BEIJING — The reigning NBA champion Miami Heat dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers 94-80 on Thursday thanks to 20 points from superstar LeBron James in a preseason game before a raucous crowd.The sellout crowd of 18,000 was on its feet as soon as the Heat took the court with James and teammate Dwyane Wade waving to fans in the Wukesong Arena where the pair won the 2008 Olympic gold medal for Team USA."The fans were great tonight, they were amazing," James, last season's NBA MVP, told reporters."We spent quite a lot of energy out there . . . it is always fun when you are in front of a lot of passionate and exciting fans."The Heat went to work from the start, with James scoring his team's first six points and delighting the crowd with a series of dunks and jumpers to put the champs up 29-18 at the end of the first quarter.Miami kept up the intensity in the second frame with center Chris Bosh anchoring a stingy defense that held the Clippers to just 35 first-half points to the Heat's 53.The Clippers closed to 60-47 following six straight points by explosive power forward Blake Griffin midway through the third quarter, but two three-pointers by Miami's newly acquired Ray Allen doused the Clippers hopes of a comeback.Allen finished the night with 15 points on four 3-pointers, while Griffin led the Clippers with 19 points and eight rebounds, and Jamal Crawford had 16 points for Los Angeles."This was not a normal exhibition game tonight," Miami coach Eric Spolestra said."The players wanted to do well in front of all the fans, they raised the intensity, that is why we like to come here."Wade, who signed a lucrative shoe contract with China's Li Ning brand on Wednesday, scored five points in 23 minutes, despite earlier announcing he would not play due to injury.Basketball is arguably the most popular sport in China where an estimated 300 million people play the game, while the NBA has done a masterful job of showcasing the sport in the world's most populous nation.The two teams will play in Shanghai on Sunday, the sixth time that the NBA has organized a pair of preseason games in China.The sport's popularity in China has not been diminished by the absence of Chinese players in the NBA since the 2011 retirement of center Yao Ming and the return to China this year of ex-Dallas Maverick Yi Jianlian.
Showing posts with label Clippers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clippers. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Clippers retain coach Del Negro
LOS ANGELES — Vinny Del Negro will be back as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after guiding them to the highest winning percentage in franchise history during the lockout-shortened season.The team said Tuesday that it has exercised its option on him to return for a third season. Del Negro led the Clippers to a 40-26 record, a winning percentage of 60.6 and the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs."We think we have the most talented roster in franchise history and Vinny turned that into the best record in franchise history," general manager Neil Olshey said by phone. "Clearly, there was never a question that Vinny was going to come back."Del Negro has a 72-76 record in two seasons with the team.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Spurs sweep Clippers
INDIANAPOLIS — The San Antonio Spurs mowed down another opponent, using their guile under pressure to close out another perfect playoff series.
Over and out: San Antonio's Tony Parker takes a shot as Los Angeles' Blake Griffin defends during the Spurs' 102-99 win on Sunday. The Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals. APTim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 on Sunday night to win their second-round matchup 4-0 and advance to the Western Conference finals."They played great, they made it tough on us," Parker said. "The last 2 minutes we got the stops we needed. Everybody did something."The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history."Until we go all the way, I can't compare this team," said Parker, who has won three NBA titles with San Antonio. "We're just trying to stay focused."Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Thiago Splitter had 11 each for the Spurs.San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday."We haven't done anything yet. We've won two rounds," Duncan said. "We haven't done anything so you can't qualify or classify our team as anything other than that we've gotten this far."The Spurs trailed much of the fourth until tying the game twice in the final 3:32 before their 30-something trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took over most of the scoring."Their experience showed with their execution," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Tim looks great and the rest of the guys are feeding off that."Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for Los Angeles, which blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter when Paul faltered in the final two minutes, usually a time when the All-Star guard is at his best.Both nursing injuries, Griffin and Paul combined to score 21 of the Clippers' 28 points in the third quarter when they took their first lead of the game. In the fourth, Bledsoe came up big, scoring 11 in a row, to extend the lead to 90-85 with 5:38 remaining.Heat 101, Pacers 93In Indianapolis, LeBron James scored 40 points with 18 rebounds and nine assists, and Dwyane Wade added 30 points — 22 in the second half — as Miami rallied to even its semifinal series against the Pacers, who had the defending Eastern Conference champions down but couldn't keep them there."I felt like I had to do whatever it took to win," said James, who played all but four minutes.With All-Star forward Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tag team saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena."Me and 'Bron had it going," said Wade, who bounced back from the worst playoff game of his career — five points on 2-of-13 shooting — with one of his best, "We played off of each other very well. We both were aggressive at the same time. That's beautiful basketball for the Miami Heat when we play that way."The Heat now head home back in control of the best-of-seven series, which is down to a best-of-three with two of the games on Miami's home floor.
