NBA: National Basketball Association

By sportsbloke42 Fans will accept losing to the likes of the Celtics, the Lakers, the Magic and the Cavs. What will infuriate them is losing badly at home to teams in the bottom halves of their conferences. If the Knicks aspire to respectability, games in the Garden against the likes of the Pacers are games the...

By sportsbloke42 Fans will accept losing to the likes of the Celtics, the Lakers, the Magic and the Cavs. What will infuriate them is losing badly at home to teams in the bottom halves of their conferences. If the Knicks aspire to respectability, games in the Garden against the likes of the Pacers are games the...

LeBron James won't rule out playing for the Clippers or any other team.Kevin Durant missed some big shots that could have sealed a win against the Lakers, and an emerging commitment to defense played a role. Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman: "Although Durant wouldn’t use it as an excuse Th...

By Tim Bucktoo We've seen it all play out before.  LeBron James sinks a buzzer beater for the win. Led by Derrick Rose's 14 points and 11 assists, Chicago beat Cleveland at their own game, on their own court. Unfortunately for Cleveland, King James came up short. 

By RaptorTalk: Earlier today on Toronto's FAN 590, former Niagara University head basketball coach and Raptors TV analyst Jack Armstrong went on a very entertaining and informative mini rant. Have a listen.... Jack Armstrong Audio Link - November 2, 2009

By LatinD DateGameResult Wed 28 Hornets 96 @ Spurs 113 W Thu 29 Spurs 85 @ Bulls 92L Sat 31 Kings 94 @ Spurs 113W Game #1: New Orleans Hornets 96 @ San Antonio Spurs 113 Boxscore Game #2: San Antonio Spurs 85 @ Chicago Bulls 92 Boxscore Game #3: Sacramento Kings 94 @ San Antonio Spurs 113 Boxscore

By section214 Photographic proof that Kevin Martin and Jason Thompson could not throw a ball into the ocean last night. A word on +/- - Admittedly, this is my least favorite stat, as I think that there are many factors that can skew this number. Last night Kevin Martin was a +1 while Tyreke Evans was a -10. ‘Nuf...

By Jason Quick, The Oregonian Bruce Ely, The OregonianGreg Oden had nine rebounds against Denver, but he remembers the two missed free throws.Greg Oden was only halfway through the agony of defeat when he missed two potential game-winning free throws with 4.6 seconds left Thursday night, essentially sealing the Tra...

By Phillip Baggett Vs Vs Vs Vs Center: Vs Prediction: The Mavericks are still trying to come together as a team with all the new players to be able to legitimately compete with the Lakers tonight. The Mavs will keep it close in the beginning on shear emotion but will fade. Lakers 114 Mavs 95

By J.E. Skeets Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers | Jazz Pacific Division: Warriors | Clippers | Lakers

By J.E. Skeets Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers | Jazz Pacific Division: Warriors | Clippers | Lakers

By Adam Lauridsen Around 5:30 Tuesday evening — roughly 24 hours before the Warriors tip off their 09-10 season — the Bay Bridge snapped.  All the Warriors can do now is hope it’s not an omen.  The Warriors, like the Bridge, have suffered nearly two decades of neglect in the wake of abrupt catastrophes.  Many wi...

By Tim C. But maybe, unlike myself, Gregg Popovich is not nearly so enamored by Hairston. In that case I won’t cry for Hairston. He should not have too much trouble finding another contract. He’s earned it. That year in Austin really helped. I was talking to my buddy who works for the Spurs last night durin...

By M. Haubs(noreply@blogger.com) 1. Where will LeBron James be? 2. How will Greg Oden/Andrew Bynum develop? 3. How will high-school-to-pros players age? The most fascinating player to watch will be Kobe Bryant, as he often is. At age 31, he has already played 948 regular-season games plus another 175 playoff games.

By RaptorTalk: Earlier this summer, Andrea Bargnani signed a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors for a reported 5 years/ $50 million.  32.0 mpg 15.4 ppg 6.8 rpg 1.1 bpg 487 fg% 216 3pt% 764 ft% 31.4 mpg 15.4 ppg 5.3 rpg 1.2 bpg 450 fg% 409 3pt% 831 ft%

By J.E. Skeets Sign up now for Fantasy Basketball '09. Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs Central Division: Bulls | Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Bucks Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers

By J.E. Skeets Sign up now for Fantasy Basketball '09. Atlantic Divison: Celtics | Nets | Knicks | 76ers | Raptors Southwest Division: Mavericks | Rockets | Grizzlies | Hornets | Spurs Central Division: Bulls | Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Bucks Northwest Division: Nuggets | Wolves | Thunder | Blazers

By Steve Perrin It's way too early, but tempting nonetheless, to say that Baron Davis is now ready to be the impact player the Clippers thought they were getting - a year later than expected, but better late than never.  After being dismantled by his former teammate Monta Ellis in the first half, Baron came...

