NBA

[brod]

(2) Boston vs (3) Orlando
Game Three

ORLANDO 117 - BOSTON 96
(Orlando lead series 2-1)

Into the stands. Off the backboard or in another player's face, Dwight Howard sent Boston Celtics' shots everywhere. Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal. "Just the whole team stepped up the defensive intensity,'' said Howard, the NBA's defensive player of the year. "It starts with me. I have to do that every night if we want to be successful.''

STAND OUT STATS
- Shooting difference between the two teams - Orlando (39/66FG 59.1%) Boston (34/79FG 43.0%)
- Ray Allen 8pts (3/13FG, 0/5 3pFG)
- Starting lineups 3point shooting - Orlando (7/13) Boston (1/10)

[brod]

(2) Boston vs (3) Orlando
Game Four

BOSTON 95 - ORLANDO 94
(series tied 2-2)

The Magic defensive effort on the last play was great..it didnt allow Peirce or Allen the shot, instead forcing Glenn "Big Baby" Davis into a tough outside jump shot...Baby was better. The 21 foot jump shot hit nothing but net as the clock expired to give the Celtics a one point series levelling victory and importantly home court advantage again.

STAND OUT STATS
- The shooting of the two teams - Boston 38/72FG (52.8%) - Orlando 34/85FG (40%)
- The starting backcourt of the Magic (Redick and Alston) went 2/14FG and 1/11 3pFG
- Rajan Rondo had only 3 assists, but a career playoff high of 14 rebounds
- The poor bench scoring of the Celtics 1/8FG 0/3 FT 2 pts
- Stat line from Kedrick Perkins (12pts, 5/7FG, 2/2FT, 13 reb, 5 blocks, 3 ast)

[brod]

(1) Cleveland vs (4) Atlanta
Game Four

CLEVELAND 84 - ATLANTA 74
(Cleveland win series 4-0)

Delonte West and Mo Williams showed Cleveland isn't just a one-man squad, hitting huge shots down the stretch as the Cavaliers extended their NBA-record streak of double-digit playoff wins to eight in a row. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao pounded the boards, leading the Cavaliers to another big rebounding edge

STAND OUT STATS
- The poor shooting of the game Atlanta 23-73FG (31.5%) 2-13 3pFG (15.4%) and Cleveland 30-70FG (42.9%) 14-26 FT (55.6%)
- Rebounding advantage to the Cavs (48-33 total) (15-9 offensive)

[brod]

(2) Denver vs (6) Dallas
Game Four

DALLAS 119 - DENVER 117
(Denver lead series 3-1)

Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead, high-arching shot with 1:05 left in a 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night that prevented the Mavericks from being swept and injected a whole lot more excitement into this second-round series.
Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff-best 41 points and hit a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left from nearly the exact spot as his winning basket in the previous game, only this time it left Denver a point shy of a tie.
Dallas' Jason Terry made a free throw with 1.1 seconds left, then missed another - intentionally, he said. Anthony got the rebound but couldn't stop the clock and didn't have enough time to even get off a 90-foot heave. The buzzer sounded and confetti fell as the teams left the court, knowing they will meet again Wednesday night in Denver.

STAND OUT STATS
- Dallas starting frontcourt (Dampier 5, Nowitzki 4, Howard 3) accounted for 12 of the Mavs 14 turnovers
- Eric Dampiers poor game 0 pts, 4 reb, 5to and fouled out in 23 min
- K Mart not being involved in the game 2pts, 1-4FG, 2 reb, 1 ast, fouled out in 33 min
- Huge advantage on the glass for the Mavs (50-34 total)
- The teams shot 87 free throws (Denver 32-44, Dallas 36-43)

[brod]

(1) LA Lakers vs (5) Houston
Game Four

HOUSTON 99 - LA LAKERS 87
(series tied 2-2)

With Yao Ming out, the Houston Rockets had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Right?

