NBA Playoffs Blog – Page 105 – NBA Blog

Knicks/Celtics Update

By Scott Spangler

New York has been dominant on the glass, generating a ton more shots, but could only muster 32 percent from the floor. This left the Celtics trailing by only one point heading into the locker room, 45-44.

Word coming down now, Amare Stoudemire may be out for the rest of the night with back spasms. With PG Chauncey Billups already sidelined, this puts just about the entire load on Carmelo Anthony’s shoulders.

Early in the second half now, and Anthony is beginning to heat up, now with 24 pts on 9 of 20 shooting – he has also managed to haul in 13 boards.

The problem for New York now would be slowing down Celtic PG Rajon Rondo. He seems more than willing to take up Mike D’Antoni’s invite for some “shooting practice.” So far, 22 points, 9 of 14 from the field.

With just under 3 minutes left in the third, we have a six-point Boston advantage.

Rose scores 36, Bulls top Pacers 96-90 in Game 2

The AP reports:

Rose scores 36 as Bulls top Pacers 96-90 in Game 2

Two playoff games, two dramatic victories for the favored Chicago Bulls, and all is right in Carlos Boozer’s eyes.

Derrick Rose scored 36 points, Boozer added 17 points and 16 rebounds, and top-seeded Chicago escaped with another comeback victory over Indiana, beating the Pacers 96-90 on Monday night in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series…

Rose went wild again, scoring eight points over the final 4 minutes. Kyle Korver, who made a tiebreaking 3-pointer in Chicago’s opening 104-99 victory Saturday, connected from long range to make it 90-85 with just over a minute left.

The Pacers still wouldn’t go away.

A.J. Price drew a foul on Rose and hit three free throws to get Indiana within two with 23.4 seconds remaining. But Luol Deng made two free throws, Mike Dunleavy missed a 3-point attempt at the other end and Ronnie Brewer hit two foul shots to help the Bulls hold on…

The Pacers were right there even though they lost Darren Collison to a sprained left ankle late in the first half. Collison said X-rays were negative but he isn’t sure if he will be available for Thursday night’s Game 3 at Conseco Fieldhouse…

Granger led Indiana with 19 points, but Tyler Hansbrough struggled, finishing with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting after scoring 22 points in the opener.

Shaq remains out, will not play in Celtics-Knicks Game 2

Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe reports:

The Celtics officially ruled center Shaquille O’Neal out for Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks after Celtics team doctor Brian McKeon told the team not to bring O’Neal out onto the floor for today’s practice.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers last night had left open the possibility that O’Neal might practice and play in Tuesday’s game. Today he sang a different tune.

Heat roll to 2-0 lead over 76ers, 94-73

The AP reports:

LeBron James scored 29 points, Chris Bosh had his second straight double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Miami took a 2-0 series lead with a 94-73 victory over the abysmally shooting 76ers on Monday night.

Showing no signs of the migraine that he battled Sunday, Dwyane Wade scored 14 points for Miami, now 17-3 in its last 20 games and halfway to winning its first playoff series since the 2006 conference finals…

Thaddeus Young scored 18 points and Evan Turner added 15 for the 76ers, whose starters were outscored 76-29 by the Heat’s first-string. Philadelphia shot 34 percent for the game, and after getting 42 points in the paint in Game 1, were held to 24 in that department Monday…

Philadelphia shot only 26 percent in the first half, a record for a Heat playoff opponent. The 76ers’ starters were outscored 41-9 in the opening 24 minutes, and unlike their last two meetings, never put a scare into Miami. Philadelphia had a 16-point lead in the teams’ final regular-season matchup, a 14-point lead in Game 1, but simply couldn’t get rolling Monday.

Looking ahead to Mavs-Blazers Game 2

By Scott Spangler

A thing of beauty, it was not. The Dallas Mavericks suffered through an 11-minute second-half drought only to emerge an eight-point winner over the Portland Trail Blazers. For a stretch there, we could have been watching Butler hurl tire irons in the National Championship Game.

Then came the Maverick parade to the foul line, and a couple timely yet unlikely Jason Kidd jumpers – off the dribble. This is not to suggest Kidd cannot knock down an open look, but usually those are of the set-shot variety.

There was some mention today out of the Portland camp that the wide-open opportunities by Kidd must be eliminated.

Yeah, okay.

Believe what you like, but Blazers guard Andre Miller will not be playing the Maverick PG straight up. No one does. Nate McMillan will do what Gregg Popovich did last year against Dallas. Cut Kidd lose and live with the consequences.

Portland will look for Wesley Matthews and Gerald Wallace to get on track. Wallace logged 39 minutes and was little more than a warm body on the floor. Matthews took only three shots, made one, and never looked comfortable.

Andre Miller did enjoy a solid shooting night, but Dallas was all too happy to watch him launch 20-footers against the shot clock late Saturday.

All that said, the Trail Blazers plan to force the issue in Game Two. Nate McMillan talked Monday about Dallas packing the paint and daring his club to take perimeter shots.

