ORLANDO — Tuesday can’t get here soon enough. This one was fun for the final 3 minutes. Too bad it took three days to get to those final 3 minutes. And the final 10 seconds? Well, that was quite a special pass LeBron James threw to Blake Griffin (wrong team) rather than attempt the game-winning shot. We gonna see that again in June, ‘Bron? Even Kobe Bryant got up in James’ face after that ill-advised pass, asking him what the hell he was thinking? “He was
Why isn’t Josh Smith in the All-Star Game? Smith has been the best and most consistent player this season on the Atlanta Hawks, who have the same record (20-14) as the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets and deserve to have an All-Star. But the Hawks probably don’t deserve two All-Stars. At least that’s what the Eastern Conference coaches felt, picking Joe Johnson and snubbing Smith, whose numbers are considerably better. When Johnson had to bow out with an injury earlier
All-Star Weekend in the Land of 1,000 Theme Parks, or be careful what you wish for, is upon us. As David Stern noted recently, the All-Star Game will withstand anything Dwight Howard has to say about bailing on the Magic and the host city, Orlando. “We’ll have the usual media experiences like the one I’m enduring now,” said Stern, “but the great thing is the game is going to start and then there’s going to be all this spectacular basketball playing, and
Rajon Rondo is in; Joe Johnson is out. In a compressed season where the injuries have come one after another, it was nothing short of miraculous that all of the chosen 24 All-Stars were relatively healthy and would be in action Sunday. Until now. Johnson, a reserve on the Eastern Conference, will skip the weekend festivities to rest a sore left knee, the Atlanta Hawks announced Wednesday. The Hawks had already Johnson would sit out Wednesday’s game at New York and Thursday’s contest vs.
Last June, the Dallas Mavericks were on top of the basketball world, while the Minnesota Timberwolves were at rock bottom. Less than eight months later, the teams are separated by two games in the standings, and it’s hard to tell which club is better. The Mavericks (15-11) and Wolves (13-13) meet for the third time this season in Friday’s best NBA game. Minnesota has won the first two, easily handling the defending champions. If the Wolves win again, they will be one
Dirk? Apparently, the Western Conference coaches chose this year’s All-Star reserves based upon last year’s accomplishments. The 14 All-Star reserves were announced tonight on TNT, and there were a couple of surprises. None was bigger than the selection of Nowitzki, who is averaging the lowest numbers since his sophomore season. His points per game (17.6) are down 5.4 from last season, his field-goal percentage has dropped from.517 to .461, and whose 3-point percentage has nosedived from .393 to .211. He even acknowledged recently
The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics doesn’t need any added incentive. But it may have some in Thursday night’s best NBA game. The first of two meetings between the greatest franchises in league history will be televised nationally at 8 p.m. ET by TNT, which has a one-hour pregame show that will reveal the reserves for the All-Star Game later this month. Both proud teams have former All-Stars who have taken a step back this season and may
// Who will be snubbed in All-Star reserve voting? Someone from the Sixers? Someone from the Cavs? One of the more productive power forwards in the West? CineSport’s Brian Clark & SheridanHoops.com’s Chris Sheridan discuss that question, along with the significance of Kobe Bryant’s scoring milestone and whether the Oklahoma City Thunder are potential champions.