Day: May 7, 2009

LeBron, Cavs coast past Hawks 105-85

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 27 points, ending the first and second quarters with last-second baskets, and Mo Williams added 15 points as the untested Cavs overpowered the Atlanta Hawks 105-85 on Thursday night to open a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Now a perfect 6-0 in the postseason, the Cavaliers tied a league record by winning their sixth consecutive playoff game by double digits. The only other team to do it was the 2004 Indiana Pacers. Maurice Evans scored 16 points and Mike Bibby had 11 for the Hawks, who were missing center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams because of injuries. If that wasn’t bad enough, leading scorer Joe Johnson rolled his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return… In his second game since being named MVP, James dropped a long 3-pointer in the final second of the first half as the Cavaliers opened a 24-point lead that swelled to 36 in the third.

Live fan discussion of this game took place in this forum topic.

OKC Thunder May 8 pre-draft workouts

On Friday, May 8 the Oklahoma City Thunder will conduct pre-draft workouts with the following players hoping to be selected in the 2009 NBA Draft: Jerel McNeal (guard, Marquette), Jack McClinton (guard, Miami), Daniel Hackett (guard, USC), Paul Delaney (guard, UAB), Jermaine Taylor (guard, UCF), Garrett Temple (guard, LSU), Terrell Harris (guard, Oklahoma State), Courtney Fells (guard/forward, NC State), Josh Carter (guard/forward, Texas A&M), Joe Ingles (forward, Melbourne Dragons), Aaron Jackson (guard, Duquesne) and AJ Abrams (guard, Texas).

Rafer Alston, Derek Fisher suspended one game each; Kobe Bryant given a flagrant foul

Rafer Alston of the Orlando Magic and Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in separate incidents last night, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced today.

Alston has been suspended for swinging and making contact with the head of Eddie House of the Boston Celtics with 48.6 seconds remaining in the third period of the Magic’s 112-94 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last night at TD Banknorth Garden.

Fisher has been suspended for striking Houston’s Luis Scola with his shoulder and head with 13.2 seconds remaining in the third period of the Lakers’ 111-98 win last night over the visiting Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals at STAPLES Center. Fisher received a Flagrant Foul Penalty Two and was ejected from the game at the time of the play.

Jackson also announced that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has been assessed a Flagrant Foul Penalty One for elbowing Houston’s Ron Artest in the chest area with 6:57 remaining in the fourth period of last night’s game.

Alston will serve his suspension on Friday when the Magic hosts the Celtics at Amway Arena. Fisher also will serve his suspension on Friday when the Lakers visit the Rockets at Toyota Center.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in the InsideHoops NBA forum.

Lakers beat Rockets 111-98 to even playoff series

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and Los Angeles won Game 2 111-98 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference semifinal series… Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half… Houston’s Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds after picking up three fouls in the first half… Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Artest getting ejected and technical fouls assessed to Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who had 11 rebounds… Odom replaced C Andrew Bynum in the Lakers’ starting lineup. Bynum was scoreless with one rebound in 8 minutes.

Ron Artest ejected after elbows with Kobe Bryant

The Houston Rockets are visting the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 2 of their second round series. Late in the third quarter, Luis Scola and a few Lakers got into it, and Derek Fisher was ejected after slamming into Scola with 13 seconds left.

In the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant was trying to box Ron Artest out. Artest had his left hand resting on the back of Bryant’s neck, though it didn’t look like anything dirty. As the jostling continued, it was Artest’s upper arm doing it. As Bryant went up for the rebound, Kobe’s right elbow went up into Artest’s neck area. Not sure if it actually hit his neck or not, but it was definitely a high elbow.

A foul was called on Artest, and a furious Ron went right over to jaw in Kobe’s face.

Artest was moved away by referee Joe Crawford, but after a few more seconds of yelling and waving his elbow to show what he was mad about, Artest was ejected.

If any foul should have been called on Artest, it should have been for what I described above. Instead, Bryant elbowed Artest, and that’s when the foul was called on Ron.

As for the ejection, I don’t think Artest needed to be thrown out. A technical foul would have been enough.