Finals notes

[duncan228]

Celtics say nothing is wrong with Garnett (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)
By Brian Mahoney

Forget the NBA finals. Kevin Garnett looked as if he would have struggled in the slam dunk contest.

Yet the Boston Celtics insist there is nothing wrong with their power forward’s health.

“I just thought he struggled,” coach Doc Rivers said. “He had one of those nights. We all have them. We’re just not used to seeing him have them unless there’s something wrong. But he’s fine, I can guarantee you that.”

Garnett certainly didn’t look it in Game 1. His 7-of-16 shooting night included a botched layup in the fourth quarter with nobody around, and an attempted dunk of an offensive rebound that was blocked by the front of the rim.

“It happens. I’ve done that throughout the course of my 12 years. We all miss layups, we all miss shots, you’ve just got to keep playing,” teammate Paul Pierce said.

Garnett’s struggles didn’t end on offense. He was badly outplayed by counterpart Pau Gasol, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 102-89 victory.

Garnett missed last year’s playoffs with a knee injury that required surgery, and he’s far from the tenacious force who was the Defensive Player of the Year when Boston won the NBA title two years ago.

But don’t blame the knee—or any other ailments—for the way he played Thursday.

“No, I just thought honestly he got so hyped up about the game yesterday he almost took himself out,” Rivers said. “He was trying to slow himself down. He didn’t have a great game. But no, he’s fine health-wise and all that.”

BROWN’S BOAST: Hard to believe, but the team that dominated Game 1 was supposed to be the underdog in the NBA finals.

At least, that’s what one Lakers player seemed to think.

The way backup guard Shannon Brown made it sound, everyone from the sports books to the sports bars was picking the Boston Celtics in the series.

“Obviously people were calling me, trying to get me hyped, telling me that nobody had us winning and all this, that and another, but you can’t pay attention to that,” Brown said. “Now, it’s a different story.”

The Lakers are the defending NBA champions and were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, while Boston made a surprising run to the finals as the No. 4 seed in the East.

And while the Celtics beat the Lakers two years ago for the championship, they were not considered the favorites in this series. At worst, it was considered an even matchup.

The edge would now seem to go to Los Angeles after its 102-89 victory in the opener. Even the doubters Brown believes are out there might have to agree.

“We’ve got to go out there and do what we have to do to prove everybody wrong. And it’s really not about them. It’s about us,” Brown said. “Not too many teams get a chance to win back-to-back championships or even be in the finals three consecutive years. That’s something special in itself.”

47 and OH NO: If the Boston Celtics weren’t already aware of Phil Jackson’s undefeated record when winning Game 1, they are now.

And they seem sick of getting asked about it.

“It’s come up several times,” guard Ray Allen said. “First thing I heard when I got here the day before yesterday. It has nothing to do with me.”

Not five minutes later, he could hardly keep from rolling his eyes after he was asked again if he’d heard the Jackson stat.

“Yeah, I’ve heard it, 1,000 times,” Allen said.

Jackson’s teams in Chicago and Los Angeles are 47-0 when they win the opener of a playoff series. His counterpart was asked Friday if he knew that.

“Uh huh,” Doc Rivers said.

“It’s like I told our guys, because I assumed that this would come up. I don’t know the record. I said also the last time we were in the finals, no team had ever come down from 24 in the second half. At some point, it happened.”

Rivers was referring to Game 4 of the 2008 finals, when the Celtics roared back from a 45-21 deficit for a 97-91 victory. No team had ever overcome more than a 15-point deficit after the first quarter.

CALLING ALL-STARS: The NBA finals are just under way, and already Los Angeles is looking ahead to its next big basketball event.

Staples Center was awarded the 2011 NBA All-Star game last year during the finals. On Sunday, the logo for the weekend will be unveiled at a press conference before Game 2.

Former Lakers forward James Worthy and Clippers guard Eric Gordon are scheduled to participate.

The 60th All-Star game will be played Feb. 20 at Staples Center, also the site of the 2004 game. It is the record fifth time Los Angeles has hosted the weekend.

SOCCER RON: Ron Artest has World Cup fever, even if he isn’t quite sure how he caught it.

“Everybody on my team is a soccer fan, so I’m turning into a soccer fan,” the Lakers’ defensive stopper said Friday. “I don’t even know who I’m cheering for. Everybody is playing soccer these days, though. My kids play soccer, not me.”

Artest, who grew up in Queens, didn’t get into the beautiful game in his youth. He was more enthralled by the ugliness of basketball played against his father, who infamously shoved and swatted his son in pickup games, prompting a lifelong love of physical hoops for the younger Artest.

“Soccer hasn’t reached the ghetto yet,” said an upbeat Artest, who scored 15 points and played solid defense on Paul Pierce in his NBA finals debut. “We need more grass in the ghetto. All we’ve got is basketball nets and shorts.”

Artest also joked that he’s hoping to see more golf in urban areas.

“We need a Tiger Woods from Compton with his pants sagging down, playing golf,” Artest cracked.

[mingus]

wtf was Shannon Brown talking to that said nobody had LA winning the title? he needs to be traded ASAP now that we know he hangs out with crackheads. won't be long before he's suspended for having crack in his system. won't be long before he has Artest, Bynum, and Gasol on it, too.

[Giuseppe]

wtf was Shannon Brown talking to that said nobody had LA winning the title? he needs to be traded ASAP now that we know he hangs out with crackheads. won't be long before he's suspended for having crack in his system. won't be long before he has Artest, Bynum, and Gasol on it, too.

Speakin' of crack, Ming, before the Spurs cross the Arizona border again have 'em tape their crack shut. Suns be making that San Antonio crack loose.

[TheManFromAcme]

Speakin' of crack, Ming, before the Spurs cross the Arizona border again have 'em tape their crack shut. Suns be making that San Antonio crack loose.

:lol

[mingus]

Speakin' of crack, Ming, before the Spurs cross the Arizona border again have 'em tape their crack shut. Suns be making that San Antonio crack loose.

speaking of crack, it's too bad you can't control yours anymore.

[duncan228]

Gasol calls insult kerfuffle ‘pretty pathetic’ (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnbafinalsnotebook)
By Greg Beacham

Pau Gasol says he got an unpleasant reminder of the dangers inherent in being around too many reporters with not enough news during an extra day off in the NBA finals.

The Los Angeles big man blasted interpretations of his comments about aging as a pointed criticism of Celtics star Kevin Garnett on Saturday, calling the manipulation of his words “pretty pathetic.”

On Friday, Gasol was asked how he and Garnett have both changed since Gasol joined the NBA in 2001. The 7-foot Spaniard gave a detailed answer, saying both players have lost explosiveness through natural aging and have adjusted their games accordingly.

Later in the day, Gasol was stunned to hear his words clipped into insults to Garnett and the Celtics, who mostly didn’t react to the pot-stirring.

“Insult? No, ‘insult’ is a strong word,” Garnett said. “I feel like a lot of times what I’m hearing is just personal observation. I don’t think it’s going at my character, or judging my character.”

On Saturday, Gasol said he understands “to an extent” why his comments passed for news during the two-day break between the series’ first two games.

