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Covering the results from 1st round playoff action 04.22.08!

Good evening everyone, I'm BL Anderson. Let's get right to the night's exciting playoff action!

(7) Dallas Mavericks..........103
(2) New Orleans Hornets....127

Mavs
Dirk Nowitzki 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists 7-11 FG w/ 4 turnovers
Brandon Bass: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5-5 FG w/ 3 turnovers
Jason Terry: 16 points, 4 rebounds 5-8 FG

Hornets
Chris Paul: 32 points, 5 rebounds, 17 assists, 10-16 FG w/ 3 turnovers
David West: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 11-17 FG
Peja Stojakovic: 22 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists 8-13 FG

BL's Take: The Hornets did exactly what they were supposed to do as a higher seed, by taking the games that they are supposed to win at home. However, it doesn't exactly look like the Mavs are even putting up much of a fight. Jason Kidd MUST take more of a scoring role, and must step up his game to the next level, if the Mavs hope to win this series.

Chris Paul is dominant at his position, and is showing everyone the world over that he is the best point guard out there right now. He is a legit MVP candidate, and he is what drives this team. 17 assists is a monster statistic, and shows exactly how he is taking Jason Kidd and whatever defensive scheme that Dallas is going to throw at him apart. Jason Kidd did not have much of a chance at guarding him before, but now that Chris Paul has ascended into the Meteoric Level of basketball play, Kidd can only hope to deny him a couple of scoring opportunities. If I could change my pick, I would. But I can't, so I'll have to remind everyone that I picked Dallas in 6. Or was it 7? Or did I pick New Orleans? Did you see what I did there? Tried to change my pick? Nevermind, I'm an idiot.

(6) Toronto Raptors.........103
(3) Orlando Magic...........104

Raptors
Chris Bosh: 29 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists 9-19 FG
Jason Kapono: 20 points, 5 rebounds 8-12 FG
Jose Calderon: 18 points, 5 assists 7-11 FG

Magic
Dwight Howard: 29 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 12-17 FG
Rashard Lewis: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists 7-21 FG
Jameer Nelson: 18 points, 6 rebounds 6-10 FG

BL's Take: This one was a tight one that the Raptors may have stolen if it weren't for a very poor start to the game, as the end of the first quarter score was 35-18 Magic. Dwight Howard continued his dominance down low and on the glass, and no one can really contain him at this point once he gets under the basket. It was good to see Jameer Nelson step up and contribute, considering that his inconsistency all season has been a curse more than anything. And the Magic did what they needed to do, which is win their first two playoff home games. Now they'll need to go back to Toronto and win at least one of those games to finish this out in 5.

The Raptors stepped up, especially in the 2nd half, but could not get the job done against a determined Magic team. The Raptors continue to underachieve, which has been and will ultimately be their ultimate downfall. Chris Bosh has a great game, and got some help from the bench, but the rest of the starting lineup was nonexistent offensively. If they hope to take both games at home, they'll need more production from the likes of TJ Ford (1-8 FG) and Jamario Moon (1-7 FG). Going to be a long summer for the Raptors...

(3) San Antonio Spurs.....102
(6) Phoenix Suns............96

Spurs
Tony Parker: 32 points, 7 assists, 13-25 FG
Tim Duncan: 18 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks 8-20 FG
Manu Ginobili: 29 points, 9-17 FG w/ 4 turnovers
Suns
Amare Stoudemire: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks 13-25 FG
Steve Nash: 23 points, 10 assists, 10-15 FG
Shaquille O'Neal: 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, 6-13 FG

BL's Take: It's good to see Shaq step up and have a good game. Just wasn't enough, because the Spurs come playoff time are not foolin around. The Suns could've gotten past just about anyone else in the NBA in a first round match-up, but they had to play the Spurs. And the Spurs are taking them apart, dictating the tempo of the game, getting good shots for all 3 of their stars, and making the Suns look like they are about 3 steps behind.

The Suns will need to go back to the drawing board in Phoenix and try to figure out exactly how to contain Manu Ginobili, who just won the NBA's 6th Man award. How good are you offensively when you are scoring 29 points in 33 minutes of action. Just...ridiculous.

Be back tomorrow with the roundup from all of Wednesday's action!

Tracy McGrady bent over in exhaustion as the final seconds ticked away of another playoff loss.

The seven-time All-Star had 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, but faltered again in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 90-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Deron Williams, who briefly left the game with an injury, finished with 22 points and Mehmet Okur added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who have won eight of the last 10 meetings with Houston.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Utah, where the Jazz went 37-4 during the regular season.

"It's great for us to come out the way we did and not settle for the one victory," said Williams, who re-aggravated a tailbone injury. "We wanted to get both of them, get greedy. We've just got to go back now and take care of business."

McGrady, who has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, fell just short of his first postseason triple-double, but he went 0-for-4 from the field and scored only one point in the final quarter. He scored 20 points in Game 1, but went 0-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter of Utah's 93-82 victory.

McGrady played 43 minutes and said he was tired at the end of Monday night's game, a combination of Utah's physical defense and his efforts to carry his team.

