Younger NBA fans have been spoiled by Game 7s. Tonight’s showdown in Miami between the Heat and Spurs is the third Game 7 in the NBA Finals in the last nine years. Prior to that, there had been just one in the previous 16 years. Game 7’s are like tax returns, pizza and sex; they’re never really bad. But they can be really good, and as Game 7’s go, we haven’t had a really good one in a long time. [Read more…]
Bruised and bloodied, the Chicago Bulls have no chance of overcoming a 3-1 deficit against LeBron James and the Miami Heat, right? Right? Well, don’t be so sure. Some pretty good players have been on the wrong end of 3-1 comebacks in the playoffs. Guys like Kobe Bryant. Patrick Ewing. Julius Erving. Charles Barkley. George Gervin. Jerry West. And Wilt Chamberlain. And Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and New York’s Carmelo Anthony don’t have enough help to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win their
One of the most intriguing elements of the NBA playoffs is what the spotlight reveals about certain players – especially those who weren’t expected to be in the spotlight at all. We expect established superstars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant to welcome the pressure of the postseason and elevate their play. That is part of the reason they are among the game’s best players. It is also not that surprising to see very good players such as Stephen Curry and
The Dipper is now No. 5. Next up is Michael Jordan at No. 3 on the all-time NBA scoring list. And Kobe Bryant moved into the No. 4 spot on the career points list while playing all but 23 seconds of a 103-98 victory at Sacramento that allowed the Lakers to keep pace with the Utah Jazz and maintain a half-game lead over the surging Dallas Mavericks in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western
The Miami Heat’s pursuit of the Los Angeles Lakers’ record of 33 consecutive victories caused many of us to reflect on records that seem insurmountable. I saw lists that included Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak, Cal Ripken’s consecutive games streak, Oklahoma’s college football winning streak, the college basketball winning streaks by UCLA’s men and Connecticut’s women, and many more. All I could think about was Wilt Chamberlain, who made the phrase “record that will never be broken” a cliche. [Read more…]
More proof that the dominant NBA big man is as endangered as liberal Republicans: For the first time in league history, no player is going to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. [Read more…]
Even though the Bulls unexpectedly upended Miami on Wednesday, the Heat still possess the second-longest winning streak in NBA history. The 33 consecutive games won by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers still stands atop the record book. Even so, and given the difference in the game from then to now, comparing these two remarkable teams is an irresistible exercise in fantasy. So here goes. [Read more…]
I will be rooting for the Boston Celtics against the Miami Heat tonight. Having been a Philadelphia 76ers fan for nearly four decades, that’s a pretty big deal. Usually there are only three circumstances that can get me to throw my allegiance behind a team I have despised for as long as I’ve watched the NBA. 1. By winning, the Celtics would beat a team whose loss would help the 76ers. 2. By winning, the Celtics would get a tougher playoff opponent. 3. By winning, the