“I understand media try to create situations for whatever reason, create attraction,” Gasol said. “But again, sometimes I extend my answers too long. Maybe I shouldn’t do that. I should be shorter with my answers and don’t give away just anything so it can’t be manipulated that way and used. … It’s the finals. It’s going to be a little bit of chaos. We’ve just got to focus on doing whatever it takes to win Game 2.”

—-=

HEALTHY CELTICS: Boston coach Doc Rivers thinks backup Marquis Daniels likely is ready to return from his concussion. Rivers also says Rajon Rondo won’t be joining Daniels on the shelf any time soon.

Daniels was hurt in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, courtesy of Dwight Howard’s elbow to his head. Though Daniels hasn’t played much in the postseason, Rivers thinks the veteran could be a valuable body on defense - particularly if the clubs get into another foulfest similar to the 54-foul extravaganza of Game 1.

Rivers said Daniels would go through a full practice with the Celtics on Saturday.

“I thought he was out for the playoffs, personally, so that’s a good thing,” Rivers said. “I can’t guarantee (Sunday), but I think there’s a good chance.”

Rivers also said Rondo doesn’t have a back injury, as Boston general manager Danny Ainge inferred in a recent radio interview. The point guard instead has an injury a bit lower than that, but it’s nothing new.

“It’s his butt. His glutes are tight,” Rivers said. “You see him do this stretch almost every chance he gets. He’s been doing that throughout the playoffs, though. Listen, everyone has something going on with their bodies right now. The NBA playoffs are very difficult, and by the time you get to the Finals, there’s a chance that every single guy on the floor has some kind of nick. We’re no different than anybody else.”

—-=

ONE REGRET: Ray Allen is a well-traveled NBA veteran who finally won a championship with the Boston Celtics. Looking back over his career, the shooting guard wouldn’t have done much differently - except in the Pacific Northwest.

“I wish I could have fought a little bit harder in Seattle when the team was moving,” Allen said. “We never thought that would happen. We just always assumed it was going to get taken care of. That’s a disappointing thing in my career.”

Allen played five of his 14 NBA seasons with the SuperSonics, scoring a career-best 26.4 points per game in his final season in Seattle in 2006-07. The Sonics traded him to Boston that summer, and they were gone to Oklahoma City one year later.

—-=

TO THE BEACH: The Lakers and Celtics spent Saturday at Los Angeles’ training complex in suburban El Segundo, a short drive from the Pacific Ocean. NBA finalists usually practice at the arena where the games are played, but the teams were driven out of Staples Center on Saturday by a concert with R&B stars Maxwell and Jill Scott.

“I don’t mind,” Lakers center Andrew Bynum said. “All of our stuff is out here anyway.”

—-=

WOODEN’S TOUCH: Although John Wooden touched more lives than anyone could count, Rasheed Hazzard has a special memory of an encounter with his father’s mentor.

Hazzard, the son of former UCLA star and coach Walt Hazzard, is an advance scout and special assistant coach for the Lakers. When his playing career was derailed by injuries, the younger Hazzard got a head start on his coaching career at Venice High School with a serendipitous ride on a private jet with Wooden to a charity function.

“We talked that whole trip about everything in coaching,” Hazzard said. “We actually wrote up my first two practice plans on that trip.”

Hazzard, who also has been an assistant on the Lakers’ D-League team, said Wooden instructed him to take the long view of his profession.

“You need to think about character as a coach,” Hazzard said, recalling Wooden’s words. “Don’t focus on making them ballplayers. Focus on making them young men. Don’t judge what you’ve done by wins and losses. Judge it 10 years down the road, if they’ve become good young men. That’s the real challenge.”

[duncan228]

Wooden honored with moment of silence at finals (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnbafinalsnotebook)

John Wooden was honored with a moment of silence before Game 2 of the NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton, two of Wooden’s greatest players at UCLA, took turns speaking publicly for the first time since the 99-year-old Hall of Famer died Friday.

“It’s very difficult for me to put into words the greatness of John Wooden,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He was so much more than a basketball coach. To have him in my life was a true blessing. I will always be grateful I was able to be one of his students.”

Abdul-Jabbar rushed back from Europe to visit Wooden at his hospital bedside before he died. Wooden’s teams won a record 10 NCAA championships at UCLA, including seven in a row.

Walton recalled what Wooden would tell his players before every game.

“I’ve done my best. The rest is up to you,” he said. “Now that he’s gone, it’s up to us to carry on his ideals of peace, love, excellence, education and service. We love you more than words can ever tell.”

RUNNIN’ RIVERS: The Celtics had 1 second left to get the ball across midcourt in the fourth quarter, so coach Doc Rivers left the sideline and came flying onto the court, frantically signaling a timeout.

“He claimed that he’s in shape, and when he ran out there we told him he looked like he wasn’t in shape,” guard Ray Allen said. “But he made it out there, so it definitely got us an extra possession.”

The rest of the team broke out laughing.

“It allowed them to breathe a little bit, and I thought that helped us,” Rivers said.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson saw Rivers in action.

“I don’t think that’s legal to get on the floor,” he said. “I think coaches have to stay on the sideline. It’s like he was shot out of a starter’s block.”

Celtics reserve Tony Allen didn’t see Rivers’ dash, but he knew how it could have ended.

“He’s got on those dress shoes so I know if he would’ve slipped he would’ve been on the bloopers,” he said.

ALLEN’S 3-POINT RECORD: Ray Allen moved into a class by himself with a finals-record eight 3-pointers.

Michael Jordan had six 3-pointers against Portland in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA finals.

“I do remember that,” Allen said. “Mike, I’m going to tell him that his were a lot easier. He wasn’t running off screens, he was shooting the ball and he had it going. As a child, those are some of my favorite memories, just being a fan of MJ.”

MOST OF HIS MINUTES: Boston’s Nate Robinson made the most of his 6 minutes of playing time, scoring seven points.

He hit a 3-pointer, another basket and made both of his free throws early in the fourth quarter, when he entered to give Rajon Rondo a breather.

“Nate played great. It’s the second time he’s done that this year,” Rondo said. “It’s going to be a team effort. No one guy is going to win the game for us.”

Robinson had plenty of time to watch the game from the bench, allowing him to study Rondo’s success against Kobe Bryant.

“I want to play as hard as I can for as long as I can,” he said. “I’m more familiar with guys’ tendencies, where they want the ball. I just watch Rondo, see what he does and try to do the same thing.”

IN CHUCK DALY’S MEMORY: Tex Winter and Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay were honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night.

The award honors the memory of the late Hall of Fame coach and is presented to someone who has demonstrated a high level of excellence, integrity and commitment to promoting the NBA throughout their careers.

Winter, a former Lakers consultant, helped refine the triangle offense and was instrumental in assisting Lakers coach Phil Jackson win six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and four with the Lakers.

“His coaching record was impeccable,” Jackson said. “For the first 20 years of basketball that he coached he was one of the top coaches ever in the game.”

Ramsay guided the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 championship and retired as the NBA’s second winningest coach all time.

2011 ALL-STAR GAME: The NBA All-Star game is returning to Los Angeles next year.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Hall of Famer James Worthy helped unveil the logo that will be used for All-Star weekend on Feb. 17-20.

The game will be held in Los Angeles for a record fifth time, with the Lakers and Clippers serving as co-hosts.

