May 10, 2012. Playoffs day 13

Quotes: 


Celtics 83, Hawks 80. 

"Thank you to their owner for giving me some extra gas tonight," Garnett said. "My only advice to him is next time he opens his mouth to know what he's talking about with X's and O's versus checkbooks and bottom lines."


"At least we don't have to travel," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who had hoped to be playing a day or two later. "I'd rather be going to Game 1 here than Game 7 in Atlanta."


"I just found that comment to be a little rude and a little out of hand, and I wanted to address it," he said. "Just because you've got a lot of money doesn't mean you can open your mouth." Garnett said. 


"The one thing about the Celtics is those guys know how to win," Williams said. "After winning (Game 5) down in Atlanta with our backs against the wall, we knew it was going to be tough coming up here. I thought we did a really good job putting ourselves in position to win down the stretch."


Sixers 79, Bulls 78. 

"I don't know how we won this game," coach Doug Collins said.


"I thought we had more than enough to win with," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I'm disappointed in the loss but I'm not disappointed in our team."

"I was like, 'Son, this is how you shoot free throws,' " Iguodala said.

"We win on a rebound. Something we don't get all night," a smiling Collins said.

"I'm a Sixer for life," Collins said.

Nuggets 113, Lakers 96. 

"This is the biggest game he's ever played in, and Saturday will be even bigger," Nuggets coach George Karl said of Lawson, whose 32 points were a career playoff high.

Asked whether he felt his teammates had matched his heart, Bryant retorted, "No, of course they didn't."

"Kobe being dehydrated and all that and sick as a dog, coming out and trying to will us to a win, it's disappointing to watch him give that type of effort .. and we don't get it from everybody," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "Our second- and third-best players are Drew and Pau, and the reality is both of those guys got to play better in order for us to win."

"I expect him to come out and play with the tenacity that he's known for," Bryant said. "He's the one guy that I can rely on night in and night out to compete and play hard and play with a sense of urgency and play with no fear. So, I'm looking forward to having him by my side again."


"I talked with Pau a little bit after the game; I'll speak with Andrew, too," about performing better both physically and mentally in Game 7, Bryant said

"They blitzkrieged us at the start of the game," Bryant said.

"After I hit my first shot, that's all I needed was a little confidence," said Lawson, who hit 13 of 18 shots 24 hours after flying in his shooting coach, Las Vegas-based Ivory Manning, to fix a flaw in his mechanics.

"They played with confidence and swag," Bynum said.

All credit goes to: ESPN
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
Photos:  Getty Images/NBA Yahoo Sports 




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James Harden wins the NBA 2011-2012 Sixth Man Of The Year award.

OKC's James Harden was named The NBA sixth man of the year today. Everybody knew he was going to win it and his numbers speak for himself. Harden averaged a career high of  16.8 PPG in 31 minutes.  Not only did he scored more than ever this season, he also posted his highest Field goal % , 3point FG %,  Free Throw %, rebounding % and assists. Not bad for a guy that plays behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  Just one thing left to say, it's time to FearTheBeard . 

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Credit for the Photo:  NBA Yahoo Sports 

May 9, 2012. Playoffs day 12.

Quotes : 


Heat 106, Knicks 94. 

"We do not take this for granted," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This was a tough series. We feel very good about moving on and it'll only get tougher from here."


"We will savor this win tonight," James said. "And then we get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana."


"We fought, under the circumstances," Anthony said. "I'm not one to make any excuses for anything. ... But Miami, they're a tough defensive team. They stick to what their schemes are."


"It was fun, man," James said. "Melo's one of the most competitive players I've ever played against in a playoff series.


"Miami is a very good team," Stoudemire said. "You have to give credit to them."


"There's a lot of pride that takes place in this kind of series," Wade said. "Even though it was a five-game series, it was a very tough series to win. ... I thought it helped us. You couldn't overlook this team."


"It was very crucial," James said. "We had an 11- or 12-point lead in Game 4 and we weren't able to bump it up to 15, 16. ... We allowed them to get back into the game. We were very conscious tonight when we got that lead."


"I thought we played well in spurts," Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson said. "Our guys got a short taste of what playoff basketball's about. It's something this summer we've got to sit and think about and hopefully get ready for next season."

"Woody's done a heck of a job with that team," Spoelstra said.

Grizzlies 92, Clippers 80. 

"We've had our backs against the wall. We still have them," said Gasol, who had his best game in this series. "We haven't done anything yet, and we want to take it back to L.A. and give them another big battle."

"Our Game 7's Friday," Clippers guard Mo Williams said.

