Phil Jackson got his message across earlier in the week and now it’s Doc Rivers’ turn to bellyache about NBA officiating. During his Wednesday morning press conference, nearly 12 hours after his Boston Celtics lost, 91-84, to the L.A. Lakers in Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Rivers offered his thoughts on Derek Fisher … [Read more…]
Too old, too slow, too limited athletically and too short. Derek Fisher has heard all the criticism, but the two aspects of his game that never gets questioned are his heart and his toughness, physically and mentally. Fisher, who is listed at 6 feet but is probably closer to 5-10, has such a strong belief … [Read more…]
Ray Allen set an NBA Finals record for most 3-point shots made in a game. He made eight of them, and all of them barely hit the rim. It was the kind of night shooters dream about. Catch the ball, get your feet set, release, and … SPLASH! Those who can shoot know that feeling. … [Read more…]
Phil Jackson complaining about officiating during an NBA playoff series is about as predictable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. The inevitable happened after the Lakers lost, 103-94, in Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals and the series now tied 1-1. During his regular postgame news conference, Jackson … [Read more…]
They stopped dribble penetration. They protected the paint. They rebounded the heck out of the ball. They took charges. They put a hand in the face of every shooter. They got to loose balls. And they took away the other team’s air space and made it a very uncomfortable night. If you think I’m referring … [Read more…]
When Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times asked Phil Jackson if the memory of the 2008 NBA Finals still lingers, the Lakers coach responded with a sarcastic quip. “I forgot. I have amnesia,” Jackson claimed. “What year was that now? 2-8? Ok.” Jackson was obviously kidding about not remembering anything from the ’08 Finals. … [Read more…]
Winning an NBA championship is kind of like graduation. You work all year to accumulate points and, once it’s done, you get to enjoy a big celebration in June. On June 14, 2009, Kobe Bryant graduated from all-star to uber star. He scored an A-plus on his NBA report card and finally completed this master’s … [Read more…]
Move over Robert Horry. Step aside Steve Kerr and John Paxson. Make room for the newest member of Mr. Clutch in the NBA Finals: Derek Fisher. When Fisher stepped into those two crunch-time shots in the fourth quarter and in overtime that powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a 99-91 victory in Game 4 of … [Read more…]
A 3-1 deficit in The NBA Finals. It is staring the Orlando Magic in the face as it tries to figure out what went wrong in Game 4, a game that saw the Magic blow a 12-point halftime lead, turn the ball over 19 times and miss 15 free throws. But the biggest reason why … [Read more…]
The Orlando Magic finally won a game in the NBA Finals after failing six times and, at least for one night, made NBA followers believe that they have a shot against the Los Angeles Lakers in this series. When you break down Game 3, the Magic won, 108-104, not because Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis or … [Read more…]