Instead of the knicks losing their last two games and playing the chicago bulls they went on to face the miami heat who will annihilate them

^^ Actually, I don't think it would have mattered eitherway because this Knicks roster/team can't really compete with either The Heat or even the Rose-less Bulls anyway without Shumpert and J.Lin playing for the Knicks. NY is really in bad need of a competent and reliable point guard and hope they can somehow get Steve Nash (if not even the Rocket's Dragic who'll be a free agent too) this summer because J.Lin is still pretty raw and erratic in his play imho to be the main and/or only point guard for the Knicks if they really have real serious plans competing for the NBA championship next season. Just that pag ma-injure si J.Lin ulit, tepok nanaman sila like we're seeing now with NY's incompetent PG trio of Baron, Bibby and Douglas who really suck and will just not cut it for a playoff run. That's why without an effective pointguard, it's not hard to see the Knicks bowing out in the first round again just like last season. Too bad the Knicks were not able to get this guy (Deron Williams) who would have been the perfect PG for this Knickerbocker team...

Deron Williams wants new deal before Olympics
The Associated Press – Fri, Apr 27, 2012 9:14 PM EDT.. .

Speaking a day after the New Jersey Nets' season ended, All-Star point guard Deron Williams refused to commit whether he will be a Net when the team moves into its new arena in Brooklyn but wants to have a new contract before the Olympics start in late July.

''The season just ended,'' Williams said. ''We have time, playoffs. A lot of stuff is going to happen. Just take my time. But I don't want to take too much time. I want to try to have something done by the Olympics.''

Williams has said all season that he would opt out of his contract and test the free-agent market, and that remains his plan after the Nets (22-44) missed the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season.

Williams, who toured the under-construction Barclays Arena this week, said he can see himself playing in the building, but his desire is to be a member of a championship team.

''I'm still looking at all the possibilities here,'' Williams said. ''I went to the arena a couple days ago and saw how it was and it's going to be an exciting arena, a great place to play, and I've always been confident in this organization. Even though I was opting out, I never said I wasn't re-signing with the Nets and that still remains the same.''

The 27-year-old said his biggest desire is to win.

''That's first and foremost. I want to go where I feel we have the best chance to win,'' he said. ''I know we might not win a championship in the first year or two, but hopefully as the chances of building something special and have flexibility and somewhere where I believe they're headed in the right direction.''

The Thunder game was so exciting. Durant made that miracle shot over Marion with seconds left in the game! I think the Thunder will beat the Mavs and the Lakers will beat the Nuggets in the first round. And I'm really looking forward to the Thunder vs Lakers series in the second round of the playoffs. That will be another of those Must C TV.

Kevin Durant's last-second jumper lifts Thunder by Mavs in Game 1
ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant was determined to not let the Oklahoma City Thunder lose another playoff game at home to Dallas.

He scored 25 points and rattled in the game-winner with 1.5 seconds to play to give the Thunder a 99-98 victory over the reigning NBA champions Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoff series opener -- a rematch of last year's Western Conference finals.

The Thunder trailed by seven with 2 1/2 minutes left before rallying to take the first step toward avenging a 4-1 series loss a year ago.

"It's the playoffs," Durant said. "No matter how it gets done, you've got to do it."

With his team trailing by one late in the fourth quarter, he forced his way toward the lane and found himself with defenders closing in and the clock winding down.

Durant maneuvered to the free throw line and got off a high-arcing shot over Shawn Marion that hit off the front of the rim and then off the backboard before falling through the net.

“Man, it looked bad when it left my hand,” Durant said of the winning shot.

“I’d been struggling all night with my shot, missing open ones. But thank the Lord that one went in,” he said.

With no timeouts left, The defending NBA champion Mavericks were unable to get a shot off at the buzzer.

"If you have a timeout, you can move the ball (to half-court) and maybe have a look at it," said Dirk Nowitzki, who had hit two free throws with 9 seconds left to put Dallas ahead. "But if you don't have a timeout, that's definitely a buzzer-beater."

Instead of the knicks losing their last two games and playing the chicago bulls they went on to face the miami heat who will annihilate them

Maybe it wasn't a bad idea that NY should have tanked games to be the 8th seed :D

Totoo ba na sinabi ni Tyson Chandler na mas gusto daw nila makalaban MIA imbis na CHI?

LAC 99 - MEM 98. What a game! One of the best combacks(27 pts.) in nba playoff history. :cheers:

^^ Yup another very exciting game with the Clippers rallying 27 point down to beat the Grizzlies with a pair of Chris Paul free throws in the last 24 seconds of the game. Clippers never gave up and were rewarded for their efforts with a WIN! A one point WIN! Ganda ng laro! :okay: :okay:

Clippers rally from 27-point deficit to beat the Grizzlies by 1
FoxSports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/los-angeles-clippers-rally-past-memphis-grizzlies-nba-playoffs-game-1-victory-042912

Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from 27 down to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 Sunday night in the opening game of the Western Conference series.

Rudy Gay missed a 15-footer with 0.9 seconds left after the Grizzlies squandered a lead they held for the first 47 minutes.

The Clippers lost Caron Butler to a broken left hand. But Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the midst of the Clippers' 26-1 run. Paul finished with 14 points while playing a team-high 38 minutes despite a groin injury that kept him out of the regular season finale against the Knicks. Blake Griffin had 17 and Butler 12 before leaving the game.

Gay finished with 19 for Memphis. Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo had 17, and Marc Gasol scored 14.

The Clippers outscored the Grizzlies 35-13 in the fourth quarter, the most points in the fourth quarter by a Memphis opponent this season. Los Angeles also hit 13 of 17 from the floor, including 5 of 6 beyond the arc after hitting only one the first three quarters.

Memphis fans couldn't have been more ready for this chance to start the postseason at home with a sellout crowd on hand. With a good luck charm in a St. Jude patient singing the national anthem, fans had their free T-shirts on and waving the free towels before tipoff.

The Grizzlies were ready too. They opened the game hitting their first five shots and seven of the first 10 in jumping out 15-6, forcing Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro to take a timeout. Memphis seemed to be clicking all across the board as they ran out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 27 twice in the third, the last on a pair of free throws by Mayo with 1:34 left.

The Grizzlies looked ready to roll hitting 11 of 16 from 3-point range after ranking 25th in the NBA this season beyond the arc at 34.5 percent. Against the Clippers, they opened by hitting their four. So did Conley, and he hit three straight, the last with 7:19 left in the third, putting the Grizzlies up 69-48.

The Clippers finally got going in the fourth, as the Grizzlies looked like they shut it down way too soon. They had five turnovers in the fourth. Even though the Clippers had seven themselves, the Grizzlies looked lost as they just lost the ball going into the lane or put up shots that had no chance of going in.

Reggie Evans gave the Clippers their first lead at 97-96 when he scored inside with 58 seconds left.

Gay answered with 28 seconds to go with a 10-foot jumper on the right baseline over Paul, ending a drought where the Grizzlies went nearly 9 minutes without a field goal.

Tony Allen fouled Paul, sending him to the line for the clinching free throws.

This is the Clippers' first trip to the postseason since 2006. Paul has plenty of playoff experience with 23 games while in New Orleans, but this was the postseason debut for three starters — Griffin, Randy Foye and DeAndre Jordan — along with four of their teammates.

^^
Epic comeback by LAC. :cheers:

BLOCK PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 BLOCKS,10 POINTS, and 13 REBOUNDS

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/2012/images/04/30/bynum-042912.jpg

akala ko talo na, 2nd qurater palang tinurn off ko na ang tv kasi sama ng laro, tig 2 fouls na si chris paul at griffin

nice game ha

BLOCK PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 BLOCKS,10 POINTS, and 13 REBOUNDS

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/2012/images/04/30/bynum-042912.jpg

Hey Melo please show up this time & be that Superstar you were in the month of April. Don't do your disappearing act in the most important games of the season. :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

Knicks can't win title with Melo but the Heat can with LeBron
Anthony's value is perceived equal to James', but that's hardly the case
By Bradford Doolittle | Basketball Prospectus
ESPN Insider
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story?id=7872387&_slug_=nba-measuring-carmelo-anthony-true-value&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fstory%3fid%3d7872387%26_slug_%3dnba-measuring-carmelo-anthony-true-value

The Miami Heat's 33-point rout of the New York Knicks on Saturday can't be pinned on Carmelo Anthony. Sure, he was dominated in his positional matchup with LeBron James. It wasn't even close: James scored 32 points on 14 shots; Anthony had 11 points on 15. The plus-minus numbers were diabolically symmetrical: The Heat were plus-35 with James on the floor; New York was minus-35 with Anthony. There is always a lot more going into a blowout of that scope than one matchup but, still, the disparity certainly didn't help.

That was the first postseason head-to-head matchup between James and Anthony, but they've met 15 times during the regular season dating back to Anthony's rookie season in 2003-04. Anthony's teams have won nine of those games. James has averaged 25.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the head-to-head matchups; Anthony's average line is 23 points, 6 boards and 2.4 assists. The usage rates and true shooting percentages are virtually identical.

I haven't seen any Gallup Poll results on the topic, but my impression is that few people think that Anthony is better than James, as well they should. However, it doesn't seem like people appreciate just how much of a gap there is between these players. Perhaps it's those head-to-head matchups that skew perception, but it probably has more to do with the fact that Anthony and James are basically marketed in much the same way -- as if they are peers. They are in that they are both professional basketball players. But James operates on a whole different plane than Anthony.

Let's begin with a general description of the perceived differences between the players. Anthony is seen as a pure scorer with a great midrange game who excels at drawing contact. He can take over games down the stretch and makes his teammates better because of the amount of attention defenses must commit to keep him from going off. James is an explosive athlete whose strength, speed and explosion allow him to flourish in the open floor. He's also a gifted and willing passer, with a point guard's ability to set up teammates. James is a much better defensive player and it's his all-around ability that marks him as a better player.

(to continue sign up and be a member...)

HEAT will win the EAST with the Bulls w/o Rose and Celtics w/o Allen (and Rondo to be suspended too). Hope Melo & the Knicks can make it interesting atleast.

Heat look to keep edge over ailing Knicks
By TIM REYNOLDS | The Associated Press
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heat-look-keep-edge-over-220448782--nba.html.

MIAMI (AP) When Jeremy Lin went down with a knee injury, Iman Shumpert stepped up for the New York Knicks and now he too is out because of injury, a torn ACL.

Turnabout isn't happening anytime soon.

Although Lin practiced Sunday, one day after the Miami Heat rolled past the Knicks by 33 points in Game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series, New York coach Mike Woodson said Lin - the guard who became an overnight sensation this season by putting up dazzling numbers in February - is not ready to return. And Lin agrees.

So without Lin and now without Shumpert, who will be lost for up to eight months after tearing a ligament in his left knee on Saturday, the Knicks will have to do some scrambling to get ready for Game 2 in Miami on Monday night.

''It's a big blow,'' Woodson said. ''But again, that's the whole beauty about having a pretty solid basketball team. Someone else has to step up now. He won't be back this season. It's what it is and we've got to keep it moving.''

The teams practiced simultaneously on Sunday, and the mood on each court couldn't have been much different.

Downstairs on the main arena floor, the Knicks mocked Woodson for his lack of flexibility during post-workout stretching exercises, followed by Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Amare Stoudemire and Steve Novak laughing it up more during a midcourt shooting contest. Upstairs, the Heat were saying they saw plenty of areas where they can improve.

''That's part of the mental challenge that you face during the playoffs whether you win or lose, to stay the course and stay objective about it,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''At the end of the day, yes, we did some things well in that game. But it's only one game and that's it. We have to put it behind us now. Their game plan hasn't changed. All they're trying to do is get one on our court.''

And really, things can't get much worse for the Knicks.

Heat star LeBron James scored 32 points on Saturday. The Knicks starters, combined, scored 30. Anthony shot 3 for 15 from the field - out of 591 games in his career, including playoffs, with at least that many attempts he's shot worse only seven times, and four of those were in his rookie season.

''It's just something that I have to figure out,'' Anthony said.

The Heat said that even if they play as well defensively as they did in Game 1, Anthony will almost certainly be better on Monday.

''That's what great players do. They make adjustments and come in for Game 2 and be better,'' James said. ''We understand that. We know that as a team that it starts with him. He's the head of their snake. He wants to play well. He has to play better than he played yesterday. We know that. But we'll be in tune with our game plan.''

James said he felt some lingering soreness in his neck on Sunday after a collision with Knicks center Tyson Chandler in Game 1. Chandler picked up two fouls a minute apart late in the half, both for illegal picks set against James - the second of them ruled a flagrant foul after the Heat forward was knocked down and grabbed the back of his head and left side of his neck in pain.

James will play Monday. Chandler might not, as he was left at the team hotel Sunday to deal with flulike symptoms for a third straight day.

''I'm worried,'' said Knicks guard Baron Davis, who has injury concerns of his own. Davis has been dealing with a balky back all season, and Woodson indicated the veteran would be a game-time decision Monday. Davis said he'd be more of a breakfast-time decision, insisting that if he wakes up on Monday, he'll play that night.

Saturday's victory margin was the largest in a postseason opener since San Antonio defeated Sacramento 122-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs in 2006. And it was the biggest win in any Game 1, regardless of round, since Orlando beat Atlanta 114-71 in the East semifinals two years ago.

''In the playoffs, each game is its own,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. ''You feel good after the game, but the next day, in playoffs, you have to move on. You can never feel too good about anything. So we've got to come in with the same approach to the game, the same mindset.''

Lin acknowledged Sunday that it's tough to sit out - but added that there's really no other option, even now that the Knicks are down another guard.

It's been four weeks since Lin had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. At the time, the Knicks said he would likely need six weeks to recover.

''I think I'm going to evaluate it at the end of the week,'' Lin said. ''Hopefully I'll feel good by then.''


_________________



Dang no Amare too. What happened?

Amare Stoudemire cuts hand
ESPN
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7875526/2012-nba-playoffs-amare-stoudemire-new-york-knicks-injures-hand-loss

MIAMI -- Amare Stoudemire suffered lacerations on his left hand after the New York Knicks' loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night, a team spokesman confirmed.

He was treated by paramedics and doctors, according to the team. They had no further comment regarding the nature of the injury.

Paramedics rushed into the Knicks' locker room shortly after their 104-94 Game 2 loss.

Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson would not elaborate on the incident.

"How severe it is I don't know. I'm trying to learn more about it. That's it. Let's talk about the game," Woodson said.

Stoudemire scored 18 points and had seven rebounds on Monday night.

^^ Reports say Amare punched a fire extinguisher case in the locker room requiring stitches.

Amare crashed the wrong glass. Or tried to put the Heat out with a fire extinguisher :lol: Aba eh meh twitter account na yung fire extinguisher :lol:

Maganda pa naman laro ng mga superstar pag sa Garden.

Per info from ESPN:

Stoudemire is "almost certain" to miss Game 3 on Thursday in New York and there is a possibility that Stoudemire could miss the rest of the series.

:ohno: :ohno: :ohno: Better luck next season New York Knickerbockers. Looks like Heat will win the Eastern Conference and will be representing the East in the NBA Finals.

Amare punch injures hand after Knicks lose to Heat in Game 2
Fox Sport
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Amare-Stoudemire-punch-hurts-hand-New-York-Knicks-lose-to-LeBron-James-Miami-Heat-in-Game-2-043012

Drops of blood stained the carpet leading up to the back entrance of the New York Knicks' locker room. The glass portion of a nearby fire-extinguisher case was quickly replaced. And Amare Stoudemire needed doctors and paramedics to treat a postgame cut on his left hand.

The Knicks' Amare Stoudemire left the American Airlines Arena with his left arm in a sling after lacerating his hand by punching something — reportedly the glass housing a fire extinguisher — in the locker room after the Knicks' 12th straight playoff loss.

Heat took control of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series with a 104-94 win over the Knicks, going up 2-0 in the matchup.

Game 2 probably wasn't all the Knicks lost in Miami on Monday night.

It resumes Thursday in New York, and although the Knicks were saying nothing for certain, it seems most unlikely that Stoudemire would be able to play.

''I really don't know what's the situation with that,'' said Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, who said he was ''on the court'' when Stoudemire apparently punched the glass of the fire extinguisher case, as several reports stated.

Knicks center Tyson Chandler said he did not expect Stoudemire to play Game 3. An update from the Knicks said, ''Extent of injury is unknown at this time.''

Stoudemire went on Twitter to apologize ''to the fans and my team'' and posted a message saying he is ''so mad at myself'' and that he is ''not proud of my actions.''

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points, Chris Bosh added 21 and LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Heat, but their night was completely overshadowed by Stoudemire's postgame punch.

''You never want to hear anyone gets hurt,'' Wade said. ''Hopefully he gets better. We want all their guns on the court.''

Everything the Heat did seemed like old news quickly after the game, when all anyone really wanted to talk about was what was going on in the Knicks locker room. Miami-Dade paramedics, who staff every game, were summoned while reporters were kept outside much longer than the typical 10-minute cooling-off period.

''We're all frustrated,'' Chandler said.

Stoudemire declined to say anything when he walked out of the shower area in the locker room, one towel around his waist, another shielding his left hand, which he held elevated as he slipped into the privacy of the training room, which is off-limits to basically everyone but team personnel.

Almost forgotten: Miami had just sent New York to its NBA-record-tying 12th straight postseason loss.

''This is a series,'' Chandler said. ''We've got to go home win the next two and turn into a best-of-three after that.''

Anthony scored 30 points on 12-for-26 shooting for New York, which got 18 points from Stoudemire and 13 apiece from Chandler and J.R. Smith. The only other team to lose 12 straight playoff games is the Memphis Grizzlies, who dropped their first dozen postseason contests from 2004 through 2006.

New York's last postseason win came April 29, 2001.

The Knicks never got any closer, and the Heat wound up holding serve at home with a 2-0 lead.

''We did what we're supposed to do,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''It's not anything more than that. We're already trying to leave this game behind.''

By then, word was just seeping out of what happened in the Knicks locker room.

''Amare is a huge piece of this team,'' Chandler said. ''And, you know, without him, it's going to make it more difficult.''

OKC Thunder wins again for a 2-0 lead over defending champs Dallas Mavericks! WooHoo! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Thunder hold off Mavericks for 2-0 lead
Fox Sports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Kevin-Durant-Russell-Westbrook-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-beat-Dallas-Mavericks-043012

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 55 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder claw out a 102-99 victory over defending champion Dallas on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Westbrook scored 29 points while Durant added 26 points in an off-shooting performance.

Durant hit two free throws with 50.4 seconds left to give Oklahoma City a 98-97 lead, and James Harden hit four more foul shots to close it out for the Thunder.

Jason Terry missed two 3-point attempts from the left wing in the final 5 seconds that could have tied it.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 31 points and Shawn Marion scored 15. The Mavericks led in the closing minutes of both road games but couldn't even manage a split.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Dallas.

at least we don't have to see that overpriced POS come Thursday... i like his passion but it's all fake hustle when he can't defend during the game...:bash:

let Jorts play ffs or even Jordan... tells you why we need to replace Woody in the offseason.. he did a great job taking the place of D'Antoni but his decisions lately are becoming questionable... just look how EASY the shots of the Heat were while we (Melo especially) always have to work so hard just to get a shot... Melo-ball will not work in the playoffs--we've seen that time and time, run some plays for Novak, JR, and Tyson, not settle for iso BS...:ohno::bash:

You know Mike Woodson. He's known for his isolation plays. Tignan nyo nung nasa ATL pa siya, puro kay Joe Johnson ang bola.

Wonder if the Zen Guru (Phil Jackson) will be persuaded to come out of retirement to coach the Knicks? Pera lang malamang katapat niyan. Another obvious need for the Knicks is a competent and reliable PG like a Steve Nash who can create shots for others and make them better players in the process. Just that J.Lin is not really ready yet to be the main/lead PG and the current PG trio of Baron, Bibby & Douglas simply suck and will not cut it. Hope they can sign Nash who will be a free agent this summer. :okay::okay:

Wonder if the Zen Guru (Phil Jackson) will be persuaded to come out of retirement to coach the Knicks? Pera lang malamang katapat niyan. Another obvious need for the Knicks is a competent and reliable PG like a Steve Nash who can create shots for others and make them better players in the process. Just that J.Lin is not really ready yet to be the main/lead PG and the current PG trio of Baron, Bibby & Douglas simply suck and will not cut it. Hope they can sign Nash who will be a free agent this summer. :okay::okay:

i hope he'll help out MJ first from his predicament and coach the lowly Charlotte LOLCats, those guys are terrible.

I have to admit, MJ's as terrible as an exec as he's godly when he was still playing.

If you have Corey Maggette as your main man, then you're in trouble. :lol:

^^ Hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol: Yup! And besides, Phil would rather add another ring I would think as oppose to build a team from the ground up. Knicks will get him another NBA title/ring sooner and with a far less tweaking compared to a really bad Bobcats team. I think Phil will pass on the Bobcats despite his relationship with MJ. It's all about legacy - Phil's legacy. Sorry MJ better luck next time.

i hope he'll help out MJ first from his predicament and coach the lowly Charlotte LOLCats, those guys are terrible. I have to admit, MJ's as terrible as an exec as he's godly when he was still playing.

Games to watch tonite...
Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks (Game 2) - Celtics w/o Rondo and Allen might lose again with Atlanta playing so well.
Chicago Bulls vs Philiadelphia 76ers (Game 2) - Let's see if the 76ers can capitalize on the Rose injury and win this time.
LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets (Game 2) - Lakers are expected win again. Hopefully the Nuggets can make it exciting atleast.

Paul pierce is playing possessed right now..Looks like celtics will even the series heading to boston.

36pts 14 rebs for pierce as boston even the series


Bulls getting blown out....it will be hard for the bulls to beat the sixers in philly....

^^ Yup 76ers should take advantage of the Rose-less Bulls because the Bulls are not the same team w/o Rose. Very beatable imho. Will be quite pleasantly surprised if the Bulls actually beat the resurrected 76ers. And if Boston was able to beat Atlanta without Rondo and Allen, I think the Celtics will have enough to beat the Hawks. I'm thinking/predicting a Celtics vs 76ers match up in the 2nd round while Heat vs Pacers will go at it on the other. Tapos Celtics vs Heat in the Eastern Finals with the Heat winning the series and end up representing the East in the NBA Finals. The West is the more interesting conference to follow imho because there is no clear cut winner (not yet atleast) and with the teams more evenly matched. I'm hoping the Thunder wins the West though para Heat vs Thunder for the NBA title Championship. Exciting yan! :banana: :banana: :banana:



If Heat don't win it all now, it's been a big waste
Fox Sports
http://www.foxsportsohio.com/05/02/12/If-Heat-fail-to-win-title-now-its-been-a/landing.html?blockID=721596&feedID=3725

When LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami in the summer of 2010, the idea wasn’t to win a title or two.

At least, not if you listened to James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who told the world on their own stage that the goal was to win six or seven championships. And they sounded like they believed it would be that easy.

Now, this isn’t to trash James for his "Decision" show or desire to play alongside some of his best friends, who also just happen to be some of the game’s brightest stars.

We’re past all that.

Nor is the idea to be critical of the shortcomings of James or the Heat in last year’s Finals loss to Dallas. LeBron wilted in the fourth quarter of some of those games. Well, so what?

Despite playing with greats like Wade and (to a much lesser extent) Bosh, it’s LeBron who often puts his team in position to win. Is it really that big of a deal when he does it? OK, it is. But not as much as the national media and babbling mouths on sports debate shows would like you to believe.

And despite most Cleveland fans’ strong dislike of James, it’s never really been James himself who’s bugged me. Yes, I thought his hour-long special was somewhat arrogant and incredibly silly — but I don’t think it was entirely his fault.

If I root against the Heat, it’s only because I feel for my brothers and sisters in basketball who live in Northeast Ohio. I feel for the people who care about the game, and how James and pals treated a respectable professional sports league like the Amateur Athletic Union.

Was it wrong in the big scheme of things? Hardly. I’m sure we all have bigger worries. And James, Wade and Bosh certainly didn’t break any laws.

It just wasn’t cool. And that’s it.

But as for LeBron the person . . . I’m OK with him. He’s actually very likable in media situations, which are the only type of situations in which our paths have crossed.

So this isn’t about any of that. To be clear, I don’t have a problem with LeBron the person. Never have, most likely never will.

What irritates me to the point of wanting to kick in my TV set is the hype. It’s the constant barrage of highlight shows, praise, interviews and entire pages on respected websites, all devoted to nothing but the Heat. That’s not James’ fault. It’s not Wade’s nor Bosh’s. It’s ours.

That said, it’s true the Heat brought much of the attention on themselves. It’s true they deserve to be scrutinized at every opportunity.

They promised greatness. And they haven’t delivered. That is the point of this. Nothing more, nothing less.

No one is facing as much pressure in these playoffs as the Heat, maybe in any playoffs ever. In Year One of the Big Three, their failure to win a championship was celebrated — but understandable.

It was, after all, Year One.

But in order to win six or seven championships, or even two or three, the Heat need to do it now.

Chicago’s Derrick Rose is out for the playoffs with a knee injury. New York’s Amar’e Stoudemire is out with a hand injury. Atlanta and Indiana are nice teams, but neither looks ready to do anything special.

And Boston is too old, not deep enough, and playing on heart and guts at a level where those things are rarely enough.

Basically, the Heat’s road to the Finals is paved with red carpet.

Once there, things could be a little more difficult, with Oklahoma City, the Lakers and a few others being a bit tougher than anything the Heat will find in the East.

Either way, this has to be the year. The Heat must get it done. LeBron and Bosh have to prove they are championship-caliber players — and not just really good in the regular season. And Wade has to win a ring without Shaquille O’Neal.

Otherwise, the whole thing has failed. Otherwise, the Heat stand no chance of winning the promised six or seven titles. Otherwise, they might not even win one.

And otherwise, the fallout will likely be as grand as the introduction.

Coach Erik Spoelstra will be replaced.

One of the Big Three (see: Bosh) might get traded.

Or some other big name (maybe Steve Nash) will try to hop on board and be the missing piece — yet again.

People will stop believing the hype. So far, that’s all the Heat have been. Remember, we’re talking about a trio that has yet to finish with the best regular-season record in its own conference.

So this is it. The Heat have to win it all. Now. It’s what they said they'd do, it’s why they were built.

If not, we can feel free to do what Clevelanders and Cavaliers fans everywhere have done when thinking about LeBron. We can all just stop caring. We can all move on.

Because that's exactly what the Miami Heat will have earned: indifference.

If you have Corey Maggette as your main man, then you're in trouble. :lol:

Yeah because of his frequent injuries, you have to find a good player to replace him!

Kahit na healthy sya, he's not the type of guy that would actually lead a team.

^^ Yup 76ers should take advantage of the Rose-less Bulls because the Bulls are not the same team w/o Rose. Very beatable imho. Will be quite pleasantly surprised if the Bulls actually beat the resurrected 76ers. And if Boston was able to beat Atlanta without Rondo and Allen, I think the Celtics will have enough to beat the Hawks. I'm thinking/predicting a Celtics vs 76ers match up in the 2nd round while Heat vs Pacers will go at it on the other. Tapos Celtics vs Heat in the Eastern Finals with the Heat winning the series and end up representing the East in the NBA Finals. The West is the more interesting conference to follow imho because there is no clear cut winner (not yet atleast) and with the teams more evenly matched. I'm hoping the Thunder wins the West though para Heat vs Thunder for the NBA title Championship. Exciting yan! :banana: :banana: :banana:

The knicks should be in the sixers position but they screwed it all up...serves them right to be swept by the heat....the knicks team that went to the NBA finals in 1999 were mostly latrell sprewell and alan houston.....patrick ewing was injured....but they were a tough team...beat the heat in the first round...and the knicks were seeded 8th ...while maimi was 1st in the conference...knicks went all the way to the nba finals losing to san antonio spurs in 5 games.....this knicks team don't have heart..

38 points para kay KOBE at 27 points naman kay BYNUM

ANG PINAKABAGO AT PINAKAMAGANDANG LOGO NG NBA HISTORY

https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/photos-ak-snc1/v565063/flyers/91/56/13358020151407727308_1_178f82d1.jpg

:nuts: :nuts:

Kahit na healthy sya, he's not the type of guy that would actually lead a team.

Corey Maggette was a highschool star, an MVP in the Wendy's Classic, and once lead the old L.A. Clippers but in another losing season.

ANG PINAKABAGO AT PINAKAMAGANDANG LOGO NG NBA HISTORY

https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/photos-ak-snc1/v565063/flyers/91/56/13358020151407727308_1_178f82d1.jpg


it has that "kinda grows on you" type of feeling.

The knicks should be in the sixers position but they screwed it all up...serves them right to be swept by the heat....the knicks team that went to the NBA finals in 1999 were mostly latrell sprewell and alan houston.....patrick ewing was injured....but they were a tough team...beat the heat in the first round...and the knicks were seeded 8th ...while maimi was 1st in the conference...knicks went all the way to the nba finals losing to san antonio spurs in 5 games.....this knicks team don't have heart..