"There's no point leaving home if we don't know our way back," Grizzlies guard OJ. Mayo said. " We can't look at Sunday because we have to make sure we get back home after Friday night."

"We've got to do a better job keeping our composure a little bit," Del Negro said.

"You could hear the crowd getting quieter and quieter," Foye said.

"We made enough plays and got enough stops tonight that kept us ahead," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "In the past, they kept making shots, and we haven't been able to stop them. So even though our offense wasn't perfect, we got enough stops."

"I thought he did a good job of containing himself when he got hurt and went to the bench," Hollins said.

"They got a lot of easy post touches at the beginning of the game," Jordan said. "Throughout, a lot of their shots were contested, but once you get a groove and get comfortable, the shots become comfortable."

Game Notes

The Clippers have been called for 12 technicals in this series and the Grizzlies seven. 

 Los Angeles'  Caron Butler playing with a broken left hand, had seven points in the first quarter. He finished with eight after missing his last five shots. .

Agent Jimmy Sexton and Dontari Poe, the first-round draft pick by the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, sat courtside next to the Clippers' bench. Titans safety Robert Johnson and cornerback Alterraun Verner were in the stands.

Miami went 7-1 against the Knicks this season, including playoffs. 

The Heat won three of four games against Indiana this season. 

James had seven points, five assists and zero field goals in the first quarter. Only two other players (Billups in 2007 and Jerryd Bayless in 2011, both in fourth quarters) had done that in any quarter since James entered the league, according to STATS LLC. 

 Rapper Rick Ross was among those courtside.


All credit goes to ESPN. 
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press


Photo: NBA Yahoo Sports 

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May 8, 2012. Playoffs day 11: Quotes

Chicago Bulls 77, Philadelphia Sixers 69. 

"Definitely," Deng said. "We're in a situation where we know if we lose, we go home. After tonight's game, they're going to feel a little pressure and try to close it out."


"You can't let one game all of a sudden get you spinning in the wrong direction," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "We didn't expect to beat the Bulls four straight. This is a damn good team."


"They're going to treat the game in Philly like it's Game 7," Chicago's Richard Hamilton said. "They don't want to come back here. We've got to figure out a way to do the same thing we did tonight, and hopefully we'll get the win."


"It's a physical series," Hawes said. "If that's how it's going to go, we can play that brand of basketball."


"Got an elbow in the face," Brand said. "Can't allow that. But after the play was over, it's over."

"We feel like we can go to Philadelphia and get one great road win," Boozer said.

Denver Nuggets 102,  Los Angeles Lakers 99. 

"I've been blessed to win a few series, and it's the hardest thing in the world to win the fourth game," Karl said. "I don't care who you're playing, it's hard. ... His feeling on close-outs is a little different than mine."


"We still have to go take care of business at home," Miller said. "Nothing is a gimme against this team. If we can take care of home and force a Game 7, anything can happen."


"That's true, close-outs can be easy," Bryant said. "Tonight wasn't one of those nights. ... Did it pump them up? Probably. You never want to give anybody bulletin board material, but if you're going to be a champion, you've got to play through things like that."


"I wouldn't say the energy kicked in in the fourth quarter," Bryant said. "I almost bailed us out, is what happened. That's something you can't rely on if you're going to win a championship."


"It definitely means a lot, but we're still down, and we still have games to win -- in a row, at that," McGee said. "It's really hard to stop Kobe, but if we stop the bigs, then Kobe can do what he does, and we'll have a really good chance to win."


"They were daring us to take outside shots," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "We were getting shots we couldn't make. But to me, that's not the difference in the game. There were so many things we could have done to win this ballgame. ... I'm more disappointed in our defense and our lack of protecting the paint."

Indiana Pacers 105,  Orlando Magic 87.

"I'm just so happy for our fans," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They've endured a lot those years when we struggled. To finally see us come back and have a winning team again and somebody that has a chance to do something special this year. That's what they deserve. Pacers basketball is back."


"It was electric," Granger said. "The crowd was crazy. They had a lot of momentum going. They pushed us in that fourth quarter."


"It's an unfamiliar situation for a lot of guys, but I just thought we stayed together," Indiana forward David West said. "They made some runs, made some shots. But ultimately, we stayed together as a team and won this game as a unit."


"Close out game, you obviously want to play your best at these moments," Granger said. "I pride myself on that. I had big night, but I'm just glad we got the win."


"That's a testament to the type of team we have," West said. "We're deep, man. We've got guys, that when their number's called, they're prepared. DC just had another gear that I don't think anybody else on the floor had."


"We don't think like that," Orlando forward Ryan Anderson said. "We know we can win and play hard. We proved in Game 1 we can come out and play hard and win."


