NBA Playoffs On TNT Notes: GO SIXERS!!!
(KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/Detroit Free Press)
I Gotta give Reggie his shine for an outstanding performance
Barkley after seeing footage of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard shirtless in the locker room: “If I had a body like that I’d walk around with my shirt off, too.”
Barkley on Game #1 of the Spurs/Suns series in which the Spurs won by two points in double overtime: “I like Mike D’Antoni, he’s a hell of a coach. But the next time one of you coaches don’t foul when you are down three (points) with less than 10 seconds to go I’m going to kill somebody.”
Magic Johnson on the Spurs/Suns series: “I’ve been involved in the NBA almost 28 years and I’ve never seen a game like the San Antonio/Phoenix (Game 1). That was the best played basketball, superstars were superstars – (Steve) Nash was superstar, Tim Duncan was a superstar yesterday. We saw great defense, we saw Shaq (O’Neal), even though he didn’t score a lot of points he played great defensively and he made a difference for (Amare) Stoudemire to go down the lane and be free to dunk. What’s really going to be great in this (series) is that the coaches will play a part in this…every coach has to make good moves in these series, that’s what makes the playoffs great.”
Smith on the impact of coaching on the NBA Playoffs: “If you lose by ten points or more, it’s usually the players fault, they didn’t come to play and they didn’t execute. But when you go seven or less (points), that’s coaching. Most of these games will be (won by) seven or less, so coaching will take a major stage in the NBA Playoffs.”
Barkley on the Nuggets/Lakers series: “When you think about Denver, to me they’re like a boxer who has a puncher’s chance because (Allen Iverson) and Carmelo (Anthony) can dominate four games, so I don’t know if they are going to win the series, but this is going to be a six or a seven game series.”
Barkley on Detroit being the underdog team this year: “I think (the Pistons are) on a mission. I think they realize that they can’t screw around this year. (They’re thinking) ‘We’re not the best team.’ They’ve always been the best team in the East …but they’re the underdog this year and I think they want to send a message.”
Magic Johnson on the Atlanta/Boston series: “I can’t wait to see Kevin Garnett (in Game #1 of the Atlanta/Boston series) because all season long he’s been an unbelievable professional; he’s led the team not just on the court but in the locker room. He’s brought the franchise back to being a team that we care about once again. He could win the MVP as well. This is great because the Celtics are going to come in with the mindset to sweep Atlanta. I’m happy for (Atlanta head coach) Mike Woodson and I’m happy for Atlanta (that they made it to the playoffs).”
Barkley on the Atlanta/Boston series: “The Atlanta Hawks can’t win this series, but I want to see them compete. They have a lot of talent from top to bottom…(Al) Horford is my pick for rookie of the year…This is going to be fun. They can’t win the series but I just want to see them compete.”
Smith on the Atlanta/Boston series: “The great thing about the Celtics is that they have an identity now. The scary thing about the Hawks is that they might not know any better. They might come in, be free-wheeling, they’re going to be young, they’re going to be athletic, which are things that the Celtics are not when they put certain line-ups on the floor. (The Hawks) have a chance to scare (the Celtics).”
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Game 1: Toronto Raptors (100) @ Orlando Magic (114) – Orlando leads the series 1-0.
Announcers Matt Devlin and Mike Dunleavy; Stephanie Ready reporting
Dunleavy on the Western Conference playoff match-ups: “One through eight (in the West), these are the best match-ups I’ve ever seen. Ever.”
Devlin on the parity of play in the West: “I talked to Avery Johnson a few weeks ago and he said, ‘It really doesn’t matter where you finish in the West, one through eight (seed). Anybody can beat anybody.’ Just getting in is the key.”
Dunleavy on Raptors center Rasho Nesterovic: “(Rasho Nesterovic’s) been a bright spot. He’s done a nice job of when the ball’s being sent to him and when (Dwight) Howard’s in the paint he goes and tries to help everybody else out. He’s come through for them…He’s a real pro. One thing about the NBA and the 82-game schedule is that you’ll get your shot if you’re ready to take advantage of it.”
Dunleavy on Magic center Dwight Howard: “(Dwight) Howard does such a great job with those wide shoulders. Once he dives the paint he seals people and keeps them on his back, it’s tough to get over him…He’s a special specimen from a body standpoint, in size and strength.”