Over and out: San Antonio's Tony Parker takes a shot as Los Angeles' Blake Griffin defends during the Spurs' 102-99 win on Sunday. The Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals. APTim Duncan scored 21 points, Tony Parker added 17 and the Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-99 on Sunday night to win their second-round matchup 4-0 and advance to the Western Conference finals."They played great, they made it tough on us," Parker said. "The last 2 minutes we got the stops we needed. Everybody did something."The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history."Until we go all the way, I can't compare this team," said Parker, who has won three NBA titles with San Antonio. "We're just trying to stay focused."Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Thiago Splitter had 11 each for the Spurs.San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday."We haven't done anything yet. We've won two rounds," Duncan said. "We haven't done anything so you can't qualify or classify our team as anything other than that we've gotten this far."The Spurs trailed much of the fourth until tying the game twice in the final 3:32 before their 30-something trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili took over most of the scoring."Their experience showed with their execution," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Tim looks great and the rest of the guys are feeding off that."Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for Los Angeles, which blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter when Paul faltered in the final two minutes, usually a time when the All-Star guard is at his best.Both nursing injuries, Griffin and Paul combined to score 21 of the Clippers' 28 points in the third quarter when they took their first lead of the game. In the fourth, Bledsoe came up big, scoring 11 in a row, to extend the lead to 90-85 with 5:38 remaining.Heat 101, Pacers 93In Indianapolis, LeBron James scored 40 points with 18 rebounds and nine assists, and Dwyane Wade added 30 points — 22 in the second half — as Miami rallied to even its semifinal series against the Pacers, who had the defending Eastern Conference champions down but couldn't keep them there."I felt like I had to do whatever it took to win," said James, who played all but four minutes.With All-Star forward Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tag team saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena."Me and 'Bron had it going," said Wade, who bounced back from the worst playoff game of his career — five points on 2-of-13 shooting — with one of his best, "We played off of each other very well. We both were aggressive at the same time. That's beautiful basketball for the Miami Heat when we play that way."The Heat now head home back in control of the best-of-seven series, which is down to a best-of-three with two of the games on Miami's home floor.Monday, May 14, 2012
Late rally carries Grizzlies past Clippers, forces Game 7
LOS ANGELES — This time, the fourth quarter belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wrapped up: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin is enveloped by Memphis' Marreese Speights during Game 6 on Friday night. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers 90-88 to even the series 3-3. APLong the domain of the Clippers' Chris Paul, it was the Grizzlies who rallied in the closing minutes to beat Los Angeles 90-88 and force a decisive seventh game in their playoff series.Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph worked their inside-out game to perfection on a night when Paul and Blake Griffin were limited by injuries and the Clippers' bench couldn't quite put them over the top."This one has to hurt," Paul said. "If it doesn't hurt, it means you don't care."Gasol scored 23 points, Randolph had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley added 13 points each to help the Grizzlies win for the first time in the Western Conference series at Staples Center and stave off elimination."We were very focused on our task defensively and that's a big reason we won," said Gasol, whose brother Pau will play a Game 7 with the Los Angeles Lakers against Denver at Staples on Saturday night. "We were way more disciplined. The whole team is doing a better job of finding me in the post."Griffin scored 17 points despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability, and Eric Bledoe added 14 off the bench to lead the Clippers, who blew an eight-point lead in the fourth along with a second consecutive chance to close out what would have been a landmark playoff victory for the beleaguered franchise."Right now is not the time to start pointing the finger," Griffin said.Paul scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger."I didn't know he was hurt," Randolph said. "Everybody's hurting. My knee is hurting. I ain't looking for no excuse. You got to put that in the back and keep playing."The Clippers are seeking just the third playoff series win in franchise history. Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis."It's uncharted territory for us as a team," Clippers second-year coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We got to stay together, battle through it and give our best effort of the season."Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. Top-seeded San Antonio awaits the winner in the conference semifinals."All of this means nothing because it's a one-game series," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everyone has a chance to win."Tied 66-66 starting the fourth, Los Angeles scored 10 straight to take its first lead since the game's opening minutes, led by Bledsoe's six points."It was looking bleak at that time," Hollins said.But the Grizzlies weren't done.They went on a 17-4 run, including 10 straight points, to take an 85-80 lead. Gay scored five in a row as the Clippers missed and Randolph came up with a big block. Conley hit a 3-pointer and Randolph tipped in the ball to close out the spurt."We stuck together and finished the game," Randolph said. "That's what coach has been preaching."Griffin made two free throws before Randolph scored for an 87-82 lead. Conley fouled Paul, and he missed the first and made the second to leave Los Angeles trailing 87-83 with 56 seconds left.The Clippers were forced to keep fouling, and the Grizzlies made 3 of 8 to stay alive. Los Angeles' Caron Butler missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to go as red-clad fans headed for the exits before Randy Foye hit a 3 with 3 seconds left.Paul blamed himself for two fourth-quarter turnovers that led to Grizzlies baskets."I got to do better," he said. "We didn't want to go back to Memphis, not 'til sometime next season."The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 12-8 run to extend its lead to 54-46, with Randolph having six points and Gasol four. Los Angeles answered with Paul bookending a 14-6 spurt that tied the game 60-60.Griffin and DeAndre Jordan got in two huge dunks before Paul's jumper from the right corner brought the Clippers all the way back from an eight-point deficit earlier in the quarter.
Wrapped up: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin is enveloped by Memphis' Marreese Speights during Game 6 on Friday night. The Grizzlies beat the Clippers 90-88 to even the series 3-3. APLong the domain of the Clippers' Chris Paul, it was the Grizzlies who rallied in the closing minutes to beat Los Angeles 90-88 and force a decisive seventh game in their playoff series.Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph worked their inside-out game to perfection on a night when Paul and Blake Griffin were limited by injuries and the Clippers' bench couldn't quite put them over the top."This one has to hurt," Paul said. "If it doesn't hurt, it means you don't care."Gasol scored 23 points, Randolph had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley added 13 points each to help the Grizzlies win for the first time in the Western Conference series at Staples Center and stave off elimination."We were very focused on our task defensively and that's a big reason we won," said Gasol, whose brother Pau will play a Game 7 with the Los Angeles Lakers against Denver at Staples on Saturday night. "We were way more disciplined. The whole team is doing a better job of finding me in the post."Griffin scored 17 points despite a sprained left knee that limited his jumping ability, and Eric Bledoe added 14 off the bench to lead the Clippers, who blew an eight-point lead in the fourth along with a second consecutive chance to close out what would have been a landmark playoff victory for the beleaguered franchise."Right now is not the time to start pointing the finger," Griffin said.Paul scored 11 points playing with a strained right hip flexor and a jammed right middle finger."I didn't know he was hurt," Randolph said. "Everybody's hurting. My knee is hurting. I ain't looking for no excuse. You got to put that in the back and keep playing."The Clippers are seeking just the third playoff series win in franchise history. Game 7 will be Sunday in Memphis."It's uncharted territory for us as a team," Clippers second-year coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We got to stay together, battle through it and give our best effort of the season."Only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. Top-seeded San Antonio awaits the winner in the conference semifinals."All of this means nothing because it's a one-game series," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Everyone has a chance to win."Tied 66-66 starting the fourth, Los Angeles scored 10 straight to take its first lead since the game's opening minutes, led by Bledsoe's six points."It was looking bleak at that time," Hollins said.But the Grizzlies weren't done.They went on a 17-4 run, including 10 straight points, to take an 85-80 lead. Gay scored five in a row as the Clippers missed and Randolph came up with a big block. Conley hit a 3-pointer and Randolph tipped in the ball to close out the spurt."We stuck together and finished the game," Randolph said. "That's what coach has been preaching."Griffin made two free throws before Randolph scored for an 87-82 lead. Conley fouled Paul, and he missed the first and made the second to leave Los Angeles trailing 87-83 with 56 seconds left.The Clippers were forced to keep fouling, and the Grizzlies made 3 of 8 to stay alive. Los Angeles' Caron Butler missed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to go as red-clad fans headed for the exits before Randy Foye hit a 3 with 3 seconds left.Paul blamed himself for two fourth-quarter turnovers that led to Grizzlies baskets."I got to do better," he said. "We didn't want to go back to Memphis, not 'til sometime next season."The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 12-8 run to extend its lead to 54-46, with Randolph having six points and Gasol four. Los Angeles answered with Paul bookending a 14-6 spurt that tied the game 60-60.Griffin and DeAndre Jordan got in two huge dunks before Paul's jumper from the right corner brought the Clippers all the way back from an eight-point deficit earlier in the quarter.Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Clippers take 3-1 lead on Grizzlies
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers' 10-point lead late in regulation had evaporated, and Blake Griffin stood helplessly at their bench with hands on hips after fouling out in overtime. A building full of red-shirted fans sat nervously, dreading another disaster for a franchise with more than its share.
