General NBA insight – Page 142 – NBA Blog

Phil Jackson disappointed by Lakers shooting vs Thunder

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn’t exactly thrilled by the Lakers’ play.

“I thought our shooting was horrendous,” Jackson said. “Guys had open looks (at the basket). Ron, Derek (Fisher), Lamar (Odom), we’re talking about experienced guys. We have to shoot better when we go to Oklahoma City.”

The Lakers held the Thunder to 29-for-74 shooting (39.2 percent), but made only 33 of 88 shots (37.5 percent). Fisher scored five points on 2-for-10 shooting, Odom had four points on 2-for-9 shooting and Andrew Bynum had six points on 3-for-9 shooting.

Oklahoma City blocked 17 shots, the most by a Lakers playoff opponent. Down the stretch, the teams traded blows like a pair of heavyweights. Neither could land a haymaker. Neither would yield an inch.

Glen Davis shines in Game 2 vs Heat

Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe reports:

The Celtics were without Kevin Garnett. KG was sitting out a one-game suspension in the wake of his careless elbow during the mayhem of the final minute of Game 1 against the Heat.

No problem. In the proud tradition of Frank Ramsey, John Havlicek, and Kevin McHale, Glen Davis reminded us that he’s good enough to start every night in the NBA. Baby Grande torched the Heat last night, scoring a bull-rush 23 points with eight rebounds in 29 minutes of a too-easy 106-77 Game 2 victory.

Is there really any need to play any more games in this series? Bring on the Cavaliers, people.

It’s true. Boston’s boys of winter are peaking at the most important time of the year. The Causeway Street barn is our April Garden of Eden and the momentum won’t be stopped just because Garnett is suspended for a night. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

Deron Williams Game 2 playoff win in Denver was historic

Deron Williams playoff game was historic

Deron Williams’ 33-point, 14-assist effort in the Jazz’s Game 2 win last night in Denver was historic.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, in the history of the NBA playoffs, only one other player had as many points and as many assists in leading his team to a road victory – and it has been 43 years since that one previous instance! Back on March 21, 1967, Oscar Robertson had 33 points and 16 assists to lead his Cincinnati Royals to a 120-116 win over Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers in the opening game of an Eastern Division semifinals series.

It also marked only the third 30-point, 10-assist game in Jazz playoff history, and the first in a winning effort.

Patience a friend to Knicks fans

Steve Adamek of the Bergen Record reports (via blog):

It’s more than two months until July 1, which means the Knicks and their fans will need a lot of patience.

Patience when Marcus Camby, a likely free-agent target, decides to re-up with Portland for two more years.

Patience when Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo proclaims that Chris Bosh can expect a max-salary offer from his team.

Patience when Dwyane Wade says the Heat are “in the driver’s seat” when it comes to his future.

Patience if LeBron James says anything suggestive (or definitive) about staying in Cleveland.

That’s the problem with these next two-plus months. While the Knicks can’t do anything (officially, anyway) in terms of recruiting members of the upcoming free-agent class, those members’ teams can sign them to extensions or new deals to keep them off the July 1 market.

Tony Parker OK with coming off bench

Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

Spurs point guard Tony Parker admits he hasn’t quite been feeling like himself lately. He’s been feeling a little off, a little out of sorts, a little Argentine.

“I’m Manu Jr.,” Parker said.

Coming off the bench, it seems, can create quite an identity crisis. For the past seven games including Sunday’s Game 1 defeat at Dallas, Parker — like Manu Ginobili once did — has found himself in unaccustomed territory as a reserve.

In the Spurs’ 100-94 playoff-opening loss, Parker backed up George Hill and produced a Manu Jr.-like bench line: 18 points and four assists.

It is an arrangement Parker has told coach Gregg Popovich he’s OK with, even though he started all but seven of his first 662 career games.

Containing Melo will be hard for Jazz

Jody Genessy of the Deseret News reports:

With Andrei Kirilenko and his strained calf out, the enormous challenge of containing the explosiveness of one of the NBA’s elite scorers will still mostly fall on the shoulders of 23-year-olds C.J. Miles and Wesley Matthews.

Carmelo Anthony, flashing his trademark wide smile, recently told ESPN what he’d do if he were in a situation similar to the young Jazz players’.

“If I had to guard me,” Melo said, “I would take the night off.”

Even though the confident-for-good-reason Anthony had a huge Game 1 at their expense, Miles and Matthews don’t plan on taking that easy way out.

“I got a rude awakening, a huge wake-up call in that regard, Carmelo, and just playing the Denver Nuggets on the road,” a more seasoned-feeling Matthews said.

“But I’m excited for (tonight). I’m more excited for (tonight) than I was Saturday.”

Rose wants Bulls to get physical with Cavs

John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times reports:

”We’ve got to go out there and be totally opposite of what we did last game,” point guard Derrick Rose said. ”I didn’t think we were aggressive on the defensive end. We talked about it, and we have to have some type of swagger or nastiness about ourselves.

”[Tonight] I think it’s gonna be totally different. I think now that we got our feet wet a little bit, I think some of the guys will be a little more comfortable in the game and we’ll get a groove to our game. We have to just start hitting people. No ‘[basket]-and-ones’ or anything like that. We have to start hitting people.”

Rose isn’t talking about becoming the modern-day Detroit Pistons Bad Boys or playing dirty. He’s simply pointing out that the Bulls were too passive and need to do a better job of matching the Cavs’ physicality.

Jerryd Bayless shines for Blazers

Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports (via blog):

With 20 family members and friends watching from the US Airways Center stands, Jerryd Bayless produced one of the most important and impressive performances of his young career.

The Blazers stole home court advantage — and momentum — from the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night with a 105-100 victory at US Airways Center, and a significant part of the stunning win came courtesy of the resurgent Bayless, who helped Rip City make up for the absence of All-Star Brandon Roy.

Bayless finished with 18 points and four assists off the bench, flashing the aggressive, attacking style that allowed him to break out earlier this season. Most importantly, Bayless, who made 6 of 10 field goals, played all but three seconds of the pivotal fourth quarter, as Rudy Fernandez watched from the bench.

Spurs try Hack-a-Damp

Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News reports:

Unable to stop Dirk Nowitzki, who finished with 36 points on 12-for-14 shooting, the Spurs intentionally fouled Mavericks’ center Erick Dampier on three straight possessions. Popovich has been a frequent employer of the tactic in previous playoff series, most notably against center Shaquille O’Neal, when he played for the Lakers and Suns.

Dampier made four-of-six free throws, finishing off by making both on the third intentional foul.

The Mavericks weren’t surprised by the ploy.

Artest locks Durant down in Game 1

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

Ron Artest fancies gimmicks as well but on Sunday in the Lakers’ 87-79 Game 1 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Artest’s defense and not his hair was the difference. He was, if you will, Goldie Lock-down defender.

He made life absolutely miserable for Kevin Durant, who became the NBA’s youngest scoring champion by averaging 30.2 points this season. Durant’s playoff initiation is something the lean and long 21-year-old will never forget. Durant scored 24 points on 24 shots. He made just seven shots, fired up a couple of air balls and never found a rhythm.

“I was frustrated,” said Durant, who made 9 of 11 from the foul line. “I was missing shots I normally make. They felt good leaving my hand. If I made 4-5 more shots, maybe it’s a different game.”