Rose, Bulls plan to pick up the aggression in Game 2

NBA MVP Derrick Rose failed to get to the free-throw line during Game 1 against the Hawks.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose. With the basketball. In the paint.

Anyone searching for a "Clue" as to what the Chicago Bulls plan to do differently in Game 2 Wednesday night to claw back into their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks can start right there. As far as the Bulls are concerned, this mystery ends here.

Besides, a fellow named Rose ought to fit right in among Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White and the other usual suspects.

In their Game 1 defeat Monday -- only the sixth setback in 45 games this season at United Center -- the Bulls fell behind 9-0. They watched or let Atlanta players pounce on early rebounds and loose balls. Rose seemed unusually passive by his MVP standards, launching four shots from 17-25 feet on his way to an 0-for-7 first quarter (we'll cut him slack on shot selection on the 61-footer with 0.1 seconds left).

Rose, in fact, did not get to the foul line -- a 19-of-21 weapon in Chicago's playoff opener vs. Indiana -- at all against Atlanta. You'd think he would want to do that just for the Bulls fans, to give them chances to belt out that "M-V-P!" chant they love so.

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau saw it and acknowledged that Rose "settled" at times, despite his paper mismatch with backup Hawks guard Jeff Teague, thrust into starter's responsibilities by Kirk Hinrich's absence (strained hamstring). Now, there have been times when Rose has deliberately paced himself early in games, looking to involve teammates the way Kobe Bryant or LeBron James does. There have been nights, too, when Thibodeau has imposed an agenda, generally to kick-start Carlos Boozer by forcing the ball to the low-post power forward.

But this was neither. This was the second round of the playoffs, the first such opportunity for Rose, Joakim Noah and most of the other players and coaches in these roles, with this team. Flat and edgeless should not have been an option. "You don't need a motivational speech to get up for games like this," forward Luol Deng said.

They won't need one this time, anyway. Or so they have vowed.

"Be aggressive," Rose fired back when asked after his MVP acceptance and photo ops Tuesday to cite his team's single biggest fix for Game 2. "I think if we can be aggressive on both ends, especially defensively, we can get them off their game. So I think you'll see us getting to those loose balls we didn't get to in the first game. And us rebounding the ball and playing aggressive on both sides."

That was part of the failure, too, offering up a defensive performance that seemed to come from lotteryland rather than a No. 1 seed built on stops. Atlanta shot 59.1 percent in the first quarter of Game 1, 51.3 percent overall. Joe Johnson (34 points) and particularly Jamal Crawford (22 off the bench) did not draw the help from extra defenders that Chicago usually sends by instinct at this point.

"Every aspect of our defense has to be better," Thibodeau said. "It starts with the intensity."

Credit Atlanta and coach Larry Drew for taking what the Bulls gave them and then forcing matters later. That early spurt for a lead that lasted past halftime was nice, but the Hawks were most impressive later. After Chicago caught and passed them in the third quarter for a 66-60 lead, Johnson fired back for eight points to get Atlanta up again, 72-71, heading into the fourth.

Then came a 12-4 spurt, with Drew tapping energy guy Zaza Pachulia, to push Chicago down further. Whatever the Bulls had gotten away with in their dilly-dally-beat-them-late approach to the Pacers wasn't going to work against the Hawks.

And now Chicago knows it. It will start with Rose. As far as the Bulls are concerned, the sooner he shoots his first free throw in this series, the better.

"He's so quick, athletic and strong that sometimes when he's getting hit, you think it's marginal contact, and he doesn't get the call," Thibodeau said after practice Monday. "He has to make the officials make the call."

A lead pipe, a wrench or a candlestick might come in handy for that.

Bench leads Thunder past Grizzlies to even series

Preview
Recap

Bench leads Thunder past Grizzlies to even series

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted May 04 2011 12:46AM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 26 points, James Harden led an outburst by Oklahoma City's bench with 21, and the Thunder evened their series with Memphis by beating the Grizzlies 111-102 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

After scoring just 16 points in a Game 1 loss, the Thunder's bench tripled that amount and put Oklahoma City firmly in control with an 18-6 run to start the fourth quarter.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 and his backup, Eric Maynor, added 15 for the Thunder.

Mike Conley scored 24 for Memphis, which cut a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit to six in the final minute.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Memphis.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined to make just five of 22 shots for 28 points - just over half their total from the opener. The interior tandem helped Memphis dominate the paint for 52 points in Game 1, but the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 38-34 this time by deploying frequent double-teams.

The Thunder finally shook free from Memphis with the bench's big run, featuring three 3-pointers by Maynor and seven points from Harden.

Harden hit three free throws - including one after Darrell Arthur was called for a technical for bumping him in retaliation - then turned a steal into a fast-break layup. Maynor's third 3 gave Oklahoma City its first 20-point lead at 94-74 with 7:27 remaining, and Daequan Cook followed about a minute later with another 3 to bump the lead to 21.

When Maynor and Cook finally were pulled in favor of Durant and Westbrook with just under 5 minutes left, the pair got a standing ovation.

Memphis tried to mount a comeback, though, with Conley hitting two 3-pointers and converting a three-point play. Tony Allen's two free throws got the Grizzlies as close as they'd get at 104-98 with 46 seconds left, following a 19-5 rally.

The Thunder lost starting power forward Serge Ibaka - who blocked the most shots in the NBA in the regular season - to an apparent right leg injury with 2:09 remaining in the game. He hobbled to the locker room after fouling Conley and crashing to the floor along the baseline.

Ibaka had been late out of the locker room at halftime after hurting his knee late in the first half, but rode a stationary bike in a tunnel before returning to the game in the third.

Randolph, the star of Game 1 with a playoff career-high 34 points, made only two of his 13 shots and scored 15 points. Gasol was 3 for 9 for 13 points and also hauled in 10 rebounds. Randolph had nine boards.

The Grizzlies shot 44 percent and couldn't find enough firepower to counter after the Thunder hit their first four 3-pointers in the flurry to start the fourth quarter.

Still, they're heading home with home-court advantage after an upset in the opener and will continue their quest to become the first No. 8 seed to reach the Western Conference finals.

Coach Lionel Hollins had warned Memphis at its morning shootaround to maintain focus - something he felt was lacking in a Game 2 loss at top-seeded San Antonio after the Grizzlies had won Game 1 in the first round.

Instead, the Thunder got out to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter by keeping Memphis off of the offensive glass and holding Randolph and Gasol in check. The inside tandem started Game 1 going a perfect 7 for 7, but made just one of seven attempts in the first period this time.

Westbrook had consecutive buckets and Durant hit back-to-back 3-pointers during a 15-4 run that put Oklahoma City ahead.

Memphis got back within 36-33 midway through the second quarter when Arthur made a hook shot after the Grizzlies' fourth offensive rebound on a single possession, but Durant rallied Oklahoma City to restore the lead.

He followed a fallaway 16-footer along the right baseline with a steal and a fast-break layup, punctuating it with a swinging fist pump before stepping to the line to finish his three-point play. The Thunder lead reached a dozen before Conley's 20-foot jumper in the final second made it 54-44 at halftime.

NOTES: The Grizzlies' first offensive rebound didn't come until Gasol grabbed one with 24 seconds left in the first quarter, with his team down 11. ... After the Thunder had lost at home in Game 1, Durant watched Monday night as Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers followed suit but didn't make too much of the developing trend. "I was just worried about us and how we could get better," Durant said. ... A fan, Roman Owen, hit a halfcourt shot in the break following the third quarter to win $20,000.

A late 14-0 run lifts Heat past Celtics, 102-91

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James walked toward Mario Chalmers in the final minute with a content look.

James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, Dwyane Wade added 28 & the Heat used a late 14-0 run to pull away & beat the Celtics 102-91 in Game five of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

He punched his teammate one time in the chest. Fitting, because James & the Miami Heat have now landed blows against the Boston Celtics.

"Now the mental discipline begins," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This thing is getting started."

Chris Bosh done with 17 points & 11 rebounds for Miami, which leads the best-of-seven 2-0.

"That's our staple. They know the only way for us to win games, in the playoffs, is to play defense," James said. "Everyone has each other's back. If man gets beat, another steps up. They made a run, a heck of a run \.\. but they kept grinding, kept playing our principles, & they finally wore them down."

Boston tied the game at 80 on a pair of free throws by Paul Pierce with 7:10 left. The Celtics missed their next five shots & Miami pulled away, taking command of both the game & the series - which doesn't resume in Boston until Saturday night.