“We’re looking forward to being back here in Los Angeles for our All-Star weekend or what’s really become a week now,” NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said. “It becomes the center of the basketball world for a week.”

[Giuseppe]

This evening in the spirit of the Sour Grape, hang a right, take a ganders, the 800lb elephant over there is Sam Gilbert.

[4>0rings]

This evening in the spirit of the Sour Grape, hang a right, take a ganders, the 800lb elephant over there is Sam Gilbert.
lol Phoenix resident, Lakerfan, on Spurs forum

[Giuseppe]

lol Phoenix resident, Lakerfan, on Spurs forum

Just checkin' assholes.

[duncan228]

Celtics hold onto ball, steal home-court in finals (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)
By Jimmy Golen

The Celtics were able to hold on in Game 2 because they held onto the ball.

Boston committed 12 turnovers in the first half and just two in the second in Sunday night’s 103-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The win evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1, heading into Tuesday night’s Game 3 in Boston.

Some of the Celtics’ biggest turnovers on Sunday came in the last two minutes of the second quarter, when the Lakers cut a 54-41 deficit to six points. Kobe Bryant stole the ball with 3 seconds left and hit a 3-pointer— then stole the inbounds pass but missed a 3 that would have made it a three-point game.

“The last couple were brutal,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We had a chance to be up nine or 12 to end the half. But we weathered that storm, and I thought in the second half we played with great composure.”

In the end, it was the Lakers who turned the ball over.

Andrew Bynum was called for an offensive foul with 4:39 left and the Lakers leading 90-89. Ron Artest threw the ball away to let the Celtics open a 93-90 lead, then Rondo blocked Derek Fisher’s 3-point attempt from behind with under 3 minutes left.

“Yes, we had some turnovers,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “That kind of set them off and set the game off and turned it around in that sequence. We had a little lead right at the end, and we didn’t do our job. They did.”

It was an eight-point game when Bryant cut it to 98-93 on a long 3-pointer with 53 seconds to play, but the next time down Rondo poked the ball away from the Lakers star.

The Lakers finished with 15 turnovers.

“We turned the ball over a couple times down the stretch when the game was on the line,” forward Pau Gasol said. “That was tough, deflating. And we just couldn’t convert offensively at the end. They took advantage and took their time and converted and executed their plays. So that’s kind of how it got away from us.”

BLOCK PARTY: Lakers center Andrew Bynum blocked seven shots in Game 2, two shy of the finals record set by Orlando’s Dwight Howard in Game 4 last year against the Lakers. The Lakers franchise playoff record for blocks is also nine, by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1977.

Bynum had been nursing a sore right knee. He had fluid drained on Monday, then had 10 points and six rebounds in a little more than 28 minutes of Los Angeles’ 102-89 Game 1 victory.

In Game 2, he scored 21 points with six boards and added some key blocked shots.

“He recovered really well off of some swelling that he had on that knee,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “Trainers were able to get that down and back in order and he was able to play, I think, great. (He’s in) as good a physical shape as he could possibly be in at this time of the year, and we were pleased with that. I was just pleased that he could play 35 minutes plus. That was a big part of that effort that he gave us tonight.”

HOME COOKING: The home team had won the first two games in each of the last five years. Since the finals went to the 2-3-2 format in 1985, the teams have split the first two games 11 times—the last in 2004.

The Lakers had won 12 straight playoff games at home, dating to Game 2 of last year’s conference finals against Denver. Los Angeles tied for the second-best home record in the NBA in the regular season, with one win fewer than Cleveland.

The Celtics were only 24-17 at home this year—tied for worst among playoff qualifiers—with a 26-15 road mark that was tied for second in the NBA. It’s the first time the Celtics have had a better record on the road than at home since 1974, and just the second time since 1955.

The Celtics haven’t played at home since May 28, and forward Paul Pierce thinks the fans will be excited for their return.

“It’s going to be a championship atmosphere, the Garden’s going to be loud,” he said. “They’ve been waiting for us a week and a half now so it’s going to be a pretty raucous crowd.”

THE STARS AT NIGHT: Boston can’t match Los Angeles for movie star power, but the Celtics expect a few celebrities in the crowd when they host their first game of the NBA finals on Tuesday night.

“Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo is expected to be courtside, as are comedian Dane Cook and actor Donnie Wahlberg.

Dave Cowens is also planning to watch his former team take on the Lakers, a day after welcoming the NBA’s Larry O’Brien championship trophy when it arrived aboard a special Southwest Airlines jet dubbed “Slam Dunk One.”

Rhythm and blues singer Monica is scheduled to sing the national anthem before Game 3.

FAST BREAKS: Rondo’s triple-double was the first for a point guard in the finals since New Jersey’s Jason Kidd had 23 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against the Lakers in 2002.

[Re-Animator]

very informative thank you!

[Ashy Larry]

KG played like he was back in Minnesota ...... that makes the score 1-1

one wasted game from Bynum

One wasted game from KG

[duncan228]

Beat LA? Not recently at home for the Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)
By Brian Mahoney

The fans still chant “Beat L.A! Beat L.A!”, but the Celtics haven’t done it in Boston in a while.

The Lakers’ 91-84 victory in Game 3 was their third straight victory in the TD Garden. Los Angeles has won here in each of the last two regular seasons.

Quite a turnaround from when they lost all three games here in the 2008 NBA finals. Yet Kobe Bryant downplayed the idea that the Lakers have become more comfortable in their longtime rival’s building.

“For us, we’ve always viewed ourselves as being a good road team,” Bryant said Wednesday. “It doesn’t really matter where we play. We feel like if we do our job, we give ourselves a heck of an opportunity no matter where we are. So from that standpoint, whether it’s here or Utah or Oklahoma, we feel comfortable.”

The Lakers are reminded of their 131-92 loss in Game 6 two years ago every time they come back to Boston. They stay in the same hotel they did then, which Pau Gasol said provides motivation.

“Every time we’ve stayed in that hotel reminds me of that last night,” Gasol said. “I slept there after Game 6 and how bad I felt and how long of a night it was for us, and so the last two regular-season games I had the same feeling as I do every time I’m there.”

MAYOR’S MISTAKE: Boston Mayor Thomas Menino botched NBA commissioner David Stern’s name at a community service event on Wednesday morning, calling him “Donald Sterns.”

Don’t worry, Mr. Commissioner, you’re in good company.

At a ceremony last month to unveil a statue of Bruins Hall of Famer Bobby Orr, Menino referred to some of the “ionic” sporting moments in Boston history, including “Varitek splitting the uprights.” He meant to praise New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the game-winners in back-to-back Super Bowls, and not Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek.

The commissioner was sitting nearby at the Tobin Community Center, where the league and Celtics dedicated a learn and play center. He showed no reaction to Menino’s fumble.

RATING THE REFS: It’s no laughing matter for the Celtics and Lakers that their biggest stars have been in foul trouble in the NBA finals—Ray Allen in Game 1, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant in Game 2 and Paul Pierce in Game 3.

Leave it to Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Boston’s soft-spoken bruiser around the basket, to inject some levity into the issue.

He delivered a monologue Wednesday imitating the conversation that might go on between officials deciding if a ball is in or out of bounds.

