CARLISLE: ‘WE NEED TO GET DOWN & DIRTY’

Dirk Nowitzki calls the Dallas-San Antonio series a street brawl. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Game 4 was about as physical and hard-fought game he’s seen in quite some time. There were three flagrant fouls called, all in the second half. The fireworks started with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter when Richard Jefferson was called … [Read more…]

ONE MAN’S OPINION: THE NBA’S 10 BEST DEFENDERS

After winning his third consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has clearly established himself as the best stopper in basketball. Howard was second in the league rebounds (14.1) and fourth in blocked shots (2.3), and his presence in the middle allowed the Magic to be the fourth-best defensive … [Read more…]

KENNY SMITH: ‘DURANT WILL BE THE BEST IN 3 YEARS’

LeBron James will likely collect his second regular-season MVP trophy in a few days, but according to TNT’s Kenny Smith, Kevin Durant will take away LeBron’s crown as the game’s best player three years from now. “In three years, he’s going to be the best player in basketball,” Smith said of the 21-year-old All-Star, who … [Read more…]

IS THERE TROUBLE IN LAKER LAND?

Trouble in Laker Land? If you decode Phil Jackson’s recent comments after Game 2 of the Lakers’ first-round series against Oklahoma City, you get the sense that there is a certain discord between the Lakers coach and superstar Kobe Bryant. When reporters asked Jackson if Bryant’s shooting performance – 12-for-28 in Game 2 and finished with 39 points … [Read more…]