Rajon Rondo played through a balky back to score twenty points & add 12 assists for Boston, which got 16 points from Kevin Garnett & 13 from Pierce. The Celtics have only rallied from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven series five times.

Jeff Green scored 11 & Delonte West added ten for the Celtics, who got only three from Ray Allen on five for 7 shooting.

This is now the ninth time Boston has dropped the first games in a best-of-seven series. In the earlier five, the Celtics prevailed only against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA finals.

Even for a franchise with such fabled history as the Celtics, an 0-2 deficit represents a colossal challenge.

& it is something this group of Celtics have never faced before, either.

The last time Boston lost the first games of a playoff matchup was in 2004, when it was swept by Los angeles. The current core of Celtics had lost Game 1s other times before this series, then bounced back to win Game five each time, against Chicago & Orlando in 2009, then Cleveland & the Lakers in 2010.

Not this time.

"Nothing they can do about it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We've got a third game & they have got to take care of that. Regardless of the past is, it is. They have won games at home. But they cannot let them play like this, or it is going to be hard at our place."

To win this series, Boston will require to prevail times in a five-game span - which it did in the first round against Miami last year, then again in the second round at the expense of James & the Cavaliers in the East semis. So it can be done, but neither James (7-0) nor Wade (5-0) has ever been part of a playoff series defeat after their clubs won the first games.

"This is a great team they are going against right now," James said. "We're trying to give ourselves a lovely chance to win, try to keep on attacking them, playing as hard as they can defensively, trying to wear them down throughout the game, but it is a great team."

The Celtics had over a chance to keep away from the 0-2 hole.

James scored 12 points in the third quarter, over he managed in the first half, to help Miami take a 72-67 cushion in to the final 12 minutes. James then added the first basket of the fourth, but Boston answered with a 13-6 run over the next three minutes to knot the game at 80.

That is when Miami's giant run began, including a three-point play where James dunked & got fouled after Joel Anthony kept an offensive rebound alive. Chalmers started it all with a 3-pointer - his only points of the night - off a pass from Wade, & Miami was on its way.

Miami's rebuttal was swift - & crucial.

Jermaine O'Neal had a chance to finish Boston's drought with three:53 left, but his dunk was partially blocked by Anthony & bounced off the rim. James hit a long jumper from the left corner 17 seconds later, pushing the Heat lead to 92-80, their largest to that point.

"Great trust," Spoelstra said.

Miami led 27-26 after the first, & giving up that lots of points likely didn't sit well with either side.

The defenses finally arrived.

Think about: Over a span of 7:21 of the second quarter, the Heat managed only five points. & that was over Boston did.

The Celtics missed 14 of 15 shots in stretch of the second, clearly out of rhythm. Pierce went to the locker room late in the first quarter to ice down his left foot, & for early stint Boston had a lineup of Green, West, Glen Davis, Von Wafer & Nenad Krstic on the floor together.

But by halftime, the offensive fireworks returned.

Green had five points in the first quarter, a team high to help Boston keep pace. Meanwhile, Miami missed three straight shots in the coursework of span of the second.

Wade jab-stepped his way around Garnett - faking him badly - for a three-point play, then used some more fancy footwork to get free of Allen for a 3-pointer & a 47-40 lead with five seconds left in the half. Rondo made a pair of free throws with 0.9 ticks remaining, after referee Greg Willard determined he was bumped at midcourt by James Jones.

"We must discover a way to finish quarters better," Rivers said.

NOTES: All-Star guard Chris Paul sat near the Heat bench, with longtime James confidant Maverick Carter. \.\. Shaquille O'Neal (calf) was out again for Boston, while the Heat said Udonis Haslem (foot) still "isn't ready" to return from November foot surgical procedure. \.\. Pierce played 33 minutes, giving him three,259 in his Celtics playoff career, passing Dennis Johnson (three,258) for seventh in franchise history. \.\. Heat guard Mike Bibby's steal with 41 seconds left in the first quarter was his 100th in 87 playoff games.

Grizzlies-Thunder Preview

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The arrival of Kendrick Perkins was expected to give the Oklahoma City Thunder the kind of inside muscle they needed to stand their ground with a number of the NBA's beefiest large men.

In the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series with Memphis, it was the Grizzlies who did the bruising.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 54 points and 23 rebounds in leading eighth-seeded Memphis to a road victory in Game one for the second straight series. The Grizzlies got 52 points in the paint, over any team but the Los Angeles Lakers have scored against Oklahoma City with Perkins in the lineup.

"They played physical, they bullied us in the first game," guard James Harden said after practice Monday. "So, the second game, we must prepare and go out there and not make excuses and win a game."

Game three is Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

The Grizzlies, who led the NBA with 51.5 points per game in the paint, averaged a whopping 59 against Oklahoma City while winning the regular-season series 3-1. The Thunder's only win came when Memphis scored 60 points inside but went 10-for-38 outside the paint, including one for 15 on 3-pointers.

Randolph has set the Grizzlies' playoff scoring record in back-to-back games, with 31 points in Game 6 against top-seeded San Antonio and then 34 - along with ten rebounds - in Game one at Oklahoma City.

"We must pack the paint," Harden said. "Pack the paint, clog it up, make them shoot outside jump shots. They lead the league in paint points, so they must cover that up."

"I think Zach showed you how much they can do in the event that they don't double-team him," teammate Darrell Arthur said. "And in the event that they do double-team, he is such a great passer out of the post that it doesn't matter."

He has had 3 games with at least 30 points and ten rebounds against the Thunder.

He was better known for some run-ins with the law. But after bouncing from Portland to New York to the Los Angeles Clippers, they has found a slot in Memphis.

Randolph has become of the stars of the playoffs, a player with no history of postseason success in the coursework of his 10-year career leading a franchise that had never won a playoff series until knocking off top-seeded San Antonio a few days ago.

Randolph has looked unstoppable, even against a front line that added Perkins - of the NBA's top low-post defenders - at the trade deadline in February. The move allowed Serge Ibaka, the league's top shot blocker, to move from middle to his natural power forward position.

"I think Zach is the epitome of life," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "When we are young people, they make mistakes. They do things that they should not do, and they grow and become better men. Whether it is in this game or in life, that is what this world is all about."

Coach Scott Brooks thought the Thunder did a respectable job of getting Randolph and Gasol out of the areas where they are strongest, but it still wasn't lovely .

"Zach made four shots from the perimeter. There is nothing you can do about that, other than pushing him outside a few additional feet and crowding his space. Gasol made jump shots, and that is not his strength of his game," Brooks said. "But they made them and give them credit. They stepped up and they made those shots."

Gasol went four for four on jumpers from at least 14 feet and Randolph hit four jumpers from at least ten feet out, including a 3-pointer.

"We can shoot the ball, pick and roll. It ain't coming down and throwin' it in the post," Randolph said. "We can do different stuff lots of the other large guys cannot do."

"It wasn't nothing like they had lots of shots in the paint. They hit lots of outside shots (Sunday) - contested, hard shots at that - so you are not overreacting to nothing," Perkins said. "I feel like they didn't play our game.

Perkins said "that wasn't Thunder basketball (Sunday), and it is going to be a different game tomorrow."

"I don't get much concerned about what the other team's doing. I am always concerned about what they do."

The Grizzlies - who led the NBA in steals and turnovers forced - also scored 23 points off of 18 Oklahoma City turnovers and 22 second-chance points off of 17 offensive rebounds.

Brooks said they was hesitant to double-team Randolph much because he is become a quality passer when the Grizzlies send players cutting to the basket.

"That has to alter," Brooks said. "We must get better in those areas because that is their strength, and they had their way with their strength. They don't need that to happen."

"There's only so lots of things you can do on a basketball court," Randolph said. "They could double-team me and push me baseline. There is only things. I have seen  anything, so I will be prepared for whatever they throw at me."

Celtics-Heat series hinges on Rondo's role as exploiter

Rajon Rondo must force the Heat's best defenders to guard him, creating opportunities for teammates.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

MIAMI -- Before the Ejection, there was the Rejection, the Game one moment that helped explain what this playoff series is and will always be about.

Rajon Rondo, artful Celtics point guard, drove hard to the rim and was met at the moment of truth by a determined LeBron James. Next came a sound, a loud smack, created by the only kind of violence allowed and even encouraged in the NBA.

"I don't know if I have ever seen Rondo get run down like that," gushed Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

LeBron slapped Rondo's shot harder than a scorned woman does a man's face. And then, much later, after Paul Pierce was relegated to doing his cursing in the visitor's locker room,  LeBron stripped Rondo from behind and tossed a court-length pass to Dwyane Wade for the layup.

