Game 3: Kobe scores 35, Lakers edge Jazz 111-110

The AP reports:

kobe bryant

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher hit back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-2 run in the final minute and the Lakers held on for a 111-110 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night that put Los Angeles on the verge of sweeping the Western Conference playoff series.

The Jazz had two chances to win it in the final 4 seconds, but Deron Williams missed from the top of the key and Wesley Matthews’ tip just before the buzzer bounced off the rim.

Bryant finished with 35 points and Fisher scored 20 for the Lakers, who can close out the four-game sweep with a win Monday night in Game 4. Pau Gasol added 14 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Williams scored 28 and Kyle Korver added a career playoff-high 23 points for the Jazz.

Ron Artest scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for the Lakers, who never led by more than four but stayed close enough to win it in a thrilling final minute.

InsideHoops.com notes:

Artest finally remembered how to make three-pointers, hitting 4-for-7. Also, Bryant and Fisher each hit 3-of-7 from outside the arc.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum did almost nothing in 20 minutes of play, with no points and four rebounds.

The Lakers bench was lousy, with Lamar Odom shooting 2-of-6, Jordan Farmar 2-of-6, and Shannon Brown 4-of-12. Odom did grab eight rebounds.

For the Jazz, Wes Matthews hit just 2-of-11 shots, for nine points.

Offensively, the Jazz bench was terrific. Kyle Korver hit 9-of-10 shots, including 5-of-5 threes for 23 points in just under 24 minutes. Paul Millsap hit 3-of-6. In his return to action, Andrei Kirilenko hit 4-of-7 for eight points and six rebounds in 17 minutes.

Both teams had similar shooting, rebounding and assists stats. But the Jazz had 31 free throw attempts, hitting 26, while the Lakers had just 19 free throws, making 16.

Live fan discussion of the game was in this forum topic.

Game 3: Magic destroy Hawks 105-75

The AP reports:

rashard lewis magic destroy hawks

Rashard Lewis scored 22 points and the backups helped Orlando pull away early with Howard on the bench as the Magic romped to another playoff blowout, moving to the brink of their second straight sweep with a 105-75 victory over the Hawks on Saturday.

Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds but was hardly dominating. No problem for the Magic, who have so many complements to Superman and allowed many of them to shine in Orlando’s seventh straight postseason victory and 13th straight win overall.

Lewis knocked down four 3-pointers. Jameer Nelson scored 14 points. Mickael Pietrus chipped in with 13, hitting three shots from outside the arc. Marcin Gortat, Howard’s backup, grabbed six rebounds in less than 10 minutes. All 10 Orlando players who got on the court made it to the scoresheet…

The Hawks shot only 35 percent (29 of 83), and their best player was the biggest culprit. Joe Johnson made only 3 of 15 attempts to finish with eight points. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 22 points.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Paul Pierce off his game against Cavs

Mark Blaudshun of the Boston Globe reports:

Paul Pierce off his game against Cavs

Has anyone seen Paul Pierce lately? After three solid games in the Celtics’ first-round ouster of the Heat, Pierce has been missing in action in the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cavaliers.

In Game 1 — a 101-93 Cleveland victory, Pierce made just 5 of 17 shots for 13 points and was not a factor. The Celtics bounced back to win Game 2 Monday night, but it was another indifferent showing for Pierce — 4 for 10, 14 points.

Both performances were below the standard the veteran forward had established — 22.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 77 career playoff games.

Last night was the worst effort of the three games against the Cavaliers — a 124-95 blowout loss at TD Garden — as Pierce made only 4 of 15 shots, finished with 11 points and, even worse from his standpoint, was part of a Celtic defense that was a no-show almost from the opening tipoff.

Game 3: Dragic 23 in 4th Q, Suns beat Spurs

The AP reports:

Phoenix is one win away from ending years of playoff misery against San Antonio, taking a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals with a 110-96 victory Friday night, putting the Spurs in a historically irreparable hole…

Dragic shines, Suns go up 3-0 on Spurs

[Suns backup point guard Goran Dragic] scored 23 of his 26 points in a brilliant fourth quarter, rendering Steve Nash unneeded until the final 3 minutes. Amare Stoudemire? He never even took off his warmups in the fourth quarter.

