- Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: "If Antonio McDyess hadn’t done what he did, with a game the next night in Sacramento, would the Spurs continue to feel so blessed? Games in February don’t often matter, which is what the Lakers keep telling themselves. A long regular season comes with dips, and the Lakers have time to find what they are missing. They slumped at the end of last season, after all, before winning a second consecutive championship. The Spurs know firsthand how this works. Even in their best years they were often stuck in midseason as the Lakers are -- wondering what they had and whether a trade would fix anything. So when Popovich said before Thursday’s game that the Lakers are the best in the Western Conference, he was not being generous. The Lakers might be, and losing at the last second doesn’t mean they aren’t. Still, winning at the last second has an effect on the Spurs. They had fallen badly in the fourth quarter in Portland, and losing a tight game in Los Angeles would have dragged into Friday night in Sacramento. The Kings have been playing well, with wins against the Lakers and Hornets before losing a close one to Boston, and they haven’t played since Tuesday. Losing three in a row to start the Rodeo Road Trip would have been a real possibility."
- Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: "The Lakers were supposed to be celebrating but weren't, so Pau Gasol stared in sadness at Lamar Odom. 'Box out,' Gasol said, pleading more than lecturing, anguish in his eyes and frustration in his flexed hands in front of him. Kobe Bryant was already walking away from them both, his hands balled up into brief fists while San Antonio's Richard Jefferson jumped up and down next to Bryant in jubilation. For his winning tip-in, Antonio McDyess wound up in Jefferson's backward bear hug and surrounded by smiling Spurs teammates, and somewhere in Staples Center the guy who hits the button to send victorious streamers sailing down from the rafters the moment the game ends was feeling pretty proud of himself for holding off till the last 10th of a second had expired. Then again, the Lakers have failed so many times at home this season that the guy probably had been thinking the Spurs would score and win anyway. The Lakers on Thursday night could've really used streamer show to remember. Instead, it could be heard from various corners of Lakerland afterward: 'That one hurt.' That's because this has been a season bereft of that happiness -- which shines through brightest in close victories. ... One of Jackson's favorite sayings is: 'Things turn on a trifle.' If Odom boxes out McDyess, the Lakers get some feel-good mojo going - and maybe it's the start of more. But the Lakers' season didn't turn on the final trifle Thursday night. So it just keeps on going and going ... toward gone."
- Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: "If opponents of the Heat have learned anything this season, it’s you don’t make fun, poke fun or punk LeBron James. Dwight Howard did just that Thursday night. Apparently, he didn’t understand the consequences. Howard publicly mocked James before the game, adding another layer of intrigue to
the growing disdain between the Sunshine State’s two NBA franchises. Howard performed James’ pregame powder ritual, only without the powder. Howard has done it several times since last season. The Magic’s center also pretended to pose for pictures with his teammates, similar to James’ pregame antics while with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James wasn’t amused and set the mark for scoring in the NBA this season with 51 points. 'Just playing this team got me going,' James said. 'We understand that this wasn’t just any regular game. There was a lot of things said about us in the offseason that came from this organization, so we just wanted to come in here and play to our abilities and make a statement.' James began the high-water mark game at a record clip, making his first 11 attempts in Heat’s 104-100 victory at Amway Center. James added 11 rebounds and eight assists to his remarkable shooting night. He made 17 of 25 shots, including 3 of 5 from three-point range." - Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "They don't get it. They just don't get it. The Orlando Magic actually say the Miami Heat are not their chief rivals. And vice versa. 'I think we have more of a rivalry with Boston,' Magic star Dwight Howard said. 'If I had to pinpoint one (main rival), I'd have to say the Knicks,' Heat star Dwyane Wade said. LeBron James, who sat a few yards away and heard my question to D-Wade, chimed in uninvited. 'We don't have a rival,' LeBron said before pouring in an NBA season-high 51 points and leading the Heat to a 104-100 victory over the Magic. You can almost understand LeBron's statement. He said the Heat don't have a rival, but what he probably meant was the entire league is the Heat's rival. But the Magic? I don't understand their "just another game" attitude about the Heat. I hate this mentality and believe it is why so many of these palatial NBA arenas are about as loud and raucous as Aunt Millie's weekly Canasta Club gathering: NBA players and coaches should be trying to cultivate regular-season rivalries; not discouraging them. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy once again reiterated his stance that Thursday night's matchup with the Heat was just 'one of 82 games.' What a crock of coachspeak. Can you imagine if Duke's Mike Krzyzewski were to say the game with North Carolina is just 'one of 32.' Or if Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher were to say a game against the Gators is just 'one of 12.' Or if Red Sox manager Terry Francona were to say the series against the Yankees is just 'one of 43.' It's preposterous for the Heat and Magic to try to downplay this rivalry. If it's not a rivalry then why did Howard do a mocking rendition of LeBron's pre-game powder-throwing ritual beforehand? And why did LeBron respond by hitting his first 11 shots? Of course it's a rivalry."
