(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Whassup Etan? What’s good with you?

Barkley on the Mavericks and the Suns making personnel changes: “I hate to see Avery Johnson (get fired) but coaches are going to get fired. Mike D’Antoni in Phoenix pushed for the Shaq (O’Neal) trade. Hindsight is 20/20 and the trades did not work. I thought it was admirable of Dallas to get Jason Kidd. I thought it was admirable for the Suns to get Shaq. The Suns lost because they don’t play any defense. The Mavericks lost because they aren’t a good team top-to-bottom. I know that Jason (Kidd) is going to get the blame, but they aren’t a very good team.”

Smith on what Avery Johnson did for the Mavericks: “We know what Avery Johnson did (for the Mavericks), he changed the culture. They were known as (being) very soft with no identity. And he did bring an identity.”

Barkley: “Now they’re bad-asses sitting at home.”

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Game #1: Washington Wizards (88) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (87) - Cavaliers lead the series 3-2.

Announcers: Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, Marty Snider reporting

Miller on the high emotions of the Cavs and Wizards: “The emotions are high between these two teams, the Cavaliers have knocked out the Wizards the last two years. I’ve been in situations like this with the Pacers, it’s always heated during playoff time and the emotions run high, but if you’re Eddie Jordan and you’re Mike Brown, you’ve got to settle your teams down.”

Miller on Michael Jordan never complaining about the hard fouls thrown at him during his career: “In the days of the (Pistons’) Bad Boys with Bill Lambeer, Rick Mahorn, and Dennis Rodman and even Joe Dumars to a certain extent, they always tried to put their hands on Michael Jordan. It was like spinach for Popeye, he got stronger, he got more involved. Even when he played Pat Riley’s Knicks, Charles Oakley, who was one of his good friends, used to take him out of the air. (Jordan) never really said anything, he just punished you at the offensive and defensive end.”

Miller on the Wizards deciding to toughen their style of play for the playoffs: “I think LeBron (James) is surprised; this is not the Wizards, they are not a physical team. If this were a series against the Detroit Pistons he probably wouldn’t haven’t said anything because they are known for their defense. But the Wizards, they are an up and down team. They are known for their offense, but come a playoff series you want to be tough? You’re known for your offense, your tri-headed monster, do what you do best.”

TNT’s Marty Snider interviewed Wizards coach Eddie Jordan after the first quarter.

Jordan on the altercation between Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Wizards forward Darius Songaila: “There was a foul on Darius (Songaila) but I thought they got tangled up, LeBron and Darius’ arms got tangled up and LeBron was the one that tried to free himself going up and Darius’arm being caught, it hit him in the chin and I know that’s what happened. They called the technical on Darius and we’ve got to live with it.”

TNT’s Marty Snider interviewed Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas who is out for the rest of the season due to injury.

Arenas on making the decision to sit out for the rest of the season. “It was a tough one, we’ve done everything we can to get me out there and playing, but I’m still beat up. I barely made the flight because I couldn’t walk. I’m glad the team gave me the opportunity to come back and try my luck in the playoffs and I respect them for that, they could have said no. But as a team they said, ‘come on, we accept you, come out and play.’”

Arenas on whether he would like to return to Washington next season: “Of course, this is the city that embraced me and I would love to come back if they want me back.”

TNT’s Marty Snider interviewed Wizards forward Caron Butler at halftime.

Butler on the Wizards’ play in the first half: “(The Cavaliers) started loading up a little bit more. I was trying to do a better job of getting my teammates involved and that’s exactly what happened, we’ve still got the lead at the half and we’ve got to build on this momentum.”

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Halftime

Johnson, Smith and Barkley

Smith on the Wizards needing to keep their composure: “(The series) started with a lot of trash talk, and the second thing is that physicality erupted because of that. You can be physical with LeBron (James) and physical with your team, but you have to keep your composure. Keep your physicality, but keep your composure.”

Barkley on the Wizards being overly physical: “Physical is part of the game, hard fouls are part of the game, but you can’t be dirty. The Washington Wizards have crossed the line this series.”

Smith on the Wizards operating better without an injured Arenas: “(Arenas) needs to have the ball to operate, when he’s not 100% he can’t operate and all of a sudden you’ve got four guys standing around. Without him, they don’t have a guy who can do that so they move the ball and they move their bodies and they get better shots.”

