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• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: So you think Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel had a difficult time getting over taking Roy Hibbert out in the third quarter of Game 2 against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals? What he did in Game 1 — with Hibbert again — against the Miami Heat should have caused him to toss and turn in his hotel bed, pace the floor in his room and look at himself in the mirror most of the night. Vogel put Hibbert on the bench in the final seconds of overtime. But wait, it gets better. The coach did it twice. And both times the Heat, well LeBron James, scored. The last one cost the Pacers the opportunity to take the first game of the Eastern Conference finals.
• Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star: This was the game the Pacers had to have, nearly had, should have had. They controlled the tempo. They held the edge on the boards. They turned Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat into an MMA muscle-fest, replete with bloody noses, harsh words, knees to the nether regions and flying elbows ... And still lost. They had it where they wanted it, how they wanted it, slow and methodical and punishing. They limited Dwyane Wade, kept Chris Bosh under control, led by a point with 2.2 seconds remaining in overtime ... And still lost. Miami 103, Indiana 102. In overtime. On a LeBron James drive and layup at the buzzer. This one hurts. “This one really hurts,” Paul George said later. Because it was right there. Because the Pacers let it get away, and they let it get away in part because of a curious coaching move, one that was more curious than Vogel’s ill-considered timeout in the Knicks series. … After the game, Vogel looked shell-shocked. “We’ve got to play better,” he said. “... You have to play a near-perfect game to beat this team. We played a very good basketball game, but we have to play better.” They need to coach better, too.
• Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: This is how this night went: Punch. Counter-punch. Heat take a small, second-half lead. Indiana battles right back. Indiana goes ahead. The Heat fight their way back. One lesson learned is if you give Indiana any room, any room at all, you will pay. Ray Allen, the Heat's best foul shooter, stood at the line with just over 17 seconds left in regulation and a chance to seal the game. In the previous seconds, Wade ran down the lane to break the tie and Indiana's George threw the ball out of bounds. So here was Allen, ready to seal the game. He put up the first free throw and … Missed? He missed. … Remember, Wednesday night was supposed to be the start, the actual start, of the Heat's playoff push, too. Their first-round opponent, Milwaukee, was the weakest team in the field. Last round, Chicago could barely field a team it was so hurt. Indiana has enough pieces to be dangerous, if allowed. But if the Heat are who most of us think they are — "We're a great team," LeBron said a few days ago — then Indiana can provide some tense nights without a dramatic series. All you know is the Heat won an unwinnable game this first meeting. LeBron took the ball to the basket and a night that would have sat ugly for the Heat has them up 1-0. On to Game 2 we go.
• Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: Tony Parker’s three-day layoff between Games 2 and 3 of the Western Conference finals will include a precautionary MRI on Thursday to track the progress of his bruised left calf. Parker was initially injured 12 days ago in Game 3 of the conference semifinal series against Golden State, resulting in what he described as “by far” the biggest bruise he’s ever had. “The calf is doing better,” he said. “Doing the MRI…just to make sure. It definitely limited me in the limit me in the last (three) games against Golden State and those two games (against Memphis). “But slowly and surely I’m turning the corner. Those three days arrive at a perfect time for me, so I’m definitely going to use them wisely. I’ll be ready to go on Saturday.” Parker is averaging 18 points in five games since the injury, alternating two strong shooting performances (9 for 16 and 9 for 14) around three poor ones (6 for 17, 3 for 16, 6 for 20).
• Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: An ESPN report said Howard devoted part of a separate meeting with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak following his formal exit interview three weeks ago to lament how Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni made him feel "marginalized." Kupchak said that didn't happen. "Criticism of a coach did not come up," Kupchak said Wednesday in a phone interview. "Our coach did not come up." … Kupchak won't have clarity on Howard's future anytime soon. A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State. Nothing remains binding, though. The source added Howard's main concern involves "what team he feels has the best chance to win championships, has the best team and system around him." The source also stressed Howard has not and will not ask the Lakers to make any moves on his behalf. Kupchak acknowledged the team has made unspecified contingency plans in case Howard leaves. Either way, Howard can't officially re-sign until July 10 when a moratorium on NBA business is lifted.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: The Clippers have begun their search for a new coach to replace Vinny Del Negro, with the hope that they can find someone who is capable of molding the team into a championship contender. But it will not be an easy task to find someone of that stature. Currently, there are only four active NBA coaches who have won an NBA championship — San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, Boston's Doc Rivers, Dallas' Rick Carlisle and Miami's Eric Spoelstra. Not only that, but only nine coaches have won an NBA championship dating back to 1987. Of course, Phil Jackson has 11 of those NBA rings, Popovich four and Pat Riley three during that span. That's how difficult it is to win an NBA championship. It will be up to the Clippers' front office to compile a list of potential coaching candidates, vet them, narrow the list down and then give the names to owner Donald Sterling.
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: Nerlens Noel is ranked No. 1 on most teams' draft boards. He's 6-foot-11 3/4, 206 pounds and is long. He has a 7-3 3/4 wingspan and a 9-2 standing reach. One can see why he led the NCAA in blocked shots at 4.4 per game. The Cavs were the only team in the NBA last year that didn't have a player average at least 1.0 block per game. Center Tyler Zeller was the team leader at 0.91 per game. Noel could be added to Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson to form a decent group of post defenders. Noel wouldn't be a starter, at least early on, but could be an energy player off the bench. There are drawbacks. First of all, he tore his ACL on Feb. 12. He said he's been told he could return to the court in December, but even that could be pushing it. … His weight of 206 pounds is slight for a shooting guard, much less a post player. Twenty-five pounds would need to be added once he comes to the NBA. Can he hold his spot on defense? Not at 206 pounds. Offensively, there's not much there. He can dunk and run the floor. Teams view him as a blank slate. Many believe he can be taught to shoot and score around the basket. For what it's worth, Gilbert and Grant both say the Cavs are not leaning toward anyone with the No. 1 pick.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Because of their clear intentions of making a huge run at Dwight Howard, the Mavericks will have to consider all options when it comes to assets on their roster. That includes the possibility of trading their draft pick to save the roughly $1.7 million that the pick counts against the salary cap. Doesn’t mean they will trade it. But they have to clear a few more million to make sure that they can offer Howard the maximum contract allowed under the collective bargaining agreement. It would be painful to give up the pick, but there’s a way the Mavericks could do it with a minimal amount of hurt. They owe the Oklahoma City Thunder a first-round pick before 2018. That pick is protected through the first 20 picks of the draft. But if the Mavericks don’t convey it by 2017, the Thunder gets the pick no matter when it is in the 2018 draft. The Mavericks are drafting 13th this year, which means it won’t go to OKC. But what if they went to the Thunder and said, we’ll give you that pick to complete the roundabout set of trades that ended up giving Oklahoma City the Mavericks’ pick (it went through the Lakers and Rockets). The Mavericks could get back a future second rounder and maybe a spare part off the OKC roster like the expiring contract of Ronnie Brewer. What comes back in return isn’t important. The key is the Mavericks would have satisfied that trade requirement by shipping the pick to OKC, wouldn’t be taking back any salary for this season and therefore would clear a nice hunk of cash to apply toward Howard’s salary.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: And on a warm Wednesday afternoon, the second day of rebuilding, the people within this Westmoore subdivision of Moore welcomed a much-needed symbol of hope. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. One day after donating his money, Durant traveled back to Oklahoma to give his time. He did anything and everything he could to bring a smile to as many faces as possible. He shook hands and gave hugs. He posed for pictures and signed autographs. Not once did Durant turn down a request, graciously scribbling his signature on anything he was handed. A pair of shoes. A hat. A Thunder mug. A team program. “I just feel for these families, man,” Durant said. “They don't have a home. All their things are gone. I'm just lost for words, to be honest.” … After giving $1 million to relief efforts, Durant, in that moment, turned and walked away as if he wanted to give $1 million more. His generosity, however, had served its purpose. “What he immediately said to everyone around him is ‘We got to do something,'” said Emmanuel Bailey, president of the Kevin Durant Family Foundation. “And so he, on his own, decided that he wanted to give $1 million. And, really, that was designed to motivate others to give. I think we're up to about $7.5 million now as a result of Mr. Durant's gift.” Durant said giving his time was a direct reflection of how the Thunder is a part of the community.
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: Amar'e Stoudemire’s agent said the veteran forward is unhappy with the way the season ended for him and the Knicks, but that Stoudemire believes he’ll play a bigger role next year. “You know Amar’e, he’s going to work as hard as he can during the offseason,” said Happy Walters, Stoudemire’s agent. “It was a tough year, but Amar’e is already looking forward to next season. He’ll be ready.” Woodson would not commit to making Stoudemire a starter next season. Carmelo Anthony’s best position is power forward and he finished third in the MVP race playing Stoudemire’s natural position. The Knicks shopped Stoudemire last summer and will likely try to do it again. But with two years remaining on his contract, Stoudemire may be the toughest Knick to trade.
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: The Knicks’ 1-2 scoring tandem was truly hurting in the ill-fated Pacers series. Not only did Carmelo Anthony play with what an MRI exam Wednesday revealed was a partial tear in his left shoulder, but The Post has learned J.R. Smith’s nightmarish playoff performance was partly because of a swollen left knee that contained fluid buildup. According to a league source, Smith likely will have his knee drained of the fluid in the next two weeks — the same procedure Anthony underwent in March. So Smith’s struggles weren’t only about his sharp elbow in the Celtics series, alleged hangover and viral infection. Meanwhile, Anthony’s MRI exam showed he had played in the playoffs with a small, partial tear in his shoulder, but the Knicks don’t expect him to need surgery, according to a league source. Anthony has been prescribed rest and physical therapy for a month to allow the shoulder to heal. Had the shoulder sustained a full labrum tear, surgery would have been required. Now it’s unlikely.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Enes Kanter's recovery from April shoulder surgery is ahead of schedule, his agent said Wednesday, but the Utah Jazz center may not be cleared to play until August. That means Kanter will not participate in the Orlando Summer League July 7 through 12, although Kanter's agent, Max Ergul, said it was unlikely the Turkish big man would have played that week even if healthy. The second-year center underwent surgery on April 10 to repair a tear resulting from a dislocated left shoulder suffered against Phoenix two weeks earlier. Kanter, who turned 21 on Monday, is in his native Turkey this week visiting family, Ergul said.
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: The Wizards initially stated that he would be out for at least six weeks, but Beal is anxious to have another update in the next week or two, so that he can get back to doing what he loves most. He had his last X-ray almost a month ago, “so I’m probably due for a checkup real soon. I feel no pain, but the [stress reaction] is still there.” “It’s always frustration,” Beal said of being out. “But at the same time, I have to stay positive, make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Making sure I’m able to take care of myself and just stay on top of it. Basically just being patient and when I get out there, I’ll get out there.” Beal has been spending his time mostly in St. Louis, relaxing and hanging out with family and friends. He stays fit by lifting with a personal trainer, riding a bike and swimming, and continues to maintain his shooting form by tossing up standstill free throws. “I’ll be hard-headed and shoot threes, but I still don’t jump,” Beal said. “Either my mom’s school or my school. I pretty much have access to any gym in St. Louis. They welcome me with open arms.”
• Gary Dzen of The Boston Globe: James Pallotta, president of the soccer team AS Roma and a minority owner of the Celtics, presented a Celtics jersey to Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday. Pallotta was there to represent Roma in the Coppa Italia, a match pitting the team against city rival Lazio. The Pope was given Roma gear but also a Celtics jersey with the No. 1 and "The Pope" written on the back. Can banner No. 18 be far behind?
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: It doesn't appear the Pistons will wait on the Eastern Conference finals to finish to formally interview anyone else, although talking to candidates by phone shouldn't be ruled out. "That's not all we've talked to, those are the names you've gotten," said Dumars, before adding, "We've talked to a lot of people. I'm waiting on you to get the names out there." One intriguing name where there could've been mutual interest was current Hawks coach Larry Drew, with "current" being a day-to-day term, considering he's a coach in name only. The Pistons were impressed with how Drew took a team with nine expiring contracts to the playoffs, factoring in guard Lou Williams' season-ending injury and Josh Smith's impending free agency not affecting how the team performed. Drew's contract expires at the end of June, but Hawks management hasn't approached him about an extension and is talking to other teams. Drew doesn't have the luxury of reaching out to the Pistons and they would need permission from the Hawks to interview him, a different proposition than interviewing a team's assistant coach.
• Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee: Thousands of Kings fans - plus a few former team legends and the core of the franchise's new ownership group - are expected to converge on downtown's Cesar Chavez Plaza Thursday afternoon for a rally celebrating the team's future in Sacramento. The rally will build off a big week for Kings fans. Team officials said Wednesday that their sales staff sold more season tickets on Tuesday than on any other day in Sacramento team history, other than day one, nearly 30 years ago. … The Kings also announced that seven members of the new ownership group - including managing partner Vivek Ranadive - are scheduled to attend the free Long Live the Kings Rally, which runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Ranadive will be joined at the rally by partners Paul Jacobs, Raj Bhathal, Mark Mastrov, Mark Friedman, Andrew Miller and Chris Kelly. Kings legends Mitch Richmond and Chris Webber will attend, along with current Kings Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas. Former players Scot Pollard and Bobby Jackson are also slated to be there.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost the most successful coach by winning percentage in the franchise’s history when they dismissed Vinny Del Negro, whose contract was due to expire June 30. Del Negro compiled a 128-102 record during his three seasons with the Clippers and for the better part of the past 14 months, had a strong case for a long-term extension, at least ostensibly. The Clippers beat the Grizzlies in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, then finished with a club-record 56 wins this season. No locker room outside of Bexar County, Texas, is perfect, and there were certainly frictional elements in the Clippers’ camp, but the overall culture was decent.