So what they have in Heat-Celtics is a player who both sides agree can tilt an otherwise tightly-contested series way or another. Rondo is that valuable to the Celtics, that risky to Miami. If they has a superb game, then the Celtics are most likely headed to the East finals. If they gets whistled for fouls and trapped by an assortment of Heat players, as they was in Game one, then the Heat's path will be that much smoother.

Rondo is not the best player on the floor, not even close, . the most important.

"We cannot let up on him," promised Wade.

"He will be fine," promised Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

But that creates its own issues, because the shifting will then permit Pierce and Ray Allen to see lesser defenders.

Rondo's role is simple: They must exploit the truly lopsided matchup in the series. That is because Tim Hardaway is not walking through that door for the Heat. In lieu, they must make do with Mike Bibby, elderly and defensively-challenged, and Mario Chalmers, young and mistake-prone. Those overmatched guards will get the monster's share of the minutes against Rondo unless they manages to infiltrate the lane, break down the defense and cause hell for the Heat. Then Miami will demand reinforcements, LeBron and Wade.

Rondo had two points, six assists and turnovers, and Miami had a nine-point win. The results were related. Much was made, much actually, about Pierce getting the boot with 7 minutes left. But by then, Miami was in control and Rondo was, figuratively, out of the game. Missing Pierce at that stage of the game wasn't as damaging as the Celtics missing Rondo for virtually the whole game. They played two minutes in the first half, didn't have an assist and the Celtics were down 15 at the break.

"Early on, I think Rondo was trying to assault much. They was trying to get himself going," said Rivers, "and he is got to make sure they gets the others going as well."

So true, because life without Rondo or without much from Rondo comes with a deadly ripple effect for Boston. Kevin Garnett, for example, had baskets. The others don't see simple shots when Rondo is not causing the defense to collapse. The Celtics have come to rely that much on Rondo, who controls the tempo and very everything else offensively. He is a disruption for the other team on both ends of the floor.

"I'm not overstating (Rondo's importance)," said Spoelstra. "He was in early foul trouble and it might have affected his rhythm. You try to put bodies in front of him but they will break you down and discover a way."

Then against the Knicks in the first round, they regained his stride, averaged 19.0 ppg, 12.0 apg and 7.3 rpg and the Celtics won in a sweep.

The Celtics had nice reason to think Rondo had turned the corner from a season that fell off a cliff following the All-Star break. In his last 21 regular-season games, only two times did they reach double figures in assists. And they had 18 turnovers compared to 11 steals in April.

"Give them credit," Rondo said. "They block plenty of shots. They are very athletic. They are a nice defensive team as well. It is a different team, but we are very confident they can win Game two."

The Heat are a superior defensive team, though, and can throw different looks at Rondo, when LeBron and Wade switch off.

They won't win much, if anything, without Rondo. And he is right: Miami's defense will make him work. LeBron is quick to bring weakside help. Wade is even better equipped to guard Rondo one-on-one. Both are alert and alive and not afraid to go for the strip, with Joel Anthony around to supply a last layer of defense.

Rondo gave the impression his Game one issues were temporary, and that the Celtics are done with getting ejected (Pierce) and committing careless fouls (Rondo).

"This team has played in plenty of great playoffs series," Rondo said. "This is going to be another."

This will be a short if Rondo cannot stay on the floor or do something special when they is on it.

Chicago's Derrick Rose Wins 2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Award

Derrick Rose averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists during the 2010-11 regular season.

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award, the NBA announced today. Rose, who does not turn 23 until Oct. 4, becomes the league's youngest MVP, a distinction previously held by Wes Unseld, who earned the honor in 1968-69 as a 23-year-old.
Rose totaled 1,182 points including 113 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada as well as an NBA MVP fan vote. For the second consecutive season, the NBA and Kia Motors America gave fans the opportunity to submit their votes by ranking their top five choices through a dedicated Web page on NBA.com. The fan vote counted as one vote and was compiled with the 120 media votes to determine the winner. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

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Rounding out the top five in voting are Orlando's Dwight Howard (643 points, three first place), Miami's LeBron James (522, four first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (428, one first-place vote) and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant (190).
Rose, who became the first player since Steve Nash in 2005 to win the MVP award after not receiving any votes in the previous year's balloting, led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 mark. The third-year player averaged team highs of 25.0 points and 7.7 assists to go along with 4.1 rebounds. He became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points,
7.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds, joining Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. The All-Star guard made or assisted on at least half of the Bulls' field goals in 26 games, the highest such total for any NBA player this season.
As part of its support of the Most Valuable Player Award, Kia Motors America will donate a new Kia Sorento CUV to Meals on Wheels Chicago, which provides home-delivered meals services to people in need. Kia Motors will present a brand new Sorento to the charity of choice of each of four
2010-11 season-end award winners as part of the "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 16 new vehicles to charitable organizations since its support of the NBA's prestigious year-end honors began with the 2007-2008 season.
Rose, who recorded 23 double-doubles and scored at least 30 points on 23 occasions after doing so eight times combined in his first two seasons, was the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in scoring (seventh) and assists (10th). Only once in team history had a Bulls player finished in the top 10 in scoring and assists (Michael Jordan, 1988-89). Rose tallied
2,026 points, 623 assists and 330 rebounds, becoming only the fifth player in NBA history to post 2,000 points, 600 assists and 300 rebounds in a single season as he joined Robertson, John Havlicek, Jordan and James.
The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.
The 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award is part of a series of on-court performance awards called "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." The series, currently in its fourth season, is a significant part of the multiyear marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, and also includes the Most Improved Player, Defensive Player and Sixth Man Awards. It also includes the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month which are awarded during the regular season. For more information on the "The Kia NBA Performance Awards" visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards.

2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Award Results

Player, Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total Points Derrick Rose, Chicago 113 6 2 -- -- 1182 Dwight Howard, Orlando 3 57 31 16 11 643 LeBron James, Miami 4 26 39 31 12 522 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 1 18 32 40 12 428 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City -- 6 10 20 38 190 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas -- 5 3 11 30 113 Dwyane Wade, Miami -- 1 1 2 6 24 Manu Ginobili, San Antonio -- 2 -- -- 6 20 Amar'e Stoudemire, New York -- -- 1 -- 4 9 Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers -- -- 1 -- -- 5 Rajon Rondo, Boston -- -- 1 -- -- 5 Tony Parker, San Antonio -- -- -- 1 -- 3 Chris Paul, New Orleans -- -- -- -- 2 2

All-Time MVP Winners
Season - Player, Team
1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston
1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston
1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston
1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston
1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston
1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston
1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1967-68 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York
1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston
1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland
1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston
1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston
1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston
1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston
1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston
1986-87 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1988-89 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1989-90 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix|
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah
1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah
1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2007-08 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2008-09 - LeBron James, Cleveland
2009-10 - LeBron James, Cleveland
2010-11 - Derrick Rose, Chicago

Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavs rally to stun Lakers in Game 1

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts in the fourth quarter while taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and hit two go-ahead free throws with 19.5 seconds left before Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant made a crucial turnover, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 96-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Nowitzki had 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who dramatically came back from a 16-point deficit in the second half of the perennial playoff teams' first postseason meeting in 23 years.
Bryant scored 21 of his 36 points in the second half for the Lakers, but he fell down while trying to get the ball from Gasol with 5 seconds to play. After one free throw by Jason Kidd, Bryant missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Top Performers

Dallas		Los Angeles
	D. Nowitzki Points: 28 Reb: 14 Ast: 3 Stl: 2 Blk: 1		K. Bryant Points: 36 Reb: 5 Ast: 0 Stl: 1 Blk: 1

