NBA News Blog – Page 1417 – NBA Blog

Game 4: Lakers eliminate Jazz

The AP reports:

The Lakers stormed out to a 22-point lead in the first half, then withstood a brief surge by Utah in the third quarter before regaining control in the fourth and winning 111-96 on Monday night, sweeping the second-round series and advancing to the Western Conference finals for the third straight year.

“With close-out games, you have a tendency to lose focus,” said Kobe Bryant, who scored 32 for the Lakers. “We kept our concentration and paid attention to detail.”

Pau Gasol added 33 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who are off until hosting the Phoenix Suns next Monday in Game 1 of the West finals…

“We’re a playoff team and they’re a championship team. They’re just better than we are,” said Deron Williams, who had 21 points and nine assists for the Jazz…

Carlos Boozer had 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Kyrylo Fesenko added 12 rebounds for Utah, which was swept for the first time in 21 years.

Game 4: Magic eliminate Hawks

The AP reports:

Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead another dominating performance by the Magic, which finished off its second straight playoff sweep with a 98-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Orlando won the four games by an average of 25.3 points—a total blowout that no one could have expected in a matchup between the teams that finished second and third in the Eastern Conference. It was the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA playoff history, according to STATS LLC…

“We would have to be playing at our absolute, absolute best—like, mistake free—to beat that team,” said Jamal Crawford, who led Atlanta with 18 points…

Atlanta held Dwight Howard to 13 points and eight rebounds, but the Magic had plenty of other options…

Jameer Nelson was unstoppable, baffling the Hawks with his now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t quickness. He finished with 16 points and nine assists. Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers. Mickael Pietrus scored 12 points—all of them from beyond the arc.

As a team, Orlando was 16 of 37 from 3-point range, taking more long-range shots than two-pointers (28). Overall, the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and never trailed during either game in Atlanta…

Hawks star Joe Johnson finished off a miserable series by scoring only 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

Game 4: Amare scores 29, Suns sweep Spurs

The AP reports:

Game 4: Stoudemire scores 29, Suns sweep Spurs

Steve Nash scored 20 points and played with a right eye that was swollen shut as Phoenix swept San Antonio from the Western Conference semifinals with a 107-101 win Sunday night. Amare Stoudemire led the way with 29 points to help the Suns get past the Spurs in the playoffs for the first time in five tries.

“That was ugly,” Suns forward Channing Frye said walking off the court.

Kind of like Nash’s black-and-blue, stitched-up eye.

But it didn’t bother Nash, who scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help smother a rally by the Spurs. Nash was accidentally struck by one of Tim Duncan’s elbows in the third quarter and briefly went to the locker room. He came back with an ice pack on his eye when he finally returned to the court…

Tony Parker scored 22 points to lead the Spurs, who were swept out of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. George Hill had 17 points, and was fouled while hitting a 3-pointer with 26.5 seconds left that gave the Spurs a flicker of hope.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Suns got a huge boost from Jared Dudley, who came off the bench to shoot 6-of-7, including 3-of-3 three-pointers, for 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 31 minutes.

Grant Hill was a role player, putting up just four points and few measurable stats in 35 minutes.

Leandro Barbosa shot just 2-for-10, for seven points.

Goran Dragic received just 11 minutes, scoring six on six shots, with three assists.

For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili had a great game aside from miserable shooting, hitting just 2-of-11 shots (but with 10-of-12 free throws) for 15 points, six rebounds, nine assists and five steals.

Tony Parker scored 22, but needed 19 shots to do it.

Tim Duncan had 17 points (on 14 shots), eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks.

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

Game 4: Rondo unleashes monster triple-double, Celtics beat Cavaliers

The AP reports:

The Boston point guard [Rajon Rondo] had 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-87 on Sunday to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece…

Rondo became the third player in playoff history to have at least 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Oscar Robertson had 32 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists in 1963, and Wilt Chamberlain had 29 points, 36 rebounds and 13 assists in 1967.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett scored 18 apiece for the Celtics, who rebounded from the worst home playoff loss in franchise history and ensured they’ll get at least one more game at home…

LeBron James scored 22 points—only one more than he had in the first quarter of Game 3—and seemed frustrated during a seven-turnover performance. Shaquille O’Neal added 17 points, his high for this postseason, but was on the bench when the Celtics blew by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter.

InsideHoops.com notes:

Tony Allen had a monster game for Boston off the bench, shooting 6-of-7 for 15 points and five rebounds in almost 26 minutes.

Paul Pierce continued his struggles in this series, shooting 3-of-8 for nine points and little else. He’s looked lost.

Both teams were miserable from three-point range: Cavs 4-of-21, Celtics 1-of-14.

Delonte West came off the Cavs bench to shoot 0-of-7 for three points in 20 minutes.

While Rondo was a hero for Boston, Cleveland’s point guard, Mo Williams, shot 3-of-9 for 13 points and not too much else.