Del Negro was confident in what he was building, and turned down a one-year extension from the team last October. Yet despite the regular-season success, Del Negro could never shake the perception that he lacked the tactical feel for the game required to become an NBA championship-level head coach. Del Negro’s biggest fans during his five-year career have been owners, Jerry Reinsdorf in Chicago and Donald T. Sterling in Los Angeles. Basketball operations people have always been more skeptical of him.

Del Negro is charismatic away from the microphone and well-liked personally. He charmed Sterling at a dinner with the Clippers' brass at the Montage Beverly Hills in late June of 2010. The mood at the table was festive; Del Negro was a pleasure to be around and the spouses had a nice rapport. Del Negro exuded exactly what the Clippers felt they needed to fumigate the place after the final tumultuous seasons of the Mike Dunleavy era -- a happy warrior, both confident and communicative. Charm is infectious, but if it's a person's No. 1 personal attribute, it can also raise suspicions if not accompanied by success.

When Chris Paul arrived in Los Angeles, expectations soared far more quickly than either the Clippers or Del Negro anticipated. The bar was set at contender, and Del Negro would have to prove himself as not only a morale booster but as a coach who could design a plan that delivered.

Del Negro never claimed to be a tactician. He maintained that everyone in the league ran the same basic stuff. He summed up his philosophy best during the winter of 2012 when the Clippers were playing well. "I think it's important for guys to go out there and play off instinct instead of, 'Go here, go there,' or whatever," he said. "I like guys to play. I like guys to get a feel for what we're doing and how we're doing it and work off the instinct and play. I think guys enjoy the game that way a little bit better.”

Paul certainly appreciated his coach’s sentiment, as Del Negro happily ceded most of the play calling. It was also nice to have Del Negro go to bat for Paul’s personnel causes -- free-agent signings, potential trades and the like. But having never reached a conference finals eight years into a Hall of Fame career, even Paul realizes he needs a little help in the final five minutes of a basketball game.

Del Negro’s approval rating has privately been described by those in the locker room as running about 50-50. He had his loyalists, players like Matt Barnes who were grateful for Del Negro’s faith. There were also a few players who felt his strategic shortcomings were tolerable given his affable demeanor. For others, those flaws ran too deep. Then there were the detractors, guys who not only didn’t care to have their minutes reduced, but felt Del Negro was disingenuous in his management and inconsistent in his willingness to communicate. Ballplayers also don’t react kindly when they learn their head coaches advocated trading them midseason. That was one of the unintended consequences of Del Negro assuming a spot at the table as a member of the management team last summer.

Despite falling short in the first round and a desperate coaching performance in Game 6 of the first-round series loss to Memphis, Del Negro still looked as if he might survive. The Clippers aren’t an organization predisposed to spend huge money on a head coach, and as decision-makers took an early survey of the coaching pool, they didn’t find many candidates they considered a dramatic upgrade from Del Negro. For all his imperfections, Del Negro was a known quantity.

Still, the series loss to Memphis confirmed all the lingering doubts that Del Negro was a schematic lightweight. He got better this past season, but the growth trajectory wasn't steep enough, and fell off when it mattered most. Ultimately, the Clippers decided risk aversion carried its own risks. Opportunities are precarious in the NBA, and conservatism doesn’t have a strong track record. Better to explore possibility than embrace certainty.

The Clippers will now have to set a budget, one that will determine the direction of their search. Stan Van Gundy is the best available coach on the market, but he’d give the Clippers sticker shock, assuming he’s even interested. Sterling is currently in San Antonio, scouting Memphis coach Lionel Hollins, the hottest candidate on the coaching market. The Clippers could win the news conference with a Hollins hire, the man who outwitted them in the first round, and someone who’d likely meet Paul’s approval. But Hollins has coached his way into some serious money. Given the number of suitors for his services, he would figure to earn in the neighborhood of $5 million per year, and the Clippers won’t be a favorite in any bidding war. Alvin Gentry would bring the right temperament, along with whiteboard skills and, most importantly, a solid quality-price ratio for a coach with that experience.

Whoever lands the job will encounter a bar even higher than the one Del Negro failed to clear. The Clippers’ job might be desirable, but it’s fraught with pitfalls. The most treacherous of those used to be history. Now it’s expectations.

Five dribbles of chatter from the league's front-office and coaching grapevines:

Among the immediate concerns for the Indiana Pacers heading into the Eastern Conference finals against Miami is the state of David West's right calf. One of the longer-term worries, though, is West's forthcoming free agency.

The Pacers' veteran leader openly loves his situation in Indiana, which certainly gives Indy justified cause for optimism when it comes to re-signing the 32-year-old this summer. Yet the whispers are already swirling that Chris Paul's Los Angeles Clippers, in particular, are going to make a hard run at West in the offseason.

Indy will certainly have the ability to pay West more to convince its locker-room sage to stay, given that the Clips would presumably have to structure an offer with the $5.15 million midlevel exception available to nontax teams. But you have to figure that the former Hornet -- who rose to All-Star prominence playing alongside CP3 -- is going to want to hear the details of a proposal pitching a reunion with his old point guard ... as long as Paul himself, of course, decides to stay. If Paul re-signs with the Clips as most league insiders continue to expect, L.A. will be seeking to add the final piece or two to cement itself as a contender with some staying power.

Yet Indy's brass must feel some reassurance when it hears West say things like he said in the wake of the New York series when he described the Pacers as "the most together group I've ever been a part of."

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Early estimates suggest that the Toronto Raptors would be willing to offer Masai Ujiri an annual salary in excess of $2 million to leave the Denver Nuggets' front office.

The Nuggets, I'm told, nonetheless remain positive that they'll be able to hang on to Ujiri -- just named the NBA's Executive of the Year for the 2012-13 season -- while knowing they'll obviously have to raise his reported salary of $500,000 to keep him from wanting to leave.