Soaring: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin goes up for a dunk against Memphis in Game 4 on Monday night. The Clippers downed the Grizzlies 101-97 in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the series. APExcept Chris Paul wasn't around for any of the Clippers' bad times.While everybody else worried, he calmly shepherded his club out of another perilous spot and onto the brink of something big.Paul scored eight of his 27 points in a dynamic overtime performance, and the Clippers moved to the verge of their second playoff series victory in 36 years with a 101-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, taking a 3-1 series lead."It's fun, it's exciting," said Paul, who atoned for his inability to score at the regulation buzzer."The worst mistake I probably made in the game was not getting the shot at the end of regulation," he added. "If I was at home watching it on TV, I would be talking so bad about me. But you've got to get through it. The (best) thing about it is that I have teammates that have confidence in me. Everything that we do is a team win."Maybe so, but the Clippers were ever so grateful to rely on their All-Star point guard.Griffin had 30 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:26 left in overtime for Los Angeles, which blew an 84-74 lead over the final 4? minutes of regulation before Paul took charge in the overtime. He played with the same intensity he showed late in regulation, heedlessly flinging himself over the front row of chairs in an attempt to save a loose ball."He's a great player, and that's what great players do," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.Game 5 is Wednesday night in Memphis, with Game 6 back at Staples Center on Friday if necessary.After Paul hit consecutive jumpers to put the Clippers ahead 99-93 with 44 seconds left, Mike Conley's layup with 8.1 seconds left trimmed L.A.'s lead back to two points. But after Mo Williams hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left and Rudy Gay missed a meaningless 3-pointer, Griffin and Paul embraced while another frenzied sellout crowd of long-suffering Clippers fans roared."Chris is always intense," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "That's what makes him special. Chris is so good, not only at making plays for himself, but making the right play. That's what makes him a star."Conley scored a career playoff-high 25 points and Gay had 23 on 8-of-25 shooting for the Grizzlies, who couldn't match Paul's late-game poise in another thrilling chapter of a highly entertaining series with four games decided by a total of 15 points."It's good TV, man, get the ratings up," Paul said. "We don't want any blowouts. There's a reason we finished 4-5 (in the Western Conference standings) with one game between us. We have a lot of competitive guys that don't give up in this series. We have two teams that are going to fight until the end."In their breakthrough season since pairing Paul with Griffin, the Clippers need one more victory to win their second playoff series since the erstwhile Buffalo Braves moved to California. Los Angeles beat Denver in the first round in 2006, but hadn't been back to the postseason until this spring.Caron Butler, playing with a broken bone in his left hand, scored 14 points for Los Angeles, which still can't be comfortable after getting outrebounded 47-36 and giving away a big late lead.After the Clippers rallied from big fourth-quarter deficits in their first two victories, Memphis rallied to 85-83 on Zach Randolph's jumper with 1:25 left. Gay hit the tying jumper in the final minute of regulation, and Paul drove for the go-ahead layup — his only points of the fourth quarter — before Randolph coolly hit two tying free throws with 20.4 seconds left.Paul couldn't get a shot on the final possession of regulation, with Tony Allen and Gay swarming him — but he didn't quit."It's Chris Paul. He made his name off doing that," Gay said. "He's a tough guard. We can try and make it tougher on him, but still he's going to make plays and make his teammates better. That's what he's been doing." Spurs 87, Jazz 81In Salt Lake City, Manu Ginobili scored 17 points to lead San Antonio to a victory over Utah on Monday night and a sweep of their first-round Western Conference series.Ginobili was 0-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first three games. After the Jazz pulled within 61-58 with 3:18 left in the third, he hit consecutive 3-pointers then added another as the Spurs regained control, taking a 76-58 lead early in the fourth.Utah went scoreless for more than 8 minutes during a 15-0 San Antonio run and trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter.The Jazz made a furious charge late and were within 83-79 on Al Jefferson's putback with 49 seconds left. But Ginobili's layup after a steal by Tony Parker sealed it.The top-seeded Spurs advanced to the second round and await the winner of the Memphis-Los Angeles Clippers series.San Antonio was on a 14-game winning streak. Utah has lost eight straight playoff games.Tim Duncan added 11 points and was the only other starter in double figures for the Spurs.Stephen Jackson added 11 points and Tiago Splitter had 10 for San Antonio.Jefferson led the Jazz with 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and had 10 rebounds.NEW YORK — Baron Davis has torn the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, a potentially career-threatening injury for the Knicks' 33-year-old point guard.The Knicks said Davis will have surgery this week and is expected to be out a year after an MRI on Monday also revealed a partial tear of the patella tendon.
