It was a night for defense last night in the NBA playoffs, as five of the six teams in action shot less than 40 percent and the one that did meet that minimal threshold—the Boston Celtics—hit it right on the nose. TheSportsNotebook recaps Friday’s three games and looks ahead to Saturday’s quadruple header…
If you’re casual fan that watches the NBA playoffs so you can see the stars shine, then Thursday night was for you. And if you’re a hard-core basketball lover who appreciates tough defense Thursday night was also for you, as Miami and Oklahoma City took firm command of their first-round series, going up 3-0 in games with road wins. TheSportsNotebook recaps both and looks ahead to three games Friday night…
The San Antonio Spurs look like a team on a mission, the Memphis Grizzlies showed some heart and the Indiana Pacers showed their back in form in Wednesday night’s NBA playoff games. TheSportsNotebook recaps the three games and looks ahead to two more tonight…
Last night, as I watched Jaleel White (formerly Steve Urkel of Family Matters) get eliminated from Dancing With The Stars (yes, I watch the show. Not fanatically. Not at the expense of Monday Night Football in the fall season, but enough to get a strike against me, per the Miller Lite commercials), I thought that Jaleel could’ve gone the distance, but often didn’t seem to unleash everything at the key moment. If there’s any sport that can be correlated to DWTS, it’s the NBA, with its special emphasis on individual stars seizing moments. And last night was all about three stars—Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant because they were there, and Derrick Rose because he wasn’t. TheSportsNotebook recaps the three games and looks ahead to three more tonight…
The New York Knicks brought the intensity to their Game 2 battle with the Miami Heat, but the end, the Knicks lacked the backcourt balance in their offense and it appears at least one key player lacked some emotional balance at game’s end. TheSportsNotebook recaps the three games from Monday night in the NBA playoffs and looks ahead to three more on Tuesday…
For the second straight night in the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs, the story was about a late comeback and a 99-98 final. But the Los Angeles Clippers came from a lot further back last night then Oklahoma City did on Saturday. The Clips were on the road, 27 points in the hole and in the fourth quarter, turned it around and won. TheSportsNotebook recaps this, along with Saturday’s other four games and looks ahead to Monday night’s playoff trio…
The NBA playoffs aren’t supposed to be this newsworthy on the first day, but a devastating injury, a big upset and a potential statement game by a rising star made Day One’s four games noteworthy. TheSportsNotebook recaps all four and looks ahead to Sunday’s basketball action…
We’re in the final hours before the beginning of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. TheSportsNotebook has spent the last two days previewing all eight first-round matchups. Today we tie it all together. Below are links to each preview post. In parentheses next to each team are the Las Vegas odds for each on making it the Finals and winning the championship. And while TheSportsNotebook has already made picks on each of the first-round series, here’s my last call on who’s going to win the whole thing…
The Los Angeles Lakers come into the postseason riding a wave of controversy, after the suspension of Ron Artest, Man Of World Peace, has put their small forward on the bench for six games. But Los Angeles has ridden the trio of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to a 41-25 record, the Pacific Division title and a #3 seed in the NBA’s Western Conference. Can they hold off 6th-seeded Denver when their first-round series begins on Sunday? TheSportsNotebook previews the Lakers-Nuggets…
A year ago Dallas went through Oklahoma City in the NBA’s Western Conference Finals, as the Mavericks claimed their first championship. Now it’s Thunder who have great expectations this spring, seeded second in the West, but a familiar foe is awaiting them in the 2-7 spot on the draw. Dallas visits OkC on Saturday to begin their first round series, and TheSportsNotebook previews the matchup…
The matchup that ABC/ESPN are salivating for in the NBA’s first round is the New York Knicks taking on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference. There’s two superstars under siege, in Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, a coaching situation up in the air in New York and another one in Miami that will be if the Heat don’t win it all. And the Knicks playing well down the stretch while the Heat struggled have given rise to thoughts that an upset could be in the works. Can 7th-seeded New York really pull an outright series win on 2-seed Miami? TheSportsNotebook previews the action…
The Chicago Bulls-Philadelphia 76ers playoff matchup is one that could have been reasonably anticipated back in early February, but no one would have been thinking first round. At the time the 76ers looked like the best team in the Atlantic Division by a lot and a viable threat to at least put a scare into the Bulls if the teams were to meet in the second round. Instead it’s a Philly team that nearly played its way out of the postseason altogether that comes to the Windy City on Saturday afternoon to start the 1-8 matchup on the Eastern Conference side of the draw. TheSportsNotebook previews the Bulls-Sixers series…