Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Miami Heat Win Game One of the NBA Finals 2011
Dallas does not have that many actual play makers. They forced the Matrix (Sean Marion) to score and I believe that takes away from the nature of the game of the successful Dallas Mavericks. Even Stevenson was forced to hit threes instead of focus on defense.
Also Dallas was held to one of the lowest shooting percentages of the playoff... thanks to the quick and strong responding Miami Heat defense. So Dallas loses game one by 8 points, 92 to 84 and Miami gets one game closer to shocking the world and making a LOT of Cleveland fans disturbingly upset. D. Wade finally looked like the D. Wade of old... his slow hesitating jump shot was back; but he's still getting stripped in the lane like he's in high school.
Note worthy, tell Lebron James to watch out and not put himself into the basket as he nearly did when he dunked the alley-hoop from Wade... as we use say when we played... "and the cow jumped over the moon..."
Post Up Game... holla at me
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Friday, May 27, 2011
Too Fast Too Strong - Too Tired Too Young
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thunder Still Young
Mike Brown Heading the Lake Show
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The Los Angeles Lakers reached agreement in principle with former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown Wednesday on a four-year contract worth more than $18 million to replace 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson. The fourth year is at the team's option, according to a source, although there are incentives in the deal that could guarantee the final season.
Brown, 41, beat out former Rockets, Kings, Warriors and Blazers head coach Rick Adelman and current Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw for the position, winning over the Lakers' brass with his commitment to defense that made the Cavs one of the league's top defensive units. He had a solid relationship with LeBron James, getting James to buy in to the need to improve his perimeter defensive skills. In Los Angeles, Brown will have an aging roster but will also have a superstar in Kobe Bryant to build around.
Brown went 272-138 (.663) in five seasons with the Cavaliers, after assistant coaching stints in Washington, Denver, San Antonio and Indiana. He quickly made the Cavs into one of the league's best defensive teams, leaving most of the offense to assistant coaches like John Kuester (now the Pistons' head coach).
Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2009 after leading the Cavaliers to a league-best 66-16 record, and the following season, Cleveland went 61-21. But the Cavalliers were upset in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by Boston, amid deteriorating play and internal criticism of Brown's player rotation. Owner Dan Gilbert opted to fire Brown after the playoffs, a decision that led to then team president Danny Ferry's decision to leave the organization.
The decision to hire Brown is a signature moment for Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss, the son of owner Jerry Buss, who in the last couple of years has become the franchise's chief decision-maker on most issues. The younger Buss came to the Lakers' organization in 1997 after working in many jobs, including as a trainer for some of his father's horses. Jim Buss often clashed with Jackson -- the two have barely spoken in the last year, Jackson said at his season-ending news conference a couple of weeks ago -- and he also often disagreed with former Lakers GM Jerry West -- who just accepted a job this week on the board of the Golden State Warriors. When West left to go to Memphis in 2002, the road was cleared for Jim Buss to become the Lakers' ultimate decision maker.
When Kobe Bryant was displeased with the team's roster following the 2007 playoffs -- and ultimately asked to be traded -- Jim Buss was insistent that the team not deal young center Andrew Bynum, as Bryant had asked. He has resisted all such potential deals for Bynum ever since, including last February, when the Lakers looked at acquiring Carmelo Anthony from Denver.
The Lakers were insistent that they would not come anywhere close to the $10 million they paid Jackson in his last season, much less the $12.5 million he'd gotten the year before.The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the team would spend between $3 and $5 million per season for a new coach, and after starting negotiations with Brown at slightly more than $3 million per season, they came up, while Brown came down from his demand for a contract equal to the $6 million per that Mike D'Antoni is getting in New York with the Knicks.
Brown was also a top candidate for the Golden State Warriors' head coaching vacancy, with Shaw, Adelman, ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson and Celtics assistant coach Lawrence Frank among the other candidates. The Warriors, according to a league source, have also interviewed New Orleans Hornets lead assistant coach Michael Malone for a top assistant position. Many around the league believe Malone will soon get a head coaching position.