"I had no legs. I was on empty," McGrady said. "Banging with Matt Harpring, trying to rebound, trying to make plays for my team, trying to score, playing 43 minutes. That's a lot."

The Rockets still had their chances to win.

Luis Scola hit two free throws with 1:21 to go to cut Utah's lead to 85-82.

After Williams missed a driving layup, Houston's Bobby Jackson hit a 3-pointer that would have tied the game but Scola was called for an offensive foul away from the ball when he pushed Andrei Kirilenko.

McGrady blasted official Tony Brothers for the call and accused Kirilenko of exaggerating the contact.

"You can't call that," he said. "I like Tony Brothers, but that was a bad call. Very, very bad call. Three points down, crucial point in the game and Kirilenko flops. He flops and you call a foul on that? It was a bad call."

Kirilenko grabbed an offensive rebound on Utah's next possession and Kyle Korver flipped in a one-handed shot as the shot clock expired to put the game out of reach with 20 seconds to go.

Carlos Boozer added 13 points and Williams had five assists for the Jazz, who closed the game with a 14-8 run. Utah went only 17-24 on the road during the regular season, but the Jazz have won four straight playoff games in Houston, including the last two games at the Toyota Center in the first round last year.

"It's big for us," Boozer said. "We came in here trying to get Game 1. That was a tough task, but we accomplished it. And then Game 2 was tough, but we held our composure down the stretch and got a win."

Jackson bounced back from a 3-for-15 performance in Game 1 to score 18 points.

The Jazz led most of the way and were up 64-61 with 1:47 left in the third quarter when Williams limped to the locker room with a trainer after re-aggravating the injury that has bothered him for a week.

Ronnie Price, Williams' replacement, hit a 3-pointer just before the quarter ended to give Utah a 69-67 lead. Williams returned to the bench before the final quarter began.

He was back on the court with 9:18 left in the game, after Aaron Brooks blew by Price for a game-tying layup. McGrady went out for a rest when Williams came back and Williams drove for a layup with 7:41 left to put the Jazz up 76-74.

McGrady returned with 7:07 remaining and was fouled on a jumper with 6:39 left. He hit a free throw to tie the game at 76-all. Williams hit a short shot at the other end to put Utah back on top.

Kirilenko stole the ball from McGrady near the 5-minute mark and Williams made a free throw to give the Jazz an 81-76 lead. McGrady finished with five turnovers.

While the Rockets played better than they did in Game 1, they still had no answer for Williams, who hit the first three 3-pointers he attempted.

Boozer committed his second foul and went to the bench with 5:47 left in the first quarter, but the Rockets started committing careless turnovers that led to easy baskets and Utah stretched the lead.

Houston shot and rebounded better than it did in the first half of Game 1, but trailed by exactly the same score at the break, 47-41. Okur, who scored only four points in the opener, had 10 in the first half on Monday, including two 3-pointers in the final 35 seconds.

"My teammates created open shots for me and I felt real good," Okur said. "I was focused and I hit my shots."

Houston scored mostly inside in the first half, but went 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

The Rockets will need a near-miraculous comeback to win in the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season. They can conjure hope from the fact that they handed Utah one of its four home losses this season -- but that was at the start of the regular season.

"It's not over yet," Okur said. "We're very happy to get two wins in Houston. We have to do the same things in Utah that we did in Houston and be ready to go after them at home."

Game notes
The Jazz have led at halftime in all nine playoff games with Houston dating to last season. ... Houston has lost its last four playoff series after dropping the first game. They haven't won a series after losing Game 1 since the second round in 1995, their second championship season, when they rallied past Phoenix in seven games. ... Reserve Chuck Hayes grabbed 10 rebounds for Houston.

CLEVELAND: Which moment shall we pick?

The one when DeShawn Stevenson waved his hand in front of his face after he made a 3-point shot with his Washington Wizards down 19?

Or when Brendan Haywood was ejected after a blatant and ugly flagrant foul on LeBron James as James drove to the basket?

Or when Gilbert Arenas spent much of the third quarter trying to bait Delonte West?

How about this one, more than any: When James answered Stevenson's ridiculous gesture by sinking a 3 of his own — right in front of Stevenson.

That shot summed up Game 2 between the Cavaliers and the Wizards better than anything.

While the Wizards were engaged in tomfoolery, the Cavs just played. Which is why they won 116-86, and why they lead the series 2-0.

The Cavs played as good a game as anyone could have hoped.

The Wizards deteriorated, and by the second half, they looked desperate — or like punks.

Take your pick.

Stevenson's signature move is to wave his hand in front of his face, but doing it when his team is getting shellacked was as amateur as it comes.

The same guy who called
James overrated has shot 14-for-62 in playoff games against the Cavaliers — 22.6 percent on your radio dial.

His team has lost eight in a row to the Cavs.

And he's going to wave his hand in front of his face to James?

The Toronto Raptors tinkered with their starting lineup and tried a few new plays early in their first-round playoff opener against the Orlando Magic.

The result? After 12 minutes and a barrage of Magic 3-pointers, they were down 43-23, and all but out of it with three quarters left. But Raptors coach Sam Mitchell doesn't think their 114-100 loss Sunday had anything to do with the changes.

