Terreno Deportivo Spurs Say They’ve Put Game 1 Loss Behind Them
One game, that’s all it was. And it’s on to Game 2. That was the San Antonio Spurs’ attitude Thursday in the wake of their blown opportunity in the opener of the Western Conference finals.
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Kevin Garnett Wins Community Assist Award for April
The Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett has been named the recipient of the NBA Community Assist Award for April, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work.
Celtics-Pistons: Game 2 Live Blog
The Celtics and Pistons square off in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as Boston attempts to take a 2-0 series lead against Detroit. NBA.com’s Ben Couch will be live-blogging all of the action. Check back after each quarter for updates.
Billups Reports No Injury Setbacks, Hopes to Be More Aggressive
In the DETROIT FREE PRESS, Chris Silvia writes “Chauncey Billups said he was hopeful. Not hopeful that he will be healthy, which he said he is, but hopeful that he will do the things he normally does during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics tonight. ‘I will look to, probably, be a lot more aggressive and try to see if I can do that,’ Billups said before Wednesday’s practice at Emerson College. In Game 1, Billups saw his first action in nearly two weeks, since straining his right hamstring in Game 3 against Orlando. He finished with nine points and two assists.”
freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/SPORTS03/805220415/
Paxson Will Take His Time on Bulls Pick
In the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, K.C. Johnson writes “the debate already is so engaged. One almost expected NBA Commissioner David Stern to emerge Wednesday from the Berto Center and, in that voice so familiar to draft aficionados, announce the Bulls had drafted Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with the first overall pick in the NBA draft. Instead, Bulls general manager John Paxson stepped into the sunshine and, in lieu of a needed “chill out,” reminded all the draft doesn’t take place until June 26. ‘I know people want immediate answers,’ Paxson said. ‘That game is for everybody on the outside looking in. That’s not our game. Our game is going through the process thoroughly, evaluating it the proper way, and that’s what we’re going to do.’”
chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-08052
Raptors’ Anthony Parker Has Right Hand Surgery
The TORONTO STAR reports “Raptors guard Anthony Parker had surgery yesterday to repair an injured extensor tendon in the middle finger of his right hand. He must wear a cast for three weeks before he can begin rehabilitation. Parker averaged a career-high 12.5 points last season, second only to Chris Bosh on the Raptors. He also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists and became just the third player in team history to start all 82 regular-season games. Parker’s procedure came eight days after Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani had nasal surgery in Milan, Italy to remove his adenoids and repair a deviated septum.”
Suns Plan More Interviews for Coaching Position
In the ARIZONA REPUBLIC, Paul Coro writes “there was a point this month when the Suns were interested in Mike D’Antoni returning as their coach and D’Antoni was leaning toward becoming the Chicago Bulls’ coach. D’Antoni turned away from both for the New York Knicks job, but the Suns and Bulls still share interests in who coaches their teams next. They are the only NBA teams searching for a coach, and both have plans to interview ex-Suns and current Jazz assistants Tyrone Corbin and Jeff Hornacek this week. The Suns and Bulls interviewed ABC analyst Mark Jackson, and the Suns could be planning to interview two more candidates that Chicago has lined up - Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw and Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau.”
azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/05/22/20080522sunsnb0522.
Sonics See a Premium Player at No. 4
In the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Gary Washburn writes “no matter what Minnesota does, however, the Sonics will get a potentially brilliant player to team with Kevin Durant in the backcourt or perhaps finally a quality center after three failed drafts in search of one. The most unheralded of the group could be Jerryd Bayless, who hardly received the accolades and attention of O.J. Mayo coming out St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix. Bayless played in 30 games for a team with an interim coach that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. His impact was difficult to gauge because the Wildcats were an underachieving team.?
seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/364116_sonx22.html?source=mypi%
Around the Association presented by T-Mobile: May 21
Go Around the Association presented by T-Mobile for a recap of Wednesday’s playoff action.
Bryant Leads Lakers in Comeback Over Spurs
Kobe Bryant scored all but two of his 27 points after halftime, including a go-ahead, 10-foot jumper in the lane with 23.9 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 89-85 on Wednesday night
Slump Won’t Stop Allen From Shooting
The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals and took a 1-0 lead over the Detroit Pistons without much scoring from Ray Allen, an eight-time All-Star closing in on 20,000 career points.
nba.com/games/20080522/DETBOS/allen_slump_080521.html?rss=true
Scott Expects to Return as Hornets Coach
NBA coach of the year Byron Scott, who has the right to buy out the remainder of his contract and go to the highest bidder next season, showed little interest in leaving the Hornets on Wednesday. “I expect to be here,” Scott said.