It should be noted that, as of Monday night, Toronto had yet to secure permission from the Nuggets to officially woo Ujiri. But that hasn't stopped the Nigeria native from being billed as the Raptors' top target after it became apparent that Phil Jackson -- despite his longtime friendship with new Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke -- was in no rush to embrace Toronto's interest.

Jackson has said repeatedly in recent weeks that he wants the opportunity to run a team from the top, a la Pat Riley, for the first time in his basketball career. After ESPN.com reported that the 11-ringed coaching legend wanted to let the fate of the Sacramento Kings play out before deciding anything about his future, Jackson said in a subsequent visit to "The Tonight Show" that his discussions about running basketball operations for the Chris Hansen-led group trying to purchase and relocate the Kings to Seattle were "serious talk."

Some league observers, however, remain convinced that Jackson's flirtations with teams are largely aimed at convincing Lakers lead basketball decision-maker Jim Buss to cede his organizational power to sister Jeanie Buss ... which would theoretically enable Jeanie to bring Phil, her fiancé, back to Lakerland as L.A.'s next front-office chief.

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At least two teams came away from last week's Board of Governors meeting in Dallas convinced that the 22-8 vote in favor of keeping the Kings in Sacramento would have been a lot closer if NBA commissioner David Stern wasn't so determined to lobby owners in the room to keep the franchise right where it is.

Yet a third team consulted told ESPN.com that Sacramento likely would have prevailed anyway, with or without Stern's hard push, since a simple majority of just 16 votes was all that was needed to block the proposed relocation to Seattle.

My follow-up question: Does the league's ultimate decision to keep the Kings in Sactown do anything to erase at least a little of the bitterness that locals still harbor about the way the 2002 Western Conference finals against the Lakers played out?

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On the coaching front ...

One reason the Nets' coaching search isn't moving too quickly: Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw, two of Brooklyn's foremost targets, are still at work in the playoffs.

Sources say the Grizzlies remain determined to sign Hollins to a new deal after the playoffs. Contract discussions were mutually tabled by both sides until the postseason plays out, but that does expose Memphis to a high-dollar offer from Brooklyn in July that gets Hollins' attention.

The Clippers, while still deliberating the future of incumbent coach Vinny Del Negro, are now widely presumed to be in the running for Hollins as well after owner Donald T. Sterling -- who doesn't even attend all of his own team's playoff games -- showed up courtside Sunday in San Antonio to watch the Grizzlies get thumped in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. But skepticism persists, even if the Clips do soon have an opening, about Sterling's appetite to pay what it would take to extricate Hollins from Memphis, where he is revered locally.

Interesting footnote about the Nets' coaching search: Italian legend Ettore Messina, reported by Yahoo! Sports to be a candidate who is tempting to Atlanta Hawks GM Danny Ferry, is not on Brooklyn's list. If the Hawks make Messina the first European head coach in NBA history, he would have to find a way out of Russian superclub CSKA Moscow, which for years received considerable financial support from Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

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Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who previously interviewed for the Milwaukee Bucks' head-coaching job, interviews Tuesday for Charlotte's opening. The Bobcats are also scheduled to interview Utah assistant Jeff Hornacek later this week, with both Clifford and Hornacek likewise in the mix for the Phoenix Suns' job.

Phil Jackson is in the news every day. Will he return to the NBA? What does he want? Where will he land? Would he run a good front office? Will he coach? Marc Stein and David Thorpe weigh in.

Marc Stein and David Thorpe on coach of the year, coach of the playoffs, coaches on the hot seat, coaches doing smart things and coaches doing dumb things.

The NBA sent around the most interesting list:

1. George Karl 404
2. Erik Spoelstra 190
3. Mike Woodson 127
4. Gregg Popovich 120
5. Frank Vogel 60
6. Lionel Hollins 55
7. Mark Jackson 47
8. Tom Thibodeau 40
9. Kevin McHale 17
10. P.J. Carlesimo 8
11. Vinny Del Negro 8
12. Larry Drew 6
13. Doc Rivers 4
14. Scott Brooks 3

What is that exactly? The final tallies of a marathon night of pingpong at some offseason association meeting for coaches? The results of some kind of snooker tournament?

No, no. It's none of that. Those are the final scores of this year's NBA Coach of the Year voting.

OK.

A selected smattering of Twitter responses:

• "Awards are jokes."
• "Facepalm."
• "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL."
• "I quit."
• "That's criminal."
• "Time to scrap the award."
• "LOL OMG fix this system."

Many of those comments are focused on the maligned Del Negro finishing ahead of the near-legendary Rivers, but that's only one of the many surprises on this list.

Now, here's the thing: That's voting with a history of a certain kind of logic. Sports writers and broadcasters vote, and tend not to vote for the guy they think is actually the best coach, but instead for the guy whose team was most surprisingly good.

Almost everyone agrees Phil Jackson is right there with Red Auerbach in the "best coach ever" conversation -- an assertion nicely affirmed by the Lakers' disarray in his absence. But somehow Jackson won this award only once, way back in 1996. All those years all those voters believed he was the best ... but voted for someone else.

That tells you the NBA Coach of the Year award is for something other than being the NBA's best coach.

Different question: Who's the best coach?

Wouldn't you prefer an award that really was for the best coach? Isn't that what you want to know?

There's no reason we can't have that. In fact, ESPN Forecast -- a giant panel of voters who watch the NBA closely -- is ready to give you just that. Recognizing a need for a better way to identify the best coach in the NBA, we asked them today to identify the best coach in the NBA. We used a voting and scoring system similar to the NBA's. It took only a few hours, and the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich is the runaway winner. With the results from 70 voters in, the results:

OUR NEW PREDICTION ENGINE



The results for "Best coach in the NBA" powered by ESPN Forecast.

1. Gregg Popovich 690
2. Tom Thibodeau 433
3. Doc Rivers 262
4. Rick Carlisle 169
5. Erik Spoelstra 131
6. George Karl 72
7. Rick Adelman 39
8. Lionel Hollins 38
9. Frank Vogel 20
10. Mike Woodson 8
11. Mark Jackson 5
12. Scott Brooks 4
13. Kevin McHale 1

These results are far different from the real coach of the year vote, of course. Popovich went from fourth to first. Rivers shot up the list. Carlisle and Adelman didn't get a single vote of any kind in the NBA's contest, but both are respected and on the Forecast list.

That, I suggest, is the point of this exercise. Here, if you want it, is a list that uses smart information-gathering techniques to roughly approximate who we (everyone really -- media, fans, players, owners) truly believe coaches best.

Coaching is murky and tough to vote on with conviction. The best of it happens behind closed doors and away from microphones. Assistants do a lot of what matters. It's difficult to score. Maybe Phil's roster got him a lot of those wins. Tim Duncan might be the secret sauce of Popovich's intimidating win percentage. Voters seem to have historically bet that the coach of the "little team that could" must be doing a hell of a job.

But giving the award to someone other than who we think is the best coach has robbed the award of a great deal of authority. (The list of past winners is littered with the likes of Mike Schuler and Sam Mitchell -- guys the league as a whole has decided, upon review, really are not cut out to coach in this league.)

Karl, of course, is a respected NBA lifer on both lists. That he belongs somewhere up there is beyond doubt. But at the top?

The logic of his winning works like this: The Nuggets don't have an offensive superstar. That point is in the first line of the news story about Karl's victory. By and large such teams are seen as doomed -- despite the ongoing playoff success of the similarly starless Bulls and Pacers.

In this particular case, however, it's tricky. Stat geeks loved that roster from the start, and using different approaches, John Hollinger and several others predicted the Nuggets would be this good or better. (Some stat geeks say the big thing holding that roster back was ... Karl himself.) Not to mention, David Thorpe would argue that in the second half of the season, the Nuggets absolutely did have an offensive star, and his name is Ty Lawson.

Whether you buy what Hollinger or Thorpe had to say, I suspect you'll agree when I say the NBA's results do not really reflect who we truly believe are the best coaches in the NBA. Not these names, not in that order. If you owned a team, would you really pursue Karl over Popovich? Would you call Frank Vogel before Tom Thibodeau? Would you blow off calls from Rivers in favor of Del Negro? (Would you forget entirely recent championship- and award-winner Rick Carlisle?)

The big crime here, of course, is that the NBA's results, while satisfying a certain itch to reward surprising performance, are not anybody's real list of who is the best coach in the NBA.

And isn't that what this award ought to be?

Five dribbles of fresh chatter from the NBA's coaching and personnel grapevines:

The consistent word in coaching circles is that the Clippers want to go "big" with their forthcoming coaching hire after what insiders continue to describe as the inevitable dismissal of Vinny Del Negro in the wake of L.A.'s first-round exit.

ESPN.com reported in April that Stan Van Gundy is near or at the top of that list. Coaching sources say the former Orlando coach, furthermore, has zero interest in the Milwaukee job and will only return to the bench next season if he gets a suitable offer from a contending team and/or a team he likes that's based in a warm-weather city.

Co-sign completely with the list of candidates introduced by Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler on HoopsHype.com in the event that the Clips' interest in Van Gundy doesn't morph into something serious: The unemployed duo of Alvin Gentry and Byron Scott and Warriors assistant Mike Malone. Chris Paul is fond of all three.

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All indications continue to suggest that Dwight Howard is far more likely to give serious thought to leaving Hollywood than Chris Paul.

One source close to the situation said this week that there are just "too many positives" for CP3 in L.A. even in the face of a hugely disappointing Round 1 exit when it seemed that the Clips had a clear path to the Western Conference finals thanks to their 2-0 series lead over Memphis and OKC's loss of Russell Westbrook.

Another source went so far as to predict that there's "zero chance" of Paul giving up the fifth year and nearly $30 million extra guaranteed that he can earn only by re-signing with the Clips. The strategy there: Take the money now and worry about finding a new home via trade later if the Clips can't build on this season's successes to establish themselves as true title contenders.