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Kevin Love said he learned after Wednesday's home loss to Memphis that he probably wouldn't be included when the East and West reserves were announced during TNT's Thursday night NBA coverage. 'I truly and firmly believe in my heart that, solely on play alone, I should have been in there,' he said. Coaches considered other factors -- namely winning -- when they cast their ballots for players in their own conferences, and this year Western Conference coaches chose, among others, San Antonio's Tim Duncan, the Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol and Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin. They did so despite Love's historic individual statistics that Wolves coach Kurt Rambis has called 'ridiculous' and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant termed 'video-game numbers.' ... 'When it comes down to it, the 11 with the 36 or 37 behind it, that kind of killed me,' Love said. 'We know why I didn't make it ... I know winning plays a big factor. I didn't want to be too upset. I'm not too bitter about it.' Now he waits for NBA Commissioner David Stern to decide who will replace injured Houston center Yao Ming, who was voted the West's starting center by fans. Love's last chance to play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 20 in L.A. depends upon Stern's decision. The NBA said Thursday there's no definitive timetable for Stern to make that decision. ... On TNT, Barkley called the decision to exclude Love 'a travesty' and said he was 'so mad right now' he wasn't sure if he could finish the show. Love said his phone and Twitter account were 'blowing up' Thursday night with messages from friends, family and fans."
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "Zach Randolph admits that he looked forward to another All-Star berth, but he clearly hasn't lost sight of what would be a bigger hit for the Grizzlies: He's looking to connect the Grizzlies to the postseason for the first time in five seasons. 'I'm a big part of this team, and I take a lot of responsibility for making the playoffs,' Randolph said. 'I want to carry these guys on my back and give the best I can every night. But there are a lot of great young players around me. It's all of our responsibility.' However, Randolph must lead the way if the Griz are going to satisfy team owner Michael Heisley's playoff guarantee. Randolph has shattered more than 16 franchise records and was close to becoming the first player in franchise history to earn multiple All-Star appearances while averaging 20 points and 13.2 rebounds this season. Griz coach Lionel Hollins said Randolph's game is emblematic of what it'll take to play games beyond April 13, the last game of the regular season. Consider this: The Griz lead the NBA in points in the paint and rank third among teams with winning records with 11.8 offensive rebounds per game. 'That's all directly attributed to Zach's game,' Hollins said."
- Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: "Here’s one way of looking at the Bulls’ all-star snub: If the 2011 NBA All-Star Game includes four players from the Celtics, three from the Heat and two each from the Spurs, Lakers, Thunder and Hawks, then Derrick Rose must be the league’s most valuable player. As of Thursday morning, the Bulls (34-14) were tied with Miami for the league’s third-best record. Only San Antonio and Boston are better. The Bulls have a nice team, obviously, but when it comes to star power Rose is basically doing the work of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined. At least, that’s how the Eastern Conference coaches voted."
- Mike Tokito of The Oregonian: "I was told by a coach that in previous years, the league kept the coaches' ballot hemmed in by positions for five spots, but there was clearly some leeway this season as none of the West reserves is really a center -- or at least was listed as a center in the fan ballot. But either Duncan or Gasol -- both of whom play plenty of center -- was allowed to be voted in as a center. There is at least one more chance for West hopefuls as Yao is out for the season, so commissioner David Stern will have to name a replacement. An NBA spokesman said Thursday there was no timetable for the decision. There's a lot of speculation that he might lean toward Minnesota's Kevin Love or the Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge as they could pass as centers, but in the past, Stern hasn't necessarily replaced an injured player with one who plays the same position. Last season, for example, when the Blazers' Brandon Roy could not play, Stern tabbed Clippers' center Chris Kaman for the team. Indeed, Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski -- who was the first to report the reserves -- said on Twitter that Phoenix's Steve Nash is a 'strong favorite' to be Stern's choice."
- Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "Anger over Aldridge's omission surfaced in Portland almost immediately at the Trail Blazers' practice but not from the snubbed player. It was from Griffin's nemesis, Andre Miller. A former Clipper, Miller, who was suspended for a game after smashing into Blake Griffin, declared that the young guys were getting too much respect in the NBA. 'They are putting this guy on every ESPN highlight,' he said to the Oregonian. 'Yeah, it's cool because fans want to see that, but you isolate him from his team. Especially ... he ain't made nobody better. It's basically his rookie year, as an All-Star? LeBron James didn't make an All-Star team as a rookie.' Miller added that he wasn't 'a hater.' Good of him to clarify that point."
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "Perhaps nowhere has Derrick Rose's growth been more evident in this ascendant season than in his ability to read what the game -- and his teammates -- needs and then delivering as on target as his pass to Deng. Time to score? Check. Time to pass? Done. With 13, Rose already has surpassed his double-digit assist games from his first two seasons combined. He has set his career-highs in assists with 14 and points with 39. Of most importance, he has established that unquantifiable dynamic of commanding games. He's a true point guard in a scorer's body. 'I think my floor game has improved a lot,' Rose said. 'I think me and Thibs are getting a connection where you just give me the ball. I'm used to being in that situation and I call out the plays. I just see how they're playing me. I always say just play aggressive. Playing aggressive doesn't always mean trying to shoot the ball. That's driving, making somebody commit to you and passing out. Luol had some great shots, open 3s. Me playing aggressive opened up everybody.' "
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "Talking on his weekly KTAR-AM show, Suns coach Alvin Gentry said he lost respect for Boston star Kevin Garnett because of his actions in the Suns win over the Celtics last week. 'I used to be a big fan of his,' Gentry said. 'I think some of the antics he's pulled lately, you don't need to do that as a star player. I've never seen Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or even a Dwyane Wade do that. You can compete and play hard. That doesn't need to be part of it. It really doesn't. To do that to someone, you can seriously hurt him. You know the fact that, all of a sudden, Channing (Frye) comes down twice on jump shots, that's a very dangerous play. So if you're asking me, yeah, I lost a little respect for him. I love his competitive nature but there is not place for what he was doing in our game.' Garnett was ejected in the game after hitting Frye in the groin on a jump shot. Earlier in the game, Garnett slid his foot under Frye's foot as he landed on a jump shot. The Suns play the Celtics in Boston on March 1."
- Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post: "From a fan's standpoint, the ongoing negotiations between Nuggets coach George Karl and management over a contract extension have been all but lost in the ever-thickening forest of Carmelo Anthony trade talks. But it hasn't been forgotten inside the executive offices at the Pepsi Center. Karl said Thursday that negotiations between his representation and the Nuggets are progressing at a good pace. While a signing does not appear imminent, he said he's pleased with the attention that team president and governor Josh Kroenke and executive vice president/basketball operations Masai Ujiri have given the situation, considering the pressure they're under to resolve Anthony's situation. Karl, who is in the last year of his contract, smiled when asked how negotiations were going. 'OK,' he said. 'I don't think anything is drastic either way. I think it's still friendly and communicating.' This is Karl's seventh full season as coach of the Nuggets. He took over halfway through the 2004 season."
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News: "I have said this before: As much of an MVP-type season Stoudemire has had on the court, Donnie Walsh has been as much an MVP off it. There are guys in the NBA half his age who couldn't come close to doing what he has done with the Knicks. You don't just exercise the option you have on Walsh, you give him an extension right now, ensure that he finishes out his career at the Garden. You don't make him sweat, and you don't make him wait. One more thing: Only a complete idiot, about basketball and basketball New York and the Knicks and the Garden, would even think about letting him go."