"The problem was we didn't play defense in the first quarter," Mitchell said.

He's convinced they can do better. As evidence, he mentioned the last six minutes of the first half, when the Magic scored only three points.

"I think any coach in the history of all sports would take that," Mitchell said. "So we understand that we can play a lot better defense."
Mitchell said he intends to stay with Andrea Bargnani at small forward in Game 2 on Tuesday night instead of rookie Jamario Moon, who had started 75 games.

The Raptors wanted the 7-foot Bargnani's size to keep Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu out of the post, but it's out-of-position for the former No. 1 overall pick. Moon saw his 28-minute-per-game average shrunk to just 4:48 on Sunday.

"We're asking a lot of (Bargnani) to go out there, step outside and be involved in pick and rolls — something he's not used to," Raptors forward Chris Bosh said. "We know its tough on him but we're trying to take away their post-ups."

Bosh, too, will be making adjustments. Blanketed by Rashard Lewis, he was 4-of-11 from the field but a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line for 21 points in Game 1. He said Toronto was trying too hard to adjust to the Magic, the playoff opponent it has known for weeks it would draw.

"I think the players got caught up in it, especially on defense," Bosh said. "We'd start giving them lanes, trying to cut off their right or left hand instead of playing them straight up, and that's how they got a lot of 3s. Tomorrow we just need to play straight up, play a classic style of basketball."

The question for Orlando is whether it can sustain that level of offense. The Magic tied a playoff record by going 9-of-11 on 3-point shooting in the first quarter, but went 4-for-18 the rest of the way. Orlando averaged just under 10 3s per game this season.

"The 3 is sort of a streaky thing, and you hope on most nights it's something that evens out over the course of the game, and it did last night," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You're not going to keep up what we did in the first quarter."

It didn't help that Lewis, who led the team in 3-pointers made and hit 2-of-3 in the Magic's 43-point first quarter, tired himself out chasing Bosh.

"I had to pick my spots where I could take it on the offensive end, because he kind of wore me out trying to front him and fight him in the post," Lewis said.

Bosh said Lewis' strong-arming surprised him, but he thinks he knows how to play it now.

"He sat on my left hand — took me awhile to figure that out," said Bosh, a lefty. "I've seen that before and I've had success against it. Now I know the scheme and I can break it down and I know what I can get out of it. I'm going to definitely use everything early to set myself up for later in the game."

Though Toronto helped cool Orlando's 3-point shots later in the game, they couldn't solve Dwight Howard inside. The All-Star center had 18 points and 13 rebounds in the second half alone. Perhaps as important, the 59 percent free throw shooter made 9-of-11 from the line.

"Now we have to think twice about fouling him," Bosh said. "But we still have to see if that was only one game."

The Cleveland Cavaliers' extreme makeover is complete.

For more than two months since a colossal trade dismantled the defending Eastern Conference champions, Cleveland has waited for the game where its team of mixed parts and new faces finally molded into a legitimate NBA title contender.

It happened.

Maybe Gilbert Arenas was talking about some other Cavaliers a few weeks back. The team he faced Monday night doesn't look so beatable. LeBron James scored 30 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 16, and the Cavs played their best game since the Feb. 21 megatrade, blowing out the Washington Wizards 116-86 to take a 2-0 lead in an opening-round playoff series oozing with bad blood.

The 30-point margin of victory was the largest in Cleveland's 112-game postseason history, and the Cavaliers' performance was perhaps their finest 48 minutes since November.

"We are playing the champs," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "I know they changed their team. But they still have the same coaching staff, the monster player and he's taking over the series."

James was scary all right.

He scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Cavs opened a 25-point lead over the Wizards, whose defensive scheme coming into their third series in as many years with Cleveland was to slow the superstar by roughing him up with hard, clean fouls.

It may be time for Plan B.

The Wizards hardly bothered James, who finished with 12 assists and nine rebounds, barely missing his third career postseason triple-double. James went to the bench with 6:12 left. At that point, the Cavaliers were leading by 24 points and coach Mike Brown inserted seldom-used reserves Dwayne Jones and Damon Jones.

With his team up by 15 at halftime, Brown began reminding his team about the importance of staying aggressive. He only got in a few words.

"I didn't say anything," Brown said. "LeBron James did. LeBron started talking, I just left and the guys just followed his lead."

Wally Szczerbiak added 15 points for the Cavs, who have struggled with injuries and inconsistency since GM Danny Ferry dealt half his roster at the trading deadline. With Cleveland staggering, Arenas called out the Cavs, saying "I think everybody wants Cleveland in that first round" and "We don't think they can beat us in the playoffs three years straight."

Those comments followed Wizards forward DeShawn Stevenson calling James "overrated."

Washington is eating its words.

The Wizards have lost eight straight playoff games to Cleveland, and they'll have to figure out something before Thursday night's Game 3 in Washington or they'll be heading off on summer vacation, again courtesy of the Cavs.

Arenas went 2-for-10 from the field and Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were both 4-of-13 as the Wizards' Big Three combined for 28 points. The trio spent much of the fourth quarter sitting and thinking about what happened and the task ahead.