” ‘Is it out? I don’t know. You think it’s out? Well, I think it’s out. I don’t know. Could be in,’ ” Davis said. “So then they decide. It’s a lot of things that come in the game of basketball that you have to deal with, but the refs have to take it from everybody.”

That includes Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

“The game is more athletic. The game is faster. And it’s brutal. We’re hard on them,” he said, “but it is a very difficult game to call. I think what we all want is just consistency. It’s tough to get to that.”

So what’s the solution? Have the players make their own foul calls?

“Oh, my gosh. That would be bad also,” Davis said. “Would I rather have their job? No way. They can have that. The game goes (in) so many directions, so many ups and downs and turns and I just think they do a great job of staying in there and trying to make the right call at the right time.”

RECOGNIZE THIS PLACE?: The Tobin Community Center in nearby Roxbury looks nothing like it did when the Boston Celtics used to practice there.

Not that Tommy Heinsohn would know.

“You know, we practiced in so many different places it’s hard to remember,” Heinsohn said.

That was back in the 1960s, when the Celtics ruled the NBA. That apparently didn’t do them much good in their own city, where they bounced from place to place looking for practice time.

“The facilities were not available for the Boston Celtics like they are obviously now,” Heinsohn said.

“When I was playing, the majority of the time we practiced at the Cambridge Y and we had to be out of there by 11:30 so they could get the women’s dance class in there.”

The NBA and the Celtics dedicated a new NBA Cares learn and play center there Wednesday, complete with a computer lab, a reading room and a gaming area, where Celtics forward Glen Davis towered over the child he played pingpong against.

Heinsohn recalled the Celtics used to dedicate local youth gyms and practice at them. Perhaps even Tobin?

“This might have been one of them,” he said.

FISHER THE FLOPPER: Derek Fisher chased Ray Allen around screens all night in Game 3. So what’s his secret?

“Besides flopping?” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “He doesn’t do a lot extra. He plays hard. He’s been in the game long enough to understand. I thought he got away with a lot last night. I thought there was a lot of holding going on and a lot of flopping going on.”

Rivers even went to the rule book to figure out if what he saw was legal.

“You are not allowed to hold. You’re not allowed to bump and you’re not to impede progress,” Rivers said. “I read that this morning and I’m positive of that. So you know, when that happens, then that has to be called.”

Rivers said it was—on the Celtics. He couldn’t remember any moving screen calls on the Lakers, so he said he sent video of some questionable plays to the league office on Wednesday morning.

[duncan228]

Dr. J rooting for East, not necessarily Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)

Julius Erving attended Game 4 of the NBA finals along with fellow Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the winner of a contest.

Erving, who won an NBA championship in 1983 with the Philadelphia 76ers, might have been able to win more titles if not for the powerful Celtics and Lakers teams. But that didn’t prevent him from watching when they met in the NBA finals. Boston beat Los Angeles in 1984 before the Lakers beat the Celtics in 1985 and 1987.

“I probably would have tuned in,” Dr. J recalled. “Not that I’m a big basketball fan, but I am an Eastern Conference guy. I’m always pretty loyal, cheer for the conference. Plus, the games in my era between Larry (Bird) and Magic (Johnson), and Boston and L.A. were very exciting. You wouldn’t want to miss those.”

So he’d root for the Celtics?

“It’s hard to root for Boston,” Erving said. “I root for the conference. Rooting for Boston, that’s asking a little much, especially in public.”

Erving was expecting to see Ray Allen bounce back from his 0-for-13 shooting performance in Game 3.

First, though, it was dinner with Abdul-Jabbar and Gregory Tutunik of Buffalo Grove, Ill., who won a Kia automobile and a trip to the finals through an online contest in which fans could vote for the NBA’s MVP award.

“Dinner with the Captain and the Doc, not a bad deal,” Erving said.

IF AT FIRST: The Los Angeles Lakers outscored the Boston Celtics on second-chance points in each of the first three games of the NBA finals. That added up to a 43-20 advantage for the Lakers, who won two of those games.

What did Boston need to do to change that?

“A little bit of everything,” backup forward Glen Davis said. “We need to win the battle of the boards. We’ve got to close out everything.”

Los Angeles outscored Boston in second-chance points 16-0 in Game 1, 17-13 in Game 2 and 10-7 in Game 3. The Lakers also outrebounded the Celtics in winning Games 1 and 3. The Celtics held the edge on the boards when they won Game 2.

THE OFFICIAL WORD: For all the complaints about the officiating, Phil Jackson doesn’t think the topic is any “hotter” than in other NBA finals he’s been involved in.

“It’s always contentious,” the Lakers coach said before Game 4. “There’s been a little more focus, perhaps, this time. Perhaps some of it has been an undercurrent in the past, but it’s always a contention.”

Both Jackson and Celtics coach Doc Rivers have talked repeatedly about the referees in the series.

The best players all have been whistled for five fouls—Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in Game 1, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett in Game 2 and Pierce, Garnett and Derek Fisher in Game 3. Ron Artest fouled out of Game 2 and Lamar Odom had five fouls in each of the first two games.

“What we like to say to the players is You play beyond the refereeing, you play above the refereeing,” Jackson said. “If it’s going to be (called) tight, then you’ve got to play according to how it’s going to be refereed. If it’s going to be played loose, then you have to adjust to having a tougher type game.”

ALLEN HITS PRE-GAME SHOT: Ray Allen missed all 13 of his shots in the Celtics’ 91-84 loss to the Lakers in Game 3 on Tuesday night. But he was right on target Thursday night—before the game, anyway.

As the Celtics guard was walking toward the trainer’s room, he tossed a towel about 25 feet across the locker room. It landed right on the chair in front of his locker.

“Nice shot. Is that an omen?” a reporter asked.

A silent Allen just kept walking.

Then he hit his first shot of the game on a layup.

COWBOYS’ CONFERENCE: Boston guard Tony Allen, who went to Oklahoma State, said he hasn’t been following the upheaval that could lead to the dissolution of the Big 12.

Allen didn’t realize that his school could be headed to form a superconference in the Pac-10 along with five other Big 12 schools.

“I really don’t understand the logic of it. Why are they doing it?” Allen said before Game 4 of the NBA finals. “If it’s good for them, much love.”

As part of the shuffle, Nebraska was likely to join the Big Ten.

“I actually liked playing in the Nebraska gym,” Allen said.

The shakeup is being driven by football, and it could leave basketball powers like Kansas in a weakened shell of a Big 12 or looking for a smaller conference to join.

Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who went to Kansas, declined to comment before the game.

[duncan228]

Wallace, Perkins can’t afford to get T’d up again (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)
By Jimmy Golen

The Boston Celtics are in foul trouble before Game 5 of the NBA finals even begins.

Both Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins have amassed six technical fouls so far in the playoffs, and their next one will earn an automatic one-game suspension. Both players are hot-tempered and known to rub referees the wrong way with complaints about calls.

“Listen, I don’t want them to be less emotional. I want them to play their games, but also have some discipline,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s about all we can do.”

Perkins tied for the league lead with 15 technical fouls in the regular season, then picked up six more in the first three rounds of the playoffs. He has so far avoided any in the finals.

Wallace has been ejected 30 times in his career—the most since such records started being kept in 1992, according to STATS Inc. He entered the series against the Los Angeles Lakers with four technicals, and picked up his sixth on Thursday.