By Big Chris Sometimes +/- can punish players simply for being on bad teams, but this is more than that. Mavericks’ statistical expert Wayne Winston’s in-depth lineup data shows that every one of Durant’s key teammates — Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison — gets better, in ma...

By Atma Brother ONE Suns Fall Short Against Warriors, 104-101 - Bright Side Of The Sun Exhibition #4: Ws vs. Suns - Inside the Warriors - with Marcus Thompson Warriors 104 Suns 101 " Feltbot's Warriors Blog 48 Minutes.net   " (Exhibition) Game No. 4: Warriors vs. Suns, live

By Kevin Sawyer JD: …So (Gordon’s) thing is, “I can play with Rodney Stuckey, I can play with Rip Hamilton, I can play with Will Bynum. Joe, I’m adaptable. I can make it work, because I’ve done it. I’ve done it my whole career.” And he mentioned Chris Duhon as well over in Chicago.

By aloneconformist(noreply@blogger.com) The point is, the Lakers showed they will play dirty to win or NEED to play dirty to win. They ARE cheap shot artists. That's what they do. The Houston Rockets are not and they shouldn't start just because L.A. sets the precedent. Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley summed it up perfectly in what may be t...

By dberri The Celtics send Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Detroit Pistons for Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey.  Ray Allen: 9.8 Wins Produced, 0.163 WP48 Rajon Rondo: 17.3 Ray Allen: 23.9 Deron Williams: 11.9 Win Produced, 0.228 WP48 Chauncey Billups: 11.2 Wins Produced, 0.192 WP48

By dberri It all began when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol.  At the time Andrew Bynum was still hurt.  But I argued that once Bynum was healthy, the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Bynum (as well as Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom), would be the favorites to win the NBA title.  That was my argument in the midst o...

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 31 points but he shot just 9-23 from the field and did not score for a 12 minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters as the Lakers took control with a 23-5 run; during that crucial time, ESPN's Mark Jackson said, "The question for (Denver Coach) George Karl is, 'Where is Carmelo Anthony?' You need a guy offensively to stop the bleeding." Chauncey Billups had a quiet 12 points and five assists while Kenyon Martin added 12 points but shot just 6-15 from the field as the Lakers invited him to keep shooting his patented no-arc jump shots and awkward runners. J.R. Smith, apparently believing that his salary is linked to three point field goal attempts per minute, shot 1-10 from three point range; this is...   [read the full post]

Blake Griffin is everything you would want in a #1 pick in the draft. He is everybody's college basketball player of the year. He is the #1 pick on every single mock draft in the nation. His work ethic off the court will shame his team mates into working out harder. His effort on the court will urge h...

By Ira Winderman So after an entire season of explaining why Michael Beasley isn't a small forward, the Heat's first substitution was Beasley for small forward James Jones. The best Heat center in the building was Alonzo Mourning, who again was on hand to lend support.

New Orleans Hornets have big summer ahead concerning roster decisions NOLA.com, LA - Jimmy Smith Byron Scott to Sacramento? NewOrleans.Com Will Scott Be Among Changes In New Orleans? RealGM.com Future in Question for Hornets Coach Byron Scott The National Sports Review

Boston Globe Phil Jasner: Sixers' Dalembert taking lumps, earning respect Philadelphia Daily News NBA Franchise Notes: 76ers' Playoff Run Lacks Buzz In Philly SportsBusiness Daily (subscription) Hoopsvibe.com - Philadelphia Inquirer

Now we get to see how the young, but experienced LA Lakers handle an important close out game at home. Wow Dwyane Wade handled the Atlanta Hawks, huh? Or. Wow, the Hawks sure have reacted poorly to playing a less talented team that is playing really ...

BusinessWorld Online  WA •Wizards turn to Saunders: Flip Saunders officially has the job on the Washington Wizards' bench, complete with an $18 million, four-year contract and the task of picking up the pieces from one of the worst seasons in franchise history. ...

By TOM WITHERS • AP • April 21, 2009 INDEPENDENCE -- Joe Smith's hoops odyssey has spanned 14 years and bridged from Golden State to Cleveland with seven NBA stops in between. Cleveland Cavaliers' Joe Smith talks with reporters at the team's practice ...

By mwells The closest thing to any drama was the T.J. Ford-Jarrett Jack incident late last month. B-Rush I remember a Pacers official telling me Brandon Rush would be the next $60-million player the day after Danny Granger signed his extension last fall.

 OK Mason said when an art critic visited one of his shows in Milwaukee, he told the reviewer to "be brutally honest” and not let his work slide by "just because I play for the Bucks. He gave me a good review on the art because he loved it. ...

The Spurs had just made back-to-back 3-pointers to close a seven-point gap to one with 17.8 seconds to go. On the ensuing inbounds, New Orleans' Chris Paul split a double-team from Finley and Tony Parker in the backcourt, then drew a foul on Manu Ginobili while hoisting a half-court 3-point...

