Centers Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics and Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers were named NBA Players of the Week on Monday. Garnett won for the Eastern Conference, leading the Celtics to a 4-1 record. He played in four games and averaged 20.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals – not bad for a guy forced to play out of position. Garnett had 22 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in an 88-86 home win over Atlanta. During
Could the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in a playoff series? Well, they couldn’t a year ago, when they managed more than 91 points just once in five games and looked a tad long in the tooth. If Boston was to beat Miami, it appeared it would have to find a way to stall LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in transition and make every game a walk-it-up, grind-it-out affair, where the Celtics excel and the Heat are not exactly comfortable. The Celts
Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings maintained the point guard stranglehold on the NBA Rookie of the Month award. Irving won for the Eastern Conference for the fourth straight month and Thomas earned his second straight Western Conference honor, the league announced Monday. There have been eight monthly rookie awards this season, and point guards have won them all. Irving has swept the East honors and Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves won the first
When both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks got off to sputtering starts to their seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers gladly assumed the void at the top of the Atlantic Division, which simultaneously is the worst and most valuable division in the NBA. Despite opening with a five-game road trip, the 76ers grabbed first place before arriving home and held onto it like it was a winning lottery ticket. Since Dec. 28, Philadelphia has not been out of the top spot
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
You have to wonder what criteria the NBA is using to determine its Players of the Week. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, who averaged 33.5 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 52.2 percent from 3-point range, somehow did not win Western Conference Player of the Week honors announced Monday. That honor went to Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, whose numbers were 29.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting under 50 percent (42-of-86)
The Boston Celtics can probably see the end of their monstrous eight-game road trip. But this is not the time to look ahead. The Celtics have two games remaining on their 13-day trek, which began with a marquee matchup in Los Angeles against the Lakers on March 11. But Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks – and, for that matter, Friday’s trip finale in Philadelphia – are probably the most important games on the trip. The Celtics are 3-3 on the trip
Forget Linsanity. That’s soooo two weeks ago. The hot new trend is Ersanity. Ersan Ilyasova, the improving young big man of the Milwaukee Bucks, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday. Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis received Western Conference honors. The Bucks went 3-1 as they were powered by Ilyasova, who averaged 25.0 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 63 percent from the field and 90 percent from the line. He had 18 rebounds in a