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My Fox Memphis reports:
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Memphis Grizzlies standout Zach Randolph has been implicated in an Indianapolis drug investigation. A probable cause affidavit has a police informant indentifying Randolph as a major marijuana supplier in Indianapolis.
A stake out on a suspected drug house 2 weeks ago led to 32 year old Arthur Boyd being pulled over in a Cadillac Escalade. The vehicle had marijuana and ammunition inside, and was registered to Randolph.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has issued the following statement:
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“The past 5 years have been an exceptional experience. I have been very fortunate to lead a group of men who I respect and thoroughly enjoyed coaching on a daily basis. At the same time, I was able to work alongside a terrific coaching staff and with Danny Ferry and a basketball operations team, all of whom I have a profound respect for. We partnered in creating a culture and a standard that I am, and will continue to be, very proud of. None of which would be possible without the dedication and support of Dan Gilbert. I am thankful for the opportunity that he gave to me and my family. We have a deep appreciation for Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, and the people in this community, and have enjoyed making this our home.”
The AP reports:
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Maybe this is why Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis has been struggling in the Eastern Conference finals: He’s been playing with a viral infection.
Lewis says he’s been sick the ”whole series” against the Boston Celtics.
”Overall it affects you,” he said after Orlando’s shootaround Wednesday. ”I’ve been throwing up. I haven’t been at full strength. I’ve been feeling weak, my legs been feeling weak. I find myself getting tired very fast in the first quarter. You know, when you can’t hold food down you have no energy in your body to go out there and perform.”
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel report (via blog):
Orlando Magic power forward Rashard Lewis expects to receive intravenous fluids tonight before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Boston Celtics as he continues battle a nasty stomach virus that’s plagued him all series.
Lewis said after the Magic completed their shootaround today that he’s “not 100 percent, not where I want to be,” but he added that he’s “getting better.”
Lewis received IV fluids before Game 4 on Monday in Boston. His illness was first reported by ESPN’s Rachel Nichols and was later confirmed by the Orlando Sentinel.
Chris Iott of Michigan Live reports:
Q: What kind of a job did coach John Kuester do this year?
Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars: “I thought he did a good job under the circumstances. A lot of stuff was thrown at him. One thing I will say — and I would be remiss if I didn’t say — not looking for anything in terms of excuses, but we got decimated. We got decimated early with injuries. And I’m not sitting here hiding behind injuries, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend we didn’t get decimated by injuries early and for a long time, for months.
“That played a big part with Kue with his team early on. He had to do makeshift lineups continuously for three, four straight months. Any coach put in that situation, it’s going to be tough. So I thought Kue did a very good job under the circumstances he had to deal with.”
Q: What areas of improvement do you need to see from John Kuester next year?
Dumars: “I just think if Kue can have a healthy team for 82 games, I think he’s going to do a great job for us.”
The AP reports:
Channing Frye broke out of a horrendous shooting slump by making four 3-pointers for 14 points, and the Suns pulled away in the fourth quarter for the second game in a row to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-106 on Tuesday night and tie the Western Conference finals at two games apiece…
The Suns reserves, considered an advantage entering the series but largely ineffective through three games, outscored their Laker counterparts 54-20. Leandro Barbosa scored 14 on 6-of-8 shooting and Jared Dudley added 11 points. Goran Dragic ran the show at point and had eight points and eight assists in 18 minutes…
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Amare Stoudemire led Phoenix with 21 points. Steve Nash, playing with a broken nose, had 15 points and eight assists.
Bryant had 38 points and 10 assists as the reigning NBA champions fought back to lead briefly early in the fourth before the Suns backups stole the show…
After slugging out a 23-23 first quarter, the Suns erupted for a series-high 41-point second quarter, shooting 74 percent (17 for 23), 7 of 10 on 3-pointers to go up 64-55 at the half—and the backups led the way.
The 2010 NBA Finals schedule is now official.
Of course, we don’t actually know which teams are playing in it. The Celtics currently lead the Magic 3 games to 1, while the Lakers and Suns are tied at 2 games apiece.I think we’ll see a Lakers-Celtics championship round.
But, the actual times and dates of the finals are confirmed.
See the schedule here.
The AP reports:
Put away the brooms. Hold off on those “Beat L.A!” chants. The Boston Celtics still have some work to do before they can play for their second NBA title in three years.
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Dwight Howard had 32 points and 16 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson made back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime to lead the Orlando Magic to a 96-92 victory over Boston on Monday night to avoid a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference finals…
Paul Pierce had 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Garnett had 14 points and 12 boards for Boston. Ray Allen hit consecutive 3-pointers in overtime, but Pierce missed two tries in the final minute as the Celtics failed to complete the sweep…
Nelson finished with 23 points and nine assists for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who led by 10 in the second quarter and were up 85-78 with 2:24 left in regulation before Boston scored eight of the next nine points to force overtime at 86-all.
The Boston Globe reports:
Doc Rivers: “We didn’t execute it at all, I can tell you that. It was supposed to be Paul at the top with a pick‑and‑roll with Ray [Allen], and then the floor was supposed to be flat and spaced. When you look at it, half our team was standing next to Paul. The execution was so bad ‑‑ I thought we executed poorly throughout the game. We didn’t make the next rotations, we didn’t make the next pass. It was amazing how bad we were execution‑wise and still had a chance to win that game. That was amazing to me.”
Dwight Howard: “We didn’t win this game just to win a game to say we were in this series. You know, we want to make this a series and win this series. We all have to believe that. I told the guys before the game put out all disbelief, anxiety and fear. We just got to keep playing. We can’t think about losing or think about being swept. We have to think about winning and staying together.”
The Orlando Sentinel reports:
Orlando did build a 10-point lead, its largest of the series, midway in the second period. Howard, using his quickness to elude Kendrick Perkins, keyed the run with two baskets, but the Celtics quickly recovered, Pierce answering with two buckets and Garnett with another.
But the Magic didn’t allow the Celtics to gain momentum, and led 51-47 at halftime.
Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports (via blog):
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Guard DeShawn Stevenson will return to the Mavericks next season after exercising his player option to do so last week, his agent Mark Bartelstein said Monday.
Bartelstein said it was the right move for Stevenson after considering the free agent market this summer and after playing limited minutes for Dallas last season.
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Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash this morning was seen by Suns general otolaryngology doctor (ear, nose and throat), Dr. Ryan Rehl. Nash was diagnosed with a minimally displaced nasal fracture with displaced cartilage. He will undergo a minor reduction, putting the nose back in place, later today.
Nash will practice with the team today and will not miss any time.
Nash suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Suns’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals Sunday at US Airways Center.
Tickets for the Phoenix Suns’ next home game of the 2010 Western Conference Finals on Tue., May 25, have sold out.
Indiana Pacers guard A.J. Price injured his left knee in a charity basketball game Saturday night in New York.
The extent of the injury has not been determined and Price will be examined by Pacers team doctors Monday afternoon in Indianapolis.
The Pacers finished the 2009-10 regular season with a 32-50 record, which was 10th best in the Eastern conference.
For the season, Price played 15.4 minutes per game, averaging 7.3 points and 1.9 assists.