Though it’s trumpeted as a launchpad for great big shiny heroics, playoff basketball’s cruel truth is that the no-shows have a particular, formative role to play in the maturation–or atrophy–of each series, as well. [Read more…]
HOUSTON — Mother Nature spent most of the Rockets do-or-die playoff Saturday drenching the Houston downtown area and beyond. And when it came time for the out-of-town Thunder to come down one final time inside the sold-out Toyota Center after blowing every last bit of a 26-point lead, the city’s hoopdom community was left high and first-round dry once again. Sure, it was a valiant spunky comeback from the Kiddie Corp. aiming for a sudden reversal of fortune against the resident Western Conference
While Michael Jordan was busy getting married Saturday, Nate Robinson was one point shy of tying him for most points scored by a Chicago Bulls player in the fourth quarter of a game, finishing with 23 in the period of what became a triple-overtime thriller between the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls. The Nets were seemingly in control, up 14 with just over three minutes remaining. After blowing a fast break dunk that would have extended the lead to 16, Brooklyn collapsed.
Apart from the 1 vs. 8 and 2 vs. 7 series, the first round of the NBA playoffs has been incredibly competitive, just as much so as anyone could have reasonably hoped. The Clippers and Grizzlies are showing everyone how good they are – and how unfair it is that one will lose this series. The Warriors and Nuggets are playing must-see basketball. And just today, Chicago and Brooklyn went to three overtimes. [Read more…]
When Mike Brown was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers last week, there were multiple feelings of déjà vu. One was obvious – Brown was returning to a team that had fired him three years earlier. We have all been here before. But the other was more subtle and had to do with the fundamental reality not only of today’s NBA, but also of today’s professional sports. [Read more…]
Nate Robinson had been bouncing around the league for eight seasons now, always a popular player wherever he played – but never being a stable enough player to stick around very long. He is currently on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Chicago Bulls, and he will be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. And when the free agency signing period begins, N8 may finally get papered (NBA parlance for getting paid). Robinson’s performance was astounding Saturday in the Bulls’
Featuring picks and comments by Rob Dudek Click on this banner to sign up for DraftStreet daily baseball leagues Every Saturday, there are afternoon baseball games. Three have a 1:05 Eastern start today, four more begin between 4:05 and 4:15, and eight are slated for the evening. If you join leagues that close at 7:10, you’re missing out on some excellent players. The split starts mean twice as many chances to win in daily leagues; I enter multiple
How often do you see an entire arena full of fans on their feet for an entire fourth quarter? In high school or college, yes. In the NBA, not so often. [Read more…]