Soaring: Los Angeles' Blake Griffin goes up for a dunk against Memphis in Game 4 on Monday night. The Clippers downed the Grizzlies 101-97 in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the series. APExcept Chris Paul wasn't around for any of the Clippers' bad times.While everybody else worried, he calmly shepherded his club out of another perilous spot and onto the brink of something big.Paul scored eight of his 27 points in a dynamic overtime performance, and the Clippers moved to the verge of their second playoff series victory in 36 years with a 101-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, taking a 3-1 series lead."It's fun, it's exciting," said Paul, who atoned for his inability to score at the regulation buzzer."The worst mistake I probably made in the game was not getting the shot at the end of regulation," he added. "If I was at home watching it on TV, I would be talking so bad about me. But you've got to get through it. The (best) thing about it is that I have teammates that have confidence in me. Everything that we do is a team win."Maybe so, but the Clippers were ever so grateful to rely on their All-Star point guard.Griffin had 30 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:26 left in overtime for Los Angeles, which blew an 84-74 lead over the final 4? minutes of regulation before Paul took charge in the overtime. He played with the same intensity he showed late in regulation, heedlessly flinging himself over the front row of chairs in an attempt to save a loose ball."He's a great player, and that's what great players do," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.Game 5 is Wednesday night in Memphis, with Game 6 back at Staples Center on Friday if necessary.After Paul hit consecutive jumpers to put the Clippers ahead 99-93 with 44 seconds left, Mike Conley's layup with 8.1 seconds left trimmed L.A.'s lead back to two points. But after Mo Williams hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left and Rudy Gay missed a meaningless 3-pointer, Griffin and Paul embraced while another frenzied sellout crowd of long-suffering Clippers fans roared."Chris is always intense," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "That's what makes him special. Chris is so good, not only at making plays for himself, but making the right play. That's what makes him a star."Conley scored a career playoff-high 25 points and Gay had 23 on 8-of-25 shooting for the Grizzlies, who couldn't match Paul's late-game poise in another thrilling chapter of a highly entertaining series with four games decided by a total of 15 points."It's good TV, man, get the ratings up," Paul said. "We don't want any blowouts. There's a reason we finished 4-5 (in the Western Conference standings) with one game between us. We have a lot of competitive guys that don't give up in this series. We have two teams that are going to fight until the end."In their breakthrough season since pairing Paul with Griffin, the Clippers need one more victory to win their second playoff series since the erstwhile Buffalo Braves moved to California. Los Angeles beat Denver in the first round in 2006, but hadn't been back to the postseason until this spring.Caron Butler, playing with a broken bone in his left hand, scored 14 points for Los Angeles, which still can't be comfortable after getting outrebounded 47-36 and giving away a big late lead.After the Clippers rallied from big fourth-quarter deficits in their first two victories, Memphis rallied to 85-83 on Zach Randolph's jumper with 1:25 left. Gay hit the tying jumper in the final minute of regulation, and Paul drove for the go-ahead layup — his only points of the fourth quarter — before Randolph coolly hit two tying free throws with 20.4 seconds left.Paul couldn't get a shot on the final possession of regulation, with Tony Allen and Gay swarming him — but he didn't quit."It's Chris Paul. He made his name off doing that," Gay said. "He's a tough guard. We can try and make it tougher on him, but still he's going to make plays and make his teammates better. That's what he's been doing." Spurs 87, Jazz 81In Salt Lake City, Manu Ginobili scored 17 points to lead San Antonio to a victory over Utah on Monday night and a sweep of their first-round Western Conference series.Ginobili was 0-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first three games. After the Jazz pulled within 61-58 with 3:18 left in the third, he hit consecutive 3-pointers then added another as the Spurs regained control, taking a 76-58 lead early in the fourth.Utah went scoreless for more than 8 minutes during a 15-0 San Antonio run and trailed by 21 points in the fourth quarter.The Jazz made a furious charge late and were within 83-79 on Al Jefferson's putback with 49 seconds left. But Ginobili's layup after a steal by Tony Parker sealed it.The top-seeded Spurs advanced to the second round and await the winner of the Memphis-Los Angeles Clippers series.San Antonio was on a 14-game winning streak. Utah has lost eight straight playoff games.Tim Duncan added 11 points and was the only other starter in double figures for the Spurs.Stephen Jackson added 11 points and Tiago Splitter had 10 for San Antonio.Jefferson led the Jazz with 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and had 10 rebounds.NEW YORK — Baron Davis has torn the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, a potentially career-threatening injury for the Knicks' 33-year-old point guard.The Knicks said Davis will have surgery this week and is expected to be out a year after an MRI on Monday also revealed a partial tear of the patella tendon.Friday, May 4, 2012
Grizzlies even series with Clippers
MEMPHIS, Tennessee — O.J. Mayo scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and the Memphis Grizzlies bounced back to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-98 on Wednesday night.
