Big fourth quarter gives New York opening-day victory.
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Tag Archives: Paul Pierce
Anthony comes up big in fourth quarter
Video: Backstage Look at Players Before NBA’s All-Star Practice
Filed under: Celtics, Heat, Knicks, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos
LOS ANGELES — The NBA holds a public practice for its All-Stars on Saturday morning every year as part of the All-Star weekend festivities. Not much happens of course, other than players going through a few shooting drills for show, and the coaches reviewing the most basic of plays with their newly assembled squad. It’s mainly a chance for fans to see the game’s biggest stars up close and in person, assembled in one place at as intimate a venue as you’ll find in NBA circles.
Before the players took the floor, they were all hanging around in this sort of backstage area which was also open to the media, even though there were no interviews being conducted. Mostly it was the players interacting with each other as if no one else was around.
In the video clip below, you’ll see the majority of the All-Stars doing exactly that.
Paul Pierce Says Players Are Unified as Labor Negotiations Continue (Video)
Filed under: Celtics, NBA Rumors, NBA Videos, NBA CBA
LOS ANGELES — Paul Pierce was among the players in attendance for Friday’s meeting between the union and the league owners, and there’s a reason. Pierce was around the last time there was a labor stoppage back in 1998, and as a veteran of that situation, he believes he can provide some valuable insight this time around.
Pierce briefly discussed the topic during his session with the media this afternoon, and said that while not much has changed in the negotiations, it hasn’t stopped the players from discussing it. And he believes they’re all on the same page.
“The way it’s been going since last year, there really hasn’t been any movement on the talks,” Pierce said. “But the players do talk about it amongst our teams. I think this year, the players are really unified and interested in carrying our league forward.”
Video of the rest of Pierce’s comments on the labor situation can be seen in the clip below.
Celtics Continue Dominance Over Heat
BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James and the Miami Heat could not win in Boston in the regular season. And now they may have to do it in the playoffs. Rajon Rondo had a triple-double, and James missed a crucial free throw with 12.5 seconds left in the Celtics’ 85-82 victory over Miami on Sunday. Boston improved to 3-0 against the Heat this season, taking back the top spot in the East and clinching the potential tie breaker for home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The teams will play again in Miami on April 10.
“They are the defending Eastern Conference champions,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You have to go through them, and they ain’t going to make it easy. We understand that this isn’t going to be an easy ride for us, and that’s where we’re at our best.”
The Heat eliminated most of a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and trailed by 83-81 with 19 seconds left when they brought the ball in from a timeout and got it to James at the top of the key. He drove on Paul Pierce and drew a foul. He missed the first free throw and made the second.
On the ensuing inbound pass, James went into the stands for the ball but merely knocked it to Ray Allen; the Celtics got the ball downcourt to Glen Davis, who was fouled. Davis hit both foul shots with 6.3 seconds to go, and Mike Miller missed a 3-point attempt in the final seconds that would have sent the game to overtime.
HORSE Gets Heave-Ho at All-Star Weekend
Filed under: Celtics, NBA All-Star Game, NBA Videos, Thunder
When the NBA announced its list of contestants for this year’s Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on Tuesday, there was one name that didn’t seem to fit as well as the others. Defending champion Paul Pierce and teammate Ray Allen were obvious selections, and three of the other four — Daniel Gibson, Dorell Wright, and James Jones — are all shooting north of 40 percent from downtown on the season.
But Kevin Durant?
Sure, Durant is the league’s leading scorer, a legitimate MVP candidate, and one of the game’s brightest stars. But from three-point land he’s shooting under 35 percent, which is good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 92nd place in that category this season.
So on the surface, Durant’s inclusion in this event doesn’t seem to make much sense — until you realize that the event he has won at All-Star weekend for each of the last two seasons will no longer be taking place.
Blake Griffin, Four Celtics Headline 2011 NBA All-Star Reserves
Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, Timberwolves, Eastern, Western, NBA All-Star Game, Thunder
NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is going to his first All-Star game, and Kevin Garnett matched an NBA record with his 14th straight selection as one of a record-tying four Boston Celtics headed for the midseason event.
Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will accompany Garnett, who equaled Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal and Karl Malone for the most consecutive selections. The Celtics joined the 2006 Detroit Pistons as the only teams to have four players picked as reserves by the coaches.
Griffin, the Rookie of the Year favorite of the Clippers, will be playing on his home floor in the Feb. 20 game at Staples Center. Joining him on the Western Conference team were Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili of the NBA-leading Spurs; forwards Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and Pau Gasol of the Lakers; and guards Deron Williams of Utah and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, who joins Griffin as the lone first-time selections.
