NBA Playoffs Blog – Page 118 – NBA Blog

Game 5: Jennings scores 25, Bucks stun Hawks 91-87

The AP reports:

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points, Kurt Thomas drew a crucial charging foul against Joe Johnson and the Bucks stunned the home team with a 14-0 run late in the game, beating the favored Hawks 91-87 on Wednesday night for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series…

The Hawks appeared to be in control leading 82-73 after Josh Smith’s long jumper with 4:10 remaining. Milwaukee scored the next 14 points while Atlanta was missing seven straight shots. Even though Al Horford finally broke the drought with 19 seconds remaining, then banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key to finish with 25 points and 11 rebounds, it wasn’t enough to make up for a total collapse…

Jamal Crawford’s night ended in appropriate fashion—a desperation 3-pointer that missed badly and left him sprawled on the court. He finished 4 of 18 from the field for 11 points. Joe Johnson wasn’t much better, making 6 of 16 for 13 points before fouling out for the first time this season…

Marvin Williams had 22 points for the Hawks, who couldn’t overcome the dismal showings by their two leading scorers, Johnson and Crawford.

NBA fines Dwight Howard for blog comments about officiating

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has been fined $35,000 for public criticism of the officiating that appeared on his personal blog, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Howard’s comments appeared on his blog on April 27.

On his blog, Howard wrote: “Ya’ll know that that series against Charlotte drove me crazy. I mean it was almost comical at times how I was getting fouls called on me. There was nothing I could do our there and I felt like I couldn’t even move without getting that whistle blown on me. I’m not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league, but I just don’t see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them. No star player in the league is outta games the way I am. I even talked to Pat Ewing about his career and he said he never had foul trouble like what I’m going through.”

LeBron James bothered by elbow injury

The AP reports:

LeBron James’ puzzling elbow injury will get an extra day of rest before the next round of the NBA playoffs after the Cavaliers decided not to practice Wednesday.

James has been bothered by numbness in his right elbow for several weeks. He lost feeling after banging it late in Tuesday night’s clinching win over the Chicago Bulls.

InsideHoops.com reports:

There hasn’t been any word that LeBron could miss any games, and for now it is assumed he won’t, but more may be known today or tomorrow.

The second round Cavs-Celtics NBA playoffs series starts Saturday.

Andrei Kirilenko hopes to return soon

Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Whether it’s in one of the final games of the Jazz’s series against the Nuggets or in the Western Conference semifinals should the Jazz advance, Andrei Kirilenko sounded increasingly encouraged Tuesday about returning to action in these playoffs.

Kirilenko resumed court work Monday with sliding, jumping and shooting on the move and reported “no pain at all, which I was excited about” with his strained left calf.

“I wanted to go more,” said Kirilenko, who decided it was best not to push things. “Before when I get back, I felt like (the calf) gets tired very quick, like a little stiff,” he said. “Like right now I don’t feel any stiffness, no soreness, just tiredness. But I know it’s tiredness from the work.”

LeBron says Bulls were well-coached

Jim O’Donnell of the Chicago Sun-Times reports:

For LeBron James — who just missed a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists despite a troublesome elbow — the question was tweaked.

”After the five games,” James was asked, ”did you think the Bulls were particularly well-coached, poorly coached or just in between?”

”I think they were well-coached,” James said. ”Vinny and his staff had that group ready. They have a group of young talent that can really play the game of basketball, and they played hard. There was not one point where they were laying down.

”In Game 4, we just got our stuff going and made stops, but they didn’t lay down. I’m not trying to make a pitch for Vinny because I know what’s going on — is Vinny in or is Vinny out? That’s not my job. But they played hard.”

Game 5: Lakers rout Thunder

The AP reports:

Pau Gasol had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Andrew Bynum added 21 points and the Los Angeles Lakers vigorously rebounded from back-to-back losses with a 111-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Kobe Bryant had 13 points and seven assists in three quarters of work as the defending NBA champions coolly shook off the eighth-seeded Thunder’s series-tying blowout win in Game 4 with a comprehensive thrashing of the postseason newcomers.

With their offense purring and their defense throttling Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers led by 21 points at halftime and went ahead by 32 late in the third quarter of their third home victory in the series…

Durant scored 17 points and Westbrook had 15 on combined 9-for-27 shooting for Oklahoma City, which never recovered after missing its first 13 shots…

Fans included Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Rafaeli, Will Ferrell, Joel McHale, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, Dustin Hoffman, Barry Bonds, singer Seal, David Arquette and UCLA coach Ben Howland, while Hugh Hefner watched from a luxury box.

Game 5: Butler 35, Mavs beat Spurs

The AP reports:

Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood gave the Dallas Mavericks the energy, toughness and scoring they needed—in other words, everything the Mavs expected when they traded for them a few months ago.

