If there was one lesson Danny Granger learned earlier this season about saying something to fire up the other team (he did it after losing two straight games to the Knicks), it was this: Don’t. Yet, that’s exactly what Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo did in his recent interview after his one-game suspension. “The end result is all that matters,” Rondo said. “If there had been a different result, it would have been very difficult. But since we won, it felt like we
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.
NEWS Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose has torn ACL and MCL in left knee, will miss remainder of playoffs – @NBCMiami Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen is still not sure if he’ll be able to play in the playoff opener against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. The New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul today were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in April. All-Star point guard Deron Williams wants to have a new
This is probably going to be our last look at Boston’s Big Three — unless, of course, they win the championship and Wyc Grousbeck is forced to pony up a fortune in luxury taxes to keep the team together for one more year. Oh, and he needs to find a center, too. The Hawks get no respect, but that is to be expected when they come up with their annual spring flameout. Judging from the predictions below, a majority still
So we finally come to the conclusion of the regular season. In terms of who’s making the playoffs, anyway. With only one spot – the eighth seed of the Western Conference – still left for grabs, the Utah Jazz sealed the deal on Tuesday night by defeating the Phoenix Suns for their fourth consecutive victory, on national television, and clinched the final available seed. They are not done either, as they still have a chance to move up to the seventh seed, albeit
NEWS The Celtics are playing without Rajon Rondo after he hurt his back in Boston’s game against New York the previous night Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler needs surgery to repair a labral tear in his left hip and is done for the season. Baron Davis missed the Knicks’ game at New Jersey on Wednesday night because of a stomach virus and was replaced in the starting lineup by Mike Bibby. Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says the team’s leading scorers Derrick Rose and
NEWS Minnesota All-Star forward Kevin Love is out for the fourth straight game because of concussion symptoms Ray Allen’s injured right ankle kept him out of the Boston Celtics’ lineup Tuesday against the New York Knicks. Hornets center Chris Kaman will miss New Orleans’ final five games because of a bruised left tibia. Utah Jazz swingman Gordon Hayward said he initially felt like ripping Delonte West’s finger off and fighting him after he jabbed it into Hayward’s right ear during the second quarter of
Could the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat in a playoff series? Well, they couldn’t a year ago, when they managed more than 91 points just once in five games and looked a tad long in the tooth. If Boston was to beat Miami, it appeared it would have to find a way to stall LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in transition and make every game a walk-it-up, grind-it-out affair, where the Celtics excel and the Heat are not exactly comfortable. The Celts