^^ No J.Lin, no Shump and now no Amare... Melo should be able to touch the ball as much as he wants and do his iso-basketball for all it's worth tonite but the real question is will Melo actually be able to carry this depleted Knicks team to a victory over a more talented Heat team with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh leading the way? I'm just hoping the Knicks will atleast make it interesting by showing heart and effort (not just showing up to a game they're bound to lose) in order to regain/restore atleast some pride back in this Knicks franchise. Knicks will bow out in the 1st round again much like last year. So much for that Melo trade. A bust. :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

Stat's latest stunt combined with his back problems, questionable knees, and that mind-boggling $20M/year uninsured contract makes him virtually untradeable. Amare and the Knicks are pretty much tied to the hip for the next 5 years and with the Amare-Melo experiment a certified bust, wonder if Melo, who has excellent trade value, will be eventually moved now for players/cap space to compliment the Knicks core of J.Lin, I.Shumpert, S.Novak, A.Stoudemire, and T.Chandler, the Defensive Player of the Year. Knicks have more than a few holes to fill if they have real serious plans of competing and a Melo trade will definitely help address that and get those holes plugged to make them better and more competitive team than they are now. Hopefully the Knicks will have the balls to pull the trigger.


Knicks set bar for dysfunction in NBA
Fox Sports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Amare-Stoudemire-Carmelo-Anthony-New-York-Knicks-set-bar-for-dysfunction-in-NBA-050212

In only a year, the New York Knicks have somehow wrested back from the Miami Heat all the dysfunction that made them, at the time, the NBA's most frustrating and mystifying collection of talent.

Team Dysfunction no longer plays on South Beach. They're officially based in the Big Apple.

The nadir representing this reversal stood before the media Wednesday, his left hand bandaged from a self-inflicted injury he administered in an unbelievably stupid tirade Monday, his words telling the tale.

"Out of all the times after games when you kick over an ice cooler, a chair … You get upset, everyone gets upset, so passionate for the game," Amar'e Stoudemire told reporters. "Everyone gets upset at times. Never in a million years would I think I would cut my hand the way I did. So, bad timing. But I'll be back."

Bad timing, huh?

Yes, as if we needed confirmation, Amar'e has made sure everyone now knows the Knicks have regained their place from Miami as the most dysfunctional team in the league. The proof is in the injury — in the stupidity of it, in the senselessness of it and in the fact Amar'e seems not to grasp that the blame lands directly on him, not on the capricious nature of chance.

It's also striking that the Heat, of all possible teams, will reap the benefit from this role reversal.

That couldn't have been any more clear Wednesday afternoon with the Knicks staring down a 2-0 playoff hole and now missing one of their two top-paid players. Throw in Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert, both of whom are also sidelined with injuries, and things aren't exactly looking good.

Stoudemire will not play in Game 3 on Thursday because of the injury, but he said there's a "great chance" he'll play Sunday in Game 4. We'll see.

"I think the fans are thinking I actually had a closed fist and I punched through a glass door," Stoudemire said. "I walked by and swung my arm backwards and hit the fire extinguisher door and sliced my hand a little bit by accident."

I think the fans simply care that Stoudemire has removed himself from the trenches just as the bombs are falling on his team, not whether he did so with an open palm, a clenched fist, a karate chop, an upper-cut or a high-five. It's the self-inflicted injury, dude, not the style with which it was inflicted.

"Not trying to make light of the situation, but it happens all the time," he said. "Some players kick over ice coolers, some players tip over a table, some players even hit a chair."

No, no, no, it does not happen all the time. It's the injury — the self-removal from a critical playoff game — that is the issue here, not whether players have outbursts. They certainly do. They just don't act so irresponsibly with those outbursts that they injure themselves as playoff elimination starts to press down. That should be particularly true for team leaders and veterans like Stoudemire.

A year ago, it was LeBron James who served as the NBA's poster child for possessing a stunning lack of self-awareness and sharing it with the world. Stoudemire has taken over that role, an appropriate move given the transference of dysfunction from South Beach to the Big Apple.

The Knicks start with tons of hype and its own version of a Big Three — Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire and eventual Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler — and still can't play .500 ball? Check.

Linsanity saves the day, at least until it comes to a crashing halt upon Anthony's return, ushering in a Knicks funk? Check.

Former Knicks head coach gets Mike D'Antoni forced out midseason? Check.

Now, with many, including myself, believing Stoudemire is fed up with his reduced role in interim head coach Mike Woodson's new offense, he assaults some glass and takes himself out of a critical Game 3? Check.

And then, reeling with 12 consecutive postseason losses, Stoudemire has the gall to say this stuff happens all the time? Check, check, check.

Give the Heat credit. They seem to have grown and learned from last year's struggles. LeBron is having one of the finest seasons of his career and should be a lock to take home his third MVP award. He's also eliminated the kind of mind-numbing gaffes that plagued him last year, whether it was on-court letdowns or off-court mistakes like the karma tweet or leaked reports to get his coach fired or some other eyebrow raiser.

Chris Bosh isn't talking about not belonging anymore, even if it's true, and Dwyane Wade hasn't made a habit of talking about how the whole world gets happy when the Heat lose. The general vibe of the team feels stronger, more unified, more relaxed.

That is to say, no longer dysfunctional.

That bodes really well for Miami. The other thing that bodes well for them? That they're playing the New York Knicks in this opening-round series, a team with a lot of talent, but even more chaos.

Miami and Dallas can be the first to tell you, dysfunction can fell any team, no matter how talented.

Which means Miami, newly reformed, couldn't have done better than to draw Stoudemire and the New York Knicks in the first round.

There's nothing like playing a team hurt from within by the kind of idiocy and dysfunction necessary to lead to a star player lacerating his own hand and taking himself out of the mix because he decided to strike an inanimate object.

NBA Series rankings: Must-see TV
ESPN
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/7886150/nba-playoffs-series-rankings

If you want to claim a theme for the 2011-12 NBA campaign, it almost has to be the season of haste. As in, there's not a whole lot of time, but we're going to squeeze as much in as quickly as possible.

The mad dash from Christmas Day to this past weekend's opening of the playoffs passed as quickly as Tony Parker splitting a double-team, setting up this postseason start that has continued the frenzied pace.

Five days in and we've been flooded with storylines, from projection-altering injuries to historic fourth-quarter comebacks to a suspension-worthy chest bump to a hand-splitting confrontation with a fire extinguisher to a pair of bounces that have defined a series.

Five days in, those storylines have changed our perception of which playoff series are most intriguing. Originally, LeBron v. Carmelo was the must-watch matchup. Suddenly, that pales in comparison to Dirk v. Serge.

As we settle into our playoff rhythm, here's how these first-round matchups have fallen into place in terms of fascination level from here on out:


1. Thunder-Mavs

How are we to read a series that seems to have swung in favor of the Thunder based mostly on a pair of bounces -- one friendly one that gave Kevin Durant the game winner in the opener, and an unkind one that might've kept Dirk Nowitzki & Co. from evening the series and stealing home-court advantage?

Do the Thunder carry the same level of comfort from their two-game lead as the Spurs, Lakers and Heat do? Or is this team that not too long ago seemed destined for a Finals appearance showing cracks early in the proceedings?

And what to make of the Mavericks, whose just-get-into-the-tournament approach appeared genius until that Durant shot trickled around and through the rim?

Nowitzki isn't just reawakening his 2011 playoff form, he's playing with the defiance of a champion, dropping shoulders into Kendrick Perkins like a true tough guy.

Rick Carlisle is channeling his inner Phil Jackson, complaining about the cheap shots his team is supposedly taking.

Possibly most shocking of all is the efficiency with which the much-maligned Russell Westbrook is scoring (28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting), while the scoring champ, Durant, is shooting just 34 percent and is a soft (lucky?) bounce away from being heavily criticized himself right now.

There's no guarantee, of course, these next two games in Dallas will be anywhere near as tense as the two in Oklahoma City, which were decided by four points total. But one way or another, we'll figure out just how legitimate Dallas' threat is, and how fragile these Thunder still may be.


2. Grizzlies-Clippers

This one has always been high on the intrigue list, because it would seem to be the classic coin toss of a series. Only, that Clippers comeback from 27 points down in Game 1 catapulted it to an even more captivating place.

The Grizzlies tied the series at 1-1 Wednesday night, no thanks to Chris Paul, who dropped 29 points, six assists and five steals one game after choreographing that incredible comeback Sunday night.

Paul is reason enough to watch this series. The player Kobe Bryant said has "a little-man complex," doesn't enjoy being pushed around. He's been pushing back often against the physical Grizzlies, and making him angry tends to elevate his game.

Paul and his Lob City mates were supposed to be instant hits. Losing in the first round wouldn't constitute a hit. So expect an even more intense Paul now that this series is heading to Los Angeles.


3. Celtics-Hawks

On the surface, it would seem the Celtics have taken control of this series. They survived the game without the suspended Rajon Rondo, who reminded everyone it was his attitude and not his game that has him constantly on the trading block when he bumped an official in Game 1. And they might be fortunate enough to face the Hawks in Boston without Josh Smith, who has easily been the Hawks' most valuable player this season.

But that's the beauty of this occasionally hideous matchup: You never know what to expect. You certainly never know which team to trust.

Anyone who claims they assumed Paul Pierce would have a curious Benjamin Button experience with 36 points, 14 rebounds and an awkwardly random Tim Tebow pose at midcourt is almost certainly lying.

So who's to say Joe Johnson can't have a similar experience in Boston and make this another seven-game series between these two teams?

Adding to the significance of this series is what lies ahead. Presumably, the winner would suddenly be the heavy favorite in a second-round series against either the Bulls or Sixers. That means a conference finals appearance. And that means unexpected territory for either of these clubs.


4. Bulls-Sixers

This was originally low on the interest meter, with the only real question being just how quickly Derrick Rose would round into shape. Now, without the injured Rose, this moves up the charts simply because it's a series that's entirely up for grabs.

We're all well-versed, at this point, at just how good the Bulls were sans Rose in the regular season. So it's no secret how they plan on getting this done: suffocating defense on one end and ball movement on the other.

But if the Sixers are going to take advantage of Rose's absence, it might come with the emergence of a star. Former No. 2 pick Evan Turner ended the season strong and now appears to be the best playmaker left on the floor in this series. Through two games, he's trying to live up to his next-Grant Hill potential, with 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds and 50 percent shooting.

He also has already been proven correct that the Sixers dodged the tougher opponent.


5. Heat-Knicks

If Amare Stoudemire smashed his hand into a fire extinguisher case for any reason, it should've been in anger that his team didn't tank the final regular-season games to avoid the Heat, and instead play the Bulls, in the first round. Instead, the Knicks rolled with their winning ways and are getting rolled out of the playoffs as a result.

There remains some intrigue here, though, mostly on an individual level. Can LeBron James continue this impressive start, shooting 56 percent from the field, and looking unstoppable? Will Chris Bosh flying home to witness the birth of his son throw him or the Heat off?

Possibly more significant is how the Knicks will play without Stoudemire, who's out at least for Game 3. The Knicks are 14-5 without him this season, 22-27 with him. The Knicks are 0-5 with both available in the postseason, dating back to last season. And the Knicks are a better defensive team with Stoudemire's likely rotation replacement, Jared Jeffries, on the floor (allow 91.3 points on 42.4 percent shooting per 48 minutes) than they are without him (94.9 points on 44.7 percent).

If Knicks play well without Stoudemire in the postseason it might dictate how the Knicks handle player movement this offseason.


6. Lakers-Nuggets

How is it possible that a series with an efficient Kobe Bryant and an emerging Andrew Bynum doesn't rank higher on the must-watch list? Probably because the small-ish, run-and-gun Nuggets play right into the Lakers' hands. They're not nearly as big as L.A. up front, and when the Lakers slow the game down, the Nuggets barely stand a chance.

What's left to be determined here is just how championship-worthy these Lakers really are. Despite the fact they seem to be rounding into shape at just the right time, apparently having benefited from the seven games Bryant missed late in the season with a calf injury, it's hard not to wonder if this is just an ideal matchup for the Lakers.

Either way, if Bynum continues to gain confidence in this series (63 percent shooting, 11 boards and six blocks per game), it might not matter who the Lakers play from here on out.


7. Pacers-Magic

What's left to learn here, other than just how sad the Magic offense is without Dwight Howard. Interestingly enough, the defense has been just about stellar without the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, holding the Pacers to 41 percent shooting and 89 points a game. That might have almost as much to do with Indiana's lack of superstar punch, but it remains impressive. But without the interior threat of Howard, the Magic are shooting an even more pathetic 39 percent from the floor and scoring 77.7 points through the first three games of the series, which includes a shocking Game 1 win.

The Pacers would appear to be prepping for a second-round meeting with the Heat, which becomes less and less intriguing the more Indy shows off an offensive incompetence.

The Magic, meanwhile, assuming there's no more magic left in them, are headed toward an inevitably tumultuous offseason.


8. Spurs-Jazz

This most lopsided of series has as much to do with the still unstoppable Spurs offense as it has to do with the inept play of the Jazz guards. Utah's trio of Devin Harris, Jamaal Tinsley and Gordon Hayward has shot a combined 14-of-46 (30.4 percent) and been no match for Parker, who has darted around and through the Jazz defense with ease.

The only interest remaining here is if the Jazz can rekindle some of that late-season momentum at home and make a series out of it. This is a new Spurs team, of course, but last year's team was torched by Zach Randolph in the first round, so there was always the chance Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson could do the same against San Antonio. Not so much, so far (averaging 27.5 points combined).

So it would appear the Spurs are merely fine-tuning for a meeting with the Grizzlies or Clippers. And with their veteran trio of stars, the Spurs are probably hoping that series goes the full seven games.

MIA has no more excuses not to win it all this June. Understandable pa last season kasi first year ng Superfriends together, madami pang adjustments, coupled with all the hype of the much criticized "The Decision". LBJ is on a personal mission of redemption.

Pag hindi nag champion MIA this year, I expect Coach Spoelstra to be fired.

---

Game 3: 87-70 MIA.

MIA leads series 3-0. NYK must be thinking that losing the final games of the regular season wasn't a bad idea at all.

MIAMI advavances to 3-0 lead against "SUPERPOWER NY KNICKS":lol::lol::lol::lol:

And, WTF is happening w/ the Mavs? First 2 games close, tapos ngayon tambakan na? :nuts:

Is Chris Bosh still playing?

He just played.

^^ Expected ko na OKC will win their series with DAL bago pa nagstart Game 1. Last yr kasi medyo immature pa sila, kulang pa sa experience, eh ngayon they learnt from their past mistakes.

Tapos nawala pa si Chandler at Barea. Oh well, ok lang, meh ring na naman. :D

---

Anyway, totoo kaya ang rumor na James Dolan is making a pitch for the Zen Master?

'The Decision' sealed Knicks' fate and it has come to haunt them
When LeBron decided against New York, this lopsided series was inevitable
ESPN
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7889036/nba-playoffs-2012-lebron-james-decided-not-come-new-york-series-was-inevitable

Pat Riley was reclining in a chair before a mounted TV, watching the final minutes of Game 3 in a back room of his old gym, Madison Square Garden. The overlord of the Miami Heat had his jacket off and his arms crossed as he sat near a table littered with popcorn boxes, looking very much like a fan.

With victory certain, Riley had walked out of the Garden stands and retreated to this room marked "Miami Team Executives." He was in there with his wife, Chris, who was clapping and woo-wooing every last point her husband's Heat dropped on her husband's old New York Knicks.

Glen Grunwald, Knicks GM, stepped into a lounge across from Riley's open door. Jim Dolan, Garden chairman, all but staggered by on his way to the losers' locker room. Soon enough Alonzo Mourning joined the party, and then Heat owner Micky Arison, all of them sharing a big laugh over their 87-70 triumph and 3-0 first-round lead. Riley noticed a familiar face at the door, extended his hand in acknowledgment and said he wasn't talking for the record until his Heat were safely into the second round.

He was asked about LeBron James, anyway.

"Just say I love him," Riley said.

Yeah, Riley loves him the way he loved Magic Johnson in Los Angeles and Patrick Ewing in New York. Riley loves holding a decisive edge in talent in a playoff series, and he loves watching his biggest star, James, score 17 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter while the opposing star, Carmelo Anthony, misses 16 of 23 shots while his team crashes and burns.

Only this series did not die an unofficial death in Game 3, a game uglier than Amare Stoudemire's left hand. This series was decided on that July night in 2010 when James decided his favorite arena, the Garden, would be a fine place to visit, and nothing more.

The Knicks had all kinds of ambitious plans that summer, starting with the dreamy long shot of signing James, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. They wanted LeBron above all, just like everyone else, and settled for Stoudemire.

During their failed recruiting pitch, the Knicks showed James a cute "Sopranos" skit. Riley showed him his championship rings.

So the moment James decided to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, this lopsided series was inevitable. After the Knicks settled for Stoudemire, they settled for Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, too. They formed a Big Three that never had a chance against Miami's Big Three, not when the Heat had the Big One.

James. Perhaps the greatest physical talent to step foot in the NBA, Michael Jordan included.

The Knicks executive who swung and missed on LeBron, Donnie Walsh, is no longer in the house. Dolan ordered the Anthony deal against Walsh's wishes, and the new GM, Grunwald, signed Chandler, the center who beat the Heat in last year's Finals.

The Knicks have been chasing, chasing, chasing, and chances are they'll never catch up to James. Just like Ewing's Knicks couldn't beat Jordan's Bulls, Melo's Knicks aren't beating LeBron's Heat this year, maybe next year, maybe the year after that.

Even if Stoudemire didn't lose his mind and Iman Shumpert didn't blow out his knee, Miami would've won this series in five or six. Now the Heat will win it in four Sunday. Mike Woodson's offense was a bad joke in Game 3, and the coach admitted, "I've got to take the heat for that."

Anthony tried to do what he was told he could not. "Melo is not going to beat this team by himself," Woodson said before Game 3.

Anthony scored 22 points but shot 7 of 23 for the Knicks, who were playing without Amare Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert and needed a super effort from Anthony that he didn't come close to providing.

''When you can't score the basketball, that makes the game extremely hard, no matter how much defense we go down there and play,'' Anthony said.

Again and again this series, LeBron James has referred to Carmelo Anthony a "great player."

But on the court, James has made him look like anything but.

Melo could not beat LeBron, never mind the Heat.

"We had the lead going into the fourth quarter on the road," Wade said, "and we had the best player in the game coming back in."

James who was benched in the third quarter with four fouls, opened the fourth with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to five, this before he grabbed two offensive rebounds on his own misses and sank a left-handed putback. LeBron drained another three to make it Miami 66, Knicks 56, and later he blew by Anthony for a driving layup, drawing the Melo foul and completing the three-point play.

Game, set, mismatch. James had scored Miami's first 11 points in the fourth, making Anthony look small and weak in the process.

Asked what he'd remember most about his first playoff game in the Garden, James said, "That we won. That's all that matters to me."

LeBron had been subjected to profane chants all night, and he called the Garden a "hostile environment." He swore he wouldn't play the villain this season, not after embracing that role in Year 1, but Knicks fans were hell-bent on making him the bad guy all the same.

It didn't matter. Wearing a mouthpiece marked XVI -- 16 victories for his first title -- James lifted his playoff record in Miami to 17-7, while Anthony's playoff record in New York fell to 0-7. Melo is 16-36 overall in the postseason, LeBron 59-36.

The Knicks' 13th straight playoff loss broke the NBA record previously set by Memphis from 2004-06. They haven't won a playoff game since April 29, 2001, Game 3 of a best-of-five series against Toronto. The Knicks have gone more than 4,000 days without a single postseason victory, and by the end of Game 3 it felt like the drought might last 4,000 more.

The winning executive, Riley, knows a thing or three about Garden misery. He watched Ewing end his Knicks coaching career on that missed Game 7 finger-roll in '95, and he soon found himself pacing back and forth in an empty room while the sounds of celebrating Pacers penetrated his walls.

Thursday night, Riley felt a different Garden vibe in a different Garden room. He signed LeBron James and the Knicks did not, and that's the difference between Miami and New York, winning and misery.

Knicks must trade STAT this summer (http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bgxwD?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nba)

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The question was whether the New York Knicks can trade Amare Stoudemire in the offseason, and the conversation with a high-ranking executive of a playoff team started in a predictable place.

"No," he said Wednesday. "No way."

The executive, a good one, cited the standard reasons why Stoudemire is an immovable summertime part. His injury history. The size of his contract. The lack of insurance on his knees. The diminished athleticism and presence around the rim.

"You'd be taking a tremendous risk with Amare," the executive said, "and the feeling around the league is he's living on borrowed time with his knees. I just don't think anyone would take him."

Only then was it repeated that Stoudemire, $100 million man, isn't owed $100 million over five years anymore, but $64.4 million over three. It was mentioned that Stoudemire is only 29, and that Gilbert Arenas and Rashard Lewis were traded for each other, meaning it only requires one sucker, maybe two, to move any player and make any deal.

It was stated that the teams scheduled to be way under the salary cap -- the lottery likes of New Orleans, Cleveland, Sacramento, Portland, and Brooklyn, and the winning likes of Boston and Indiana -- might use their flexibility to gamble that Stoudemire will stay relatively healthy and give them some needed starpower and size.

Fifteen minutes into the conversation, the executive was sold.

"Now that we're talking through it," he said, "yes, I think Amare can be traded. If Gilbert Arenas can get traded, anyone can get traded. Every year there's a guy you think can't get moved, or a free agent asking for a figure you think he'll never get, and it always happens because it only takes one team."

They need to trade Stoudemire, a guy who fit with the Mike D'Antoni Knicks of Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler and Raymond Felton, a guy who no longer fits with the Mike Woodson Knicks of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.

It won't be Melo! :banana:

B-meg will end the series tonight! :lol:

sana nga sila ngayon ng magchmpion sa lingo ang TNT........

hehehehe, B-meg ako pero may nababalitaan na akong lutuan kasi hundres of millions ang pustahan raw

kanina lamang ang B-meg nung first q, ngayon TNT na 57-52 at 3rd

kanina lamang ang B-meg nung first q, ngayon TNT na 57-52 at 3rd


Errrr! Game 7 on Sunday :bash::bash:

Sunday ang Game 7.

Di na ako nakapag stroll sa mall o nakapagdate kasi after work watch agad ng PBA FINALS. :lol: Go Bmeg. . . . . Nakakasawa na... palagi nalang TNT sa finals.. :bash:

^^ Expected ko na OKC will win their series with DAL bago pa nagstart Game 1. Last yr kasi medyo immature pa sila, kulang pa sa experience, eh ngayon they learnt from their past mistakes.

Tapos nawala pa si Chandler at Barea. Oh well, ok lang, meh ring na naman. :D

---

Anyway, totoo kaya ang rumor na James Dolan is making a pitch for the Zen Master?
^^
At nawala rin si Stevenson, one of their defenders. Nawala yung mga player na gumagawa ng "dirty works" sa Dallas.

13th straight playoff loss na pala yun ng Knicks when they dropped Game 3.

:hilarious knicks

They were beating the LA clippers instead of losing to them, then went to charlotte to beat up on them and then face miami heat :lol: when the bulls could have been a better match for u now you are ripping what you sow

Sunday ang Game 7.
:lol: Na edit ko na

:hilarious knicks

They were beating the LA clippers instead of losing to them, then went to charlotte to beat up on them and then face miami heat :lol: when the bulls could have been a better match for u now you are ripping what you sow

^^ Yup so sad and ironic that the Knicks already had a good core of players with which the addition of J.Lin, Tyson Chandler and JR Smith would have solidified the Knicks into a contending play-off team but stupidly traded all of their promising players (Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymound Felton, and Timothy Mozgov) to Denver for an erratic/inconsistent but really talented player in Carmelo Anthony without putting much consideration to team ball dynamics and this Knicks team really suffered as it tried to accomodate the iso-ball playing style CarmeMelo was used to playing. Instead of Melo fitting into the team scheme he selfishly tried to have the Knicks team fit him instead which basically caused and started all this team drama and disfunction. As much talent Melo has, Melo is not the kind of player that makes his team mates better; instead he takes over games which tends to take his team mates out of their game. More ironic is even when Melo was finally playing at his best, the winning backfired as the Knicks ended up facing the much talented Heat instead of the Rose-less Bulls.

Can't help but imagine if the Knicks didn't trade for Melo. Imagine they would have had J.Lin, JR Smith, Iman Schumpert, Landry Fields, Steve Novak, Amare Stoudmire, Tyson Chandler, Jared Jeffries, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Timothy Mozgov, guys who really fit in with the Mike D'Antoni scheme but threw away all that promising possibilities by trading for Melo at Dolan's insistence because the owner was snubbed by LeBron and desperate to land a star. Now after 2 seasons watching the Melo - Stat experiment go down being officially a bust, stupid owner deserves this dysfunctional Knicks team he got. NY will not win an NBA title with this Melo led iso-ball Knicks team Dolan's got now and that's too bad for the Knicks fans though. Really sucks.

13th straight playoff loss na pala yun ng Knicks when they dropped Game 3.

^^ Yup NY holds the record. Melo too infact! Well looks like Melo and The Knicks are a perfect match made in Hell. hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Melo Is The Biggest (Playoff) Loser
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303916904577373974101773782.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

The New York Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony because they thought he would lead them to a championship. But considering the way Anthony's teams have performed in the postseason, the Knicks would be lucky to even win a game.

Anthony played his 50th career playoff game Saturday, a 100-67 massacre at the hands of the Miami Heat. Heading into Monday's Game 2, Anthony now owns an NBA worse 16-34 career postseason record (.320)—the worst of any player who has appeared in that many postseason games since 1991-92.

Anthony has played in the postseason every year since entering the league with Denver in 2003. His teams lost in the first round in seven of eight seasons. His only playoff success came in 2009, when his Nuggets won two series and advanced to the Western Conference finals. Although poor supporting casts have been part of the problem, so has Anthony's inefficiency. For his playoff career, Anthony's effective field-goal percentage (eFG)—a statistic that gives extra weight to three-pointers—is .442. The league average last year was .478.

As for the best playoff performer during that span, that honor belongs to Michael Jordan (.734). The rest of the top ten? Nine of his Chicago Bulls teammates.

Knicks must trade STAT this summer (http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bgxwD?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nba)

It won't be Melo! :banana:

^^ Mmm... If that's the case and the Knicks would rather trade Amare and keep Melo, maybe just maybe Knicks can trade Amare to Golden State for A.Biedrins and R.Jefferson. Salaries would work and Warriors might just bite to get rid of the Latvian Tax that is Biediens as well as dump Jefferson's salary. Amare would go well with the list of injury prone players for Golden State. Besides Richard Jefferson is still a serviceable player that can still help the Knicks compared to what other teams might actually offer in a trade for Amare, who is a risky player to take in especially at his salary level and deteriorating health. NY will never get a fair trade for Amare and so teams will definitely want to trade much of their trash to get NY's trash in return. As they say let's hope for the best! Hehehe... :lol:

^^ Mmm... If that's the case and the Knicks would rather trade Amare and keep Melo, maybe just maybe Knicks can trade Amare to Golden State for A.Biedrins and R.Jefferson. Salaries would work and Warriors might just bite to get rid of the Latvian Tax that is Biediens as well as dump Jefferson's salary. Amare would go well with the list of injury prone players for Golden State. Besides Richard Jefferson is still a serviceable player that can still help the Knicks compared to what other teams might actually offer in a trade for Amare, who is a risky player to take in especially at his salary level and deteriorating health. NY will never get a fair trade for Amare and so teams will definitely want to trade much of their trash to get NY's trash in return. As they say let's hope for the best! Hehehe... :lol:

Are you insane? :ohno:

Baliw na team owner lang ang kukuha kay Melo :lol:

Baliw na team owner lang ang kukuha kay Melo :lol:

May baliw din dito na gusto ipatrade si Melo! :ohno:

Baliw na team owner lang ang kukuha kay Melo :lol:

So, baliw pala si Donnie Walsh? :lol:

^^ Mmm... If that's the case and the Knicks would rather trade Amare and keep Melo, maybe just maybe Knicks can trade Amare to Golden State for A.Biedrins and R.Jefferson. Salaries would work and Warriors might just bite to get rid of the Latvian Tax that is Biediens as well as dump Jefferson's salary. Amare would go well with the list of injury prone players for Golden State. Besides Richard Jefferson is still a serviceable player that can still help the Knicks compared to what other teams might actually offer in a trade for Amare, who is a risky player to take in especially at his salary level and deteriorating health. NY will never get a fair trade for Amare and so teams will definitely want to trade much of their trash to get NY's trash in return. As they say let's hope for the best! Hehehe... :lol:

Ibalik si David Lee sa NYK. :lol: Kung si Jefferson eh bata-bata pa, pwede pa.

So, baliw pala si Donnie Walsh? :lol:

It was Carmelo Anthony who chose to play for the New York Knicks so that he can be closer to his hometown and alma mater -- Brooklyn and Syracuse.

Donnie Walsh is no longer the NYK GM. :)

Ibalik si David Lee sa NYK. :lol: Kung si Jefferson eh bata-bata pa, pwede pa.

