Top Posts
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You should decide this one for yourself. Late last night we told you about Minnesota General Manager David Kahn implying that the fix was in on the lottery (and how that will cross the line with David Stern). On Wednesday Kahn has been saying he was simply making a little joke and that has been…
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Magic Johnson has one, a larger-than-life bronze statue of him in front of Staples Center, home of the Lakers. Jerry West has one. So does legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn. (So do Wayne Gretzky and Oscar de la Hoya.) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — who like Magic and West never played in Staples — feels slighted he…
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Russell Westbrook has caught a lot of heat over the past couple weeks for his perceived “selfish” play, with many Twitter commenters suggesting the best defense against Kevin Durant is the fact he plays with Westbrook. And while Tuesday’s 3-for-15 shooting performance isn’t going to help Westbrook’s cause, Durant’s struggles against Memphis, or the fact he took fewer shots than Westbrook…
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These are two very good defensive teams. They will contest virtually every shot, jump passing angles and not let players get to the spots they want on the floor. In Game 1, the Bulls responded to that challenge by going to their strength in this series and crashing the offensive glass ferociously. The result was…
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Clearly, Minnesota GM David Kahn did not love getting the No. 2 pick in the draft. Can’t really blame him (question how he handled it, what he said, but not the natural reaction of being frustrated). Duke point guard Kyrie Irving made a lot of sense for the Wolves (despite all their other PGs, none…
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It looks like the Atlanta Spirit — a consortium of owners for the Atlanta Hawks and NHL’s Thrashers — are getting out of the sports ownership business. The Spirit is in talks to sell the Hawks and Phillips Arena to John Moores, the former San Diego Padres owner, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. These…
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It was close. After Kevin Durant drained two free throws it was a five-point Mavericks lead with 4:18 left. Get a stop, knock down a shot and it’s a one possession game. Tuesday’s Dallas win didn’t feel close — Dirk Nowitzki went off, the Mavs got 53 points from its bench and with each big…
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A few years back, amid one of those periods of inspection when it came to NBA officiating, the attempt was made during one of his NBA Finals media sessions to get David Stern to comment on greater access to referees. The question began something along the lines of, “Considering there will always be those who…
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The comparison is a natural one. The last time Cleveland had the No. 1 overall pick it had a no-brainer of a choice and picked LeBron James. Seven years later he left in a messy way. Then the Cavaliers won the top pick in the NBA Draft and they are going to select Kyrie Irving…
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Michael Jordan showed up on stage for Oprah Winfrey’s farewell episode. What, you expected less? Derrick Rose’s family went to see the Oprah final show, too. Great breakdown of the Heat’s isolation sets against Chicago at The Painted Area. Heat may want to do less of that Wednesday. How the Orlando Magic used to be…
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The Cleveland Cavaliers will select Kyrie Irving with the top pick in the 2011 NBA Draft — not with their own pick, but the one they got in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers at the deadline. That deal was a salary dump by the Clippers — they wanted out of the two years…
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Dirk Nowitzki has been special these playoffs, but what he did Tuesday night was on another level — 48 points on just 15 shots. He got 24 trips to the line, hit all 24 shots. There was a lot more to the Mavericks win. And this series is far from over. But it’s worth watching…
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In a surprise to everyone around the NBA, Gary Hall, the lead attorney of the NBA’s player union and one of the negotiators for the organization, has died unexpectedly. Hall, 67, apparently died of natural causes on Sunday, according to Bloomberg news. “Gary worked tirelessly to build the NBPA and to champion the rights of…
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What can get you in more trouble with David Stern than saying his referees are biased? Saying the NBA Draft Lottery is fixed. Which is pretty much what Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn did after the lottery (where his team with the worst record fell to the No. 2 spot). Cleveland won the top spot.…
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Right about now, the Oklahoma City Thunder can probably identify with Andrew Bynum. Don’t get me wrong, Dirk Nowitzki was unquestionably the story in the Mavericks’ Game 1 Western Conference finals victory over the Thunder. While other national outlets were busy talking up the greatness of Derrick Rose during Dallas’ well-earned, eight-day layoff after the…
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NBA Playoffs: Dirk dominates, but this series is just getting started
May 18, 2011, 1:22 AM EDT
Coming into this game the biggest matchup issue, the biggest strategy question that both teams faced was “Who can stop Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant?” Turns out nobody. Durant had 40 points on just 18 shots — and he was the second best player in the game. And his team lost. Nowitzki finished a redonkulous…
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Lottery brings Cleveland some building blocks, not a cornerstone
May 17, 2011, 10:44 PM EDT
This is a night to celebrate if you’re a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. After a rough summer and a record losing streak this season, the Ping-Pong balls bounced your way. You won the draft lottery, so pop open a Great Lakes Brewing Company Edmond Fitzgerald porter and celebrate. Rebuilding can be a long, slow painful process…
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Start trying to picture Kyrie Irving in a wine and gold Cleveland uniform. The Cleveland Cavaliers got some good karma (maybe from owner Dan Gilbert’s son Nick) and won the NBA Draft Lottery — not with their own pick, but with the one they got from the Clippers this past season, the one with a…
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The consensus is that Duke point guard Kyrie Irving will be the top pick in the draft. That is, unless lightning strikes twice for the Washington Wizards. Last season the Wizards won the lottery and drafted John Wall. Washington doesn’t need another point guard. So if lighting strikes twice the Wizards are going to go…
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All 14 teams with a chance to win tonight’s NBA Draft lottery will be sending a representative to the drawing in Seacaucus, just like they do every year. This season, however, the lottery will have an unusual guest — former Duke point guard and projected #1 pick Kyrie Irving. According to Jonathan Givony of Draft…
