Leandro Barbosa (right) teamed with David West last season with the Indiana Pacers. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Boston Celtics had the Miami Heat on the ropes last postseason when they nearly pulled off the upset. The Celtics held a 3-2 series edge, but lost the final two games and the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals.

The loss to Miami forced Boston to make some changes in the offseason, cutting ties with Ray Allen and upgrading the bench. On Wednesday, the Celtics reportedly signed guard Leandro Barbosa to a one-year contract worth the veteran’s minimum salary.

Barbosa has played for three teams in his career, most recently with the Indiana Pacers. He is still just 29 years old and can be a fine addition to the Boston bench. He has averaged 12.5 points per game, and played in 588 games during his nine-year NBA career.

Boston seems to have cornered the market on combo guards — they also added Jason Terry, one of the best sixth men in the league. The Celtics also have Avery Bradley, who will start the season rehabbing from surgery on both shoulders. They also brought in veteran shooting guard Courtney Lee.

To be honest, signing him surprised me a little bit. They have Rajon Rondo, a top-five point guard, and once Bradley heals they will have five guards deserving playing time. I guess they feel like having too many is better than too few. Barbosa gives the Celtics a guard who, even though undersized at 6 feet 3, is capable of playing both backcourt positions. He has made his reputation as a penetrating guard who likes to take it to the rim and score in the paint. Think of a poor man’s (or a homeless man’s) Allen Iverson.

Adding Barbosa doesn’t make them the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but it definitely gives them a lot of depth and helps increase their chances of being able to possibly beat the Heat in what should be a great rivalry.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com

Russian players react after beating Brazil, 75-74, in Olympic competition. (NBC)

Russia and Brazil offered the best game of the 2012 London Olympics so far. Most of the preliminary basketball games have been blowouts, but not this one. From start to finish, the game went back-and-forth and you’ll never see a better final minute of action in any Olympics hoops game.

It started with a turnover by Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas that gave the ball back to Russia with 44 seconds left and down by three. Russia guard Alexey Shved, who will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012-13, tied the game at 72 with a clutch 3-pointer from the wing.

After a timeout, Huertas atoned for his earlier mistake and put Brazil ahead 74-72 with six seconds left on a clever off-balance scoop shot off a screen from Nene, the starting center for the Washington Wizards.

Russia coach David Blatt, who is an American-Israeli, drew up a beautiful sideline play that set up the game-winner. Shved inbounded the ball to a cutting Vitaly Fridzon, who was able to launch a 3-pointer despite being knocked off balance by Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa.

Barbosa, who played for the Toronto Raptors last season, may have been trying to foul Fridzon before the shot, but the Russian foiled that plan and buried the dagger 3-pointer despite having his feet taken out by a diving Barbosa. Fridzon gave Russia a 75-74 lead with four seconds left. Brazil had one last desperation heave at the buzzer, but Barbosa’s shot hit the backboard and never had a chance of going in. Russia survives and stays undefeated with a one-point victory.

Andrei Kirilenko, who signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, led Russia with 19 points. Tim Mozgov (Denver Nuggets) had 18 and Shved finished with 17. Barbosa led Brazil with 16 points.

First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama attend the U.S.-Brazil exhibition game at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. (REUTERS)

The U.S. men’s basketball team looked a little bit out of sync in its Olympic tuneup Monday night against Brazil in Washington, D.C., and with good reason.

The Brazilians certainly had a hand in forcing Team USA out of its comfort zone, but the more likely excuse was the added pressure of having to perform in front of the 44th President of the United States.

President Barack Obama, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, were among the sellout crowd at the Verizon Center to watch Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the American squad that will represent the United States in the 2012 Summer Games in London.

When the president walked over to his courtside seat prior to tipoff, all eyes in the arena were fixated on the jumbotron. Durant, who grew up in the D.C. area, couldn’t help notice the presence of the leader of the free world in the arena, as did teammates Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Chris Paul, LeBron, Kobe, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony, and Anthony Davis.

“You have dreams about being in the NBA. You have dreams about making the game-winning shot at the buzzer. You never have dreams about having the president actually watching you play, because you don’t think it’s possible,” LeBron told The Associated Press.

“It’s definitely humbling, to see him here, the first lady and their kids here to watch us play. Really, it’s amazing.”

The added distraction may have contributed to the team’s slow start, as Brazil jumped to a 27-17 lead in the first quarter. The Americans erased any upset bids in the second quarter when they turned it up defensively and held Brazil to just five points in the second quarter. The U.S. took a 32-32 lead into halftime.