Adelman, 64, received strong consideration from the Lakers as well. His strong record over the years with veteran teams in Portland (where the Blazers made the Finals in 1990 and 1992), Sacramento (where he is the franchise's all-time winningest coach, getting the Kings to within a game of the 2002 Finals) and Houston made him a prime candidate in Los Angeles. Adelman has been able to change his attack on the fly, going from a high-post offense when excellent passing big men Vlade Divac and Chris Webber were on the roster in Sacramento to posting up wing players like Bonzi Wells and Ron Artest.
He did the same thing this season in Houston when the Rockets lost Yao Ming for the season with a stress fracture, going from a low-post attack to a perimeter game featuring guards Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry.
Adelman has won 945 games, in eighth place on the NBA's win list, passing legendary coaches Bill Fitch and Red Auerbach this season. His teams have made the playoffs 16 times in 20 seasons.
Shaw, a Lakers' assistant the last five seasons after playing for them from 1999 to 2003, was the choice of many within the organization, including Bryant and Derek Fisher. But the Lakers' flameout in the second round against Dallas likely hurt his candidacy with a front office looking to shake things up. Jerry Buss said in a radio interview Tuesday that he and his son didn't ask for and didn't especially want the input of players when deciding who the next head coach would be.
http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/david_aldridge/05/25/lakers-hire-brown/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
Longtime NBA reporter and columnist David Aldridge is an analyst for TNT. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Heat Top Bulls in OT for 3-1 Lead
Here is what few guys had to say after the game....
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
BULLS HEAT GAME 4
That is done by DEFENSE and handling the pressure. This is a vital game for the Bulls; and a pretty important game for the Heat. The Miami Heat have to do something to get Wade back into the normal flow of the game. He has been a bit absent; and on the other hand Rose has bounced back this game with his aggression. When he is tomahawking dunks; you know he's being aggressive, which they need.
Also the Bulls role-players are definitely stepping up and playing much better basketball. We'll see how it goes...
Post up game
Mavs Come from 15 Down, Win
Mavs come from 15 down, stun Thunder 112-105 in OT
A decade's worth of playoff experience has taught Dirk Nowitzki plenty about hardship. Jason Kidd knows it well, too.
By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer
A decade's worth of playoff experience has taught Dirk Nowitzki plenty about hardship. Jason Kidd knows it well, too.
Now, it's starting to look as if the tide has turned for the Dallas Mavericks.
Nowitzki scored 40 points, Kidd hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in overtime and the Mavericks rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final 5 minutes of regulation to stun the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-105 on Monday night and take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. (Post Up - at this point in the play offs, if you're losing 15 point leads with 5 minutes left; you're not ready for the title, I'm sorry, even though I don't have to apologize to nobody)
"It's just a bunch of veterans with a lot of unique stories. A lot of guys have been through a lot in this league and have been around forever," Nowitzki said. "A bunch of guys have been to the finals. ... Ultimately, we have one goal and we came together and fought through some stuff."
Already with an improbable sweep over the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers under their belts, the Mavericks came back from a 99-84 deficit with 5 minutes left in regulation to move within one win of the NBA finals.
They handed the Thunder their first consecutive losses of the postseason and first back-to-back home losses in six months to earn a chance to clinch the series on their home court in Game 5 Wednesday night in Dallas. (Post Up - a lot of first here...)
"We worked really hard these two games to win, and none of that guarantees anything for Game 5. We know that," said coach Rick Carlisle.
The Mavs have won at least 50 games in 11 straight seasons with no titles and only one trip to the NBA finals to show for it.
"All of us involved with this team have been through a lot of these wars," Carlisle added. "We understand our position that we're in. We respect it. We're very humble about it. We've got to get ourselves revved up and ready for Wednesday, because that's an opportunity."
Dallas didn't lead until Nowitzki hit two free throws 16 seconds into overtime, and the Mavericks never let the Thunder - who were one win shy of tying an NBA record with eight OT wins in the regular season - go ahead after that.
Kevin Durant, the league's scoring champion the past two seasons, missed a 3-point attempt on Oklahoma City's opening possession of overtime, then didn't get another shot until he missed from long range off the front of the rim in the final 10 seconds with the Thunder down by five.
Durant finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka had 18 points and 10 boards for Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook added 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Only two teams in NBA history have come back from 3-1 deficits without the benefit of home-court advantage in Game 7 - Houston in the 1995 West semifinals and Boston in the 1968 East finals. (Post Up - I picked OKC in this series really because I thought they could out-offense Dallas and bully them a bit; but Dallas is being tough. I also went against my buddy in a bit of an emotional wager; but deep down I thought Dallas would win because the beating of the Lakers is more momentum than barely beating the 8th seed in 7 games.)
