Just a week ago, Milwaukee Bucks were 0-2, and their chances of winning the series were near impossible. But they've turned it around, managing to win 3 games in a row to lead the series 3-2. And guess what? They've done it without their star, Andrew Bogut, who had a season ending injury few weeks ago. Everyone on the Bucks, from Salmons to Delfino to Jennings to Thomas has stepped up big.
They were down by 17 points in the 3rd quarter of Game 5, but they ended the quarter with a 7-0 run. The game stayed close during the 4th quarter, as Atlanta's Joe Johnson fouled out. Hawks couldn't make a shot, while Bucks were playing hard on both ends of the floor. Bucks made all their free throws with a minute left of the game, and forced Jamal Crawford of the Hawks to force several shots. Bucks won 91-87, taking the lead of the series.
Tomorrow, Bucks have a chance to end the series and advance to the Second round to play the Orlando Magic. If Hawks are eliminated, this will be one of the biggest upsets during these past few years. I predict Atlanta to win Game 6, but they will have to play harder.
After winning Game 1, Nuggets have failed to win any other until last night. They're now down 2-3 against the Utah Jazz, as they go back on the road for Game 6 on Friday. They must win in order to keep their hopes alive of advancing past the First round. Carmelo Anthony is having a great series, averaging 34.5 PPG, 7 RPG and 3 APG, but not enough to give his team the series lead. The rest of the team has failed to step up constantly, from Chauncey Billups to Nene to J.R. Smith. Meanwhile, Deron Williams has proven to be the best Point Guard in the league. He's averaging a double-double putting up 28.2 PPG and 12.0 APG.
Not only the Nuggets have struggled on court, but off the court as well. The team is suffering of chemistry issues, and it's apparent. Few days ago, after their loss in Game 4, J.R. Smith tweeted: “You play selfish you lose selfish that’s all I’m saying about the game!” His comment has received a lot of heat and it seems like the team is falling apart, but last night's win might be a wake up call.
Denver can't afford to lose any other game, they have to win on Friday to force Game 7. The last time a team won a series after being down 1-3, it was in 2006 when Steve Nash led the Phoenix Suns past the Los Angeles Lakers. Here's a recap video of Game 5 between the Jazz and Nuggets:
Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics won Game 5 against their first round opponent, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, advancing to the second round. This will be a rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals from two years ago, when Boston eliminated Cleveland, and went on to win the Championship. But this time, it's a different scenario. The Big 3 of the Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have been battling injuries the past two seasons, while the Cavaliers have improved a lot.
I think this will be an interesting series, their games during the Regular season have been very intense. This series could go to 7 games, but I predict the Cavaliers to finish them off in 6. However, I wouldn't count the Celtics out. They've played great defense against LeBron James previously, and forced him to take bad shots. Boston have enough talent to eliminate the Cavaliers again, but they'll need the bench to step up. The Celtics bench has been very inconsistent this year, and they haven't contributed as much they are supposed to. In Game 2 of the first round, they only scored 12 points out of 106. Rasheed Wallace, who was supposed to give them a huge boost off the bench, has been disappointing, and he only averaged 3 PPG in the First round.
Neither team will go down without a fight as both teams have a lot to prove. This series could start this weekend so look out for it.
As I mentioned in my latest blog, I'll be doing a preview for the four games this Sunday. The first one starts a 3:00 PM (ET) as current NBA Champions, Los Angeles Lakers, take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. This should be a great series, Lakers have been struggling the last two months after losing Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant to injuries. Bryant is back while Bynum will most likely miss the first round. Thunder are a young team, and I believe they are good enough to upset the Champions. Kevin Durant of the Thunder, became the youngest player to lead the League in scoring this season. They also have many other talented players, like Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, James Harden, and many more. I think Lakers will win Game 1 and the series, but Thunder won't go down without a fight.
The second game kicks off at 5:30 PM, as Orlando Magic go against Charlotte Bobcats. If Bobcats can stop Dwight Howard, they will most likely come out victorious in Game 1. It's important to note that Bobcats's record on the road this season was 13-28, if they can't win a game of the first two, I believe the series is over.
At 8:00 PM, the San Antonio Spurs face the Dallas Mavericks. Last year, they played in the first round as well, and Dallas came out on top. I think they will once again eliminate the Spurs in the first round as long Dirk Nowitzki gets help from his teammates. A healthy Spurs squad should be able to beat the Mavericks, but they have been struggling with injuries since the beginning of the season. I pick Dallas to win Game 1.
And the final game of the night begins at 10:30 PM as Phoenix Suns play Portland Trailblazers. Blazers are a very good team, but they will be missing their superstar, Brandon Roy, for the first round, which is why I'm going with the Suns to win the series, including Game 1.
The regular season is over, 16 teams have qualified to the NBA Playoffs, but only one will win the Championship. The Playoffs start this Saturday, and we have 4 games. The first game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls is played at 3:00 PM (ET), the Bulls have struggled against Cavaliers during the regular season, and there's a huge possibility this series will be a sweep, because Cavaliers possess too many weapons for the Bulls to deal with, including the MVP, LeBron James.
The second game is played at 5:30 PM, as the Atlanta Hawks take on Milwaukee Bucks at home. After losing Bogut to injury, Bucks have been unable to defend the paint. Hawks have a very talented froncourt in Al Horford and Josh Smith which will cause trouble for the Bucks. They also have Joe Johnson who's one of the best scorers in the league, and with the Bucks' best player being injured, I think Hawks win this game and the series.
