MIAMI – Nobody has reported this … until now. The last time Boston played Miami, the Celtics won so convincingly (91-72 on April 1) it prompted the Heat to call a players-only meeting. “Everybody who was here last year had something to say at that meeting,” guard Mario Chalmers told SheridanHoops.com. That April Fool’s Day loss at Boston dropped the Heat to 4-7 on the road since the All-Star break. It was time to address a truth, one first mentioned by coach Erik
// You may have noticed that the Chicago Bulls are in a bit of a swoon, the Miami Heat have been going through their own lulls whenever they leave the comforts of home, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been prone to letdowns. What about the fourth team among the NBA’s Big 4? Why do the San Antonio Spurs, who carry an 11-game winning streak into tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz, keep winning so consistently despite having so many different lineups
We could drone on and on in today’s roundup about what a huge victory it was yesterday for both Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks, being that this Web site is based out of the Big Apple. But we shall spare you. You know why the Knicks won Sunday in overtime? Three words: Derrick Rose choked. By my count, Rose is now 0-for-4 on game-deciding free throws in the final minute of the fourth quarter of Sunday afternoon ABC games, having gagged similarly
NEW YORK — Last night in Orlando, the Knicks utilized a balanced attack to defeat the Magic, 96-80. The victory giave them a record of 28-27 on the season and improved their lead over the Milwaukee Bucks to 1 1/2 games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Prior to the game, Stan Van Gundy offered this, “You don’t want to face the Knicks in the playoffs because Carmelo scares the hell out of you.” (And yes, he
Dwight Howard is truly having a season to forget. Most seem to be calling it a “Dwightmare”, fittingly. Sadly, most of it is due to off-court issues. Throughout his career, he was a drama-free, fun and charismatic superstar adored by most around him. Since the end of last season, however, he has become one of the more unlikable players in the NBA. He has become a walking daytime soap opera due to his much-documented indecision of where he would like to play. During the process, he
The more I watch the Oklahoma City Thunder rack up wins and inch closer to the league’s best record, the more I question my preseason predictions. Can the Thunder win the NBA title this season? Back in December I said no, although I did have them facing the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. After watching the Thunder cruise to a 40-12 overall record thanks to Sunday’s 92-78 thrashing of the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls, and putting the rest of their season
// I had a phone conversation with Rick Adelman earlier this season in which he stressed the importance of the Minnesota Timberwolves making it out of the month of March with some semblance of a shot at making a late push for the playoffs. Well, April is almost here, the Timberwolves are still within striking distance of .500, and if they could somehow string together a four-game winning streak (they haven’t had one all season, although they have had four three-game
CHICAGO — It’s impossible to watch a Bulls-Heat game without daydreaming about an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. Ever since the two teams played that five-game series a year ago, it has to be the first thought that comes to mind whenever they’re on the same court. The media treats it that way, the United Center on Wednesday night had a postseason buzz, and if you were to give a dose of truth serum to players from both teams, you’d surely get