^^ Hehehe... Nah David Lee is a much better player than Stat so no can do if I were the Warriors. Golden State will not go for that especially considering the owners have a serious man-crush on David Lee and considers him an integral part of this Warriors team. It's Biedrins and Jefferson that Golden State is actively shopping so they will probably be willing to take on the risky Stat in exchange for this 2 players. Guess if the Knicks get a better deal than this from a much bigger sucker, then they should pounce on that quickly; otherwise just keep Stat if he is that valuable di ba.

Let's not over-value/state STAT's trade value in this league after all he is no longer the STAT of old. What's worse is the fact that Amare is virtually untradeable with his compounding health problems and astronomical uninsured contract so Amare has no real decent trade value in the NBA, unless they find a sucker that's willing to take Amare's declining talent and horrible contract and on top of that give up their own team's talent to boot. Only in our dreams I'd say. The reality is the Knicks will never get equal trade value for Amare so he will not probably bring a top talent back to NY. Just that if Amare is considered trash by his own team the Knicks, enough to be willing to actually trade him, then all the Knicks can really expect to get for Amare will probably be trash of other teams as well. Garbage-In Garbage-Out. So Amare is really not the best Knicks player to trade in this case unless the Knicks are simply dumping Amare.

Now Melo on the other hand still has very good trade value especially with his spirited play of late and can actually bring-in back decent players, expiring contracts and maybe cap room to sign free agents for the Knicks. NY will get more out of trading Melo and his $20 Million/year salary which will surely go a long way in solving the many holes in this Knicks team's deficiencies, that is if they will only have the balls to trade Melo. And why not? As much talent Melo possesses, he is really very much over-rated and very replaceable player especially considering the Cap implication of his salary to this Knicks team. Another problem with Melo is he does not make his team mates play better because he'd rather takeover games with his iso-ball which actually takes his team mates out of their game. True Superstars elevate not just themselves but the whole team as well much like what Lebron and Wade, DRose, Kobe, and CP3 does for their respective teams, Melo doesn't. If Melo can carry the Knicks then his salary may be justified but if he can't do it in a consistent basis then Melo's salary can be put to better use. Just that If Melo is so good a player why has the Knicks not able to win atleast 1 game in order to avoid being the laughing stock of the NBA for owning this pathetic losing-streak record? More importantly if Melo is such a good player then why does he hold the NBA worse 16-34 career play-off win/loss percentage record (.320)? We can make all the excuses in the world but the simple answer may just be the Knicks and Melo himself are not that great to begin with. But one thing's for sure it's not coincidental that NY and Melo hold such dubious NBA records which makes Melo and The Knicks a perfect match. And that's probably why the Knicks' stupid owner, Dolan, would rather trade and/or fire everyone else and keep Melo instead, rather than the other way around, which is why this disfunctional Knicks team is getting nowhere fast.

Sad to say but I just don't see the Knicks winning an NBA championship with this Melo led iso-ball Knicks team of current that Coach Woodson is trying to win with. Unfortunately Knicks will bow out of the playoffs in the first round again, just like last time and just like last time, the Knick's have yet to win a game in the play-offs. With such dismal showing in the first round of the play-offs, won't surprise me one bit if the next one to get axed will be Woodson himself if ever the Knicks are able to throw enough money to get the Zen Guru (Coach Jackson) to come out of retirement and try his magic with this disfunctional Knicks team. Makes me wonder what Dolan will say when Coach Jackson tells him to trade Melo... Would he then have the balls to say "You're Fired!" Hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol:


Knicks must lure Phil Jackson with trail of cash
By Adrian Wojnarowski
Yahoo! Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--knicks-need-to-chase-phil-jackson-with-a-trail-of-cash.html

NEW YORK – As New York Knicks owner James Dolan watched courtside, here’s how he had to always imagine LeBron James introducing himself to playoff basketball at Madison Square Garden: Game on the line, and the greatness rising in the final minutes, spectacular shots and fantastic finishes. Oh, how the Knicks had come to believe it would be for them. For all the arrogance that they could dazzle James into signing as a free agent two years ago, it turned out they never had a chance.

James had a willingness to take less than the maximum contract, in less than a marquee market, for the easiest path to multiple championships. James never considered the Knicks, and left them destined to construct a contender around Carmelo Anthony instead. For Dolan and James, the race is clear. Do the Knicks win a playoff game before James wins his championship?

LeBron James has pushed the Knicks to the brink of elimination. The end of this inevitable Eastern Conference playoff sweep on Sunday promises the beginning of a most inevitable pursuit: Dolan chasing his next savior, Phil Jackson. Along the way, Dolan ought to forget selling Jackson on his New York Knicks nostalgia and sentiment, on the joys of coaching Anthony. Jackson knows his own history here, and knows he never would’ve won a solitary title with the Lakers and Bulls had ‘Melo been one of his cornerstones.

Dolan doesn’t need to come with the elaborate recruiting presentation that he did for James for a simple reason: Above everything else, this is a cash deal. No salary cap, no limits.

In so many ways, this simplifies everything for Dolan. Madison Square Garden management gets to play to the boss’ strength, perhaps his greatest gift as a sport owner: overspending. Jackson has 13 championship rings – 11 as a coach and two as a Knicks player – and Dolan could need to pay him $1 million a year for every one of those titles. The Knicks aren’t just chasing a coach, but a max-salary star with no max-salary restrictions.

Jackson isn’t enthralled with the Knicks' roster, a source who talks to him said, but that doesn’t mean he’d completely rule out the job. New York matters to him, and, so does money, the kind of money only the desperation of Dolan could dole out.

Yes, Kentucky’s John Calipari will listen should the Knicks come calling with $8 million or $9 million a year, but New York doesn’t need Cal’s insecurities and frailties taking over the Garden. He’s a great college coach, but commanding the respect of teenagers and decidedly different pros have little in common. There’s no correlation getting big-time talented college kids to play together and keeping ‘Melo from telling you to “Bleep off,” when you challenge him.

There’s one man for the job, one coach worth a max star’s contract when he walks into the room. For once, the Knicks aren’t restricted to the cap. For once, the Knicks can play to James Dolan’s only strength as an owner: a ridiculously rich father who lets his ridiculously fortunate son overspend how he sees fit. Whatever Dolan does, he shouldn’t insult Phil Jackson’s intelligence. This pursuit won’t be about an old Knicks’ nostalgia, nor this roster’s flawed stars. Just a big, cold and dark vault of Cablevision’s cash.

As LeBron James passes through the Garden to remind the Knicks of the failed free-agent pursuit two years ago, a most desperate Jimmy Dolan needs to tell the best coach in the world what he could never tell the best player: Name your price.

Buti pa Melo's old team the Nuggets nakasulot na ng isa sa Lakers. The ex-Knicks played well in Nuggets win over the Lakers in game 3. Nadaig pa ang Knicks na bokya pa rin. Looking back at the Melo trade, looks like Denver Nuggets actually got the better of the Melo trade to the NY Knicks. Man Knicks are such suckers! Hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Quick Recap: Fast start propels Nuggets to victory over Lakers in Game 3
ESPN
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320504007

DENVER -- Ty Lawson scored 25 points and the Denver Nuggets raced to an early 24-point lead on their way to a 99-84 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round series.

JaVale McGee had 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Nuggets, who will try to even the best-of-seven series at two games each on Sunday night at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets grabbed a 55-39 halftime lead by stifling Andrew Bynum down low and forcing Kobe Bryant to work harder for his baskets.

Although both Bynum and Bryant got it going after halftime and the Lakers cut their deficit to four points in the third quarter, the hole was too big to climb out of.

Bryant finished with 22 points on 7-of-23 shooting and Bynum had 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The Denver Nuggets will still suffer the same fate against the L.A. Lakers again in the 1st round and that's one of Melo's frustrations when he was still a Nugget. At least in New York, he has more chances of getting pass the 1st round of the playoffs in the coming years.

Miracles and mishaps happen all the time in the Madison Square Garden.

Ikaw naman oh parang hindi ka Knicks fan! Naalala mo yung buzzer beater ni Allan Houston sa playoffs at nung si Marcus Camby ang tumayo para sa injured na Patrick Ewing? :cheers:

talo lakers, babawi ako(kobe bryant)

Miracles and mishaps happen all the time in the Madison Square Garden.

Ikaw naman oh parang hindi ka Knicks fan! Naalala mo yung buzzer beater ni Allan Houston sa playoffs at nung si Marcus Camby ang tumayo para sa injured na Patrick Ewing? :cheers:

^^ Yup I do still remember those NY Knicks team(s) of old when the team had alot of heart and pride which I just don't see with our Knicks team of current. Maybe I'm just so tired of seeing the Knicks lose - nakakapagod na kasi disappointment after disappointment nalang every season - which is why I am hoping the Knicks would actually make the necessary changes that would improve the team's chances of winning an NBA title. Wala kasing nangyayari eh palagi nalang tayo talo. Anyway hope the Knicks win on Sunday before bowing out to the Heat in this first round even if just to restore some of whatever heart/pride left in this disfunctional Knicks team. Better luck next year I hope with the Melo/Stat experiment. Maybe the 3rd year will be a charm. Knicks may be a few players away from contending. Sana they can get Steve Nash - he'll be a good catalyst and can definitely help better this Knicks team with his leadership and PG skills. :cheers:


New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony-centric Offense is Offensive
By Ray Monell
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/york-knicks-carmelo-anthony-centric-offense-offensive-165600445--nba.html;_ylt=A2KJjb2PeqlPFlYADzxNbK5_;_ylu=X3oDMTBmYnBhcGw4BHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA3NwMg--

Far too many times when Carmelo Anthony gets the ball, he channels an impatient New York City traffic cop at a busy intersection and begins waving everyone else wearing a New York Knicks uniform to the opposite side of the court so there's more room for him to operate.

Anthony's teammates, after getting the hell out of his way, then seemingly freeze in time, acting as little more than decorative features on the set of his one-man show. And save for the rare occasion in which he attempts to find an open shooter, there's no ball movement.

None.

In comes the double, triple-team, followed by the ugly, missed shot. If not that, the inevitable turnover.

It's a scene that keeps repeating itself over and over and over again, to the point where it's just flat out sickening, unwatchable.

Anthony, in New York's Eastern Conference quarterfinals playoff series vs. the Miami Heat, hit just 15 of 41 shots (37 percent) through Game 2. In an 87-70 loss to Miami in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, he scored 22 points on 7 of 23 shooting.

Overall, he's hit 22 of 64 shots (34 percent) against Miami, which will, in all likelihood, mercifully end the Knicks' season this Sunday by completing a four-game sweep.

But this isn't so much about the Knicks-Heat series, this is more about how New York's offense should not go through Anthony moving forward. He should be an important part of the machine, but not the engine that makes it run.

As the centerpiece, Anthony makes everyone else stall. That's why Jeremy Lin's continued development--presuming he is re-signed this summer--will be important for the Knicks next season. Lin illustrated over 35 regular-season games (25 starts), before injuring his knee in late March, that he has the instincts of a legitimate NBA point guard.

Not everyone is sold on Lin, and that's all understood, but how worse off would the Knicks be if he were given the reins once again? It couldn't be any worse than letting Anthony, who was grossly outplayed by Miami's Mario Chalmers (7 of 11, 19 points) in Game 3, run the offense.

And frankly, I'm not sure Amar'e Stoudemire's absence has anything to do with how much Anthony exerted himself offensively in Game 3. Stoudemire, who took himself out of this series when he shredded his left hand punching a glass pane encasing a fire extinguisher at AmericanAirlines Arena, attempted nine shots in Game 2 compared to Anthony's personal series-high 26. Stoudemire knocked down 2 of 7 shots in Game 1, Anthony connected on 3 of 15 attempts.

In 2012-13, Stoudemire and Anthony will have to learn how to play with one another because they haven't any other choice. They have to make it work, and Stoudemire must be more involved, must be made more than just another guy who stands around while Anthony dribbles the basketball to death. Lin may or may not be the glue that brings it all together.

But if Anthony elects not to just be an important piece of the offense next season, if he thinks Mike Woodson or anyone else coaching the Knicks should simply run everything through him, his one-man show, his time as an athlete in the city of his birth, is going to be a Broadway flop of unimaginable proportions.

And above all else New York Knicks' Carmelo-centric offense will not deliver them their first NBA title since 1973.

Great game today with the Clippers barely beating the Grizzlies. Reminded me of game 1. Clippers never gave up and were rewarded with another win. Looks like Clippers have enough to eventually beat the Grizzlies in this first round series. If that actually happens then it will be San Antonio Spurs vs LA Clippers match-up in the second round and LA Lakers vs OKC Thunders match-up on the other. I predict the Thunder will beat the Lakers and the Spurs will beat the Clippers so it will be the Thunder vs the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. I'm going with the Thunder to win and representing the West for the NBA Finals/Title. Thunder vs Heat Finals - should be a good one! :okay: :okay:

Clippers rally late to beat Grizzlies in Game 3
LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-clippers-grizzlies-game-3-live-coverage-20120505,0,2957800.story

Randy Foye hits a three-pointer to tie the score before Chris Paul hits a jumper and feeds Blake Griffin for a dunk to finish off an 87-86 victory over Memphis for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

It wasn’t as historically dramatic as in Game 1, when the Clippers came back from 24 points down with about eight minutes left to pull off a win.

But the Clippers did manage to pull off another dramatic, heart-stopping comeback victory in Game 3 on Saturday, barely scraping out an 87-86 win in the final seconds in front of a sell-out crowd of 19,060 at Staples Center to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

Game 4 is Monday at Staples Center.


Reign no more - Thunder sweeps the Mavs
ESPNDallas.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4689210/rapid-reaction-thunder-103-mavericks-97

How it happened: The defending champions fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City kids who couldn't close against the Mavs last season.

The Mavs met the first-round broom because Oklahoma City absolutely dominated after entering the final frame with a 13-point deficit.

The Thunder allowed sixth man James Harden to initiate the offense down the stretch, and the Mavs had no answer. Harden had 15 of his 29 points and three of his five assists in the fourth quarter.

Harden had a hand in every Oklahoma City point during a game-tying 15-2 run early in the quarter. He had nine points in that spurt and a pair of assists for 3-pointers by Kevin Durant, who scored nine of his 24 points in the final frame. Harden also had the dagger drive, slashing to the bucket for a layup to make it a two-possession game with 10.2 seconds remaining.

The Dallas offense sputtered to the finish line after lighting it up for 34 points in the third quarter to take its biggest lead of the series. The Mavs managed to score only 16 points in the fourth, making only four of 18 shots from the floor.

Dirk Nowitzki kept the Mavs in the game with 34 points, but he didn't get much support from his longtime scoring sidekick. Jason Terry scored only 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting in what was probably his last game in a Mavericks uniform.

In the final minute of Dallas' season, an "O-K-C" chant overpowered a "Let's Go Mavs" chant at the American Airlines Center. It was that kind of season for the 2010-11 champions.

What it means: The defending champions are done after four games. The Mavs became the fifth team to fail to win a playoff game as defending champions. The 1956-57 Philadelphia Warriors and 2006-07 Miami Heat were also swept in the first round, and the 1969-70 Boston Celtics and 1998-99 Chicago Bulls failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Thunder advance to play the Lakers-Nuggets winner in the second round.

Bold play of the game: Oklahoma City took its first lead of the second half on a Serge Ibaka slam dunk to finish a fast break. Russell Westbrook swiped the ball from Jason Terry, pushed it down the floor and fed the high-flying Ibaka for an uncontested jam. The Thunder never trailed again.

It will be the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the L.A. Lakers in round 2 of the West Playoffs! A must watch match-up between Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant! :banana:

grabe tong lro ng B-meg at tnt

1 more free throw

overtime
1111

82-81 b-meg at 2 minutes

84-81 bowles

play by play na to

B-Meg is PBA CHAMPIONS!!!!

Monster Bowles talaga!

^^
Epic game! :cheers: :banana: Pang-game 7 talaga. :D

I wonder what's going through coach Chot's brain right now. Champion na, nawala pa.

Game 7 - 21,000 plus ang nanood sa smart-araneta ...
Grabe nagtatalunan kami sa bahay kanina..Hehe congratz Bmeg Llamados :cheers:

Sana may replay..

Monster Bowles talaga!
^^
39 points 21 rebounds 3 blocks

UnstoppaBOWLES si Monster Bowles! :cheers:

despite just turning 23 last week, probably he'll be back to europe

FINAL: KNICKS 89 HEAT 87. Melo led the Knicks with 41 points and STAT had a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards. The Knicks will head to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday.

at least naka isa, lol

^^
Na injured naman si Baron Davis pero at least they avoided the sweep. They also end their playoff losing streak.

despite just turning 23 last week, probably he'll be back to europe
^^
or maybe Denzel Bowles is NBA-bound.

lakers win and leads the series 3-1

final score: 92-88

:cheers:

Sayang.:ohno:

Wow Galing! Got a glimpse of what the Knick's could have been and what they can be! Bravo Amare, Melo and the Knicks! Standing O! :applause: :applause:

Melo's 41 points and Amare's double-double help Knicks end 13-game playoff skid
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/anthony-helps-knicks-end-13-224440865--nba.html;_ylt=Ah56_IgGAtCUAVsxzcTCnj.8vLYF

Amare Stoudemire raised his hands in the air, one covered in padding, as streamers fell from the ceiling above him.

Finally, New York could celebrate an NBA playoff victory again.

Carmelo Anthony scored 41 points, Stoudemire had 20 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a cut hand, and the Knicks snapped an NBA-record, 13-game postseason losing streak by beating the Miami Heat 89-87 Sunday in Game 4 of their first-round series.

''I think it's the first of many,'' said Stoudemire, his left arm back in a sling to keep his hand elevated. ''Tonight was a great win for us, for our fans to finally get over that hump of those consecutive games that we lost, I guess the Knicks, lost over those years in the playoffs.''

Anthony made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 54.5 seconds left as the Knicks overcame another serious injury to win a playoff game for the first time since beating Toronto on April 29, 2001, in Game 3 of a best-of-five series. Baron Davis dislocated his right kneecap in the third quarter, just as the Knicks were making the run that got them back into the game after a dismal first half.

''I'm just glad that we came together after that, kept our composure, kept on fighting and won the basketball game,'' Anthony said.

LeBron James scored 27 for the Heat, who will try to close it out in Game 5 at home on Wednesday. Dwyane Wade had 22, but missed a 3-pointer on the last possession that would have given Miami a lengthy rest before starting the second round.

''We'd love to take the week (off) but it's not in the cards for us to do that in this round,'' Wade said. ''You know, we'll adjust. We play Wednesday in Miami at 7 o'clock. We'll be ready to play and give our fans another exciting game.''

Wade's errant shot set off a loud celebration from Knicks fans whose team was on the verge of getting swept for the second straight year, and third straight time dating to 2004. It didn't look as if the elusive postseason victory would come in this series, after the Knicks had been blown out by 20 points per game in the first three games.

But they got a huge lift from Stoudemire, playing with padding over his hand just six days after he punched a fire extinguisher case after a Game 2 loss in Miami. And they got a sensational effort from Anthony, who shot 15 of 29 and was one point shy of his playoff career best after he made only 34.4 percent of his shots in the first three games.

''We stepped up to the challenge,'' Anthony said.

Now here comes another: The Knicks need a solution at point guard after Davis was carted off on a stretcher with his severe knee injury. Jeremy Lin is close to returning from knee surgery, but Iman Shumpert was lost with a torn knee ligament in Game 1.

A day after the Dallas team that beat them in the finals was swept by Oklahoma City, the Heat failed in their attempt for their first sweep since beating Washington in the 2005 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The series was on pace to be one of the most lopsided in NBA history through three games, but this one was within four points the entire fourth quarter, the crowd at Madison Square Garden growing louder with every play that moved the Knicks closer to their first playoff win in 11 years.

Mike Bibby's 3-pointer with 1:23 left snapped an 81-all tie, but the Heat called timeout and ran a play that freed James for a wide-open 3 that tied it again seven seconds later. On the Knicks' next possession, Anthony came far beyond the arc to receive the ball after JR Smith picked up his dribble, then dribbled forward and pulled up for a 3 that made it 87-84 with 54.5 to play.

The Heat turned it over on their next possession when Chris Bosh's pass sailed into the backcourt, and Anthony was fouled by Shane Battier attempting a 3-pointer. He made only one foul shot, and the Heat cut it to one again when James converted a three-point play while drawing Tyson Chandler's sixth foul.

Stoudemire made a free throw with 14 seconds left to make it 89-87, and Wade lost control of the ball driving into the middle on Miami's last possession. He regained it and dribbled to the corner for a 3-pointer that was off.

''I had a lane and then I kind of lost the ball. When I lost it, I knew that they'd recover by then so it made me dribble it out,'' Wade said. ''We got the switch and I got a little step on Amare and I was about to go to my shot. I was about to go to my shot but I kind of fumbled the ball a little bit. I thought I got a good look. I thought it was going in. But it came up a little short.''

Stoudemire had surgery Wednesday to repair a muscle in his left hand and the Knicks had listed him as doubtful for Sunday, but he was back on the court during practice Friday and cleared to play in Game 4.

He was back in his usual spot as the last player introduced during starting lineups, getting a loud reception, and he quickly picked the Knicks up after their sluggish start.

''He's a good player. He's a great player honestly, and he gave them the spark that they needed,'' James said.

The Heat jumped to an 8-1 lead, holding the Knicks without a basket for almost four minutes to start the game. Then Stoudemire had three baskets in a 12-2 spurt to give the Knicks the lead, and they were up 20-18 after one following two free throws by Anthony with 7.3 seconds left.

The game then turned into a foul-fest, with 23 called in the second period. The Heat shot 19 free throws, making 14, while the Knicks were 8 of 9. Stoudemire and Chandler both went to the bench with their third fouls, but the Heat failed to pull away even after forcing the Knicks to miss their first six shots of the period while opening a 10-point lead.

Both teams shot 33 percent in the quarter, played at a glacial pace while the teams paraded to the free-throw line. Miami led 44-38 at halftime.

Miami led 51-40 before the Knicks' offense finally got going. Stoudemire made a jumper and converted a three-point play, Anthony made a layup, and Smith stole the ball and made a 3-pointer for a quick 10-0 run.

James missed and the ball was batted up ahead to Davis, who drove in with a chance to give the Knicks the lead. But his leg buckled near the foul line and he crumbled to the court, called for a travel. Concerned teammates quickly waved for help, and Davis was wheeled off the court.

But New York regrouped and surged into the lead, going up by six late in the period before taking a 64-61 advantage to the fourth. After making only 13 baskets in the first half, the Knicks shot 10 of 20 in the third, getting 11 points from Anthony.

FINAL: KNICKS 89 HEAT 87. Melo led the Knicks with 41 points and STAT had a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards. The Knicks will head to Miami for Game 5 on Wednesday.

at least naka isa, lol

Way to go Carmelo! :cheers:

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/689/086/143810994_crop_650x440.jpg?1336290707

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320506018

^^

I hope New York does the impossible and win at least one more! :lol:

Hmm, can the Celtics possibly beat the Heat? That's assuming that the 76ers don't pull off an upset.

Ang mahirap yung sa Lakers, can they get past OKC and the Spurs? Bugbog na sila pag dating ng Finals, which will be an advantage either for the Celtics or the Heat.

Hoping for another Lakers-Celtics match up, Celtics ako! :cheers:

But most likely, it's a Heat vs Spurs finals, bummer...

Makaka-isa pa NYK!!!

I don't like the SAS-MIA in the finals. Soooo booooriiiiiiiiing :nuts:

^^ Hehehe...Yup that will be nice if they can wouldn't it but I think it's wishful thinking to think our Knicks can beat the Heat in Miami no less. Knicks got their attention already and so the Heat will be more focused now and should win the next game. They won't let this series get away. Knicks also won a much needed moral victory already so wonder if J.Lin will actually get to play next game especially with Baron out. They really need a PG but then again why risk injury when they are not going to realistically win this series. Anyway let's hope for the best. Go Knicks! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Could Knicks Risk Further Injury to Long-Term Championship Hopes by Rushing Back Amare Stoudemire, Jeremy Lin?
by Ben Watanabe
http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/knicks_risk_further_injury_to_long_term_championship_hopes_by_rushing_back_amare_stoudemire_jeremy_lin/10737614

Even with that simple approach, the Knicks are toying with danger. They trotted out Amare Stoudemire, whose left hand was in pieces two days earlier, against the Heat on Sunday, and now they are talking about bringing back Jeremy Lin for Game 5 just a month after Lin had surgery on the meniscus in his left knee.

In a sense, the Knicks' staving off elimination on Sunday might have been the worst thing that could happen for them. Stoudemire's 20 points and 10 rebounds justified his return, although it was both laudable and cringe-worthy that he did so even though he could not even dribble with his heavily bandaged left hand. Regardless, Stoudemire is unlikely to jeopardize his career by playing through his injury, which looked gruesome but reportedly involved no nerve damage.

Lin's injury is another matter. An unofficial study done by me just now determined that every NBA career that ever ended prematurely was due to a knee injury (aside from that blip in the 1970s and '80s when there was that whole cocaine problem). The rash of freak knee injuries in these playoffs, including two that happened right in front of the Knicks' coaching and training staffs, have been further reminders that when it comes to that joint between the femur and the tibia, nothing is predictable.

When Lin had his surgery, the Knicks sort of floated the estimate that he could be back for the second round of the playoffs. The timeframe was understandable, if irresponsible. For one thing, it promoted optimism -- "Hey, we plan on making it to the second round!" -- at a time when the Knicks' qualification for the postseason at all was in doubt.

There is a funny thing about estimated recovery times, though. When a team states a player could return in four-to-six-weeks, fans and media members hear "four weeks." After two weeks, reporters start popping questions to team officials and fans begin calling into radio shows wondering if the player could make an early return, as though the faster, more optimistic four-week timetable were actually the baseline.

Lin might be as good as new, and an extra game or so might have no effect at all. Knee surgery is a lot less scary a proposition than it was as recently as 10 years ago. The estimated time it takes to get back on the court following some procedures has gradually decreased over the past few decades to "four to six weeks" from "never."

This is a matter of risk-reward. The risk for Lin (and Stoudemire) is that he aggravates the injury, causes irreversible damage and never again is effective as an NBA player. The reward is, at most, probably nothing more than pushing the Heat to an extra game in the series before bringing this schizophrenic Knicks season to an end.

One or two playoff games are probably not worth the tradeoff of a career's worth of games, both regular season and playoffs. Lin should be able to give the Knicks or some other team dozens of such games over the next few years, provided he can walk.

Hope Lakers already close their series by the next game para wala pa si Metta when they start playing OKC. Just that the longer it takes the Lakers to close the series with the Nuggets, the sooner Metta will be back for their 2nd round series with OKC. Guess I'm still sore at that Metta elbow to Harden's head which could have been really worse and could have prematurely ended the Thunder's play-off run. Thunder should atleast get a few games with a Metta-less Lakers man lang and even better kung makalamang na ang OKC before Metta gets back at baka manakit ulit ng Thunder player itong si Metta who we know is a head case, pati na itong si Bynum. Just that it will be such a travesty if the Lakers win this series by beating the Thunder via goon tactics (rather than playing tough) and not decided on who actually plays the best basketball. I'm choosing the Thunder over the Lakers and even over the Spurs para sana Thunder vs Heat for the NBA Title. Should be a good one and a definite Must see TV. Go Thunder! :banana: :banana: :banana:


Lakers' showdown with Thunder nears
Fox Sports
http://www.foxsportswest.com/05/07/12/Lakers-showdown-with-Thunder-nears/landing_lakers.html?blockID=724726&feedID=3707

The Lakers know their next opponent that is once they get past the Nuggets.

The 92-88 victory in the Lakers' Game 4 in Denver on Sunday night moved them one step away from the second round, where the Oklahoma City Thunder await.

Oklahoma City eliminated the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks 4-0 to earn the right to face the Denver-Lakers winner in the second round. If the Lakers advance, they'll run into Derek Fisher, who was traded in March to make lineup room and payroll savings as Ramon Sessions came in to play point guard.

Fisher was traded with a first-round pick to Houston for power forward Jordan Hill, who has moved ahead of Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy to be a key backup for the Lakers.

PBA FINALS GAME 7 Mark Barroca W/ Erika in Dug-out,Benjie Paras" Barroca ang kapal ng mukha" :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDANv7p_Flw&feature=related

erika padilla was so wet! and mark barocca was making tsansing!

NY Knicks working on contract extension for interim head coach Mike Woodson
Phil Jackson, John Calipari out of the picture as Woodson will return

BY FRANK ISOLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Monday, May 7, 2012, 11:39 PM
Updated: Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 3:00 AM
Mike Woodson is moving closer to having the interim tag removed from his job title.

The Knicks have initiated talks that would keep Woodson as the team’s head coach for the foreseeable future, the Daily News has learned. The talks are only in the preliminary stages but it is clear that Madison Square Garden management is convinced Woodson is the right man for the job and will not pursue either Phil Jackson or Kentucky head coach John Calipari.

Read more (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-knicks-working-contract-extension-interim-head-coach-mike-woodson-article-1.1074140)

^^
It looks like Mike Woodson will still be the head coach of the Knicks next season.