Chris Bosh will go to Los Angeles with Miami teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who were elected as starters. The other East reserves picked Thursday were Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.
Blake Griffin, Four Celtics Headline 2011 NBA All-Star Reserves
Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Jazz, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs, Timberwolves, Eastern, Western, NBA All-Star Game, Thunder
NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Griffin is going to his first All-Star game, and Kevin Garnett matched an NBA record with his 14th straight selection as one of a record-tying four Boston Celtics headed for the midseason event.
Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will accompany Garnett, who equaled Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal and Karl Malone for the most consecutive selections. The Celtics joined the 2006 Detroit Pistons as the only teams to have four players picked as reserves by the coaches.
Griffin, the Rookie of the Year favorite of the Clippers, will be playing on his home floor in the Feb. 20 game at Staples Center. Joining him on the Western Conference team were Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili of the NBA-leading Spurs; forwards Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and Pau Gasol of the Lakers; and guards Deron Williams of Utah and Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, who joins Griffin as the lone first-time selections.
Chris Bosh will go to Los Angeles with Miami teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who were elected as starters. The other East reserves picked Thursday were Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.
2011 NBA All-Star Starters Revealed, What About the Reserves?
Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Jazz, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Eastern, Western, NBA All-Star Game, Thunder
Denver coach George Karl likes to say each All-Star squad should have 15 players, rather than 12.
It’s a great idea for the West this season, with there about to be some serious snubs. As for the East, 10 seems a better number this season in a conference that after the top teams has as much depth as the local park’s kiddie pool.
Perhaps the East should concede two spots to the West. Throw in that Houston’s Yao Ming, named the West starting center, will miss the Feb. 20 Game in Los Angeles, and that would give the West 15 players with All-Star recognition.
The starters were announced Thursday night, and there wasn’t anything to complain about other than how ridiculous it was that fans (hello, China) continued to vote for Yao in bunches even after it was announced Dec. 17 he was out for the season with a foot injury. Even before then, he was averaging 10.2 points in a meager five games.
The East starters will be Orlando’s Dwight Howard at center, Miami’s LeBron James and New York’s Amar’e Stoudemire at forward and Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Chicago’s Derrick Rose at guard. Other than Yao, West starters named were Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony at forward and the Lakers‘ Kobe Bryant and New Orleans’ Chris Paul at guard.
Now, on to the reserves. After the coaches cast their ballots, here’s who should be announced next Thursday as well as which players might be ticked off:
Alvin Gentry: Right Now, Amar’e Stoudemire Is MVP
Filed under: Knicks, Suns, NBA Awards
PHOENIX — Amar’e Stoudemire made his return to Phoenix on Friday as a member of the opposing team for the first time since bolting for a max deal with the Knicks last summer. Stoudemire has been playing as well as he did with the Suns — if not better — and has unquestionably been the centerpiece of the Knicks’ turnaround so far this season.
Stoudemire’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed by his former head coach Alvin Gentry. And in fact, before the teams hit the court, Gentry went as far as to say that Amar’e is the MVP to this point of the season.
“Right now, I would say he was,” Gentry said. “I think if you take what he’s done for his team — you know, and I mean obviously everybody is going to say, well, how can you say that with LeBron? But (with the Heat), you’ve got LeBron, you’ve got another guy that could be MVP, and another guy that possibly could. You’ve got three guys down there.
“(In New York) it’s just him, and he’s playing at a really really high level, and his team has been successful. If I was voting right now, I would probably say that he would be my vote at this stage of the season.”
More Coverage From Phoenix:
Stoudemire Shines as Knicks Crush Suns | Video: Stoudemire Discusses Knicks’ Win
Stoudemire Shines as Knicks Crush Suns | Video: Stoudemire Discusses Knicks’ Win
Stan Van Gundy Fined $35K by NBA; Paul Pierce Fined $15K
Filed under: Celtics, Magic, NBA Referees
Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Saturday for his critical comments of NBA officials, in which he accused referees of targeting Magic center Dwight Howard in their crackdown on technical fouls.
“They (officials) are looking for him, no question. They make a call on him and they are looking for his reaction. Other guys get away with stuff. He’s going to have to accept that, they are looking for him. Every one of them (officials),” Van Gundy said after the Magic’s Thursday night victory over the New York Knicks. “For other guys, they look away. He’s not going to be treated like everyone else in the league.”
Howard picked up his league-leading 12th technical foul of the season early in the win over the Knicks, putting him just four away from a mandatory one-game suspension.