"We gave a tremendous effort," Anderson said. "We really battled. We played hard. Nobody can say we didn't. It's just tough."


"Huge step for our franchise," Vogel said. "We're not happy with just getting that, though. We feel like this is just the beginning of a big run. We're excited about where we're at as a basketball team."

Atlanta Hawks 87,  Boston Celtics 86. 

"I wanted to bring that energy to the team," Horford said.

"I didn't expect to play that many at all," Horford said. "We had an arrangement. It was going to be between 15 and 25."

"I cornered myself," Rondo said. "Give Al credit."

"I feel awful the game ended the way it ended, because I thought Rondo willed us back into the game," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

"We got everybody back at the right time," Atlanta star Joe Johnson said. "We have a chance to do something special."

"This is the team they thought they were going to start the season with," Rivers said. "They now have it, and we have to deal with it."

"To have a full deck, with everybody back," Johnson said, "it's a blessing."

All credit goes to ESPN
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Lakers Season in review + playoff talk with Monique Frausto

Despite being a Duke fan and a well known Tar Heels hater, Monique is a really cool chick from Sacramento, California. Not only does she possesses love for the Lakers, she’s also one of the prettiest girls in the basketball world. When she isn't watching the Lakers, she's probably hitting the clubs, dancing with her friends or watching ESPN's First Take. I've known her through twitter. 

Is it hard being a laker fan in Sacramento? Does people give you too much trouble?

I get a lot of flack but at the same time I don't because there are actually a lot of Lakers fans in Sacramento. You got to a Lakers/Kings game now a days and all you see is Lakers fans! It's pretty awesome. :) 

 How did you joined twitter?

I joined Twitter I think like 2 years ago had heard about it and thought I'd finally try it out. So glad I did don't know what I'd do without twitter now lol

Do you follow the league in general or just Lakers?

I follow the whole league it's been a lot harder to keep up with this year because I go to school at night but I try my best to stay updated. Obviously I focus more on the Lakers tho.

How dedicated are you to the Lakers? 

Ohhh I'm a die hard fan! Win or lose that's my team to the end. 

I know you’re a  Laker fan, but there’s  something I’d like you to talk about:  How did you started liking basketball and especially the Lakers? 

Well I actually grew up a Lakers fan thanks to my mom. She grew up a Lakers fan cause there was no Kings team here in Sacramento. So I grew up watching them they've been my team ever since.

Any past Laker player you’d like to see again with the team?

Magic Johnson lol jk I would love to see Lamar Odom come back he was a huge part of the team. 

Pick a player from another other team you’d love having them in a purple and gold jersey.

Hmmm I wouldn't mind seeing Kevin Durant in the purple and gold of course this would be after Kobe's done.

Who’s your favorite Laker of all time? And why?

Kobe Bryant of course! He's who I've grown up watching he's amazing! His name speaks for itself :) 

What is one of your favorite laker memories of all time? 

Kobe's 81 pt game and of course the Lakers 2010 Nba championship against the celtics :)

11-12  

Are you satisfied with the new players the Lakers got this season?

Ehh not really I think they could have made better trades the only one I'm slightly satisfied with is Ramon Sessions.

How would you grade Mike Brown and his coaching staff?

I'd give him a B- he's had his moments where I'm like what are you doing? But then he came up big last Sunday in that thunder game by leaving Jordan hill and Devin Ebanks in that was a risky move and it worked out in our favor.

Which was the best moment of the Laker season?

Well I'm hoping I can say seeing them win this years championship. I want Kobe to get #6.

What about the worse?

I hated seeing Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher go. 

Thoughts on the unfortunate Lamar Odom situation?

I hope that he could come back to the lakers he was a huge contributor to the team. I kno he had a horrible year in Dallas but I think if he still woulda been with the Lakers he woulda been fine.

How do you feel about The Lakers facing …. In the first round? Any predictions?  . 

I feel good about them facing the nuggets I think they can take them in 5.

Any concerns not having too much depth and having players with no playoffs experience like Sessions, Ebanks & Hill? 

Ya there's some concern but I'm hoping that with the leadership of Kobe, Bynum, and Gasol they'll be ok.

Let’s say  L.A fails to win it all, who’d you think its going to hold that trophy by the end of June?  

I'd have to say the Thunder I think they have all the potential to win it all.

Follow Monique on twitter @mfrausto8 and Follow me @JohnnyNBA and Like us on Facebook.

Orlando Season in review + playoff talk with Jennifer.

