Inside Hoops – Page 2559 – NBA Blog

Did Avery Johnson deserve to be fired?

The Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson today, just half a day after the team got eliminated in the first round by a better squad, the New Orleans Hornets.

The Dallas Morning News (Eddie Sefko) reports: Johnson, who took over the Mavericks’ coaching job with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season, had been the subject of strong speculation late in the regular season and during the first-round playoff loss to New Orleans. Three playoff disappointments, including the 4-1 loss to New Orleans that the Hornets finished off Tuesday, and a loss of control of the team by Johnson convinced Cuban to make the move. Several curious comments and actions preceded Johnson’s dismissal. He had a loud outburst with Cuban after a game in March, a confrontation that was audible to staff members throughout the Mavericks’ offices. Early in the playoffs, Johnson took full responsibility for his team’s missed free throws and other physical errors. Clearly, that was a thinly veiled criticism of the players. Then, on Monday, after Johnson canceled a practice, the players decided to practice on their own, which angered Johnson.

Andrew Bogut hanging out in Croatia

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Charles F. Gardner) blogged the following: Andrew Bogut is enjoying some vacation time in Croatia, where he is visiting family and friends after the long National Basketball Association season. But it’s fair to say the Bucks center is keeping up with current events. Bogut had this reaction to the hiring of former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles as the Bucks’ new coach: “I’m very excited about coach; I know he will be tough,” the Australian wrote in an e-mail response. “I think he will be the leader we need to set things straight and hold everyone accountable.” … “My second half of the year was great,” Bogut said in a season-ending interview. “My first half was definitely disappointing. I think my second half, I forgot about all the off-court distractions and all the things that were bothering me my first two years. “I just went out there and played hard. Obviously, you’re going to have bad games. You probably have five or 10 bad games in an NBA season. If I can limit it to five next year, I’ll be very happy with that. These last 20 games, it was tough going out there, knowing the games were kind of pointless in a way. I used these as motivation to prove myself, that I could definitely be a focal point of the offense and be a team guy first.”

Larry Brown expected to be demanding

On new Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown: The Charlotte Observer (Rick Bonnell) reports: Brown was named the franchise’s coach, replacing Sam Vincent. He’ll be demanding, meticulous and relentless. And something else not quite so appealing. “I’m nuts,” Brown joked, or at least half-joked. Brown has spent the past three decades in compulsive pursuit of coaching perfection. He’s uncompromising in that regard, which helps explain why this is his 12th stop between the pros and college ball. Sooner or later he exasperates the players or the players exasperate him. The joke around the NBA is he makes you better, he makes you crazy, then he makes his exit. Former Duke player Billy King worked for Brown with the Indiana Pacers (assistant coach) and Philadelphia 76ers (defacto general manager). King says it’s lost sometimes in the melodrama what a great teacher Brown is. “He demands that they play the correct way all the time. Down 20, up 20, you still have to play the right way,” King said. “Most pro coaches don’t do that. But Larry will keep coaching, keep teaching, up 30 with the subs on the floor.”

Apr. 29: Rockets 95, Jazz 69

The AP reports: The Houston Rockets didn’t need a big fourth quarter from Tracy McGrady to stay alive in their playoff series with Utah. McGrady scored 29 points and got plenty of help, and the Rockets staved off elimination Tuesday night by routing the Jazz 95-69 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Luis Scola added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Rafer Alston scored 14 points and Dikembe Mutombo grabbed 10 rebounds as the Rockets cut their series deficit to 3-2 and forced Game 6 in Utah on Friday night… The Jazz, meanwhile, endured their worst offensive performance of the season, setting a season-low point total by eight. They shot 36.5 percent (27-of-74), went 2-for-9 from 3-point range and 13-for-23 from the free throw line. They also committed 18 turnovers and were outrebounded 46-38… Carlos Boozer led Utah with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Deron Williams had 13 points and six assists… The Rockets used a 12-0 run to stretch their lead to 70-48. McGrady swished a jumper over Matt Harpring with eight seconds left in the third quarter to put Houston up 74-55. Harpring stepped out of bounds at the other end, a fitting end to another dismal quarter for Utah.

Apr. 29: Spurs 92, Suns 87

The AP reports: The Spurs dispatched the Suns with a 92-87 Game 5 victory Tuesday in what has become almost a postseason ritual for the defending champions… Tim Duncan had 29 points and 17 rebounds and Tony Parker scored 31 points for San Antonio. They were the only Spurs to score in the double digits. Boris Diaw, who had a near triple-double in the Suns’ rout of the Spurs in Game 4, led the Suns with 22 points. Amare Stoudemire had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Shaquille O’Neal added 13 points… Five Suns players scored in double figures and they outshot the Spurs from the field, but they had a number of costly turnovers down the stretch… Nash had three of the Suns’ seven fourth-quarter turnovers and finished with only three assists… The Spurs outscored the Suns 23-15 in the fourth quarter, led by nine points apiece from Duncan and Parker… Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had his players intentionally foul O’Neal, a 52 percent career free-throw shooter, throughout the game. He finished 9-of-20 from the line, dropping the Suns to 20-of-37 total on free throws.