Wrong.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five 3-pointers and added 23 and the Rockets beat the Lakers 99-87 on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

STAND OUT STATS
- Kobe scored only 15pts on 17 FGA (Gasol 30pts on 11FGA), had 5 ast and only 2 reb
- Ron Artest shooting 4-19FG (0-6 3pFG) for 8 points, but had 10 reb, 6 ast
- Lakers starters had plenty of rest, with only Gasol (35min) and Bryant (34min) playing more than 25 min

[brod]

Jay Triano signed a three-year contract Monday to coach the Toronto Raptors, dropping the interim tag after taking over the team during the season

[brod]

(1) LA Lakers vs (5) Houston
Game Five

LA LAKERS 118 - HOUSTON 78

The top-seeded Lakers did everything they didn't do in Sunday's 99-87 loss at Houston - hustled, rebounded and played tight defense on Houston's smaller lineup, keeping Aaron Brooks in check and limiting wide-open shots. The 40-point margin tied the Rockets' worst playoff loss ever. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks 116-76 on May 7, 2005. The Lakers can wrap up the series Thursday night in Houston

STAND OUT STATS
- 7 Lakers scored doulbe figures, lead by Bryant's 26pts
- Shooting percentages FG (LA 51.2% - Houston 32.6%) 3pt (LA 46.2% - Houston 17.2%)
- Ron Artest continues to struggle 9pts (4/15FG, 1/7 3pFG) 4reb, 1 ast, 4 to
- More rest for the Lakers starters (only Gasol 32min and Bryant 31min played more than 24 min)

[brod]

(2) boston vs (3) Orlando
Game Five

BOSTON 92 - ORLANDO 88
(Boston lead series 3-2)

"I'm playing basketball this year. For me, that was enough,'' Marbury said Tuesday night after scoring all of his 12 points in the final quarter to help Boston rally from a 14-point deficit and beat the Orlando Magic 92-88.

STAND OUT STATS
- Boston were 100% (21-21) from the free throw line
- The poor shooting of the starting gaurds - Boston 6-23 FG and 2-8 3ptFG (had seven) of Bostons eight turnovers as well) - Orlando 7-21 FG and 3-10 3ptFG
- Only 3 block shots in the game
- Dwight Howard having only 10FGA on his way to 12pts 17 reb

[Magpiespower]

All-NBA First Team
F - LeBron James (Cavs)
F - Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs)
C - Dwight Howard (Magic)
G - Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
G - Dwayne Wade (Heat)

All-NBA Second Team
F - Tim Duncan (Spurs)
F - Paul Pierce (Celtics)
C - Yao Ming (Rockets)
G - Chris Paul (Hornets)
G - Brandon Roy (Blazers)

All-NBA Third Team
F - Pau Gasol (Lakers)
F - Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
C - Shaquille O'Neal (Suns)
G - Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
G - Tony Parker (Spurs)

[kouta43]

Great effort by the rockets scola was unstoppable in the first quater,14 points 7 boards brooks is just getting better every time he steps out on the floor too quick for lakers pg. Lookout lakers the rockets are coming!

[brod]

(2) Denver vs (6) Dallas
Game Five

DENVER 124 - DALLAS 110
(Denver win series 4-1)

Chauncey Billups is taking his hometown team to new heights with a big assist from Carmelo Anthony.
Behind 30 points from Anthony and 28 from Billups, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 124-110 on Wednesday night to wrap up their semifinal series in five feisty games.
Winners of 16 straight games at the Pepsi Center, where no opponent has won since March 9, the Nuggets would start their next series on the road if the Lakers win, and at home if Houston does.

[brod]

The Milwaukee Bucks have cleared center Andrew Bogut to begin offseason workouts after tests showed his back injury has healed.
The team said Saturday the 7-foot, 260-pound center underwent tests in Australia this week that show the stress fracture in his lower back has healed.
Bogut said in a statement that this day couldn't have come soon enough for him. He says he's looking forward to a productive summer in the gym.
The 24-year-old played 36 games this season, averaging 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocked shots.
The former No. 1 overall pick signed a five-year contract with the Bucks last year worth $60 million.

