The Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers have something in common in the conference semifinals this season: Both lost the previous game in devastating manner. Of course, how and why they lost, and how that makes it sting so much, is a whole different story. The 76ers got blown out of their own house quite convincingly. The Lakers, as Andrew Bynum would say, played Santa Claus, gift-wrapped a victory and handed it over to Oklahoma City. Both teams look to recover
// It was completely uncharacteristic for Dwyane Wade to snap at his coach the way he did last night. Part of Spoelstra’s job is to remind his players to get back on defense instead of admiring their bricks while the ball is in mid-air, and that seems to be one of the key things that precipitated the public clash between player and coach. As inexcusable as Wade’s outburst was (you don’t show up your coach like that, ever), what about looking
Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol on Friday was named the winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, given annually by the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Gasol was honored for his global work for UNICEF causes. According to the PBWA, he has been a UNICEF ambassador for seven years, traveling the world and working with programs aimed at nutrition and education for children. Gasol, who has said he wants to be a doctor when his NBA career is over, is the
NEW YORK — Basketball in the city that never sleeps has been dormant since the Knicks were unceremoniously ousted from the NBA Playoffs at the hands of LeBron James and his Heatles, who are having some unceremonious issues of their own right now. It took only five games for dreams of partying like it was 1999 to result in a rude awakening: The Knicks need more if wins are to ever result the next time they take their talents to South
Late yesterday after noon I tweeted a link to our preview column on Thursday night’s games, asking (rhetorically) whether we would see another epic meltdown from LeBron James and the Heat — you know, something resembling going the final 2:41 without scoring a single point, or missing 15 of 16 3-pointers as they had done in Game 2. The tweet was not well received by Heat broadcaster Tony Fiorentino, who was coaching Gus and Ray Williams at Mount Vernon high school
It has now been 22 1/2 months since LeBron James abandoned his home state to take his talents to South Beach. He did so in the hope of winning championships with a better supporting cast. What he didn’t anticipate was how much weaker that supporting cast would become if one of the big three were to miss time due to injury, which is exactly what the Heat are going through right now. Unfortunately for King James, no one is feeling sorry for
The LA Lakers may make a quick second-round exit vs. the Thunder. Is this the last chance for Kobe, Bynum & Gasol to win together? CineSport’s Noah Coslov & Sheridanhoops.com’s Mark Heisler chat. //