PBA FINALS GAME 7 Mark Barroca W/ Erika in Dug-out,Benjie Paras" Barroca ang kapal ng mukha" :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDANv7p_Flw&feature=related

Galing ni Barroca. :lol: Nagmukhangang playboy mansion. :lol:

Lin returning to face Heat would be... Linsane
Fox Sports
http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/05/07/12/Lin-returning-to-face-Heat-would-be-Lins/landing.html?blockID=725000&feedID=3801

Attempting to conjure Linsanity the Sequel as early as Wednesday night may not qualify for asylum consideration, but it does seem a bit nutty.

Desperation has a way of nudging otherwise prudent thinkers off the rails.

Checking in as our desperadoes are the New York Knicks, who are overdue to rotate the tires on their gurney. Since launching their playoff series with the second-seeded Miami Heat, the Knicks and their fans have witnessed a knee injury to rookie guard Iman Shumpert, a moment of five-alarm stupidity by glass-breaking Amar'e Stoudemire, and quite possibly the career ending knee destruction of veteran point guard Baron Davis.

The loss of Davis in Game 4 didn't prevent the Knicks from earning a stay of first-round execution, but they now sit at 1-3, going to Miami for Wednesday's Game 5 with Mike Bibby or even Toney Douglas (cough!) running the offense.

Here's the question: Should Jeremy Lin be available, is it really worth the risk to play him for a chance to win another?

In case you've dismissed Linsanity as quickly as it arrived to temporarily shake the NBA, please note that Jeremy had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee about a month ago. For the last few days, the unlikely savior of New York's mid-season has been slowly working toward a return that was predicted for a second round we didn't expect the Knicks to have.

And we still don't.

The bitter reality at hand co-stars those hesitant villains from Miami, who aren't likely to lose four in a row to a Knicks team with Davis, Lin or anyone else we can muster at point guard.

So, why risk it?

Before you begin banging your fist on the altar of loyalty, toughness and any other macho context that's easy for us to embrace, please note Lin wouldn't be the only risk-taker in this tricky situation. But we can start with him.

OK, since dribbling to glory after riding the end of three NBA benches, Lin finds himself without a contract for next season. Re-injuring the knee could absolutely kill his market value in this summer's free-agent derby.

Shouldn't we assume the Knicks' medical staff would never allow him to play if the knee wasn't completely ready for NBA-playoff-level competition? We'd like to believe it.

But even if he has their official okey-dokey, a month away from a basketball intensity he's never experienced could put him at conditioning, timing and balance deficits that could diminish the quality of his footwork and lead to injury.

Right, the risk for Lin -- a young player who hasn't made much (relative to his union brothers) loot in pro basketball -- is considerable. Putting the decision in the hands of a young player who's yet to make his playoff bones would be irresponsible. Lobbing the when-the-tough-get-going platitudes at the kid is a snap for those of us who don't have to live with the consequences.

Before visiting the flip side of the aforementioned risk-taking, please note that having Lin probably wouldn't do much to accelerate the Knicks' chances of winning anyway. Although they can't expect Carmelo Anthony to put 41 on LeBron James and Shane Battier again, New York will continue to run its offense through the superstar three man.

This means having a point guard with reasonable pick-and-roll viability isn't as important now as it was when 'Melo was injured and Stoudemire was out of the lineup for personal reasons. Yeah, Lin might pose more of a threat than Bibby or Douglas, but the former does maintain the capacity to knock in an open jumper created off an Anthony attack from the wing or elbow.

On the defensive end, getting down in an acceptable stance would be no hay ride after meniscus surgery. But Miami's offense doesn't provide many drive-and-kick opportunities for Mario Chalmers, so Lin's main task would be tracking him on spot-up chances.

Let's get back to the risky business.

In case you hadn't noticed, the Knicks are up to their eyeballs in big contracts. We've already established their lack of point-guard depth, so it stands to reason that this summer's shopping list would have that position at or near the top. Unless some other team is in the market for a pricey power forward who punches fire-alarm glass, using the mid-level exception seems like the best way to hire a point guard.

It had been presumed that Lin -- a restricted free agent -- would be the lead candidate. But while the Knicks can match another team's contract offer sheet, they don't possess his full Bird rights. Becoming a full Bird requires three years of service, and Lin was a waiver acquisition this season, setting his Bird status at zero.

Since he now would be one year on the Bird meter, the Knicks could only fork over 120 percent of the minimum, which may not be enough to match another team's offer. But they could find sufficient loot by reaching into their mid-level exception fund ($5 million).

Right, if Lin's knee crashes, the Knicks could allow him to limp into free agency and use the mid-level on someone else. But they'd run the risk of not finding a starting-quality point guard for 5 big ones. The drum beat for Steve Nash will be loud, for example, but will that be enough to lure him in?

The 2012 draft pool is low on point-guard talent, but the Knicks (Tracy McGrady trade with Houston) don't have a first-round pick this year.

Hey, the Knicks might be able to find another capable playmaker for $5 million, but there would be risk involved. And so would allowing Lin -- a player they know they probably can afford -- to take the floor against a Heat team that could have handled New York even with a completely healthy roster.

I don't know what his agent is saying, but the competitor in Lin probably wants to join the fight with his teammates.

Unfortunately, any measure of individual valor could jeopardize one option in the team's quest to sign a competent point guard before next season.

I just don't think the reward is worth the risk.

If the Knicks really want to win a title with their current core of players, they'll keep Jeremy Lin in street clothes for Game 5.

Heat get another chance to put Knicks away
By TIM REYNOLDS
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/heat-2nd-chance-put-knicks-204049408--nba.html

The game tape confirmed what was already obvious to the Miami Heat. Chances were wasted in Game 4 against the New York Knicks, long before the last play went awry.

So Monday and Tuesday, the Heat broke it all down.

And Game 5 brings a chance to show what they learned.

The Heat-Knicks Eastern Conference series resumes on Wednesday night, with Miami leading 3-1. No team has ever won the first three games of an NBA best-of-seven and failed to advance.

Still, New York is undeterred, even after losing two starting point guards in this series already. Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis are gone for the season, and the Knicks say Jeremy Lin will not return either, no matter how far the series with Miami goes.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/148899_375223039194795_100001213073002_1079339_806672984_n.jpg

:rofl:

Ginobili Ends Slump as Spurs Sweep Jazz 87-81

Manu Ginobili broke out of his shooting slump with 17 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to an 87-81 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night and a sweep of their first-round Western Conference series.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ginobili-ends-slump-spurs-sweep-jazz-87-81-16298783#.T6m43usticU

Pacers just beat the Magic and are now waiting for the Heat to take care of the Knicks to start their 2nd round match-up. Heat vs Pacers should be a good one.

Pacers beat the Magic 105-87
ESPN
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320508011

INDIANAPOLIS -- Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference series 4-1.

Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers, who trailed by two at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Magic 36-16 in the final 12 minutes.

It was Indiana's first series win since 2005 and its first clincher on its home court since the first round of the 2000 playoffs. The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round.

Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 27 points and made 5 of 8 3-pointers. Glen Davis, a thorn in Indiana's side throughout the series, scored 15 but made just 6 of 17 shots. The Magic made just 5 of 16 shots in the fourth quarter.

Report: Team USA receives extension on roster selection
ESPN.com news services
http://espn.go.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/7906974/report-jerry-colangelo-asks-receives-extension-roster-selection-usa-basketball-team

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo won't have to submit the 12-man roster for the men's Olympic basketball team until July 8, according to a USA Today report.

According to the report, Colangelo asked for and received an extension on selecting the final roster. The original deadline set by the U.S. Olympic Committee was June 18, but Colangelo will now have until July 8, two days after the start of training camp in Las Vegas.

The U.S. recently added college player of the year Anthony Davis and Oklahoma City's James Harden to its pool of finalists.

After losing Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose to their injury list, the Americans are back to 18 healthy players in the pool, allowing for a 12-man roster and six alternates.

Davis led Kentucky to the NCAA championship, winning the Most Outstanding Player award at the Final Four, and is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Harden, a guard, is one of the NBA's top sixth men.

The remaining healthy finalists are: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and Lamar Odom -- though Odom's status is quite uncertain after his poor season that resulted in the Dallas Mavericks deactivating him.

Pacers just beat the Magic and are now waiting for the Heat to take care of the Knicks to start their 2nd round match-up. Heat vs Pacers should be a good one.

Pacers beat the Magic 105-87
ESPN
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320508011

INDIANAPOLIS -- Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference series 4-1.

Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers, who trailed by two at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Magic 36-16 in the final 12 minutes.

It was Indiana's first series win since 2005 and its first clincher on its home court since the first round of the 2000 playoffs. The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round.

Jameer Nelson led Orlando with 27 points and made 5 of 8 3-pointers. Glen Davis, a thorn in Indiana's side throughout the series, scored 15 but made just 6 of 17 shots. The Magic made just 5 of 16 shots in the fourth quarter.

This could really trigger a Dwight Howard trade! :ohno:

I don't think so. Orlando's heart and soul is Dwight. The Magic had their chances, but they didn't capitalize.

Very prophetic - Lakers actually lost to the Nuggets despite Kobe's 43 pts.

Mike Brown - Lakers won't lose intentionally
ESPNLosAngeles.com
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7905954/2012-nba-playoffs-los-angeles-lakers-coach-mike-brown-calls-joke-lose-intentionally-return-metta-world-peace

There are two games remaining on Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace's seven-game suspension for his elbow that connected with Oklahoma City's James Harden, but coach Mike Brown called extending the series to get World Peace back for the next round "a joke."

The Lakers need just one more win to defeat the Denver Nuggets in their first-round playoff series and could close things out Tuesday in Game 5, but if the Lakers lose and beat the Nuggets in Games 6 or 7, World Peace would be available from the start of their Western Conference semifinals series against Oklahoma City.

By winning Game 5, World Peace would serve the final game of his suspension in the series opener against the Thunder, but the team would also earn itself a few days of rest as the series against the Thunder would not likely begin until Saturday or Sunday.

Would the Lakers actually be better off losing Game 5 and extending the series against Denver so that World Peace would be in the lineup to defend Kevin Durant from the jump in the Thunder series?

"Two guys told me that the Twitter world is suggesting that we do that," Brown said after shootaround on Tuesday. "That we lose (Game 5) so that we can extend the series to get Metta World Peace back. I'm not even going to answer that. To me, that's a joke. When they said that to me, I just laughed.

"No, if we can win the game, we're going to try to win the game. There's never been a time that I ever thought partially about losing a game for this to happen or that to happen. So, if Metta comes back in 10 games or if he comes back in one game, I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about tonight and who can play tonight and get the win tonight, period. Nothing else. But the Twitter world is worried about all that other stuff."

Intentionally tanking a game and heading back to Denver for a Game 6 would be a risky proposition. The Lakers are up 3-1 in the series, but have only outscored the Nuggets by eight total points (383 to 375) through those four games. Furthermore, the Lakers are just 2-2 at the Pepsi Center so far this season, splitting two games in the regular season as well as taking one out of two games on the road against the Nuggets in the postseason.

On the flip side, Brown was asked if he was placing any extra emphasis on Tuesday's Game 5 to close out the series as quickly as possible because the Thunder will be plenty rested heading into the Western Conference semifinals after sweeping the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend.

"I always think it's important to get rest, but again, I go back to, I don't care when we play, how we play, who we play, let's lace them up and play," Brown said. "So, yes, it is important to get rest if we can, but for me to say, 'Hey, let's go win this game so we can get rest,' I wouldn't do that. Let's go win this game because that's what we're supposed to do."

Looks like the Lakers will get Metta back by the time they face the Thunder, once they actually finish off the Nuggets of course. Guess the longer the Lakers take to end their series with the Nuggets the better for Perkins to buy some time to get well before the Thunder face the Lakers. This should be an exciting 2nd round match-up to watch.

Thunder's Perkins still day to day
Fox Sports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Kendrick-Perkins-still-day-to-day-for-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-Thunder-050812

Starting center Kendrick Perkins was held out of the Oklahoma City Thunder's practice Tuesday while getting treatment for a strained muscle in his right hip.

Coach Scott Brooks says Perkins is still considered day-to-day as he recovers from the injury suffered in the clinching Game 4 of Oklahoma City's first-round playoff sweep against Dallas. The Thunder won't start the Western Conference semifinals until at least Saturday.

Brooks says Perkins is ''going to do everything to put himself in a position to play. If that happens, great. If it doesn't, we have to make adjustments.''

Brooks says he won't have the final decision on whether Perkins plays. It'll be up to Perkins and the team's medical staff.

fukc yeah!.. bakit puro NBA playoffs updates dito. I want more Erica Padilla!!!

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/156525_372816142759482_201258846581880_1037260_610740119_n.jpg

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/photos/plog-content/images/basketball/b-meg-vs.-talk-n-text---april-292012/04292012_pba-04292012_bmeg_talkntext_pktb0685.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/319827_349457231775175_167281779992722_931096_1234238071_n.jpg

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg808/scaled.php?server=808&filename=utscr.jpg&res=iphone

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/417285_10150820249472837_819197836_12550000_1578116160_n.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e1/JamTy/erikapadilla2.jpg

http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg579/adibodi/Erika.jpg

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/photos/plog-content/images/basketball/b-meg-vs.-talk-n-text---may-062012/050612_pba-050612-tnt-bmeg-game6_pvp-211.jpg

^^ Sino po sha? Sorry :D

siya po ay atenista,nagbida sa iskol bukol bilang shraon, lumabas sa maraming tv series at ngayon ay AKTV-TV5 sports anchor, 40A ata ang bust niya

Once Again, Heat Dispose Of East Playoff Foe In 5
ESPN.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime

MIAMI -- Their Eastern Conference peers may not all consider them gentlemen -- some, in fact, think they're straight Hollywood -- but that's how the Miami Heat have handled the East playoffs.

Wednesday they completed their fourth straight so-called gentlemen's sweep of an Eastern playoff opponent, ousting the New York Knicks 4-1, since the core of the team came together last year. The Game 5 final was 106-84, meaning the Heat outscored the Knicks by 70 points during the series, all four of the wins coming by double digits.

All the proper things were said about it being a "hard-fought series" and it "wasn't easy," which means it was respectful. But it was not close and it hasn't been close for the Heat at least when playing within their own conference in the postseason.

The LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh era's tally in the Eastern Conference playoffs is now 16 wins and 4 losses.

And they will be heavily favored against their next opponent, the Indiana Pacers, a team they went 3-1 against during the regular season.

"We do not take this for granted," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We feel good about moving on and it will only get tougher from here."

That is true but it's not a total slight against the Knicks. From the start, New York never had a serious chance in this series despite their strong finish to the season, going 18-6 after Mike Woodson took over as coach.

Aside from injuries, the talent disparity was such that the Knicks needed to be firing on all cylinders but instead they were misfiring left and right. The roster makeup is something team's front office will have to take a serious look at during the offseason as they evaluate whether their mix has the potential to compete against a team like the Heat. But this was not a fair fight.

"We fought hard under tough circumstances," said Carmelo Anthony, who was mired in a shooting slump for series' first three games, killing the Knicks' chances further. "I'm not one to make excuses, we still went out there and competed."

In the end, that was all the Knicks had. Anthony didn't quit, he scored 35 points in Game 5 on 15-of-31 shooting after putting up 41 points in Game 4. Stoudemire didn't either, scoring 14 points before fouling out with his injured hand. But there was no way it was enough especially with J.R. Smith going 3-of-15 shooting. Smith shot 31 percent in the series, and having no assists despite supposedly filling in at point guard.

The Heat took some flak for letting Game 4 slip away in New York but their overall play showed why they remain the team to beat in the East. James, Wade and Bosh combined for 67 points in Game 5 and for the series they averaged 63.8 points a game on 50 percent shooting. Between the three, they averaged 23 trips to the foul line per game. Those types of numbers are going to be hard to overcome for any opponent.

This was against a Knicks team that had been playing strong defense over the last six weeks of the regular season. And they pretty much tore New York up, three times cresting 100 points. Wednesday the Heat racked up 20 fast-break points, the first time they have done that since April 13.

If the Heat and their three All-Stars continue to play at that level, there could more gentlemen's sweeps ahead. The Pacers boast more depth than the Knicks and have a frontcourt rotation that could pose the Heat, who prefer to play smaller, some issues.

"This next series for sure will feel like it's played in a cage rather than on a basketball court," Spoelstra said. "It'll be that physical."

The Pacers, however, will have to deal with a Heat team that's flexing its muscles. After looking just so-so coming down the stretch of the regular season, Miami's performance and numbers against New York resembled the dominating squad that was on display back in February. The Knicks, despite their bad breaks, couldn't help but be impressed.

"We were a little undermanned for one," Stoudemire said. "Two, Miami is a really good team."

^^ Too bad! I hope next year they will improve by having a much healthier line-up.

I don't think so. Orlando's heart and soul is Dwight. The Magic had their chances, but they didn't capitalize.

A 4-1 playoffs series lose is a very disappointing lose especially for one of the best centers in the league.

^^ Too bad! I hope next year they will improve by having a much healthier line-up.



A 4-1 playoffs series lose is a very disappointing lose especially for one of the best centers in the league.

what are you talking about? that center checked out even before the season starts AND he didnt even played in the playoffs because of back problems

There were some brillant games by that center this season, but overall, he looked liked not interested playing back there.

If Howard is not really interested in playing for the Magic anymore, he should just say so and not take the Magic hostage again for most of the season. I hope the Magic is able to get/force an answer out of Howard sooner rather than later this time around so that the Magic does not have to go through the same drama again which definitely hurt the team. Eitherway it is important for the Magic to move on ahead quickly from this so that they can have the time to better their team with or without Howard. Van Gundy is a very good coach so I would not be surprised if Van Gundy stays if ever Howard is traded but have to leave if Howard remains with the Magic.

In wake of Linsanity and the Knick's season, Lin in 'better place'
Fox Sports
http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/05/10/12/In-wake-of-Linsanity-Lin-in-better-place/landing.html?blockID=726614&feedID=3798

When Beatlemania hit New York in 1964, four lads from Liverpool relished it. When Linsanity arrived in the city 48 years later, Jeremy Lin was not that willing of a participant.

"Just not being able to go anywhere was difficult," the injured New York Knicks guard said in an interview with FOX Sports Florida before his team's 106-94 loss at Miami on Wednesday that ended their season. "I'm more of a private person so I get like nervous. It's kind of scary when I go out and people recognize me and stuff… It took some getting used to."

Unless you've been on a trek across Antarctica, you know Lin burst onto the scene out of nowhere and landed on consecutive Sports Illustrated covers in February. But much has settled down since then.

To start with, America's attention span is not very long these days. And Lin was sidelined March 24 for what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury.

Obviously, Lin hasn't liked being hurt. But he's had no problem with Linsanity subsiding.

"It's settled down," said Lin, whose Knicks fell 4-1 to the Heat in an East first-round series. "Not as much stuff going on, not getting pulled in as many different directions, and just learning how to say no, and learning how to weed people out and things like that. So I think I'm in a better place definitely. It's still a little hectic for me every day trying to figure things out."

Has it gotten to the point Lin at least can walk the streets in New York?

"Maybe," Lin said. "It depends if I put a hat on."

Lin, 23, had been hoping to at least add a playoff game to his remarkable season, having expressed optimism last week that his torn left meniscus would heal enough to perhaps get into Wednesday's Game 5. But he was ruled out Tuesday.

Lin told reporters after Wednesday morning's shootaround he was at about 85 percent. But he said before the game that perhaps he misspoke.

"I haven't touched a rim in six weeks, so I really can't jump right now the way I want to," said Lin, who averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists in 35 games for the Knicks this season but 18.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 games after he stunningly went from the end of the bench to a pivotal role. "So I don't even know if it's 85 percent. I probably shouldn't have said that. But I can't really jump or explode the way, even close to how I want to.

"If I could play right now on this, I don't think I'd be able to defend or go by people or attack the rim… I talked to the doctor Wednesday, I talked to the owner James Dolan, and they advised me not play right now."

Since the season now is over, Lin will have plenty of time to heal. He becomes a restricted free agent July 1, but said he wants to re-sign with the Knicks.

"Yeah, I'd love to. Yeah," Lin said. "This city and the organization have been great for me. They believed in me, so that's great."

Considering his improved play and the marketability of the Asian-American, a rival team might want to put a big offer down on Lin. But the rule for Lin's free-agent classification doesn't allow another team to offer more than the mid-level exception of about $5 million, and the Knicks would be able to match any amount.

"I haven't really looked into the rules yet," said the Harvard graduate who averaged 2.6 points last season as a Golden State rookie and this season is on a prorated minimum deal of $762,195. "I know it's complicated. So me and my agent (Roger Montgomery) are going to sit down after the season and figure it all out before July 1."

Adding to the intrigue, if the Knicks do not use their full mid-level exception to attract a free agent player, like point guard Steve Nash, and use it for Lin instead, then there wouldn't have any money to bring back current guard J.R. Smith if he were to opt out of contract and become a free agent. Smith might opt out because he could make more than his $2.5 million option on the open market.

But he couldn't make more with the Knicks if they use all their money to keep Lin. This despite the fact Smith says he wants to be back.

"Oh, yeah, I love New York," Smith said about remaining with the Knicks before adding he hasn't even thought about whether he will opt out.

Lin, though, is the Knicks' top priority. So it would be very surprising to see him in another uniform next season.

As for what uniform Lin might be wearing this summer, that remains to be seen. Lin said he would like to play for the Select Team, a group of young players who will scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team and who will remain Team USA candidates for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

"Yeah, I'd be interested," Lin said. "That would be cool, of course."

Lin said he hasn't heard from USA Basketball. While chairman Jerry Colangelo could not be reached Wednesday night, he wouldn't offer any names Tuesday other than DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan being locks for the team and Greg Monroe being a strong candidate.

Because he is of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, Lin could be a candidate to play for one of those national teams. He said both nations have reached out to him before. While China will play in the Olympics, Lin doesn't know if it's possible he could join that team in London.

"Probably after the season, we'll talk," Lin said regarding Chinese officials. "They'll come, if they want, they'll come and talk and I'll look at everything and make a decision."

Whichever country Lin might choose, he likely would have to remain with that one for the rest of his playing days. Lin did not want to give any pecking order among possible nations he could represent.

As for his representing the Knicks this season, Linsanity was like nothing the NBA ever has seen.

"Everywhere we went, we had sold-out crowds," New York center Josh Harrellson said. "A lot of Asian people would come just to watch Jeremy Lin play. That's probably the craziest thing I've ever seen is so many people just coming out to watch one guy."

Harrellson said the commotion has subsided since Lin got hurt but not as much as some might think.

"It's getting better (for Lin). He's up there on the popularity status with like Kobe Bryant and all them, where people want to meet him, people want to see him," Harrellson said. "He'll never have a normal lifestyle now. But it's definitely calmed down since when it first started."

If Lin remains in a popularity category with Bryant, he better keep that hat on when walking the streets of New York.

Amare already making his recruiting pitch for Steve Nash to sign with Knicks
Sporting News
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2012-05-10/steve-nash-amare-stoudemire-new-york-knicks-miami-heat-portland-trail-blazers#ixzz1uVQCZZJ9

Amare Stoudemire wants Steve Nash, his former teammate on the Phoenix Suns, to join him on the New York Knicks, and he’s not being shy about letting everybody know.

“Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve,” Stoudemire told the New York Daily News. “I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year.”

Steve Nash won a pair of MVPs with Amare Stoudemire riding shotgun in Phoenix.

The Knicks' point guard position was a game of musical chairs this season. Toney Douglas, with Baron Davis injured, began the season as the starter. Douglas was replaced by rookie Iman Shumpert seven games into the season. Then, Linsanity happened. When Jeremy Lin went down with a knee injury, Davis stepped in. Davis and Shumpert suffered serious knee injuries during the Knicks’ playoff series against the Heat, and fading veteran Mike Bibby got the call.

Lin’s expected to be back with the Knicks, but Nash—someone to whom Lin has been compared—would be welcomed with open arms.

Write the Daily News’ Frank Isola and Kevin Armstrong, “Ideally, the Knicks would have Nash as their starting point guard next season with Jeremy Lin serving as the understudy. The addition of the two-time MVP would go a long way toward making the partnership of Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony a successful one.”

Eventhough the Knicks no longer have Mike D’Antoni, who coached Nash for four years in Phoenix, as a sales chip, Nash spends part of his summers in New York and has “always been enamored with the idea of playing at Madison Square Garden,” the Daily News notes.

Is this a Linsult? Hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Actually Nash is better than Lin as of now and will really have better chances of making this Melo-Amare experiment actually work thereby increasing the Knick's chances of actually winning an NBA title. But he is 38 years old and probably not the Nash of old though still very competitive nonetheless. On the otherhand Lin is a rising star with alot of upside and a marketing goldmine for this Knicks organization. If Nash is open to coming to NY, Knicks need to make hard choices for next season. If because of the cap, the Knicks can't have both Lin and Nash, who would you pick? Personally being a Knicks fan above all else, I'd pick Nash.

Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash competing for Knicks' mid-level exception?
By Alex Raskin / NJ.com Knicks
http://www.nj.com/knicks/index.ssf/2012/05/jeremy_lin_steve_nash_competin.html

Jeremy Lin should expect to receive the Knicks' mid-level exception this summer, but Steve Nash, who lives in the city during the offseason, could present an intriguing obstacle.

There have been a lot of questions surrounding Jeremy Lin's future with the Knicks, and they didn't stop with the team's season-ending loss to the Heat in Miami on Wednesday night. New York's breakout star is a restricted free agent this summer and the team does not have his Larry Bird rights.

Fortunately for the Knicks, a clause in the collective bargaining agreement prevents other teams from offering Lin more than the mid-level exception this summer and since general manager Glen Grunwald can match any offer, it seems Lin won't be going anywhere.

That is, unless the Knicks want to use their MLE on someone else, say Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.

The rumors of Nash coming to the Knicks have been churning ever since he made New York City his offseason home. And now that's an unrestricted free agent, those rumors will only intensify.

But how long can the two-time MVP keep playing.

"I'd like to play for three more years," the 38-year-old Nash told the media last month, as quoted by Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWOLD. "I want to see what the best situation is for me. We'll see what happens."

One Knicks player would certainly be in favor of Nash coming to New York.

"Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve," Stoudemire told the New York Daily News. "I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year."

Stoudemire and Nash were an unstoppable pick-and-roll pair when they two played for former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix.

But is it more important to rekindle Stoudemire's chemistry with Nash or to build some chemistry between STAT and Lin?

The 24-year-old point guard is pretty good at the pick and roll himself, and given more time with Stoudemire, that pair could also form a potent offensive duo.

The problem is, the Knicks won't have any cap space this summer (nor do they have any draft picks for that matter, but that's another problem). And since it's unlikely Nash and Lin would be willing to split the MLE, something has to give.

"I'm definitely comfortable here," Lin said after Wednesday's loss, as quoted by Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I love playing in New York. I love the fans. They gave me the chance. They believed in me. That's why I'm here today. I owe a lot to this organization."

And then there's the issue of Lin's knee. He was almost able to return from a torn meniscus and a subsequent surgery to play in the Heat series, but ultimately described his knee as "85 percent," which is why he remained in street clothes.

That shouldn't affect his free agency, but the Daily News' Frank Isola openly questioned Lin's toughness in a Thursday-morning piece.

"They said I need to be able to just trust the knee and right now there's some tightness and soreness and I need to get that out obviously before I can be 100 percent," Lin said early Wednesday. "That's what we're doing, a lot of manual stuff, get everything out, all the stuff that doesn't need to be there...just trying to make it pain-free."

One-hundred percent? Don't NBA coaches always say that no player is 100 percent healthy at this time of year? Everyone is playing with aches and pains. Amar'e Stoudemire is playing despite suffering a herniated disc in late March as well as a self-inflicted cut on his left hand.

Isola went on to suggest that Lin sat because the team was more concerned with protecting its media darling, but that's not the kind of teammate other NBA players are looking for.

Nash already has a supporter in Stoudemire and a home in New York City. He could share the position and the MLE with Lin, which would obviously make the fans happy, but that's not realistic. Only one is going to get paid barring a major trade that would free up cap space. It's just a matter of whom.

WooHoo! Sana nga! This will also be good way to bring Philippine basketball talents into the NBA world! :banana: :banana: :banana:

MVP, Chot to meet with David Stern to discuss Sacramento Kings
InterAKTV - May 10, 2012
http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/mvp-chot-to-meet-with-david-stern-to-discuss-sacramento-kings

Filipino tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan and MVP Sports Foundation executive director Chot Reyes will be meeting with NBA commissioner David Stern to discuss a potential deal for the Sacramento Kings, a highly-placed source told InterAKTV on Thursday.

Pangilinan, who bankrolls Talk ‘N Text and Meralco in the PBA and serves as president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, has been linked to the Kings in the past. Rumors of his interest in the NBA franchise began in April last year, when the team was facing questions about its future in Sacramento. The Maloof family, however, denied interest in selling the franchise.

In March, the city announced that it had come to an agreement with the Kings owners and the NBA on a tentative deal that would provide for the construction on a new arena for the squad. In April, however, the Maloofs announced that it was backing out of the deal, before Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson announced that talks with the Kings owner were over, citing “irreconcilable” differences.

