MIAMI – OK, he did it again. LeBron James, the talented and tormented Miami Heat forward, declined to take a late-game shot Friday at Utah. He saw a double-team coming and passed to forward Udonis Haslem, who missed a jumper. The Heat lost, 99-98. You’d be tempted to think it was the All-Star game all over again. It wasn’t. This wasn’t some made-for-TV pickup game. It was a regular-season game. It mattered. Now, the LeBron debate can continue. “At the end of the
NEW YORK – Since the Knicks’ 120-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, many in the pro basketball world have been talking about the emergence of the supporting cast. The Knicks are 10-3 in their last 13 games and are 18-18 overall. What everyone has said—and rightfully so—is that the play of Jeremy Lin and the second unit has propelled the club through what should have been a very rough stretch. What nobody has said—until now and until me—is that
Scott Howard-Cooper: Warriors continuing push for Dwight Howard deal even without DH commitment to re-signing. Not backing off from risky move, source says. Twitter Chris Broussard: Nothing’s changed in Phoenix: Suns still not trading Steve Nash unless he asks for it, sources say. And he won’t. Twitter Dwyane Wade said he was sorry. To Kobe Bryant. So as far as the Miami Heat guard is concerned, it’s case closed when it comes to his hard foul that broke the nose of the Los Angeles Lakers guard during
NEW YORK – After Thursday night’s 102-88 loss to the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks have reached the All-Star break with a 17-18 record. They’re clinging to the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed and hardly resemble a playoff team, much less a championship contender. Good wins. Bad losses. Injuries, disappointments, and pleasant surprises. It’s been a long two months for the New York City Slickers. But for their sake, I hope they’ve been eating their Wheaties and taking their multivitamins, because the next two
The story of Jeremy Lin has been that of a fairy tale, an unscripted movie, since he took over the reins of the Knicks some three weeks ago. Capturing the hearts of basketball fans around the globe, he answered all questions and exceeded all expectations one big game after another, be it Kobe Bryant or the NBA champs. On Thursday, Lin faced LeBron James and the suffocating defense of the Miami Heat. The best team in the league came prepared to
Twitter and Facebook will be set ablaze Thursday night when Linsanity and the New York Knicks take their talents to South Beach, ending the first half of the NBA season with a nuclear-sized bang against the Miami Heat. “I’m not looking forward to the game like I woke up on Sunday and said I can’t wait for Thursday,” Heat star Dwyane Wade said. “It’s going to be great intensity, but it’s not the Finals or anything.” Maybe it is. Aftermarket courtside seats
Two weeks ago, Linsanity all began when Mike D’Antoni pointed down to the end of the bench, told Jeremy Lin to take his warmups off and go give it a shot against an unsuspecting Deron Williams. A comeback victory ensued, Lin was named the Knicks’ starter for the next game, and we really don’t need to rehash all the details of the phenomenon that captured the attention of every NBA fan from President Barack Obama on down. An All-Star, and a player
Derrick Rose scored 23 points in his return as the Bulls handled Atlanta. It was a makeshift lineup for the Hawks, with Marvin Williams (personal) replaced in the starting five by Willie Green. Then Joe Johnson left early with a sore knee, though it doesn’t sound too serious. Neither Jeff Teague nor Kirk Hinrich had a great afternoon; seldom-used Jannero Pargo outplayed them both. After complaining in public about his playing time, Tracy McGrady got almost 22 minutes. Around the League Deron