“Sheed is going to be all right. I’m pretty sure it’s not the first time he’s been in this situation, so he should know how to handle himself,” Perkins said. “I’m going to make sure I tell him that today, though, when I see him. When we get out on the court I’m going to remind him.”

Rivers commended Perkins for keeping himself under control.

“It’s clearly the new Perk. I hadn’t seen that side of him,” he said. “The good news is we know he can do it. And the bad news is now we know he can do it, we’re going to expect him to be one of those type of guys.”

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he won’t encourage his players to try to draw out another technical, even though it could cost the Celtics the services of a big man in a series where size has been crucial: The team that’s won the rebounding battle has won every game.

“That’s not fair play. That’s not the way to play games,” Jackson said. “You can be provocative and get out there and act kind of like they do if you want to and get in people’s faces and do that. But that’s not the way I like to coach a team. That’s not what I consider positive coaching, and that’s what I like to think is the right way to do things.”

Rivers wasn’t so sure.

“I thought in the last game, even though they say they didn’t, I thought (with Pau) Gasol there was a lot of extra stuff going on,” Rivers said. “And they’re right, obviously, we put ourselves in this predicament with Perk, and I thought Perk did a great job of walking away.”

BRYANT’S BODY: Kobe Bryant isn’t sure yet if he’ll be done with basketball for a while once the finals are over.

Bryant has struggled with several injuries across the second half of the season, which could prevent him from playing for the United States in the world championship.

“I don’t know,” Bryant said. “I’ve got to take care of my body, so whatever shakes out of that shakes out of that.”

Bryant said he hadn’t spoken to USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo since early in the season, and didn’t discuss his summer plans with coach Mike Krzyzewski during a brief chat.

Colangelo recently told the New York Post he’d heard Bryant may need knee surgery, which would make him unavailable this summer. Bryant was forced to miss the 2006 worlds for the same reason, but played two years ago on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in Beijing.

He doesn’t have a timetable for deciding on this summer. The Americans will gather for training camp next month, and the worlds are from Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Turkey.

FIGHTING MAD: Rajon Rondo was livid last autumn when he heard that Glen “Big Baby” Davis had broken his right thumb in a fight with a childhood friend the day before the season opener.

Davis missed the first 27 games of the season.

“I was very angry at ‘Baby,’ ” Rondo said before the Boston Celtics practiced on Saturday for Game 5 of the NBA finals on Sunday. “I called him. I just told him a couple of things that I can’t say right now on camera, so he knew I was very angry with him.”

Boston went 22-5 before Davis returned. On Thursday, he was the key to Boston’s fourth quarter comeback in a 96-89 win over the Los Angeles that evened the series at 2-2.

Davis told police that he had gotten into a fight with his “best friend since childhood,” early in the morning on Oct. 26. Police found him at 4 a.m. walking shirtless near a black SUV stopped in the middle of the road less than a quarter of a mile (400 meters) from his house.

He had surgery the next day.

“Sometimes you’ve got to make split decisions and sometimes you might not make the right decision,” Davis said on Saturday. “Sometimes you might make the right decision, and it just didn’t go my way. I’m disappointed that I let my team down.”

Has he changed since then?

“He’s no different,” Rondo said. “I’m sure he probably won’t make that mistake again. But he’s still ‘Big Baby.’ "

[duncan228]

Ray Allen misses media session for NBA finals (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-rallen)

Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen missed Saturday’s media session for the NBA finals because of a family matter.

Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Allen arrived at the TD Garden in time for practice.

Twiss said Allen was given permission to miss the session on the off day before Sunday night’s Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

No other details were available.

Allen’s son, Walker, was diagnosed with diabetes during the 2008 finals and Allen nearly missed Game 6 when he flew home separately from the team to be with his son.

[duncan228]

Rivers could be facing homecourt swan song (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)
By Howard Ulman

With New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick in the stands, Paul Pierce showed off some of his football skills in the final minute of Game 5 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pierce ran a sideline pattern to catch Kevin Garnett’s inbounds pass with 39 seconds left and Boston leading 87-82. He caught the ball high above his head, avoided going out of bounds and then threw it crosscourt to Rajon Rondo as he streaked for the basket.

Rondo made an over-the-head layup to help clinch the victory.

“I was just showing off my Randy Moss and my Tom Brady in one play, that’s all,” Pierce said. “Going up to catch it, then I went to my Brady mode when I was falling out of bounds to find Rondo for the receiving end.”

Moss wasn’t in the crowd, but receiver Wes Welker was, along with safety Pat Chung, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and former Patriots linebackers Tedy Bruschi Patriots and Larry Izzo.

“Paul looked like he was leaning out of bounds, so (I) tried to make a break for the play and he hit me in stride,” Rondo said. “I thought I had an easy layup. They thought it was difficult, but I thought I had an easy look at the rim.”

BYE-BYE, BOSTON: The Boston Celtics played their last home game of the season Sunday night in Game 5. It may be Doc Rivers’ last home game as their coach.

Rivers, an offseason resident of Orlando, Fla., has expressed a desire to see his children play for their high school and college teams and hasn’t said whether he’ll return next season. But he does know the Celtics’ season will end in Los Angeles in Game 6 on Tuesday night or in Game 7, if necessary, on Thursday night.

“Our guys haven’t talked about that a lot,” Rivers said before the start of Game 5 with the series tied 2-2. “I’ve heard it a lot. I think fans realize that we don’t have Game 6 or 7 here, so this is our final home game. Our guys are really just focusing on the game tonight, and I like where our focus is, in this case, over the fans’ focus.”

Rivers’ children all will be seniors next fall. Jeremiah will play basketball at Indiana, Callie will play volleyball at Florida and Austin will play basketball in high school.

“One thing you can’t do is make a decision a week after a season” about his future, Rivers said. “Whether you win or lose, you can’t. You just can’t.”

He said that after the Celtics team in the summer league finishes play, he’ll meet with team president Danny Ainge.

“So far as work, I’m still here,” Rivers said. “But the kids are always— that’s the issue each year, do you want to see—I’ve got to see them play at some point.”

BYNUM STARTS: Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum started Game 5 and had six points and one rebound in 10 minutes in the first quarter.

A right knee injury had limited him to just 12 minutes in the Boston Celtics’ 96-89 win in Game 4 that tied the series at 2-2. Bynum had fluid drained from his right knee after Thursday night’s game and had an MRI on Friday. He said Saturday that the swelling had not returned and that he definitely would play Sunday.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said there was no change in Bynum’s condition since Sunday morning. He also said no consideration was given to sending Bynum to Los Angeles on Friday and having him miss Game 5 in hopes the extra rest would help him be ready for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7.

ROSTER CHANGE: Lakers forward Adam Morrison was active Sunday night for the first time in the NBA finals and third time in Los Angeles’ 20 playoff games. He replaced center DJ Mbenga, who has played in just two of those 20 games.

Morrison has been a disappointment since being drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006 with the third pick out of Gonzaga. The Bobcats traded him to the Lakers on Feb. 7, 2009. This season, he played just 33 games with 82 points and 37 rebounds. His two playoff games came in the opening round against Oklahoma City in which he had nine points.

Mbenga, a five-year veteran, has appeared in just two playoff games this year. He had three points and three rebounds against Oklahoma City and two points and one rebound in the Western Conference finals against Phoenix.