[ORDoubleBlues]

(2) Denver vs (6) Dallas
Game Five

DENVER 124 - DALLAS 110
(Denver win series 4-1)

Chauncey Billups is taking his hometown team to new heights with a big assist from Carmelo Anthony.
Behind 30 points from Anthony and 28 from Billups, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 124-110 on Wednesday night to wrap up their semifinal series in five feisty games.
Winners of 16 straight games at the Pepsi Center, where no opponent has won since March 9, the Nuggets would start their next series on the road if the Lakers win, and at home if Houston does.

Billups is a good story IMHO because he is a Colorado native and was highly rated coming out of College - picked 3rd in the draft in '97 - but was considered a bust through his first six teams (Denver being one of them) in only 5 years and didn't rise to the heights that were expected of him until he signed with Detroit in 2002.
Think they'll beat the Lakers or Rockets in the Conference finals.

Also RIP to former Indiana Pacer, Sacramento King and Phoenix Sun Wayman Tisdale who died over the weekend due to ongoing complications from Cancer.
He was one of the better Power Forwards in the league in his prime and played on the famous 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team at the LA Olympics that also included Michael Jordan.
Tisdale was also a very accomplished musician who released several albums and one climbed to no.1 on the American Jazz charts.
Tisdale was 44.

[Dissident]

Orlando taking it to Boston in Game 7 ......
Damn!!! I didn't pick that (not by that margin anyway)


Still, Cavs should still win the conference..

[ORDoubleBlues]

Yep, it's Orlando easily over Boston in game 7 and it's the Lakers easily over the Rockets in game 7.

Like Orlando for the fact that Howard is one of the few top players in the league who is willing to do the dirty work and be a team player by not worrying about being the top scoring option - in fact he's probably only the 3rd option behind Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Will predict Cleveland in 6 but they're going to need some pretty good play from Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Varejao to do it.

[Magpiespower]

Orlando easily over Boston in game 7

Lakers easily over the Rockets in game 7.

Bring on Denver!

[Dissident]

I'm just hoping my Thunder can get the top pick tomorrow!

Blake Griffin, please!

[brod]

(1) LA Lakers vs (5) Houston
Game Seven

LA LAKERS 89 - HOUSTON 70
(LA Lakers win series 4-3)


After dominating a Game 7 few people thought would need to be played, the Los Angeles Lakers poked a little fun at their maddening inconsistency against the Houston Rockets.
Asked what the Lakers learned from the Western Conference semifinals, which the Lakers clinched with an 89-70 win Sunday, Kobe Bryant cracked: "That we're bipolar.''

STAND OUT STATS
- The great game from Pau Gasol (21pts 10/19FG, 18reb, 3bs)
- Kobe was only equal third highest scorer (14pts, 4/12FG)
- Lakers won on the galss 55-33 (off 13-5)
- Rockets poor shooting continued 36.8%, headed by the continued poor shooting of Ron Artest 3/10FG 1/6 3pFG
- Lakers starters were able to rest, only Gasol played more than 33 min

[brod]

(2) Boston vs (3) Orlando
Game Seven

ORLANDO 101 - BOSTON 82

Howard scored 12 points with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Hedo Turkoglu had 25 points with 12 assists for Orlando, which trailed for just 36 seconds after the opening basket and held on to earn the right to play LeBron James and the Cavaliers for a spot in the NBA finals. Orlando won the season series 2-1, but the Cavaliers swept both of their postseason series and have been waiting for their next opponent since last Monday.

STAND OUT STATS
- Team shooting percentages 3ptFG (Orlando 13/21 61.9% - Boston 4/16 25%) FG (Orlando 51.4% - Boston 39.2%)
- Orlando got help from the bench (Pietris scored 17pts 6/7FG, 3/3 3ptFG), Bostons total bench scored 12pts 5/15FG)

[brod]

NBA Conference Finals

WEST
(1) LA Lakers vs (2) Denver

EAST
(1) Cleveland vs (3) Orlando