Dragic hit nine of 11 shots in the fourth, including all four 3-point attempts…

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 27 points while welcoming Tony Parker back to the starting lineup, but it was a move that didn’t work out as the Spurs planned…

Parker averaged 23 as a reserve in Games 1 and 2 but didn’t provide the same jolt while reclaiming his starting job. He scored 10 points on 5-of-17 shooting…

Jason Richardson had 21 points and Hill added 18 for the Suns.

Game 3: Cavaliers destroy Celtics in Boston

The AP reports:

lebron destroys celtics

LeBron James scored 21 of his 38 points in the first quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Boston 124-95 on Friday night, handing the Celtics their worst home playoff loss ever and taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

Showing no ill-effects of an elbow problem that was the talk of Cleveland during the long layoff, James finished with eight rebounds and seven assists. The 21 points in a quarter was a franchise postseason record.

Antawn Jamison had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland, while Shaquille O’Neal added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Rajon Rondo, who had 19 assists in Boston’s Game 2 victory on Monday, had 18 points and eight assists.

The Celtics missed 10 of their first 13 shots, hitting just 27 percent in the first quarter to spot Cleveland a 21-point lead.

They were never able to recover as the Cavaliers shot 59 percent from the field for the game.

Fan discussion of the game was in this forum topic.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert fights the Goliath of ticket sales

Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press reports:

Dan Gilbert’s innovative digital ticketing company, Veritix, has already set records for paperless tickets to a sporting event and concert — a Cleveland-Boston NBA game last week and a 2009 Billy Joel-Elton John show in Houston.

But can Gilbert, the Detroit-based owner of Quicken Loans and the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team, really make a big success of Veritix in an industry dominated by the behemoth combination of Ticketmaster and Live Nation?

Yes, insists Sam Gerace, CEO of Veritix, a business born 3 1/2 years ago with the introduction of Flash Seats digital ticketing at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, home of Gilbert’s Cavs and the Lake Erie Monsters hockey club…

Ticketmaster retains a stranglehold on most U.S. ticketing for concerts and sporting events, because of longstanding relationships with the venues. More ominously, its clout grew in January with its marriage to Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, which staged 2,100 concerts and sold 140 million tickets last year.

Gilbert Arenas finishes halfway house time

The AP reports:

gilbert arenas

Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty to felony gun possession in the District of Columbia in January and was sentenced in March to a month in the halfway house. His sentence also includes two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 400 hours of community service that can’t be performed at basketball clinics.

His sentence started April 9 with two days in jail before he was moved to the halfway house in the Maryland suburbs of Washington. He was allowed to leave the facility during the day. A fan tweeted about seeing him at a local grocery store and posted a picture of him posing near the bottled tea.

Arenas’ sentence called for 30 days at the facility, but he was released slightly early because the Federal Bureau of Prisons doesn’t release offenders from halfway houses on weekends.

The 28-year-old point guard is now free to resume his basketball career. His NBA suspension expired at the end of the season, and he has four years remaining on a six-year, $111 million contract he signed with the Wizards in the summer of 2008.

Game 2: Howard dominates, Magic beat Hawks 112-98

The AP reports:

magic vs hawks playoffs game

Dwight Howard came back from a bloody nose to finish with 29 points and 17 rebounds, and the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 112-98 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Vince Carter had 24 points with some big shots late and Rashard Lewis finished with 20 points, leading Orlando’s 19-2 run in the fourth quarter. The perennially poor free-throw shooting Howard also was 13 for 18 from the line…

Howard made a layup as he was slapped in the face inadvertently by Horford to start the third quarter, the blood pouring from the Magic center’s nose. Howard shot the free throw—and missed—with plugs in his nostrils, holding back laughter, and then left for about 2 minutes so trainers could stop the bleeding.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Magic scored just 17 points in the second quarter. The Hawks only scored 15 in the fourth.