WINNING PERFORMERS: The Golden State Warriors and Toronto’s Chris Bosh have been honored by the Professional Basketball Writers Association for their cooperation with the media.

The Warriors staff, led by executive director of public relations Raymond Ridder, was chosen for the Brian McIntyre Media Relations award. The award, previously unnamed, was selected for the NBA’s senior vice president of basketball communications. McIntyre has been with the league for more than 30 years.

Previous winners were the staffs of the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers.

This year’s winners were picked by balloting among more than 150 PBWA members.

[duncan228]

Jackson was wrong, Celtics don’t care anyway (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnbafinalsnotebook)
By Brian Mahoney

The Boston Celtics weren’t upset that Phil Jackson disrespected them on television.

Besides, Jackson was wrong.

During a timeout near the end of Game 5 of the NBA finals, Jackson was heard on ABC’s broadcast telling his Los Angeles Lakers that “this team loses more games in the fourth quarter than any team in the league. They know how to lose games and they’re showing us that now.”

“You know, he’s right,” Paul Pierce said to laughter when asked about Jackson’s comments. “What you just said, that’s been the truth for us throughout the regular season.”

No it wasn’t.

The Celtics lost 13 times in the regular season when they led in the fourth quarter, according to STATS LLC. That didn’t even rank in the top 10 and was 10 behind Washington’s league-leading total.

Right or wrong, Pierce understood why Jackson had to say it.

“He’s supposed to say something like that,” Pierce said. “I probably would say the same thing if I was a coach in that situation. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

Perhaps Jackson was confused with another stat. Boston lost 14 times when leading by double digits at any point in a game, according to STATS, second only to Memphis’ 17.

This time, the Celtics held on for a 92-86 victory. Kevin Garnett had little to say when asked about Jackson’s comments.

“No reaction at all,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Game 6. I couldn’t care less what Phil Jackson is talking about.”

—-=

TRAIL POSITION: The Lakers don’t have much recent experience playing when they trail in a postseason series.

Boston’s 92-86 victory Sunday night in Game 5 gave the Celtics a 3-2 lead, the first time Los Angeles has trailed in a series since losing the opener of its second-round series against Houston on May 4, 2009. The Lakers had since played five straight series without trailing at any point.

Only six teams have lost Game 5 when the finals were tied 2-2 and come back to win the series. The last was the Rockets, who beat the New York Knicks in Games 6 and 7 at home to win the 1994 title.

Boston coach Doc Rivers was on that Knicks team.

“We had opportunities, obviously, in Games 6 and 7,” Rivers said. “You know, that’s a bitter memory obviously for me. I was injured sitting on the bench, so it just felt like you couldn’t help individually. You know, as a team we had a lot of great opportunities in that series, in Game 6 and 7 if you remember. But it just didn’t happen.”

—-=

NOT YET LIKE MIKE: Derek Fisher came into the NBA finals on the verge of passing Michael Jordan in a statistical category. He’s still waiting.

Fisher has 41 3-pointers in the finals, good for fourth on the career list. He needs one to tie the Hall of Famer and six-time champion, but he’s missed all eight attempts from behind the arc.

The Lakers have shot only 29 percent from 3-point range in the series.

Kobe Bryant did move past Jordan into second place with 47 3-pointers after making 14 so far in the series. The career leader is Robert Horry, Bryant and Fisher’s former teammate who made 56.

—-=

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK: At least the Boston Celtics getting the technical fouls in Game 5 could afford them.

Boston was called for two Sunday night. Rajon Rondo got one when he shoved Ron Artest after Artest’s hard foul on Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen the other when he and Derek Fisher were whistled for double-technicals.

“I don’t like that stuff,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Let’s just play. It was physical. There was a lot of pushing going on, but we kept getting the technicals.

“You know, and I understand you want to take up for your teammates, and that is good, but strength sometimes is walking away, and I tell our guys that all the time. If you want to show toughness, toughness is walking away from all the other stuff.”

Not that his players are listening.

The Celtics are an emotional group prone to technical fouls. Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace both have six during the postseason, leaving them one away from an automatic one-game suspension.

So Rivers knows he’s not getting his players to change.

“Listen, I’ve tried with all of them. Clearly none of that has worked,” he said. “We have two guys one tech away. I don’t know if calming down and us goes together. I would love that, but it hasn’t worked out very well.”

[duncan228]

Son's scare puts Finals in perspective (http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5283594&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines)
By Chris Forsberg

In the early hours of Saturday morning, as Ray Allen's young son, Walker, was set to be discharged from the hospital following a brief scare due to complications from his juvenile diabetes, the nurses wanted him to eat a Popsicle and offered a choice of colors: Red, blue, or purple.

"I told him, 'You can't have purple,'" Ray Allen noted with a smile after helping the Celtics defeat the purple-and-gold-clad Lakers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals Sunday. "He said, 'I want green,' and I said, 'Yeah, he's in the spirit, he's ready for Sunday.'"

The Celtics excused the sleep-deprived Allen from practice Saturday afternoon, but he participated anyhow. With his son's condition stabilized after the overnight scare, Allen caught up on shuteye before Sunday's pivotal Game 5 at the TD Garden.

Allen, who revealed his son's hospitalization after Game 5, scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal over 40-plus minutes. He missed four more 3-pointers and remains ice cold beyond the arc since setting an NBA Finals single-game record with eight trifectas in Game 2, but remains upbeat with his team boasting a 3-2 series advantage.

Saturday's episode with his son also put basketball in perspective.

"I'm sure you know my son was in the hospital [Saturday], he had a similar bout [as during the 2008 NBA Finals] and went hypoglycemic," explained Allen. "He had to be admitted to the hospital around 1:30 in the morning. It's something we have to deal with, my son having diabetes. You do everything you can, but his body, it wasn't operating correctly.

"As a family we try to figure out what we can do at home. But it got to be about 12:45 [a.m.]-1 o'clock, and he wouldn't fall asleep. And we couldn't let him fall asleep. His blood sugar was dipping into the 50's and 40's, when it's supposed to be above 90 and up into the 200s. As parents, you try not to panic, try not to get nerves. But I'm speeding. I was hoping the cops would pull me over, because I don't think I would have stopped. We got him situated, he's better now. Hopefully we can keep him where he is now."

Walker, who attended Sunday's Game 5, was the first person to greet Allen as he came off the court.

"He doesn't like missing games," said Allen. "Even if the kids stay home, he wants to be at the games. He wants to wear green, he wants his toes painted green."

Allen nearly missed Game 6 of the 2008 Finals after Walker was originally diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Allen rushed from Staples Center after a Game 5 loss to be with his son, then flew home in time to lead the Celtics to a lopsided win in the series-clinching Game 6 triumph.

This season, Allen missed a practice session in late November after his son needed to be hospitalized, but rejoined the team for the start of a road trip in Miami.

*********************

Video: Ray Allen With Hannah Storm (http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5283594&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines)

[duncan228]

Rivers credits Rondo’s development to veterans (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnbafinalsnotebook)

Rajon Rondo might have had a very different NBA career if he had ended up on a team other than Boston Celtics coming out of Kentucky.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers credits Rondo’s development to being around veterans Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

“Most young guys come in the league, they don’t even know what a routine is,” Rivers said Tuesday night before Game 6 of the NBA finals. “Where if you ask a veteran what he does on game day, he can probably tell you to the second every step that day until the game starts what he’s going to do.”