Jennifer is a Magic fan.   She told me all about her thoughts on Dwight Howard, who’s to blame in the Magic organization’s mess and her love for Chris Duhon (Just kidding)

When did you start liking Basketball?

I started liking basketball when I was in elementary school.  My little brother and I loved the Orlando Magic {Penny Hardaway! Need I say more? School girl crush.} And wait for it… The Chicago Bulls – go figure, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman – clearly too much to resist.

Are you a fan of The Magic or the NBA in general? 

I love the Magic, but I love basketball – I love the NBA.

What do you really think about Dwight Howard? I liked him before this season, i really don't like him now. He wants to be viewed as a good guy, but pushing his coach out of town and having all this drama doesn't scream good guy to me. 

I really liked Dwight before this season I’m not sure how much I like him right now.  Something I loved about him was the way he was always laughing and joking on and off the court, a light-hearted spirit. He wasn’t like DWade or Kobe with their cocky/arrogant attitude.  Dwight was a down to earth player that kids could look up to. NOW, he always looks irritated and annoyed, the “I’m too cool” attitude. I hate that. Bad-mouthing SVG, flip-flopping back and forth about leaving his TEAM and his CITY for no apparent reason {coaching? a ring?} really made me look at him in a different light.

Another thing i don't like about Howard it's that he has said multiple teams he is all about championships while insisting a lot on going to the Nets and singing with Orlando just because he was going to be sent to The Lakers. I believe he just fears to be compare as the next Shaq, don't really believe the story in which Kobe said to Dwight that he wanted him to be his Tyson Chandler. 

I think Dwight wants to be THE STAR.  He doesn’t want to be on a team where he isn’t the clear “superman”. I think it is important to Dwight {and his new ego} that he be on a team where everyone can see just how amazing he really is.

What about SVG? Everyone blamed Dwight, however, Stan was the one that said directly to the media that he knew Dwight wanted him fire. Not a good decision there by Stan. 

I don’t blame Stan here, at all, to be honest. How humiliating must it be for a coach to have one of their players, and their star player at that, saying that they “want him gone” and really, threatening to leave {possibly} because of him?  I can’t imagine how embarrassing that was for SVG and I think it’s admirable he looked into the cameras and, instead of pretending he didn’t know what was happening, admitted it. 

Have this season being one  of the most emotionally draining for Magic fans? First there was this huge signed of relief when Dwight stayed, only to see him out for the season. That's got to be tough. 

This season has definitely been emotionally draining.  Starting with the lock-out interfering with the start of the season, then drama with Dwight leaving, then staying, then leaving, then staying again only for him {and Hedo and now Jameer} to be sitting out due to injuries. How much more can we take?!

Can you explain n the logic of singing J-Rich and Glen "Big Baby" Davis to a 4 yr extension? that never made sense to me

I think it all comes down to “making Dwight happy.” Big Baby was signed to a 4-year extensions as a request from Dwight. I think J-Rich’s extension was to appease Howard’s agent {since J-Rich and Dwight have the same agent}. If J-Rich resigned the agent does well moneywise and if his agent is happy he would push Dwight to stay with the Magic…or…Otis just makes repeated bad signings (e.g. Duhon).

What's the future of this team now? Who'd you think is going to be blame for all this mess? SVG? Howard? Otis? Does all three of them have the same amount of blame? 

In honestly, I know we won’t go far in the playoffs – there are just too many chips stacked against us.  All Magic fans can hope for is this summer is a nice BREAK for everyone and they come back refreshed next season.

Normally, I would blame Otis because I’m not a huge fan of him and how he manages the team… But, in this case, I say Howard. I think he started A LOT of drama {was it for press?} and in the end decided to stay where he was.  I think he hurt the dynamic of the team for a good long while with his flip-flop attitude and I think that has a lot to say with how the Magic played this season.  

The only fault I find in SVG is his insistence on playing Duhon! I don’t understand why he continuously plays him when night after night he plays miserably!

Which was the best moment of the season?  The worse?

I felt like the best moment of the season was when the lock-out ended and the games started back up, haha.  It was pretty cool that the Magic were able to beat Philly without Dwight and without Hedo.

The worst… Well, it keeps getting worse.  Dwight wanting to leave {and flip-flopping back and forth} only to be injured and unable to play the playoffs seems to be the worst right now.

Which grade would you give Stan and his coaching staff?

I would give them a B.  I think they do the best they can with what they have… EXCEPT FOR DUHON! I don’t understand why they keep playing him! I think they need to start playing Ish  Smith more and Duhon less.

If  the Magic doesn't win the title, who do you think will win the chip?

I think, much to the Heat’s dismay, the Bulls are going to take the rings this year.

