Author: Inside Hoops

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All-Rookie teams announced

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford, the runner-up for the 2007-08 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year award, was the only unanimous selection on the 2007-08 T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie Team, the league announced today. Horford received 58 votes, while Seattle’s Kevin Durant, winner of the 2007-08 T-Mobile Rookie of the Year award, received a total of 57 votes.

InsideHoops has to ask: How could a voter not have picked Durant as one of the top five rookies?

Rounding out the NBA All-Rookie First Team are Houston’s Luis Scola (53 points), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Al Thornton (48 points) and Seattle’s Jeff Green (43 points).

The T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of former D-League player, Jamario Moon of the Toronto Raptors (38), Memphis’ Juan Carlos
Navarro (24), Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young, (23), Detroit’s Rodney Stuckey (22) and Houston’s Carl Landry (18).

The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select five players for the first team and five players for the second team, regardless of position.  Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Two points were awarded for first team votes and one for second team votes.

May 12: Cavs 88, Celtics 77

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 21 points, delivering a devastating dunk over a defenseless Kevin Garnett in the final two minutes, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the homesick Celtics 88-77 in Game 4 on Monday night to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Still stuck in a shooting slump, James dominated down the stretch and finished with 13 assists—four in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers, too, showed that they can play stingy defense, holding the Celtics—the NBA’s best defensive team—to just 12 points in the final period… Boston dropped to 0-5 on the road in the postseason, a stunning slip for a team that went 31-10 outside their home floor during the regular season… Garnett scored 15 points, but only two in the second half, as Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao harassed Boston’s All-Star all night. Allen had 15 points and Pierce 13, but the Celtics’ Big Three were only a combined 16-of-40… USC star O.J. Mayo, alleged to have accepted money from a sports agency, sat courtside.

nsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Cavs shot 45.5%, the Celtics just 38.6%. While the Cavs were just 6-of-17 from three-point range, the Celtics were an awful 2-of-14. The Cavs had the edge in rebounds and assists. Both teams committed very few turnovers.

For the Cavaliers, James shot 7-of-20 for 21 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Wally Szczerbiak scored 14. Daniel Gibson had 14, 6 points and 4 assists. Anderson Varejao shot 6-of-8 for 12 points and 6 rebounds.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Rajon Rondo on 14 shots had 15 points and 2 steals. Ray Allen (4-of-10) had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Paul Pierce was just 6-of-17 for 13 points and 5 rebounds. P.J. Brown came off the bench to shoot 4-of-4 for 8 points and 6 rebounds. James Posey, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe and Glen Davis all combined to shoot 0-for-10.

David Stern finds pre-game effects too much

The AP reports: On the subject of the NBA’s infatuation with pre-game pyrotechnics, smoke and noise, commissioner David Stern was loud and clear: He’s had enough. “I think they’re ridiculous,” Stern said Monday before Game 4 of the Cavaliers-Celtics second-round playoff series. “I think that the noise, the fire, the smoke, is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing in whether it’s really necessary given the quality of our game.” His comments came just a few minutes before Cleveland’s over-the-top player introductions, which include fire – hot enough that fans can feel the heat in the stands – shooting out of four swords on the scoreboard.

Latrell Sprewell loses a house to foreclosure

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Marie Rohde) reports: A River Hills house belonging to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell was foreclosed on Monday after he failed to show up in court to contest the action brought by a bank that held his mortgage. The holder of the mortgage, RBS Citizens Bank, told Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Hansher that Sprewell owed $320,284. According to River Hills records, the house is assessed at $610,000 and has an estimated fair market value of $667,980. Sprewell bought the house in 1994 for $405,000.

Knicks to announce D`Antoni hiring Tuesday

On Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET the New York Knicks will introduce Mike D’Antoni as the team’s new head coach.

D’Antoni is an interesting hire, because he’s famous for the run-and-gun Suns style of play, which wouldn’t work quite as well if big players like Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry will be involved.

I think people are making a bigger deal out of that then they need to. D’Antoni is obviously smart enough to know that a style that works for one team won’t necessarily work for another. I’m sure he’ll adapt to the roster, and hopefully get them to adapt to a style of play that’ll work for them and make the team better as a whole.