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Halftime
Ernie Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson on New Orleans Hornets forward David West poking Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki in the face during Game #1 of the series: “I’m from the 80′s where something had to happen (if another player put his hands on you). Dirk (Nowitzki), you have to do something or a teammate has got to do something. You can’t let a man, not in the playoffs, put his hands up on your face.”
Barkley on the West/Nowitzki incident: “I love Dirk Nowitzki, he’s a great player, but (the Hornets) are saying to you, ‘We think you are soft,’ that’s what it means. You have to slap his hand down…and the Mavs have to say, ‘You can’t do that.’”
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Dunleavy on Magic center Dwight Howard: “(Dwight) Howard gets a lot of opportunities, he gets a lot of lobs, he gets a lot of dunks and he’s a very good finisher. You’d see him be a better scorer in the fourth quarter if he could make free throws.”
Dunleavy on the Orlando/Toronto match-up: “The best thing that happened to Orlando was Toronto coming back like they did. If they would have blown (Toronto) out then in Game #2 we might have some fat cats sitting there. Toronto has gotten Orlando’s attention and they’ll be better prepared in Game #2.
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Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers (90) @ Detroit Pistons (86) – Philadelphia leads the series 1-0.
Announcers Marv Albert and Reggie Miller; Dei Lynam reporting
Miller on Philadelphia Sixers guard Andre Miller guarding Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince: ”I don’t know if Mo Cheeks wants to make that a steady diet of having Andre Miller on the 6’9″ Tayshaun Prince. He has too much size down low for him.”
Miller on Sixers forward Thaddeus Young: “I like what Thaddeus Young is doing. They are not going to call a lot of plays for him but where he’s going to get his offense is on the offensive glass.”
Miller on Sixers general manager Billy King: “You have to give a lot of credit to Billy King, he’s the one that went out and scouted a lot of these younger players and really pulled the trigger. I don’t think he gets the just do of orchestrating and having a fingerprint on this team.”
Miller on Pistons head coach Flip Saunders: “One of the criticisms of Flip Saunders the last two years is that he didn’t really utilize the bench. This year he’s made more of a focus towards those guys.”
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Halftime
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Magic Johnson
Smith after Ernie Johnson called him a Hall of Famer: “That’s like calling someone a doctor who really isn’t a doctor. Unless you’re Dr. J.”
Barkley on Detroit Pistons center Rasheed Wallace: “If Rasheed Wallace wanted to be the best player in the world, he could be. He doesn’t have the concentration to do it, but if he just said to himself I’m going to be the best player in the NBA he could do it…He’s arguably the most talented player to ever play in the NBA. Is he the best player? No, because he doesn’t have the concentration but this guy is scary.”
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Miller on key factors to playoff success: “In playoff basketball you have to take care of the basketball and when opportunities are there you have to score on them.”
Miller on the Pistons attacking the Sixers’ strength: “Teams that are normally good at one thing do not like to be attacked in that (same way). Offensive rebounding has been the Sixers’ forte this year and what do the Pistons do right here in Game #1? They are attacking the offensive glass.”
Miller on the errant ball thrown out of bounds by Pistons forward Antonio McDyess: “I don’t know who (Antonio McDyess) was looking for but the Tigers play right down the road and they are looking for a little pitching with the kind of start they got this year.”
Miller on the Pistons being down two points with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter: “The one thing about the Pistons is that (being down by two points at the end of the fourth quarter) doesn’t phase them. They’ve been in these situations time and time again. So really, let’s see how the Sixers are going to react to situations like this.”
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Game 3: Atlanta Hawks (81) @ Boston Celtics (104) – Boston leads the series 1-0.
Announcers Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello; Cheryl Miller reporting
Fratello on the addition of guard Mike Bibby to the Atlanta Hawks: “What Atlanta needed was a leader at the point guard spot and they needed another guy that could make shots and take the pressure of Joe Johnson.”
Fratello on the athleticism of Hawks forward Josh Smith: “Talk about athleticism. We saw (Josh) Smith block it, pick it up and then take it coast to coast and finish at the other end. And he’s just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding the game of NBA basketball.”
Fratello on his seven seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks: “Atlanta was such a great run for me, it was my first head coaching opportunity and I had the opportunity to work with Doc Rivers, Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, the whole crew of players that had such a great run there.”