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Gasol had 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the second-seeded Lakers, who lost their second straight series opener. Their loss to New Orleans two weeks ago was much more surprising than this loss to the playoff-tested Mavs, but the Lakers' lack of poise down the stretch should be scary to anybody anticipating a threepeat.
The Mavericks trailed 92-87 with 3:32 to play, but finished on a 9-2 run -- showing all the late-game poise that's expected of Bryant and the two-time defending champions.
Lamar Odom scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the second half until Nowitzki scored in the lane with 40 seconds left to trim the deficit to 94-93. After Jason Terry swiped the ball from Bryant, Gasol fouled Nowitzki on the Mavericks' inbounds play, allowing the 7-footer to give Dallas its first lead since the second quarter.
Terry added 15 points for Dallas, which struggled on the boards and in the paint before the comeback.
The Mavericks too often settled for jumpers early on, and they lost their cool with 90 seconds left in the first half after offsetting technical fouls for Gasol and Tyson Chandler, who jawed all the way down the court after jockeying for rebounding position. The Lakers leaped to a 53-44 halftime lead with four points in the final 0.7 seconds, thanks to an ill-advised foul by Terry and a technical foul on Nowitzki.
Dallas made a 20-6 run shortly after falling behind 60-44 in the third quarter, but Bryant singlehandedly kept the Lakers ahead with 12 consecutive points.
Both teams finished the regular season with 57 victories apiece, but Los Angeles won two of three in their series, including a blowout victory March 31 that was marred by several ejections. Matt Barnes was suspended for getting involved in a confrontation between Steve Blake and Terry, who appeared to shove Blake to the court after a foul.
After a brief Twitter battle between Terry and Barnes, whose sportswear company made up T-shirts commemorating the clash, both teams put aside the ugliness of their last meeting while preparing for the franchises' first postseason meeting since the 1988 Western Conference finals.
Even Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban declined to rekindle their history of mutual sniping in the media, instead praising each other in recent days. Jackson even said Cuban would be an excellent prospective owner for the troubled Los Angeles Dodgers, although Cuban declined to comment on the much-rumored prospect before Game 1.
Both clubs finished off their first-round series in six games after splitting the first four. The Lakers blew their opener against the Hornets before finally taking control despite an unimpressive series from Gasol, while the Mavericks bounced back admirably after blowing a 23-point lead in a Game 4 loss to Portland.
Terry scored 13 points in the first half while hitting five of his first six shots, but the Lakers took a 53-44 halftime lead with a 14-2 run -- including that productive final second.
Terry got too close to Odom's last-ditch heave from halfcourt right before the buzzer, and Odom made three free throws. Nowitzki then got a technical foul for throwing an aggressive elbow under the hoop while scrapping with Ron Artest, and Bryant hit a final free throw.
Game notes
Bryant had the 81st 30-point game of his playoff career, trailing only Michael Jordan (109) in NBA history. Bryant has scored in double figures in 156 straight postseason games. ... Fans near courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Justin Timberlake, David Beckham (on his 36th birthday), Gordon Ramsay, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, January Jones, Jennifer Carpenter, singer Seal, Mekhi Phifer, Anthony Kiedis, New York Jets TE Dustin Keller and Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis.

Hawks run past Bulls in Game 1 as Derrick Rose tweaks ankle

CHICAGO -- The Atlanta Hawks stared down Superman and they weren't blinking against the Bulls, either.
Joe Johnson scored 34 points and Atlanta beat top-seeded Chicago 103-95 on Monday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
As if the loss itself wasn't bad enough, the Bulls got a scare when Derrick Rose came up limping after he turned his left ankle at the end of the game. Their MVP candidate stepped on Jamal Crawford's foot as he dribbled out the final seconds and was helped off by teammates and a trainer.
"I should be OK," Rose said. "I'll probably get treatment right now, go home, get some more treatment and be ready to go for [Game 2] Wednesday."
A source familiar with the situation told ESPNChicago.com on Monday night that Rose would be announced

Hawks-Bulls Preview: Wings will be clipped

by Royce Young




I. Intro:  No. 5 seed Atlanta Hawks (44-38) vs. No. 1 seed Chicago Bulls (62-20)
It's not really the matchup we all anticipated, but that doesn't change anything. So it's not Dwight Howard versus the Bulls frontcourt, but the Hawks present Chicago an interesting matchup. Really, I get the feeling this series could surprise a bit and be really good.

A challenge for the Hawks though will be to forget about the Orlando series and re-focus here. Because that was a big win for them. They were humilated last year and obviously played with an edge. They need that same kind of motivation and edge to hold down Derrick Rose and the Bulls.
II. What Happened:  A look at the season series
The Bulls took the season series 2-1 over the Hawks with one close loss and two blowout wins. The Hawks scored 14 fewer points a game against the Bulls, were crushed on the glass, shot low percentages and couldn't stop the Bulls. The win the Hawks picked up came because they were able to slow the Bulls down and beat them in an ugly, grind-it-out game.
III. Secret of the Series: Transition

The Bulls play very good defense. The Hawks halfcourt offense can sometimes be bad. Solution? Run.

The Hawks have a bunch of talent and athleticism, especially in their bigs, that can get out in the open floor and run against the Bulls. Josh Smith is terrific in transition. Al Horford runs well. Players like Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford can find secondary opportunities off of fast breaks. Running is a big thing for the Hawks to try and do because it's hard to see them beating the Bulls four times using halfcourt offense.

The Bulls though are very good at controlling pace and keeping teams from running. Obviously Tom Thibodeau knows the Hawks want to run as much as possible and that will be a focus.
IV. The Line-Item Veto:  Who wins each match-up?
PG: The Bulls obviously had the edge in this department before Kirk Hinrich's injury, but now it's pretty wide. Jeff Teague will start for the Hawks in Game 1 and might be handling duties the entire series. Either way, the Bulls have a giant edge at point guard. Hinrich is a pesky on-ball defender and Rose would've had to work. His life just got easier. Huge advantage, Bulls. 
SG: This is kind of the opposite of the point guard matchup. Joe Johnson is the main offensive option for Atlanta and Keith Bogans' job is to lock him down. But for Chicago, not only is Bogans healthy, but he's totally capable of limiting Johnson. The Hawks have an edge, but it's not wide. Advantage, Hawks.
SF: Assuming the Hawks stick with the same starting five used against Orlando, Josh Smith will be here against Luol Deng. Obviously Smith has a big size advantage, but Deng is super long and will take Smith out on the perimeter. A lot will come down to if Smith does the same or uses his head and goes inside on Deng. Too close to call for me, so this is a push. 
PF: Carlos Boozer will try to give it a go in Game 1 and will face off in the series against Al Horford. This will be a terrific head-to-head with two big bodies that score well in the post. Definitely a good one to watch. Horford is more consistent and is playing better, so Atlanta has the edge here. Advantage, Hawks. 
C: Again, this will be Jason Collison versus Joakim Noah is things stay the same for Atlanta. If Larry Drew changes things up, he'll have Horford against his old Florida buddy and Marvin Williams at small forard with Smith at power forward. Under the assumption though Collins starts here, Noah has the edge. He played like the animal he is against Indiana and his athleticism could give Collins trouble on the glass. Advantage, Bulls. 
Bench: This is where the Hawks make their move. Jamal Crawford has been an absolute weapon off the bench for Atlanta and even Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia chipped in big time against Orlando. The Bulls bench lacked against Indiana other than Kyle Korver. Chicago doesn't look for offense as much as Atlanta does off the bench, but still, the Hawks should win this area easily every game. Advantage, Hawks. 
Coach: Larry Drew did a nice job in Round 1. Tom Thibodeau has emerged as a pretty incredible strategist and game coach. This feels like series that will be more just about matchups than anything else and Drew has the opportunities to use his team's versatility to move things around. But Thibodeau is the superior here. Advantage, Bulls. 
V. Conclusion
The Hawks can win this series. I'm convinced. They have the athletes, the scorers and the confidence to hang right in with the Bulls. Especially after the shaky play Chicago showed in the opening round. The Bulls are the better team, no doubt. They have a better system, won the season series handily and have Derrick Rose. But the Hawks have some talent. Don't overlook them.

That said, it's hard to picture it actually happening. The Bulls are just going to swallow the Hawks in the halfcourt. Atlanta averaged just 80 points per game against the Bulls in the regular season and had one of the worst offenses in the league. Like I said, transition is key, but the Bulls aren't dumb. They know that. The Hawks have the talent to steal one here or there, but the Bulls take this in six.

Pierce lets team down with ejection, lack of smarts

By Jamey Eisenberg


MIAMI -- Paul Pierce tried to be the tough guy Sunday in the Game 1 playoff matchup between the Celtics and Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals. When he got hit, he got angry and aggressive. And then he was shown the door.
Pierce was ejected after receiving two technical fouls, both in the fourth quarter. He didn't like the way James Jones hit him when defending a jump shot and then how Dwyane Wade tried to run through him on a screen.
Boston coach Doc Rivers said Pierce had a right to be upset, but he can't put himself in a position to get thrown out. Rivers said each foul should have been called a flagrant on the Heat.
"I told Paul you still don't react," Rivers said following Miami's 99-90 victory. "I thought as a whole we were the retaliating team tonight. We were never the first hit team."

