NBA Today - May 14
Mon, May 14, 2007
By Associated Press
Cleveland at New Jersey (7 p.m. EDT). The Cavaliers have a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
STARS Sunday
-Carlos Boozer, Jazz, had 34 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah to a 115-101 victory over Golden State.
-Luol Deng, Bulls, scored 25 points and Chicago defeated Detroit 102-87.
SNAPPED
Chicago stopped Detroit''s seven-game postseason winning streak and avoided a series sweep with a 102-87 victory over the Pistons in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday afternoon. The last time Detroit won its first seven playoff games was in 1989, when it won the NBA championship. The Bulls have not been swept in a playoff series since losing three straight to Boston in the first round in 1987.
CENTURY MARK
Detroit allowed 100 points in a playoff game for just the second time in its last 36 postseason contests in dropping a 102-97 decision to Chicago in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday afternoon. The Pistons had gone 22 consecutive playoff games without an opponent reaching the century mark since losing to Milwaukee 124-104 in the first round last season.
GAME-TIME DECISION
Cleveland reserve forward Donyell Marshall had a walking boot on his left foot on Sunday and his status for Game 4 against New Jersey on Monday is uncertain.
SPEAKING
''I don''t care who it is, we are better than being swept in four games. We just have to come out and fight.'''' - Chicago center Ben Wallace after the Bulls beat Detroit 102-87 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday afternoon to avoid a sweep. Wallace grabbed 17 rebounds and also scored 11 points with blocked two shots against his former team.
League looking into Bowen's actions in Game 3
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
For the first time in an increasingly contentious San Antonio Spurs-Phoenix Suns series, Bruce Bowen is officially under the league's microscope.
An NBA spokesman confirmed Sunday night that Bowen's third-quarter knee to the groin of Suns guard Steve Nash in Saturday's Game 3 is under review for possible punishment.
Nash declined after Saturday's game and again Sunday to voice any public displeasure with Bowen's physical play. But the league decided anyway to conduct a full investigation into this incident after declining to do so when Bowen was accused of intentionally kicking Amare Stoudemire in Game 2.
Stoudemire called Bowen and Manu Ginobili "dirty" players after the Game 2 tangle, in which Bowen admitted he "did clip" Stoudemire from behind on a dunk.
If the league decides to fine or suspend Bowen, that announcement would come before Monday night's Game 4.
Manu Ginobili said he expects to play Monday, despite the eye injury he sustained during Saturday's run, according to the San Antonio Express. "I can see pretty clearly," Ginobili said. "No blurriness. No big deal, I guess."
Bowen can play in Game 4
FOXSports.com
Bruce Bowen will suit up for Game 4 in the Spurs-Suns series Monday night, according to a report on the San Antonio Express-News website.
Bowen's offensive foul against Steve Nash during Saturday's game -- in which the Spurs defender struck Nash's groin with his knee -- was upgraded to a flagrant 1 foul Monday by the NBA.
But Bowen was not fined for the action and the league's decision does not affect his playing status for Monday's game.
Bowen has said he didn't intend to strike Nash in the crotch and that he apologized to the Suns star.
Sorry or not, the apology isn't likely to change how the Suns feel about Bowen and some of his defensive tactics.
Earlier in the series, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire called the Spurs a "dirty team" and accused Bowen of intentionally trying to hurt him.