Kevin Love returned from his broken hand — from doing knuckle pushups — on Wednesday night, but we have to remember he has been out a while and we should give him time to….
What? He dropped 34 points and 14 rebounds on the Nuggets? Oh. Never mind then.
Kevin Love is back and that is good for the NBA and good for the Timberwolves, who are 5-5 now (they lost to Denver in Love’s return) and are in the playoff hunt as they get their stars back and start to get healthy.
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Dwyane Wade after avoiding Game 3 suspension: ‘I wasn’t worried because it wasn’t intentional’
May 26, 2013, 8:31 PM EDT
Reuters
Dwyane Wade wasn’t suspended for the elbow he landed to the head of Lance Stephenson in Game 2, although after the play was reviewed by the league office, it was upgraded to a flagrant one foul. Many thought there was a decent chance Wade might have faced a suspension for the blow to the head,…
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Report: Jeff Hornacek has agreed to terms with Suns to become their new head coach
May 26, 2013, 7:50 PM EDT
UPDATE 4:50 p.m.: It’s essentially official. Hornacek has agreed to terms with the Suns to become their new head coach, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Hornacek is expected to sign a three-year deal as early as Monday. UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Wojnarowski updated his piece with the information that Hornacek has in fact been…
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Th Milwaukee Bucks are in the final stages of choosing their new head coach, and three candidates are expected to be brought in for second interviews next week, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Hawks head coach Larry Drew, Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson, and Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford are…
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Amar’e Stoudemire will once again train with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer
May 26, 2013, 5:31 PM EDT
AP
Amar’e Stoudemire spent some time training with Hall of Fame big man Hakeem Olajuwon last summer, in hopes of developing more of a post game that would help him coexist alongside Carmelo Anthony in the Knicks starting lineup. Stoudemire was a nice contributor for New York when healthy, but knee injuries limited him at both…
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No suspension for Dwyane Wade, but elbow to Lance Stephenson from Game 2 upgraded to flagrant foul
May 26, 2013, 4:03 PM EDT
AP
The league has reviewed several plays from Game 2 between the Pacers and the Heat, but only the elbow that Dwyane Wade delivered to the head of Lance Stephenson was determined to be deserving of any additional attention. Wade was not suspended for the hit, but the play was upgraded to a flagrant one foul,…
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Clippers reportedly targeting ‘big names first’ in head coaching search
May 26, 2013, 3:30 PM EDT
There’s a good reason that the Clippers coaching search is delivering an almost daily stream of updates. If Chris Paul re-signs in free agency as expected, it’s by far the team closest to championship contention of any that are currently in need of a new head coach. Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry is the latest…
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Heat/Pacers preview: Will the real Dwyane Wade please stand up?
May 26, 2013, 1:59 PM EDT
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Frank Vogel said in his press conference after Game 2 that LeBron James played about as good a game has he had ever seen a player have. But it wasn’t enough. Paul George didn’t outplay him but held his own, and he got help from a bunch of other Pacers — Roy Hibbert, David West…
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LeBron had two key late game turnovers, Jordan would never have… oh, yes he did (VIDEO)
May 26, 2013, 12:31 PM EDT
AP
LeBron James is not Michael Jordan. He doesn’t have the resume, he hasn’t shown he can sustain this high a level of play for an extended period of time yet. But we have built up a mythology around Michael Jordan that he is was perfect, that he would never make mistakes. He would never do…
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Spurs coach Popovich answers two questions with one word during Game 3 sideline interview (VIDEO)
May 26, 2013, 11:00 AM EDT
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is known for giving reporters a hard time when the questions they pose aren’t exactly overly-stimulating. After San Antonio came out with a lackluster effort to open Game 3 and fell behind by as many as 18 points in the first quarter, one could have guessed that Popovich wouldn’t be…
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Gregg Popovich explains benching all five starters after sluggish start to Game 3 against the Grizzlies
May 26, 2013, 8:00 AM EDT
The Spurs ended up with a compelling overtime victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, but it certainly didn’t start out as a game that would end in San Antonio’s favor. Whether due to the extended layoff between games or because of the desperate nature of the Grizzlies, the Spurs were knocked on…
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Mike Conley tried. Tony Allen had some success, particularly late in the game, but even he was not consistent. Jerryd Bayless and everyone else that tried pretty much got torched. For the third game in a row, Tony Parker’s quickness off the dribble was the thing Memphis really had no answer for, and his penetration…
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Mike Conley on verge of stardom as Grizzlies on verge of elimination
May 26, 2013, 1:39 AM EDT
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Where is the line between the NBA’s stars and the league’s merely good players? Star is such a loaded term – full of reputation and production and marketing and talent and style – that, occasionally, it can be useful to sort through all the distractions and look at objective measures. Let’s examine players in order…
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Spurs take commanding 3-0 lead over Grizzlies with overtime win in Game 3
May 26, 2013, 12:58 AM EDT
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The Grizzlies had been here before. After falling behind two games to none in the first round of the playoffs against the Clippers, first by losing big in Game 1 and then by losing at the buzzer in Game 2, Memphis learned what it would take to crawl out of that hole and make the…
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Pacers broadcaster rips Miami Heat fans, calls them ‘losers’ for leaving Game 2 early
May 25, 2013, 8:00 PM EDT
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It’s not uncommon in the NBA to have a team’s radio or television broadcasting crew unabashedly slant their coverage in favor of the home team. In fact, many clubs prefer it, even if the coverage can be off-putting to the more neutral observers forced to listen to a particular broadcast. The Pacers fall into this…
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Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins says flopping shouldn’t be a part of the game
May 25, 2013, 6:30 PM EDT
Reuters
There was a critical play late in the Grizzlies’ Game 2 loss to the Spurs where Tony Allen was brought down by Manu Ginobili on a fast break attempt. Ginobili grabbed Allen’s off arm and dragged him out of the air to prevent an easy layup, causing Allen to fall awkwardly as he came to…
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Golden State’s Mike Malone has been in the group with Brian Shaw and Mike Budenholzer the past few years — top assistant coaches that get interviews but have yet to land in the big chair. That could be about to change for Malone — it’s a good thing when the owner wants you. And the…
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Dwyane Wade delivers an elbow to the head of Lance Stephenson in Game 2 (VIDEO)
May 25, 2013, 3:30 PM EDT
Getty Images
Late in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ Game 2 win over the Heat, Dwyane Wade elevates to try to get past Lance Stephenson just after he crosses half court. It appeared as though Wade was simply trying to hustle to get into defensive position, and had no intention of making any malicious contact. But…
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Preview: Did Grizzlies figure out Spurs or will Game 3 be more of the same?
May 25, 2013, 2:01 PM EDT
Reuters
There have been seven quarters — 84 minutes — of the Western Conference Finals where the Spurs have looked much the better team. But the last 17 minutes — the fourth quarter and overtime, Memphis erased a 16-point deficit, pushed the game into overtime and made this start to look like the close series we…
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Kevin Durant gets Nike to join him in donating over $1 million to help with Oklahoma tornado relief
May 25, 2013, 12:30 PM EDT
Kevin Durant has a reputation of being not only one of the best basketball players in the game, but also as one of the most genuine human beings to be associated with the league today. And he keeps doing things to solidify that image. After a devastating tornado ripped through parts of Oklahoma, Durant personally…
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George Hill says only God is scarier to face than LeBron James
May 25, 2013, 11:00 AM EDT
After the Pacers took Game 2 from the Heat by defending well enough to get LeBron James to turn the ball over on consecutive possessions with the game on the line, Gorge Hill was asked if there was any player in the world more dangerous with the ball in that situation. “Yeah, it’s only like…
