The Boston Celtics have had little trouble defeating the Utah Jazz in recent years. They have won eight of the last 11 meetings at the TD Garden — including the last three games by an average of 17.3 points — and swept last season’s two-game series. Their last loss came back on March 14, 2008, when Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were still toiling for Jerry Sloan. But with the way the Jazz have played as of late, the Celtics may be
The Houston Rockets currently share an identical record with Utah and Denver. That will change tonight — as the other two teams have the night off — when the Rockets look to avenge their recent overtime loss against the well-rested Dallas Mavericks in Tuesday’s best game. The two teams faced off last Saturday in a game filled with playoff intensity. The game featured 15 ties, 17 lead changes and four stitches above the right eye of Dirk Nowitzki, but his team ultimately
Through the first half of the season and leading into the All-Star break, the MVP award was LeBron James’ to lose. The way the Miami Heat has played since the All-Star break, however, may re-open the MVP discussion for debate. After losing just seven games through the first two months of the season,”The King” and the Heat have lost six of 14 games in March. More alarmingly, all six losses have come on the road against some of the top teams in
When the New York Knicks started their season full of hope and expectations, they probably did not circle March 26 on their calendars as an important night. Yet, they hold just a 1 1/2-game lead for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they prepare for one of the most critical games of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden in Monday’s best game. Looking to reach .500 for the first time since beating Sacramento on February
Things have officially gone wild in the Wild Wild West. Over the past five seasons, at least one team with a winning record has failed to make the playoffs in the Western Conference as the competition has always been fierce and close until the final day of the season. It may never have been this close, however. Currently, 1 1/2 games separate the fourth seed and the ninth seed. Two teams — the Clippers and the Mavericks — are tied for the fourth seed
The marriage started out so beautifully. Chris Paul was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers from the New Orleans Hornets as Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan jumped for joy and proclaimed themselves as “lob city.” The team got off to a tremendous 19-8 start and looked destined to be an immediate contender. Soon after losing Chauncey Billups to a torn Achilles tendon, however, the team’s lack of cohesion became more apparent by the game. Caron Butler fell off the map, Griffin’s offense proved to be limited
The rollercoaster of a season continues for the New York Knicks. What seemed like a hopelessly lost season just a week ago has turned into a revitalizing one. Since the Mike Woodson era began, Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks (22-24) have displayed the type of defensive effort that was never present when Mike D’Antoni was still around, and the results have been astoundingly good. The Knicks take their renewed energy and a four-game winning streak into the Wells Fargo Center for a revenge game
Steve Nash — the league leader in assists per game with 11.3 at the ripe age of 38 — never asked or expressed any desire to leave the place that has turned him into a Hall of Fame level icon. Instead of asking out of Phoenix when the going was tough earlier this season, he believed in working together with the team at hand. His faith is paying off as Phoenix (23-22) is just 1/2 game behind the eighth-seeded Houston Rockets