Tough in the paint: New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler poses with his trophy on Wednesday after being named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. APThe Grizzlies blew a 27-point lead in losing Game 1 on Sunday night and letting the Clippers grab home-court advantage in the best-of-seven, first-round Western Conference series. They got back to their physical style and evened the series.Game 3 is set for Saturday in Los Angeles.Rudy Gay also scored 21 points as Memphis showed off its depth with six players reaching double figures. Mike Conley had 19, Zach Randolph 15, Marreese Speights 11 and Tony Allen 10.All-Star guard Chris Paul led the Clippers with 29 points. Blake Griffin had 22, and Mo Williams and Nick Young 11 apiece.The Grizzlies had the lead going into the fourth quarter for a second straight game. This time, the Clippers got no closer than four. Spurs 114, Jazz 83In San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 18 points and the Spurs handed Utah its second-worst playoff loss, routing the Jazz to take a 2-0 series lead.Newly named NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich practically put the Spurs on autopilot after a 20-0 run in the second quarter that stunned Utah, which had vowed to play better after the Spurs easily won Game 1. But this loss was even more humiliating.Tim Duncan finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio, and Kawhi Leonard had 17 points.Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Pacers 97, Magic 74In Orlando, Danny Granger had 26 points and nine rebounds, Roy Hibbert added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Indiana beat the Magic to take a 2-1 series lead.Glen Davis led Orlando with 22 points, and J.J. Redick added 13. The Magic never led, struggled to get any scoring in the paint, and made a series-low five 3-pointers.Game 4 is set for Saturday in Orlando.
Tough in the paint: New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler poses with his trophy on Wednesday after being named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. APThe Grizzlies blew a 27-point lead in losing Game 1 on Sunday night and letting the Clippers grab home-court advantage in the best-of-seven, first-round Western Conference series. They got back to their physical style and evened the series.Game 3 is set for Saturday in Los Angeles.Rudy Gay also scored 21 points as Memphis showed off its depth with six players reaching double figures. Mike Conley had 19, Zach Randolph 15, Marreese Speights 11 and Tony Allen 10.All-Star guard Chris Paul led the Clippers with 29 points. Blake Griffin had 22, and Mo Williams and Nick Young 11 apiece.The Grizzlies had the lead going into the fourth quarter for a second straight game. This time, the Clippers got no closer than four. Spurs 114, Jazz 83In San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 18 points and the Spurs handed Utah its second-worst playoff loss, routing the Jazz to take a 2-0 series lead.Newly named NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich practically put the Spurs on autopilot after a 20-0 run in the second quarter that stunned Utah, which had vowed to play better after the Spurs easily won Game 1. But this loss was even more humiliating.Tim Duncan finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio, and Kawhi Leonard had 17 points.Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City. Pacers 97, Magic 74In Orlando, Danny Granger had 26 points and nine rebounds, Roy Hibbert added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Indiana beat the Magic to take a 2-1 series lead.Glen Davis led Orlando with 22 points, and J.J. Redick added 13. The Magic never led, struggled to get any scoring in the paint, and made a series-low five 3-pointers.Game 4 is set for Saturday in Orlando.Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Clippers looking like the real deal
NEW YORK — In Kobe Bryant's initial meeting with Mike Brown, he cautioned the Lakers' newly hired coach "not to pull back," to coach him "like everyone else; otherwise the players will turn on you," he told me during dinner in Los Angeles just before Christmas.Kobe said he had heard Brown didn't yell at LeBron and acknowledged Phil Jackson didn't yell at him."Phil coached everyone different because he's Phil," he added. "His rings gave him license to do that. Pat (Riley) and Pop (Gregg Popovich) also have earned that right; nobody else."Entering Monday, Brown had coached Kobe, floppy (right) disc aside, to four straight efficient 40-point (31, 31, 31 and 28 attempts) and eight-of-nine 30-plus, out-of-wedlock productions.In his 16th season, the 33-year-old Kobe leads the NBA (31.2) in scoring. He is the oldest in league history to do what he's in the midst of doing. What's more, his weapons of construction have amassed 111 