"For us to come out undisciplined and unfocused was real disappointing," Jamison said.

Despite all the trash talk, Jamison insists the Wizards weren't taking the Cavs lightly.

"We didn't underestimate anybody," he said. "We know this is a very special team. They didn't play well in the last month of the regular season, but just like any veteran team, when the playoffs get started you're going to elevate your game. "Let's be honest. Some guys talked. It's over with. We know this team is capable of not only going past the first round but going past that."

James withstood more rough treatment by the Wizards.

In the third quarter, Washington center Brendan Haywood was ejected for a flagrant foul on James. Haywood didn't make much of an effort to go for the ball and shoved James hard with both hands as he drove and the All-Star went flying out of bounds.

"It was scary," said James, who compared it to when he got undercut as a high school junior and broke his wrist. "I knew it was going to be a tough fall. I bounced up, though."

Haywood, who had an altercation with James in Game 1, could face further discipline for the intentional foul. He didn't speak to the media and was escorted from Quicken Loans Arena by a security guard.

James didn't have an opinion on whether Haywood should be suspended.

"It was not a basketball play in any shape or form," he said.

It was hardly the only physical one.

In the first half, Arenas was called for a technical foul and Cleveland's Anderson Varejao was given a flagrant foul after hitting Washington's Andray Blatche in the face.

The Wizards may be acting like bullies, but they insist they don't want to do anything more than make James work harder.

"There's a difference between taking hard fouls and trying to hurt somebody," Washington's Antonio Daniels said. "No one in this locker room or that locker room fouls anybody with the intention of hurting him. That's not the way the NBA is. That's not the way it's played. We all get knocked to the floor. That's playoff basketball. When you drive, you should expect to get hit."

The Wizards' problem in Game 1 was they missed shots the down stretch with a chance to win. They were cold again, but this time it had a lot to do with Cleveland's defense. Washington shot 38 percent from the field, missed 11 free throws and was outrebounded 49-34 while being outscored 80-50 over the final 30 minutes.

Notes: Jordan's message to the Wizards before Game 2: "Play harder, play better, play with more intensity, play smarter.'' ... The Cavaliers are 6-0 in series when they win Game 1, including 3-0 against the Wizards. ... Washington fell to 2-13 in their last 15 playoff games. ... The Wizards are 0-4 in Cleveland this season. The lost to the Cavs on Feb. 22, when Cleveland dressed just eight players one day after its three-team trade with Chicago and Seattle.

Washington guard Gilbert Arenas is expected to play in Game 2 of the Wizards' series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night despite a sprained right wrist.

Arenas

Arenas scored 24 points in the opener but apparently hurt his wrist in the fourth quarter while fouling LeBron James. Arenas was already slowed by a surgically repaired knee.

He participated in Monday's shootaround with a wrap on his wrist. Arenas spent several minutes after the workout launching long shots, trying to win money from teammates betting he'd miss.

"He seems to be ready to go," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan.

Arenas, who missed 69 games during the regular season after having surgery on his left knee, did not speak to the media following the shootaround.

Arenas came off the bench in Game 1 with 3:24 left in the first quarter. One of the NBA's deadliest outside shooters, he ended the period by dropping a 35-footer in the final second, draining the shot with a flick of his wrist over an unsuspecting Delonte West.

Arenas followed that shot with a pair of 3s early in the second quarter as the Wizards built an 11-point lead they couldn't hold.

West knows he can't give Arenas any room to shoot.

"Once he steps in the gym, I don't think there is any shot that's out of his range," West said.

Arenas made 8-of-16 shots in Game 1. Jordan doesn't plan to start Arenas anytime soon, but that could change if the Wizards fall behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Cleveland and Washington are meeting in the opening round for the third straight year. The Cavaliers won in six games two years ago and swept the Wizards in four straight last year.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the Philadelphia 76ers stun the Detroit Pistons 90-86 Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The Eastern Conference's second-seeded team was expected to beat the seventh-seeded Sixers by double digits and did lead by 15 midway through the third quarter.

But Philadelphia refused to follow the script.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets to start a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the first.

After Chauncey Billups missed three of four free throws and a layup in 2-plus minutes late in the game, he made two from the line to pull the Pistons within one with 45 seconds left.

Detroit's Jason Maxiell drew a charge on the ensuing possession, giving the home team a chance to avoid an upset.

The Pistons set up a play that created an open shot for Tayshaun Prince, but his jumper was short. After Andre Iguodala made one of two free throws with 11 seconds left, Rasheed Wallace missed a shot near the basket that would have tied it at 88.

Iguodala then made two free throws with 7 seconds left to seal the win.

Wallace had 24 points, nine rebounds and matched a franchise playoff record with seven blocks.

Both teams will get two days off before Detroit hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Iguodala finished with 16 points after a slow start, reserve Reggie Evans had 11 points and 14 rebounds and Thaddeus Young scored 10 for the Sixers.

Billups scored 14, Richard Hamilton had 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, Maxiell contributed 12 points and a career playoff-high 11 rebounds and Prince added 12.

The Sixers started and closed strong despite being the least-experienced team in the playoffs, matching up with a team that trails only the San Antonio Spurs in combined playoff games.