Hurting Kobe says he will play Game 5

The Los Angeles Times (Steve Springer) reports: Kobe Bryant left no doubt after the Lakers’ practice today that he’ll be on the court Wednesday for Game 5 against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center in the Western Conference Semifinals. Bryant said his lower back, which he injured in Game 4 on Sunday in Salt Lake City, was “sore, tight and stiff.” “I’ll play [Wednesday]. I can’t imagine it’ll be any worse than it was last night. It was pretty bad,” he said. Bryant will undergo round-the-clock treatment the next two days involving electrical stimulation, ice, heat, massage and stretching exercises.

Magic coach asks league for explanation of no-call

The Detroit Free Press (Krista Jahnke) reports: Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told the Orlando media Monday that he’s asked the league for an explanation of the no-call on the final play of Game 4. As he took a shot in the lane with 2.5 seconds left, forward Hedo Turkoglu collided with Pistons forward Jason Maxiell, who was set and said afterward he thought he’d drawn a charge on the play. Examining video, though, and you can see that Maxiell’s left foot was on the line of the restricted circle under the basket.

May 11: Spurs 100, New Orleans 80

The AP reports: Tim Duncan had his best game of the series against New Orleans—22 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks—to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 100-80 victory over the Hornets on Sunday… Tony Parker added 21 points for the Spurs, who are assured of a Game 6 back in San Antonio. Game 5 is Tuesday in New Orleans… The Spurs led by as many as 27 and were ahead nearly the entire game. They shot 51 percent (39-of-76), while the Hornets were cold when it counted. They shot 37 percent through three quarters and finished 33-of-82 (40 percent) from the field… San Antonio scored 40 points in the paint. New Orleans’ plan to keep Parker out of the lane didn’t work, as he knifed his way through heavy traffic or found openings to get to the rim, and hit jumpers… In the third quarter, when the Hornets were so dominant in the first two games, the Spurs kept up their hot shooting and New Orleans got worse.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Spurs shot 51.3%, the Hornets just 40.2%. Both teams struggled from three-point range. The Spurs got to the free throw line a bit more, but shot a bit worse. The Spurs had the rebounding edge, and a huge 27-12 assists edge. Turnovers were even.

For the Spurs, Duncan (10-of-13) had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Tony Parker (8-of-12) had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Manu Ginobili (just 5-of-13, 2-of-7 threes) had 15 points and 8 assists. Ime Udoka (5-of-8) came off the bench for 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

For the Hornets, Chris Paul (10-of-16) had 23 points, 6 rebounds, but just 5 assists with 4 turnovers, and 3 steals. David West (awful 4-of-15) had just 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Jannero Pargo scored 11 off the bench. Peja Stojakovic was awful, taking 9 shots for 6 points and literally almost nothing else. Tyson Chandler was invisible with 2 points and 4 rebounds.

May 11: Jazz 123, Lakers 115

The AP reports: Andrei Kirilenko blocked Kobe Bryant twice in overtime and converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining as the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-115 on Sunday, tying the Western Conference semifinals at 2-2. The Jazz went 8-for-8 from the foul line in overtime and outscored the Lakers 15-7 in the extra 5 minutes. Deron Williams had 29 points and 14 assists, while Carlos Boozer scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds. Mehmet Okur added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Kirilenko finished with 15 points and five blocks — stuffing Bryant twice as the Lakers tried to rally in overtime… Los Angeles rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes to force overtime. Derek Fisher scored 10 straight for the Lakers and blocked a shot by Williams just before the end of regulation with the score tied at 108. The Lakers struggled in overtime and didn’t score until a layup by Bryant with 1:10 remaining cut Utah’s lead to 112-110.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Jazz shot 52.5%, the Lakers 47.4%. But the Lakers took 97 shots, the Jazz just 76. Three-point shooting was close, but the Jazz had 37-of-45 free throws, the Lakers just 14-of-25. Rebounding was even but the Jazz won the assists category 32-20. Turnovers were almost even.

For the Jazz, Deron Williams on just 13 shots (9-of-13, 3-of-4 threes) had 29 points, 14 assists and 2 steals. Mehmet Okur had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Andrei Kirilenko only only 4 shots (4-of-4) had 15 points and 5 blocks, though 0 rebounds and more turnovers than assists. Carlos Boozer (just 5-of-15) had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Korver scored 14 plus 2 steals, and Matt Harpring had 12.

For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant (just 13-of-33) had 33 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Lamar Odom (10-of-18, just 5-of-10 free throws) had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Pau Gasol (terrific 11-of-16) had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Derek Fisher (5-of-8, 4-of-5 threes) had 15 with 2 steals. Sasha Vujacic (4-of-6, 3-of-5 threes) scored 11.