NBA
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Matt Moore) —
Someone has to go down for this. It might as well be Pau Gasol, I suppose. Because it sure isn’t going to be Kobe Bryant. When the Lakers lost to the Thunder Saturday night, blowing a nine-point fourth quarter lead to do down 3-1 in their Western Conference Semifinals series with OKC, it was Kevin…
Yahoo.com: Adrian Wojnarowski (Adrian Wojnarowski) —
Juwan Howard had words for Lance Stephenson, who flashed a choke sign at LeBron James during Game 3.
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Kurt Helin) —
In reality, the Spurs can be looking ahead to their matchup with the Thunder (they match up well). The Clippers can look at the massive steps this franchise has taken the past two seasons — from league laughing stock to up-and-coming contender on the rise and be proud. They are showcasing the best point guard…
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Kurt Helin) —
Make no mistake, if Miami doesn’t win Game 4 they aren’t coming back to win this series. Even if Chris Bosh had a miracle recovery. Even if Pat Riley replaced Erik Spoelstra and brought in Phil Jackson as an assistant. The Pacers are good and they are not losing three in a row. The Pacers…
Yahoo.com: Adrian Wojnarowski (Adrian Wojnarowski) —
The whispers a year ago that the young stars couldn't coexist are fading following another shutdown of the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western semifinals.
Hardwood Paroxysm (Curtis Harris) —
Years Active: 1955 – 1965 Regular Season Stats: 26.4 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 43.6% FG, 76.1% FT, 25.3 PER Postseason Stats: 25.5 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 41.8% FG, 77.4% FT, 22.6 PER Accolades: 2x MVP (1956, ’59), 10x All-NBA 1st Team (1955 – ’64), All-NBA 2nd Team (1965), 11x All-Star (1955 – ’65), [...]
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Matt Moore) —
You know those situations where you know something is wrong, but there’s no physical evidence to suggest as such? We’ve got one of those. Saturday night during Lakers-Thunder Game 4, there was something wrong with the court. The most notable example came before the half, when Russell Westbrook, a pretty agile guy, turned to run…
Sheridan Hoops (James Park) —
If you are a fan of either of the Los Angeles teams, you might have had some trouble sleeping through Saturday night. If you predicted that the Clippers (me) or the Lakers (Sheridan) would move past the second round, you probably wish to have those predictions back, as both teams are now on the verge of being [...]
Sheridan Hoops (Chris Bernucca) —
Did the Boston Celtics take the bait? After the Celtics easily handled the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3, reclaiming home-court advantage and the upper hand in their series with a convincing win, Sixers coach Doug Collins tried to plant a seed of overconfidence in Gang Green. “I think they are looking at that other series [...]
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Brett Pollakoff) —
During the Thunder’s playoff run last season — one that ended in a loss in the Conference Finals to the eventual champion Mavericks — there were constant questions about whether or not Russell Westbrook was a good long-term fit to play alongside Kevin Durant. One year later, now on the verge of taking down the…
SI.com: Inside The NBA —
LOS ANGELES -- By the look of the postgame press conference, it was tough to tell that this was all about maturity for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
ESPN: TrueHoop (Justin Verrier) —
LOS ANGELES -- The conversation between Thunder coach Scott Brooks and star pupil Kevin Durant that led to the lanky, “6-foot-9” forward checking the 6-6 Kobe Bryant down the stretch was a short one. Mostly because it wasn’t so much a discussion as it was an order.“He said, ‘You get 'em,'" Durant recalled, laughing. “I had to go guard him. I couldn’t...
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Matt Moore) —
Things change. It’s inevitable. And on Saturday night, you have to wonder if the guard changed officially in the Western Conference, and the NBA. 103-100, Thunder over Lakers. Kobe Bryant was the closer. The dagger. The Black Mamba. As recently as Friday night, he was the ultimate clutch weapon (as long as we’re only talking…
NBCSports.com: ProBasketballTalk (Brett Pollakoff) —
As Russell Westbrook led the charge offensively for the Thunder in their Game 4 win over the Lakers — finishing with a brilliant 37 points on 15-of-26 shooting — Kevin Durant seemed pleased to let that happen. But once the Thunder had made it all the way back from a deficit that hung at around…
Yahoo.com: Ball Don't Lie (Kelly Dwyer) —
Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Los Angeles Lakers 100 (Thunder lead series, 3-1) You get the feeling that every quarter the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder play is worth a column of its own. Our wrists can't handle such an exercise, though, and in a series like this, I'm not sure I can handle another exhausting three games. Though I'd like to see the Lakers and Thunder try. Where...