Now in his fourth season with the Celtics, Rondo had a triple double in their Game 2 win against the Lakers, and he has the second-most in team history with five, trailing Larry Bird who had 10.

PHIL WANTS TEAM PLAY: Phil Jackson knows how much offense the Los Angeles Lakers generate off Kobe Bryant. What he wants is the rest of his team to step up.

“There’s too much individual action,” he said before Game 6. “There’s got to be more team play on the offensive end.”

Bryant took twice as many shots through the first five games of the finals as the next highest player on the team, Pau Gasol.

“We looked for him too often, he didn’t get going, and there was a need for the team to give him the basketball,” Jackson said about the Lakers’ Game 5 loss. “We talked about that in our pregame today.”

GOING CAMPING: Before going on to star in the NBA finals, Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo took part in the Top 100 camp.

Eight players in this series are alumni of the National Basketball Players Association’s camp, which runs Wednesday through Sunday at the University of Virginia.

In its 17th year, the camp gathers some of the top high school juniors and sophomores in the country. There are also current and former NBA players who will take part in the camp’s mentoring and development program.

Boston’s Glen Davis and Shelden Williams also were campers, as were the Lakers’ Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton.

[duncan228]

Knee limits Bynum in Lakers’ 89-67 win over Boston (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)

Andrew Bynum finally had to call it quits in the second half against Boston, telling Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson that he couldn’t go anymore.

“He just said, ‘You’ve got to take me out. I can’t run,”’ Jackson said. “It was obvious at that point that he couldn’t. He had some swelling in the back of his leg, and we’ll have to work on that.”

Bynum started Game 6 against the Celtics and had two points and four rebounds in nearly 16 minutes on Tuesday night. He had fluid drained from his right knee for the second time after Game 4 last week.

“With the lead that we had, I didn’t think it was necessary (to stay in). I felt I was hurting the team,” he said. “We had a big lead, a couple rebounds I couldn’t get to. I couldn’t really pick my leg up. I felt a couple of twinges so I just backed off.”

Bynum said he would get more treatment on Wednesday and then see how his knee feels for the deciding Game 7 on Thursday. After the season ends, he’ll have surgery.

BLAME THE STARTERS: Ray Allen said he and the other Boston Celtics starters were to blame for their blowout loss.

“We had a conversation at the end (of the game) on the bench and a little bit in the locker room just now and we take complete responsibility,” he said. “We just put us in such a hole early. It affects our bench. We didn’t give them any great rhythm, any great chemistry. Each individual tried to make the home run play early.”

The Celtics trailed 28-18 after one quarter and never made a serious run as the Lakers built the biggest lead of the series.

Allen finished with a team-leading 19 points.

The Lakers were better in nearly every category, with more rebounds, steals and blocked shots than the Celtics.

DUNKIN’ SHANNON: Shannon Brown created back-to-back highlights for himself in the third quarter.

First, Kobe Bryant fed him on a fastbreak dunk that gave the Lakers a 20-point lead. Then Brown followed with a one-handed dunk off an assist by Pau Gasol.

“Great call, great pass,” Brown said. “Caught them off-guard, snuck backdoor and Pau threw it perfect.”

Brown is known for his high-flying dunks that draw oohs from the fans and often make the sports highlight shows. But these two came on the NBA’s biggest stage.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I really can’t put it in words, but I know it got us going. Kept our momentum for us.”

[duncan228]

Jackson looks to ring up one more victory (http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2010/06/16/jackson-looks-to-ring-up-one-more-victory/38535/)
by Janis Carr
The Orange County Register

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and Phil Jackson didn’t need more than some rudimentary drawing of a ring and the numeral “1″ to convey his message after Tuesday’s Game 6 victory.

The Lakers coach also doesn’t plan on saying much to his players as far as game strategy before Thursday’s crucial Game 7 against the Celtics for the NBA title.

“A lot of times (Game 7s) aren’t really about coaching at that point,” Jackson said. “They’ve already got it in them. It’s about who comes out and provides the energy on the floor and plays the kind of game that dictates the kind of game they want to dictate.”

http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/files/2010/06/ring.jpg

[Giuseppe]

& his 2 million dollar kicker, + the $2600 Rivers had squirreled away in the Clippers locker room across the hall that Pat Croce's brother robbed.

[duncan228]

$50,000 tickets! The series is tied, but the Lakers already have won the Scalpers Award for Exorbitant Ticket Prices.

When I heard courtside tickets for Game 5 in Boston were commanding as much as $28,000 from ticket brokers, I wondered how much the best Lakers tickets would cost.

It was equally stunning. On stubhub.com, single courtside tickets were being offered Tuesday morning for $16,854, $18,920, $24,325 and — drum roll, please — $29,721.

VIP Tickets, a local ticket agency, was advertising center court seats for $26,125, seats across from Lakers bench for $21,375 and seats across from the Celtics bench for $16,625. (Yeah, having to look at Celtics subs all game should merit a discount.)

Tickets for Game 7 on Thursday night, according to stubhub.com on Tuesday morning, ranged from $468 to $54,055.

Fifty grand for one ticket? Wouldn't you rather buy a Lexus?

Benedict Leno: At first, I couldn't believe that late-night wise guy Jay Leno, who tapes his NBC TV show in Burbank, would mock the Lakers after they lost Games 4 and 5 in Boston.

But he zinged them several times during Monday's monolog. To wit:

• "I guess you heard, it now looks like the disaster is twice as big as we thought. But enough about the Lakers."

• On the Lakers' back-to-back losses: "Today, the Clippers said, 'Hey, we could have done that!'"

• "The Lakers' Lamar Odom said that during the game, someone threw a miniature vodka bottle at him. But since they missed him by 10 feet, I'm guessing it was thrown by Ron Artest."

Ouch.

But then Leno fessed up. He said he's from Boston.

***
Randy Youngman
The Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/sports/lakers-253600-game-nba.html

[duncan228]

Game 7 of NBA finals is fit for cliches (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)

If ever there was a game fit for cliches, Game 7 of the NBA finals is it.

And the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers didn’t disappoint on Wednesday, with both sides offering up some of the most overworked axioms in sports.

“It’s for the marbles, it’s for everything, all out,” Boston’s Kevin Garnett said. “Juices flowing and they’ll continue to flow.”

Kobe Bryant, last year’s MVP of the finals, put in a bid for cliche MVP honors when asked if he enjoys the moment during big games.

“You’ve just got a job to do, you go out there and you do it, and then you can look back at it after the fact,” the Lakers guard said.

Boston coach Doc Rivers weighed in on appreciating the opportunity when it comes.

“You can never take for granted a season, a game, and especially a Game 7 of a finals,” he said. “You never know if and when you’re going to be back in that position, and so when you get in that position, you want to take advantage of it.”

In case anyone needed reminding about the situation, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, “We’re on our feet fighting for the seventh game.”

Boston’s Rajon Rondo added, “It’s do or die. Win or go home.”

His teammate, Ray Allen, vowed, “I want to do everything I can to leave it all on the floor.”