"There's no doubt it was a tough loss," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "If this loss did not hurt, there's no such thing as a loss that can hurt you."
Durant said all the Thunder can do now is try to be positive.
"It's not over yet," he said. "We know we have a game on Wednesday. We've won in there before, so we've got to try to do it again."
Durant had nine of the Thunder's 26 turnovers, including the one that led to the big shot by Kidd. Kidd stripped him as he went up for a shot with just over a minute left in overtime, then took a pass from Nowitzki, pump-faked to get Westbrook in the air and stepped up to drill a 3-pointer that put Dallas up 108-105 with 40.3 seconds left.
Jason Terry hit two free throws for the last of his 20 points, and Kidd added two more to provide the final margin.
Kidd - who went to the NBA finals twice with New Jersey but is still seeking his first ring at age 38 - scored 17 points to go with seven assists, five rebounds and four steals.
"Everybody asks questions about the age and all that other stuff," Carlisle said, "but the thing I'd say to anybody is, `Never underestimate greatness.'"
The Mavericks also know better than to underestimate any opponent in any circumstances.
"I think they're going to come back in Game 5 and going to throw everything at us. Obviously they're desperate now," said Nowitzki, who still laments how Dallas won twice on the road to start the 2006 finals then lost four in a row to Miami. (Post Up - stop lamenting on that Dirk...stop)
"But they showed they can win on our home court - they stole Game 2 there - so you know they are still confident. We've got to take it. Nothing is going to be given to you in this league, especially not in the playoffs."
The Thunder learned that the hard way.
Durant acted as though he was slapping on a pro wrestling championship belt after his 3-pointer finished Oklahoma City's second 7-0 run of the fourth quarter to make it 99-84 with 5:06 remaining. He hadn't won anything yet, though.
James Harden fouled out 32 seconds later, robbing the Thunder of their third-best offensive player. Westbrook had the only basket for the team's All-Star tandem over the final 10 minutes while Nowitzki took charge.
"It was almost over," Nowitzki said. "If we mess up one more time or give up one more offensive rebound, that would have been the game. So we couldn't afford any mistakes down the stretch and ... we were almost perfect."
The big German scored 12 points during the Mavs' 17-2 run and got fouled by Nick Collison before hitting both free throws to tie it at 101 with 6.4 seconds left.
Shawn Marion blocked Durant's 3-point attempt at least 30 feet from the basket with 2 seconds left, and the Mavs couldn't convert a chance at the win when Kidd's inbound lob with 0.7 seconds to go hit the rim.
Oklahoma City came roaring out of the gates after trailing by as many as 17 points in the first quarter of Game 3. The Thunder hit their first nine shots and took an 18-8 lead after Durant caught a deflected inbound pass and zoomed in for a right-handed jam.
They never quite could shake Dallas, though. The Mavericks were still within five at halftime and trailed 79-77 in the final minute of the third quarter.
"It goes without saying that it was a tough loss to accept," Brooks said, "but it is a loss and we have to learn from it."
Notes: Mavs C Tyson Chandler was called for a technical foul in the third quarter. The NBA rescinded Chandler's first two technicals in this series, so his postseason count is currently at four - three shy of what's needed for a one-game suspension. Westbrook has five. ... Dallas was the only visiting team to win twice in the regular season at the Oklahoma City Arena, where the Thunder were 30-11. The Mavs are 4-0 in the building in the regular season and playoffs. ... Brooks, facing repeated questions about his starting lineup, says he's sticking with it. "We're a young team," he said, "and if you give a young team instability, you're going to get very inconsistent results."
Who get's the next game? Post up
Post up Game with Post Up Due
The Bulls Frustrated?
MIAMI — Center Joakim Noah wasn't the only Bulls player to let his emotions get the best of him in Game 3 on Sunday against the Miami Heat.
Forward Luol Deng, who had another tough fourth quarter in Game 3 — two points on 1-for-4 shooting — blamed himself for getting irked by some calls that didn't go the Bulls' way in their 96-85 loss.