“The differences are too far apart. They could not be really overcome. We felt that this fair deal was something everyone was willing to agree to. But the economics for them was difficult,” Johnson told USA Today last month.

“Our differences are irreconcilable. We worked really hard. We did everything we said we would do and it still wasn’t enough.”

Stern expressed disappointment in the Maloof family’s decision to back out of the deal.

“The downtown proposal would not have required any upfront payment by the Kings’ ownership,” he told the Sacramento Bee.

“It was all the city ($255 million), AEG ($58 million) and the NBA (loan of $67 million plus a $7 million gift). Both loan and subsidy. All the parties stretched as far as they could.”

Business leaders based in Sacramento have asked the NBA to “strongly” encourage the Maloof family to sell the team, accusing the owners of negotiating in bad faith. NBA by-laws contain a provision to force owners to sell if it is in the “best interest of the league,” which potentially opens the door for a buyer for the team.

Pangilinan has steadily fostered NBA ties over the past year. He was the man mainly responsible for the SMART Ultimate All Star Weekend, which brough NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and Chris Paul, among others, to the Philippines for a series of exhibition games during the lockout. Reyes, who coaches Talk ‘N Text and is set to take over the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program, was the main point person for the negotiations of the Ultimate All-Star event and a key reason for its success.

Goodbye Bulls! 'till next season...

^^ Trade Jeremy Lin for Steve Nash when the latter signs with the New York Knicks as a free agent!

^^ Like Nash too. If Nash leaves Phoenix for another team, the two teams that will likely be courting hard for Nash's services will definitely be New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks (provided Mavs don't get to sign Deron Williams). If the Knicks lose out on Nash and end up with JLin, I wonder if the Knicks can actually get PG Jason Kidd on the cheap to play in NY and help mentor J.Lin while sharing PG duties? I'm still not convinced JLin is ready yet to be the primary PG for this Knicks team which is why I'd really rather spend the MLE to get Nash playing PG for the Knicks if they are really serious in making a play-off run and also increase their chances of actually winning an NBA title.

Like Nash too. If Nash leaves Phoenix for another team, the two teams that will likely be courting hard for Nash's services will definitely be New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks (provided Mavs don't get to sign Deron Williams). If the Knicks lose out on Nash and end up with JLin, I wonder if the Knicks can actually get PG Jason Kidd on the cheap to play in NY and help mentor J.Lin while sharing PG duties? I'm still not convinced JLin is ready yet to be the primary PG for this Knicks team which is why I'd really rather spend the MLE to get Nash playing PG for the Knicks if they are really serious in making a play-off run and also increase their chances of actually winning an NBA title.

Matanda na si Jason Kidd, he should retire! He already achieved his dream of winning an NBA title.

^^
Matanda na nga pero magaling parin maglaro lalo. :D They almost won game 4 because of JKidd. :D

^^ Yup and Nash is old too though still plays much better/younger than Kidd. Just that it's hard to be picky when the Knicks are handcuffed by the CAP. If the Knicks can't get Nash with the $5M MLE, then it's J.Lin at PG but can't be just him at point and who can they actually get on the cheap that can still make a difference? Besides Kidd is still head and above better than the Knicks' pg trio of Baron, Bibby & Douglas and would rather have Kidd and J.Lin at PG if the Knicks lose out on the Steve Nash sweepstakes.


Who Is The Better Free Agent PG - Jeremy Lin or Goran Dragic?
Bleacher Report
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1177033-nba-free-agency-2012-why-goran-dragic-is-a-better-free-agent-than-jeremy-lin#

In the battle that will soon become the NBA free-agency period, Goran Dragic trumps Linsanity and here's why.

Since Jeremy Lin's coming out party, a lot has transpired.

Lin tore cartilage in his left knee that has kept him off the court for nearly two months, the New York Knicks have struggled—to put it lightly—against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs and the point guard situation in general for orange and blue has been shot to hell.

Meanwhile, in Houston, Dragic finished the season for the Rockets with a coming out party of his own.

Dragic averaged 11.7 points, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season, all career highs. He was thrust into a more prominent role on the heels of injuries to Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry, and found a comfort zone in Kevin McHale's offense.

By comparison, the phenomenon that is Lin averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals per contest, taking New York, and the rest of the world, by storm.

Side by side, stat for stat, these two players bear a striking resemblance to one another. However, once we look past the numbers—gasp—we find a far more polished player in Dragic.

Not only is Dragic not rehabbing a left knee injury, but he is also more fundamentally sound.

One of the huge knocks on Lin has been his ball control. He navigates the court with such speed, yet fails to keep his dribble close enough to his body.

By doing that, the second-year point guard leaves himself not only vulnerable to wandering hands, but also to losing complete control as he takes his first step.

Dragic is just as agile, just as quick, yet he doesn't have the same weakness as Lin. He suffocates the ball on his approach, whether he's strolling up the floor or exploding into the paint, absorbing contact and finishing with more composure than Lin has yet to show.

In just 35 games this season, Lin turned the ball over five or more times on 13 different occasions. Dragic, in 66 games—almost double the action—accomplished the same unfortunate feat only seven times.

It's not an exact science, but the fact is, Dragic handles and protects the ball much better than Lin does.

Factor in Dragic's efficient shooting touch and matchable court vision, and you've found the more well-rounded offensive player.

And the same goes for the other side of the ball.

Lin has 10 pounds on Dragic, yet Houston's point man plays defense like a gazelle. He has great off-ball anticipation, knows when to fight over and when to go under screens and can defend outside his position.

Though Lin is a willing defender, he's reckless and tends to get beaten off the dribble. And after his first major surgery, who knows if he'll be able to make the sharp lateral movements required to defend opposing guards.

But if that's not enough, there's always experience and certainty to go on.

Dragic has been steadily improving and honing his skills for four years. Lin broke on to the scene almost overnight.

Does that render Lin any less impressive? Not at all, but with Dragic, potentially interested teams will see a player who has held his own for an extended period of time.

Dragic hasn't been turning heads his entire career, but he stepped up for an entire season, and almost helped lead the Rockets to a playoff berth in the talent-laden Western Conference.

What Lin did for the Knicks, for New York and for the world was, and remains, incredible. But he did it for half a season, against a favorable schedule, coming out the other end battered and with a flurry of question marks riding his back.

Dragic, though? He's less of a phenomenon and more a finely tuned project approaching completion.

While such players don't generate flashy headlines or extensive media coverage, they do take a lot of guesswork out of potential endeavors.

And after all, minimizing the risk and maximizing the return on an investment is what free agency is all about.

^^
Matanda na nga pero magaling parin maglaro lalo. :D They almost won game 4 because of JKidd. :D

What? The Thunder swept the Mavericks 4-0 due to their ageing line-up.

^^ Yup and Nash is old too though still plays much better/younger than Kidd. Just that it's hard to be picky when the Knicks are handcuffed by the CAP. If the Knicks can't get Nash with the $5M MLE, then it's J.Lin at PG but can't be just him at point and who can they actually get on the cheap that can still make a difference? Besides Kidd is still head and above better than the Knicks' pg trio of Baron, Bibby & Douglas and would rather have Kidd and J.Lin at PG if the Knicks lose out on the Steve Nash sweepstakes.

Jason Kidd is older than Steve Nash.

^^ By 1 year only. Kidd is 39 and Nash is 38. Well anyway it looks like we may have to scratch-out Steve Nash if Woodson get's his way, barring any Knicks trade of course being that the Knicks are already at the CAP. Question is who can they trade? Shump? Or will it be a blockbuster trade involving Amare or Melo? It will really be quite interesting to see what the Knicks will actually end up doing to make the team better than they are now.

If Woodson gets his way, Lin will be back with Knicks
Fox Sports / New York Post
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/knicks-mike-woodson-jeremy-lin-will-be-back-with-team-next-year-051012

Before the Miami Heat ended any chance Lin would return this season, the 24-year-old sensation spoke at Wednesday's shootaround, saying he loved playing in New York.

Lin, who played in 35 games this season, has been out since March 24 because of a knee injury. He averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists in his second year in the league.

However, he was unwilling to speculate about his future as a restricted free agent, saying, "You never know what happens in this business."

Well, Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson does.

"Will he be back? Absolutely! Jeremy's a big part of our team. The future is very bright for him," Woodson insisted Thursday, though he is not necessarily a lock to start.

"Will he start? Only time will tell," Woodson said. "He's had some success in our league where he's played at a high level, and he's done a lot of nice things for our ballclub.

There's still room for growth. He's still gotta learn the NBA game and what it's about and playing at a high level."

Lin, who first emerged playing under former coach Mike D'Antoni, played six games under Woodson before suffering the season-ending injury.


How teams contending for Jeremy Lin can make it hard for the Knicks
By Alex Raskin
http://www.nj.com/knicks/index.ssf/2012/05/knicks_links_nets_warriors_mav.html

Jeremy Lin began his career with the Golden State Warriors; and if his former team can take advantage of a loophole in the CBA, he might return there next season.

Jeremy Lin will become restricted free agent on July 1st, which means the Knicks can match any offer he receives, but nothing is ever that simple.

As we've discussed several times, the Gilbert Arenas clause prevents Lin from making over $5 million in the first year of his next contract and $5.225 million in the second year, which is why other teams won't be able to offer more than the mid-level exception.

Of course, there is a caveat to that rule, and even though the Knicks can match any offer, it makes Lin's return anything but definite.

In addition to listing the Lin's former team, the Golden State Warriors, as well as the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets as the point guard's top suitors this summer (according to sources), Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD also dug into the loophole which could allow competing teams to offer more than the MLE to the breakout star: "A team with salary cap space could make things interesting by increasing Lin’s salary in years three and four of his contract and paying him the average salary of the four-year deal. However, if the Knicks match a back-loaded offer, they’ll have to pay the actual salary that he’s due for each season.

That means if Brooklyn Nets offer Lin $12,628,613 and $13,146,387 in the final two years of his deal, they’ll have to pay him $9,000,000 per season. However, if New York matches, they’ll owe Lin $5,000,000 next season, $5,225,000 in year two and then $12,628,613 in 2013-14, when they already owe Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler $60,632,000. Matching Lin isn’t the no-brainer decision that some have made it out to be when you consider how much it could cost New York in two years."

Bwahaha stupid Lakers didn't finish off the Nuggets in game 5. Now Lakers lost to the Nuggets again in game 6! Series tied 3-3 with Game 7 back in LA. Lakers do look very beatable and have a feeling the Nuggets may just have enough to actually steal game 7 from the Lakers in LA! Whoever it is that ends up winning, the Thunder is waiting in round 2!

Nuggets dominate Kobe Bryant, Lakers to force Game 7
ESPN
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320510007

DENVER -- Ty Lawson scored 32 points, fellow spark plug Corey Brewer added 18 and the Denver Nuggets forced a Game 7 in their first-round playoff series with a dominating 113-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

The free-wheeling Nuggets are one win from running the lumbering Lakers right out of the playoffs. Game 7 in the Western Conference series is Saturday night at the Staples Center.

This will be the Nuggets' first all-or-nothing playoff game since losing to Utah in Game 7 of the 1994 conference semifinals.

Kobe Bryant followed his 43-point outburst in Game 5 with 31 points in 3 1/2 quarters despite a sour stomach that prevented him from attending the Lakers' morning shootaround and forced him to take intravenous fluids all day. He took a seat for good with Los Angeles down 101-73 with 7:52 remaining.

The younger but deeper Nuggets have won three of four since dropping the first two games in Los Angeles, and they did it by once again outrunning and outgunning their star-studded counterparts who prefer a half-court game and not the frenetic pace and pickup-game style employed by the Nuggets.

Lawson's 32 points were a career-playoff high, besting his old mark of 27 set last year.

Andrew Bynum pulled down 16 rebounds but made just 4 of 11 shots for 11 points, for the Lakers and Pau Gasol was just 1 of 10 from the field, finishing with three points and three rebounds.

The Nuggets got another great game from rookie Kenneth Faried, who provided even more energy with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller both had 12 points for Denver, which led 90-68 heading into the fourth quarter.

Brewer iced this one by scoring 11 straight points for Denver to start the fourth quarter, an array of dunks and jumpers that gave the Nuggets their biggest lead at 101-73 and forced the Lakers to throw in the towel and try to rest up Bryant, Bynum and Gasol for Game 7.

Bryant finished the first half with 19 points but he started out slowly and so did the Lakers, who fell behind 13-0 before Bryant scored more than 3 1/2 minutes into the game.

While the Lakers missed their first six shots, the Nuggets quickly set the tone. Lawson hit all four of his 3-pointers as the Nuggets raced to a 23-8 lead.

Lawson also scored 19 points in the first half, including half of the Nuggets' 30 first-quarter points -- matching his per-game scoring average in the playoffs. His basket at the halftime buzzer gave Denver a 54-45 lead after their 15-point cushion had been trimmed to four on Gasol's only basket, a hook shot that brought he Lakers within 47-43.

Bryant has a history of playing through pain in the playoffs and this season he toughed it out through several injuries, missing minimal time with a concussion, ankle and wrist ailments. Lakers coach Mike Brown said he is "amazed at his mental and physical toughness."

Bryant was lumbering a bit on defense, though, where he got away with several grabs in the first half. In the opening minutes of the third quarter, however, he was whistled for a flagrant foul after smacking Faried in the head while trying to prevent a fast-break basket.

That was during Denver's 9-0 run to start the second half, a spurt that doubled their nine-point halftime lead in less than 3 minutes and all but sapped whatever energy the Lakers had left.

Before long, the Pepsi Center was rocking in a blowout as Lawson scored basket after acrobatic basket and the "Beat L.A.!" chants grew ever louder.

Lawson's 3-pointer from the top of the circle at 1:22 made it 90-65.

Bynum, who irked the Nuggets by saying on the eve of Game 5 that "close-out games are actually kind of easy," was mum before this one, but the Nuggets were getting more mileage out of his insult with Lawson suggesting, "we'll probably just put that up again and pretend like we never heard it before."

Actually, the Nuggets found more motivation in something written in the Lakers' locker room after the game Tuesday night. Scribbled on the grease board was this message: "Flight. 3 pm. Pack for 3 games."

The next round will start in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have the home court to open the conference semifinals. Now the Lakers need to return to L.A. and figure out a way to slow down the Nuggets to order to make it to the matchup that seemingly everybody expected before the Nuggets turned this series into a dogfight.

What? The Thunder swept the Mavericks 4-0 due to their ageing line-up.





Was referring to JKidd. Not the team.

40A ata ang bust niya

Hanglake :D

^^ Too bad! I hope next year they will improve by having a much healthier line-up.

A 4-1 playoffs series lose is a very disappointing lose especially for one of the best centers in the league.

Hindi naman naglaro si Superman nung playoffs, masakit ang likod nya.

There were some brillant games by that center this season, but overall, he looked liked not interested playing back there.

If Howard is not really interested in playing for the Magic anymore, he should just say so and not take the Magic hostage again for most of the season. I hope the Magic is able to get/force an answer out of Howard sooner rather than later this time around so that the Magic does not have to go through the same drama again which definitely hurt the team. Eitherway it is important for the Magic to move on ahead quickly from this so that they can have the time to better their team with or without Howard. Van Gundy is a very good coach so I would not be surprised if Van Gundy stays if ever Howard is traded but have to leave if Howard remains with the Magic.

Dapat i-trade na ng Majic si Superman next season. Para hindi naman sila lugi pag naging free agent

Matanda na si Jason Kidd, he should retire! He already achieved his dream of winning an NBA title.

Yep, para sakin kumpleto na career ni Kidd. MVP lang ang hindi nya napalanunan.

OKC Thunder's James Harden wins 6th Man Of The Year Award.
ESPN
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7916436/oklahoma-city-thunder-james-harden-wins-nba-sixth-man-year-award

OKLAHOMA CITY- For James Harden, the notion that he could impact a game just as much off the bench as he would from the starting lineup didn't really click until he was forced to test it out.

When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded starters Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic to Boston in the middle of last season, it put Harden in a bigger role -- even if he still was the first player off the bench.

In his first season fully understanding the role, Harden ran away with the Sixth Man of the Year Award, earning 115 of the first-place votes equalling to 584 total points, followed by Lou Williams who came a distant second with 231 points.

"A lot more opportunities have come my way," Harden said Thursday after accepting the award. "All I did was just took advantage of them."

Harden led all bench players in scoring averaging 16.8 points on career-best 49 percent shooting this season, and he recorded his first career 40-point game last month in a win at Phoenix.

The bearded combo guard also became known in the final week of the regular season when he sustained a concussion while taking an elbow from the Los Angeles Lakers' Metta World Peace.

He recovered in time to return for the playoffs and was the star of the Thunder's fourth-quarter comeback to beat Dallas in the clinching Game 4 of their opening round sweep.

Although Harden is a bench player, coach Scott Brooks refers to him as his sixth starter and gives him the minutes a front-line player would normally get. His 31.4 minutes were second-most among reserves this season -- a touch less than Dallas' Jason Terry -- and more than about half the starters in the league.

"Most of the time in the second quarter and the fourth quarter, I'm out there with the starters finishing games," Harden said. "That came with that trust, from my rookie year to now, being out there in the fourth quarter, he's giving me the ball, letting me make plays."

Harden said his view on not starting is: "If we're winning championships, I have no problem."

That's not the way he felt after getting drafted third overall in 2009.

"At first, as a rookie, I didn't get it. I just thought I was going to go out there and score and just do all the other things that every other player thought," Harden said. "It took me three years to embrace that role."

Harden said everything changed after last season's trade deadline, when Green -- who had been the team's third option behind All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook -- and fellow starter Krstic were traded away for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

"At that point, he really understood that I have to be more of an all-around player, to have an impact," Brooks said.

Brooks decided to stick with defensive ace Thabo Sefolosha as his starting shooting guard this season, but he made sure Harden understood that his minutes would line up with the usual breaks for Durant and Westbrook and Harden could be the featured player during those stretches.

"You have an opportunity if you don't start to be the facilitator and to be a scorer and to do everything during those minutes that Russell and Kevin are on the bench getting their rest," Brooks told him.

"That's intriguing for James. He has six or seven minutes a half where he has to do everything -- keep the scoreboard moving and lead us on the defensive end."

Harden shined, increasing his scoring output from 12.2 points per game to 16.8, improving his shooting percentage in all areas and recording more assists in 62 games this season than he did in a full 82-game schedule a season earlier.

And now, he has something else to be known for besides his trademark beard and that elbow to the head he took from World Peace. The 22-year-old is the second-youngest player to win the Sixth Man Award and only the fifth of the 30 recipients to be 25 years old or younger.

"He has a great game and he has a cool look. His beard, that is a cool look," Brooks said. "I didn't like it at first but it's growing on me. I would never want him to shave it."

deserving naman si harden, best player ko nga siya na 3rd slinger spot

Dapat i-trade na ng Majic si Superman next season. Para hindi naman sila lugi pag naging free agent

^^
Kaya nga. Para hindi mangyari sa kanila ang nangyari sa Cavs.

Kobe Bryant let his Lakers feel his fury after stumbling into a Game 7
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kobe-bryant-will-let-lakers-feel-his-fury-after-stumbling-into-a-game-7.html;_ylt=Aq0YsbKO4FHQ_gghPScaGla8vLYF

DENVER – The bus purred, waiting to whisk these Los Angeles Lakers away to a most uncertain, most uneasy Game 7, and everyone waited for Kobe Bryant to climb aboard. He walked slowly, shoulders slumped, eyes empty. He promised to find the 7-foot salvation for his sixth championship on the trip home and implore Andrew Bynum to spare these Lakers the indignity of a colossal collapse.

"I'm going to tell Andrew he needs to play with a sense of urgency, a sense of desperation," Bryant told Yahoo! Sports late Thursday, later than he ever imagined he'd still be in this playoff series. "He's got to put himself at a fever pitch and elevate his game.

"I'm going to tell him the truth."

Andrew Bynum's spiritless play has Kobe Bryant concerned. Bynum's fortunate that Bryant didn't see the smile on his face as he left the showers and entered the losing locker room. He would've exploded. This is the immaturity of Bynum, the attitude that inspired him to mock the Denver Nuggets for being an easy out when the Lakers had them down 3-1. His arrogance, his indifference, has cost the Lakers.

Bryant cornered Pau Gasol in a private moment before boarding the bus and told him, too: Enough of the drifting, enough of the timidity, enough of the entitlement. Bleeping play, man. These Denver Nuggets are fearless and rugged and believing suddenly they can make this comeback complete on Saturday night in Staples Center. Bryant needed Gasol and Bynum on Thursday, needed them to be champions at the end of a day that had him puking for hours in his hotel room with a stomach flu.

"My room resembled a scene out of 'The Exorcist,' " Bryant said.

When this 113-96 vanquishing was over, Bryant had gone for 31 points and four bags of intravenous fluids. The Lakers needed Bynum and Gasol to play big, play forcefully, and the promise of this playoff series had dissolved into the disarray of last year's doomsday end in Dallas. The Lakers let the Nuggets get every shot they wanted on the floor – uncontested 3-pointers and drives to the basket.

As disgraces go, this had to rate as one of the worst in the modern Lakers playoff history. The Lakers had started out this series looking like championship contenders and now they're stumbling to the finish line, Bynum and Gasol reverting to the soft, lost souls of a season ago.

Between his news conference and the bus, Bryant balanced his anger with the back-to-back no-shows with some historical perspective. "We've been through this before," he said. "We went seven games with Houston when won the title in 2009, and we went the full five games with Sacramento when we won the title in 2000. I mean, against Houston, we got blown out in Game 6 and had to come home for Game 7. In that series, we struggled with inconsistency, with a lack of effort.

"So, I've seen this before."

In his mind, Bryant could still see a jagged journey to a championship, but that vision is so bleary now. This time, Bynum is no teenager and Gasol is no twentysomething still finding his way. They ought to know better, and yet they've let the Nuggets reshape the momentum of this series. Denver coach George Karl has been masterful in the way he's reengaged these Nuggets, the way he's sold a plan of victory to his players.

It won't be Mike Brown selling these Lakers on survival, but Bryant. His voice was scratchy late Thursday, his steps sluggish, but he had a full day to recover for Saturday night at Staples Center. The bus rumbled, his teammates slumped in seats, and it wouldn't be long until Bryant climbed the steps and joined them. Kobe Bryant was sick and tired and on his way to Andrew Bynum, on his way to a most uncertain, unsettling Game 7. Someone was going to catch hell, catch his wrath, and it promised to be a scene straight out of "The Exorcist."

lakers should learn how to win without kobe. They still have the likes of Gasol and Bynum.

Gasol and Bynum should dominate inside the paint if they want to go deep into the playoffs.

Hopefully Lakers will be able to compete better as a team with Metta back in time for game 7. This Lakers vs Nuggets elimination game should be a really good one. Do or die time... who wants it more. Have a bad feeling Lakers will be upset by the Nuggets who is very capable of stealing game 7 from this beatable looking Lakers.

Sessions will play a vital role on that laker team.

NBA says foul called incorrectly against Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-says-foul-called-incorrectly-222843308--nba.html;_ylt=Aq0l9nE5zDSgh82otN.aC8G8vLYF)
^^ Basketball mafia ang Atlanta :naughty:

AP Source: James wins 3rd NBA MVP award (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-james-wins-3rd-224708735--nba.html;_ylt=AoT8nXBNDuQd5o.H6I3zftu8vLYF)
^^ Not surprising for me. LBJ is on a mission this season: The Ring

^^ By 1 year only. Kidd is 39 and Nash is 38.

I was referring to veterancy in the NBA. When the Phoenix Suns drafted Steve Nash, Jason Kidd was the star point guard back then so Steve Nash was the underdog and had less playing time until he went to the Dallas Mavericks where he showcased his skills and talent.

If Howard is not really interested in playing for the Magic anymore, he should just say so and not take the Magic hostage again for most of the season. I hope the Magic is able to get/force an answer out of Howard sooner rather than later this time around so that the Magic does not have to go through the same drama again which definitely hurt the team. Eitherway it is important for the Magic to move on ahead quickly from this so that they can have the time to better their team with or without Howard. Van Gundy is a very good coach so I would not be surprised if Van Gundy stays if ever Howard is traded but have to leave if Howard remains with the Magic.

Trade Amare Stoudemire for Dwight Howard! :)

Di sana mag choke si LBJ ngayong playoffs :lol: Lalo na sa 4th quarter.

This MIA vs. IND will be a great treat for us fans. :D Meanwhile both LA Teams are in a do or die situation.:lol:

This MIA vs. IND will be a great treat for us fans. :D Meanwhile both LA Teams are in a do or die situation.:lol:

Masyado ako pissed off sa kanila. Llamado na nga e nagpapaka-dehado pa :nuts:

^^ Walang kwenta si Princess Gasoft at Bynum.

Kobe desperately wants that 6th ring, ito namang dalwa gusto na mag fishing

:lol: Siguradong sasabog si Kobe bukas. :D Pero di nya kaya mag-isa. magiging predictable yung offense nila kpag puru kobe nalang.

Trade Amare Stoudemire for Dwight Howard! :)

^^ You are joking Right? Naku ikaw naman di mangyayari yan. Only in our dreams... Hehehe... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wonder what happened to Rashard Lewis? Maybe Amare for Lewis is something Washington would do as their salaries are close but will the Knicks do it? Lewis can play 3 and Melo at 4. Anyway aside from Golden State's Biedrins and Jefferson trade for Amare I suggested before, the article below also suggested Mav's Matrix and Haywood trade for Amare and Magic's Hedo and Big Baby trade for Amare. Nothing exciting really. Only goes to show Amare does not have good trade value and maybe better for the Knicks just to keep him and sign Steve Nash to work his PG magic on making the the Melo-Amare experiment work. :cheers:


Will the Knicks ever find takers for Amare and his awful contract?
BigLeadSports.Com
http://www.bigleadsports.com/

The on-court incompatibilities of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire need no introduction at this point. The Knicks have played a season in experimental design, and through their involuntary toggling of variables due to numerous injuries, it’s become fairly clear that Anthony and Stoudemire are a problematic fit in terms of offensive flow and defensive coverage. They’re the two classified “stars,” designed to eventually take New York to the promised land, and yet they’ve thus far failed to mesh in any way that would suggest long-term success.

With that in mind, it’s worth considering if this core—of Anthony, Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler—should be broken up in anticipation of further troubles. Yet within that very notion is a certain subtext, if Anthony appears untouchable for some reason and Chandler is the key behind the Knicks’ defensive renaissance, then that makes the less than stellar Stoudemire the odd man out.

However the Knicks cannot use their amnesty on him – burned it on Billups – and so the Knicks will have to try and trade Stoudemire with one substantial caveat. Due to Stoudemire’s bloated contract (four years $81 million) and injuries (knees, hand, and back), he’s virtually untradeable at this point and even if there are takers nobody who trades for Amare can amnesty him either.

This sets the stage for a quandary in the big apple: How can the Knicks go about trading the untradeable or fixing the seemingly unfixable?

The Knicks will have to find a willing taker for the once-explosive power forward who can still score, but doesn’t really rebound or play much defense. That’s how you could describe Amare’s outlook for 2012-2013. Beyond that? Who knows how healthy he’ll be.

That being said … the Pacers were able to find a taker for Jermaine O’Neal’s bad contract. Once upon a time, the Sonics were able to unload Jim McIlvaine. Even the Bullets found a taker for Gilbert Arenas. Bad contracts can be dealt but one will not get fair value. Just look at what those teams got in return.

How then can the Knicks get a Stoudemire trade done? They have to be wiling to take on awful contracts and less talent in return. So let’s try to identify some of the worst contracts in the league right now (years and money INCLUDE THIS SEASON):

Joe Johnson, Atlanta (5 yrs, $107 million left)
Tyrus Thomas, Charlotte (4 yrs, $33 million left)
Carlos Boozer, Chicago (4 yrs, $60 million left)
Brendan Haywood, Dallas (4 yrs, $34 million left)
Andris Biedrins, Golden State (3 yrs, $27 million left)
Drew Gooden, Milwaukee (4 yrs, $26 million left)
Emeka Okafor, New Orleans (3 yrs, $40 million left)
Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando (3 yrs, $34 million left)

Safe to say we can cross Johnson off the list (regardless of what happens in the Boston series). Atlanta has Al Horford at power forward, anyway. Chicago may entertain some offers for Boozer to tinker with the nucleus, but my guess is they’ll not be doing anything too extreme and will just try to make another run with their deep team next year led by a healthy Derrick Rose.

Everyone else on that list? Trade bait. The question becomes just how badly does the Knicks want to rid themselves of Stoudemire? Would the Knicks want to take on one of those bad deals and pair it with another player's bad contract in order to get it done? If so then Biedrins and Jefferson to the Knicks for Stoudemire, though talent-wise they don’t match up. Same kind of deal can be done with Milwaukee.

Given Stoudemire's particular situation, the Knicks can hardly find anything realistically resembling an equitable trade salary and talent-wise for their fallen star.

However here’s the kind of pipe dream scenario that the Knicks can hope for: Deron Williams passes on Dallas and the Mavericks add Steve Nash as point guard. Remember how well Nash and Amare worked on the pick and roll? Mavs can offer New York, Brendan Haywood and Shawn Marion for Stoudemire. Mavs can then have the trio of Nash, Amare, and Dirk go have another run at a title.