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The Pistons, according to NBA coaching sources, are adding Houston Rockets assistant J.B. Bickerstaff to the list of candidates they're considering to replace the ousted Lawrence Frank.

Ex-Sonics and Blazers coach Nate McMillan, interim Suns coach Lindsey Hunter and San Antonio assistant Mike Budenholzer are the candidates known to have interviewed for the job to date.

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With members of the Hawks' coaching staff bracing for the firing of Larry Drew to the point that they privately already consider themselves "free agents," in the words of one source, two names have already emerged as prime targets for Hawks general manager Danny Ferry in the anticipated search for Drew's replacement: Budenholzer and Quin Snyder.

Both worked with Ferry in San Antonio; Snyder spent the past season in Russia as an assistant to European coaching legend Ettore Messina.

Drew is expected to receive consideration in Philadelphia and likely in other cities, too, after doing what is widely regarded as a quality job maxing out with an Atlanta roster filled with free agents this season.

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Brooklyn's two-day-old coaching search has been dominated by the names that aren't on the list.

Ruled out of consideration already, after all were initially presumed to be on the Nets' list: Jeff and Stan Van Gundy, Mike Dunleavy and Nate McMillan.

Sources say you can also add Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson's name to that group out of the running. Sampson, though, does remain a top contender in Milwaukee and Charlotte.

The Nets also appear to be lukewarm on the idea of reaching out to Jerry Sloan, even after Nets star Deron Williams said he was open to a reunion with Sloan.

ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Monday that Phil Jackson, Larry Brown and Brian Shaw are the only confirmed Brooklyn candidates to date, despite the fact Jackson -- top target of Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov since Avery Johnson's ouster in December -- wants to return to the game in a Pat Riley-esque management capacity.

Broussard reported that Nets general manager Billy King understands that Jackson is not likely to come to Brooklyn to coach and is open to bringing Jackson into the front office.

Although Jackson is advising Detroit on its coaching hire, ESPN.com reported last week that the arrangement is unpaid and "an act of friendship" stemming from Jackson's relationship with Pistons owner Tom Gores. One source said this week that Jackson "specifically left it open" with the Pistons that he could talk to other teams while consulting the Pistons.

The void
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin didn’t practice Thursday and spent a good portion of the day receiving treatment on his right ankle, which he sprained severely Monday, one day before the Clippers’ Game 5 loss in Los Angeles. If Griffin can’t go in Game 6, or is largely ineffective as a post presence on the offensive end, the Clippers have big issues. They’re not a team -- like San Antonio, for instance -- that runs an airtight system fueled by interchangeable parts. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are indispensable to their team’s success, but the Spurs can subsist for long stretches without them because the offensive objectives don’t change with their absences.

The Clippers need Griffin down low, where he draws defenders and forces rotations, and in the pick-and-roll with Chris Paul, which forces the Memphis Grizzlies’ big guys to account for him, Chris Paul and the space around them.

The contingency
How can the Clippers absorb Griffin’s absence? On Thursday, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said that if Griffin isn’t available, veteran multitasker Lamar Odom would start at power forward for the Clippers. Odom’s presence on the floor with the starters would give the Clippers yet another versatile ball handler and a crafty -- if occasionally freelancing -- team defender. But a better bet might be to go small and hand the lion’s share of the minutes at power forward to Matt Barnes. That would enable them to replicate the successful formula of the bench and open up the game. The Grizzlies like chaos, but their very particular controlled brand of chaos, not the outright disorder a small-ball Clippers unit would bring.

This scheme wouldn’t be without serious challenges for the Clippers. They’d probably have to send quick double-teams from the top of the floor to help Barnes on Zach Randolph, something they did fairly effectively in spots during last season’s epic Game 7. And Paul has always preferred a more controlled approach to half-court offense. But the Clippers will need to move this game from paint to the perimeter, and Barnes at the 4 for significant periods certainly would do that.

The juggernaut
Not exactly a label we normally affix to the Grizzlies’ offense, but racking up 114.4 points per 100 possessions against the Clippers in Game 5 definitely clears the bar for locomotive status. The Grizzlies have done a masterful job of moving Marc Gasol and Randolph around the half court, and by doing so, they’ve been able to cross up Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and the bench bigs.

This isn’t stuff we haven’t seen from the Grizzlies before: pin-downs by Gasol for Randolph, or vice versa. Pick-and-roll-and-replace with Mike Conley and both Gasol and Randolph. The Clippers aren’t a bad defensive team (ranked ninth this season in defensive efficiency), but Memphis’ execution on these sets has been crisp, timely and deceptive. As capable as the Clippers are at defending initial actions, if a defense throws multiple-choice questions at them, things have a way of breaking down. That’s what we’ve seen over the past 3½ games from Memphis, and the trend line keeps improving.

The Q
When the Clippers have grasped for answers after the first quarter, they’ve frequently tapped a three-guard lineup composed of Paul, Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford. Not a terrible idea in theory, but Memphis coach Lionel Hollins has countered that combination with Conley, Tony Allen and reserve Quincy Pondexter.

Memphis has been winning this battle. Allen smothers Crawford, who has shot 43.8 percent during the Clippers’ three losses (only 3-for-11 beyond the arc), and many of those attempts have been with a Crawfordian degree of difficulty. Meanwhile, Pondexter’s size and brawn have bothered Paul. The Clippers point guard tallied 35 points in Game 5 but hasn’t distributed the ball (only 14 assists combined over the three losses). Offensively, Pondexter has given the Grizz some needed stretch, which has been just enough to complicate the Clippers’ rotations and give Gasol the room he needs to work. Bledsoe pesters Conley, but the Grizzlies have adjusted, running the offense through Gasol at the elbow or having Tayshaun Prince initiate possessions with Conley off the ball.

Playoff teams need X factors, players who outperform their baseline production. Pondexter has been that difference-maker in this series, and it’s helped Memphis inordinately.

The consequences
For Memphis, closing out the Clippers on Friday night by winning the series’ final four games would be a resounding success after a sometimes tumultuous season. Dealing Rudy Gay created a lightning rod in Memphis and a period of discontent between Hollins and management. Randolph voiced his objections to some of the new wrinkles in the offense introduced after Gay’s departure and struggled after injuring his ankle in March, which was a major cause for concern. More than all that, though, revenge is a dish that’s best served cold (and in Memphis, it’s also served deep-fried with a heavy sauce), and we’ll see a fully catered event in the Grizzlies’ locker room on Friday night if they can close out the series.

On the Clippers’ side, a loss would be devastating. A 56-win team that looked like a serious contender for much of the season and as recently as 10 days ago would return to Los Angeles with some fateful questions: Paul’s free agency, doubts about roster composition, questions about managerial structure, unhappy ownership and Del Negro’s future.

Summers in Los Angeles are generally temperate, but if the Clippers bow out in Round 1, there will be a high-pressure system hanging over the Clippers offices and training facility in Playa Vista, Calif.

• Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: David Lee provided the inspiration, and Stephen Curry provided the much-needed separation. The sixth-seeded Warriors followed the two players who have led them all season and turned Oracle Arena into a place of hysteric celebration with a 92-88, series-clinching victory over third-seeded Denver in Game 6 on Thursday night. … The Warriors moved to 10-1 in home close-out games during their West Coast era (since 1962-63), won a postseason series for the first time since 2007 and will open a best-of-seven, second-round series at second-seeded San Antonio on Monday. None of it came easy. Lee, who was supposed to be sidelined for the rest of the postseason, shocked the 19,596 fans by participating in the pregame layup lines. When the All-Star forward checked into the game with 2:23 remaining in the first quarter and hobbled through 87 seconds of inspiring play with a completely torn right hip flexor, it whipped the crowd into a frenzy and his teammates into a second-half surge. Curry took control from there, going into shoot-spin-and-dance mode in the third quarter. He was so confident in his silky jumper that he would release the shot, and instantly twist to retreat on defense and start celebrating.
• Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: Get this arrogance: In the ultimate win-or-go-home game, the Nuggets planned on sleeping in San Francisco after Game 6. They boldly informed the hotel staff at their five-star accommodations to turn down the bed covers for them, insisting they would return to celebrate a victory. Before the first team bus rolled across the Bay Bridge toward the arena, Nuggets general manager claimed Masai Ujiri: "I'm leaving something precious in my hotel room." Well, I guess Ujiri left his heart in San Francisco. Would somebody please mail it back to Colorado? The Nuggets showered, packed their bags and took a red-eye charter flight that carried all their regrets back to Denver. A team lovingly and intelligently built by Ujiri won a record 57 games during the regular season, but ultimately proved it wasn't built to survive the stress test of playoff basketball. The Nuggets like to run. But they can't hide the reason for this defeat. Denver cannot shoot straight. … For the eighth time in his nine seasons as Denver coach, George Karl was bumped off in the opening round of the playoffs, this time blowing the opportunity of home-court advantage provided by the third seed in the Western Conference. Elimination games measure the size of the heart as much as the depth of a team's talent. … This was the Denver team Karl wanted. What happens to teams whose coach is the star? They crash and burn. The NBA is a players' league.
• George Willis of the New York Post: Gerald Wallace admits he has no idea what to expect tomorrow night when the Nets play host to the Bulls in a winner-take-all Game 7 at Barclays Center. “I’ve never played in a Game 7,” Wallace said last night. “I don’t have a clue. I don’t know what to expect.” He will find out now that the Nets have fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series to play a seventh game on their home floor. As exhilarating as their 95-92 triumph over the Bulls was last night, the Nets understand there’s really no time to start celebrating until they finish the job tomorrow night. “Now it comes down to one game,” Joe Johnson said. “I feel like we’ve got a pretty good chance because it’s going to be on our home floor in Brooklyn. We’ll be ready.’’ Brooklyn will be ready. Now it’s about making memories, the kind of memories that are handed down from generation to generation. The Bulls like to bombard you with their memories. During seemingly every timeout there are video replays of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and championship trophies. Good for them. It’s time for Brooklyn to start making its own memories, the kind of special moments that winning a Game 7 can provide.
• Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune: If Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals was the "Flu Game," this was the "Pandemic Game." Luol Deng was scratched after originally appearing in the starting lineup. He limped out of the arena 10 minutes before tipoff, looking as if he could barely drive a car let alone drive the lane in a playoff game. "He is feeling really bad," teammate Marco Belinelli said. Taj Gibson also was feeling it. Nate Robinson, too. Asked what they had, coach Tom Thibodeau was comically evasive: "A viral something something. Flu-like symptoms, whatever." It turns out that Deng was by far the sickest, but Thibodeau declined to rank them before the game. "Now we're into degrees of sickness?" he wondered. "They're sick. I feel great. Couldn't be better." Thibodeau could not say the same after watching his team struggle down the stretch in their 95-92 loss to the Nets that forces a Game 7 Saturday in New York. The losses of Deng and Kirk Hinrich (calf), coupled with the illnesses of Robinson and Gibson took a harsh toll. Thibodeau used his bench for a total of less than 28 minutes, and it produced just seven points, four rebounds and one assist. The Nets' bench was good for 27 points and 16 boards.
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: Of all the deep and dark strategic and psychological angles to be explored as the Celtics head into Game 6 against the Knicks tonight, there is a rather basic human reflex that unfolded among three old guys with not too many gunfights left. When the future is uncertain, one tends to cling to the present. Put simply, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry don’t want to stop playing basketball with each other just yet, dammit. At ages 35, 36 and 35, respectively, and with the Celts headed for some major offseason decisions that could very well alter the franchise’s facade next season, the three have taken a look around and decided that a quick exit to the Knicks — these Knicks — was not how they wanted their potential final paragraph together to read. “More important than all of this stuff people are talking about is how do we want to go out?” said Terry. “If we’re going to go out, we’re going to go out fighting and with our whole entire effort out there on the floor. I think that’s been more important than anything in getting us from where we were to here.”
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: The analytics revolution has not yet accounted for the sartorial choices of N.B.A. players, but it is generally accepted that playoff games are not won or lost in the walk-in closet. (Russell Westbrook is proof of this.) So it was not the fact that all the Knicks players arrived at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in shades of black for a critical playoff game that bothered their coach. It was the implied message that came with their funereal uniformity: that their series against the Boston Celtics — a proud, veteran team, steeped in playoff experience — was effectively over. That a victory would prove a mere formality. It wasn’t the fashion sense. It was the arrogance. “I’m a little upset about that,” Coach Mike Woodson said Thursday, “and I’ve addressed that.” Coming from Woodson, who strenuously avoids criticizing his players in public, this was as strong a statement as there could be. The Knicks have greater concerns after failing twice to close out the series and allowing the Celtics to turn a near sweep into a 3-2 nail-biter. Their 92-86 loss Wednesday would have been troublesome anyway, but it looked much worse given their misplaced confidence. … Chandler and Jason Kidd won a title in Dallas, and Martin made two finals alongside Kidd a decade ago, but the core of this roster has proved nothing on the N.B.A.’s playoff stage. Smith and Carmelo Anthony have been out of the first round only once. Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert have never won a playoff series. … To recap: the series is not over, the Celtics are not dead, and the Knicks would be wise to save their fashion statements for the off-season, whenever it may arrive.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Hawks coach Larry Drew reiterated Thursday that he had no problem with the officiating in the team’s Game 5 loss to the Pacers. Drew said the same after a 106-83 loss Wednesday in the first-round playoff series, despite his team getting hit with three technical fouls. What Drew did have a problem with was the way his team lost its composure, much the same way it did in losses in games 1 and 2. “The way we went at the officials, it was like we were playing the blame game again,” Drew said. “I thought we got a great whistle. We got to the free-throw line. It wasn’t the whistle. The way we responded was not the way to get it down. Not in the playoffs. You have to be much tougher, mentally you have to be stronger. … You have to have thick skin. You can’t let things rattle you.” The Hawks took two more free throws than the host Pacers, 37-35. In making 30 of the 37 attempts, the Hawks shot 81.1 percent from the line, by far their best effort of the series. The Hawks entered Game 5 shooting a meager 59-of-103 (.573).
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel has been known to shy away from certain ties or shirts he feels are bad luck. But he’s not changing anything for Friday’s Game 6 of the Pacers’ NBA first-round playoff series against the Hawks despite a 13-game losing streak in Atlanta. The Pacers are staying at the same hotel they used in the Atlanta area for losses in Games 3 and 4. “One of the worst things you can do is change up your routine, especially in a big-game situation,” said Dr. Adam Shunk, a sports psychologist at St. Vincent Sports Performance. “Most athletes stick to the basics and do what’s always worked. There’s no reason to change things at a big moment.” The Pacers departed Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon with enough clothes to last six nights. Snap a losing streak that dates to 2006 and they’re possibly headed to New York for the start of a second round series against the Knicks. If the Pacers and Knicks — who lead their respective series 3-2 — close out Atlanta and Boston Friday, Game 1 will be Sunday at Madison Square Garden. First things first, though: The Pacers must end the hex that’s been taking place in Atlanta.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: Francisco Garcia closed in so tightly, Kevin Durant might have looked down and thought he had added a new tattoo. Chandler Parsons was charging from Durant’s right, Patrick Beverley reaching from his left, Omer Asik waiting in the lane. Durant wasn’t this much the center of attention when he showed up for a flag football game during the lockout, but he did not have to look hard to find an open teammate. This was just how the Rockets wanted it. Durant still could have gotten a shot that, for him, would be a good shot, and he often did. But as those shots missed in Wednesday’s fourth quarter, all the open Oklahoma City shooters firing away in his orbit were not enough as the Rockets beat the Thunder 107-100 to force a Game 6 at Toyota Center on Friday night. The Rockets dared the Thunder to make the shots they had given them nearly as brazenly as when Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks repeatedly sent Asik to the line to test his ability to make free throws. “They don’t care about the rest of the team,” Durant lamented after the game, defining the Rockets’ defensive game plan with the same ease as his shooting motion. “When I have the ball, it’s like four guys guarding me at one time.” The Rockets — or perhaps the Thunder players sharing the court with Durant — have made Russell Westbrook look like Michael Jordan in absentia. As valuable as Westbrook has been to the Thunder’s ascent to contender status, other players’ inability to pick up the slack on the offensive end, particularly as the Rockets have grown obsessed with surrounding Durant, has made Westbrook seem irreplaceable. At times, someone might as well have removed their shoelaces.
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: (Scott) Brooks' coaching reputation is on the line as this remade Thunder-Rockets series hits the homestretch, with Game 6 Friday night at the Toyota Center and a Game 7 Sunday back in Oklahoma City should the Rockets survive. Brooks does not want to coach the first team in NBA history to lose a series after leading three games to none. Kevin McHale, a heck of a forward in his Celtic days but innocuous in 242 regular-season games as a coach, is making all the right moves in keeping his Rockets kicking. The Rockets we saw in Game 1 12 days ago is nothing like the Rockets we saw in Game 5 Wednesday night. The Thunder is changed, too, by Russell Westbrook's injury. The Thunder has won once without Westbrook and dang near won another, but there's been nothing easy about it. And it's up to Brooks to do something. … Here's what we've learned through five games of Thunder-Rockets. Playoff basketball is not like February basketball. In the postseason, teams grow to know and despise each other. Basketball savvy minds find every flaw in the opponent and try to expose it. Brooks must counter. Both in strategy and in personnel. “Everything is being considered, there's no question,” Brooks said. That's good to know.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Memphis has won the last three games of the series after falling behind 2-0. The Griz lead a postseason series for the first time since going ahead 2-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. Randolph leads Memphis in scoring (19.3 points) and rebounding (8) during the postseason. He’s averaging 25.5 points and 10 rebounds at home during the playoffs compared with 13 points and 6 rebounds on the road. Conley ranks second behind Golden State’s Stephen Curry in the NBA in assists (8.6) during the playoffs. Meanwhile, Paul will play despite a bruised left thumb. Griffin did not practice Thursday and received treatment for a high right ankle sprain. Griffin will be a game-time decision. Said Paul about Game 6: “It’s going to take a lot of fight. Playing there has been tough, but we’ve shown the ability to win there.”
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: Win or go home. It's the slogan for the NBA during the playoffs and it now applies to the Clippers. The reeling Clippers must beat the surging Memphis Grizzlieson Friday night, on the road, in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series or L.A.'s season is over. If the Clippers find a way to win — something they haven't done in the last three games after winning the first two in this best-of-seven series — Game 7 would be Sunday at Staples Center. But winning Friday seems to be a tall order for the Clippers, on several fronts. Blake Griffin said his sprained right ankle has been "fluctuating" between being painful and showing some improvement, leaving his status uncertain for Game 6. Chris Paul said his bruised left thumb is feeling better and promised, "I'll be ready" to play Friday. The Clippers have played poorly this series in Memphis, where they lost Games 3 and 4 by an average of 16.5 points. "Down 3 to 2, going into a hostile environment, you see what you're made of," Paul said after practice on Thursday. "It's what the playoffs are for and that's why we get the chance to correct things."

• Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: One cheap shot can change everything. The mojo in this NBA playoff series turned decidedly back in the favor of the Nuggets when Golden State center Andrew Bogut turned into a coward and went for the throat of Kenneth Faried. Any guise of good sportsmanship is gone. This is a brawl. Oh, it's on now. Golden State coach Mark Jackson accused the Nuggets of being "hit men." Faried countered by alleging Bogut has repeatedly hit him in the throat. Denver did more than beat Golden State 107-100 on Tuesday night to stave off an unwanted start to summer vacation. When Bogut lost his head, taking a cheap shot at Faried, it was the first sign Denver had wormed its way into the heads of the Warriors. "He just hit me, and I was shocked," Faried said. "But I was happy about it." Bogut cracked. And there is a crack in the door for the Nuggets to beat the odds, show Golden State who's boss and make an unlikely comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win the opening-round series. … Thanks to Bogut, they look like wannabe thugs. After a loss in Game 4 at Golden State, Faried was so frustrated he kicked a hole in the locker room wall. "They can bill me," Faried said. He'll be back, for Game 6, with the pressure on Golden State. This time, Faried and the Nuggets are looking to kick tail. The mind-set the Nuggets will take into this fight? "We ain't leaving here," Faried said, "until we've won."
• Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: Stephen Curry had a cold, cold look in is eyes for the last half of Game 5 on Tuesday, and he still had it in the locker room later. He looked outraged after the Warriors' 107-100 loss to Denver. He looked bruised. Really, he looked like he was plotting vengeance. And most of all, Curry looked like he wanted to play Game 6 right here, right now instead of having to wait until Thursday at Oracle Arena. … It’s not happy-fun, it's edgy NBA playoff-fun, where the longer a series goes, the more the passion and dislike boils over into something like an alley fight. And where there are on-court taunts and messages sent, including, according to Warriors sources, Nuggets players repeatedly telling Curry that he was a soft player. The Warriors still lead this series 3-2, and now they are angry, too. … Though the Warriors were clearly outplayed in this game, which denied them their first shot at clinching this series, their locker room was feeling good about the late comeback and the home game Thursday. And mostly, they were fuming about the hits Curry took from the first minutes of this game. "They tried to send hit men (at Curry)," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. The general point: The Nuggets delivered most of the hits--legal or not--and the Warriors failed because they didn't recover until the fourth quarter, when it was too late. The implied point: The Warriors are planning to hit first, second, third and 100th on Thursday.
• Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times: It's tough to win a playoff game going one on five. The Clippers gamely tried Tuesday at Staples Center, but not even the sustained brilliance of Chris Paul was enough on a night he nearly doubled the output of his fellow starters with 35 points. The Memphis Grizzlies didn't deliver a powerful jab during a 103-93 victory in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series as much as what seemed like a knockout blow, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Now that the series has started, to use that expression about the road team breaking through for a playoff victory, it's pretty much over for the Clippers. They have lost three consecutive games, and as tempting it is to use Blake Griffin's sprained ankle as an excuse or tout the Clippers' recent success at FedEx Forum, where they won twice in the playoffs last season and twice during the recently completed regular season, well, forget it. If Tuesday's no-show is any indication of the way the Clippers intend to play at a time when they need contributions from everybody, then they might as well call it a season instead of taking the flight to Memphis for Game 6 on Friday. That could be the end of the Vinny Del Negro era and these Clippers as we know them.
• Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News: Just the other day Blake Griffin was talking about how different these playoffs are compared to last year - the key being no longer having to drag an injured leg up and down the court. If Griffin didn't believe in the power of the jinx then, he might now. All it took was jumping innocently Monday during practice and then planting his right foot onto the foot of a teammate upon landing. The result being a sprained ankle so severe that if this was the regular season his absence might be measured in weeks, not hours. Not to mention a first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies that just got turned on its head. Griffin gutted it out Tuesday in Game 5, but gone was all the explosiveness that makes him one of the most gifted forwards in the game. He was limited, and it showed. And that left the Clippers stuck in first gear in a game they absolutely had to have to hold onto any sort of control of this series. … The problem is, ankle sprains don't just go away in a day or two, leaving the Clippers vulnerable the rest of the series. They have a training staff players continually praise for getting them ready to play, regardless of the situation - but they'll be put to the test between now and Friday's Game 6 to get Griffin's ankle to a point it can carry him through another game. The question is, will he be the decoy he was Tuesday or someone capable of actually contributing? And can he give them more than the three quarters he played in Game 5? Nothing less than the Clippers' season hangs in the balance.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: What took so long? The Hawks vaulted back into their first-round playoff series against the Pacers by starting a bigger lineup that resulted in convincing home victories in Games 3 and 4. The greatest of the many benefits of the move has been the matchup of Josh Smith on Paul George. It has been a clear victory for the Hawks that has the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 and headed back to Indiana for Game 5 on Wednesday night. Smith has stifled George on defense. The Pacers’ All-Star small forward averaged 25.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in Games 1 and 2. However, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in Games 3 and 4. He had only three points at halftime in Game 4 on Monday when the Hawks built what was an insurmountable lead. He has not been the facilitator he was who made the Pacers’ offense so effective in the first two games. Smith also has prevented the Pacers from getting the ball to George in favorable places on the floor. The lineup change also meant that George had to guard Smith. It’s another battle won by the Hawks.
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: It’s something nobody thought would happen at any point of the season, especially in the playoffs. Indiana Pacers power forward David West hasn’t had an impact in the series against the Atlanta Hawks. Not West, the backbone of the Pacers. Not West, the team’s most consistent player the past two seasons. Not West, the veteran savvy player who has managed to overcome his shortcomings in speed and athleticism to often end up schooling players at his position. Yes, that West. West continued to be unnoticeable Monday when the Hawks evened the series with the Pacers via their 102-91 victory at Philips Arena. … “I have to figure out a way to be more effective in this series,” West said. “I feel like I have an advantage at times, but we have to be able to catch a good rhythm in these games.” West is right: It’s time for him to get out of his funk. The Pacers need him. No offense to Paul George and the rest of the team, but they won’t win this series without West getting back to being the David West of the regular season.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: After missing the game's most important shot Monday night at Houston, a stick-back attempt from point-blank range, Ibaka whipped his head back, and then his body, and then crumpled to the court. As he remained on his backside, Ibaka put both arms over his head. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He had just cost the Thunder the closeout game at Houston. “It was tough. It was tough,” Ibaka said Tuesday, a day later. “I wanted to try to save my team, and it didn't happen. It was tough for me.” On the list of Thunder players who didn't deserve to deal with that amount of agony, Ibaka ranked a close second to Kevin Durant. … “It was my first time to be in that position, you know?” Ibaka tried to explain. He continued. “I didn't sleep last night, man.” … Ibaka insists he'll learn from it. “The good thing about it is we have one more game (Wednesday),” Ibaka said. “Like I said, for me, that was my first time to be in that position. It didn't happen, so now I know how it feels and I'm going to move on.”
• David Barron of the Houston Chronicle: Patrick Beverley has endured summers in Chicago and winters in Russia, so there isn’t much chance he’s going to get emotionally distraught over another night in Oklahoma City. And even if Beverley were prone to get his feelings hurt when people hurl abuse his way, he can consult one of the NBA’s reigning experts on the fine art of being a visiting team villain. “In the famous words of Bill Walton, if they’re cheering you in the opponent’s gym, you’re doing something wrong,” said Rockets coach Kevin McHale, a veteran of the Lakers-Celtics brouhahas of the 1980s. “I don’t think they’re cheering (Beverley), so he must be doing something right.” Wednesday night’s Game 5 will be the Rockets’ first game at Oklahoma City since the Game 2 incident in which Thunder guard Russell Westbook suffered a knee injury when he appeared to be trying to call a timeout and Beverley moved in for an attempted steal. Westbrook required season-ending surgery, and Beverley received all manner of Internet abuse from Thunder fans, including a couple of death threats from a Twitter account linked to an Oklahoma City ball boy.
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: Kevin Garnett will take the Madison Square Garden floor this evening to participate in his 1,453rd NBA game. He insists that he hasn’t considered there may not be a 1,454th. If the Celtics do not defeat the New York Knicks tonight, their season will be over — a 4-1 Eastern Conference quarterfinals exit. One of the first questions that will follow is whether Garnett’s career, too, will be at an end. But the Big Ticket doesn’t want to consider the fact he may be punching his ticket to retirement. Such thoughts can only get in the way. So when he sat his 6-foot-11 frame down at the C’s practice facility yesterday, his vision was sharply tunneled. He seems to play most every game as if it could be his last. But would this one be any different because it could be, you know, the last? “Not really. Game 7’s an all-out,” said Garnett, echoing a team theme that every game now is a Game 7, even though tonight’s is, indeed, Game 5. “That’s just what they are, the last opportunity to survive. Your mentality can’t be anything different.” … So if he did spend yesterday morning wondering what Thanksgiving on a beach would feel like, he wasn’t sharing that later. And he didn’t want to ante up for any hypothetical poker.
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: J.R. Smith will rejoin the rotation Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, and in all likelihood, the Knicks will close out the series. No N.B.A. team has come back from a 3-0 deficit, and the Celtics will probably not be the first. The Knicks have not lost a home game since March 7. The elbow, the suspension and the loss may ultimately become a footnote to an otherwise glorious season. But if the Knicks stumble in Game 5? If Tyson Chandler’s neck flares up? If Raymond Felton’s ankle turns? If Carmelo Anthony goes 10 for 35 again? Sometimes, it takes just a single sprain, one unlucky bounce or a shooting slump to turn a series around. The smart teams know this, and they act accordingly, treating each game as vital. Whether this series ends in five games, six or seven, the Knicks will have cost themselves vital recovery time — even more crucial for a team relying on so many older veterans. They need to preserve Jason Kidd’s 40-year-old legs and Kenyon Martin’s surgically repaired knees for the challenges ahead, and the expected showdown with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Let’s not call what the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies share a rivalry, because that’s a stamp reserved for rare use. But for the second consecutive season, the Clippers and Grizzlies are delivering us a serious piece of first-round entertainment that plays like something we usually see in late May. These games have been fueled by a familiar but unique grade of intensity, and with Game 5 set for Staples Center on Tuesday night, the heat in this series will be dialed up to maximum capacity.

