While four teams are still left to battle for a championship, the rest of the league looks to shore up for next season with coaches, executives and free agents. Here’s what’s going on around the league today. A couple of things stood out in the Thunder’s victory over the Spurs in Game 3: a change in defensive scheme with Thabo Sefolosha handling Tony Parker, and a bigger emphasis on sharing the ball. An excerpt from J.A. Adande of ESPN: They found an
SAN ANTONIO – Even after victories, Gregg Popovich has a low tolerance for questions he considers pointless or silly. The query could be an innocent one, but something simplistic like “Can you talk about your 20-game winning streak” might result in Popovich answering, “No.” So when he was asked Tuesday night how many times had his offenses – which include those of four championship teams – been better than the current one, the possibility of a curt answer such as “How should
In today’s NBA, you won’t wake up one day and find yourself winning championships. The 2008 Boston Celtics were an anomaly, and their three main cogs each endured years of heartache and growing pains before they became champions. That’s why the rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been interesting to witness. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are in just the fifth and fourth years of their respective careers, yet for the second consecutive season they find themselves poised to battle for the
In the biggest game of the season for the Boston Celtics, the Big Four took a back seat to the Other One. All of the attention in Boston rightfully goes to Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. They are the only four players remaining from the team’s last championship in 2008 and comprise perhaps the best quartet in the NBA. They are the reason the Celtics are still in the title hunt when most felt their window of
The Eastern Conference semifinals are interesting. The Western Conference semfinals are not — unless the Lakers make them so tonight. One night after the Clippers were swept out of the second round by the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers are one game away from losing their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers will look to extend their season in Game 5 while the Boston Celtics hope to regain control against the Philadelphia 76ers in the two games slated for Monday
If you are a fan of either of the Los Angeles teams, you might have had some trouble sleeping through Saturday night. If you predicted that the Clippers (me) or the Lakers (Sheridan) would move past the second round, you probably wish to have those predictions back, as both teams are now on the verge of being eliminated from of the Western Conference semifinals. Before discussing how each team blew their respective chances, it’s time to acknowledge and pay respects to one cold-blooded lanky
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers have something in common in the conference semifinals this season: Both lost the previous game in devastating manner. Of course, how and why they lost, and how that makes it sting so much, is a whole different story. The 76ers got blown out of their own house quite convincingly. The Lakers, as Andrew Bynum would say, played Santa Claus, gift-wrapped a victory and handed it over to Oklahoma City. Both teams look to recover
We didn’t think last week’s edition of The Bernucca List was a stumper, but apparently it was, because no one came up with the right answer. Before we give the answer and move onto this week’s list, we will give everyone another chance. So click here and don’t read any further. Give up? The list is “active coaches who have lost a Game 7 at home.” Boston’s Doc Rivers actually has lost twice in a Game 7 at home – in 2005 to