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NBA Playoffs: Celtics & Sixers Clinch, Lakers Don’t

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The Eastern Conference semi-finals are set, as Philadelphia and Boston each won Game 6 thrillers at home to clinch and set up a second-round date with each other, joining Indiana and Miami. Out west, there’s still more work to be done, as the Denver-LA Lakers series will go to a seventh game. TheSportsNotebook looks back on last night’s three games and ahead to tonight’s Game 6 with Memphis and the LA Clippers…

Philadelphia 79 Chicago 78: No one can fault the Bulls’ effort. Even without Joakim Noah they hit the boards with a vengeance, demolishing the Sixers on the glass to the tune of 56-33. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer alone combined for 30, nearly matching the entire Philly team. But the Sixers play good defense and Chicago’s missing its star, and the combination produced some ugly offensive numbers for the Bulls. Boozer shot 1-for-11, while Derrick Rose stand-in C.J. Watson went 2-for-11, concluding a series in which he definitively established he’s not meant to be more than a backup point guard, at least on a team with serious postseason aspirations. In spite of a good game from Rip Hamilton and Deng’s best efforts—he scored 19 to go with his 17 rebounds, Philly got 20 from Andre Iguodala and was able to survive. The question has been raised about whether the 76ers need to in effect, apologize for their series win because of the injuries to Rose and Noah. The answer is clearly no—injuries have been a part of every sport since the first time man started keeping score. But on the flip side, to suggest even having just one of Rose or Noah couldn’t have swung one of three close games in Philly the other way is to live in an alternative universe.

 

Boston 83 Atlanta 80: The Celtics didn’t shoot the lights out the way they did in the Garden in Game 4—they laid bricks from behind the three-point line all night, going 2-for-15 as a team with Ray Allen ice cold. Atlanta hit its own threes, with Marvin Williams connecting on 4-of-5. But Kevin Garnett bailed out Boston with a 28 points/14 rebounds night that included a big turnaround jumper in the paint that gave the C’s the lead for good in the closing minute. Boston also had a big edge from the foul line, scoring 19 points to Atlanta’s 9. And it’s the one point the Hawks didn’t get from the line that the fans will remember—when Al Horford missed the first of two shots when he had the chance to tie the game with three seconds left. It was the classic formula for a win by one of the league’s marquee teams on their home floor—they got a genuinely clutch game from a star, the opponent came up short at a key moment and you kick in a little favorable officiating—I almost flipped when they whistled Josh Smith for a technical foul because he didn’t check in properly in the second half of a close game. It all came together to give the Celtics a series win, and improbably, homecourt advantage for the second round against Philadelphia.

Denver 113 LA Lakers 96: Speaking of that whole formula for a marquee team theory, the Lakers didn’t have homecourt, nor did they have a star playing well—in fact, Kobe Bryant played with the flu—but they did get some help from the officials, getting 30 free throw attempts to Denver’s 17, with Bryant and point guard Ramon Sessions alone going to the line 12 times. I guess a “don’t touch the guards” rule was in effect. It didn’t matter last night, because the Nuggets shot the lights out, at 51 percent from the floor and 10/20 on treys. Ty Lawson buried five shots from behind the arc on his way to a 32-point night, Denver got contributions up and down the lineup and this game was never even as close as the score makes it sound, with the lead being up over 20 most of the second half. But watch that officiating tendency—could be a warning sign for Denver of what awaits in Game 7  at Staples on Saturday night.

We’ve got six of eight spots for the second round filled up, and one Game 7 set. The other series on the board is Memphis-LA Clippers, where the Clippers will get a chance to close the series on their home floor. Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will be ready to go after leaving Wednesday’s Game 5 with knee and ankle sprains. For the Clippers, I’m watching to see if Paul has a “get-on-my-back and I’ll carry you” kind of game, especially in the fourth quarter.  On the flip side, I think Memphis has to avoid putting their own point guard, Mike Conley, in that kind of battle with Paul. While Griffin may be the best post player on the floor, Memphis is deeper up front. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph finally awoke in Game 5, and if they can do it again tonight, they’ll create a seventh game opportunity back home on Sunday.