Philadelphia led by six points early in the game, but Detroit scored the last 11 points of the first quarter and held the Sixers scoreless for 5-plus minutes. That drought spilled into the second and included a cold stretch in which they made just 2-of-21 shots.

Wallace's 3-pointer midway through the second quarter capped a 23-6 run and gave the Pistons an 11-point lead.

The Sixers scored the first eight points of the second half and Detroit missed its first six shots before going on an 11-2 run to lead by 15.

The Pistons might've relaxed, joking with former teammate Flip Murray in the stands during timeouts, and Philadelphia made them pay for it.

Notes:@ Bob Lainer and Ben Wallace also blocked seven shots in the playoffs for the Pistons. ... The Pistons started the playoffs with 678 games of experience to Philadelphia's 95. ... Wallace was called for a technical in the first half, complaining about a call against teammate Prince. He had 12 technicals during the regular season, his fewest since he played for Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheers during the 2002-03 season in Portland. ... Theo Ratliff, a former Sixer, made his first playoff appearance for the Pistons since 1997 and had two blocks in his first 2 minutes.

Since I’m at the game tonight, the best way for me to cover the action will be to run my typical series of stream-of-consciousness observations. Let’s skip the rest of the preamble and head straight towards my deep thoughts.

Pre-Game


While I’m walking past the VIP parking lot on my way into the game, the passenger window of the next car in line reveals Boston Lenny Clarke, who frantically waves someone over the car to chat with him. For those unaware, Lenny is an actor/comedian who looks a lot like Shelley Winters but isn’t quite as funny. Lenny also has a reputation for starring in television series that get cancelled soon thereafter his joining the cast (call it the “Ted McGinley Syndrome”). Considering this little reputational nuance, I’m wondering how wise it was for the Celtics to roll out the red carpet to this walking bad luck charm.


The Atlanta Hawks Media Guide introduces Head Coach Mike Woodson’s biography with the following paragraph: “It is quite an accomplishment for any sports team to participate in postseason action, and for the Atlanta Hawks and Head Coach Mike Woodson, the journey has sometimes been a long and difficult one.” Hmmm. Happy to be here, blah blah blah. After reading that little summary of the Hawks’ postseason berth, I’m officially thinking sweep.


Game time. The place is electric and crowd is beyond amped, filled with a Boston crowd that hasn’t witnessed a Celtics playoff squad with a legitimate chance at winning the title in well over twenty years. Let the games begin.

First Quarter


Less than four minutes in, the Celtics are up 8-2. Kendrick Perkins is due at the line following Atlanta’s first “calm down timeout”. The Hawks look scared, taking ill-advised shots against heavy defensive pressure. During the timeout, the scoreboard shows the score of the Detroit loss to Philadelphia. The crowd strongly approves of this result.


Rajon Rondo’s line with five minutes left: 6 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Mike Bibby, meanwhile has 0 points and 1 technical foul called for barking at the ref on his way into the second timeout. Rondo’s defense against the veteran Bibby has been stifling thus far.


After a bad pass from Leon Powe, Rondo pulls one of his “throw the ball 100 mph against the nearest opponent so that it bounces out of bounds.” The opponent in question is Mike Bibby, who is having a worse day than the German Swim Team.


Red Sox players Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia and Davis Ortiz are shown on the Jumbotron sitting front row courtside. Out of uniform, rather than the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, Pedroia looks like the kid brother in charge of rounding up beers and girls under threat of noogies and ridicule.


At the end of the quarter, the Celtics get sloppy on defense and let the Hawks back into the game. With two seconds left, Rondo hits an incredible shot from behind the backboard after drawing a foul but the refs don’t give him the continuation. Regardless, the floor general is hotter than Gisele Bucnhen sitting on the surface of the sun. Score at the end of the first quarter: Celtics 29, Hawks 21.

Second Quarter


The second unit has allowed the Hawks to reach within two with ten left to play when Garnett comes into the game and immediately knocks down a jumper and returns The Force to its proper equilibrium.


Before being replaced by Rondo halfway through the quarter, Sam Cassell has led the Celtics back to an 11 point lead. This is where Boston’s depth is hard to beat.


Kevin Garnett picks up his third foul with 4:04 remaining. This is the best news that the Hawks have received all night.


At 3:39, Rondo draws a charge on Bibby, continuing to frustrate the veteran.

At 3:08, Al Horford draws a foul, hit’s the shot and converts the And 1. It’s not an original thought but I’ll remind everyone at this time that Al Horford is a smart, tough, savvy player who plays far beyond his limited rookie experience. He’s also playing a large role in keeping the Hawks in this game.


After a Joe Johnson three, James Posey responds seconds later with his own three, then grabs the rebound on the next defensive possession. This reminds me of the words of his former coach Pat Riley offered earlier this season in the bowels of this very building. After a drubbing by the Celtics, when asked to reflect on the loss of James Posey (due to salary cap considerations), Riley said, “James Posey is a big shot, big play, big time player.” True, that.


End of half, Celtics 49, Hawks 40. The Hawks are impressing with this unexpected heanging around act of theirs. The second half, of course, will be the far more revealing of the two.

