You had to enjoy watching the Jazz fight off the Suns and the Rockets for the West’s final playoff spot. They have been playing playoff-atmosphere basketball for the better part of April, but they are about to go up against a machine of a team that Tim Duncan described as the deepest he has ever played on. That’s a mouthful right there. Here are five things to watch for in the first-round playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and
One of the NBA’s better rivalries of yesteryear will be renewed on Saturday when Carmelo Anthony’s New York Knicks take on LeBron James’ Miami Heat. If it goes to a seventh game, fasten your seat belts and prepare for some controversy. Remember, those who forget history are destined to repeat it. Is Bennett Salvatore working that game? Here are five factors that may determine the outcome of the series. THE HOMECOURT FACTOR: Those that have doubts about the Miami Heat’s championship
The Dallas Mavericks have been living off the glory of their NBA championship all season while simultaneously plotting their salary cap strategy to lure Deron Williams to Dallas next season, and Dwight Howard the year after. Jason Kidd will be elsewhere next season, Brendan Haywood will be amnestied, and a good portion of Dirk Nowitzki’s supporting cast figure to be castoffs if the plan to lure D-Will succeeds. The Thunder? Everybody loved them through March, and then they went 8-7
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE (All Times EDT) Western Conference San Antonio vs. Utah Game 1 - Sun Apr 29 Utah at San Antonio 1:00PM ESPN Game 2 - Wed May 2 Utah at San Antonio 7:00PM TNT Game 3 - Sat May 5 San Antonio at Utah 9:00PM TNT Game 4 - Mon May 7 San Antonio at Utah TBD TBD Game 5 * Wed May 9 Utah at San Antonio TBD TBD Game 6 * Fri May 11 San Antonio at Utah TBD TBD Game 7
NEWS Chicago, Miami and Oklahoma City will open the NBA playoffs Saturday, though their opponents are still to be determined. Thunder guard James Harden has been cleared to play after recovering from the concussion he suffered when the Los Angeles Lakers’ Metta World Peace elbowed him in the back of the head. NOTES The NBA on Thursday announced that Rose’s jersey is the most popular, based on sales at the temporary NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and on NBAStore.com from April 2011 to present. Chicago
The New York Knicks looked to some like a team that may not be interested in facing the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs when they nearly let the Clippers come back from an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit in last night’s 99-93 victory. After scoring 17 points, Carmelo Anthony sat out the entire fourth quarter, but he certainly did not seem concerned about who his team will face. ”Right now it really doesn’t matter,” Anthony said. ”Whoever we play, we’ll
Here is what you need to know heading into the final night of the regular season: If he had decided to play, Kobe Bryant would have needed to score at least 38 points at Sacramento to win the scoring title over Kevin Durant. It would be Bryant’s third title, as he won it in 2004-05 averaging 35.4 points per game (the highest average since Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 in 1986-87), and in 2005-06 averaging 31.6. But Bryant is sitting out long with
NEW YORK — My MVP ballot is sitting on my desk, not yet filled in. I have until 3 p.m. EDT Friday to send it off to Ernst and Young, the accounting firm that has been hired to tabulate the election results (anti-leak strategy?). As of Thursday afternoon, I am still trying to make up my mind as to who I will vote first, second, third, fourth and fifth. Somehow I get the feeling that LeBron James is going to be the winner