The conference finals should be set. If not for Indiana’s horrid Thursday night performance against the Knicks, San Antonio’s Game 6 victory over Golden State would have ended the NBA’s second round. How did the Spurs end up taking the final game of what looked like an incredibly tight and engaging series? Knicks are lucky to still be alive Let’s not sugarcoat this: The Knicks are lucky to be in the playoffs right now, and are only still alive because the Pacers
In New York City, rumors often swirl and everything is scrutinized. Such is the case with Knicks guard JR Smith’s recent streak of porous play. Everyone is looking for the juicy story that explains his shooting woes. It seems that a story has surfaced that has staying power. Many media pundits and analysts are buying into the idea that Smith, as apparently stated by pop singer Rihanna (in language that is unsuitable for children), parties too hard. [Read more…]
Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm. And for Paul Pierce, leader of the “old man’s pick-up game,” that adage will define his career as one of the greatest Boston Celtics in its storied history. This is not to begin mourning the death of his Celtics life, but to understand what it all meant if reports today from Greg Dickerson are true. [Read more…]
With Tuesday night’s Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers on the horizon, the New York Knicks’ roster was shrouded in doubt earlier in the morning. J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin have both been battling illness for the past few days, but are expected to play. The biggest question, however, involved second year guard Iman Shumpert. Shumpert, as you may recall, suffered from a few hard falls in Game 3 which have resulted in swelling in his left knee—the same knee that required
It’s no fun to talk about the struggled of the hurting, reeling, futile Chicago Bulls. They shot roughly 25 percent and scored 65 points without three leading players (if you include Derrick Rose). It almost seems like the Heat feel bad for the Bulls. A more interesting story is of a long-overlooked franchise seizing its window of opportunity to advance further than it ever has before: the hard-nosed Memphis Grizzlies. With Russell Westbrook out for Oklahoma City, Memphis knows it can move on
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
The Golden State Warriors have had three different leading scorers in its four games this round against San Antonio, which bodes well for the team not only in this series but in the future as well. With Stephen Curry hobbled by an injured ankle that nearly kept him out of the game altogether, it was the team’s balance that gave Golden State a pivotal Game 4 victory. It was Jarrett Jack’s turn to lead the charge, with 24 points on 9-of-16
As the second round of the NBA playoffs surges into the weekend — with every series tied 1-1 for the first time in league history — all eyes are on the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson’s Game 2 brilliance — 34 points on 8-for-9 shooting from 3-point range — evened up Golden State’s series with San Antonio heading into Friday night’s Game 3 at “the Roaracle,” but it has been Stephen Curry and Mark Jackson who have turned this organization into