Third Quarter


In the Hawks’ second possession, after Atlanta keeps the ball after back-to-back offensive rebounds, Celtics Assistant Coach and resident defensive guru looks like he’s going to rush the floor with a baseball bat for a little extra “coaching”.


At 7:47, Rondo in transition feeds Ray Allen with a perfect pass to behind the arc. Swish, followed by Atlanta’s first “calm down timeout” of the second half.


Three minutes left in the quarter and the Celtics are up by 14. A fair amount of misses on open looks and a lack of boxing out by the Celtics are the primary reasons that the game is within reach.


After an airball by Rondo, he knocks down a three, a jumper and a sick runner across the lane to bring the lead to 18 by the end of the quarter (Celtics 73, Hawks 55). Don’t look now but Lenny Clarke is getting ready to sing.

(P.S. Yes, that was a fat lady joke.)

Fourth Quarter


At 9:10, the Celtics get called for their fourth team foul (compared to Atlanta‘s one team foul). During the shots, Sam Cassell takes the time to explain to one of the refs what Dr. Naismith meant by the concept of fouls in his design of the game.

With seven minutes left to go, Sam Cassell nails a dagger three and brings the lead to 21. The crowd is happy and relaxed.


Just when the crowd seems to be getting a little sleepy, Leon Powe wakes them up with a jam against double coverage, including Josh Smith. I’m pretty sure Leon Powe could muscle a slam through a truck full of fast drying concrete. This from a guy who couldn’t get on the floor at the beginning of the season. Now he’s clearly an important (if unheralded outside of Boston) part of the rotation.


Instead of the fat lady singing, Doc Rivers officially signifies the win by replacing Kevin Garnett with Glen “Big Baby” Davis with 3:26 remaining and the Celtics up by 22. Garbage time has officially begun. The rest of the game will be on cruise control.


Final score: Celtics 104, Hawks 81.


In summary, the game pretty much went according to script. Atlanta showed some spunk and their athleticism bought them some time but at the end of the day, the played just well enough to lose by 20 against the team with the best record in the league on their home court. There’s no reason to expect any materially different result in Game 2 but, as snaky former Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams used to say, That’s why they play the games. Until Wednesday evening…

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Washington at Cleveland, 7:00 pm ET -- The AP reports: LeBron James endured a physical pounding in Cleveland’s 93-86 win in the series opener, an intense game that at times resembled a rugged version of two-handed backyard touch football. Beginning with a shot across the face from Andray Blatche—a blow he later retaliated by throwing an elbow into the forward’s chin—James was a marked man. The Wizards hacked and whacked him... Sunday was spent working on adjustments as the teams prepared for Monday’s Game 2. Before hitting the practice floor, the Wizards lamented missing open shots down the stretch. They carried a four-point lead into the fourth quarter but then went 4-of-20 in the period and misfired on 10 straight shots in the final 4:38... Gilbert Arenas didn’t practice Sunday because of a sprained right wrist, but he’s expected to play in Game 2...

Utah at Houston, 9:30 PM ET -- The AP reports: Without Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Jazz scored 50 points in the paint. And without Yao anchoring the offense, the Rockets seemed out of sync and tentative. They shot 37 percent, including several misses from close range... The scoring burden now falls on Tracy McGrady, and he couldn’t handle it Saturday. He scored 20 points, but none in the fourth quarter, when he was double-teamed. He finished 7-for-21 from the field and 1-of-5 from 3-point range... Point guard Bobby Jackson added to the Rockets’ struggles, going 3-for-15 from the field. Jackson is filling in for Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring April 13. Alston will sit out Game 2, but said Sunday he was aiming to return for Game 3 in Utah on Thursday... If the Jazz need to do one thing better on Monday night, Carlos Boozer points to offensive rebounds. The Rockets grabbed 18 and scored 23 second-chance points, while the Jazz had only 13 offensive boards and 14 second-chance points.

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San Antonio Spurs - Phoenix Suns 117-115 in the first playoff game. Tim Duncan Scores 40 points

SAN ANTONIO, April 19 (AP) -- Midway through the first quarter after missing two jumpers, Tim Duncan threw the ball up yet again, then held his arms wide.

This time, would the shot fall?

It did. And much later the Spurs' big man hit an even bigger one. Duncan's first 3 of the season with just ticks left sent his team into double overtime against the revenge-minded Phoenix Suns.

Then it was Manu Ginobili's turn, and his layup with 1.8 seconds left pushed the defending champions past the Suns 117-115 Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

Now the teams have two days to rest from their marathon best-of-seven Western Conference opener before meeting for Game 2 on Tuesday night.

"I got a wide-open shot. Wound it up. Threw it up there and hoped for the best,'' said a clearly tired Duncan, who had 40 points and 15 rebounds.

This year's rematch of what many dubbed last year's real finals - a tense and testy second-round series between the teams that the Spurs won in six games on their way to the title - got off to a wild start and more than met expectations.

"It feels like a finals game,'' Duncan said. "It's the first game of the first series, and we're going to have to muster energy back up.''