''Some of the calls got to me a little bit,'' Deng said Monday. ''I've got to do a better job of not allowing that. I felt there were some calls we should have gotten that we didn't. That's how it goes sometimes.''
The Bulls were called for 24 fouls; the Heat was called for 17. The Bulls shot 21 free throws; the Heat shot 29. And even though Deng said the officiating hasn't been one-sided, the Bulls are starting to speak up. (Post Up - they wouldn't be speaking up if they felt the officiating was fair)
Deng was called for a near-phantom foul on a three-pointer by LeBron James in the first quarter. After a timeout later in the quarter, coach Tom Thibodeau had an animated discussion with referee Steve Javie. Seven seconds after play resumed, Javie called a cheapie on the Heat's Mike Miller on a rebound.
''I saw the replay [of the foul against James],'' Deng said. ''I'll just let everyone be their own judge. I don't think the refs are favoring one side, but I don't think if I shot that three and [James] hit me that I would have gotten the call. But that's not where you win or lose the game. That's just part of the game.'' (Post Up - This sounds like some Phil Jackson sh%t where you complain but say you're not complaining)
Stat of the day
For what it's worth, Game 3 marked the first time the Bulls lost this season when Javie (4-0 previously), Ron Garretson (5-0) or Mike Callahan (5-0) was officiating.
Omer update
Backup center Omer Asik, who suffered an ankle injury in
Game 3 and went scoreless with one rebound in 15 minutes, is day-to-day, Thibodeau said.
''We're hopeful,'' Thibodeau said. ''He'll get treatment [today]. [Trainer] Fred [Tedeschi] will take him out on the court to see if he's having any problems, and hopefully he'll be ready to go.''
If Asik can't go, Kurt Thomas will back up Noah, Thibodeau said.
Inside presence
The Heat has been vulnerable inside this season, but Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem have shored up that deficiency to give the team an edge in Games 2 and 3.
Anthony had five blocked shots in 29 minutes in Game 3 and has eight blocks in the series. Haslem has mucked up the lane, drawing two charging fouls. (Post Up - you don't see Rose getting many charges on him because he knows how to twist and get around it; also because he is TOO FAST TOO STRONG; but they got a few on him and it shows the closing down of the lane by the Heat and their quickness)
''We just have to play smarter,'' Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. ''You know Anthony is going to attack every shot that's coming toward the rim. We knew that all year long. We haven't shied away.
''We have to make better decisions when it comes to getting in the lane. We have to make the smart pass or take the smart shot. And hopefully it can go a little better our way.''
The closer?
It's no secret the Heat has contained Bulls star Derrick Rose in the series, especially in the fourth quarter. Rose is a combined 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter of the last two games. He was 23-for-43 in the fourth quarter of the series against the Atlanta Hawks.
''The important thing is for him to make the right play,'' Thibodeau said when he was asked if he wanted to see Rose take more than two shots in the fourth quarter of a close game. ''I'm not going to measure if he's taking two shots or 10 shots.
''If he's double-teamed and the second defender is on him, I want him to hit the open man. If he's single-covered and open, I want him to shoot.'' (Post Up - Rose needs to shoot shoot and shoot with the offense of the Bulls lately)
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Sunday, May 22, 2011
Miami Takes Game 3
Sure they got points out of Boozer in game 3; but he hogged 19 shots to do it... Rose took 19 shots; the only guy to have a bad shooting percentage on the Heat was D. Wade; while the only guy with a good shooting percentage on the Bulls was Taj Gibson. The Bulls need to figure a way to get better offense against the pretty good defensive team in the Miami Heat or they will be giving hugs to James and Wade talking about "bring it home to the east," in a few games.
My prediction is Miami in 5 or 6... Wade and James took the night off and Bosh goes for 34 points and they still win. If I'm Chicago; that is reason for concern. You held the big three to under 75 points (which beats the theory - hold the big 3 under 80), and you held the big 2 (Wade and James) to under 40 (which beats another theory guys had out there to hold James and Wade to under 40).
The Heat took the league MVP out of the game in the fourth quarter and that is making a big difference in the last two games for the Bulls because they have no other offense except offensive rebounds. Holla at me; post up Due... post up a comment if you got game.
Post Up Due
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Be A Champion In All You Do