Barkley on the NBA issuing no suspensions for Celtics center Kendrick Perkins and Hawks forward Marvin Williams stepping onto the court during a skirmish in Game #4 against the Hawks: “I applaud the NBA for not suspending these guys, it’s a bull rule. You only suspend guys if they escalate the situation; they were wrong for suspending those guys for the Suns last year. It’s a stupid rule and they need to change the rule.”

Smith: “It’s a perfect rule to keep knuckleheads from jumping into situations they shouldn’t be in.”

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Miller on Cavaliers forward Wally Szczerbiak: “It looks like Wally (Szczerbiak) is trying to get out of quicksand, he is three steps slower than everyone else on the court.”

Miller on the Wizards needing to refrain from mental mistakes: “You hope the Wizards don’t do anything dumb like hard fouling like they did in Game #4. Right now, letting sleeping dogs lie. Don’t do anything dumb to wake him up.”

Caron Butler on the Wizards trash-talking with the Cavaliers: “I’m the captain of the team, Antawn (Jamison) is the captain of the team and when you here our voice, that’s the voice you need to listen to. We don’t talk, we are doers, we go out there and play hard and we are some of the most professional dudes you will meet, and our team follows. Just because a guy states an opinion that in his mind he felt (LeBron James) is overrated, so be it. But now things have gotten pretty much blown out of proportion and now I’ve got to get back to basketball.”

Miller on Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “LeBron James looks like he’s in a better rhythm this game as opposed to the previous four.”

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Game #2: Atlanta Hawks (85) @ Boston Celtics (110) - The Celtics lead the series 3-2.

Announcers: Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, Cheryl Miller reporting

Fratello on the Celtics closely guarding Hawks guard Joe Johnson at the start of the game: “You see the extra attention that the Celtics are paying to Joe Johnson, last game the Celtics opened up with a 16-3 run, (with) Atlanta finishing the quarter on a 20-3 run. You hear over and over again, the NBA is a game of runs, there is some truth to that.”

Fratello on the maturation of the Atlanta Hawks as the series has continued: “As we’ve watched this Atlanta Hawks team grow up in front of us, now we see them hang around, they don’t panic, they work their way back in, they stay within the game plan. That wasn’t there in Games #1 and 2, that’s because this is a very, very young basketball team.”

TNT’s Inside Trax showed Hawks coach Mike Woodson giving a pre-game speech to the Hawks.

Woodson on the Hawks being 14 wins away from winning the NBA Championship: “Watching Phil Jackson talking about the Lakers and how he puts up every year 16 wins…we’re 14 wins away from winning the NBA. If that doesn’t drive you, there’s something crazy. And this supposed to be the best team in basketball. Let’s go try to get us some wins.”

Fratello on the skirmish between Hawks center Zaza Pachulia and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett: “It was maybe the biggest play of the game for the Atlanta Hawks because the message they sent was ‘we’re tired of getting beat up, we’re not going to let you push us around, we’re going to stand nose to nose’.”

TNT’s Inside Trax showed Celtics coach Doc Rivers talking to his team during a timeout.

Rivers talking to the Celtics huddle at a timeout: “Don’t get caught up in just your guy, you’re playing great, you’re playing great, you’re playing aggressive but it’s the little things with the team defense.”

Stockton on the positive feedback Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave in the huddle: “In Games #1 and #2 there were always things he didn’t like, but he’s saying they’re playing great.

Fratello: “A coach knows when to build a team up and when it’s time to tear it down a little and start over again. Doc Rivers, he’s trying to give them confidence again. He knows it’s a short series, there’s a lot of pressure on them he’s trying to get this team playing loose and understand that it starts with defense.”

Pierce on keeping the Hawks out of transition in the first half: “That’s the key, you’ve got to keep these young guys with a lot of energy out of transition because they can get to flying and get to jumping and get excited and get confident. So we took care of that part, got them in half court and we’re in business.”

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Halftime

Johnson, Smith and Barkley

Smith on Celtics guard Sam Cassell playing more aggressively in Game #5 to prove himself: “I know he doesn’t want me to say this, but I’m going to bring it out. I talked to Sam today and he was a little disappointed that down the stretch (the Celtics) didn’t go to him. I told him ‘they didn’t bring you here for the first round, they brought you here for past the first round in those late playoff games against Detroit and everyone else.’ He was like, ‘I’m coming out aggressive today. Because I just want him to know what he has in here.’ (Sam Cassell) takes you to spots, it doesn’t matter how long you are, how quick you are, how good you are, how high you can jump, he runs the spots in the floor and he takes you to the spots.”

