NBA Today
SCOREBOARD
Friday, May 15
No games scheduled. There are two Game 7s on Sunday, with Houston visiting the Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston hosting Orlando.
STARS
Wednesday
— Dwight Howard(notes), Magic, had 23 points and 22 rebounds to lead Orlando to an 83-75 victory over Boston in Game 6.
— Aaron Brooks(notes) and Luis Scola(notes), Rockets. Brooks scored 26 points and Scola had 24 points and 12 rebounds as Houston forced a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday with a 95-80 victory over the Lakers.
GO THE DISTANCE
The Boston Celtics will face two Game 7s to open the playoffs for the second straight year. After surviving their first-round thriller against Chicago, Boston was forced into another decisive game after dropping Game 6 in Orlando on Thursday. Last season, the Celtics won Game 7s against Atlanta and Cleveland on the way to their NBA-best 17th championship.
STRONG IN DEFEAT
Rajon Rondo(notes) had 19 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in Boston’s 83-75 loss to Orlando in Game 6. … Kobe Bryant(notes) scored 32 points, but the Lakers were forced to a Game 7 with a 95-80 defeat in Houston.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE?
NBA commissioner David Stern wants to see an expansion of the use of instant replay and is disappointed that the league’s competition committee hasn’t been “bolder” in that regard. Speaking in Houston before the Rockets hosted the Lakers, Stern said he could envision a system where challenges are used at the end of games, though he offered no specifics, adding that he expected the idea to get voted down.
BOSTON’S BLUES
Thursday was a tough night for Boston, which saw its teams go 0-3. The Celtics lost 83-75 in Orlando in Game 6 of their series, while the Bruins were eliminated from the NHL playoffs with a 3-2 loss to Carolina and the Red Sox were beaten 5-4 by the Los Angeles Angels. The Celtics were the only ones to lose in regular time; the Bruins’ loss went to overtime and the Red Sox fell in 12 innings. Beantown teams had gone 3-0 on both Sunday and Tuesday. ^SPEAKING
“For the last two days, all I’ve heard is that we weren’t going back to L.A. Our guys in the locker room didn’t believe that.”—Houston coach Rick Adelman after the Rockets forced Game 7 against the Lakers with a 95-80 victory.
“I guess Dwight Howard was right. My gosh. He was unbelievable.”—Celtics coach Doc Rivers on the Magic center, who had 23 points and 22 rebounds in an 83-75 Game 6 victory after demanding he be given the ball more.
Rocket Men
By B Edwards
For bettors that took Houston on the money line for a plus +400 return last night, I offer you a tip of the cap. That’s a real nice play that I wish I would’ve supported.
This Rockets squad gets a hat tip too. They handed the Lakers a wire-to-wire defeat for the second time in three games. Los Angeles had zero wire-to-wire losses during the regular season.
On Thursday night, Ron Artest and Co. captured a 95-80 win that was all about grit and wanting it more than the team in purple. The Rockets had every excuse in the world to fold the tents last week. Already without Tracy McGrady, they lost Yao Ming. Before that, Dikembe Mutombo went down.
Yet the Rockets still have a heartbeat. Check that, they have a bunch of tickers on this squad.
Rick Adelman’s team is made up of winners, starting with their head coach. Houston is lucky to have Adelman and he’s fortunate to have a unique group of players.
Say what you want about Artest, but as a player he does everything a coach loves in a Dennis Rodman sort of way. And that’s a compliment. Artest plays physical, gets after it defensively and he’ll go to bat for a teammate at a moment’s notice.
My favorite thing about Artest is that he doesn’t kiss Kobe’s ass like a lot of players do. In fact, I sense that he sneaks in an occasional “you-know-I’d-whip-your-ass comment” during their numerous verbal exchanges.
Chuck Hayes is a bruiser. He made a living in an underrated collegiate career at Kentucky by doing things the right way. He set screens, he always played ‘D’ and hit the boards ferociously. Hayes didn’t need shots. He went to the offensive glass to get his.
As a pro, Hayes does the same things. Despite giving up at least six inches to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, Hayes was instrumental in forcing those two into shooting a combined 7-for-18 from the field in Game 6. Hayes made the only shot he took and didn’t commit a turnover in 30 minutes.
Shane Battier is another winner. I wouldn’t necessarily want to drink beers with the Dookie, but I can admire the way he plays. Defense comes first for Battier. He doesn’t need shots, but he’ll knock ‘em down if they come in the flow of the offense. He takes charges and makes hustle plays. In other words, Battier “gets it.”
