Notice a trend in the first round of the playoffs? Teams are missing and losing their star players. It is somewhat of an issue in the Western Conference, where the Los Angeles Lakers will be without suspended forward Metta World Peace for another four games and the Los Angeles Clippers will be without injured forward Caron Butler until perhaps the NBA Finals – if they get that far. Over in the East, there is a veritable All-Star team of sidelined players. Dwight Howard.
The challenge for the Heat now is maintain their focus long enough to sweep the Knicks.
Some folks gave the New York Knicks a puncher’s chance in their first-round series against the Miami Heat. Not anymore. In a remarkably stupid act, Amar’e Stoudemire expressed his frustration after Monday’s 104-94 loss in Miami by punching the glass of a fire extinguisher encasement. He cut his left hand so badly that he required stitches and left American Airlines Arena with his arm in a sling. TNT’s David Aldridge reported that teammate Tyson Chandler said Stoudemire would be “out,” although he was
NEW YORK — Prior to Game 2 of their playoff series against the Miami Heat, Amar’e Stoudemire said that things would end differently than they did in Game 1. In some ways, he was right. On Monday night, the Knicks actually competed with the Heat and kept Game 2 close, but in the end, they would lose, 104-94. The Knicks now trail the Heat 0-2 in their best-of-seven series and are faced with a must-win Game 3 on Thursday night. To make
Game One of the NBA Playoffs is in the books for all 16 teams. And we saw just about everything from flopping to bad officiating to devastating injuries to, blowouts, comebacks and game-winners. As anyone can tell you, though, and some may need reminding, it was only one game. A script can easily flip in the postseason. So we move on in the playoffs, with six Game 2s Monday night. New York (0-1) at Miami (1-0): Things could not have gone any worse for the
The unfortunate injury to Derrick Rose is awful for him, the Bulls, their fans and the league. It also hurts some fantasy owners in postseason tournaments, like the guy who drafted him third overall at Fantasy Postseason. I’m leading the Sheridan Fantasy league there after one day, thanks in part to 9 PTS on 6-7 shooting by Richard Hamilton. We’re counting total points through the entire playoffs but FP also offers H2H leagues. Suddenly, C.J. Watson is worth a lot more and
So the playoffs began on Saturday afternoon, and they could not have gotten off to a worse start. A much anticipated day of postseason action turned absolutely tragic when two key players for the Bulls and the Knicks – Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert – each suffered devastating knee injuries – a torn ACL. Chicago was well on its way to the first postseason win of the season. Then, with less than two minutes remaining in the game, the reigning MVP jumped up
MIAMI – This was the playoff butt-kicking Miami fans wanted for a long time. Heat 100, Knicks 67. It doesn’t erase the three years of heart-che the Knicks inflicted on the Heat during that glorious four-year playoff stretch from 1997-2000, when the Knicks took the last three series after the Heat took that initial suspension-marred series in 1997. But Saturday’s Game 1 victory in this best-of-seven first-round playoff matchup at AmericanAirlines Arena helps ease Miami’s decade-long pain a little. And here’s something else that