MEDITATE THIS: The Lakers planned to meditate before Game 7, just as they’ve done previously during the finals.

Informed of this, Boston’s Glen Davis said, “They meditate? What’s that?”

A helpful reporter explained to him that the team sits in the dark and concentrates on breathing and clearing their minds.

“For real? I’m going to try that,” Davis said. “If it’s what they do to get ready for the game, hey, let them find their lost remote.”

WORLD CUP UPSET: Switzerland upset tournament favorite Spain 1-0 Wednesday in World Cup soccer, which wasn’t good news to Lakers center Pau Gasol of Barcelona.

The loss ended Spain’s run of 12 straight wins and handed the Spanish just their second loss in 50 games.

“I woke up, I couldn’t sleep anymore, it’s 8:30, turned the game on, and the next thing I know we were down 1-0 and struggling and scrambling to score a goal,” Gasol said.

“Not the way that we expected our team to start a championship, of course, and it puts them in a position where they have to win probably two games they have left against Honduras and Chile.”

Kobe Bryant is a huge soccer fan, having played while growing up in Italy. But he said he hasn’t watched any World Cup games yet.

CHOOSING KOBE: No offense, LeBron, but Kevin Garnett thinks Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA.

“He makes his team go,” Garnett said. “He’s their life, does multiple things in the game, and every time you speak of Kobe, you speak of excellence, you think of excellence. Class act, plays with a vengeance and tenaciousness, well-respected around the league. I can keep going and going.”

NOTES: The NBA finals have gone to a deciding seventh game for the 17th time, and just the second since 1994. In the previous 16 Game 7s, the home team is 13-3. … The last time the Celtics and Lakers played a Game 7 against each other was in 1984, when Boston won 111-102 at the old Boston Garden. It was the first of three meetings between the teams in the finals over the next four years. … The team with the overall rebounding edge has won the first six games. The Lakers had the edge and won Games 1, 3 and 6. The Celtics dominated the boards and won Games 2, 4 and 5.

[duncan228]

Phil Jackson resists thoughts of coaching future (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)

Phil Jackson’s mind was focused on Game 7 of the NBA finals, not on his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He’s in the final year of his contract, with no word about a possible extension.

“I’ve resisted thinking about that and talking about it for the most part,” he said Thursday night before the finale between the Lakers and Boston Celtics. “It really isn’t important what happens after this, it’s just about this game right now.”

Seeking his 11th NBA title as a coach, Jackson said he would know after the game whether the outcome influences his future.

“I won’t tell you then, that’s for sure,” he told laughing reporters.

If Jackson, who turns 65 in September, decides to retire he was reminded it could have been his last pregame news conference ever.

“Well, someone said I might never have to speak to you again after this night,” he said. “I said that would never happen, I never could be that fortunate.”

QUIETING DOWN: The talkative Boston Celtics sure have been quiet heading into Game 7.

“We’re getting through our shootarounds quicker the last two days,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Our team meetings were quick because you didn’t have to say, ‘Excuse me, please, can we’—none of that was done. That’s usually a good sign for us.”

He said he can never know for sure how his team is going to play.

“They’ve been very focused, I will say that, over the last two days, and that for a coach is all you ask for,” he said.

MOMENT OF TRUTH: Phil Jackson believes every game has what he calls multiple moments of truth that reveal what a game is going to be like or a sign that changes everything.

When those times come against the Celtics, the Lakers coach doesn’t want to see his team revert to whatever rote play they’re used to.

“You can’t go to a comfort zone and just go play basketball as you would at a practice that’s the fourth day after you’ve played three consecutive games, three out of four nights,” he said. “You have to do something special.

“We had multiple situations in which we did that the other night (a Game 6 win). We had many situations we didn’t do that in Boston in Games 4 and 5.”

BRIEF BREAK: The longest possible NBA finals means the shortest possible turnaround until the draft.

There will be only a week between the time David Stern hands out the Larry O’Brien trophy in Los Angeles and calls the name of the No. 1 pick, likely Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall, next Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“It’s scary to know that the draft is close,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said before Game 6. “I hadn’t thought about that at all.”

Rivers said Thursday he only found out the other day that Boston has the 19th pick.

To help get everyone ready, NBA TV will run draft preview shows Saturday (Eastern Conference) and Sunday (West). Former Nets coach Lawrence Frank will join the studio team to break down each team’s needs.

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Lakers win 16th NBA title; Jackson could return (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook)

With his record 11th NBA championship secured, Phil Jackson was evasive about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He’s in the final year of his contract, with no word about a possible extension. He had said that if the Lakers won their second straight title, it would improve his chances of returning. He turns 65 in September.

“It does improve my chances,” Jackson said after the Lakers’ 83-79 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. “That’s a wonderful thing. That’s as much as I’ll talk about it.”

During the trophy presentation, Jackson said he would take some time to mull his future and decide in a week.

Kobe Bryant publicly appealed for Jackson to come back while accepting his finals MVP award for the second consecutive year.

“He knows how bad I want him back. I’ve told him that,” he said. “I’ve been openly blunt about that and told him how much I want him back. Let’s go for it again. Let’s go for it again.”

CELEBRATING A TITLE: The Lakers will celebrate their 16th NBA title with a parade on Monday.

The players and their families will board a customized float at Staples Center and wind their way two miles down South Figueroa Street toward the campus of Southern California, ending at the school’s Galen Center.

Players will interact with fans from the float that will be equipped with audio. Lakers officials said that will help mitigate anticipated pedestrian and traffic congestion, while also relieving security, sanitation and other public services that were required last year.

In 2009, the privately funded parade and rally attended by more than 95,000 people was held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Although the Lakers said they’re hosting the parade, it wasn’t immediately clear who is footing the bill this year.

ARTEST CONFESSES: When Ron Artest played for the Indiana Pacers for parts of five seasons, he admitted he didn’t always give his best effort.

Having won his first NBA title, Artest expressed regret for his subpar performances and attitude while with the Pacers.

“When I was younger, I bailed out on my Indiana team,” he said Thursday night. “I feel sometimes like a coward when I see those guys, because it’s like, ‘Man, I’m on the Lakers and I had a chance to win with you guys,’ and I feel almost like a coward.”

Artest’s colorful career has been filled with second chances.

He was suspended for 73 games after charging into the stands and throwing punches when a fan threw beer on him during a game in Detroit in 2004.

SAD FACES: As jubilant as the Lakers’ locker room was, it was just the opposite in the Celtics’ room.

“There were a lot of tears. A lot of tears,” Ray Allen said. “This is probably one of the hardest feelings that I’ve felt in my lifetime.”

Emotions churned for Glen Davis, who finished with six points and nine rebounds in nearly 21 minutes.

“I feel like I wanted to cry. I feel like I wanted to be mad,” he said. “I’m just trying to get in a positive mind and think it’s going to help me as a player. I’m blessed. Most guys don’t have the chance that I’ve had being able to play in the finals twice in three years. Hopefully next year we can be that same team and go back.”

FREE AGENT MUSINGS: With superstar free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh hitting the market on July 1, there’s a possibility that two of them could end up on the same team.

“I don’t want to think about that,” Kobe Bryant said. “I don’t want to think about playing against both of them at the same time. I want to enjoy this for a little bit.”