“Between Nene, Varejao, and Barbosa, they have a good team. It took a while for our guys to kind of get in a rhythm,” Obama told ESPN’s Mark Jones. “We’re so much deeper that you get a sense they’ll wear them down. I don’t think it’ll be close in the second half.”

Well, Obama’s second-half prediction didn’t quite happen as the Brazilians kept the game close and didn’t allow the Americans to run them out of the gym. The U.S. eventually pulled out an 80-69 victory thanks to LeBron’s game-high 30 points (including 14 in the fourth quarter). It was a far more difficult challenge than the 113-59 blowout win against the Dominican Republic in Las Vegas on July 12.

Despite the disjointed performance against Brazil, President Obama is confident LeBron and Co. will right the ship once the Olympics start on July 27.

“Coach K is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He knows how to bring folks together and think like a team. And obviously the talent that we have at this point is unbelievable. There’s no reason we shouldn’t bring home the gold,” Obama said.

“One thing I’m happy about is how hard everybody is playing,” Obama continued. “You really get a sense on how proud they are to represent the United States, and I think they’ll conduct themselves really well in London.”

As for the 1992 Olympic team vs. 2012 Olympic team debate, add President Obama to the list of people who disagree with Kobe’s recent boast that this year’s USA team could beat the Dream Team, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley.

“I was around in ’92. I was a Bulls fan so I gotta go with the original Dream Team,” Obama said. “And I suspect that Michael [Jordan] and Sir Charles [Barkley] would point out that they were never down at any point of their games.”

Obama added, “You know, Kobe’s a competitor, so you expect him to do a little trash talking whenever the opportunity arises.”

Kevin Garnett and Antawn Jamison will become free agents this summer. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There are some quality players available this summer for those teams that have money under the NBA’s salary cap and here is one jabroni’s opinion on the top talent available:

1-Kevin Garnett

KG played well in the postseason and showed that he can still bring his A game when needed. For the first couple rounds of the playoffs, he was the NBA’s possible postseason MVP.

2-Gerald Wallace

He has decided to opt out and test the free agent market. Wallace is an excellent defender that can also provide 15 points per game to a team that needs a third or even a fourth option on offense. And he will get paid.

3-Chris Kaman

He might be often injured, but he will be in demand. That’s for sure. When DeAndre Jordan signed a four-year contract worth $12.8 million per season before last season, this assured Kaman will get a very similar deal since he is a better offensive option at center. Kaman would be a very nice fit on a team like the Boston Celtics that need a legit center in the low post.

4-Kris Humphries

Humphries isn’t a top 5 PF, but he averaged just under 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. He is a solid option that would be a seamless fit for a lot of teams. If the Indiana Pacers hadn’t signed David West last year he would have been a perfect fit on their team. Some team will be very happy with a very good young player.

5-Goran Dragic

Talk about a player that took advantage of an opportunity. Dragic averaged 18 points and eight assists per game in 28 starts when Kyle Lowry got injured. He is a good ball-handler, passer and a solid outside shooter.

6-Spencer Hawes

A lot like Humphries, he isn’t a top-five center, but he is a top-10 center in the NBA. He reminds me a lot of a younger Brad Miller. He’s a good rebounder and passer, a solid scorer and an improving defender.

7-Ray Allen

He can still shoot and would be a solid fit on the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls.

8-Nate Robinson

He probably isn’t a starter for most teams, but he provides a lot of energy and scoring off the bench.

9-Brandon Bass

Bass decided to opt out to test the free agent market after a solid season in Boston where he averaged 12 points and six rebounds.

10-Antawn Jamison

His starting days might be numbered, but he’d be an excellent sixth man on a contending team that needs instant offense on their second unit. You wouldn’t want to bring him in to start because he tends to be a chucker, but a very viable option as a backup.

Others that are available are:

Andre Miller

He is a steady influence as a PG and could play late into his career like Jason Kidd has. His game isn’t built on speed and quickness, but rather intelligence and smart basketball play.

Leandro Barbosa

A solid scoring presence off the bench, but he is slowing down a bit.

Carl Landry

Undersized tweener forward, but he gets the most out of his talent and plays hard. He hustles and provides a lot of energy off the bench.

Darren Jacks is contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Email him at djroxalot@gmail.com.

Leandro Barbosa scored 14 points for Brazil against the United States, but missed the one that could have tied the game at the buzzer. (FIBA)

Despite the absence of forwards Nene and Anderson Varejao, Brazil came within a basket of tying the United States at the end of regulation in Monday’s Group B matchup in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Fortunately for the Americans, Leandro Barbosa took the point-blank shot and – not surprisingly – missed. It was essentially a layup, and Barbosa blew it. He played well when his team was rolling, scoring eight points and making three of his five field-goal attempts in the first quarter. But when it mattered most, he crumbled under pressure. Barbosa shot just 2-for-13 the rest of the game and 3-for-13 from 3-point range.