The first technical came when Pierce was hit by Jones with 7:59 left in the game. Jones came down on Pierce and hit him in the head after Pierce's pump fake got Jones in the air. Pierce then turned and got in Jones' face with what looked like a head-butt, but Jones just backed away. Both were given technical fouls.
"It was contact during a dead ball," referee Danny Crawford said. "He approached James and got right in his face. There wasn't a head-butt, but he got right into his face after a hard foul."
Jones said he was just going for a "wrap-up foul" to make sure Pierce didn't get off a shot after he hit him.
"He got a little emotional, and we got into something that should have really been nothing," Jones said. "It happens at times."
The second technical happened less than a minute later. Pierce was setting a screen on Wade for Ray Allen, but Wade ran right into Pierce, putting a shoulder into his chest. Pierce flexed at Wade as both exchanged words, and baseline official Ed Malloy assessed double technical fouls. Since it was the second one on Pierce he got the mandatory ejection.
Wade knew he was wrong for running into Pierce, but he wouldn't elaborate on what Pierce said.
"It's a bunch of gibberish," Wade said about what Pierce muttered after the play. "I was just trying to get through a screen. Paul was there, so I ran through it. Foul on me. And Paul had some words for me. The ref thought it was a little too much and gave him a tech."
Crawford called it a "verbal taunt."
"He directed profanity toward Wade," Crawford said. "It just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."
Pierce, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds before leaving, wasn't around to answer questions after the game. He left that for his teammates, who were disappointed in his behavior.
Allen said Pierce was trying to show he's "tough" when he was hit by Wade. Instead, Allen would like to see Pierce show he's smart and just walk away.
"It's us learning how to get out of those situations and back away from them," Allen said. "We can't put the game in the referee's hands. We have to be smarter out there."

Fluky or not, defense has challenged Kobe

By Jeff Caplan

DALLAS -- No Western Conference team has held Kobe Bryant to a lower scoring average this season than the Dallas Mavericks.

Kobe averaged 21.7 points in three games against the Mavs, and his 40.7 shooting percentage, well below his 45.1 percent season average, was fourth-lowest against the Mavs among West clubs.

Harry How/Getty ImagesThe Mavs' defense has hounded Kobe Bryant into 40.7 percent shooting in three games this season.

 

Is that a credit to a defense that has deployed DeShawn Stevenson, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd and even Rodrigue Beaubois on the five-time champ, or was it just fluky?

"Maybe he just didn't want to shoot those nights," Kidd said, jokingly. "Holding him to 40 percent or under his average, the bottom line is he finds a way for his team to win."

Kidd's theory actually isn't too far off base. Kobe attempted 59 regular-season shots against the Mavs, an average of 19.7 a game, which was his second-lowest number of attempts against teams he faced at least three times. He took 53 shots in three games against the Oklahoma City Thunder but took no fewer than 69 shots against other foes faced at least three times.

Again, is that a credit to the Mavs' defense, or is it just fluky?

"At this point, all this stuff, it's a clean slate, it really doesn't matter," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "How relevant it is, I don't know. There are different things that come into play in the regular season. You've got back-to-backs and injuries and all kinds of other stuff. This is a clean slate, and we're ready to go."

There is more statistical evidence to suggest the Mavs have done as good a job on Bryant as just about anyone in the league. Bryant ranked second in the NBA in transition points, but he averaged more shots in isolation against the Mavs than he did against the rest of the league, and he made a lower percentage of those isolation shots against Dallas than against the rest of the league.

According ESPN Stats & Information, Bryant's field goal percentage on isolation plays against the Mavs was 37.5 percent compared to 44.3 percent against the rest of the league, which ranks fourth in the NBA. Continuing on that theme, Bryant averaged just 4.3 points on shots from 15 feet or more against Dallas, less than half his season average (8.7), and he made just 22 percent on those shots, well below his season average of 36.3 percent.

Again, credit to the defense or fluky? Kidd just knows what the Mavs face starting Monday night at Staples Center.

"We look for him to be aggressive," Kidd said. "He's the best player in the game, so we've got our hands full."

Sharpshooting Jones gives Heat big lift off the bench

James Jones came off the Heat bench to hit five of his seven 3-point attempts in Game 1.

Victor Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Image
 MIAMI -- It was what most concerned the Celtics, that the big three from the Heat would be tough to defend in Game 1. In this instance, however, that's the big three, lowercase.
As in, the daggers dropped on them by James Jones from deep.
This was not a pretty game to open a much-anticipated second-round series. But it was pretty unexpected. Yes, when Rajon Rondo gets locked up early by Mike Bibby -- have those words ever been typed before? -- and disappears, when Kevin Garnett is good for three buckets, and when the damaging 3-point shots come not from Ray Allen but Ray Allen Lite, then you get Heat 99, Celtics 90, and very little drama.
Jones hit five of his seven shots taken from 3-point range, and that doesn't begin to describe his impact. After Jones hit his third shot, the Celtics were giving him the same respect reserved for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. This is a player, mind you, who averaged only seven points in the first round against Philly. And who, at best, was Miami's No. 6 option all season.

 Boston Vs Miami Game 1 Recap

Also, while the game was perhaps over by the midway pint of the fourth quarter, the Celtics had to make do without Paul Pierce. His ejection with seven minutes left didn't help.

Wade crashed into a pick set by Pierce, who exchanged words. Both were hit with technicals, and it was the second for Pierce and an automatic thumb.
Here's crew chief Dan Crawford:
"It's what we call a verbal taunt. He directed profanity towards Wade. And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt."
Pierce refused to comment after the game. Wade said Pierce used "a bunch of gibberish" which, we are to assume, contained some concise four-letter words.
A case could be made that Pierce shouldn't have been ejected at all; his "crime" was a borderline technical. Or that Pierce should've been thumbed a minute earlier, when he threw the softest head-butt you'll ever see -- but a head-butt (nose-butt?) nonetheless -- after getting a rough foul from Jones.
Crawford: "He approached Jones and got right in his face. There wasn't a head-butt, but he got right into his face after a hard foul."
Regardless, Pierce became unraveled without being harshly provoked. That should never happen to a veteran, especially one with as much postseason experience as Pierce. Perhaps he got sucked into the pre-game rhetoric, with Wade and LeBron explaining how much they "hate" losing to the Celtics. Or maybe it was the beating the Celtics were taking at the time, administered partly by Jones, whose 25 points were a big and unexpected bonus for Miami.
Anyway, the Celtics were without one of their weapons for the stretch run, costly considering Boston was, in a sense, already without Rondo.
"I thought both were flagrant fouls," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "They were not called. Instead of walking away like we should've done, we reacted, like they wanted us to do."
Some quick hits:
• Rondo must be on the floor. Clearly, he's the difference-maker in the series because of his obvious advantage over the point guards thrown his way by Miami. Still, Rondo played only eight minutes in the first half when dogged by three fouls. The game got out of hand and the Celtics never really recovered. As he showed in the first round against the Knicks, and all last summer, Rondo makes the Celtics roll. But he was hassled by Bibby, never found a groove and finished with only eight points, seven assists and five turnovers.
The player most affected was Garnett, who took only nine shots, scored six points and wasn't a factor against Chris Bosh.
"Those two guys have the best instincts on our team," said Rivers. "They both played with the right spirit, it just didn't go well."
• Wade was bent on breaking through against Boston. Wade was concealed and controlled by the Celtics in the regular-season series, when he averaged a measly 12.8 points on 28 percent shooting. But Wade was aggressive from the start and seemed determined to change that. He scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half .
"I wasn't giving it to (the Celtics) in the regular season," said Wade. "My guys were dependant on me."
Rivers: "That's why he's the second-greatest player to come out of Marquette."
• Jones is doing what Mike Miller and Bibby can't. That is, hit the open jumper. Miller played eight minutes and was, in a word, awful. And another word: scared. He did whatever possible to avoid shooting, treating the ball like a hot match and getting rid of it quickly, sometimes forcing passes that became turnovers. Bibby, too, lacked confidence and passed up jumpers. There's nothing worse than a shooter who's afraid to shoot. He's little to no use to his team.
At least the Heat had Jones, who looked like he was back at the Long Distance Shootout at All-Star Weekend. If you recall, he beat Ray Allen and Pierce in that contest, and both Celtics were admittedly embarrassed to lose to someone who's a decent shooter but not in their league from a career or reputation standpoint. When the Celtics began to run at Jones in Game 1, they wound up fouling often and sent Jones to the line 10 times, and he didn't miss.
"A lot of that was us, but I don't care if you make a mistake defensively or not, the guy still has to make it," said Rivers. "And he made them."
• This was Miami's game to lose. So there was more of a burden on the Heat than the Celtics. It was the Heat who lost three of four games during the regular season, who must measure themselves against the defending East champs, and who own home-court advantage. A Celtics' win on Tuesday will erase any stink from Game 1.
"We'll study film and see what we need to do better and come out ready," vowed Garnett.
• Udonis Haslem and Shaquille O'Neal must really be hurting. Or else they would've played in Game 1. As a result, can the Celtics and Heat really expect much from either player? Shaq hasn't played much in three months while Haslem hasn't suited up since November. That's a lot of rust and cobwebs to shake, if they do return this series. Miami probably needs Haslem more than the Celtics need Shaq.
"We'll continue to evaluate and work him," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "But he's not there yet."
Shaun Powell is a veteran NBA writer and columnist. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