At 8:00 PM, the Boston Celtics play against Miami Heat. I think this will be a close series, but Heat will come out on top in Game 1. Celtics have been struggling for months, while Miami have continued improving. Jermaine O'Neal has been stepping up lately, while Dwyane Wade remains one of the best in the League. However, they will need Michael Beasley to contribute more if they want to advance to the second round. As I mentioned previously, this won't be an easy one for either team, Kevin Garnett has regressed this season due to injuries, but he will have to step up to lead the Celtics past the first round.
And finally, the division rivals, Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz meet at 10:30 PM. Nuggets have won the regular season series, 3-1, including a victory without their star players, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko of the Jazz, are injured, and they will most likely miss Game 1. If they aren't back by Game 3, I think Denver should easily win this series, as long they're able to step Deron Williams, who's arguably the best Point Guard in the NBA today. This will be a very interesting series, but I can't see Utah winning it if they're missing two key players.
I'm looking forward these four games, and I'll be doing a Preview for Sunday's games soon. Those were my personal predictions, feel free to leave yours.
Tyreke Evans is a special player, everybody should know that by now. Evans has become just the fourth player in NBA history to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his rookie season. He joined two members of the Hall of Fame, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson, and current NBA MVP, LeBron James.
"That’s just an elite three right there,” Evans said. “To have my name added is just a blessing."
History was made during Sacramento Kings' final home game of the season against the Houston Rockets. At halftime, Evans already had 22 points, but he needed two more points to assure he averages 20-5-5 for the season with only a game left on Wednesday. The crowd was behind him, but he struggled in the second half missing more than five shots in a row. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that he got his 24th point. He was fouled by Trevor Ariza, and went to the free throw line, converting both.
"That was the most pressure I'd had so far." Evans added. "I was more nervous than getting drafted. I'm still shaking right now as we speak. It was the toughest basket I ever had to get in my life but I'm glad I got it."
Evans might be on his way to win Rookie of the year as well, and I think he has the potential to be one of the best players in the league, and turn the Kings franchise around.
Below is a video of Evans scoring his 24th point, and his best highlights in his rookie season.
After defeating the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday, 104-103, the Charlotte Bobcats (42-37) have clinched Playoff Berth for the first time in the franchise's history. The club was founded in 2004, and they're located in the Southeast Division. They're seventh in the Eastern Conference, and they will most likely play Orlando Magic in the first round of the Playoffs.
They've made significant improvements this year, by acquiring Stephen Jackson from Golden State Warriors, who's having a great season. They also traded for Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, which improved their froncourt's defense. There's no doubt their coach, Larry Brown, has done a great job, and he's a top candidate to win Coach of the Year award. Gerald Wallace hasn't disappointed either, he's been performing great on both ends of the floor while averaging 18.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. He was selected as an All-Star earlier this year, becoming the franchise's first ever All-Star player.
Charlotte Bobcats are one of the most athletic and defensive teams in the NBA, they've performed great against Contenders, and they have the potential to upset the Magic in the first round of the Playoffs. I believe they're heading into the right direction, and they have a bright future. They've become one of my favorite teams in the NBA, because they play hard constantly, and I hope they make noise in the Playoffs.
Tomorrow night, the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls will be fighting for the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference. They're currently tied at 38-41, but only one team will the make Playoffs, and meet the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Each team has two other games left of the Regular Season, the Bulls play Boston Celtics (49-30) at home, and Charlotte Bobcats (42-37) on the road. Meanwhile, the Raptors play Detroit Pistons (26-53) on the road, and New York Knicks (28-51) at home. It's important to note that Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh will miss the rest of the regular season after being injured (facial fractures). Raptors have struggled without him, but they'll need to step it up on Sunday to make the Playoffs. They have played twice this Season, and the Raptors have won both meetings. Last night, Raptors lost to Atlanta Hawks, and the Bulls had a chance to take the eighth spot, but they couldn't capitalize against the worst team in the NBA, New Jersey Nets (12-67), losing in Double overtime.
I don't believe either team has a chance to advance past the first round, but it's always important to make the Playoffs. I think the winner of Sunday's match-up will end up being in the 2010 Playoffs, and despite missing Bosh, I think the Raptors will come out on top.
This past Tuesday, the Utah Jazz (51-28) beat Oklahoma City Thunder (48-30) in a playoff-intensity game. Several players of both teams had a great game, Kevin Durant of the Thunder, finished with 45 points and 7 rebounds, and his teammate Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 9 assists. Meanwhile, Carlos Boozer of the Jazz, finished with 28 points and 15 rebounds, but it was Deron Williams' night. He had a career-high 42 points, 10 assists, and he hit the game-winning shot.
With four games left of the regular Season, both teams are currently fighting for a better spot in the Western Conference. Jazz were up by 13 points in the fourth quarter, but Kevin Durant took over, leading his team to a comeback. During the last possession, Durant was forced to pass the ball to Jeff Green, who hit a three-point shot to tie the game up. The game went to overtime as both teams continued putting up a fight, until Deron Williams hit the game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds left.
However, Thunder took a timeout, and inbounded the ball to Kevin Durant who attempted a three-point shot. Replays showed that CJ Miles had fouled Durant as he went up for the shot, but there was no foul called. NBA President, League and Basketball Operations, issued a statement on Wednesday admitting that the referee missed the foul on Durant: "On the final play of last night’s Oklahoma City-Utah game, the officials missed a foul committed by the Jazz’s C.J. Miles on the Thunder’s Kevin Durant during a three-point shot attempt.”
This game will definitely impact the final Standings of the Western Conference, but regardless, it will be a night to remember. Here’s a video of the last 5 seconds of OT, which includes Deron Williams`game-winner, and the foul on Durant.
