It’s been tough for Nets fans the last few years. In addition to playing in New Jersey, the team just wasn’t anything to get excited about. But this offseason, things have changed, and now it’s at the point where I’m seeing Nets gear as far away from Brooklyn as Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s funny how that happens. More on that below, with all the latest NBA news: Perhaps the biggest storyline in the East this season is the Nets’ complete overhaul of
The two best words in sports are Game Seven. When it comes to the NBA Finals, Game 5 isn’t too bad, either. Either one team has a 3-1 lead, which means the trailing team will scratch, claw, bite, fight and cheat to stay win. Or the teams are tied 2-2, which means both teams will scratch, claw, bite, fight and cheat to win. Our collection of the best Game Five showdowns of the David Stern Era includes three in which the series was
Tuesday was not a good day for the Dallas Mavericks, or their master plan. The defending champions opened the second half of the season with a 93-92 home loss to the New Jersey Nets. Dallas played without forward Lamar Odom, still away from the team as he tends to a personal issue. Despite their championship pedigree, the Mavs played with little urgency, trailing for most of the night and turning on the switch only when the game needed to be reeled in.
With fantasy leagues on hold during the all-star break, here’s a quick trip through the rumor mill. There’s interest from multiple teams in Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa. The Lakers may have already signed Rasheed Wallace, covet Michael Beasley and have been linked to Raymond Felton. Non-stop speculation about Dwight Howard will continue. A few fantasy VIP — very important players — are expected to return soon: Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Elton Brand and Manu Ginobili. Other useful
ORLANDO — We’ll begin this morning by offering our congratulations to Sam Smith for receiving the Curt Gowdy Media Award, which means he gets to join our own Mark Heisler and former AP colleague Jim O’Connell in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Smith, like Heisler a victim of the Tribune company’s talent purge, now writes unfiltered for Bulls.com. You should read his column every Monday. He gets to write without being edited, which can be a blessing and
Lineups for the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Game Team Shaq Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats Landry Fields, New York Knicks Norris Cole, Miami Heat Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons Team Chuck Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves Paul George, Indiana Pacers MarShon Brooks, New Jersey Nets John Wall, Washington Wizards Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs (Missing game due to injury) Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz There’s at least one team apparently still with a need for Rasheed Wallace. CSNNE.com
Tonight’s TNT doubleaheader includes the league’s two best teams and a strong contingent of All-Star Weekend participants. In the first game (7 p.m. ET), the Miami Heat (26-7, .788) hosts the New York Knicks (17-17, .500), while the Los Angeles Lakers (20-13, .606) travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder (26-7, .788). Miami and Oklahoma City are tied for the league’s top record. This marks the second of three meetings between New York and Miami. Despite hitting a season high
// Thursday was a painful day in the NBA. Painful for the fans, who had slim pickings from the five-game slate of snoozers and blowouts. Painful for a handful of teams who lost key players to injury. And painful for the purists, who watched Dwight Howard historically distort the sport. Repeatedly sent to the line through intentional fouling, Howard broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 50-year-old record for free throws in a game, attempting 39 and sinking 21 as the Orlando Magic edged the Golden