Round 1 to Wade and the Heat, 99-90 over Celtics

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted May 01 2011 8:02PM

MIAMI (AP) Dwyane Wade knew his regular-season numbers against Boston were lacking.
He also knew that wouldn't matter in the playoffs.
And Game 1 - which seemed more like Round 1 - of what's already an emotionally charged series went to Wade and the Miami Heat.

Game 1 Postgame

Wade scored 38 points on 14 of 21 shooting, James Jones set a Miami postseason record with 25 points off the bench, and the Heat beat the Celtics 99-90 on Sunday to open their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
"We're going to have to fight for every inch, every game we get," Wade said. "Right now, we won Game 1. We're supposed to. We'll go back and focus on winning Game 2. We're at home, we have home-court advantage. They're just trying to come in and steal one like they've done in the past. So it's our job to come out with the same mentality in the next one."
LeBron James finished with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists for Miami, which led by as many as 19 before a fiery finish that saw plenty of players jawing at each other - more than that in some cases. Paul Pierce was ejected with 7 minutes left, after picking up two technicals in skirmishes with Wade and Jones within a span of 59 seconds.
Ray Allen scored 25 points for Boston, which lost for the first time in five games this postseason. Pierce scored 19 and Delonte West finished with 10 for the Celtics, while Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were held to a combined 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting.
"There's so many things we need to do to get better," Allen said. "I think everybody in that locker room knows that, just from a small conversation we just had."
Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.
Given how Boston ousted Miami last season, and ended James' playoff runs with Cleveland in 2008 and 2010, these teams have history - and more than a bit of dislike, and that was apparent. It was physical throughout, with West earning a technical and Jermaine O'Neal picking up a flagrant foul along the way, before things really got hot in the fourth.
Pierce took offense with a hard foul by Jones, each getting double-technicals there, and Pierce and Wade - who have a bit of history themselves - renewed acquaintances not long after that.
Referee Ed Malloy called both for double-technicals, and Pierce was screaming as he departed. Boston coach Doc Rivers said he thought Jones and Wade went at Pierce too aggressively on the two plays that ended his forward's night.
"I thought both were flagrant fouls, personally, and I don't think we should react to either one," Rivers said.
Wade acted like he didn't hear what Pierce said to him on the play with 7 minutes left, dismissing it as "gibberish." Crew chief Dan Crawford said Pierce's second technical was merited because he directed profanity at Wade.
"And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt," Crawford said. "And it just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."
Pierce's first technical, Crawford said, came after he made contact with Jones during a dead ball period. Rivers said he knew the Heat would try to play physical ball, but said what he saw Sunday didn't apply.
"That's chippy," Rivers said. "That ain't physical."
Countered Wade: "Very interesting that Doc said that."
Pierce did not speak with reporters postgame.
After he departed, the Celtics tried to rally. Allen made a 3-pointer to get within 90-82, but Chris Bosh and Wade had Miami's next two baskets, restoring a double-digit lead that wasn't again seriously threatened.
"Every game is going to go like this," Wade said. "We look forward to the challenge."
Wade averaged 12.8 points on 28 percent shooting against the Celtics in four regular-season matchups, his worst numbers in both categories against any opponent this season.
Whatever wasn't working then, well, it was fixed for Game 1.
He had nine field goals and 23 points by halftime - while the entire Boston starting five combined for eight field goals and 21 points in the first 24 minutes. He had a steal to set up Mario Chalmers' layup with 0.1 seconds left in the first quarter that put Miami up 20-14, and added a more spectacular buzzer-beater near halftime.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wanted a 20-second timeout to set up the final possession of the half, only to get overruled - surely without complaint, either. Wade waved it off, then kept waving his arm to clear his teammates away, setting up a drive past West for a bank shot with 0.8 ticks remaining that put Miami ahead 51-36 at the break.
Boston was completely out of sorts, perhaps rusty from sitting around for a week after sweeping the New York Knicks, and partly because Miami's defense bottled up everything the Celtics tried. Rondo was on the bench with three fouls for the final 11 minutes of the half, and the Celtics missed 20 of their first 26 shots from the field.
"Ultimately, what we're trying to do is beat the Boston Celtics in basketball, the game of basketball, four times," Spoelstra said. "We have one of them right now."
Jones drew Rondo's third foul on a play where he ended up sprawled out under the Boston basket, grabbing his lower back and writhing in pain. Jones inflicted hurt the rest of the quarter, shooting 4 for 5 from 3-point range in the second period alone.
"JJ probably had the best game of anybody," James said.
Jones took down Pierce and Allen in the 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend - and some of that same form returned Sunday.
"Someone had to step up," Jones said. "I got some good looks. All of our playmakers got me good looks and I was able to knock them down with confidence because these guys trust me in the big moments."
NOTES: Including the April 10 victory, Miami has now won consecutive meetings with Boston for the first time since early 2007. ... Boston was without Shaquille O'Neal (calf) and Miami remained without Udonis Haslem (foot), both still out with injuries, though it seems both could be returning at some point in this series - maybe even Tuesday. ... Plenty of celebrities showed up, including Diddy, Gloria Estefan and rappers Drake and Rick Ross. ... Rivers, on former Boston assistant Tom Thibodeau winning the NBA's coach of the year award: "He came in and did his job."

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

original post

Shot At Redemption For Ex-Cav

By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com

 James

MIAMI -- LeBron James is about to play the most important playoff series of his career.
Six surefire Hall of Famers will be playing in this upcoming Heat-Celtics series, but none of them has as much at stake as James does. His status is on the line, and right now there's no basis for excuse.
James' personal reputation never took a more severe hit than the fallout from "The Decision" broadcast. Yet, in an odd but tangible way, that miscue diverted attention from his basketball crime, when he tarnished his name as the league's most valuable player by playing the worst game of his career at the worst possible time. And it came against the Boston Celtics at the same pressure point where the Miami Heat now find themselves.
After eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers this week, Heat players and coaches said it wouldn't have felt right had they not met Boston in the playoffs. For James, it isn't just right; it's potentially poetic and redemptive -- or ruinous.
James fled what he felt was an unsalvageable situation in Cleveland because he couldn't beat the Celtics even with a nearly $100 million payroll around him. He came to Miami for an upgrade: more talented teammates and the promise to smash that bear trap that's swallowed him twice.
Now, with the Celtics at hand again, all of James' chips are in the middle. Win and he was right. Lose and he's in the same mud, a year older and looking no wiser. Fair or not, that's his situation. Either lead his team to being more clutch than Ray Allen, more rugged than Kevin Garnett, more crafty than Paul Pierce and more fearless than Rajon Rondo, or endure another burning summer of discontent. Only this time, the mockery will be more about basketball and not public relations.
To this day, they beg for answers back in Cleveland as to what happened May 11, 2010, when James' heavily favored Cavs lost Game 5 at home to the Celtics by 32 points as he delivered a historic dud. Cavs fans still bitterly argue and split hairs as to whether James quit on his team, choked on it or even lied to it about an elbow injury that he'd really been battling for nearly a month. They debate James' facial expressions, where he sat on the bench and what he said after what was likely the worst game of his career.