Early on, Game 1 did not look like it would turn into a thriller. The Suns controlled play for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16 points despite early foul trouble for Shaquille O'Neal. The Suns held a six-point lead with a quarter left in regulation.

The Spurs took their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter, but were down 93-90 with 1:10 to go after Leandro Barbosa's fast-break layup.

With 15 seconds on the clock, Michael Finley tied it at 93 for the Spurs to send it to overtime.

"We had the game won a few times and just weren't tough enough or disciplined enough to make every single play when it counted,'' said Steve Nash, who had 25 points and 13 assists.

Duncan made the big shot in the first overtime. With his team down 104-101, Duncan found himself all alone at the 3-point line.

After only a slight hesitation, he fired the ball and made it with 3 seconds to play. It was Duncan's first 3 of the season. He was 0-for-4 previously.

"I didn't know what was going to happen, honestly,'' Duncan said. "Manu turned the corner, Shaq just totally leaves me and stayed with Manu.''

In the second overtime, O'Neal's dunk tied it at 112 with 1:33 to play. Ginobili's layup put the Spurs ahead.

Nash missed a key 3 with less than a minute to play. After risky, cross-court inbounds pass to the Spurs' Brent Barry, he was fouled. Barry made one of two free throws.

With 15 seconds left, the Suns went to sharp shooter Nash. Nearly falling out of bounds in the corner, he hit a 3 that made it 115-all.

Then Ginobili drove the lane against Raja Bell and got to the hoop, as he often does, almost at will, and his layup fell.

"What I knew, before taking it to the rim, is that Shaq and Amare (Stoudemire) were not there,'' Ginobili said. "So, I knew if I had the opportunity to go get in there, get some legs into the shot, I had an opportunity to finish.''

Tony Parker added 26 points for the Spurs and Ginobili had 24.

"We had a lot of opportunities to win,'' O'Neal said. "You can't make mistakes against a team like that especially here in this building.''

But O'Neal wasn't completely contrite.

"I just wanted to play aggressive, but the floppers prevailed today. Amare and myself are going to continue to play aggressive,'' O'Neal said of his foul trouble. "Hopefully those guys will compete rather than just fall down.''

Stoudemire, who fouled out with 12 seconds left in the first overtime, led the Suns with 33 points. O'Neal scored 11 points.

"They know we let them have one,'' O'Neal said. "All we need is one in this building.''

Phoenix acquired O'Neal in a blockbuster midseason trade for a series such as this one to give the run-and-gun Suns a defensive boost.

O'Neal played just under four minutes in the first quarter after picking up two quick fouls. He was on the court for just 24 seconds in the second quarter before picking up his third foul and sitting out the rest of the half.

O'Neal missed two shots right off, the first when his dunk off an alley-oop pass missed. He didn't score in the first half.

Even though Phoenix got O'Neal to help their half-court game, the Suns, who still like to play quick, had only nine fast-break points in the game.

The Spurs, on the other hand, were able to punish the Suns with their strong suit. They had a 72-46 advantage in the paint.

"They're just not going to fold up their tent and go home,'' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They're going to make runs. This is their homecourt. You're going to have to beat them.''

Notes: There were quite a few Suns orange T-shirts dotting the crowd. ... The Spurs have eliminated the Suns in three of their last four postseason appearances. ... Finley had 13 points for San Antonio, and Kurt Thomas, who played for the Suns last season, grabbed 10 rebounds. ... Barry was playing just his third game for the Spurs since re-signing with them in March after a February trade sent him from San Antonio to Seattle. He's been sidelined this season with injuries to his calf. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich got a technical foul with 11:48 left in the second quarter. ... Parker and Thomas fouled out in the second overtime.

HOUSTON, April 19 (AP) -- Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 93-82 in the opener of their first-round series Saturday night.

Deron Williams had 20 points and 10 assists as Utah, 17-24 on the road during the regular season, won its second straight playoff game in Houston. The last victory came in Game 7 last season, and that was when Houston got help from Yao Ming.

Yao is not around for this one. He's out for the series with a foot injury and the Rockets have to wonder after Game 1 how they're going to compete with the Jazz inside. Utah had a 34-29 rebounding edge through three quarters and Boozer hit 10 of 20 shots.

Utah's reserves also played well, outscoring Houston's reserves 28-17.

Shane Battier scored 22 and Tracy McGrady had 20 points for Houston, which shot 37 percent (29 of 79).

The Rockets are also playing without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring late in the season. His backup, Bobby Jackson, scored seven points on 3-for-15 shooting.

Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first career playoff game Saturday night, lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a 104-92 come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their first-round series.

David West in his first playoff game since he was a rookie reserve, scored 23 points, and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 15 rebounds to help New Orleans storm back from a 12-point halftime deficit and win going away.

Denver Nuggets looks towards winning the Lakers Game

They embody the NBA's fusion of hip-hop and pick and roll, oozing of swagger, boasting of athleticism and as the unofficial titleholders of the team with the most body art.

These Denver Nuggets are star-studded and expensive, carrying one of the league's highest payrolls.

They scratched and clawed their way to the playoffs, finally curling their fingers around the Western Conference's eighth spot and earning a first-round matchup against the Lakers.