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

76ers interview Sam Mitchell

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski met with Sam Mitchell in Dallas, TX today regarding the Sixers vacant head coaching position.

Joining Stefanski at the meeting with Mitchell was Sixers Sr. Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo and Sixers consultant Gene Shue.

“Sam has been a successful head coach in the league, having been named Coach of the Year in 2007, and we were very interested in speaking with him,” Stefanski said. “It was good to sit down with him to exchange ideas about our team and this opportunity.”

76ers interview Bill Laimbeer

Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski met with Bill Laimbeer in Dallas, TX today regarding the Sixers vacant head coaching position.

Joining Stefanski at the meeting with Laimbeer was Sixers Sr. Vice President and Assistant General Manager Tony DiLeo and Sixers consultant Gene Shue.

“We want to speak to as many qualified candidates as possible and certainly Bill Laimbeer’s credentials as a player and success as a coach – including three championships in six seasons in the WNBA – speaks for iteslf,” Stefanski said. “We want to thank Bill for meeting with us.”

Kirilenko returns for Jazz

Michael Black of the Deseret News reports:

It didn’t take long Saturday night for Andrei Kirilenko to make his long-awaited return to the lineup during Game 3 of the Jazz’s playoff series against the Lakers.

With 6:54 left in the first quarter, Kirilenko checked into the game to a rousing standing ovation from the EnergySolutions Arena crowd. It was the first time back on the court for him in nearly two months due to a strained left calf muscle that was injured in three separate places. He had missed 23 of Utah’s last 25 games, but by the crowd’s response, absence only made the heart grow fonder.

“I have a long, long relationship with our fans. We have always been very close,” Kirilenko said. “I missed those two months, so I was pretty happy to just be back and start playing again.”

Ronny Turiaf receiving Gonzaga degree

The AP reports:

A very familiar graduate will walk across the stage at Gonzaga University’s commencement on Sunday. Ronny Turiaf will receive his degree in sports management, four years after leaving Gonzaga as one of the best players in its history.

Turiaf, who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA, is one of 48 Gonzaga athletes who will receive diplomas.

Game 3: Kobe scores 35, Lakers edge Jazz 111-110

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher hit back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-2 run in the final minute and the Lakers held on for a 111-110 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night that put Los Angeles on the verge of sweeping the Western Conference playoff series.

The Jazz had two chances to win it in the final 4 seconds, but Deron Williams missed from the top of the key and Wesley Matthews’ tip just before the buzzer bounced off the rim.

Bryant finished with 35 points and Fisher scored 20 for the Lakers, who can close out the four-game sweep with a win Monday night in Game 4. Pau Gasol added 14 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Williams scored 28 and Kyle Korver added a career playoff-high 23 points for the Jazz.

Ron Artest scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for the Lakers, who never led by more than four but stayed close enough to win it in a thrilling final minute.

InsideHoops.com notes:

Artest finally remembered how to make three-pointers, hitting 4-for-7. Also, Bryant and Fisher each hit 3-of-7 from outside the arc.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum did almost nothing in 20 minutes of play, with no points and four rebounds.

The Lakers bench was lousy, with Lamar Odom shooting 2-of-6, Jordan Farmar 2-of-6, and Shannon Brown 4-of-12. Odom did grab eight rebounds.

For the Jazz, Wes Matthews hit just 2-of-11 shots, for nine points.

Offensively, the Jazz bench was terrific. Kyle Korver hit 9-of-10 shots, including 5-of-5 threes for 23 points in just under 24 minutes. Paul Millsap hit 3-of-6. In his return to action, Andrei Kirilenko hit 4-of-7 for eight points and six rebounds in 17 minutes.

Both teams had similar shooting, rebounding and assists stats. But the Jazz had 31 free throw attempts, hitting 26, while the Lakers had just 19 free throws, making 16.

Live fan discussion of the game was in this forum topic.

Game 3: Magic destroy Hawks 105-75

The AP reports:

Rashard Lewis scored 22 points and the backups helped Orlando pull away early with Howard on the bench as the Magic romped to another playoff blowout, moving to the brink of their second straight sweep with a 105-75 victory over the Hawks on Saturday.

Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds but was hardly dominating. No problem for the Magic, who have so many complements to Superman and allowed many of them to shine in Orlando’s seventh straight postseason victory and 13th straight win overall.

Lewis knocked down four 3-pointers. Jameer Nelson scored 14 points. Mickael Pietrus chipped in with 13, hitting three shots from outside the arc. Marcin Gortat, Howard’s backup, grabbed six rebounds in less than 10 minutes. All 10 Orlando players who got on the court made it to the scoresheet…

The Hawks shot only 35 percent (29 of 83), and their best player was the biggest culprit. Joe Johnson made only 3 of 15 attempts to finish with eight points. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 22 points.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.