Barkley on the Celtics needing Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to step up their game: “It’s time for Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to step up. They are terrific players, but neither one of them have had a breakout game, I see Paul is really being aggressive, but him and Ray Allen have got to step up. KG has been the man on that team all season, but those two guys are more accomplished offensively than Kevin Garnett, they need to step up especially at home.”

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Fratello on the Hawks having a tough time winning in Boston: “You shouldn’t be surprised because for one, the franchise hasn’t been to the playoffs in a long time. Now you’ve got this young roster going into this building against a team that has the best record in the NBA with a lot of veteran guys. It’s just tougher to win on the road. You would think there’s hope for their fans, that building (during Game #4 in Atlanta) was energized.”

Fratello on the leadership of Celtics forward Kevin Garnett: “It’s great when you have a leader that people will follow and they follow (Garnett) because he’s an unselfish basketball player, he’s a guy who has high energy night in and night out.”

Fratello on Celtics guard Sam Cassell getting open looks: “Most of Cassell’s looks have been way too easy, there’s no defender within three or four feet in front of him and he’s winding up getting shots that he’s knocking down like he’s in practice.”

Fratello on the Charlotte Bobcats hiring Larry Brown as their head coach: “Larry Brown, a terrific hire by Michael Jordan, a great teacher. He was out for two years and really looking forward to getting back in the practice sessions, on the court and coaching this young team with a lot of promise.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Celtics forward Kevin Garnett after the Celtics win over the Hawks.

Garnett on what they’ve learned in their two losses against Atlanta: “Composure, continuing to keep the intensity very high, you see the difference in intensity tonight. We’ve got to continue this pressure when we go to Atlanta.”

Garnett on playing Celtic basketball: “Celtic basketball is sharing the ball and sharing yourself on both sides of the court. Tonight defensively we were fine, offensively we can get better, but I’m sure Doc will have us watch tape.”

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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley

Barkley on what the Hawks need to do to be successful: “Atlanta is a very enthusiastic team when they (are able to) run-and-gun. It’s great that the Hawks fans came back; it used to be great back in the day. But if you let them run-and-gun, they are a high-flying team and (the Celtics) are going to be trouble. As long as they are walking the ball up the court, they are going to have trouble scoring in the half-court. (Hawks players) can’t get going if they aren’t running-and-gunning.”

Smith on how the Hawks playoff appearance will be beneficial next season: “This is a valuable experience for the Atlanta Hawks. Normally after your first playoff experience, when you come back for the regular season, you’re accustomed to playing at a higher intensity. It carries over into the regular season. So (next season) they might not sneak into the playoffs, they might get a six-seed and they start causing some damage. Regardless of the (current) situation, it has been a positive experience for the Atlanta Hawks.”

TNT’s Marty Snider interviewed Wizards guard Caron Butler after the Wizards Game #5 win

Butler on the basket he made late in the fourth quarter: “(Wizards head) coach (Eddie Jordan) just went to me. He told me he wanted to get me the ball and let me create and I wanted (the game) on my shoulders. After meeting with Mr. (Wizards owner Abe) Pollin and seeing how bad he wanted this win, he said to win this one for him. So Mr. Pollin, this one’s for you.”

Smith on the Cavaliers standing back and watching LeBron James with the ball: “Cleveland has the tendency to get into a lull of watching LeBron (James), giving him the ball and spreading out the court. That’s pretty good in the park, that’s pretty good in summer league and that’s pretty good in the NBA regular season but in the playoffs if you have (four) guys watching one it becomes difficult, not only on LeBron but the shooters who are standing (still) with not body movement or ball movement. It takes a lot of pressure to knock down shots, and you’ve got guys running at you and you haven’t moved to get into an offensive rhythm. LeBron got a great shot (at the end of Game #5) because he is Superman, but they are asking him to be Superman for five plays.”

Hat Tip: Odenized

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 3:31 pm and is filed under Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Caron Butler, Charles Barkley, Charlotte Bobcats, Cheryl Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Songaila, Dick Stocton, Doc Rivers, Eddie Jordan, Ernie Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Hyundai, Inside the NBA, Kenny Smith, Kevin Garnett, Larry Brown, LeBron James, Marty Snider, Michael Jordan, Mike Fratello, Mike Woodson, NBA On TNT, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Sam Cassell, TNT, Washington Wizards, Zaza Pachulia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.