40-point-or-more monuments.Only fellow Philly native Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged an unthinkable 50.4 in the 1961-62 season, and Michael Jordan compiled more.Alas, they look "a lot better when you win," pithily reasoned esteemed telecaster Ralph Lawler moments before my Hedge Clippers — and his, I suppose—splintered L.A. Lore's victory march at five, 102-94, on Saturday.Win or lose, the Paul-y Pavilion hallway throwdown was as rasping and riveting as it gets without the consequent fear of fines and suspensions. There were four individual technical fouls whistled and plenty of provocation for more. Only conscientious objectors left the court not pockmarked with powder burns and blood on their risers.Chris Paul left with his left hamstring hurting, mentally anguished and 33 points, six assists and one turnover to his credit. Counting Wednesday's contribution to Miami's demise, that makes 50, 17, 10 rebounds and 6 steals in his last two outingsUnfortunately, the likelihood Paul will be available for duty any time soon is remote. He pulled up lame with 4:01 remaining after burying a 4-meter fallaway jumper over Andrew Bynum and Darius Morris. However, I saw him grab the back of his leg on the previous possession following a slick feed to Blake Griffin.For the time being, the injury is being described as a "strained hamstring" by team trainer Jasen Powell. Perhaps Paul could have returned had the verdict been in doubt. He told the coaching staff he was ready. Powell wisely talked him down, saying it was in his best interests not to play.Nobody could believe the Clippers actually manufactured enough good luck to out-maneuver the Lakers for Paul, yet everybody was confident the team's curse eventually would re-establish its dominance, sooner than later in all probability.Predicting such doom and gloom was the logical next step. The thought of printing who would go down first, Paul or Griffin, made me squeamish. It was not something I wanted on my resume when the Clippers' bad luck returned, as it did in that victory.Until then, until Paul was forced to sit, I had filled page after page with staggering occurrences and observations:Griffin's liftoff over two luxury-sized Lakers, ensuing acrobatic layup and leisurely landing will be the highlight of Matt Barnes' career. His Airness, Dominique Wilkins and Vince Carter would have been proud to pilot that hang glider.The more Clippers that converged on Kobe in the second half, the more determined he was to disentangle and devastate. His third-quarter hoist from the great divide with Paul on him like plaque was preposterous."Nobody else would have made that shot," analyst Michael Smith gushed."Nobody else would have taken it," Lawler added."Nobody else would have been allowed to take it," Smith countered.After the Lakers had closed to within 79-74 with 11:18 left on the game clock, Paul downed an 11-meter shot a tick before the shot clock expired as if it was business as usual.Earlier, the dipsy-doodling, airborne Morris swished a 16-meter heave to beat the first-quarter buzzer.During preseason, Kobe said he wasn't concerned about the Clippers, branding them "tiny." But that was before they signed extremist rebounder Reggie Evans. In 17 minutes, the 203-cm, 115-kg forward muscled for eight boards, six of them offensive. The Lakers don't pay Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol enough to go through the grief of boxing out Evans.More amazing than anything, I submit, was Bynum (6-for-13 FG, 0-for-3 FT) not so much as sniffing leather in the final 9:22 unless he managed to retrieve missed shots, which he did 16 times, overall.As Lawler mentioned, those 40-point presentations look a lot better when you win.Think the Clippers' home game vs. the Lakers was a hot ticket?Jack Nicholson offered to beat any price, plus throw in some light gardening.You might want to start dating, befriend or adopt an L.A. scalper at least a few days before the Jan. 25 rematch.* * *Column contributor Tom Davis has kindly pointed out, "the Heat are playing as if they are in the Finals."Still, say this much for the Beach Ballers, at least they didn't wait until the waning moments of their latest lapse to assume the fetal position.Not naming any names, but the ball-hog-less 8-5 Nuggets convincingly outplayed them, shooting a staggering 55 percent while being a step, a thought and a pass quicker all evening. At one jagged juncture, the unpacking Heat trailed by 19, their largest crater of the season.Peter Vecsey covers the NBA for the New York Post.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Clippers counting on Billups' veteran savvy
LOS ANGELES — The concept of playing for the Los Angeles Clippers and working with old friends Chris Paul and Mo Williams is starting to grow on Chauncey Billups, who up until now was slow in embracing his new surroundings.