Fratello on Celtics guard Sam Cassell missing a layup: “Two or three years ago (Sam Cassell) would have had the lift to get up there, but not any longer.”
Fratello on Hawks guard Joe Johnson: “You tend to think of Joe Johnson as a scorer but he also has the ability to pass the basketball….Many people don’t realize just how good a player Joe Johnson is. Obviously his years in Phoenix, playing with Steve Nash, really helped him get open looks at the basket. I happened to be coaching in Memphis and we played against them in the playoffs and Joe Johnson played the point guard, the two-guard and small forward position against us in that particular series. Regardless of what he was doing, passing, shooting or defending, he was outstanding.”
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Halftime
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Magic Johnson
Barkley on the Hawks: “Obviously the Celtics are the better team, but the Atlanta Hawks are one of the more athletic teams in this league. They really struggle in the half-court set and they really don’t have a go-to guy. Not just this year, but also for the future, they have to play at a much faster pace.”
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Fratello on the Hawks relying on the playoff experience of guard Mike Bibby: “What (the Hawks) want to see is the Mike Bibby that played all those great playoffs games for Sacramento for a number of years. That’s the guy they need in here to help Joe Johnson out, help this very young Hawks franchise.”
Fratello on Hawks guard Mike Bibby’s style of play: “Keep in mind that (Mike) Bibby is not the prototypical point guard that is going to run the show for you, get people involved. With Bibby you have to understand that he’s a guy that’s a shot maker, he has a scorer’s mentality even though he handles the ball for you. They got to run a few more things for him to get him shots.”
Fratello on MVP consideration for Celtics forward Kevin Garnett: “It’s going to be hard not to give (Kevin Garnett) serious consideration (for this year’s MVP). He anchors the league’s best defense and he is the key to the success of the team with the most wins in the league this year. How can you not consider him?”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley
Magic Johnson on how the Celtics can stay focused throughout the playoffs: “You have to know what you are playing for…you’re playing for the (NBA) Championship. That means that you only go game by game. You have to always make them understand that they can’t beat you. Boston has always got to remind Atlanta of that. If they stay focused, especially on the defensive end, the offense is going to take care of itself, they can score with anybody. It’s their defense that triggers their fast-break and their offense.”
Barkley on the unselfishness of the Celtics: “The reason you knew this team was going to work was because all three of these guys (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) are nice guys, they aren’t selfish and they’ve all had great individual success. (Celtics GM) Danny Ainge did a great job of bringing them together. They are on a mission…Boston is just going to stomp (Atlanta) every game and let them know that they don’t have a chance.”
Barkley on the difference between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons: “We never know which Detroit team is going to show up. In the first half (vs. Philadelphia) you saw good Detroit and in the second half you saw bad Detroit. The Celtics play the same (consistent) music all the time. The Pistons (are inconsistent and) play hip-hop, then jazz, then hip-hop, then jazz. They are up and down all the time.”
Barkley on the inability of the Pistons to play at a high level consistently: “They always think they can turn it on. We think they are a different team this year because last year against Cleveland, they felt that Cleveland couldn’t beat them and before you know it, LeBron (James) made plays down the stretch (and Cleveland won the series). (The Pistons) are always guilty of playing down to the level of their competition.”
Magic Johnson on Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace joking around with the 76ers towards the end of their game: “I never toyed with anybody I played against in the playoffs. I had a chip on my shoulder, I was moody, cranky, I was crazy. You wouldn’t see me playing around with anyone. I dislike (my opponents). My concentration was on the next play and the next play. If (Detroit) doesn’t realize what happened to Dallas last year (vs. Golden State) it can happen to Detroit. Detroit has not only got to play good, they have to play hard.”
Barkley on the Nuggets returning to Denver between the first two games of their series vs. Lakers: “They are going back to ‘enver…there’s no ‘D’ in Denver.”
TNT’s Stacy Paetz interviewed Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl after the Nuggets/Lakers game
Karl on the Nuggets returning to Denver following their game #1 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles: “I like being at home; I think it’s a more comfortable place. It’s a better place to adjust and work. When we had an off-day after an afternoon game, it was very easy to say ‘let’s go’ (back to Denver).”
I’ve always wanted a guy like reggie Evans on my team. Just defend and rebound like hell… love thos types of guys