In the midst of a long-awaited comeback in a sport he rules and on the eve of defending his championship at a golf tournament he loves, Tiger Woods was actually thinking about attending the Magic-Celtics game Wednesday night. He thought about it. Thought about it long hand hard. "I'd like to g...

NEC: Semifinals Preview & Notes The Colonials swept the Bobcats during the 2008-09 regular season. • In the two games this season against Quinnipiac, Robinson averaged 18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 4.5 spg. • The Colonials have now reached the NEC semifinals in three of the last four years. ...

TVNZ   Canada Memphis Grizzlies veteran centre Chris Mihm has undergone surgery on his right ankle. The team said there is no timetable for his return ... The Houston Rockets signed James White to a 10-day contract. The 6-foot-7 White was averaging 25.9 points and ...

By Ben. Introduction: The Blazers Defense is not Very Good (?) The Conversation: Kevin Pelton, Please Save Us Thankfully, we've got the Prince of Perspective: Basketball Prospectus's Kevin Pelton.  For a refresher on KP2, check out his previous Blazers-centric work here and here.

By rss@youtube.com (mustseebbtv) Keywords: Michael Jordan vs Washington Bullets defense 1995 1996 1997 NBA regular season playoffs Chicago Bulls Wizards VS Real Defenses Zone Kobe Bryant LeBron James modern era defenses old school hardcore basketball tags: thebruceblitzchannel the bruce blitz show bruceblitz ch...

By rss@youtube.com (1EDmanLV) EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., January 28,2009(AP) -- With Jose Calderon back in the lineup, the Toronto Raptors are hoping the second half of the season is a lot better than the first. Calderon had 17 points and 11 assists and the Raptors escaped with a 107-106 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday ni...

By Brian Robinson As are most people around the world I am thankful for my family, my job and home, the general happiness of life. Like so many people in Seattle I do of course miss my team and have regrets that this year they are not here to celebrate with me. No Sonics stocking stuffers, no 2009 team calendar, no g...

By noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) The Celtics horrendous bench is better than our bench. Good: Boston. Really, really, really good. Let's fast forward to the Eastern Conference Finals already. Cavs/Celtics. Celtics are scary good when their starters are on their floor. Their bench? Meh...

By rss@youtube.com (AEBD85) MIAMI(AP) For a team less than three years removed from winning an NBA championship, a three-game winning streak might seem like no big deal. But to the Miami Heat, it's a significant step forward. NBA scoring leader Dwyane Wade scored 25 of his 38 points in the first half and Miami beat the re...

By David Friedman(noreply@blogger.com) As for Miami, the Heat are obviously immensely better than they were last year. Wade has regained his explosiveness and he once again drives relentlessly to the basket. Miami's primary offensive option is Wade dribbling around until he decides to either shoot or pass; in one late game sequence, Wade was the last Heat player to cross midcourt on offense and the other four Heat players simply stood around like little kids waiting for permission to cross the street: they did not even consider the possibility of trying to run an offensive set or create an open shot by dribble penetration. Rookie point guard Mario Chalmers has played actively on defense and he is averaging more than five apg but Wade is clearly running the show.   [read the full post]

By noreply@blogger.com (TCW) Click Here to view the Total Win Contribution boxscore from last night's Bucks game. I only finished the numbers for the Milwaukee Bucks. I meant to also do computations for the Chicago Bulls, but I just finished the Bucks computations... and its 2:09 am. Maybe I'll get at it tomorrow.

By J.E. Skeets Canis Hoopus: "What are the team's biggest strengths? Outside shooting and rebounding.  ... the Wolves will be able to trot out a lineup with Miller, Foye, and McCants — three players who finished last season in the top-20 of three point shooting. Last year, the team often found itself with a ba...

By J.E. Skeets Gerald Wallace (assuming he's healthy) has to be able to full overcome Kirilenko-itis and take to the small forward spot. Jason Richardson can't be expected to nail 40 percent of those three-pointers again, but 37 percent and a near-80 mark at the line would be heaps better. Emeka Okafor (a...

Scanning the blogs and beats following the Celtics' 97-91 comeback win over the Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals ... Rob Peterson, NBA.com: "In trying to describe what I witnessed at STAPLES Center on Thursday, one thing comes to mind: Animal House.

By noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) Herald Hobbled Pierce plans to take shot in Game 2 Lakers haven't lost cool FL's Take: I really dislike Kobe Bryant. He wants to hook on as head coach Hoopsworld Pierce's knee is key Rankings: Celtics number 1 Signs point to Pierce, Perkins playing game 2 The Star Celtics' challenge: stop Kobe again Celtics-Lakers game1: The day Paul Pierce became a Celtic Sporting News Celtics' Perkins, Pierce try to heal before game 2 Lakers Library Paul Pierce: Inglewood or Hollywood? AFP Lakers coach cynical about Pierce knee injury Pierce ignores long term injury risk to play in NBA Finals Fox Sports Lakers can't compete with Celtics strength Rivers: Pierce, Perkins likely for game 2 NY Times Drama aside, Celtics expect Pierce to play   [read the full post]