Orlando has it's own moderately enticing trade scenario. What if Dwight Howard lobbied for Amare as his wingman? Would Orlando unload Hedo Turkoglu and Glen "Big Baby" Davis for Amare?

All this talk about trade possibilities will of course be premised upon the Knicks finally accepting that their Amare-Melo experiment is officially a bust and have chosen to get rid of Amare considering Melo was at his best playing power forward in April.

If somehow the stars align and the Knicks are able to pull a successful Stoudemire trade with either the Mavs or the Magic, the Knicks starting lineup will be Lin, Shumpert, Marion or Hedo, Melo and Chandler. Then you’ve got Jefferies, Fields, Novak, JR Smith and Big Baby or Haywood coming off the bench? Knicks just need another PG and they will be set. That team looks like a winning one. Now the Knicks just need to make it happen.

Not sure what's happening with this 2 Los Angeles teams. Like the Lakers, the Clippers also failed to close their series and now have to play a game 7 in Memphis no less. Have a feeling Grizzlies will win game 7 and will move on to meet the Spurs. Grizzlies vs Spurs will be a good match-up in round 2.

Things turn very serious for Clippers as Grizzlies force a game 7
ESPNLosAngeles.com
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7921986/it-all-turns-very-serious-los-angeles-clippers

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Paul and Blake Griffin sat on the dais after the game as they had done following every one of their home playoff games this month.

The mood, however, was distinctly different this time.

Long gone was Paul's son, Chris Jr., doing an impersonation of Griffin's facial expressions as he sat on Paul's lap, or Nick Young showing off his "swaggy" wardrobe or Griffin teasing a reporter with a thumbs-up for asking a good question.

Their postgame news conferences, held inside a cramped dressing room at Staples Center, which is normally used as the changing room for the Los Angeles Clippers' cheerleaders, had turned into their own little variety show during the playoffs.

It looked more like a wake Friday night.

Paul, followed by a late-arriving Griffin, stared blankly at the reporters and the cameras before them as they searched for words to describe the Clippers' 90-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 of their first-round series. The smiles after their Game 4 win Monday to give the Clippers a 3-1 series lead had been erased as they prepared for an early-morning flight back to Memphis for Game 7.

"We got to win. This is it," Paul said. "We could lose Game 5 and lose Game 6 and be OK. Game 7 is going to be exciting. It's going to be in Memphis, and we showed the ability to win there. It's going to be my second Game 7 ever and I can't wait. I'm going to leave it all out there."

There was no doubt Paul and Griffin would play in this game. If they were well enough to roll out of bed Friday morning, the Clippers' dynamic duo was going to be well enough to dress and start Game 6.

The question was never if they would play, but how effective they would be when they were on the court.

After all, the last time we saw Paul and Griffin, they were sitting on the bench as the Clippers were down by only six points with a minute remaining in Game 5. As much as they wanted to be on the floor, the sprained left knee Griffin suffered in the third quarter and strained right hip flexor Paul suffered in the fourth quarter made it impossible.

On Friday night, their injuries clearly made it impossible for them to play the way they had through the first five games of the series and that is what ultimately did the Clippers in late.

Both players were essentially robbed of the physical traits that make them the players they are. If you were counting on your hands the number of times Paul penetrated the paint to make a play or Griffin exploded to the basket for a dunk, you would have had to wait until late in the third quarter to get to your second hand.

In the first half, Griffin settled on jump shots instead of attacking the basket and Paul camped outside, essentially serving an off guard. Griffin's first dunk came midway through the third quarter and Paul was relegated to being spot-up shooter for much of the game as Eric Bledsoe ran the offense.

"I couldn't move as much as I'd liked to," Paul said. "So being at the 2 gave me an opportunity to get off the ball a little bit and not have to pressure [Mike] Conley as much."

Said Griffin: "We were both trying to feel it out. There were times where there's a move I think I could normally make but not in that instance, so I tried to get other people going and tried to move the ball and get on the move to help a little bit."

While Griffin and Paul were limited, the Clippers' second unit of Bledsoe, Reggie Evans, Kenyon Martin, Mo Williams and Young kept the Clippers in the game and looked as if they would propel them to only their second playoff series win since 1976. The tandem of Bledsoe and Martin did their best impersonations of Paul and Griffin for as long as they could, as they finished with a combined 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. The duo helped spark a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter that gave the Clippers a 76-68 lead with less than eight minutes left.

"They played great and we had an opportunity to really put them away," Paul said. "I think that's something that's going to play back in my head a lot."

It would take the Grizzlies less than two minutes to go on their own 10-0 run and retake the lead for good. As great as the players on Clippers' second unit have been this series in providing the team with a spark, they are there to start comebacks or build on leads, not to be closers. Paul and Griffin are the Clippers' closers, but they looked like shells of themselves as they came off the bench late to try to close out the win.

The Clippers' game plan late in games when it is close is essentially to give the ball to Paul and have him create something. With Paul unable to create, however, the Clippers looked like a team without a plan. Take, for example, Game 4, when Paul scored eight of the team's 14 points in overtime to lead the Clippers to the win. On Saturday, that playmaking ability was long gone.

During a crucial stretch with the score still tied, Paul lost the ball on back-to-back turnovers, was unable to convert a layup in the paint he would normally finish in his sleep and missed a free throw. By the time he fouled out of the game with 13.1 seconds left, the game was over.

In the fourth quarter, Paul and Griffin combined for just five points, two rebounds and no assists.

Paul and Griffin didn't use their injuries as an excuse after the game.

"It's tough, but nobody's 100 percent at this point in the season," Paul said. "I tried to suck it up and so did Blake. We still had an opportunity to win. This is not a one-man team or anything like that. I tried to help as much as possible."

The only ones intent on not having Paul and Griffin use their injuries as an excuse other than them were the Grizzlies players, many of whom acted as if they had no idea either player was injured.

"Everybody has something," Marc Gasol said. "Everybody has knee problems, ankle problems, groin problems, shoulder problems. It's been a very physical series and it's not going to get any softer, and everyone has something. If you see our locker room, everyone is icing something or more than one or two things."

Said Zach Randolph with a smile talking about Paul: "I didn't know he was hurt. He's hurt? I didn't know he was hurt. Everybody's hurt if that's the case. It's the playoffs, man. We're not looking for excuses. My knee's hurting and I'm out there playing. I'm not looking for no excuses, because it's the playoffs."

Both players smiled and proved they were hurting, too, by hopping on a cart to the Grizzlies' team bus after finishing their news conference.

While those smiles were devoid in the Clippers' locker room after the game, a smile did come over Paul's face when he was asked what time Sunday's game was and heard that it would be a high-noon showdown.

"Oh, it's a noon game, cool," Paul said. "Yeah, we can get in and get out."

Sounds like Magic is already dropping hints and warning Coach Brown - Win Game 7 or You're outta here! Have this bad feeling Nuggets will steal game 7 from Kobe and the Lakers. Actually would not mind seeing the Nuggets face the Thunder in round 2. That will be a great match-up between two fast rising teams in the West.

Magic: Mike Brown likely fired if Lakers lose to Denver
Yardbarker.com
http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/magic_johnson_mike_brown_will_be_fired_if_lakers_lose_to_denver/10775054

The Lakers are one game away from the unthinkable. Eliminated. Maybe Andrew Bynum shouldn’t have opened his mouth. But this is Andrew Bynum we’re talking about, and really, who knows what the hell is going on his cranium the last two years. Either way, his comments definitely struck a chord in the Denver locker room. They have been playing inspired ball ever since those presumptuous words left Bynum’s lips.

To think this may be perhaps Kobe’s last shot at really being the key component in winning a championship is almost sacrilegious. So someone is going to have to pay the consequences right? Well according to Magic Johnson, the Lakers brass will not tolerate them choking away a 3-1 series lead, that would include two losses at home.

“They’re going to run Mike Brown first out of town,” Johnson said as an ESPN NBA analyst Friday. “Then second will be [Andrew] Bynum. Then third will be [Pau] Gasol.”

When ESPN’s Chris Broussard expressed skepticism towards Johnson’s proclamation, Magic fired back saying:

“His job will go”

“The Lakers are about championships. That’s what the Lakers are about. If they lose this game, Mike Brown, I bet you, will not be sitting there next season.”

Magic, who still remains on the payroll as vice president, has made other claims throughout the years. There is no secret Magic is very outspoken when it comes to the Lakers performance. Magic Johnson ended by reiterating that coach Brown would be gone.

“Mike Brown will not be coaching the Lakers if they lose this game,” Johnson said. “There would be so much pressure on Jim Buss and the Laker organization to get rid of him.”

Should have promoted Brian Shaw in the first place.

si lebron daw MVP???? mha ulol taga nba......

si durant ang highest pointer at siya lang ang magaling.........

Kapag scoring champ MVP kagad? :lol: Pero para sakin 50-50. Either LBJ or KD.

-dp-

dahil ba ILLUMINATI si Lebron at si Durant ay hindi????
pwede pa si tony parker kasi number 1 sila sa NBA

Wow looks like the Knicks will be expecting alot out of Jeremy Lin next season if they will be investing their $5M MLE on him instead of trying to sign the likes of Steve Nash or even Goran Dragic who are both much better pointguards than J.Lin at this stage of Lin's career. Still think Lin is pretty raw a pointguard to be the annointed one to make the Knicks' Melo-Amare experiment work, much more lead the Knicks to an NBA title. I just don't see it. Knicks really need to do whatever ot takes to sign Nash. He is the difference maker and catalyst the Knicks need to get them to the next level. :cheers:

What Knicks can afford at point guard
New York Post

When interim coach Mike Woodson stopped short of anointing Jeremy Lin the Knicks' starting point guard for next season, he did so with a reason.

The Knicks have eyes on landing a veteran point guard to share the load and do not want to close the door on any point-guard recruits.

The Knicks have their list of capable point guards to pursue in free agency, which begins July 1, either for the veteran's minimum at about $1.4 million or their lower exception of $2 million.

Their $5 million mid-level exception is expected to go to Lin, 24, who not only adds another dimension to Woodson's sickly playoff offense but adds a boatload of cash to owner James Dolan's coffers.

The Knicks are helped because the market for mid-tier players is suppressed by the new collective bargaining agreement, and most teams already have their starting point guard.

Some of the lower priced veteran free agents include Derek Fisher, Gary Neal, Kirk Hinrich and Ramon Sessions while young free-agent point guards include Jannero Pargo, ex-Knick Raymond Felton and former Syracuse star Jonny Flynn, whom the Knicks staff likes.

Without any Knick's trade, Goran Dragic and Steve Nash are out of reach, and Andre Miller and Jameer Nelson also appear pie-in-the-sky.


Jeremy Lin or Steve Nash?
ESPN

News out of New York is that the NBA players' union is trying to seek Early Bird Rights for Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, which would basically enable the Knicks to still use their $5 million mid-level exception on another player but a verdict won't come for at least a couple of weeks.

As of now, the Knicks will enter free agency starting July 1 with a full mid-level exception to use for either Lin or Nash. Most likely that will be Lin, especially because Nash may demand more than $5 million per year.

ESPN New York's Ian Begley and Jared Zwerling debated who the Knicks should pursue more. Begley argued for Lin; Zwerling took Nash.

BEGLEY: LIN IS THE FUTURE

Nash can probably continue to play at an elite level into 2013-14, but what about three years down the line?

I only bring this up because, as currently constituted, I think the Knicks have a three-year window to compete at an elite level in the Eastern Conference. That's because New York's Big Three of Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are under contract for three years.

As I said in early April, assuming all three stay healthy (a huge assumption), that should give the Knicks' a three-year window to compete. Call me Linsane, but I see the Knicks having a greater chance to break through in Year 3 than they do in Year 1 or will in Year 2. And the biggest X-factor for the Knicks in pursuit of this title is at point guard.

Again, I'll go back to this point I made in April: If they sign Nash, they'll be heading into the 2013 playoffs (assuming they make them) with a 39-year-old point guard; of course, one that was second in the league in assists per game (10.7). So it would be a solid short-term investment. No argument there. But looking further into that three-year window, Nash's age becomes more of an issue. Only one point guard in NBA history has averaged more than five assists per game after age 39 (John Stockton in 2001-02 and '02-03).

So while Nash is playing at an extremely high level now, you have to wonder if he will decline in upcoming seasons. Lin, on the other hand, is just getting started. I think he gives the Knicks a better chance to win in that final year of the three-year window -- the one in which they should have the best chance to win. So go with Lin over Nash. The move will look Linsane now, but will make sense down the road.

ZWERLING: NOW MEANS NASH

Nash has already had one foot in New York City for several years. He owns an apartment in TriBeCa, hosts an annual summer soccer event for charity called the "Showdown in Chinatown" and has even trained with the Red Bulls.

In the offseason, Nash, an unrestricted free agent, should take one more step and become a permanent fixture in the Big Apple as a Knick, which would be a better on-the-court move for the team rather than re-signing Lin.

While Lin has potential and would mean increasing international business for the Knicks, Nash's talents and experience would give the team a better boost on the court.

The Knicks' marketing campaign goes by "You, Us, We, Now," and Nash represents that final word more than Lin. The team put most of the pieces together this past season to compete for a championship, but unfortunately injuries set them back a bit. Looking ahead, with the Knicks having arguably the league's best frontcourt in Anthony, Chandler and Stoudemire (Nash's former teammate in Phoenix, by the way) and key contributors off the bench, Nash is the best free agent available for the Knicks who can tie it all together, quickly and effectively.

Nash has already proven he can lead a team far in the playoffs with a deep and talented bunch around him. Out of the five times the Suns have been to the playoffs since 2004-05 -- the first season Nash was there -- they reached the Western Conference finals three times (two with Stoudemire).

To prove Nash's value, look at what he did this past season. With Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye and Marcin Gortat filling out the Suns' starting five, Nash led essentially a lottery team to a 33-33 record, and they had a chance to finish as the West's eighth seed. That accomplishment should've Nash in the MVP race. And he did it at the age of 38 with no signs of slowing down, averaging a double-double of 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game.

Nash has already said he's "not coming back to the Suns if there isn't improvement." Now, the three biggest hurdles facing the Knicks beyond their mid-level exception is: 1.) his former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni is gone; 2.) he could demand more $5 million; and 3.) Nash said he "would definitely listen" to an offer from the Heat.

Once again, it could come down to Knicks vs. Heat, but GM Glen Grunwald should make a big push for the two-time MVP.

si lebron daw MVP???? mha ulol taga nba......

si durant ang highest pointer at siya lang ang magaling.........

Kevin Durant should be the MVP because he lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs and swept the defending champions Dallas Mavericks in the 1st round. This is also a magnificent performance season for him! Lebron James have been to the playoffs several times but what is so special this season that made him the chosen MVP?

http://images.wikia.com/nba/images/a/af/Kevin_Durant.jpg

Wow looks like the Knicks will be expecting alot out of Jeremy Lin next season if they will be investing their $5M MLE on him instead of trying to sign the likes of Steve Nash or even Goran Dragic who are both much better pointguards than J.Lin at this stage of Lin's career. Still think Lin is pretty raw a pointguard to be the annointed one to make the Knicks' Melo-Amare experiment work, much more lead the Knicks to an NBA title. I just don't see it. Knicks really need to do whatever ot takes to sign Nash. He is the difference maker and catalyst the Knicks need to get them to the next level. :cheers:

What Knicks can afford at point guard
New York Post

When interim coach Mike Woodson stopped short of anointing Jeremy Lin the Knicks' starting point guard for next season, he did so with a reason.

The Knicks have eyes on landing a veteran point guard to share the load and do not want to close the door on any point-guard recruits.

The Knicks have their list of capable point guards to pursue in free agency, which begins July 1, either for the veteran's minimum at about $1.4 million or their lower exception of $2 million.

Their $5 million mid-level exception is expected to go to Lin, 24, who not only adds another dimension to Woodson's sickly playoff offense but adds a boatload of cash to owner James Dolan's coffers.

The Knicks are helped because the market for mid-tier players is suppressed by the new collective bargaining agreement, and most teams already have their starting point guard.

Some of the lower priced veteran free agents include Derek Fisher, Gary Neal, Kirk Hinrich and Ramon Sessions while young free-agent point guards include Jannero Pargo, ex-Knick Raymond Felton and former Syracuse star Jonny Flynn, whom the Knicks staff likes.

Without any Knick's trade, Goran Dragic and Steve Nash are out of reach, and Andre Miller and Jameer Nelson also appear pie-in-the-sky.

The New York Knicks should get Raymond Felton again. :cheers:

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.471621!/img/httpImage/image.jpg

Lakers win game 7. Lakers vs Thunder in round 2. Let's see if the other LA team wins as well. Clippers vs Grizzlies game 7 tomorrow.

Lakers win game 7. Lakers vs Thunder in round 2. Let's see if the other LA team wins as well. Clippers vs Grizzlies game 7 tomorrow.

The L.A. Lakers had a hard time winning against the Denver Nuggets therefore Oklahoma City Thunder will win their 2nd round series against them!

I hope it will be the young, emerging teams in the NBA West Playoffs Finals: Clippers vs. Thunder.

The L.A. Lakers had a hard time winning against the Denver Nuggets therefore Oklahoma City Thunder will win their 2nd round series against them!

I hope it will be the young, emerging teams in the NBA West Playoffs Finals: Clippers vs. Thunder.

if the lakers' performance against the nuggets is an indication, yes, the oklahoma thunder should win their upcoming series against kobe and company.

the nuggets just showed the thunders how to beat the lakers convincingly in games that the former beat the latter. those fresh young nuggets legs with their youthful speed have rattled the lakers transition defense time and again. with the young and extremely athletic westbrook manning the point guard spot for the thunders, LA is in for a big trouble at the offensive transition.

this is not to mention that durant himself is very fast at the running game and is a finisher. what should the lakers do is limit the thunders' running game and force them to play a half court game majority of the time. that shoud favor the lakers from the painted area where their big men in gasol and bynum could come up with set plays and crucial defensive rebounds to limit second chance points as well as big offensive rebounds. easier said than done, of course.

when the game is on the line on the league's biggest stage, the black mamba came through.

ZZJKg0uGYUA

This is the Playoffs. We know how Kobe's game changes from the regular season to this stage. I wouldn't count out them yet.

PBA ALL-STAR 2012

Veterans def. RSJ
176 - 144

Game MVP : James Yap - 44 pts. (new record)

ilang 3 pointers??

^^
James Yap made 7 three-pointers. 44 points rin si Dylan Ababou.

The 32-point margin marked the most lopsided in PBA history. The Veterans also set an all-time record in points scored, breaking the 163-point mark posted by the South team in an overtime win over the North.

320 total points, parang 1st or 2nd sa most points in pro-league

Clippers got lucky today that the Grizzlies can't get much of their shots to go down today. Clippers win game 7 as a result. Clippers vs Spurs in round 2. Clippers look very beatable imho so I'm going with the Spurs on this one. Picking the Thunder over the Lakers on the other one. In the East I'm picking the Celtics and the Heat.

Celtics and Heat won their respective first games in the 2nd round.

Clippers got lucky today that the Grizzlies can't get much of their shots to go down today. Clippers win game 7 as a result. Clippers vs Spurs in round 2. Clippers look very beatable imho so I'm going with the Spurs on this one. Picking the Thunder over the Lakers on the other one. In the East I'm picking the Celtics and the Heat.

lakers san antonio in western and heat vs boston in eastern

but in the, it will be lakers and celtics again.........

poor lebro james...............:lol::nuts::lol::ohno::ohno::ohno:

Lakers getting massacred by OKC right now in G1

92-63 current score,hahahahahaha

90-116 at less than 1 minute

boring series :lol: Mas exciting pa ata ang boston sixers series. :lol:

^^ Yup the Celtics vs 76ers series has been the most exciting one yet among the 2nd round match-ups with the Celtics winning game 1 by 1 point and now the 76ers winning game 2 by 1 point as well.

Wow grabe tambak ang Lakers! Thunder learned a thing or two from watching the Nuggets almost beat the Lakers. Thunder employed the Nuggets winning formula by also running and gunning most of the game which the old and tired looking Lakers simply could not hang with. Thunders didn't let the Lakers slow the game/pace down and get into their half court offense. Thunder is a better version of the Nuggets team which the Lakers barely beat and if the Thunder continue with this run and gun style of play, I think they'll have much success in beating this Lakers team. Lakers really look very beatable and who's weaknesses were exposed by the Nuggets in the 1st round and now by the Thunder in this lop-sided game. Thunder is for real and don't think the Lakers can beat them in this 2nd round series as long as the pace of the game is dictated by the Thunder's faster play. Run and gun is the best way to beat the LA Lakers. Keep it up Thunder! :banana: :banana: :banana:


George Karl: Thunder, Spurs real contenders that can beat the Heat
ESPN

Nuggets coach George Karl was on SiriusXM's Beyond the Brink Tuesday morning, saying he expects somebody will beat the Heat:

I think all season long everybody in basketball thought Oklahoma City was the best team in the west, but were they mature enough to show that? I think last night, I think everybody right now, I think it’s going to be a San Antonio-Oklahoma City thing.

San Antonio is playing with so much flow and rhythm and rhythmatic offense and their defense is not great but it is solid. It’s still a pretty good defensive team. Their offense is so in flow right now I love watching San Antonio play. And this is the time of year where there’s a separation and I’m not ready to sign the contract but I’m pretty sure Oklahoma City is a higher degree than everybody else right now, along with, probably, San Antonio. ...

I’m very prejudiced toward the west. I’ll be honest with you, I think this two teams can beat Miami.

But that’s just me.

And especially if Bosh is injured, that might be five or six teams in the West that can beat the Heat with Bosh hurt. And unfortunately I think people are conceding that Miami, even without Bosh, is going to win. And I don’t think that’s true.

malayo to mangyari, pero ayos sana kung LA vs LA sa W.Finals.. staples center series... di' pa nangyayari ang ganyan

Bill to naturalize NBA player JaVale McGee filed


MANILA, Philippines – Determined in his effort to help boost the country’s standing in the international stage, Rep. Robbie Puno has filed in Congress a bill seeking to grant NBA player JaVale McGee Filipino citizenship that will enable him to play for Smart Gilas Pilipinas.

Puno, the Antipolo District I representative in the Lower House, filed at 6:45 p.m. yesterday House Bill No. 6169 aimed at making the Denver Nugget center a naturalized Filipino.

Puno was the same lawmaker who worked for the naturalization of Marcus Douthit also through legislation (Republic Act 10148).

“This bill is in tune with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ new program maximizing the eligibility of a naturalized player, McGee being only 24 years old,” said Puno.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/05/15/12/bill-naturalize-nba-player-javale-mcgee-filed

malayo to mangyari, pero ayos sana kung LA vs LA sa W.Finals.. staples center series... di' pa nangyayari ang ganyan

Pwede sana to mangyari nung 2006, kung di lang pinabayaan ng Lakers yung 3-1 lead nila against Phoenix :nuts: :nuts:

wow,ang galing ng celtics-sixers game kanina,at ang galing ng thunder

Si Bowles nalang sana ang inaturalize nila.

With the Chris Bosh injury, LeBron gets the chance to prove he's a hero
FoxSports

Before I get to LeBron James and the matter of his sudden, if entirely undeserved good fortune, let me address the prevailing standard for on-court heroism in professional basketball.

That would be Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. With torn quadriceps, Willis Reed limped forth from the tunnel at Madison Square Garden, the applause rising with each hobbled step. Then he hit his first two shots, his only points that night.

It was inspirational, to be sure, though I’m not sure the magnificence of the image itself doesn’t overwhelm an even greater accomplishment. Clyde Frazier, then in his third season, had 36 points and 18 assists that night.

Let me offer an even better example, again, with no disrespect for Reed. Wednesday will mark the 32nd anniversary of Game 6 of the 1980 Finals between Philadelphia and Los Angeles. It’s incredible to think that a full season could end on May 16. Even more implausible, however, was the performance of Magic Johnson. He was a 20-year-old rookie jumping center for the greatest scorer in NBA history. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in Los Angeles, one wondered how the Lakers could make up for his numbers — he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.4 blocked shots that season — on the road. But Johnson, not known as a scorer, came away with 42 points (14 for 14 from the line), 15 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and the first of his five championship rings.

And so, in an admittedly roundabout way, I’m back to LeBron James. He is, as Magic was in his day, the most versatile and distinctive talent in basketball. His game doesn’t look like anyone else’s. It defies conventional characterization. He doesn’t even really have a position. I mean, he’s kind of a point guard but built like an NFL tight end, only bigger. But that’s not to say, as was often argued early in James’ career, that he’s a new and improved version of Magic Johnson. In existential terms, Johnson has an all but insurmountable lead. By James’ own recent admission, MVP awards are not the standard by which to judge him. Championships are. But after eight years in the league, LeBron James has yet to win his first.

Still, all is not lost for James, his entourage and their corporate sponsors. Rather, this second round of the playoffs could begin a grand transformation, a windfall for that which James holds most dear — his image.

It’s been almost two years since The Decision. Perhaps you think I should let it go already.

But, why?

The Chosen One. King James. LBJ. The monikers, like the expectations they engendered, didn’t come about organically. They didn’t originate with the fans. They weren’t even manufactured by the media. They come from James himself, along with the mercantile interests that have nurtured his narcissism since high school. He should own the expectations; he was the one who spoke of winning eight championships with the Heat.

That is, after all, why James signed in Miami, to win championships, right? He didn’t do it to be the Heat's savior and hero. He did it to make it easier. Problem is, dynasties aren’t supposed to be easy. And that’s why so many people still can’t stand the guy.

But this injury to Chris Bosh — out indefinitely because of an abdominal strain — could change that. It might not be good news for the Heat, but let’s be honest, it’s good for James. He wins a title as part of an ensemble, it’s only the first of many he was supposed to win. But without Bosh, James gets another chance. He can yet be as good as advertised. He can still play the hero.

Personally, I don’t think it’s too much to ask, him carrying Miami to the Finals, certainly not in a conference without Derrick Rose. Nor would I dare to compare Bosh with Jabbar or Willis Reed. But it’s not one game, either. James has a few weeks to work without the least important member of the Big Three.

Then, later this summer, he’ll compete for an Olympic gold medal, a souvenir that tends to do wonders for injured reputations. Think about it: James could get the MVP, the gold and a championship ring in the same year, a legitimately Jordanesque accomplishment.

Kobe's concession of athletic superiority to Thunder ominous sign for Lakers
Yahoo! Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kobe-bryant-s-concession-of-athletic-superiority-to-thunder-ominous-sign-for-lakers-.html;_ylt=Ar5Ltp5AJ6zr5agV6_WyL.C8vLYF

OKLAHOMA CITY – During Kobe Bryant's stroll out of Chesapeake Energy Arena, where the Oklahoma City Thunder throttled the Lakers 119-90 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Bryant put to rest the notion that fatigue played a factor in Monday night's blowout.

"We could have the same amount of rest and they can still play faster than we can," Bryant told Yahoo! Sports. "They can still jump higher. It's not going to make no difference."

Trouble is on the horizon for the Lakers and the schedule isn't offering any breaks and fatigued or not, the Lakers are never going to match the athleticism and speed of the Thunder.

Nuggets guards Ty Lawson and Andre Miller gave the Lakers problems in the first round, but they were warm-ups compared to the clinic Thunder guard Russell Westbrook put on Monday: 27 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and one turnover in 27 minutes.

As tough as Lakers forward Metta World Peace might be, 6-foot-9 forward Kevin Durant can shoot over him at any time and did just that, scoring 25 in 28 minutes.

The Thunder had 21 second-chance points and outscored the Lakers 13-0 on the fast break. Oklahoma City put the game out of reach with 39 points in the third quarter before giving its starters the rest of the night off.

After the final buzzer sounded, concerned Los Angeles big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were left sitting on the bench for several more minutes talking strategy.

When asked if the Lakers could guard the Thunder, an irritated Bryant sarcastically said, "No."

Bryant wasn't the only one good for a chuckle. "To be honest, I think we could play better," Durant said. "We could do a lot of things better, such as executing on the offensive end, helping each other out more on the defensive end and cutting down turnovers.

The Thunder had just four turnovers.

There's no letup for the Lakers: Game 2 is Wednesday while Games 3 and 4 will be on Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles. Coach Mike Brown said he will watch film with his players Tuesday and they won't do much from a physical standpoint in their afternoon practice.

"Obviously, the energy and freshness was going to be on their side," Gasol said. "That's why we have to come up with things out there to compensate. We have to give ourselves a chance somehow."

These aren't the inexperienced and pesky Thunder from two seasons ago that lost to the Lakers in a tough six-game series. Durant and Westbrook are All-Stars. Forward James Harden is the NBA's best scoring reserve. The Thunder have size in Kendrick Perkins – if his hip holds up – and Serge Ibaka.

This is why Kobe Bryant didn't think all the rest in the world could've stopped this. He offered hope, saying, "I've been through it before and our team has been through it before. We just have to make adjustments. They were obviously well prepared. They came in with a great strategy, great game plan. They executed every well. The chess move is on us now."

Not much time to rest.