Veteran guile: The new-look Clippers are planning to lean on Chauncey Billups' wealth of experience this upcoming season. AP PHOTOBillups spoke publicly for the first time since joining the rebuilt Clippers, who were handling the 14-year veteran with kid gloves until the initial shock and disappointment wore off following his sudden departure from the New York Knicks."I've been through a lot, trust me. It's been a long year, man," the five-time All-Star said Friday at the Clippers' Playa Vista training facility. "But I'm here to do what I do: try to make this team a better team and win in the process, and just be the player and person that I've been throughout my entire career."Billups was one of three players acquired this week in an unprecedented flurry of roster revamping by the team's front office — including the acquisition of Paul in a multiplayer deal with the New Orleans Hornets, and the signing of well-traveled free agent Caron Butler, who won a championship last season with the Dallas Mavericks.The Clippers won a waiver auction to get Billups, who was MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals when the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers."There couldn't be a classier guy in this business than Chauncey," said Neil Olshey, the Clippers' general manager and president of basketball operations. "It hasn't been the easiest 18 months for him — not in terms of basketball, but in terms of basically how the process has been for him in different locations. But he's the ultimate pro, and he's been phenomenal through this process."The 35-year-old point guard became available when the Knicks waived him under the NBA's new amnesty provision — saving themselves a cool $14.2 million and enabling them to afford free agent Tyson Chandler and the four-year, $56 million sign-and-trade contract he inked with Dallas before going to New York in a three-way trade with Washington last Saturday.Billups was hoping to clear waivers after the Knicks cut him loose — which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. He hinted at retirement if he was taken by a club that didn't appeal to him, but according to published reports, he and agent Andy Miller were warned by the league that he would be in breach of his contract had he not reported to whichever club picked him up.
Veteran guile: The new-look Clippers are planning to lean on Chauncey Billups' wealth of experience this upcoming season. AP PHOTOBillups spoke publicly for the first time since joining the rebuilt Clippers, who were handling the 14-year veteran with kid gloves until the initial shock and disappointment wore off following his sudden departure from the New York Knicks."I've been through a lot, trust me. It's been a long year, man," the five-time All-Star said Friday at the Clippers' Playa Vista training facility. "But I'm here to do what I do: try to make this team a better team and win in the process, and just be the player and person that I've been throughout my entire career."Billups was one of three players acquired this week in an unprecedented flurry of roster revamping by the team's front office — including the acquisition of Paul in a multiplayer deal with the New Orleans Hornets, and the signing of well-traveled free agent Caron Butler, who won a championship last season with the Dallas Mavericks.The Clippers won a waiver auction to get Billups, who was MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals when the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers."There couldn't be a classier guy in this business than Chauncey," said Neil Olshey, the Clippers' general manager and president of basketball operations. "It hasn't been the easiest 18 months for him — not in terms of basketball, but in terms of basically how the process has been for him in different locations. But he's the ultimate pro, and he's been phenomenal through this process."The 35-year-old point guard became available when the Knicks waived him under the NBA's new amnesty provision — saving themselves a cool $14.2 million and enabling them to afford free agent Tyson Chandler and the four-year, $56 million sign-and-trade contract he inked with Dallas before going to New York in a three-way trade with Washington last Saturday.Billups was hoping to clear waivers after the Knicks cut him loose — which would have made him an unrestricted free agent. He hinted at retirement if he was taken by a club that didn't appeal to him, but according to published reports, he and agent Andy Miller were warned by the league that he would be in breach of his contract had he not reported to whichever club picked him up.
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