Author: katadmin

Nowitzki likes the quiet Cuban

Bombastic Dallas owner Mark Cuban faded into the woodwork during the Mavericks’ playoff sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mavericks leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki prefers for his owner to continue his silence.

The Express-News’ Mike Monroe earlier this week. And the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Nowitzki was happy that a “silent and backed-off” Cuban  during the recent Lakers’ series.  

“Yeah, it should be about the players and not the owner,” Nowitzki said. “We played a great series. We fought hard and battled. That was fun. I haven’t seen Mark since then, and that’s probably a good thing.”

Cuban became a huge storyline during the Mavericks’ loss in the 2006 NBA Finals, bitterly complaining about officiating after his team squandered an early 2-0 lead by losing the final four games to the Miami Heat.

Since then, Nowitzki said that Cuban hasn’t been nearly as vocal.

“He is still fired up,” Nowitzki said. “He is still such a huge fan. He is still in it with his heart. He is positive. Sometimes he yells. He picks his spots better.

“He is not as hands-on as he once was. He is still hands-on for an owner but not as hands-on as he used to be.”

But what about it Spurs Nation?

Would you prefer for Cuban to be a major part of the playoffs, or merely a quiet afterthought?

TP: “I don’t think this current team will play for the title in the future”

Tony Parker painted a sobering assessment of the Spurs franchise during a recent interview in Paris with L’Equipe and other French journalists earlier this week.

Parker told them that he doesn’t think the current makeup of the Spurs roster. (Hat tip to Sports by Brooks.com)

“I don’t think this current team will play for the title in the future,” Parker said. “We are aging. We must be realistic. It was sort of our last chance this season.”

Parker was blunt in his assessment about the Spurs, who raced to a 61-21 record during the regular season before they were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs by Memphis.

“”We can’t count on trades to happen,” Parker said. “We’re going to have to rely on the draft, but Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) has made many good choices.”

Parker said he met with Popovich in a post-season meeting that was difficult for both of them.

“It was a huge disappointment for us,” Parker said. “I went to see Pop (Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich) at the training center. He was sad, Tim (Duncan), too.

“We’re all frustrated because we had a great regular season during which we dominated. But it was a tough match-up for us (against Memphis.) They dominated us inside.”

Parker, who turned 29 earlier this week, is the youngest of the Spurs’ “Big Three” that also includes Duncan and Manu Ginobili. And when he says that the Spurs’ current roster title hopes are gone, it’s a significant statement from somebody who should know about his team’s chances for success.  

Here’s a of Parker’s Paris interview (with English subtitles) along with aprovided by FIBA’s official web site.

“The Heatles” huge S&D effort boosts Miami into Eastern finals

When LeBron James took less money from Miami than other suitors to leave his home area, he envisioned a night like Wednesday’s series-ending victory over Boston.

It’s why James knelt on the court after the Heat’s 97-87 victory over the Celtics in an emotional, unforgettable response to the end of the game.

James scored eight consecutive points during a pivotal late-game run that primed the Heat’s victory, giving them a 4-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.

“Everything went through my mind at that point,” James told reporters after the game. “Finally getting over this hump against this team. Everything I went through this summer, with ‘The Decision’ and deciding to come down here to be a part of this team … because I knew how important team is to this sport … and all the backlash I got from it.

“I’d be up here for two hours if I tell you exactly everything that went through my head. Very emotional at that point, you know, and happy we got through it as a team.”

James’ big effort supported Dwyane Wade, who produced 34 points, 10  rebounds and five assists in the victory.

“It took a 5 1/2-month season for us to get to this point … to exorcise these demons,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told NBA.com. “It was a series all of us wanted since training camp.”

In the process, James and Wade led Wednesday’s Studs and Duds by catapulting the Heat into the Eastern Conference Finals against Chicago. The first game is Sunday night.

“The Heatles” can hardly wait.

STUDS

Miami G Dwyane Wade: Tallied 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and was plus-8 in the Heat’s series-ending 97-87 Game 6 victory over Boston.

Miami F LeBron James: Notched 33 points — including eight consecutive points in a pivotal late-game run — and added seven rebounds, four assists and was plus-14 in the Heat’s triumph over the Celtics.

Oklahoma City F Kevin Durant: Produced 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and was plus-19 in the Thunder’s convincing 99-72 Game 5 triumph over Memphis.

Oklahoma City G Daequan Cook: Came off  the bench for 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and was plus-9 in the Thunder’s victory over the Grizzlies.

Miami F Chris Bosh: Notched 14 points, 11 rebounds and was plus-14 in the Heat’s victory over Boston.

Boston G Ray Allen: Hit 5-for-10 from 3-point range en route to a team-high 18 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the Celtics’ loss to Miami.

Boston F Kevin Garnett: Filled the stat sheet for 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked  shot in the Celtics’ season-ending loss to Miami.

DUDS

Memphis’ offense: The Grizzlies shot a season-worst 35.9 percent from the field, matched their season-worst scoring total and were outrebounded 50-33 in the Grizzlies’ loss at the Thunder.

Memphis G Mike Conley: Went 4-for-16 from the field with three turnovers and was minus-22 in the Grizzlies’ loss at Oklahoma City.

Memphis G Tony Allen: Struggled in a 4-for-13 shooting effort with three turnovers and was minus-17 in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Thunder.  

Boston F Paul Pierce: Clanked through a 5-for-12 shooting effort with four turnovers and was a team-worst minus-15 in the Celtics’ loss to the Heat.

Miami G Mario Chalmers: Went 1-for-6 from the field, missing all four 3-point attempts in a two-point effort in the Heat’s victory over Boston.

Memphis G O.J. Mayo: Hit only 2-for-9 from the field and was minus-24 in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Thunder.

Memphis F Zach Randolph: Limited to a playoff-low nine points on 3-for-9 shooting and was minus-12 in the Grizzlies’ loss to Oklahoma City.