippers hosted the Warriors for Game Five of their Western Conference First Round series. The nation’s eyes were squarely on them to see how the fans would respond to their team returning home amid the controversy surrounding Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling. The NBA […]
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
Earlier this week, I chatted with Drew Cohen of FansRising.com about his fan-driven petition movement to change the lottery system for the Orlando Magic Daily Podcast.
It was a common storyline throughout the season as teams jockeyed for the best position possible in this loaded NBA Draft. Fans seemed tired of it and the media certainly made a big deal about it.
There are a few solutions out there and several of them are proposed by NBArrassing.com as part of the petition Drew and FansRising plan to present to the league at the Draft. What has become clear is that a scenario where teams are given incentives to lose is untenable and frustrating for fans.
You can visit the link above for more information on the petition or sign the petition from the link below:
0 comments by Philip Rossman-Reich
There were plenty of threats of boycotts and protests circulating among NBA players and NBA circles after the news came out about Donald Sterling’s racially insensitive rant to his girlfriend became public. That was just the straw that broke the camel’s back with Sterling and focused public ire directly on him. The pressure to do […]
0 comments by Jeff Garcia
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver dropped the hammer on Clippers owner Donald Sterling yesterday banning him for life from any NBA activities and fining him the maximum 2.5 million.
Sterling now faces losing his franchise as well as forever being known as a blight on not only the NBA but on society.
The masses applauded Silver’s actions and now the crew at TNT’s “Inside the NBA” weighed in on the steps taken to oust Sterling. Needless to say, they were proud of Adam as new commissioner of the NBA.