Both last year and now, Clips-Griz has been the rare first-round series where an early bounce would be cataclysmic for both teams. Each team played championship-caliber basketball for sustained stretches during the regular season, and both have produced a single performance (Clippers Game 1, Grizzlies Game 4) as good as anything else on display in the first round.

The problem for both is that the furthest reaches of the playoff bracket generally have room for only one team of that breed. That means that in less than a week, one of these two 56-win teams will be in basketball purgatory after the most successful season in franchise history and showing glimpses of brilliance just days before elimination.

Beyond success or failure, there’s even more at stake. Chris Paul becomes a free agent on July 1. Although the probabilities of his remaining with the Clippers are very high, meeting last season’s benchmark leaves far less doubt than a playoff failure does.

On the Memphis side, it’s clear the Grizzlies’ new management is playing the long game. They’re an inquisitive group by their very nature, and it’s difficult to imagine the organization not fully exploring every opportunity this summer, even if that means losing guys who are major contributors to the team’s identity. The case for retaining the present core becomes an even tougher sell if the Grizzlies make a first-round exit for a second straight spring.

Neither coach is under contract for next season, which means the respective long-term prospects of Vinny Del Negro and Lionel Hollins are both in play, something we rarely see in a series. No matter how high the stated expectations or personal preferences, it’s hard to dismiss a coach who led a team that won a ton of basketball games and justified its playoff seeding. But it’s easy to argue for change if that team is either backsliding or stagnating.

A vulnerable Oklahoma City Thunder team -- the presumptive second-round matchup for whoever emerges from the wreckage -- compounds that intensity because both the Clippers and Grizzlies can see a navigable path to the NBA Finals.

The most competitive seven-game playoff series tend to be divided into two acts. The first four games comprise the first act. Although the Clippers and Grizzlies met 14 times in 15 months prior to this series, Act 1 served to re-establish the characters and larger themes of the series -- and the introduction of new ones.

The Grizzlies are the league’s most self-realized team. They’ve come to terms with their shortcomings, and when they’re at their best, the Grizzlies mitigate those flaws and focus on their undeniable strength. No other unit in the NBA features a frontcourt tandem that is so perfectly complementary as Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. For a team that ranked in the bottom half of the league in offensive efficiency during the regular season, man, Memphis runs some beautiful stuff when Gasol and Randolph are synchronized and using their big-man telepathy.

In Games 1 and 2 on their home court, the Clippers had relative success mucking this up. Much of that was Blake Griffin winning the battle of wits against Randolph down on the low block, but also the Clippers’ bigs applying pressure and making aggressive attempts to deny entry to Gasol and Randolph.

In Memphis, Gasol controlled the space on the floor, almost as the big man version of Chris Paul. Gasol obviously doesn’t have possession of the ball to the extent Paul does, but Gasol’s movement off the ball is just as vital to his team’s offense as Paul's movement of the ball is to the Clippers. Randolph’s work space is much smaller, but the baseline in Memphis belonged to him. Space dictates control underneath -- the angles available to Randolph when he’s fed the ball and looking to score (which he does at an efficient rate), and the room he’s afforded to gobble up misses. Armed with virtually no lethal perimeter shooting, the Grizzlies can’t succeed without executing the high-low game, Randolph isolated in the post and Gasol finding clean attempts by lifting to 20 feet against a scrambling Clippers’ defense.

The Clippers are almost mirror opposites of the Grizzlies and are a hard team to understand because they’re a study in contradiction. Critics -- and I’ve been one -- cite the team’s rudimentary offense which seems to stall at inopportune times against the league’s better defenses (Memphis is ranked No. 2 in the NBA). But as Del Negro rightly pointed out the other day, the Clippers ranked fourth in offensive efficiency this season. However much the Clippers’ half-court offense offends aesthetic sensibilities, the results bear out. Paul’s surgical work off the dribble and Griffin’s capacity to work at will on the block were the primary elements of control in Games 1 and 2.

So here we are at Act II, about 265 basketball possessions per team to culminate a season that’s seen almost 8,000. The Clippers and Grizzlies style different fashions on the court, but they both stake claim to possession control as the defining attribute to their master plans. For all the other factors that are ratcheting up the pressure in the series, that commonality -- the need to control not just tempo, but also physical and mental space -- boils the hottest.

• Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The notion struck midway through another second quarter in which the Atlanta Hawks were extracting, without Novocain and with great force, the “d” from Indiana. “The Pacers can’t guard the Hawks,” declared a correspondent watching from on high, “and the Hawks can guard the Pacers. How’d that happen?” These are the Hawks and this is the postseason, so who knows? But know this: The Hawks can win this series and if they do, it won’t be much of an upset now. Indiana, the East’s No. 3 seed, just spent two games in Philips Arena making a case for itself as the most overrated team in the history of basketball, and the unloved Hawks … well, they’ve been lovely. Yes, this best-of-seven is tied at 2, and yes, the Hawks will have to take a game in Indianapolis, where they lost twice last week by an aggregate 32 points, in order to advance, But the dynamics of this matchup have been inverted. The Pacers, with much to lose, seem capable of losing it all. The Hawks, whose modest mission this season was not to stink before the real rebuilding begins this summer, look like a team constructed by a master craftsman. … So what happens now? The Pacers are very good at home, but they’ve been handed real reason to doubt. The looks on their faces during that second quarter spoke of anger and frustration but mostly bewilderment. This series was theirs to win. They’re in peril of losing it to a team that was built to be torn down.
• Bob Kravitz of The Indianapolis Star: Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. So never mind what a certain not-so-humble (but good-looking) columnist wrote a couple of days back in this space: This Pacers-Hawks series isn’t over. It’s far from over. In fact, it’s just beginning, a best-of-three with two games in Indianapolis, after the Pacers’ 102-91 Game 4 loss to the Hawks. Mea culpa, mea culpa — which is Latin for “Man, did I get that wrong.” It still says here the Pacers win this series in six games — at some point I’m bound to be right about something — but it’s easy to lose the faith while watching the way they’ve regressed to the disconnected, defenseless style of play that marked the final week and a half of the regular season. What’s happened to this group? This was the league’s second-best defensive team in terms of points allowed. This was the league’s top defensive team in terms of field goal percentage allowed and three-point field goal percentage allowed. But they’re getting absolutely skewered by the Atlanta Hawks, who are making plays and leaving the Pacers players with hands on hips, shooting each other empty, angry glances. … Raise the red flags. Sound the alarm bells. This series, which never should have become a series, has left the Pacers with almost no margin of error. Color me fooled. And chastened.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: Finally, the ball did not bounce 12 feet in the air and stab the Rockets in the heart. Kevin Durant did not get the last shot. The Rockets held on. After consecutive games in which the Rockets did everything but close out a win, they held their breath as a pair of last-chance Oklahoma City shots came up short. When Reggie Jackson’s runner and Serge Ibaka putback missed, the Rockets escaped 105-103 on Monday night, sending the first-round series back to Oklahoma City with the Thunder leading 3-1 but giving the Rockets their first playoff win since 2009. “We know we can play with these guys,” said Chandler Parsons, who led the Rockets with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. “We know we can beat these guys. We were in the same situation the last two games. No way we were going to give it up.” They had clearly earned it, coming back from a 13-point deficit and making just enough stops with the game on the line to extend their season to Game 5 on Wednesday night. “Great win by us,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “It was a gutsy win. I told our guys before the game, ‘One thing about our team, we’re not going to lay down.’ They fought all year long. We had different lineups. We’ve had different kinds of stuff happen. The one constant has been their willingness to go out and scrap and fight. I said, ‘There’s no way we’re going to lay an egg tonight.’ We went out and we fought hard.”
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: The frenzied finish resulted in a 105-103 loss for the Thunder, which failed in its quest to sweep this best-of-7 opening-round playoff series. Leading 3-1, OKC will try to close out the series in Game 5 at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The best news arrived roughly 90 minutes later when the Thunder boarded its charter and returned home after four draining days away from home. The team left OKC on Friday afternoon just hours after learning three-time All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out indefinitely with a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. The following morning came news that Westbrook would be lost for the entire postseason after having surgery in Vail, Colo. Later that night was Game 3, the first contest in Thunder history with no Westbrook on the court. OKC jumped out to a 26-point lead and managed to hang on for a 104-101 victory. A collective sigh of relief was visible from Thunder players, even from veteran power forward Nick Collison, who admitted it had been an emotional 48 hours.
• Tim Smith of the New York Daily News: Ten days ago the Nets defended their home court at Barclays Center and opened their first-round series against the Bulls with a victory so resounding it seemed they were launching into a run that would carry them deep into the postseason. On Monday night, the Nets returned home having lost three straight games, including a triple-OT fiasco that followed an epic fourth-quarter collapse in Game 4. Gone was the ebullient spirit of that inaugural playoff game at Barclays Center, replaced by an atmosphere of desperation and disappointment as the Nets, in a 3-1 hole , stared down elimination. Only eight teams have rallied from that same deficit, but the Nets were 5-0 in Game 5 elimination games. There was hope. Brooklyn stoked that ember of hope and beat the Bulls at their own game, staving off elimination with a 110-91 victory . Now they head back to Chicago to face another elimination game on Thursday. “Our backs are against the wall right now,” said forward Gerald Wallace. “We’re in fighting spirit. We’re a fighting team and we’re not ready to go home. We feel like we’re better than this team. We feel like we’re good enough and a better team and we can come back and win three in a row just like they did.”
• Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune: The Bulls needed Kirk Hinrich for all 59 minutes he played in a Game 4 triple-overtime win. Monday night in Game 5, they had to figure out how to proceed without him. The simple solution, with Hinrich sidelined by a bruised left calf, was a heavy dose of Nate Robinson, who was coming off his 34-point explosion in Game 4. The offensive-minded Robinson, however, is light years behind Hinrich in terms of defensive ability. Rookie Marquis Teague and Marco Belinelli spelled Robinson for brief stints, but Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau relied heavily on his diminutive point guard, playing him 43-plus minutes. As Hinrich watched from a row behind the bench, Robinson played with his typical high energy but failed to match his Game 4 output. He looked for his teammates more than his own shots for a good portion of the game and seemed to run out of steam in the end. He scored a team-high 20 points and had eight assists in the Bulls' 110-91 loss to the Nets. Robinson went 1-for-5 from 3-point range and committed three turnovers. His most costly miscue came with two minutes left in regulation. Robinson picked up his dribble against Deron Williams and tried to force a pass to Luol Deng. Nets forward Gerald Wallace stepped into the passing lane and broke free for the game-clinching dunk. "Had a crucial turnover down the stretch that really hurt us,'' Robinson said. "I take the blame for that, and that's something I have to do better."
• Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: Faces crinkled and shoulders shrugged in befuddlement. The question: What now? The Nuggets, down 3-1 to Golden State in their opening round playoff series, have had few defensive answers to the Warriors' offensive onslaught. What to do? It is suddenly a tough question. "Uh ... I don't know," Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. "I really don't." Nuggets guard Andre Miller: "That's the coaches' decision to figure out the adjustments, who is guarding who, certain things like that. It's a pride thing, and I think the coaches will figure out a way to adjust to things." Nuggets guard Ty Lawson: "Man ... whatever the coaches come up with." The problem is, most everything the Nuggets have tried on defense in this series hasn't worked after Golden State's all-star forward, David Lee, went down with an injury in Game 1. Warriors coach Mark Jackson then went with a small, three-guard lineup that has given the Nuggets fits. Lee's absence has turned the Warriors from a conventional team to a wild card, from having a dual low-post game to running a spread — four shooters on the perimeter, each with the ability to create a shot for their teammates. As a result, the Nuggets' defense been stretched thin and distorted beyond recognition.
• Carl Steward of The Oakland Tribune: In 438 best-of-seven playoff series throughout NBA history, only eight teams have rallied from 3-1 deficits to win. But coach Mark Jackson is having nothing with the odds that favor the Warriors to advance as they head into Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday. "We expect to see a tough Denver Nuggets team that's fighting for its playoff life, that's prepared and ready to keep the series going," Jackson said Monday. "The most difficult game is the close-out game. I've got a young team, and if we keep doing what we're doing, we'll put ourselves in position to move on. But it's a tough task, because this is a very good Nuggets team." The last team to complete a comeback from being down 3-1 was the 2006 Phoenix Suns. Kobe Bryant led the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers to the 3-1 advantage, but Phoenix won three games fairly handily to salvage the series. In 2003, the Orlando Magic got up 3-1 on top-seeded Detroit, but the Pistons rallied after the Magic's Tracy McGrady pronounced that it felt good to get out of the first round. The Warriors are making no such pronouncements. … Another number that doesn't favor the Nuggets: In seven of his eight seasons as Denver's coach, George Karl has failed to get out of the first round, three of those times with home-court advantage in the series.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Lionel Hollins went with a trust factor over gut feeling. Who can I trust? That’s the question Hollins and Los Angeles Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro will ask themselves over and over again Tuesday night during a pivotal Game 5 of their Western Conference playoff series in Staples Center. Game 5 winners have gone on to win playoff series 83 percent of the time. So it’s no wonder that rotations shorten and coaches lean on a select group they deem old reliable in a long playoff series. “We’re trying to play the people who are producing and not have huge gaps or lulls,” Hollins said. “I’ve been trying to piecemeal rotations and keep our (starters) fresh. Everybody that got in (the rotation) during the regular season isn’t getting to trot out there. It’s just the way it is.” The series is knotted at 2-2 but the coaches couldn’t be further apart in philosophy. Hollins hasn’t dug deep into his bench and even regular-season super sub Bayless disappeared over the past three games. Conversely, Del Negro relied on most of his roster. He’s played all but two healthy players in the series.
• Phil Collin of the Los Angeles Daily News: They've bludgeoned each other for four games and they will for at least two more. But the more the Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies have at each other, the less pure basketball tactics will make a difference. In tonight's Game 5 of the best-of-7 Western Conference playoff series, mind over matter figures to trump anything out of a playbook in the Staples Center clash. "The biggest thing is a sense of urgency is going to be the key," Clippers guard Chauncey Billups said. "They played desperate basketball, now it's our turn. We have to make a few adjustments, but it's our turn now to play with a sense of urgency." The first-round series has been a classic case of NBA playoffs through the years. The teams are seeded fourth and fifth, and the team playing at home has been the aggressor and the victor. It's no surprise the series stands at 2-2, especially after they went the full seven a year ago. How close are these teams? To a man, they'll point out the one physical matchup that has illustrated the direction of this series, and it's rebounding. Win the rebound battle, win the game. And a closer look at the four games shows the margin of rebounding is eerily close to the margin of the final score.
• Jerry Brewer of The Seattle Times: As I've written before, this was the best time for the NBA to return, and now that Seattle feels left at the altar, old wounds have reopened, and old bitterness has resurfaced. With no expansion on the table, there is no clear path to acquire a team, and while the deal to build a $490 million Sodo arena could stay together for up to five years, can the fan base really stand to go through another relocation tug of war with an incumbent NBA city? It's impossible to trust that a victory is possible until Stern retires. Count the days until Feb. 1, 2014. Maybe then, when Adam Silver takes over as commissioner, the game will have clear rules. Hansen tried to win the right way. He tried to do it with transparency; no buying the Kings and pretending to want to stay in Sacramento. He tried to do it with record-setting money and a polished business plan. But the NBA is a liar's game, full of hypocrites, improper alliances, a lack of financial creativity and a commissioner who is more powerful than the owners he represents. Stern revises the rules according to his whims. It seems Seattle was destined to lose in this ever-changing game. We're back in a familiar place with that spirit-crushing league. Abandoned. Again.
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: "Justice prevailed," said Jerry Reynolds, who has been with the Kings since their inaugural 1985-86 season in Sacramento. "This is the right decision. Seattle is a great city that deserves an NBA franchise. And at some point, they'll have one." But … "But this is our team," Reynolds added forcefully, and note the high level of cooperation that was necessary to facilitate the public/private partnership for a downtown sports and entertainment complex. "Sacramento is a major-league city, and it simply has to have a major-league sports team to grow. "When we travel around the country and see how these arenas have revitalized downtowns in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Miami, to name a few cities, I keep thinking that a downtown arena here can be just as special. And this was probably Sac's last best chance."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- As news of the injury to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook reverberated through the NBA on Friday, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies reacted to the Westbrook’s possible absence in a potential second-round series between the Thunder and the winner of the first-round series between the Clippers and Grizzlies.

“[The Thunder] are still a great team even without him, but he’s a huge part of their offense and a great player,” Clippers forward Blake Griffin said. “So it does leave them vulnerable but we can’t really look to that yet. We can’t be focused on that. We have to take care of business first of all here, then set our sights on that.”

The Thunder announced on Friday that Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The procedure has yet to be scheduled and there is currently no timetable for his return, according to Thunder team officials. Should Westbrook be sidelined for an extended period and Oklahoma City advances to the second round, he'd miss a series against either the Clippers or the Grizzlies.

Griffin, who suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while training for the Olympics last July, said the recovery time can vary player to player, depending on the severity of the injury.

“As long as you’re not repairing, you can come back pretty quickly,” Griffin said. “But you’re a step slow. It takes a little bit to get that feeling back and to get the swelling completely out and all that.”

Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince said the Thunder’s depth will keep Oklahoma City very competitive, but that injuries can have a major impact on any team’s title chances.

“They’ve got a good enough team to where they’ll still be focused,” Prince said. “No matter what five guys they have on the court, they’ll play hard regardless, so they’ll always have a chance. But obviously we know that’s a big piece to their puzzle. Everybody’s vulnerable when you lose a big piece.”

Prince referenced the near-perfect health enjoyed by the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 championship team for whom he played all 82 games, and the Pistons' 2008 team with a hobbled Chauncey Billups that lost the conference finals to the Boston Celtics.

Clippers guard Jamal Crawford offered compassion for Westbrook while also acknowledging that the injury has implications in the competitive Western Conference bracket.

“As a competitor, you know you’re only a play away from being hurt, so you never want to see that happen,” Crawford said. “[Westbrook] is one of the best players in the league, so it makes this more interesting. That’s for sure.”

Like Crawford, many players on the Clippers and Grizzlies expressed their sympathy for Westbrook, who’s never missed a game during his five season in the NBA. Clippers guard Chris Paul said he spoke to Westbrook on the phone on Friday morning after news of Westbrook’s torn meniscus became public.

“[Westbrook] is a really good friend of mine, and I actually talked to him before we came to practice this morning,” Paul said. “I told him I feel for him, and praying for him, and I hope he’s back soon.”

Paul rejected the notion that Westbrook’s injury will have any impact on the Clippers’ current series with the Grizzlies, which the Clippers lead 2-1.

“It doesn’t do anything for our series,” Paul said.

Clippers veteran guard Billups agreed with Paul. He sternly insisted the injury has absolutely no bearing on the Clippers’ first-round matchup with the Grizzlies. He interrupted a question about the ramifications of Westbrook’s absence to drive home the point.

“It’s got nothing to do with this series,” Billups said. “I hope he gets healthy, but it has nothing to do with this series.”

Westbrook’s injury occurred when Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley lunged at the ball in search of a steal as Westbrook dribbled the ball to the sideline to call a time-out. Upon contact with Beverley, Westbrook fell to the floor, then rose, hopping to the bench in pain.

“That’s a freakish accident, that play,” Prince said. “I’m pretty sure the Oklahoma City fans will be pretty pissed off at Beverly.”