Apr. 29: Pistons 98, Sixers 81

The AP reports: Chauncey Billups scored 21 points, Richard Hamilton had 20 and Rasheed Wallace added 19 to lift Detroit to a 98-81 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series… Andre Iguodala scored a career playoff-high 21 points, finally putting together a night that resembled his play in the regular season… Iguodala didn’t have much help. None of his teammates reached double figures until Andre Miller in the third quarter, but that was after the point guard missed nine shots in a row in the first half when the game was relatively close… Billups had a series high in points (21) and assists (12). Wallace had six blocks, one short of the playoff franchise record he matched in Game 1. Jason Maxiell had a career playoff-high 11 rebounds, starting for Antonio McDyess, who is playing with a broken nose. Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince finished with 17 points, giving the balanced team a fourth option offensively. Miller finished with 13 points and reserve Louis Williams scored 16.

Apr. 29: Hornets 99, Mavs 94

The AP reports: Chris Paul had 24 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds, and the Hornets held on for a 99-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to win their first-round series in five games… David West scored 25 points for New Orleans and Jannero Pargo had 17, while Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 14 rebounds… Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Devean George added 11 points in the fourth quarter as Dallas nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. The Mavs cut a 17-point deficit to three in the final seven minutes before Peja Stojakovic hit a pair of free throws to seal it with 5.7 seconds left. Tempers flared near the end, and Jerry Stackhouse was ejected for a second technical foul with 1:47 left after slapping the ball out of Paul’s hands during a stoppage in play, then getting in a face-to-face standoff with West. Dallas never led and was hurt badly by an 11-1 Hornets run after Nowitzki’s free throw had pulled the Mavs to 73-66 early in the fourth quarter. Dallas played solid defense on New Orleans’ next possession, keeping the ball on the perimeter, but Pargo hit a deflating 3 at the shot clock buzzer.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Hornets shot 48.7%, the Mavs 42.7%. The Hornets nailed a fantastic 8-of-14 three-pointers (four guys had two each), the Mavs just 9-of-26 (Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Stackhouse combined for 1-of-11 threes). Rebounding and assists were close. Both teams controlled the ball well. For the Hornets, Chris Paul had 24 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists (no turnovers!) and 2 steals. David West had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Jannero Pargo (7-of-9) had 17 points and 3 rebounds. Peja Stojakovic shot just 2-of-12 for 11 points and 6 rebounds. Tyson Chandler had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. For the Mavericks, Nowitzki shot just 8-of-21 for 22 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Six other Mavs scored between 11 and 14 points. Jason Terry had 13 points with 9 assists. Jason Kidd had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists and no turnovers. Josh Howard had a modest 12 points with 9 rebounds and more turnovers than assists. Brandon Bass had 9 rebounds off the bench.

Mark Cuban denies having brush with fan

The Dallas Morning News reports: After Chris Paul tumbled into the baseline seats late in Game 4, he got into an exchange with a fan. Despite what some reports said, owner Mark Cuban did not have a brush with the fan. “He is a friend of mine,” Cuban said. “He wasn’t goading, nor was he trying to create a confrontation in talking to Paul. I was right there. When Paul fell in his lap, he said something, and Paul matched and bettered him with a comment of his own. [Referee Steve] Javie then came over and kicked out the fan.”

Cavs owner`s company has new partner

The Detroit News (Daniel Howes) reports: Quicken Loans Inc. Chairman Dan Gilbert’s “Detroit 2.0” initiative is getting new help from an unlikely source — General Motors Corp. Matt Cullen, the 29-year GM veteran who personified its downtown redevelopment push at the Renaissance Center and the riverfront, is leaving the automaker to become president and chief operating officer of Rock Enterprises, a new holding company formed to coordinate and integrate Gilbert’s growing portfolio of companies and investments. The move comes amid fears that the widening scandal engulfing Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could stall redevelopment and reverse Quicken’s decision to move its headquarters downtown from suburban Livonia. Hiring Cullen, who will spearhead Quicken’s Detroit development projects, is Gilbert’s watch-what-we-do rebuke to that kind of speculation.

Shaq supports Mike D’Antoni

The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: Suns players are trying to take the public heat off their coach, Mike D’Antoni. “I’ve been around a lot of guys, a lot of coaches,” Suns center Shaquille O’Neal said. “I think he’s the right guy. He really is. He’s an excellent, excellent man. He has a great relationship and a great rapport with the players. It’s our job to make him look good. They’ve been looking good the last few years before I got here. They just could never get over the hump but there are a lot of teams that have never got over the hump. “Mike D is the excellent guy for the job. Luckily, I’ve been on four championship teams with some great Hall of Fame coaches. I’ve got to put Mike D in that category. It’s never the coach. It’s always the players.”