You can follow Jennifer on twitter @mommiecouture  She also has her own website.  http://www.mommiecouture.com


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Clippers season in review and playoff talk with Alicia

Alicia is a cool chick from Twitter. She is a devoted Clipper fan and she enjoys tv shows. We talked about why i don't like Blake Griffin, her thoughts on Chris Paul and some TV talk. 

Does every Clipper fan hate the Lakers or that’s just a myth?

The lakers.. Not EVERY Clipper fan is a Laker hater, but a majority are. It's like it's a sin for us to not like the Lakers.. "They're champions, they run LA..." ok, that's great and all, but why can't we be free to choose who we like? If everyone liked the same team, the sports world would be rather boring. For me, they were always a threat, people don't like greatness. Now, they're not my teams biggest threat, I don't hate them, I don't care either way. 

I know you’re a clipper fan, but you can tell us when and how did you get into watching basketball?

I started watching basketball in the mid 80's, the "showtime" era, I won't date myself anymore than that! I honestly started watching on my own, my dad wasn't a big basketball fan. 

Are you  a fan of the Clippers or the NBA in general?

I am a NBA fan in general, but my Clippers get priority over any other game. I love the sport and to watch all the teams compete. 

Was CP3 better than advertised ?  

To be honest, all of the "CP3 trade rumors" we're starting to annoy me. I wasn't prepared to lose EJ (Eric Gordon), even though I knew how great Chris Paul was. Now, I adore him. He has a great spirit he brings to the team. He's a natural leader. Plus, he's one of the best point guards in the NBA!! He brought more than just his on court skills, I'm thankful for that. He helped this new team come together as a team. 

I loved Blake Griffin as a rookie, thought he was awesome for them and really wanted them to do good. Now, I dislike him for many reasons  . A lot of people feel that way, why do you think that is?

Hahaha so many people dislike Blake Griffin. It's so strange to me, but again, people dislike greatness. The flopping, the stares, and anything else are needed. Guys from other teams are trying their hardest not to get "mosgov'd" and they're doing everything they can to prevent it, trying to take him out. It's disgusting. I admit, he flops, and I get upset bc it prevents him from running back for defense. But, he's getting beat up out there, every game and not getting the calls he should. The stares, let's just say if I just posterized the hell out of someone, I'd be doing the same thing!

How do you compare this clipper team with the one they had last season?

Last season.. This team is a pretty complete unit, for the most part. Last season was plagued by injury and players that seemed to be "benched" by VDN for no reason.

Another person that gets a lot of hate, especially on twitter, is coach Del Negro.  Which grade would you give him and his staff? 

Vinny, Vinny, Vinny... I'd probably give him a C. I can't give him an F because we did win 40 games and had a nice little run towards the end. Well, minus the last 2 games.

I honestly have no idea who I'd want to replace him, should be need to be replaced. 

How do you feel about the Clippers facing Memphis  in the first round? Want to predict how it goes?

I'm a little bit nervous about facing the Grizzlies in the first round. They are a great team. In the regular season series, Clippers took it 2-1, I hope that's indication that we can take this playoff series. If all goes right, we steal the first game and regain home court advantage. That's my plan, hopefully the team follows suit! I say it's a tough series and I hope we can take it in 6 games. Also, I need that third home game because i have tickets!

If Clippers fail to win the title, who do you see winning it all?

If Clippers fail, I see OKC taking it... Western conference at least.

Which was the biggest moment of watching the clippers?

The biggest moment this season, we're the games against OKC at home. They were well played and Vinny out coached, I was proud. The atmosphere in Staples was electric, like a playoff atmosphere. It was amazing to be at. 

Do you really believe the Clippers are curse ?

I do not believe in the Clippers curse, players are injured all the time. People don't like Donald Sterling and will say anything to make the franchise look bad. 

Overtime:

All my twitter followers know music and tv shows are a big part of my life, do you like any of those two things as well? 

Im big on Netflix and just recently got addicted to Supernatural. Besides that: How I Met Your mother, Friends, The Office, King of Queens....also, some terrible reality TV. 

Follow Alicia on twitter  at @a_leesee_a  and Follow me on Twitter @JohnnyNBA and Like us on Facebook.

A wedding, a surgery and more.

Recently as all of you may noticed (all 3 of you) I hadn't updated the blog since i gave my playoffs predictions on  April 28th. The reason was that i went to a family wedding and had to spend a lot of time with some family i don't really get to see often.  I also had to go to the orthodontist and he told me a need surgery to fix my jaw. Well, here's hoping i can continue to post recaps/quotes and some other stuff for the reminder of the playoffs.


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