- Mike Wise of The Washington Post: "On Friday night, sometime during the first quarter, Gilbert Arenas will mosey up to the scorer's table and perhaps look toward Verizon Center's rafters, where the jerseys of Wes, The Big E, the Pearl and Gus Johnson hang. When the whistle blows and the Orlando Magic's backup point guard checks into the game, will you boo the irresponsible multimillionaire who embarrassed the franchise and its fan base by bringing guns to work 14 months ago? Or will you respectfully cheer one of the most dedicated athletes this city has ever seen, a guy who drove to the gym in the middle of the night because he still had that nobody-wants-me chip on his shoulder -- left over from being told he would never play a minute at Arizona, left over from sleeping in a Mazda hatchback before his father found a job to support himself and his 7-year-old son? Will you remember what was or regret what might have been? 'You know, some people just can't forgive,' Arenas said Thursday. 'And that's just the way life is. You know, I can't forgive some things, either. At some point I hope they can forgive me as a person.' ... Will you remember what was? Or what might have been? When he checks into the game Friday night, will you think what could still be if Gilbert Arenas ever realizes that he made it, that he's not an underdog any more, that he has no reason to keep himself down and every reason to stop fighting himself?"
- Terry Foster of The Detroit News: "Tayshaun Prince can see things slipping away as the Pistons sink further into the NBA draft lottery. At 17-32, the Pistons look to rebound tonight against a Nets team most players feel they should beat. But ... 'What can you do from this point? I don't know, but obviously we need to figure it out quickly,' Prince said of the Pistons' position, having lost four straight to drop five games behind Charlotte in the loss column for the final playoff spot in the East. 'This is a wasted season because of the talent that's in this room, what this team is capable of doing, and we are not getting it done.' Prince has played nine seasons, and has seen it all, from being on top with an NBA title in hand and now, near the bottom. But this season, more than any, is confusing. Prince has seen teammate Richard Hamilton benched -- a move he disagrees with -- and is on pace to lose more games than at any point of his career. 'We have to find a way to figure this thing out,' he said."
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer: "The pressure of trying to end the misery was at the forefront of Ramon Sessions' mind at the end of the game against the Pacers, the point guard admitted Thursday. Nerves kicked in. He was rattled. His drive to the basket with 11.9 seconds left ended with a whipped pass to J.J. Hickson that bounced off the center's hands and became a turnover. 'That's when the streak comes into play,' Sessions said. 'We know we've lost 25 or something. We know it's tough, so we're trying to break that ice and get a win.' And that's precisely what Sessions and his teammates should not have been thinking, said Charlie Maher, a sports psychologist who has counseled athletes for 25 years and worked with Cleveland pro teams. When trying to end a streak, the best course of action is to live in the present. Don't think of the past, with the very long list of losses. Don't think of the future and what might happen to finally, finally, finally secure a victory and find relief. Think only of the next play. The next defensive stop. That's it. 'When you're going through a stretch with a lot of losses, it's not that easy,' Maher said. 'The pressures, the opinions. ... It's easy to get out of the moment and get into the future. You start to beat yourself up, and your body tenses up, your mind starts to deal with things you don't have control over.' It's important to stick to the same routine you've always had, Maher said."
TRUEHOOP CONTRIBUTORS
 Henry AbbottTrueHoop | ESPN @TrueHoop |
J.A. AdandeTrueHoop | ESPN @jadande |
Kevin ArnovitzTrueHoop | ESPN @kevinarnovitz |
Chris BroussardTrueHoop | ESPN @Chris_Broussard |
Amin ElhassanTrueHoop | ESPN @AminESPN |
Chad FordTrueHoop | ESPN @chadfordinsider |
Israel GutierrezTrueHoop | ESPN @IzzyESPN |
Tom HaberstrohTrueHoop | ESPN @tomhaberstroh |
Marc SteinTrueHoop | ESPN @ESPNSteinLine |
David ThorpeTrueHoop | ESPN @coachthorpe |
Jade HoyeTrueHoop TV @truehooptv |
HoopIdeaTrueHoop @HoopIdea |
You must be signed in to post a comment