Thunder Expose Lakers as Team Not Built for an NBA Title in 2012
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-expose-los-angeles-lakers-team-162700721--nba.html

Witnessing Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was like watching a little brother who learned he could finally out-muscle the big brother who had tormented him for many years.

It was merciless, it was vengeful, and it certainly wasn't pretty.

The Oklahoma City Thunder attacked relentlessly in a 119-90 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers as youth, speed, and talent overwhelmed them in every facet of the game. Interestingly enough, it wasn't lack of effort on the Lakers' part that was the sole reason for the lopsided defeat. Oklahoma City was just better -- in every way imaginable.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum each scored 20 points for the Lakers, but it wasn't nearly enough.

The Lakers were clearly underdogs going into the game, but by the second half, it appeared as if they too believed the odds-makers. There were no answers for Thunder guard Russell Westbrook early on. He finished with a game-high 27 points, and made the Lakers' defense look lethargic.

The problem for Los Angeles lies in the fact that the Lakers defense is slow when compared to the team speed of Oklahoma City. But they are also motivated. Those factors combined created a perfect storm of adversity for the purple and gold.

As if the Thunder weren't playing with a chip on their shoulder going into the game simply because of their desire to beat the famed Lakers, they also had NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to play for. He was the recipient of a horrendous elbow from Metta World Peace during the two teams' final matchup of the regular season.

If anyone thought the Lakers had a chance to win the series, Game 1 put those ideas to rest in 48 minutes. Furthermore, the Lakers have shown that even if they were to miraculously overcome the Thunder in a series, there is too much firepower among the remaining teams to compete with. The San Antonio Spurs will likely beat the Los Angeles Clippers, and that team has continuity, depth, and a team full of true professionals -- all areas in which the Lakers are lacking to some degree.

There are too many variables with respect to the Lakers that expose them to an early exit in the playoffs. Among the many are most prominently age, a new coaching staff, an offensively anemic bench, a volatile pair of seven-footers, and an aging superstar. Of particular significance is the fact that the team is arguably less talented than it was just a year ago after losing its own former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom.

The rest of the series will be worth watching, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Thunder make it a very short one. The Lakers have a major uphill climb ahead.

wag magsalita ng tapos oklahoma

:cheers:

Pacers defeat Heat 78-75:cheers:

Sana mag player-coach na si Kobe sa Game 2

Once again. LeChoke FTW! :lol:

Actually there were instances already during game 1 where they showed on TV the huddle during time-outs where Kobe was actually the one shouting out instructions.

I kinda liken the Lakers vs Thunder series with that of the Heat vs Pacers series where in the Pacers much like the Lakers can probably win some games but highly improbable they will actually win often enough to actually take the series. I just don't see it, barring any major injury of course. They fall in one of those quite possible but highly improbable kind of scenario. Tigin ko nga masmaganda pa chances ng 76ers beating the Celtics in their series than the Lakers beating the Thunder and the Pacers beating the Heat in their respective series. Spurs should have no problem dispatching the Clippers in their series judging by the way they are playing.

Btw Pacers win to even the series with the Heat 1 all while Spurs easily beat the Clippers to lead 1-0.

Once again. LeChoke FTW! :lol:

Another LeBron James Choke In The Clutch In The Playoffs
By Riley Schmitt
Yardbarker

LeBron James is by far the best player in the NBA today and his MVP award proves it. However, he has a nasty habit of failing to come through in the clutch and such moments were on display when the Miami Heat took on the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night. With a chance to give the Heat the lead with under a minute to go, LeBron bricked two free throws.

The Heat got the ball back down two with a chance to tie. Once again, it featured a LeBron James choke as he wanted no part of the possession. He did his best impression of hot potato as he kept shuffling the ball out of his hands. For all of the great moments that LeBron has, he has ones like this where he looks like a complete joke.

LeBron has had clutch moments in the past, but they are often overshadowed by moments like this. The Heat are injured, but they still should beat the Pacers. Come on, the Pacers really do not match up with the Heat well. The Heat should have no trouble holding serve at home. Too bad they dropped Game 2 and they just nuked their home court advantage.

If Miami wants to make a serious run for the title, LeBron has to figure these issues out soon. You can not play games with the best player in the league afraid to play in the clutch. It will lead to an early exit for Miami.

when the game is on the line on the league's biggest stage, the black mamba came through.

ZZJKg0uGYUA

Another LeBron James Choke In The Clutch In The Playoffs
By Riley Schmitt
Yardbarker

LeBron James is by far the best player in the NBA today and his MVP award proves it. However, he has a nasty habit of failing to come through in the clutch and such moments were on display when the Miami Heat took on the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night. With a chance to give the Heat the lead with under a minute to go, LeBron bricked two free throws.

The Heat got the ball back down two with a chance to tie. Once again, it featured a LeBron James choke as he wanted no part of the possession. He did his best impression of hot potato as he kept shuffling the ball out of his hands. For all of the great moments that LeBron has, he has ones like this where he looks like a complete joke.

LeBron has had clutch moments in the past, but they are often overshadowed by moments like this. The Heat are injured, but they still should beat the Pacers. Come on, the Pacers really do not match up with the Heat well. The Heat should have no trouble holding serve at home. Too bad they dropped Game 2 and they just nuked their home court advantage.

If Miami wants to make a serious run for the title, LeBron has to figure these issues out soon. You can not play games with the best player in the league afraid to play in the clutch. It will lead to an early exit for Miami.

and that my friends, is the difference between kobe and lebron! the former has an assassin's mentality when the game is close and on the line. never afraid to take the big shot.

Thunder Expose Lakers as Team Not Built for an NBA Title in 2012
Yahoo Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-expose-los-angeles-lakers-team-162700721--nba.html

Witnessing Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was like watching a little brother who learned he could finally out-muscle the big brother who had tormented him for many years.

It was merciless, it was vengeful, and it certainly wasn't pretty.

The Oklahoma City Thunder attacked relentlessly in a 119-90 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers as youth, speed, and talent overwhelmed them in every facet of the game. Interestingly enough, it wasn't lack of effort on the Lakers' part that was the sole reason for the lopsided defeat. Oklahoma City was just better -- in every way imaginable.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum each scored 20 points for the Lakers, but it wasn't nearly enough.

The Lakers were clearly underdogs going into the game, but by the second half, it appeared as if they too believed the odds-makers. There were no answers for Thunder guard Russell Westbrook early on. He finished with a game-high 27 points, and made the Lakers' defense look lethargic.

The problem for Los Angeles lies in the fact that the Lakers defense is slow when compared to the team speed of Oklahoma City. But they are also motivated. Those factors combined created a perfect storm of adversity for the purple and gold.

As if the Thunder weren't playing with a chip on their shoulder going into the game simply because of their desire to beat the famed Lakers, they also had NBA Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to play for. He was the recipient of a horrendous elbow from Metta World Peace during the two teams' final matchup of the regular season.

If anyone thought the Lakers had a chance to win the series, Game 1 put those ideas to rest in 48 minutes. Furthermore, the Lakers have shown that even if they were to miraculously overcome the Thunder in a series, there is too much firepower among the remaining teams to compete with. The San Antonio Spurs will likely beat the Los Angeles Clippers, and that team has continuity, depth, and a team full of true professionals -- all areas in which the Lakers are lacking to some degree.

There are too many variables with respect to the Lakers that expose them to an early exit in the playoffs. Among the many are most prominently age, a new coaching staff, an offensively anemic bench, a volatile pair of seven-footers, and an aging superstar. Of particular significance is the fact that the team is arguably less talented than it was just a year ago after losing its own former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom.

The rest of the series will be worth watching, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Thunder make it a very short one. The Lakers have a major uphill climb ahead.

napaka lopsided! the speed of oklahoma will gonna be the issue for the lakers for the whole series.

Napanood ko yung post-game wrap sa BTV, pinakita yung FT stat ni LeChoke nung 4th. 4/8? Yan ang MVP? Choking in the 4th? Sabi nya e, di nya deserve.

Once again. LeChoke FTW! :lol:
^^
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

^^ Durant should have really been named the MVP and not LeBron considering LeBron has already won it twice before but nothing to show for in terms of an NBA title. Really want to see the Thunder meet (and beat) the Heat in the Finals to show and prove Durant and not LeBron is more deserving of that MVP award. :cheers:

Kevin Durant presents “tired of 2nd place movement”
YardBarker
http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/kevin_durant_presents_tired_of_2nd_place_movement/10800410

After finishing second place to LeBron James in the MVP regular season race, Kevin Durant was expectedly disappointed. Since, anger is a secondary emotion all the Durantula can do now is let his anger pushed him towards leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a championship this season. Commenting on his plans to tear through the NBA playoffs with some vengeance, Durant recently stated, “I’ve been second since high school. Second draft pick. Second best player (in the country) in high school. Second in MVP voting twice. So I’m over that being second stuff.” The “tired of 2nd place movement” is officially launched.

Merong ngang nba meme na "you can have the MVP LeBron, but I'll take your ring" :D

Kailangan marealize ni LBJ na sooner or later he has to take the last shot, normal naman sumala e, pero in time he'll make it.

PS: Langya ka LBJ, galingan mo malaking pera mawawala sakin :lol:

^^ Hehehe... Heat all in (as in NBA Champs) ba pusta mo? I think meron konting pagkakahiyaan yang si LeBron and D.Wade as who will be the go to guy when the game is on the line and time running out. I think they just don't want to come across as "Bakaw" like Kobe is with the Lakers. I think they will both realize it in a hurry that it actually matters less who takes the shot as it is actually making the shot and winning the game. After all they are the Heat's 2 best players/scorers so it's only natural they should get the ball as time is running down. They just have to look at how the Thunder do it with Durant, Westbrook, and Harden - walang hiyaan pero di rin naman "Bakaw" - because they have confidence with one another. Yun nga lang LeBron does need to actually make the shot as well and not choke under pressure like what's been happening with him lately. LeBron needs to have the confidence that his shot will go down. D.Wade does not have that problem.


Wade made a huge sacrifice for LeBron with one goal in mind: an NBA championship
ESPN
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/7929717/nba-playoffs-wade-ultimate-sacrifice-lebron

Flat on his back after a post-practice shooting routine Friday, with his entire body behind the 3-point arc, Dwyane Wade starting flinging basketballs toward the rim.

A couple went in, but not enough to satisfy him, so he decided to sit up and sling overhead shots from that position.

Of his last five attempts, three went in.

All the while, LeBron James was facing a mob of media members to discuss the emboldened Pacers and their newfound trash-talking ways.

When it was Wade's turn to face the microphones, LeBron chose to take that spot behind the three-point line and tried to match his pal's mark.

"How many you make?" LeBron asked.

"Three out of five," Wade said.

"I got that," LeBron responded.

Competition. Always a competition. Even between these two, the most talented teammates in the NBA, it's never OK to be second best.

Frankly, that's what much of the world thought their experience as teammates would be, two players with seemingly limitless potential trying to match each other on the floor, neither one willing to accept the Scottie Pippen role. Just a couple of Jordans trying to make it work. And for the most part, throughout Year 1 together, it was exactly that. They weren't trying to one-up each other, but the Jordan approach was all they knew, so they stuck to it, even if they said it wasn't intentional.

And then, just like that, it wasn't anymore.

It was early January, just a couple of weeks into this rushed and compact NBA season, as Wade was nursing a foot injury and watching James dominate without him, that the oldest member of the Super Friends decided he didn't have to be that super -- at least not by statistical standards.

Wade knew the "let's take turns dominating" approach got them within two wins of an NBA title. But what he saw from the bench in the early part of the season, he thought, was even better.

LeBron looked like the two-time MVP he was in Cleveland. Only, frighteningly enough, even more efficient.

It was 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds against New Jersey. Then 33, 10 and five against the Spurs. And 31, eight and eight against the Lakers. And there were more just like that. If LeBron could do that while dominating the ball, Wade thought, why exactly is it necessary for him to get equal touches?

There wasn't a good answer.

So Wade gave in. He fought off his ego and decided he'd take the supporting role in this potential blockbuster flick.

He told LeBron to play like the MVP he was.

And whaddya know? LeBron's MVP again.

"I just had some time to sit back and think a lot," Wade said. "I just realized what we're playing for, and what I'm playing for.

"LeBron is probably the most talented player we've seen in a while, but how good can we be? Are we going to be good if me and him are both scoring 27 a night? Yeah, we're gonna be good, but it would be too much, 'OK, it's your turn, now it's your turn.'

"I wanted to give him the opportunity where he didn't have to think about that. It's kind of like I told him, 'Listen, I'll find my way. Don't worry about me. I'll be there. But you go out and be the player that we want you to be.'"

It's not as if Wade ever truly fought the idea of handing the reins of the Heat franchise to LeBron.

But this team, this town, was all Wade's for seven years, so he knew no other way. There was a sense in South Florida that LeBron was coming to join Wade's party, Wade's family, and it would be presumptuous and rude of LeBron to assume a greater role.

So they essentially took turns doing what they knew best. There were times when it looked fluid. But there were other times, even deep into the playoffs, when they still looked like two superb talents waiting for their turn at-bat.

"I thought me and him did a good job of trying to communicate and talk, but it was still unnatural because we're both so used to it being our show," Wade said.

And it was all OK, because despite some sensationalized bumps along the way, the Heat made it to the NBA Finals and twice held a lead in the series.

But the surprising collapse that followed brought to light the inefficiency of that strategy. If this union were going to work to its full potential, it would require someone understanding how it could.

For Wade, that meant understanding LeBron a whole lot better.

It was during those Finals that Wade started the process, even if that wasn't his intention. It remains one of the standout moments of that series, in the final minutes of Game 3 in Dallas -- a game the Heat would go on to win -- when Wade looked to be scolding LeBron for not being aggressive enough, for giving in to a slump he'd found himself in and not trying hard enough to make a difference in the game.

It might have been the first time LeBron had ever been treated like that by a teammate, at least in that public a setting. And maybe he didn't like it much. He certainly never managed to shake that inexplicable mental fog he was in through the final four games of the series. But all Wade was doing was trying to get a reaction from his teammate. Trying to convince him he was too good to submit to a funk, or a fear, or whatever it was that had taken control of LeBron at that point.

"I don't remember what I said to him, but I know my message I was trying to get across," Wade said. "I know the game of basketball, and I know the ball doesn't go in the way you want it to all the time and your rhythm might be a little messed up. But the one thing that I was trying to get from him was for him to make some kind of game-changing plays, because he's so gifted. I was just trying to beat it in his head as much as I could at that time.

"I don't know if he's ever had anyone really be on him like that, or confident enough that they could say something to him. I think he appreciated it later, and I think that's why our relationship now is so much stronger."

If James did indeed appreciate that tongue-lashing after the fact, it's in large part because Wade began to understand LeBron better.

They'd been friends for years, but Wade never truly recognized the stresses that come with being LeBron James.

The brutal heckling. The constant criticism. The intense pressure.

"I read Twitter," Wade said. "When I turn on the TV, I know everything comes back to LeBron James being a punch line. It's just everything that piles up, and I'm like, 'How does he deal with it without having, really, someone who can be his outlet?' I'm the closest thing to his outlet, and sometimes I don't get it."

So Wade's goal became simple. Make LeBron comfortable.

If he doesn't have a safe place within his own team, where would he find one? And you know what makes LeBron comfortable? Dominating on the basketball court. Not waiting his turn to dominate. Just doing it as often as possible. Putting up MVP performances.

The moment of clarity Wade had in early January would help make LeBron completely relax. Even after LeBron insisted coming into the season that he was a new, improved man, it would still take Wade's concession to make LeBron really feel like himself in Miami.

"I see the way he fixes his jersey, the way he lays everything out before a game. He's the most mental athlete I've ever seen," Wade said, meaning of course that LeBron was cerebral and maybe a little obsessive, but not insane.

"I didn't want to be a part of messing with his mental at all. I wanted to ease it."

For Wade, that meant less touches. That meant finding a rhythm in his midrange game would be significantly more difficult. That meant a drop in scoring. But all for the right cause.

"It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do in sports was to, in a sense, take a step back," Wade said. "A lot of people don't understand. They'll say, 'Why would you do that?' To me, I want more success from winning. I don't want another scoring title. I'm just trying to win.

"I felt that it had to come from nobody but me, to say, 'Go ahead, man. You're the best player in the world. We'll follow your lead.' Once I said that, I thought he kind of exhaled a little bit."

That MVP trophy LeBron hoisted in front of the AmericanAirlines Arena crowd on Sunday was the most significant evidence yet that Wade took the proper route by stepping back. But it won't be officially confirmed until both are posing beside the Larry O'Brien trophy as champions. Because Wade's unselfish act wasn't just about helping LeBron get another MVP or his first championship. There was, of course, a selfish element.

For all the discussion about LeBron starting his ring collection, or Kobe Bryant matching MJ with his sixth, or even Tim Duncan getting a fifth, Wade has certain goals for himself, too. He has his own legacy to leave.

"Me, personally, I've always told myself, if I can win three championships, if I can retire with at least three, then I've had an unbelievable career," he said. "If I were to retire right now with one, I've done more than a lot of players before me. But I've always said to myself, if I can get three total, I've done all right for myself."

For that to happen, it'll require LeBron to be at his best for the remainder of these playoffs -- a truth made more obvious now that Chris Bosh's abdominal injury makes his availability a question mark.

And yes, that includes the Finals, should the Heat reach that point again.

"I think he'll be different," Wade said. "Who knows what that difference is going to be. We all hope it's just that monster LeBron. But we'll see.

"I'm very confident he's a different player than he was last year and he'll have a different mentality if he gets back to the Finals this year."

If Wade's ego needs a boost after settling for the sidekick role, he can be encouraged to know he played a significant part in turning LeBron into who he's been this season.

Or he can just point to that impromptu shooting contest they played Friday. Wade hit 3 of 5 seated 3-pointers. LeBron managed only one. In that setting, it's OK that they're still in competition with each other.

^^ Wade really made a huge sacrifice for LBJ.

Kung mag LeChoke na naman si Shames, gusto ko SAS-BOS sa Finals. Grabe mga lolo maglaro ngayon.

===

OKC wins over LAL 77-75

OKC leads series 2-0

FEAR THE BEARD! :lol:

The Heat cannot win a championship with CB sidelined. Not unless 'bron plays like how Tim Duncan played in the 2002-2003 season.

Kung mag LeChoke na naman si Shames, gusto ko SAS-BOS sa Finals. Grabe mga lolo maglaro ngayon.

P*cha :nuts: That would be a boring series :nuts:

Lakers cave late, fall into 0-2 hole vs. Thunder
FoxSports
http://www.foxsportswest.com/05/17/12/Lakers-cave-late-fall-into-0-2-hole-vs-T/landing_lakers.html?blockID=730570&feedID=3707

Even down late, the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing that they are never out.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. The Thunder were also seven down with 2 minutes left in Game 1 against defending NBA champion Dallas in the first round.

"They won't quit. That's not in their DNA," coach Scott Brooks said. "They're not wired that way and if they were, they wouldn't be here. We're not going to win every game but we're going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight.

Oklahoma City takes a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers' last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise's days in Seattle.

"It's not good. I don't think anybody's happy in there (in the locker room)," coach Mike Brown said. "We felt like we let one slip away."



Kobe Bryant's late mistakes doom Lakers in their Game 2 loss to Thunder
Yahoo! Sports
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--kobe-bryant-s-late-mistakes-doom-lakers-in-game-2-loss-to-thunder.html;_ylt=A0PDlMwnYbVPyHAAlwO8vLYF

OKLAHOMA CITY – There would be no mea culpa from Kobe Bryant on this night. No put-it-on-me. No admission of guilt, acceptance of responsibility or credible explanation for his role in the Los Angeles Lakers' stunning Game 2 collapse at the feet of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Instead, Bryant hemmed and hawed about how Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook surprised the Lakers with their risk-taking. "It was a little unconventional," he said, as if he'd never seen a desperate defender step into a passing lane.

Bryant talked about how the Lakers' decision to pound the ball inside to Andrew Bynum left him too far from the basket and with too little time on the shot clock. "I tried to create something, and it just didn't work out," he said, and while there's some truth in that, he has a portfolio packed with 17 years of far more difficult shots.

Bryant gave only hollow excuses, ignoring the obvious: He coughed up this game, allowing the Lakers to somehow waste a seven-point lead in the final 128 seconds. He lost a pass to Durant, let another go through his hands, missed a 3-pointer and had a shot thrown back by James Harden. It was two minutes, eight seconds of chaos, one blunder after another. Never has Bryant looked so clumsy – so mortal – in such a big moment.

"I was surprised," Lakers coach Mike Brown said.

Afterward, Bryant and Brown both rued the final opportunity that never came Kobe's way. With 5.7 seconds left and Metta World Peace inbounding, the Lakers set a flare screen for Bryant. Bryant said he sprung open in the middle of the lane. Brown agreed. World Peace instead swung the ball to Steve Blake, who was standing alone in the corner. As Blake's shot clanged off the back of the rim and into the hands of Thabo Sefolosha, Kobe swung his fist in disgust. In truth, the game should have never come down to that play.

"We're better than Santa Claus," Bynum would later say. "We gave them a gift."

Bryant's competitiveness allows him to concede nothing, and that's fine. He never does mea culpas, and he wasn't going to start now. His stubbornness, selfishness, has made him one of the greatest ever. But deep down, with the Lakers flying home in an 0-2 hole, their season pushed to the edge of the cliff, Bryant knows the truth.

This is on him now.

The Lakers can hope Bynum becomes more efficient, more consistent, but he's not the problem in this series. Ramon Sessions is the lost soul. Bryant has ridden Sessions hard in practice during these playoffs, and for good reason: The Lakers thought they were acquiring the athletic playmaker they've long needed, enough to make Derek Fisher expendable. So far, it appears, they've given Kobe another Smush Parker.

The rest of the Lakers' role players are what they are: adequate on some nights, not adequate enough on others. If anyone is going to pull the Lakers back into the series, it will have to be Bryant. He hasn't played up to his standard in the first two games – and really hasn't looked the same since gutting through his stomach sickness in the Lakers' Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Bryant chided his teammates for not matching his competitiveness in that game. On this night, he deserved the blame. He hit a flurry of shots to steady the Lakers in the second half, but missed 16 of 25 overall, including all six of his 3-pointers. He's shot poorly before, but to give away a game?

"Stuff happens," Brown said. "He'll regroup and we'll all regroup."

The Lakers played well enough defensively to win, corralling Westbrook and turning Durant into a facilitator for long stretches of the game. The Thunder's frustration showed: After Serge Ibaka and Westbrook barked at each other on the sideline, Westbrook spiked a water bottle onto the court then walked away from the team's huddle. The young Thunder looked ready to crack.

Instead, Bryant gave Durant the only opening he needed. Fisher lined up alongside Bryant for all those years, all those playoff battles. Now with the Thunder, Fisher wasn't ready to pass judgment on his old teammate's struggles.

"I think he does about the best job of anybody in the league at putting his team in position to win," Fisher said. "The best players in the world are not going to be perfect."

Fisher understood what could await the Thunder when they walk into the Staples Center on Friday night. Never had Bryant looked so fallible, and never will he be more motivated.

Wednesday night had bled into Thursday morning, as Kobe made the walk to the Lakers' bus. He'd never admit it, but he knew he gave away this game. He also knows it's up to him to take back the series.

Heat regroup, heading to take on confident Pacers
FoxSports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/Heat-regroup-heading-to-take-on-confident-Pacers-40278303

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were not carrying ''Help Wanted'' signs around the Miami Heat practice floor on Wednesday. The mood was not grim, voices were not hushed and scowls were not prominent.

The way the Heat see it, their series with Indiana begins anew Thursday night. And the Pacers sound like they agree.

Indiana will play host to Miami in Game 3, after grabbing home-court advantage away from the reigning East champs with a 78-75 win Tuesday in perhaps the most offensively baffling night in Heat history - when, for the first time in the franchise's 24 years of existence, only two players scored more than five points in a game.

Just about everyone wearing Heat colors struggled, and James and Wade both misfired on key chances in the final moments.

The Pacers were hardly scoring juggernauts either. Still, Indiana was good enough to knot the series, and head home with even more confidence than the ample amount they brought to the start of the matchup.

''Our goal is not to come in here and try to put up a good fight or whatever,'' Pacers forward David West said in Indianapolis on Wednesday. ''We're trying to win the series. We're competing to win the series.''

The Pacers got everything they wanted in Game 2.

Instead of the get-out-and-go style that the Heat prefer, Indiana turned Tuesday's matchup into more of the ground-and-pound variety. Pacers coach Frank Vogel calls it smash-mouth basketball, and others may just call it plain old ugly. But it suits Indiana just fine, and unless Miami gets at least one win on the Pacers' floor, Vogel's team will pull off something that few people might have thought possible.

''We've got to keep our edge,'' Vogel said. ''We understand that we feel good about who we are as a basketball team and that we can win this series. But that means nothing. We've got to do it in between the lines.''

James had 28 points in Game 2, Wade had 24. The rest of the Heat had 23, the offense sorely missing Bosh, who's out indefinitely - the rest of this series is all but certain - with a strained abdominal muscle.

''We're confident and we're looking forward to the challenge,'' Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. ''We can do it. We know we can do it. But it's not going to be easy. So we've got to go in there, we've got to be armored-up and we've got to be ready to go.''

Miami missed all but one of its 16 tries from 3-point range, is 1 for 22 from deep in the series, and lost for the first time in its last 14 playoff games at home against East opponents.

So now, the Heat will have to advance the difficult way.

''It's going to be fun,'' said James, the three-time NBA MVP who's averaged 28.2 points on the road in playoff games in his career, the best mark of any active player. ''It's what the playoffs are all about. At the end of the day, you've got to try to win on somebody else's floor. And we look forward to going up there.''

James wore one of the ''MVP'' headbands the Heat gave out in his honor to fans at Game 1 during Wednesday's practice, Wade answered light-hearted questions about his fashion sense and why gaudy eyeglass frames are all the rage across the league these days, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sounded far from downtrodden when talking about what he saw on the tape of Game 2.

In short, the Heat insist they're not panicking after one loss, even though it brought back memories of playoff failures from a year ago.

It was Miami's lowest scoring total at home in the ''Big Three'' era, and down the stretch the Heat just couldn't get a point. In Miami's final seven possessions, James took only one shot, getting blocked by Paul George. He passed the ball twice on the play where a layup try from Wade hit the rim with 16 seconds remaining.

He had an assist on one possession, missed two big free throws on another with 54.3 seconds left, and did not get a touch on three of those trips.

''At the end of the day, I was satisfied with my performance and trying to help us win a ball game,'' James said. ''That's all that matters.''

Miami said it was satisfied with the shots it got in Game 2, even though everyone not named Wade or James shot a combined 9 for 34. There will be some tweaking of things before Thursday night, but the tape told Spoelstra that there were parts of Game 2 where things went Miami's way - sans for the not-so-small measure of the ball going in the basket.

''You've got a 2 seed playing against a 3 seed,'' Spoelstra said. ''That's historically one of the more competitive battles over the years. And that's the way it should be. We had the fourth-best record (in the league), they had the fifth-best record. Nothing is going to come easy for either team".

P*cha :nuts: That would be a boring series :nuts:

Badtrip si David Stern nun :lol:

Wade is self destructing in tonight's game vs. Indiana.

67-84 5:08 4th Pacers

Wow looks like Pacers really got the Heat's game down to pat. They are man-handling the Heat in game 3 especially with Wade virtually being a no show tonite. Pacers lead by 17 with about 4 min to go and should win this one handily. Pacers lead the Heat 2-1.

75-94 Pacers

Pacers lead series 2-1

Mukang time for Pat Riley to step up na

Spurs win again and lead the Clippers 2-0.
Thunder also leads the Lakers 2-0.

Pacers win again and lead the Heat 2-1
Celtics lead the 76ers 2-1

Looks like the Heat are collapsing, given their mindset, the way they easily give in to pressure, how can they possible tie this series? Ok, make it 2-2 next game, but how come I feel that it's gonna be 3-1 and it's gonna be Le Gone all over again? The pressure is on, and with a 2-1 lead, there's even more pressure since there is the threat of an upset.

So is it gonna be Pacers-Celtics for the East? God forbid that the Pacers win it, that's gonna be the lowest rated Finals ever. I hope the Celts make it and then upset the Spurs.

Hmm, hoping for a miracle with LA for a Celtics-Lakers finals, but OKC is gonna bring them down. Spurs for the sweep and then its OKC vs the Spurs for the West. Hoping for an OKC upset? I hope so, it might go seven games, with OKC simply relying on youth and talent while the Spurs kill them with fundamentals.

Anyway, right now, I feel it might be a Spurs-Celtics finals. An OKC-Celtics finals would be a lot more interesting, but the worst case scenario is a Spurs-Pacers finals which is looking pretty possible right now. Argh.

If the Heat ever make it, the Spurs are gonna cream them. I don't think Wade's body is gonna hold up.

I'm really hoping the Celtics win it all for one last ride.

