April 25, 2011 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Views: Tyson Chandler shines for Mavs in Game 5 vs Blazers

By Scott Spangler

Tyson Chandler looked like a man wanting desperately to atone for a rather forgettable performance in Game Four. Shawn Marion no longer appeared baffled about coaching strategy.

Chandler played this game angry. Who could blame him? The Maverick center was very much a part of what happened Saturday at the Rose Garden. That said, he certainly answered the bell 48 hours later.

Until tonight, LaMarcus Aldridge has clearly been a problem for Chandler. But as an All-Star caliber forward, that is to be expected. This is a tough cover for any big.

Monday evening, the Tyson Chandler that received consideration for the league’s Defensive Player of The Year showed up, and his teammates couldn’t help but to fall in.

The meek little Mavericks that wilted away two days earlier had been restored. Being at home didn’t necessarily mean better shooting for Dallas, but it did do something for the rebounding.

Try 49-37 on for size. How about twenty offensive boards? Thank Mr. Chandler for 13 of ‘em.

This game changed in the third quarter. Rick Carlisle dusted off his zone defense and put it to work. Dallas began to stretch that advantage, outscoring the Blazers by eleven to end the quarter leading 75-63.

And so, after JJ Barea scooped and scored, pushing the Dallas lead to 85-66, any sign of Blazer voodoo emanating from Brandon Roy and his magical meniscusless knees seemed unlikely.

For the record, nine times these two teams have met this season, regular season and playoffs. The visiting team has yet to break through.

After balanced effort, Grizzlies grab 1st ever 3-1 series lead over Spurs

The AP reports:

Whatever Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said to his team at halftime worked very, very well.

The eighth-seeded Grizzlies outscored San Antonio 30-15 in the third quarter, turning a 2-point halftime deficit into a 104-86 rout Monday night of the Spurs for a commanding 3-1 lead in their opening series…

Grizzlies grab 1st ever 3-1 series lead over Spurs

San Antonio led 50-48 at halftime, and Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo said Hollins lit such a fire in his team with telling them exactly what he wanted them to do that they couldn’t wait to get onto the court…

The Grizzlies already had made franchise history by winning their first playoff game in Game 1 and added their first playoff win at home. Now they are a game away from becoming the second eighth seed to knock off a No. 1 seed since the NBA expanded to a best-of-seven series and join the 2007 Golden State Warriors…

Mike Conley had 15 points and seven assists. Darrell Arthur added 14 points off the bench for Memphis. Tony Allen had 12, Randolph and Mayo 11 apiece…

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 23 points with only four in the second half. He also had seven turnovers. Manu Ginobili had 14, Gary Neal 11, and George Hill and Tiago Splitter 10 each. Splitter, a rookie from Brazil, had not played previously in this series.

Tim Duncan had six points on his 35th birthday.

Kobe Bryant leaves arena on crutches after Game 4

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Kobe Bryant did one of the few interviews ever conducted in a trainer’s room, sitting on a padded table after sustaining what the team officially called a sprained left ankle, though Bryant indicated it was more of a foot injury.

He was injured while defending Willie Green with 1:32 to play. He was moving across the lane when his foot buckled under him without any contact.

Two crutches were propped against the wall in the trainer’s room. He then used them to leave the arena and board the team bus.

“It’s going to take a lot to stop me to play,” Bryant said. “We’ll make sure we stay on top of it.”

He said he would undergo treatment on the plane ride back to Los Angeles immediately after the game. The team was planning an MRI exam or X-rays as a precaution.

After getting hurt, Bryant walked stiffly around the court for a minute before giving Shannon Brown an “I’m good, I’m good” when the reserve guard approached him.

Chris Paul triple-double helps Hornets beat Lakers and tie series

The AP reports:

Chris Paul chose an opportune time for his first triple-double of the season.

Paul had 27 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets held on for a 93-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night to even their first-round playoff series at 2-2.

Wearing a black wrap on his left hand and a small bandage over his right eye, Paul scored 14 of New Orleans’ 24 points in the fourth quarter. The All-Star guard then capped his brilliant performance by running down the clock and setting up Jarrett Jack’s short jumper, which made it 90-86 with 9.3 seconds left.

Kobe Bryant had 17 points for the Lakers, but did not score in the first half and finished 5 of 18 shooting. He also came up lame late in the fourth quarter, favoring his left ankle after a collision with Green. Bryant’s last miss came on a 3-point attempt in the final seconds…

Trevor Ariza scored 19 for New Orleans, while Carl Landry added 16 before fouling out in the final minute…

Pau Gasol and Ron Artest each scored 16 for Los Angeles, with all of Artest’s points coming in the first half. Andrew Bynum added 11 points and Derek Fisher 10.

The Hornets never trailed in the second half and led by as many as nine points, at 57-48, early in the third quarter when Marco Belinelli’s 3 capped a 20-3 spurt that had started in the second quarter.