NBA Playoffs: Lakers, Sixers & Celtics In Command

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The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have to get a win in Denver to win their first-round series, but championship teams find ways to scrape out W’s on the road and shorten a series. That’s exactly what Los Angeles did last in Game 4, as they beat Denver. With the Lakers, along with the Sixers and Celtics, taking 3-1 leads in their first-round series, it feels like we’re living some early 1980s retro—all we need is Dr. J, Magic and Bird in the house to make it complete. And the fourth game going Sunday, Heat-Knicks, is also at 3-1, although in this case it’s because New York staved off elimination. TheSportsNotebook recaps Sunday’s grand slam and looks ahead to Monday’s doubleheader…

LA Lakers 92 Denver 88: Los Angeles won the rebounding battle and that was enough to win the game. Pau Gasol  and Andrew Bynum were decent, combining for 16 boards. But the real factor was Jordan Hill coming off the bench at center to produce 11 rebounds, along with 12 points. With Kobe leading the scoring charge, with 22 points and dishing 8 assists, the Lakers had enough to win the most defensive-oriented game of this series. The Denver backcourt failed to control the pace and make their taller, older opponent really play all 94 feet. Two-guard Aron Afflalo is the biggest culprit—with just six points last night it was his worst game of what was already a forgettable series.

 

Philadelphia 89 Chicago 82: Media storylines don’t always tell you everything, but the storyline that says this shocking development for #8 seed Philly is all about Chicago’s injuries to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah is pretty much on the button. The Bulls are renowned for their defense, but with these two players out, the 76ers have gone right at the replacement. Point guard Jrue Holiday had 20 on Sunday, the latest in a stellar series for the man who would normally be guarded by Rose. And center Spencer Hawes, not a huge factor in the first two games with Noah on him, looked like Charles Barkley reincarnate in Philly with the opposing starter out these past two games. Hawes scored 22 yesterday. Chicago’s Carlos Boozer played like the season was on the line, with 23 points and 11 rebounds, although his five turnovers contributed to a Philly edge in this category. Taj Gibson had a solid game off the bench, the three guards—Rip Hamilton, C.J. Watson and John Lucas have to hit on all cylinders if the East’s top seed is going to rally and yesterday only Watson was involved in the offense.

Boston 101 Atlanta 79: The Celtics simply shot the lights out. They were 51 percent from the floor, but the figure was up over 60 percent for an extended period in the first half and early second when the game was put away. The C’s hit 11/26 from three-point range. To illustrate how hot they were, Rajon Rondo, for whom a 10-footer is a major challenge, connected on two treys. Passing isn’t a major challenge for Rondo and he had 16 assists. There’s nothing Atlanta can do about a hot shooting team other than just come back stronger, but their own backcourt was appallingly absent last night in the Garden. The Hawks played a three-guard lineup to start, and Joe Johnson, Jeff Teague and Kirk Hinrich combined for 16 points, well short of Johnson’s 29 by himself in Game 3. Atlanta was not going to win last night no matter what they did, but they certainly made Boston’s job a lot easier.

New York 89 Miami 87: I’ve been dumping all over New York from the time the playoffs began, but I’m going to give them some credit for not mailing this one in, calling it a season and hoping Phil Jackson can be talked out of retirement to coach them. Amare Stoudamire came back and had a 20/10 day, while Carmelo Anthony clearly decided that MSG was his house and poured in 41 points. The backcourt is still terrible—the top four guards combined for 15 points, and now Baron Davis is out with an ugly knee injury. But the team brought the effort and deserves a tip of the hat for that.

The top half of the Western Conference bracket goes tonight…

San Antonio-Utah: The Spurs can close out a series sweep here and the only thing I can think of stopping them is if Utah gets off to a strong start and Gregg Popovich decides to pace his veterans and just close it out at home in Game 5. If San Antonio gets out quick, or at least answers desperation intensity from the Jazz right away, this one will be done.

Memphis-LA Clippers: Memphis has the second of what are three chances to reclaim homecourt advantage. They coughed up a lead in Game 3 to give away their first chance—this after blowing a 27-point fourth quarter lead in Game 1 to put themselves behind the eight-ball to begin with. Who exactly is the team who had playoff success last year and who is the one who’s new to the spotlight? Memphis needs to start acting like the former.