Orlando shot 55.9 percent, Atlanta 41.3 percent.

Orlando hit 9-of-23 three-pointers, Atlanta 6-of-11.

Orlando only hit 69.2 percent of their 39 free throws. Atlanta hit an amazing 30-for-31.

The Magic has four players score 20 or more points: Dwight Howard had 29 and 17 rebounds (no assists). Vince Carter had 24 and seven rebounds. Rashard Lewis had 20 with six assists. Jameer Nelon scored 20 with six assists. Mickael Pietrus scored 13 off the bench.

For the Hawks, Al Horford (9-of-13) had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Crawford had 23 (on 18 shots) off the bench. Joe Johnson shot just 5-of-16 for 19 points and five assists. Josh Smith (6-of-15) had 18 points and nine rebounds, but five turnovers.

Fan discussion of the game as it happened was here.

Kendrick Perkins gets no defensive-team love

Paul Flannery of WEEI reports:

Kendrick Perkins gets no defensive-team love

Kendrick Perkins was left off the NBA’s All-Defensive Team for the second straight season and Doc Rivers joked that maybe that look turned some voters off.

“Well, I guess it’s going to continue to happen,” Perkins said. “Because I ain’t changing the way I look.”

That was a joke in case you needed context and Perkins had a few ready Thursday after he returned to practice with a hyperextended right knee.

His reaction to getting six stitches in his lip courtesy of Shaquille O’Neal?

“Man, I look at it like I’m already ugly,” he said. “I can’t add nothing else to that, man.”

Perkins defense on Shaq has been no laughing matter. After holding Jermaine O’Neal to 9-for-44 shooting in the first round against Miami, Perkins has kept Shaq in check (8-for-22, 20 points in two games).

2009-10 All-NBA Teams

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 2009-10 Most Valuable Player, and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, the 2009-10 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, were unanimous selections to the 2009-10 All-NBA First Team, the NBA announced today. Joining James and Howard on the First Team are Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

The All-NBA Second Team consists of Phoenix’s Steve Nash and Utah’s Deron Williams at guard, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki at forward, and Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire at center.

The All-NBA Third Team includes Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Portland’s Brandon Roy at guard, San Antonio’s Tim Duncan and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Paul Gasol at forward, and Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut at center.

The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

2009-10 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Position        Player, Team (1st Team Votes)        Points
Forward        LeBron James, Cleveland (122)        610
Forward        Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City (107)        579
Center        Dwight Howard, Orlando (122)        610
Guard        Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (119)        604
Guard        Dwyane Wade, Miami (81)        520

2009-10 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Position        Player, Team (1st Team Votes)        Points
Forward        Carmelo Anthony, Denver (9)        321
Forward        Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (10)        356
Center        Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix (2)        239
Guard        Steve Nash, Phoenix (24)        366
Guard        Deron Williams, Utah (14)        343

2009-10 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

Position        Player, Team (1st Team Votes)        Points
Forward        Tim Duncan, San Antonio        125
Forward        Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers        94
Center        Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee         149
Guard        Joe Johnson, Atlanta        118
Guard        Brandon Roy, Portland        87

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first team votes in parentheses): Chris Bosh, Toronto, 80; Rajon Rondo, Boston, 47; David Lee, New York, 43; Carlos Boozer, Utah, 33; Chauncey Billups, Denver, 24; Zach Randolph, Memphis, 20; Al Horford, Atlanta, 19; Jason Kidd, Dallas, 18; Derrick Rose, Chicago, 15; Chris Paul, New Orleans, 14; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 13; Chris Kaman, LA Clippers, 9; Brook Lopez, New Jersey, 6; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 6; Paul Pierce, Boston, 6; Gerald Wallace, Charlotte, 5; Marcus Camby, Portland, 3; Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers, 2; Danny Granger, Indiana, 2; David West, New Orleans, 1; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 1; Mo Williams; Cleveland, 1; Tony Parker San Antonio, 1.