Celtics at Heat, 3:30 p.m., ET

TV: ABC

• Heat center Erick Dampier and forward Udonis Haslem will remain inactive in Game 1. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said there was some discussion about activating Haslem, saying “He is not quite there. He is making great strides.”
• Spoelstra said he is still unsure about the playing time for forward Mike Miller. Miller has played sparingly in the postseason because of inconsistent play and is battling a sprained left thumb. Spoelstra said, “I had every eyeball in the gym watching him all week. He is able to play. How much will depend on the game.”
• Celtics center Shaquille O’Neal is inactive because of a calf injury. If he returns during the series, it will definitely affect the Heat’s rotation. The Heat would likely activate Dampier, who hasn’t played during the postseason.

–Shandel Richardson

Rose excused from practice, Boozer back but limited

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose missed practice Sunday to tend to a family matter, while Carlos Boozer participated on a limited basis.
Rose's absence was excused.
Boozer is recovering from turf toe on his right foot that surfaced during Game 5 of the Bulls' opening-round playoff series against Indiana. He sat out practice Friday and Saturday after the team had two off days.
The Bulls meet Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with Game 1 on Monday at the United Center.

Popovich: Top-seeded Spurs derailed by injuries

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Coach Gregg Popovich says injuries to Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili robbed the 61-win San Antonio Spurs of their rhythm heading into the playoffs.
Popovich said Saturday he wasn't making excuses after the Spurs became just the fourth No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose in the first round, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 on Friday night.
But Popovich said the Spurs were never the same after Duncan sprained his left ankle in late March and Ginobili hurt his right elbow in the last regular-season game.
San Antonio finished the season 6-12, including the playoffs, after Duncan was injured March 21.
Popovich said his roster won't undergo drastic changes, though Antonio McDyess is leaning toward retirement.

Rose insists league hasn't informed him he's MVP

DEERFIELD (AP) -- A heavy MVP favorite, Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose insists the NBA has not informed him he is the winner.
He said "No, not yet" Saturday when asked if he had been told he won the award.
Rose's comment came a day after a congratulatory post on teammate C.J. Watson's Twitter account that caused a bit of a stir.
That message read: "Congrats to drose on winning the MVP he's played unbelievable this season!!! now just need tibs to win coach of the yr."
It would hardly be a surprise if Rose won the MVP, considering he averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists while leading Chicago to a league-best 62-20 record. Tom Thibodeau is also a favorite for coach of the year.
Rose made light of Watson's post, saying "C.J. knows a lot of people. A lot of famous people, too, so watch that guy."

2011 Playoffs Schedule

Here is the complete schedule and national television & radio arrangements for the 2011 NBA playoffs.

EASTERN CONFERENCE - SEMIFINALS

Miami vs. Boston

Game 1 - Sun May 1, Boston at Miami, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/R
Game 2 - Tue May 3, Boston at Miami, TBD, TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 7, Miami at Boston, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4 - Mon May 9, Miami at Boston, TBD, TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 11, Boston at Miami, TBD, TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 13, Miami at Boston, TBD, ESPN
Game 7 * Mon May 16, Boston at Miami, 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT
• Series hub

Chicago vs. Atlanta

Game 1 - Mon May 2, Atlanta at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 4, Atlanta at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 6 , Chicago at Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 8 , Chicago at Atlanta, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 * Tue May 10, Atlanta at Chicago, TBD, TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 12 , Chicago at Atlanta, TBD, ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 15 , Atlanta at Chicago, TBD, TNT
• Series hub
__________________________________________________________________

WESTERN CONFERENCE - SEMIFINALS

L.A. Lakers vs. Dallas

Game 1 - Mon May 2, Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2 - Wed May 4, Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 - Fri May 6, L.A. Lakers at Dallas, TBD, ESPN
Game 4 - Sun May 8, L.A. Lakers at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/R
Game 5 * Tue May 10, Dallas at L.A. Lakers, TBD, TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 12, L.A. Lakers at Dallas, TBD, ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 15, Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
• Series hub

Oklahoma City vs. Memphis

Game 1 - Sun May 1, Memphis at Oklahoma City, 1:00 p.m. ET, ABC/R
Game 2 - Tue May 3, Memphis at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 7, Oklahoma City at Memphis, 5:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 4 - Mon May 9, Oklahoma City at Memphis, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 11, Memphis at Oklahoma City, TBD, TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 13, Oklahoma City at Memphis, TBD, ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 15, Memphis at Oklahoma City, TBD, TBD
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EASTERN CONFERENCE - FIRST ROUND

Chicago vs. Indiana

Game 1 - Chicago 104, Indiana 99
Game 2 - Chicago 96, Indiana 90
Game 3 - Chicago 88, Indiana 84
Game 4 - Indiana 89, Chcago 84
Game 5 - Chicago 116, Indiana 89
Bulls win series 4-1
• Series hub

Miami vs. Philadelphia

Game 1 - Miami 97, Philadelphia 89
Game 2 - Miami 94, Philadelpia 73
Game 3 - Miami 100, Philadelphia 94
Game 4 - Philadelphia 86, Miami 82
Game 5 - Miami 97, Philadelphia 91
Heat win series 4-1
• Series hub

Boston vs. New York

Game 1 - Boston 87, New York 85
Game 2 - Boston 96, New York 93
Game 3 - Boston 113, New York 96
Game 4 - Boston 101, New York 89
Celtics win series 4-0
• Series hub

Orlando vs. Atlanta

Game 1 - Atlanta 103, Orlando 93
Game 2 - Orlando 88, Atlanta 82
Game 3 - Atlanta 88, Orlando 84
Game 4 - Atlanta 88, Orlando 85
Game 5 - Orlando 101, Atlanta 76
Game 6 - Atlanta 84, Orlando 81
Hawks win series 4-2
• Series hub
___________________________________________________________________

WESTERN CONFERENCE - FIRST ROUND

San Antonio vs. Memphis

Game 1 - Memphis 101, San Antonio 98
Game 2 - San Antonio 93, Memphis 87
Game 3 - Memphis 91, San Antonio 88
Game 4 - Memphis 104, San Antonio 86
Game 5 - San Antonio 110, Memphis 103 (OT)
Game 6 - Memphis 99, San Antonio 91
Grizzlies win series 4-2
• Series hub

L.A. Lakers vs. New Orleans

Game 1 - New Orleans 109, L.A. Lakers 100
Game 2 - L.A. Lakers 87, New Orleans 78
Game 3 - L.A. Lakers 100, New Orleans 86
Game 4 - New Orleans 93, L.A. Lakers 88
Game 5 - L.A. Lakers 106, New Orleans 90
Game 6 - L.A. Lakers 98, New Orleans 80
Lakers win series 4-2
• Series hub

Dallas vs. Portland

Game 1 - Dallas 89, Portland 81
Game 2 - Dallas 101, Portland 89
Game 3 - Portland 97, Dallas 92
Game 4 - Portland 84, Dallas 82
Game 5 - Dallas 93, Portland 82
Game 6 - Dallas 103, Portland 96
Mavericks win series 4-2
• Series hub

Oklahoma City vs. Denver

Game 1 - Oklahoma City 107, Denver 103
Game 2 - Oklahoma City 106, Denver 89
Game 3 - Oklahoma City 97, Denver 94
Game 4 - Denver 104, Oklahoma City 101
Game 5 - Oklahoma City 100, Denver 97
Thunder win series 4-1
• Series hub
Additional scheduling information will be furnished as soon as possible consistent with the need to fulfill league obligations.
If first-round series are completed in six games or less, the conference semifinals may move up to begin on either Saturday, April 30 or Sunday, May 1.
All games, except those televised on ABC, are available to be televised locally.
*If necessary
TBD - To Be Determined

Pacers interim coach Vogel states his case for permanent gig

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Displaying the positive attitude that energized the Indiana players and fans, interim coach Frank Vogel explained why he believes he should be the next head coach.

Frank Vogel

Head Coach Frank Vogel will discussed the 2010-11 season live on Pacers.com April 28, 2011.