And for Denver, as with most playoff teams, there is praise and promise, scattered somewhere along with concern and compatibility.

TNT's Charles Barkley recently labeled Denver talented but also as "the most disappointing team in the league."

And the fallout from Carmelo Anthony's arrest this week on suspicion of drunk driving is yet to be ascertained.

"I think our team has to worry a little bit more about ourselves than most playoff teams," Nuggets Coach George Karl told reporters in Denver on Friday. "If we turn the light switch on and [keep] it on, we'll be fine. Sometimes it's a dimmer. I'm sure there's some sports psychologist out there who can figure it out."

It doesn't take one to figure out that something went right. It went right to the tune of 50 wins in Denver, the first time the Nuggets reached that mark since the 1987-88 season.

Largely because they can score.

The names alone of Anthony (25.7 points a game) and guard Allen Iverson (26.4 points) are enough to give an opposing coach insomnia.

They are major factors why the Nuggets won 10 regular-season games by 20 points or more.

The play of Denver's reserves -- outside threats J.R. Smith, who averaged 15.5 points in March and April, and Linas Kleiza -- will also be critical if the Nuggets are to win the series.

The Nuggets' problem is they like scoring so much, they let other teams do it at will too. Denver lost seven games by 20 points or more.

Their defense is largely centered on Marcus Camby, the league's reigning defensive player of the year, who patrols the paint and is assisted every once in a while by forward Kenyon Martin.

The team is rounded out by others who went through the regular season feigning as much interest in defense as a weekend hoopster playing at a local gym.

The Nuggets rise and fall with a risk-and-reward defense. Often Denver goes for steals and the chance at a fastbreak if it is there and often if it is not. "They probably have more talent than anyone in the NBA," Barkley said. "If they just tried to play defense, they could be scary."

Former Laker Michael Cooper, who coached the Nuggets for 14 games before Karl took over, said the Nuggets have an added dimension.

Playing in a high-altitude city, the Nuggets look to run their opponents until the other team's knees wobble. "And when they come to sea level, they try to turn it up even more," Cooper said.

But they also have the added baggage of Anthony's situation.

Compared to other stars in his draft class, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Anthony seems to have had the hardest time assimilating into the corporate components of the game.

Anthony apologized for his latest arrest, but he has been in several high-profile incidents since entering the NBA in 2003. He consented to a blood test in the DUI case, but the results won't be available for several days. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 14.

"Carmelo has had his off-the-court clashes in the past, but once you walk into that gym you leave everything behind you," Cooper said, before adding a small jab. "They take a bus to the gym, so it shouldn't affect him."

Instead, Cooper said, Anthony probably will be more affected by sharing the court with Iverson.

Both are scorers who thrive on one-on-one play. But because Iverson has the ball in his hands as a guard, he is able to more often create shots for himself.

"When I coached [Anthony], he was the go-to guy," Cooper said. "He's not that now. He's a second option. . . . If he's not the first option, he's a little more selfish and he's going to look to his shot and look to score. [Iverson] can come and take three or four shots and then [Anthony] is going to be looking for the next one even if it could be a bad shot."

Anthony was remorseful when he issued his apology, and at Friday's practice he appeared relaxed and focused in front of Denver reporters.

He is unflinching in his belief that the Nuggets can pull off an upset in his bid to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in his career.

"We're confident," he said. "We're the underdog right now. I love being in this situation."

Arenas Won't Start In Game 1

Gilbert Arenas came off the bench in the five games he has played since making his return on April 2, and he will be in that role again for Game 1 of the Wizards' best-of-seven first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan did not rule out making a change as the series goes along.

"Right now, we are looking at Game 1 and he is going to come off the bench," Jordan said. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to Game 2."

Since returning after missing 66 games following left knee surgery, Arenas averaged 14.6 points on 41.8 percent shooting with 3.8 assists in 21.6 minutes. Jordan said he hopes to expand Arenas's minutes in the playoffs. Antonio Daniels will start Game 1.

'Whether he starts or comes off the bench, I don't know if it's really different for an opponent,' Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'You would rather have him on the bench as long as you could if you are the opponent, I know that. No disrespect to their other players, but when you have a player like Gilbert Arenas, who is one of the best scorers in the league, every minute he is on the bench I would think is a good thing.'

After calling LeBron James overrated and making several other bold statements, Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson fully expects to be public enemy number one when Game 1 tips off today at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.

"I have to expect that, I mean, it's LeBron James so it's pretty much everywhere on the streets right now," Stevenson said. "I'm not worried about it. I have to go out there and stop LeBron; and Gilbert, Antawn [Jamison], and Caron [Butler] have to do the scoring. I think my job is easier."

Stevenson, who took a charge on James late in Washington's 101-99 win over the Cavaliers on March 13, will almost certainly be reminded by fired-up Cleveland fans that he shot a dreadful 19.6 percent during last year's first-round series, won by the Cavaliers 4-0.

During that series, center Brendan Haywood became something of a villain in Cleveland after engaging in a shoving match and exchanging trash talk with then-Cavalier Drew Gooden in Game 2. 'I don't think they're going to worry too much about me,' Haywood cracked. 'I think that right now, their focus is going to be on somebody else.'