- Here's some more footage of the end of that Cleveland/Philadelphia game. I actually think it was a decent call, and I'm rooting for Philadelphia in that one. I would have slightly preferred a non-call, however. Here's why: watch Samuel Dalambert on that play. He's airborne, and takes a bunch of contact from LeBron James. That contact sends him a little towards Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who makes real deal contact (in some places, they call it a shove) before Dalambert even gains his balance. Dalambert stumbles across the lane as a result, and runs smack into Devin Brown, who happens to be attempting the game-winner. Seems a little unfair. But on the other hand, the kind of contact he made with Brown? They should and often do call that. Noboby wants an NBA where you can do that to stop a game-winning shot.
- Tonight on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: "As Sen. Barack Obama continues his campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, his every move is scrutinized in detail. To truly understand this rising political star, however, it's essential to understand the importance of basketball in shaping his identity. From Obama's childhood, to his high-school years on the Punahou School basketball team in Honolulu, to the pickup games he's played at every stage of his life since then, the sport has helped forge many of the important connections in his life today. REAL SPORTS host Bryant Gumbel sits down with the lifelong hoops lover, providing a rare look at this side of Obama's personality in a feature that includes footage of the presidential hopeful in action on the court."
- Martell Webster is sidelined as doctors try to figure out what's going on with his heart, which has been irregular. Webster tells Joe Freeman of the Oregonian: "It was a little scary at first. But then I was like, 'I've been blessed, man. And if they tell me I can't play again, it's going to be sad, but I can understand that. At least I'm still alive.' Like I said, a lot of people strive their whole life to try to get to (the NBA) and don't make it. I've been blessed to be here three years, so I don't take it for granted."
- DeShawn Stevenson is bringing a lot of character to practice, as told by Dan Steinberg on the DC Sports Bog: "'You know, sometimes practice can get dry,' Brendan Haywood told me last week. 'Seventy-seven, 80 games in, sometimes it gets dry. He tries to come in spice it up, be somebody different every day, come in talking a little junk. He was Mutumbo one day, he was Rasheed Wallace one day. No telling who he'll be the next day.' Wait, DeShawn Stevenson attended Wizards practice dressed like Rasheed Wallace? In what way, exactly? 'Had a headband on, cussing, acting wild,' Stevenson explained. 'I played the whole time like that in practice.'"
- The Blazers have waived Darius Miles, and his salary comes off their books, making the Blazers major players in the free agent market in years to come. HOWEVER: If Miles plays ten games for an NBA team at any point in the next two years, his salary goes right back on Portland's books. This is one of the strangest provisions of all time. Let's say, hypothetically, the Blazers are neck-and-neck with the Jazz near the end of next season, and the two teams project to be rivals for years to come. The Jazz, as I understand it, would have the ability to keep Portland from a nice off-season free agent merely by signing Miles to a couple of ten-day contracts. And for what it's worth, I have never seen Miles say anywhere that he thinks he's done.
- Below is an amazing document that every NBA beat writer wishes they had. TrueHoop reader Victor Rivera-Nieves figured out every different playoff scenario, and how it could happen. Take a look. This is a lot of work for a document with a shelf life of one day. That's love.
If NO loses last 2 games, Utah beats SA, HOU beats LAC, and PHO beats POR, all 5 teams would finish with 55-27. The Standings would be determined by the winning percentage against all the teams involved in the tie. In this case, the standings would be:
1. LA: (57-25 or 56-26)
2. UTA: 55-27 (10-4) .714
3. NO: 55-27 (9-7) .562
4. HOU: 55-27 (7-8) .466
5. PHO: 55-27 (6-9) .400
6. SA: 55-27 (6-10) .375
7. DAL: 51-31
8. DEN: (50-32 or 49-33)
LA: (Guaranteed Top-2 Seed)
1st if 57-25 or 56-26 if NO loses 1 game. (Play DEN or DAL)
2nd if 56-26 and NO wins both games. (Play DAL or DEN)
NO: (Guaranteed Top-3 Seed)
1st if 57-25 and LA loses. (Play DEN or DAL)
2nd if 56-26 even if SA wins last game. (h2h: T, Div: T, Conf: T, APTWC: NO 16-11 or 15-12 to SA 14-13) (Play DAL or DEN)
3rd if 55-27 and SA finishes 56-26 (Play PHO or HOU)
3rd if 55-27 if SA also finishes 55-27 (See Biggest Tie) (Play SA, HOU or PHO)
3rd if tied with HOU at 55-27, and SA beats UTA and PHO loses to POR (h2h:T, Div: NO) (Play PHO)
3rd if tied with PHO at 55-27, and SA beats UTA and HOU loses to LAC (h2h:NO) (Play HOU)
3rd in any other 3-or-more-team tie with 55-27
UTA:
2nd if Biggest Tie (Play DAL)
3rd if 55-27 and NO wins at least 1, and PHO and HOU win (Play SA)
3rd if 55-27 and NO wins at least 1, and PHO and HOU lose (Play PHO)
3rd if 55-27 and NO wins at least 1, and PHO wins and HOU loses (Play HOU)
3rd if 55-27 and NO wins at least 1, and HOU wins and PHO loses (Play PHO)
4th if 54-28 (Plays PHO or HOU)
SA:
2nd if 56-26 and NO loses both games (Play DAL or DEN)
3rd if 56-26 and NO wins at least 1 game (Play PHO or HOU)
4th if 55-27, since UTA would also be 55-27, but only if NO ends up 55-27 and both HOU and PHO lose (Play HOU)
5th if same as above, but HOU or PHO also go 55-27 (Play HOU or PHO)
6th if same as above, and both HOU and PHO go 55-27 (See Biggest Tie) (Play NO)
6th if 55-27 and NO wins at least one, and PHO and HOU win (Play UTA)
HOU:
4th if 55-27 and Biggest Tie Happens (Play PHO)
4th if 55-27 and NO wins at least one and UTA beats SA (Play PHO)
4th if 55-27 and NO loses both, UTA beats SA, and PHO loses (Play PHO)
5th if 55-27 and NO wins at least one and SA beats UTA (Play UTA)
5th if 55-27 and NO loses both and SA beats UTA (Play UTA)
5th if 54-28 and PHO loses (h2h: HOU) (Play UTA or SA)
6th if 54-28 and PHO wins and NO loses both and SA beats UTA (Play NO)
PHO:
4th if 55-27 and HOU loses and UTA, NO and SA also finish 55-27 (Play against SA)
4th if 55-27 and UTA beats SA and HOU loses (Play against SA)
5th if 55-27 and UTA beats SA and HOU wins (Play against HOU)
5th if Biggest Tie (Play against HOU)
5th if 55-27 and SA beats UTA and HOU loses, and NO wins at least 1 (Play Utah)
5th if 55-27 and SA beats UTA and HOU loses and NO loses both (Play Utah)
6th if 55-27 and SA beats UTA and HOU wins (Play against SA or NO)
DAL:
7th if wins 1 game or DEN loses 1 game (Play NO or LA)
8th if loses 1 game and DEN wins 1 game (Play LA or NO)
DEN:
7th if wins 1 game and DAL loses 1 game (Play NO or LA)
8th if loses 1 game or DAL wins 1 game (Play LA or NO)
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