Portland wants to make Dallas pay for playing straight up. To do that, Matthews has to bring more to the party than 1 for 3 shooting.

Miami leading in Heat-Sixers Game 2 first half

By Scott Spangler

After one quarter, Philly was shooting 4 for 20 from the floor. Had to feel fortunate to only be down six.

And not to take anything away from Miami, because they are scrambling and playing hard on the defensive end, but I wonder if this has to do more with the lack of shot-making ability by the 76ers in the halfcourt.

Good thing Evan Turner checked in with guns blazin’. The rookie has been pretty much hit or miss this season, but his play off Doug Collins’ bench is about the only bright spot for the Sixers so far. The 10 points turned in by Turner represent the bulk of Philadelphia’s scoring.

And their starters? Try nine total first-half points.

The Heat find themselves coasting at the half, leading 49-31, shooting 50 percent, and getting just about anything they want offensively. As usual, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are getting into the paint, and setting the table for a Miami route.

Durant scores 41, Thunder beat Nuggets 107-103 in Game 1

The AP reports:

Kevin Durant scored 41 points, Russell Westbrook added 31 and Perkins provided the go-ahead basket on a controversial tip-in as the Thunder pulled out a 107-103 win against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Westbrook’s jumper from the right side caromed off the rim and Perkins was credited for the tip-in with 1:06 remaining to put Oklahoma City up 102-101. Several Nuggets looked for it to be waved off as basket interference, and coach George Karl insisted after the game: “Obviously it was goaltending.” …

Nene had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead Denver, which used a well-rounded effort after dealing away its only All-Star, Carmelo Anthony, at the trade deadline…

Gallinari scored 18 points, Felton had 12 and Denver had eight players score at least eight points.

Eric Maynor chipped in 12 points for Oklahoma City, which had no one else score more than five with Durant and Westbrook leading the way.

Ray Allen scores 24, Celtics edge Knicks 87-85 in Game 1

The AP reports:

Ray Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left off a pass from Paul Pierce and Anthony misfired on his long try at the other end, giving the Celtics an 87-85 comeback victory over the Knicks in their playoff opener on Sunday night…

Allen led the Celtics with 24 points and Pierce added 18 to go along with solid defense on Anthony. Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and clamped down on Amare Stoudemire down the stretch.

Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds for New York, and Anthony finished with 15…

New York may have lost more than a game. Point guard Chauncey Billups left with 51 seconds remaining, and doctors told him the injury was a strained left knee or thigh muscle…

Boston trailed 51-39 at halftime but rallied to take a 66-64 lead early in the fourth. Stoudemire then scored 12 of the Knicks’ next 18 points to power them to an 82-78 lead with 2:46 remaining.

Chris Paul dominates, Hornets beat Lakers 109-100 in Game 1

The AP reports:

Chris Paul had 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds, flawlessly leading the Hornets down the stretch of a 109-100 victory Sunday.

Carl Landry scored 17 points and Jarrett Jack added 15 for the seventh-seeded Hornets, who overcame Los Angeles’ major size advantage with cagey defense and a disciplined offensive approach that led to just three turnovers, tying an NBA playoff record…

Kobe Bryant scored 34 points for the Lakers, who opened the postseason with the same halfhearted effort that comprised much of their regular season after three straight exhausting trips to the NBA finals.

Los Angeles’ 7-foot starters, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, were widely expected to be an awful matchup for smallish New Orleans, but New Orleans rookie coach Monty Williams concocted an impressive game plan to minimize the big men’s impact…

Ron Artest had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who swept the four-game regular-season series with New Orleans. They had won their last six playoff series openers since Houston beat them in the Western Conference semifinals in 2009 on Los Angeles’ way to Bryant’s fourth championship.

Commentary: Wild end to Celtics win over Knicks

By Scott Spangler

After Chauncey Billups was led off the floor with a knee injury, Toney Douglas hit a wing three to break an 82-all deadlock with 37.8 on the clock.

Kevin Garnett proceeded to flush a perfect inbound lob from Rajon Rondo. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, obviously frustrated at the play, quickly called for a timeout to draw up a play for the most important possession of the evening. I like to think he wanted to huddle with his troops because ANY bucket taking less than two seconds is absolutely unacceptable by D’Antoni standards.

Carmelo Anthony was then called for an offensive foul. New York still up one, but that one hurt. Twenty-one seconds to play.

Another defensive foul on Melo, a kick ball call, and then Ray Allen launches one from deep… Boston by two with 11.6 remaining.

That is how this one would end, 87-85 Celtics. Carmelo would put a three up for the win, but the shot barely caught iron.

Boston got away with one. The Knicks played well enough to win. In fact, they should have taken this one. Sloppy execution down the stretch did NY in tonight. That and rebounding, once again.

Lost in the defeat was the brilliant performance by Amare Stoudemire. He grabbed 11 boards, even made what seemed at the time to be timely defensive stops – including one gorgeous block at the rim on Ray Allen.

But it was Allen who saved Boston today with 11 points in the fourth, including the game winner.