J.R. Smith made noise Sunday night, but it sure wasn’t for his performance in the Knicks uninspiring 102-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Like many of the Knicks, Smith was frustrated by the Pacers suffocating defense, which allowed the second-fewest points per game and the lowest field goal percentage in the league during the regular season. [Read more…]
SAN ANTONIO – After each Spurs practice, the media assembles in a corner of the facility and prepares for an encounter with famously gruff San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. Other teams call it an interview session. With Pop, it’s more like a duel at 10 paces. Pop is the only one armed. Verbally. Within the word “intimidate” is the word “timid,” and that combination exists at each get-together. Pop has a naturally irritated look that has been refined by years of repetition.
Hinrich’s absence a big factor for Bulls Chicago may have been without top scorer Luol Deng in Thursday’s 95-92 Game 6 home loss to Brooklyn, but its loss of Kirk Hinrich for a second straight game may have hurt the team more. Deron Williams has played better over the last pair of Net wins with Hinrich out of commission, which is a major reason why the series has swung in Brooklyn’s favor. Hinrich last appeared on the floor in last Saturday’s Game
Wednesday night saw the Houston Rockets go into Oklahoma City as underdogs against the Thunder and walk away with their second straight win and a lion’s share of the series’ momentum. Given the way in which the game played out, the prevailing observation—by many accounts—was that OKC seemed to have thrown in the towel in the waning minutes of the game when they opted to utilize the “Hack-an-Asik” defensive strategy with hopes of getting back into the game. The strategy backfired. Houston
Can a team win with its star player only scoring one point per shot? It’s not going so well over the past few games for Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. Which players drive the Pacers in its incredibly volatile series against Atlanta? Can Oklahoma City win with Reggie Jackson as its second option on offense. We’re going behind the numbers from Wednesday night’s trio of Game Fives in today’s StatBox playoff breakdown. Knicks won’t win with VoluMelo The Knicks let a veteran
The New York Knicks spent the offseason – and the regular season – adding playoff-hardened veterans to challenge the Miami Heat for the NBA title. But it is some of those same veterans who are showing inexcusable immaturity in their first-round series vs. the proud Boston Celtics. Whether it be unnecessary elbows or dressing for a funeral or failing to defend their home court, the Knicks have let the Celtics back into the series. What once looked to be a sweep now
What was for most of the season all but an inevitability is now a reality. Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard is the Kia Rookie of the Year. [Read more…]
It’s been fairly evident that Stephen Curry has been the most important player in the Denver-Golden State series, which has now a nasty turn. Warriors Coach Mark Jackson said that the Nuggets were dirty on Wednesday night, but how did that impact Curry’s play in Game 5? And also in the Western Conference, Blake Griffin’s injury allowed Zach Randolph to shine in a crucial Game 5 win for Memphis. Can Los Angeles overcome Griffin’s limitations and once again vanquish the