Life as a sports commissioner is often confusing. Sometimes you act tough and then critics accuse you of being a wimp. Sometimes you tell a little joke and it becomes a conspiracy theory. And then you think you are acting decisively only to be accused of negatively manipulating results and a team’s ability to compete for a title. It’s a complicated job ,and David Stern found that out again Saturday when Metta World Peace returned from a seven-game suspension for the
Two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the upstarts who gave the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers a serious run for their money in a first-round series that lasted six tough games. The Lakers emerged primarily on the strength of their veteran core and extensive postseason experience, while the Thunder went through growing pains that all young teams have. This time, the Thunder – two years wiser and perhaps still not at their ceiling – are the favorites, while
When Kobe Bryant high-fived Justin Timberlake after nailing a coffin-closing dagger of a 3-pointer in the final minute Saturday night, it was all but official. The Oklahoma City Thunder finally got their answer as to who they will face in the Western Conference semifinals: The Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams will face off on Monday night in the playoffs for the first time since the Thunder were knocked out of the first round in six games back in the 2009-2010 season,
Remember the Oklahoma City Thunder? They have been out of the news for a while since sweeping the Dallas Mavericks back on May 5. The waiting game will end soon enough as they will learn who their next opponent will be, with the Lakers and the Nuggets playing an elimination game on Saturday. There will be no waiting for the Sixers and the Celtics, who face off in the second round just two days after celebrating their first round victory. Philadelphia (0-0) at Boston
Mike Brown will be coaching his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers tonight if they lose Game 7 to the Denver Nuggets. Says who? Magic Johnson, that’s who. “His job will go,” Johnson said on ESPN, where he is a studio analyst. “The Lakers are about championships. That’s what the Lakers are about. If they lose this game, Mike Brown, I bet you, will not be sitting there.” Johnson sold his 4.5% stake in the Lakers in 2010, but he remains on the
csprtContainer(); Will the return of Metta World Peace give the Lakers an edge in Game 7 vs. the Nuggets? CineSport’s Noah Coslov and SheridanHoops.com’s Chris Sheridan discuss this & the Eastern Conference Semis.
WHAT HAPPENED: It was 13-0 after the Nuggets opened the game with a trio of 3-pointers, including one from Danilo Gallinari, who had been 1-for-14 in the series from downtown. Kobe Bryant, after missing shootaround earlier in the day with gastrointestinal distress, kept the Lakers within striking distance until the third quarter, when the Nuggets rang up 36 points en route to their highest-scoring game of the series. You could say they were due for an offensive explosion after leading
Did you guys hear? Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is sick and may be questionable for tonight’s contest in Denver! Okay, so no one actually believes Bryant will miss the game in any capacity, including his coach. “If I were a betting guy, which I’m not, I would probably bet that he would play,” Mike Brown said. It’s still big news though, and worth keeping an eye on because he really is “sick as a dog.” Bryant’s Lakers, along with two other teams hoping to eliminate