75-94 Pacers

Pacers lead series 2-1

Mukang time for Pat Riley to step up na

^^kahit pagsamasamahin mo pa si pat riley,phil jackson, mike K.,at si red auerbach mamumulubi parin ang heat dahil wala silang player na may "will to win" at winning mind

magagaling nga pero hangang showtime lang,wala rin yun

lalo na yung 6'8 na si lechoke, ang taas,magaling mag dribol, bat ang laro niya number 3 spot, may off gueard position naman na number 2, why nga ba si lechoke insisting number 3 spot na yung small forward ang lahing gusto niya???:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:

Lakers finish strong to beat Thunder in Game 3 of series

Kobe Bryant has 36 points and the Lakers make 41 of 42 free throws in a 99-96 victory over Oklahoma City for their first win in the best-of-seven series.

Bryant led the Lakers’ scoring with 36 points and he was 18 for 18 at the free-throw line, including four in the final minute of play that helped secure the win.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-thunder-game-3-live-updates-20120518,0,3987046.story

2-on-2: Game 4

Celtics vs. 76ers

83 - 92

Sixers are really giving the Cs a really hard time :lol: Great series :cheers:

I have a feeling Philly might just be able steal the series away from the Celts. Seems like the 76ers are peaking at just the right time and playing their best basketball yet of the season. Same with the Pacers. Both the Celtics and Heat better watch out as it may very well end up being a 76ers vs Pacers eastern finals if they keep playing like they do. They got to play better.


Nice win by the Lakers tonite but they all look tired. Let's see if the aging Lakers will still have legs left for their rematch with the Thunder tomorrow (Sat.) night. Game 4 should be a really good one as I'm sure both the Thunder and Lakers will give all that they have in this all important game.

Kobe Bryant not ready to concede
ESPN

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant has known for a while now how it was going to end and who was going to end it. At some point this Oklahoma City Thunder team was going to get him. They were too good, too tough, too mean. Too much like him.

"These guys are long and athletic and tough. They grew up watching me. They have the same mentality that I do," Bryant said in a reflective moment long after the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Thunder 99-96 in Game 3 of this taut Western Conference second-round series. He laughed a little, but only because the Lakers had survived this one.

"It's like I'm playing a mirror image of myself in [Russell] Westbrook, [James] Harden and [Kevin] Durant. It's like, s---. You've just got to dig deep and fight 'em back."

Bryant is clearly enjoying this series, even as the Thunder continue to push his team against the wall. This is how it should be. This is how it was for him, too.

If they want to knock him off, he should have a say in when that happens.

"That day's not here yet," he said after dropping 36 points in the Lakers' win Friday night.

Again, he was smiling. But this isn't over yet and he knows it. The Lakers still have a heck of a hole to climb out of after blowing Game 2

And if they ultimately lose this series, who knows what's next for the franchise? Will management decide a second straight second-round exit is enough evidence to blow its core up and start over? And if so, will that give Bryant enough time to chase a sixth ring?

All those questions uncomfortably hang over him and the team right now. Each loss brings them closer into the front of their consciousness.

But Bryant has never been one to dwell on questions like that. Not yet, anyway. Not when there is something he can still do about it.

Which is why he spent the night before Friday's pivotal Game 3 at the Lakers' practice facility. After an exhausting seven-game series against Denver and two rugged games in Oklahoma, he was as tired as everyone. But a routine is a routine. So he went to the gym and shot in silence for almost two hours.

"I normally come here to Staples Center the night before games," Bryant said. "But this place was busy." The Kings played Game 3 of their playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes. "Was I upset about it Game 2? Yeah. But you have to move past it. You have to adjust."

It has become clear in the first three games of this series that Bryant has to create offense for the Lakers. The Thunder are simply too quick, too athletic and too aggressive defensively. Nothing is coming easy.

Friday night, that meant he had to attack. Again and again, no matter how many times Oklahoma City stopped him or fouled him or punished him.

He made just nine of his 25 shots from the field but all 18 of his free throws. The Lakers made 41 of 42 from the line, which in a game as close as this, was absolutely the margin of victory.

It was a fascinating game, but it will also be forgotten quickly, as the two teams have to suit up again for Game 4 in less than 24 hours.

That quick turnaround would seem to favor the Thunder. The team that had a long break after a first-round sweep. The team that was younger and more spry anyway.

After years of raging against anyone who would call him old, or even older, Bryant has started to embrace his place in the game. As he made his way to the podium after Friday's win, he even laughed at it.

"The bones aren't as flexible as they used to be," he said after causing a commotion settling into his chair.

The whole room started laughing. Pau Gasol, who was trying to give a serious answer to a question at the time, couldn't even continue.

What Bryant didn't know is that Westbrook had gone through a similar dance with the ill-fitting chair just a few minutes earlier.

"There's not enough room up here," he said, as he pulled out the chair and tried to settle into a comfortable position to field questions. "Damn."

It was a funny symmetry. A fitting one, too. There's only enough room in the Western Conference for one of these teams to continue.

The Thunder will one day pass up Bryant and the Lakers. But so long as he has a say in the matter, Bryant isn't getting up to make room just yet.

it's not the legs, it's luck during the game, all nba players are the best among the rest, it's a matter of luck and bad omen during games

I still want to see Indiana beating Miami. :lol: BOS vs. OKC in the finals!

Maiba naman. :)


PBA all stars face Yao-led Shanghai 5 (http://www.philstar.com/sportsarticle.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=69&articleid=808536&keyword=sp_pba)
By Nelson Beltran (The Philippine Star) Updated May 19, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (1)
MANILA, Philippines - A 16-man PBA selection, handled by B-Meg coach Tim Cone, goes up against the Shanghai Sharks in a goodwill game at the MOA Arena on June 28.

The PBA board of governors approved the holding of this event in a meeting at Radisson Hotel in Cebu Thursday.

“It’s a goodwill game held in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission. It aims to help strengthen the ties between the two countries,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

“We’re heeding the President’s call to help heal our relationship,” Salud added.

Former NBA star Yao Ming, who co-owns the Shanghai team, is expected to appear in the goodwill game.

The Shanghai Sharks are currently ranked No. 6 in the Chinese Basketball Association. They have three players playing for the national team plus Taiwanese superstar Tseng Wen-ting.

Their coach is Bob Donewald, the same American mentor handling the Chinese national team.

Salud said the PBA board will choose the 16 men who will make the PBA selection.

Cone was picked to coach the team, being the champion coach in the recent Commissioner’s Cup.

In the same Cebu meeting, the PBA board made some revision on the league’s format for the season-ending Governors Cup which begins tomorrow at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

It’s virtually the same as last year except that all ties will now be resolved by a playoff, making the tourney more exciting.

Rain or Shine clashes with Alaska Milk at 4:15 p.m. then Petron collides with Powerade at 6:30 p.m. on opening day.It’s Barangay Ginebra against Air21 at 5:15 p.m. then Talk n Text versus Meralco at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Good concise article as to what separates the "Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant from the likes of LeBron "LeChoke" James. Let's see if Kobe can will his Lakers team to win to even the series with the Thunder. Must c tv later tonite. This should be a good one for sure.

Kobe Bryant says he doesn’t play for anyone's approval
Fox Sports
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/team/los-angeles-lakers/71087?q=los-angeles-lakers

Kobe Bryant has had some bad fourth quarters during the Western Conference semi-finals. But Kobe being Kobe, doesn’t care that people are laughing at his struggles or rooting for him to lose.

“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say, if I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, ‘Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.’ Well, [expletive] you. Because I don’t play for your [expletive] approval. I play for my own love and enjoyment of the game. And to win. That’s what I play for. Most of the time, when guys feel the pressure, they’re worried about what people might say about them. I don’t have that fear, and it enables me to forget bad plays and to take shots and play my game.”

The epitome of shaking it off and keeping it moving. Kobe says his ability to laugh at his mistakes is what separates him from other players.

“The fallout is always something that makes some guys hesitant,” Bryant said. “They’re thinking about their legacies, their reputations. I already have that.”

Hmmmmmm, LeBron anyone? Just a thought.

clippers led by 24 at 1st half, lost game3 by 10pts.

Another come from behing win by the Thunder! :cheers: Poor Kobe :lol:

Clippers lose

Lakers lose

Iyak ang LA

Princess Gasoft strikes again

Boy what a game. Very nice comeback by the never say die Thunder team. Man Kobe is the total polar opposite of LeBron. Reminded me much of what I don't like about Melo's game in that Kobe wanted to do everything himself hogging the ball, relying too much on iso-plays and taking too many shots sobrang bakaw tuloy ang labas niya and to make matters worse in the end with the game on the line he choked on that 3 pointer as time was running down that allowed the Thunder to seal the game. Kobe really has no one else to blame but himself. And now with the Thunder leading 3-1, it would not surprise me one bit if the Thunder close out the Lakers next game (game 5) in OKC no less. No doubt the Thunder will have one rocking OKC home court advantage come game 5. Go Thunder! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Sarap asarin ng mga Heat fans ngayon. :rofl:

Mas masarap asarin ang mga LA Fanboys! :lol::jk: Dalawang LA teams kulelat. BOS vs. OKC na to sa finals :D Kapag BOS vs. SAS medyo boring. :lol:

Sarap asarin ng mga Heat fans ngayon. :rofl:

Pwe! :lol:

Pero pag olats pa din MIA bukas, palpak na ang Big 3 experiment

Mahirap talaga kapag di kompleto ang big 3. Mahirap kapag wala si Boshbosh

Actually I'm really looking forward to the Thunder vs Spurs series. I think that's going to be one terrific match-up. I can already imagine how crazy and so much fun to watch the Russell Westbrook vs Tony Parker PG match-up. Who ever comes out as Western Conference Champs will surely be favored to win the much coveted NBA title especially with the Heat imploding and the Celtics having a hard time beating the 76ers.

If the Heat gets beaten by the Pacers, Coach Spoelstra's job might be in jeopardy. If Spoelstra gets fired, can it be possible the Zen Guru (Phil Jackson) will be the heir apparent to Miami's coaching throne? I can think of no better coach who can get Miami and the Big 3 some NBA titles/rings.

Point of no return: Miami Heat must win game 4 in Indiana
By Steve Kubitza
http://network.yardbarker.com/nba/article_external/the_miami_heat_must_win_today_in_indiana/10831559

Today’s Game 4 against Indiana is still a must-win for the Heat, but for far more than the simple reason of having a shot to win the series.

The most basic reason the Heat need a victory is to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series. This would not be the end for the Heat, but it would be a tough task to take three in a row against this confident Pacers team with all of the momentum in their side.

Besides that clear reason, the Heat need a win to get things back on the right track. Dwyane Wade cannot score five points, get in an argument with his coach, and be let off the hook. He also finished with the worst plus/minus of any player in the game at -25.

With Bosh out, Wade and LeBron need to combine for around 60 points for the Heat to have any shot of winning against the Pacers. If they can reach that scoring clip, then 25 points from Chalmers, as he had on Thursday, would surely make up for the void of Chris Bosh.

The biggest problem that the Heat face, and one of the main reasons why they struggled on Thursday, is their lack of depth beyond Bosh, James, and Wade. Mario Chalmers has stepped up this year as the best player outside of the Big Three, but he can not be expected to put up twenty points a game.

Especially with Bosh out, other players will need to step up. When Wade has a bad game, LeBron is not capable of doing it all by himself, as the lack of offensive threats leads to the Pacers keying in on him specifically.

Shane Battier is one of these players, and he had a forgettable performance on Thursday. In 23 minutes he had zero points and zero assists, which did nothing to help the Heat’s cause. He only has five points in the entire series in a total of 80 minutes. As a starter he will need to at least get into double digits in scoring to help his team.

Finding a combination of guys to play down low has become a special project for Erik Spoelstra in Bosh’s absence. He tried to put Dexter Pittman in the starting center spot, but he was clearly outmatched and only played three minutes in the game. Joel Anthony is usually in this spot, but he is not a scoring threat compared to Bosh.

The Heat have the ability to come out and quiet their critics with a win over Indiana, but LeBron and D-Wade will have to play near perfect basketball. Both will have to put up scoring in the 20s, along with at least one other player. This may be Mario Chalmers, or even a surprise player like Udonis Haslem or even Shane Battier.

It will need to be a near perfect effort by James and Wade for the Heat to win, which is in stark contrast to the total team game being played by the Pacers. Relying on two guys, (usually three when Bosh is healthy), is not a great way to combat a team that plays a total team game, so the outlook for the Heat is very gloomy if they can not find a way to win Game 4.

Mahirap talaga kapag di kompleto ang big 3. Mahirap kapag wala si Boshbosh

http://www.troll.me/images/yao-ming/bitch-please-thumb.jpg :rofl:

Andyan sina Haslem, James Jones, Battier, Chalmers, Cole para sumalo ng load. Ang nangyayari eh wala silang iniiskor e. Tignan mo na lang nung Game 2, Wade saka LeChoke lang 20+ points. Next eh si Battier with 5 points :nuts:

Eto na Heat vs Pacers Game 4 about to start in a few. Exciting to watch if the Heat will continue to implode or blow out the Pacers this time around.

No choke this time; infact the dynamic duo actually took over the game in the 3rd qtr and the Heat was able to sustain that lead until the end of the 4th. Nice game LeBron and D.Wade as Heat tie the series with the Pacer 2-2. Game 5 back in Miami. Don't count out the Heat just yet.


LeBron James gets mad and even by dropping 40 as Heat tie up series with Pacers
ESPN
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320520011

INDIANAPOLIS -- LeBron James scored 40 points, superstar sidekick Dwyane Wade added 30 -- 22 in the second half -- and Miami's dynamic duo took over after halftime to bring the Heat even the series with a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday.

With Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tandem saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami's season slip away. Wade rebounded from the worst playoff game of his career, shaking off a 1 of 8 shooting start and adding nine rebounds and six assists.

Danny Granger scored 20 to lead the Pacers.

^^
Wade and James combined for 70 points. Muntik ng maka-triple double si Lebron.

28 straight points in the third quarter. Wow

Hope the Clips kan extend the series. Para pareho 4-1 ang kahihinatnan ng dalawang LA Teams. :lol::jk: Just trollin' around. :D

It can happen. :D

Spurs just swept the Clippers tonite. Spurs just waiting now for the Thunder to finish off the Lakers, hopefully tomorrow in OKC. Game 5 - must c TV. Go Thunder!


If the Lakers lose to the Thunder, it will be another failed season for the Lakers which makes me wonder if Coach Brown will be fired as Magic Johnson intimated during the Nuggets series. If so an excellent candidate to replace Brown will be SVG (Stan Van Gundy) who was let go of the Orlando Magic despite the valiant effort shown by his Howard-less Magic team in the Pacers series. Now that SVG is available, I think he can be an excellent coach if ever Brown is actually indeed let go.

Howard gets his wish as Magic fire coach Van Gundy, GM Smith
FoxSport
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/orlando-magic-fire-stan-van-gundy-as-coach-052112

The Orlando Magic fired head coach Stan Van Gundy Monday following a tumultuous season in which he clashed publicly with superstar center Dwight Howard.

The team also announced it had mutually parted ways with general manager Otis Smith.

In explaining the decision, Magic CEO Alex Martins said that the team's front office feels the "momentum towards winning a championship has paused," pointing to consecutive first round playoff exits.

"These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it's time for new leadership and new voices," Martins said.

Van Gundy, 52, saw his fifth year in Orlando marred by a season-long drama involving Howard, who missed the final weeks of the season and the playoffs with a back injury.

The situation culminated in early April when Van Gundy revealed that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year had asked for him to be fired.

The earlier part of the shortened season was marked by near-daily speculation about whether the team would be forced to trade Howard. In a dramatic shift at the trade deadline, the 26-year-old declared he would opt in for the final year of his contract in 2012-13.

However, the team's next coach and general manager will enter amid continued uncertainty over whether Howard will sign a long-term extension to stay in Orlando.

Smith, who played for the Magic from 1989-92, served as general manager for six seasons.

Van Gundy went 259-135 in his five seasons with the Magic, never failing to reach the postseason. The Magic were eliminated from the playoffs two weeks ago by Indiana in five games.

Under the guidance of both men, the team reached the 2009 NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Lakers.

^^
Wade and James combined for 70 points. Muntik ng maka-triple double si Lebron.

bitch please. Kobe can score 81 by himself :lol:

I'm not a Kobe or LA fan btw. Gusto ko lang makita OKC vs Heat sa finals! :cheers:

^^
Okay rin ang BOS vs MIA sa East con Finals :lol::D

bitch please. Kobe can score 81 by himself :lol:

I'm not a Kobe or LA fan btw. Gusto ko lang makita OKC vs Heat sa finals! :cheers:

^^i'm a kobe fan, wilt got 100, tony harris has a career high among professional players with a 104 points, also a player of milwaukee :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Durant and the Thunder are expected to close out the Lakers tonite in OKC no less. They have the series lead, the homecourt advantage and the momentum going in so we can expect this young talent-laden Thunder team to give it's all against the older and much more experienced Lakers team. Should be a real good game. Will youth prevail over experience again? We'll soon find out. Actually I'm really looking forward to the Thunder vs Spurs series. I think that's going to be one terrific match-up. I can already imagine how crazy and so much fun to watch the Russell Westbrook vs Tony Parker PG match-up.

Kevin Durant's Clutch Shots Reveal Different Crunch-Time Approach Than LeBron and Kobe
by Ben Watanabe
http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/kevin_durants_clutch_shots_reveal_different_crunchtime_approach_than_lebron_james_kobe_bryant/10835498

With the seconds wound down, the Thunder were tied with the Lakers in the closing moments, and it was Durant's time. A few seconds later, Durant hit the 3-pointer that gave Oklahoma City the lead for good in the Thunder's Game 4 win over the Lakers on Saturday.

For the second time in two games, the Thunder out-executed the veteran Lakers in crunch time, and the moment with Harden was taken as evidence that Durant understands his last-shot responsibilities in a way that a certain MVP in South Beach never will.

Such criticism of LeBron James is unfair -- what else is new? -- but in the Thunder's run through the 2012 NBA playoffs, Durant has demonstrated a new way for a superstar to act. He is both selfish and unselfish in a way Celtics fans will recognize from their own Kevin Garnett.

The most obvious aspect of Durant's shot Saturday, and his bouncing winner in Game 1 of the Thunder's first-round series against the Mavericks, was that Durant was not double-teamed. He was not double-teamed because the Lakers and Mavericks could not afford to double-team him. Harden has been one of the league's best players in the playoffs. Russell Westbrook made several tough baskets to pull the Thunder into a tie in the final minutes, and even Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins have a knack for being in the right place for crucial, easy baskets. The Lakers could not leave anyone defensively without handing the Thunder an open, makeable shot.

James does not have that luxury. Dwyane Wade is playing hurt, Chris Bosh is sidelined and Mario Chalmers has been inconsistent. Given the choice between doubling James or leaving a slumping Shane Battier, a hobbling Mike Miller or just plain lost Joel Anthony, opponents will opt to devote an extra defender to James every time. In those cases, even James making the smart basketball play to find the open man plays directly into the hands of the defense.

Durant is freed of having to make the decision whether to shoot or pass by the presence of Harden, the team's top playmaker and decision-maker. On the decisive possession Saturday, Harden made the play without ever taking a dribble when he opted to hand over the ball to Durant. With that simple hand-off, Harden made a play as effectively as if he had broken down his defender off the dribble and assisted the game-winning layup.

Still, Harden and the Thunder had options if Durant somehow could not have gotten the ball. That much could not be said for the Lakers, who look limited to one possible play at the end of tight ball games: Give it to Kobe Bryant and get out of the way. That approach was an eyesore in Game 2, when Bryant missed his last five shots, and was just as predictable and easily guardable in Game 4, when Bryant shot 2-for-10 in the fourth quarter.

The most maddening part about Bryant's hero-ball is that it can work when it is set up the right way. The Celtics love to run isolations for Paul Pierce late in the clock, but they run a variety of motions to get him the ball. Pierce will handle the ball on a screen-and-roll with Garnett to try to draw a mismatch, or he will roll off a screen on the wing to catch a pass in triple-threat position about 18 feet (a manageable distance) from the hoop.

Most of the time down the stretch, Bryant's isolations feature no such creativity. The other four Lakers moved around on offense late in Saturday's game, trying to get the ball to Andrew Bynum on the block or Pau Gasol in the high post, while Bryant stood on the perimeter and watched. When the desired post-up was not there, the Lakers simply threw it out to Bryant, 27 feet from the hoop. He had a live dribble, but in that situation he was entirely in single-threat position. He was too far from the basket to shoot, and everyone knew there wasn't a brunette's chance in Hollywood that he would pass.

So Bryant dribbled and dribbled and dribbled before taking a tough fadeaway jumper against Durant, Harden or Thabo Sefolosha. He made a couple, but that did not change the fact that they were less than ideal shots. In contrast, even Durant's misses seem defensible depending on the situation.

Durant is quickly gaining a reputation for being clutch in these playoffs. As with any shot, Durant has had to make them, and for that his growing reputation is entirely deserved. But Durant's heroics are more than just making shots. When a team makes it easier on its star and the star makes it easier on himself, that star is set up to succeed. Durant and the Thunder have set Durant up for success throughout the playoffs. All he has had to do is make the plays.

eto na naman, durantula style yung cruch

Mukang ittrade na talaga si Princess Gasoft ng LAL.

103-86 OKC 2:29 4th

Goodbye LAs!!!!

Sibakin na si Potatohead.

Grabe laro ni Kobe. 42 pts 0 assists.

Bench score ng LAL - 5 pts
Points pa lang Ni Beardman - 17 pts

Bye bye Kobe and the Lakers. Thunder youth beats the Lakers experience. It's the passing of the torch so to speak. Looking forward to watching the Thunder and the Spurs battle for the Western Conference Finals/Title! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Thunder sinks Lakers, prepares to battle Spurs in West finals
By The Sports Xchange
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/thunder-sinks-lakers-prepares-battle-062111551--nba.html

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Thunder hopes to make more noise in the Western Conference finals that it did last year.

A year after losing in five games to the Dallas Mavericks for a berth in the NBA Finals, the Thunder will play the San Antonio Spurs in the West's championship series. Game 1 will be Sunday in San Antonio.

Setting up the matchup with the top-seeded Spurs wasn't much of a problem for second-seeded Oklahoma City, which closed out the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 28 points, Kevin Durant added 25 points, and the Thunder won 106-90 in Game 5 on Monday night inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 42 points, and Pau Gasol had 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for the Lakers.

While continuing its rapid rise to elite status, the Thunder got a small measure of redemption from two seasons ago, when the Lakers ousted a younger, more inexperienced Oklahoma City squad in six games in the opening round of the playoffs. The Lakers went on to win the NBA championship for the second straight season that year.

Now, the Thunder is looking to go all the way.

"We've been through so many different situations at different times," Westbrook said. "We were down and lost a few in a row (in the regular season), won a few in a row, won close games, blowouts. It's all helped us to get to where we are now. We're back to where we were last year. Now we got to make the next jump."

The red-hot Spurs, who have won 18 straight games dating to the regular season, are waiting, but the Thunder is confident it can compete with the Spurs despite losing the season series 2-1.

"We know San Antonio is playing the best basketball for probably the last three months of the season," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "The only games they lost is when (coach Gregg Popovich) took all their guys out. But they've won just about every game."

If the improvement the Thunder showed against the Lakers is any indication, Oklahoma City will be ready for the challenge.

After taking an 83-77 lead into the fourth quarter, the Thunder broke free at the start of the final period, using a 10-0 run to blow open the game at 93-77 with 9:28 remaining.

A three-point play by Westbrook with 4:09 remaining sparked the surge. Westbrook intercepted a Ramon Sessions pass intended for Bryant and streaked the other way. As Westbrook got to the free-throw line, Sessions intentionally fouled him, wrapping him up in an attempt to prevent a basket. But Westbrook powered through the contact and banked in a runner before burying the ensuing foul shot.

"That was an amazing play," Brooks said. "Obviously, there was a lot of luck to that, but he put himself in that position to get a little lucky there."
Starting with that sequence, the Thunder went on a game-clinching 25-7 run.

The Lakers never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

"We have to give Oklahoma City credit," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "They did a heck of a job this entire series. They did a great job of closing games. At the end of games, including tonight's game, they stepped up their physicality."

"It hurts when you lose," Gasol said. "This team always has a huge desire and goal to win the championship, and when you fall short, it's frustrating."

:lol: Alisin na nga si Mike Brown. Sayang si Brian Shaw.

^^ Stan Van Gundy is available. Maybe LA Lakers should take a look at SVG as possible replacement for Brown. He is a great coach. Unless of course The Lakers have plans of trading for Dwight Howard, now that they've been knocked out in the post season 2 years in a row. I expect the Lakers to have a major shake-up.

Or even coach spoe if Miami decides to fire him if Miami cant make it to the East Conf. Finals. If they decide to have a major roster shake-up, Bryant, Bynum, and Sessions should be retained... even Metta :lol:

Lakers improved from last year's performance.

They got swept in the 2nd round year. This year they won 1 game. Lol

Lakers lose Game 5 in OKC, what's next?
FoxSports
http://www.foxsportswest.com/05/22/12/Lakers-lose-Game-5-in-OKC/landing_lakers.html?blockID=733390&feedID=3657

OKLAHOMA CITY -- I was thinking, as I watched L.A. Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant on Monday, how little it mattered — his 33 years, his fading youth. Whatever else has faded, Kobe still has that ability to bend a basketball court to his will, to make us say “wow”, to dominate like few since Jordan.

And so he reminded us again Monday.

Here was a guy fighting for his legacy, for his sixth ring, acknowledging he is 33 and the uncertainty that brings and yet unwilling to concede anything because of age. He scored 42 points and fought and attacked, even long after defeat was guaranteed.

Being media, we immediately attached narrative to this 106-90 loss that sent the Lakers to another early offseason. We had seen a changing of the guard, after all. The young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder were ascending to the Western Conference finals and Kobe and his Lakers’ time had passed, or so we tried to say.

Kobe was having none of this, refusing as always to be defined by other’s limits.

“I’m not fading into the shadows, if that is what you’re asking,” he interrupted when the inevitable subject of the changing of guard was broached. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. This is not one of those things where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappear forever. I’m not going for that (bleep).”

He talked exactly as he had played Game 5 — unbowed, defiant. He desperately wanted this game, a desperation that showed in how he attacked with a fury rarely displayed. He was burying shots — fadeaways, jumpers with a hand in his face, baseline drives, matching Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook shot for shot and doing so with little help. Watching felt almost like a highlight reel for me, vintage Kobe moves from his younger years trotted out for this special occasion of trying to save the season.

Here he was at 33, above the rim, finishing plays with dunks. As in plural. My favorite had to be the unbelievable reverse dunk, a reminder of what used to be a daily portion of his game.

As I watched, I thought this is a guy who does not know how many more shots at this he is going to get, who does not know with this Laker roster and cap issues if this is his last best chance. That is why he is attacking and desperate and so incredibly reminiscent of his younger self.

Did he think this, I asked.

Not during the game, he said. He then talked about not being 21 and having endless chances. He talked of being 33 and impatient and unsure if changes need to be made. What he eventually returned to was defiant.

“I’m not the most patient of people, and the organization is not particularly patient either,” he said. “Come hell or high water, we will be there again.”

Kobe had single-handedly given L.A. a chance in Game 5 against a younger, better and deeper Oklahoma City team. His legs looked to be betraying him, though, as this game dragged on. He needed a break. So he sat to start the fourth quarter.

“I’ve got to be able to rest Kobe a few minutes here and there,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said afterward.

He would think so. He would be wrong.

Kobe missed just 89 seconds. In fact, he was at the scorer’s table desperately trying to check back in when Durant banged down the 3-pointer that ended it.

“That’s what we do. That’s our rotation and that’s the right rotation to make,” Kobe said, refusing cheap second guesses of Brown.

What also is true: When he returned, the game was gone.

I believe we learn a lot about a player, great players in particular, when a game is lost. What do they do when they know they can not win? In the case of Kobe, he just kept coming Monday.

You do not have to like him. You have to respect him.

In Game 5, Bryant demonstrated why he has been and remains the best player since Jordan. It is not only scoring 42 points on 18-of-33 shooting. It was all of the ways he did it — the pull-up jumpers, the drives, the dunks. All he seemed to be missing was a reliable group of running buddies.

Andrew Bynum disappointingly disappeared.

Pau Gasol was only mildly helpful.

In the immediate aftermath, questions already were being asked about what’s next and whether changes were needed. Kobe wisely kept saying I don’t know and deferring to general manager Mitch Kupchak and his ability to make offseason magic.

He had better. He is going to need it.

The Lakers have cap problems, and gaping holes. They do not want to waste Kobe’s final years with this mess, yet his contract limits what is fiscally possible to do.

Trading Gasol seems a likely answer since A) L.A. already tried that in the Chris Paul debacle; B) He is due to make $19 mil next season and the season after that; C) He did not adjust well to being the third option behind Bynum and was not a whole lot of help in Game 5.

Good luck with all of that, Mitch.

Of course, a few whispers already had been forming before Game 5 that maybe Kobe has started to fade. Maybe, age and a seemingly endless stream of games have taken their toll. They are not mistaken. He is no longer what he once was. I know this is right.

Yet as I watched him Monday, I could not help think how little it mattered and how right he is. He is not fading into the shadows. He does not know how to go out that way.