Playing “small” in “big” games has haunted Barbosa for much of his NBA career, and it was probably the reason why he was traded this offseason from Phoenix to Toronto. During his time with the Suns when the team was out in front and playing loose, Barbosa (aka The Brazilian Blur) was at his best: penetrating, dishing, scoring. He is one of the best front-runners in the NBA.

“Leandro Barbosa is one of the best international players in the world,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski told FIBA.com.

At times, when The Brazilian Blur has it going, he’s nearly unstoppable. A career 12-point scorer in the NBA, Barbosa can score on anyone, and his first step maybe one of the quickest in the world.

But when the game gets in a halfcourt set and every possession is valued, Barbosa becomes tentative and his ball tends to get a little heavy. That’s Leandro Barbosa in a nutshell.

He had an opportunity to bail out his teammate Marcelo Huertas , who missed the first free throw and had to intentionally miss the second with time winding down. Huertas found Barbosa near the basket for the game-tying shot, but The Brazilian Blur got a little blurry and blinked. He missed a bunny!

Had he made THAT SHOT against the U.S., he could have been the hero of the tournament thus far and given his country an incredible opportunity for a monumental upset.

Had he made THAT SHOT, the Suns could rescind the trade (OK, maybe not).

But, he missed.

The United States escaped with a 70-68 victory and remained undefeated. Meanwhile, after winning its first two ballgames, the Brazilians have dropped their last two. They lost 80-77 on Wednesday to Slovenia, dropping them to third place in Group B.

Suns backup point guard Goran Dragic scored 23 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

Those who watched the Phoenix Suns take apart the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series were all wondering the same thing: Who is Goran Dragic?

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is probably losing sleep right about now thinking about Goran Dragic, who had scored just four points in the first two games of the series.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker is probably watching tape right now trying to figure how he got outplayed by a second-year guard playing in his first postseason.

And it’s a good thing Alvin Gentry is the head coach for the Suns because Mike D’Antoni would never have played Dragic deep into the fourth quarter in an important playoff game.

Through the first three quarters, Dragic had just three points. But something happened in the fourth quarter and Dragic caught lightning in a bottle, scoring 23 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth to lead the Suns to a stunning 110-96 victory in Game 3 and take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Dragic and Leandro Barbosa led a Suns second unit that helped the Suns outscore the Spurs 39-24 in the fourth quarter. The Suns benched outscored the Spurs, 48-28, for the game.

“Steve who?” Gentry asked reporters during his postgame news conference, poking fun at the fact that he didn’t need his All-Star guard because Dragic played so well down the stretch.

The Suns’ backup point guard was a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, and when he wasn’t nailing outside shots he was destroying the Spurs interior defense with his dribble penetration and some clever footwork and lefty floaters in the paint.

“Obviously, LB and Goran played great in the fourth quarter. They just stepped it up,” Gentry said of his backup guards, who combined for 39 points and seven 3-pointers. Barbosa had 13 points in 18 minutes and made five of seven shots from the field.

[The Spurs] were switching and we said we had to attack the switches, and I thought [Goran] and LB did a great job attacking the switches,” said Gentry, who should be credited for staying with his second unit for the entire fourth quarter.

“When we put him in the game, we told him ‘You have to be aggressive,’ ” Gentry said of Dragic. “Even at the chance of making a mistake he’s gotta be aggressive because when he is I think people forget what a great athlete he is. He’s as fast with the ball than anyone we got on our team. When he’s playing with confidence, he’s got a lot of tricks and shoots the ball exceptionally well.”

“I love that kid. He’s a teacher’s pet, and he has worked so hard to get to where he is right now,” Gentry said of the 6-foot-3 guard from Slovenia, who was acquired by the Suns through in a draft-day trade in 2008. “He’ll do anything to please the coaching staff and the guys on this team. I’m just happy for him. You won’t meet a better kid.”

With Dragic and Barbosa taking turns in creating offense for the highest scoring team in the league, the Suns were able to chip away at the Spurs’ lead and Barbosa’s layup and 3-pointer with less than 10 minutes left in the fourth gave the Suns an 80-76 lead.

“It’s been tough for Leandro simply because J-Rich is playing so well there hasn’t been a lot of time for LB to play. But when he’s gotten in there, he’s done some good things,” Gentry said of Barbosa.

“In general, their second team kicked our butt,” Popovich said. “Their second team was fantastic. Their whole team showed a lot of character.”

The Spurs now face elimination, and no team in NBA history has won a series after being down 0-3.