Lakers Center Andrew Bynum Has Successful Surgery
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today in New York, it was announced today by the team. The procedure, which took 30 minutes and was performed by Dr. David Altchek, consisted of removing some cartilage debris and smoothing some rough spots on the underside of the kneecap. Bynum is expected to make a full recovery by the start of training camp.
nba.com/lakers/news/080521_bynumsuccessfulsurgery.html?rss=true
Draft Clicks: The Top Three
With the results of the Draft Lottery comes much speculation and mock drafting. For now, we take you around the web for reaction from Chicago, Miami and Minnesota.
Rose Excited About Bulls Possibility
In the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, Clyde Travis writes “if the Bulls make hometown hero Derrick Rose the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft ? as expected ? that’s just fine with Rose. The Chicago native, who led Simeon High School to back-to-back state championships in 2006 and 2007, said Tuesday he is excited about the prospect of playing for the Bulls and acknowledged there would be some great benefits to playing in his hometown. ‘I grew up in Englewood, played in the Chicago Public League, and it would be nice to make my hometown proud and give my family and friends the opportunity to see me play often,’ Rose said. ‘I come from a very close family, and I have a very special bond with my brother Reggie, who has really helped guide and prepare me throughout my career in AAU, high school and college.’”
suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/961332,rose052008.article?rs
Lakers Give Gasol Big Responsibility
In the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, Tim Orsborn writes “during his six full seasons with the Grizzlies, Pau Gasol always reserved May for visits to his favorite European seaside resort. ‘The difference between then and now is I would have been off for a month already,’ Gasol said. “I would have been on the beach for a month getting a tan.”Postponing his tanning time isn’t the only thing that’s changed for Gasol. Thanks to Lakers coach Phil Jackson, the 7-foot Spaniard must now become accustomed to something that might make him wish he were on the beach ? defending the Spurs’ Tim Duncan. ”
mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.052108.
Bob Ryan: Pistons-Celtics Series Will Be a Grind All the Way
In the BOSTON GLOBE, Bob Ryan writes “nine down and seven to go. When you come right down to it, that’s the only relevant issue. The Boston Celtics once needed 16 W’s in order to put up championship banner No. 17, and after defeating the Detroit Pistons by an 88-79 score at TD Banknorth Garden last night, they now only need seven. It was bump-and-grind basketball for sure last night, and, like, that’s a surprise? With the one brief exception of that Kelly Tripucka-John Long-Terry Tyler bunch, the Pistons have never been much for style points, and that goes all the way back to the days of Joe Strawder and Eddie Miles, and never mind McFilthy and McNasty and all that stuff from the late ’80s. Somewhere in the Detroit Pistons team charter there must be a line that says, ?Thou shalt grindeth out thy victories.’”
boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/21/series_w
Celtics’ Rondo Silenced Heralded Foe Billups
In the BOSTON GLOBE, Julian Benbow writes “deep down in the scrum of media - below the cameraman on the stepladder, inside the layers of notepads and recorders - there was an oddly empty locker, with Rajon Rondo’s picture and nothing else. No shirts, no slacks, no shoes other than a pair of basketball sneakers. No sight of Rondo, just a crowd of people waiting to ask him a lot of the questions he had heard all season in some new form. One interrogator pestered Doc Rivers so much that the Celtics coach admitted he got testy. The question was about Rondo’s matchup with his Pistons counterpart, All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups. It’s been that way since October. No surprise to Rivers now.”
boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/05/21/rondo_si
Roster Decisions Await Team USA
“With the Beijing Olympics less than three months away, Team USA’s quest to recapture the men’s basketball gold medal will resume in June in Las Vegas,” writes Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. “USA Basketball will have a minicamp June 27 to 29 at Cox Pavilion to decide the final 12-man roster. That group will reconvene July 20 to 25 at a Las Vegas site to be determined, ending with the Americans’ lone pre-Olympic tuneup against the Canadian National Team at 5 p.m. July 25 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets, priced from $12 to $75, will go on sale at 10 a.m. today at the Thomas & Mack box office and UNLVTickets.com.”
Celtics Beat Pistons in Game 1 of East Finals
Kevin Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 22 points Tuesday night to lead Boston to an 88-79 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics’ 15th straight home win.