Vogel took over for Jim O'Brien at midseason, went 20-18 and led the team to its first playoff berth since 2006. The Pacers were competitive in losing their first-round series to the Chicago Bulls.
"One thing I learned the last three months is that I can do this,'' he said. "I'm confident in my leadership abilities, my management abilities, my coaching abilities. It's been an honor to coach the last few months, it would be an honor to coach in the future.''
Team president Larry Bird was impressed with Vogel's performance. He said the 37-year-old would get the first interview for the head coaching position.
"I think Frank did an excellent job, stepping in without the experience of a head coaching job,'' Bird said. "The way he conducted himself, he brought positive energy to this team. We won more games than we lost. We did it with a young team, a team that's trying to grow.''
The mood around the team quickly changed when Vogel stepped in. Early in his tenure, he claimed that Eastern Conference powers Boston, Miami and Orlando wouldn't want to play the Pacers when -- not if -- they make the playoffs. He said the talent to win big already existed on the roster, and he told leery Pacers fans to hop on the bandwagon.
That confidence earned the respect of the players. Guard Dahntay Jones hopes Vogel returns.
"It would be a breath of fresh air to know we have some stability and some consistency,'' Jones said. "Frank's done an excellent job in the interim. When he's coaching us, the focus is on the positive, helping us get better, helping us find a niche. He's done a great job with us.''
Forward Tyler Hansbrough's minutes increased dramatically under Vogel.
"Frank's done a good job,'' Hansbrough said. "I don't know what they're going to do. I'm not a part of that process. But he's done a good job.''
Vogel accomplished what he said he would, yet he felt he could have done more.
"I was hopeful it would work better, to be honest with you,'' he said. "I thought we could have made a serious run this year. This group has a high ceiling. A high ceiling for what they can achieve in the future.''
Vogel said he understands that the decision on his future could take some time. It's uncertain if Bird will return as team president because he's in the final year of his contract. Either way, Vogel said he'll be patient.
"It's really up to Larry and the front office,'' he said. "Anytime you're making a decision as important as this, you never want to rush into it. Whatever timetable they decide is fine with me.''
Vogel introduced "smashmouth'' basketball, an approach that focused on driving to the basket to put pressure on defenses rather than on shooting a lot of 3-pointers. He moved Hansbrough, a second-year player, and Paul George, a rookie, into the starting lineup and restored third-year center Roy Hibbert's confidence.
"I believed in the young guys we have on the team, and that if we went with them, the way we utilized them and the way we changed our style of play, that it would work,'' Vogel said. "I think it did work.''
Vogel said the day he was hired that he would tighten the playing rotation.

"Earlier in the season, guys didn't know it they were dressing or if they were sitting out or if they were going to play,'' Bird said. "Under Frank, we sort of knew the three guys who weren't going to dress. They knew their roles. There's a lot more communication. I think the last 25, 30 games, Frank did a good job of letting the players know where they stood.''
Once roles became clear, the locker-room environment improved.
"We came together as a team,'' Vogel said. "That doesn't always happen, where guys really pull for each other and genuinely care for each other, fight for each other, work for each other and really just come together as a team in the true sense of the word. That's what I'm most proud of with this team.''
The Pacers won seven of their first 10 under Vogel, then hit a stretch in which they dropped 8 of 9. Indiana rallied to win 10 of its next 15 and clinch a postseason berth.
"My message at that point was that competition has a way of raising the level of your play, and it worked out that way,'' Vogel said.
Bird likes the way the Pacers finished the season.
"At the end of the season, he got them back,'' he said. "We probably performed as well in the playoffs than at any part of the season. That's a good sign.''

original post

Early entry candidates for 2011 NBA Draft By Official Release

NEW YORK -- The National Basketball Association announced today that 89 players, including 69 players from U.S. colleges and 20 international players, have filed as early entry candidates for the 2011 NBA Draft. Players wishing to enter the 2011 NBA Draft were required to submit a letter to the NBA to be received no later than Sunday, April 24. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Monday, June 13. Following is the list of players from U.S. colleges who have applied for early entry into the 2011 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday, June 23, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.: 2011 Early Entry Candidates Player School Height Status Olu Ashaolu Louisiana Tech 6-7 Junior Keion Bell Pepperdine 6-3 Junior Jacob Blankenship Southeastern (FL) 6-9 Junior Laurence Bowers Missouri 6-8 Junior Alec Burks Colorado 6-6 Sophomore DeAngelo Casto Washington State 6-8 Junior Roscoe Davis Midland JC (TX) 6-10 Freshman Mamadou Diarra Chaminade (HI) 7-0 Junior TyShwan Edmondson Austin Peay 6-4 Junior Kim English Missouri 6-6 Junior Ashton Gibbs Pittsburgh 6-2 Junior Troy Gillenwater New Mexico State 6-8 Junior Jeremy Green Stanford 6-4 Junior Jordan Hamilton Texas 6-7 Sophomore Tobias Harris Tennessee 6-8 Freshman Desmond Holloway Coastal Carolina 6-3 Junior Terrell Holloway Xavier 6-0 Junior Tyler Honeycutt UCLA 6-8 Sophomore Scotty Hopson Tennessee 6-7 Junior Kyrie Irving Duke 6-2 Freshman Reggie Jackson Boston College 6-3 Junior Terrence Jennings Louisville 6-9 Junior Orlando Johnson UC-Santa Barbara 6-5 Junior Reggie Johnson Miami 6-10 Sophomore Tiondre Johnson Coastal Bend JC (TX) 6-6 Sophomore Kevin Jones West Virginia 6-8 Junior Terrence Jones Kentucky 6-8 Freshman Cory Joseph Texas 6-3 Freshman Enes Kanter Kentucky 6-10 Freshman Ryan Kelley Colorado 6-5 Sophomore Dan Kelm Viterbo (WI) 6-0 Sophomore Brandon Knight Kentucky 6-3 Freshman Malcolm Lee UCLA 6-5 Junior Kawhi Leonard San Diego State 6-7 Sophomore Travis Leslie Georgia 6-4 Junior DeAndre Liggins Kentucky 6-6 Junior David Loubeau Texas A&M 6-8 Junior Shelvin Mack Butler 6-3 Junior Greg Mangano Yale 6-10 Junior Keishawn Mayes Campbell 6-7 Junior Cameron Moore Alabama-Birmingham 6-10 Junior Darius Morris Michigan 6-4 Sophomore Marcus Morris Kansas 6-9 Junior Markieff Morris Kansas 6-10 Junior Darrion Pellum Hampton 6-6 Junior J.P. Primm North Carolina-Asheville 6-1 Junior Willie Reed St. Louis 6-9 Sophomore Jereme Richmond Illinois 6-7 Freshman Ralph Sampson III Minnesota 6-11 Junior Carleton Scott Notre Dame 6-8 Junior Josh Selby Kansas 6-3 Freshman Iman Shumpert Georgia Tech 6-5 Junior John Shurna Northwestern 6-8 Junior Chris Singleton Florida State 6-9 Junior Greg Smith Fresno State 6-10 Sophomore Tony Taylor George Washington 6-1 Junior Isaiah Thomas Washington 5-8 Junior Trey Thompkins Georgia 6-10 Junior Hollis Thompson Georgetown 6-7 Sophomore Klay Thompson Washington State 6-6 Junior Tristan Thompson Texas 6-8 Freshman Thomas Tibbs Jr. Staten Island 5-10 Junior Nikola Vucevic Southern California 6-10 Junior Kemba Walker Connecticut 6-1 Junior Antoine Watson Florida International 6-4 Junior Charlie Westbrook South Dakota 6-4 Junior Derrick Williams Arizona 6-8 Sophomore Jordan Williams Maryland 6-10 Sophomore Brandon Wood Valparaiso 6-2 Junior The following is the list of international players who have applied for early entry into the 2011 NBA Draft: 2011 International Early Entry Candidates Player Team/Country* Height Date of Birth Andrew Albicy Paris-Levallois (France) 5-10 1990 Furkan Aldemir Karsiyaka (Turkey) 6-9 1991 Davis Bertans Union Olimpija (Slovenia) 6-7 1992 Bismack Biyombo Fuenlabrada (Spain) 6-9 1992 Nihad Djedovic Lottomatica Roma (Italy) 6-5 1990 Emmanouil Koukoulas Ilysiakos (Greece) 6-11 1991 Joffrey Lauvergne Chalon (France) 6-10 1991 Abdoulaye Loum Le Havre (France) 6-10 1991 Nikola Mirotic Real Madrid (Spain) 6-10 1991 Donatas Motiejunas Benetton Treviso (Italy) 7-0 1990 Lucas Riva Nogueira Estudiantes II (Spain) 6-11 1992 Femi Oladipo Crailsheim (Germany) 6-7 1990 Leon Radosevic Cibona (Croatia) 6-10 1990 Negueba Samake Rouen (France) 6-11 1990 Tornike Shengelia Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium) 6-9 1991 Abdel Kader Sylla Nancy (France) 6-9 1990 Jonas Valanciunas Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) 6-11 1992 Jan Vesely Partizan (Serbia) 6-11 1990 Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann Telekom (Germany) 6-10 1990 Tomislav Zubcic Cibona (Croatia) 7-0 1990 *Country indicates where team plays, not country of nationality.