Butler scored a career playoff-best 35 points and had 11 rebounds, and Haywood provided a strong inside presence at both ends in his first start of this postseason, keeping the Mavericks alive by leading them to a 103-81 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The Spurs were outplayed most of the first half, but trailed by only seven at halftime. Dallas didn’t let them hang around much longer…

Butler’s performance turned Dirk Nowitzki into a sidekick. He had 15 points and nine rebounds. Jason Terry had 12 points, while Marion and Kidd each scored 10. Kidd also had seven assists and seven rebounds.

Tony Parker led San Antonio with 18 points. Half of them came during an 11-2 run at the end of the second quarter that gave the Spurs hope of pulling off another throttling third quarter, like they did to win Game 4.

Duncan scored 11 in 24 minutes and Manu Ginobili scored seven in 19 minutes.

Game 5: Cavaliers eliminate Bulls

The AP reports:

LeBron James just missed a triple-double despite an apparently sore right elbow, and the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to a playoff date with Boston by beating Chicago 96-94 in Game 5 on Tuesday night in perhaps Vinny Del Negro’s final game as Bulls coach.

James, favoring a tender right elbow that appears to hurt worse than he’s letting on, scored 19 points—16 in the second half—and added 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Cavs finally saddled the stubborn Bulls to win the series 4-1. Unable to lift his right arm, James was forced to shoot a free throw left-handed with 7.8 seconds left.

Antawn Jamison scored 25 points for Cleveland, which will face the Celtics, reuniting teams that don’t like each other and who played a testy seven-game series in 2008…

Derrick Rose scored 31 points and Luol Deng 26 for the Bulls, who had several shots roll in and out in the final minutes.

Delonte West had 16 points and Shaquille O’Neal added 14 while racking up fouls against Chicago’s big men.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Bulls hit just 2-of-10 three-pointers.

The starting Cavs guards were awful today. Mo Williams shot just 2-of-13 for the Cavs, finishing with seven points and five assists. Anthony Parker played 19 minutes and had three points and almost nothing else.

Shaq shot 7-of-9 for 14 and eight, though he had a few too many turnovers.

Derrick Rose had 31 points, but it took 27 shots, with six assists.

Other than Luol Deng shooting 9-of-17 for 26 points, few Bulls stepped up offensively.

Game 5: Celtics eliminate Heat

The AP reports:

The Boston Celtics are heading to the second round of the NBA playoffs and a potential matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ray Allen scored 24 points, making five 3-pointers in the second half, to help Boston beat Miami 96-86 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night and eliminate the Heat. With Heat star Dwyane Wade due to become a free agent—along with James—it could be an eventful summer in Miami.

Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals thanks to 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists from Rajon Rondo. Paul Pierce scored 21 for the Celtics, who will play either Cleveland or Chicago; the Cavaliers took a 3-1 lead into Game 5 of their first-round series later Tuesday night.

Wade scored 31 points—far short of the franchise postseason-record 46 he scored Sunday in Game 4 in Miami to help the Heat stave off elimination.

InsideHoops.com reports:

The Celtics as a team shot 48.6%, the Heat just 39.2%. Boston hit 7-of-12 three-pointers, Miami just 5-of-20. Free throws and rebounding was exactly even. But the Celtics dished 10 more assists and had five more steals.

For the Celtics, Ray Allen had 24 points. Paul Pierce (8-of-13) 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Rajon Rondo (6-of-16) 16 points, eight rebounds, 12 assists (just two turnovers) and four steals. Kevin Garnett had 14 points and eight rebounds.

For the Heat, Wade had 31 points, eight rebounds and ten assists (but seven turnovers). Mario Chalmers stepped up off the bench with 20 points on 13 shots. But no other Heat player even scored double-digits. Carlos Arroyo (4-of-4) had eight and almost nothing else. Jermaine O’Neal (3-of-10) continued to be awful and had seven points with little else. Udonis Haslem came off the bench to contribute six points and 10 rebounds. Joel Anthony was off the bench for six points. Quentin Richardson (just 2-of-8) had four points and little else. Michael Beasley played only 13.5 minutes and had more turnovers (3) than points (2).

Spurs double-teams contain Nowitzki

Todd Archer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

For the first time in the playoff series, San Antonio double-teamed Dirk Nowitzki from start to finish in Sunday’s Game 4. The result was just 10 shots by the Mavericks’ leading scorer and a 92-89 Spurs victory.

It was only the third time in Nowitzki’s last 49 playoff games that he had taken 10 or fewer shots.

He made four of nine shots in a Game 4 win against the Spurs last year, scoring 12 points, but the Mavericks won that game.

Nowitzki expects more of the same in Game 5.

“In Game 3, I had a pretty good second half,” Nowitzki said. “They figured, ‘We better get the ball out of his hands.’ They came from the beginning on the block. They came on the isolations up top. They just got the ball out of my hands, and we didn’t make enough plays on the weak side.

“I’ve still got to find a way, even with double teams, to pick my spots, be more aggressive. Obviously, 10 shots is not going to cut it.”