Well, we have one series tied at 2-2, and if the basketball gods smile on us we are on our way to four Game 7s. We can’t all be that lucky, can we? But we can hope. (Note to self: Powerball reminder). But if we are going to get to four Game 7s, we are going to need to see some improvement from at least one player on each trailing team (plus the Warriors, who are tied 2-2 but are at
NEW YORK — Call it irony, but with Floyd Mayweather watching from Madison Square Garden’s expensive seats, in the third quarter, the New York Knicks began to resemble a spent prizefighter. And although Carmelo Anthony turned in an inspiring performance, it was the combination of Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd that made the Pacers throw in the towel. Prigioni will turn 36 years old later this month and Kidd, at 40 years old, is older than Pacers head coach Frank Vogel, who
Here’s the bottom line on Carmelo Anthony’s recent play. Using the measuring stick of points per shot, it is his worst four-game stretch of the postseason since the first four playoff games of his career. Furthermore, when compared alongside other worst four-game stretches of contemporary solo superstars, it is near the bottom. Following Sunday’s loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference semifinals opener, the Knicks are 1-3 in their last four games, including 0-2 at home. Their only win saw them nearly
If lessons have been learned, we should not expect the Knicks to dress in all-black, we should not expect Mike Woodson to be kept in the dark about his players’ pre-game plans, and we should not know what to expect — good or bad on any given night, no telling which will come when — from J.R. Smith. We also should not expect a suspension for Smith for throwing a flagrant elbow. But then again, when you are playing against a team
Peeling oneself off the sofa was no easy task after a day and night spent sinking deeper and deeper into the upholstery. But the more you watched, the more you learned Saturday on Day One of the NBA Playoffs. Four lessons taken away: You do not want to have Draymond Green as your primary on-the-ball defender on the biggest play of the game – especially against a guy who has been in the league since Green was in diapers. You are in trouble
NEW YORK — All season long, there were questions about Jason Kidd. Was he playing too many minutes? Would he be worn out by the time the playoffs rolled around? In Game 1 of Boston-New York on Saturday, with defense dictating the fourth quarter, Kidd answered the bell tangibly, something he has specialized in throughout the latter portion of his illustrious 19-year NBA career. [Read more…]
36-year-old rookie? Seasoned novice? Veteran newcomer? Pablo Prigioni is the personification of the word “oxymoron.” [Read more…]
In yesterday’s blog, there was a news item about Mike D’Antoni’s frustration with the Lakers boiling over. Today, Chris Bernucca suggests that maybe the problem with the Lakers isn’t so much the Lakers as it is Mike D’Antoni. Speaking of the Lakers, where does Kobe Bryant rank on Chris Sheridan’s new MVP rankings? One answer: not first. Now for your latest NBA news: Is Jason Kidd going to retire soon? Zach Braziller of the New York Post speculates that he might: “Knicks fans