How tough and nasty is Carl Landry? His play had my Gators sweating a second-round game to Purdue on their way to a second straight national championship a few years back. His play had Phil Jackson perspiring Thursday, as the rugged Boilermaker had 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Landry didn’t miss a shot in 27 minutes of playing time.
As a rookie, Landry kept playing after losing several of his front teeth. This year, he’s playing just weeks removed from barely escaping a robbery attempt that left him healing from a bullet wound to his leg.
And how about Aaron Brooks? Oregon’s program has fallen apart since he left. Since Rafer Alston left in a deadline-day trade to Orlando, Brooks has made Rockets’ management look brilliant. Brooks had 34 points in Game 4 and dropped 26 on the Lakers last night.
Finally, Luis Scola was a stud in Game 6. He had 24 points and 12 boards when his night was done. Nobody could stop Scola on the low block.
This Lakers team looks like the unit that lost to the Pistons in the Finals after adding Gary Payton and Karl Malone to the Shaq-Kobe combo. They probably close out the Rockets in Game 7, but anything can happen in a one-game scenario.
Besides the obvious survival into the next round, there’s going to be more at stake in Sunday’s decider. Kobe’s legacy will be on the line. I’ve always found it comical to hear Bryant compared to that Bulls player who wore No. 23. Kobe is a me-first guy and always has been since he shot those four air-balls in the fourth quarter of an elimination game at Utah as a rookie. He’s also a high-volume shooter. I’m just not into those types of players (the anti-Rockets). Kobe-like players grate on teammates, while you win and win big when star players like LeBron are unselfish and put the team concept first.
Bryant was an outstanding No. 2 player to Shaq on three championship teams. He’s also a lockdown defender when he wants to be. Don’t get me wrong, those are great assets and accomplishments for an NBA player.
But Kobe Bryant is nothing more and nothing less. He’s not the best player in the league. I stand by what I’ve said dozens of times – mostly on the Power Hours – that Bryant is not going to win another NBA title. He’s going to retire with three rings only.
Assuming L.A. gets past Houston, it will lose to Denver if it plays like it has in these playoffs to date. The Lakers don’t look hungry. The fact that they have to go the distance to prevail over an injury-riddled team is telling. The Lakers can’t just flip the switch on when they feel like it.
Jackson appeared relaxed after the loss, but you know he’s fuming inside. You know he sees that this team doesn’t have the killer instinct. Jackson has coached nine different teams to NBA titles. He knows those squads would’ve never lost Games 4 and 6 at Houston, certainly not by double-digit margins.
Again, the Lakers probably don’t go down Sunday. But it’s going to happen. It says here that it's just a matter of whether the Nuggets or Cavs take the honors. Even you Kobe Lovers and Laker die-hards are starting to sense that reality.
Flash: http://**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--With a two-day break before a pair of Game 7’s, we’ve almost reached halftime in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. On that note, let’s give out a few halfway-home awards:
First-Team Studs:
-LeBron James (Cavs)
-Rajon Rondo (Celtics)
-Dwight Howard (Magic)
-Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
-Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
Five Underrated Players that are playing their asses off:
-Carl Landry (Rockets)
-Big Baby Davis (Celtics)
-Kendrick Perkins (Celtics)
-Nene (Nuggets)
-Aaron Brooks (Rockets)
Five Players Underperforming:
-Joe Johnson (Hawks)
-Peja Stojakovic (Hornets)
-Andrew Bynum (Lakers)
-Stephon Marbury (Celtics)
-Ray Allen (Celtics)
--I mentioned the importance of the Lakers-Rockets Game 7 result in regards to Kobe’s legacy. In addition to that, how silly does McGrady look if Houston advances to the West finals?
--I had the 'under' in the Lakers-Rockets for a winner last night but missed a 2-0 night on that bad beat for Boston backers. Orlando forced a Game 7 back in Beantown by pulling away late for an 83-75 win as a seven-point favorite.
--The early number for Game 7 is Boston by 2 1/2 with a total of 187 1/2. Only a few books had lines out as of early Friday for Houston at L.A. Most spots had the Lakers at 12 or 12 1/2.
--Adam Morrison was a lottery pick. His career shooting percentage from the field is 37.3%. The Gonzaga product made 50.3 percent of his attempts from the floor for the Bulldogs. Morrison hasn’t tasted the court once in these playoffs.
vegasinsider.com