csprtContainer(); Will the return of Metta World Peace give the Lakers an edge in Game 7 vs. the Nuggets? CineSport’s Noah Coslov and SheridanHoops.com’s Chris Sheridan discuss this & the Eastern Conference Semis.
Memphis (2-3) at Los Angeles Clippers (3-2): Injuries have been the story of the first round of the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Clippers have officially joined the party. Caron Butler has been playing with a broken hand, and it seems his two superstar teammates will have to toughen up and join him in playing through injuries. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul each were hurt in Game 5, and though they are likely to play, a gimpy version of the two could prove
PHILADELPHIA—Rick and Ilsa of “Casablanca’’ fame will always have Paris…. and Andre Iguodala, a child scorned around these parts for years by fans who often wish he still wasn’t here, will always have the two free throws that sent the Philadelphia 76ers to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003. It will be a moment in time not soon forgotten. “Andre’s struggled all year at the foul line,’’ said jubilant Sixers coach Doug Collins, holding his grandson on
What shall be our parting memory of Carlos Boozer? Him sitting on the bench for the final 14 minutes. What shall be our parting memory of Josh Smith? A 21-foot fadeaway jumper, when the Hawks needed him to attack the rim, that never had a shot. And those were the losers whose seasons ended Thursday night. What of the night’s other loser, the Los Angeles Lakers? Let’s just say that if Pau Gasol is that unassertive in the Olympic gold medal game, the United
WHAT HAPPENED: It was 13-0 after the Nuggets opened the game with a trio of 3-pointers, including one from Danilo Gallinari, who had been 1-for-14 in the series from downtown. Kobe Bryant, after missing shootaround earlier in the day with gastrointestinal distress, kept the Lakers within striking distance until the third quarter, when the Nuggets rang up 36 points en route to their highest-scoring game of the series. You could say they were due for an offensive explosion after leading
WHAT HAPPENED: The old man, and the C’s. Kevin Garnett turned back the clock to his MVP days and collected 28 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Boston Celtics past the Atlanta Hawks in a grinding Game 6. Boston got a huge break down the stretch when, holding a two-point lead with 3.1 seconds left, Marquis Daniels fouled Al Horford just as the ball was being inbounded, a foul to give for the Celtics. Had Daniels’ foul
WHAT HAPPENED: Andre Iguodala rebounded a missed free throw by Omer Asik with 7 seconds left, drove all the way downcourt and was fouled with 2.2 seconds left, making both free throws for the tying and winning points — making the Sixers only the fifth 8th-seeded team to knock off a No. 1 seed. Asik played an incredible game, never once taking a seat in the second half, but he was the wrong guy for C.J. Watson to give the
Patrick Ewing is getting a job interview with the Charlotte Bobcats, who are owned by his good friend, Michael Jordan. That is the word from Steve Reed of the Associated Press in Charlotte, where the Bobcats just set an NBA record for worst winning percentage in league history (.106) after going 7-59, losing their final 23 games. The interview will be Ewing’s second for a head coaching position. He had a sitdown with the Detroit Pistons last year before they hired Lawrence