So we finally come to the conclusion of the regular season. In terms of who’s making the playoffs, anyway. With only one spot – the eighth seed of the Western Conference – still left for grabs, the Utah Jazz sealed the deal on Tuesday night by defeating the Phoenix Suns for their fourth consecutive victory, on national television, and clinched the final available seed. They are not done either, as they still have a chance to move up to the seventh seed, albeit
NEWS The 1977-78 NBA scoring race was so close — San Antonio’s George Gervin (27.21 ppg) edged Denver’s David Thompson (27.15 ppg) — that if you turn to the Official NBA Guide for the points leaders for that season, you’ll discover Gervin’s and Thompson’s averages extend two decimal points rather the traditional one, necessitated by the fact that the league’s closest scoring race ever was determined by a miniscule .06 ppg. That contest has entered the realm of the legendary based
Bouncing back from one lackluster game, Carmelo Anthony had 39 points and 10 rebounds, yet Amare Stoudemire still managed 22 & 12, and all the other Knicks starters scored in double figures. A lively Baron Davis (13 PTS, 10 AST) helped them pass this chemistry test. Tyson Chandler (rest) took the day off, so Landry Fields (18) started at SF as both teams went small. Josh Smith (14 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK) lined up at C for Atlanta, with
NEWS Dwyane Wade is not playing when Miami hosts Houston on Sunday, one day after the All-Star dislocated his left index finger. Knicks center Tyson Chandler will sit out New York’s game against the Hawks to rest up for the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves are shutting Kevin Love down for the final two games of the regular season to play it safe while he recovers from a concussion. Australian center Andrew Bogut will have arthroscopic ankle surgery next week and miss the London Olympics. NOTES Guard Lou
That was no playoff preview. Paul Pierce, expected to have a huge game as the de facto point guard, got the night off instead, as did Kevin Garnett. With Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo hurt, that was 80% of the Celtics’ familiar starting five on the sidelines. Red-hot Avery Bradley scored 28 to keep the makeshift lineup in the game, but the Hawks won, as Joe Johnson, who had been quiet for a while, exploded for 30 points. MEM @ CHA: I guessed
After trouncing the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant’s return, the San Antonio Spurs are in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the West. They have four games left, and they only need to win three to be the West’s No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season. If they win all four, they could finish with the best record in the entire NBA. As for the Lakers, they may need to win out in their final two games against
Usually, the winners make the headlines. In today’s roundup, however, the losers were the story of Saturday night as a handful of teams fighting to make the playoffs came up short. With three different teams — Milwaukee, Utah and Phoenix — still within reach of the eighth and final playoff seed in their respective Conferences, how many of them came out with a victory? None. Starting with the most inexplicable blowout of the night – the only game on national television – the Spurs
