NBA On TNT Playoff Notes: “Kevin Garnett was the man tonight. He was The Closer.”
(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
All of you who thought KG didn’t make big shots…witness last night
Something I always wanted to ask…Sup with the foggy almost surreal atmosphere in Boston? –Mizzo
Barkley on the Cleveland/Boston series: “I think (Cleveland vs. Boston) is going to be a very good series. It’s going to be a terrific series and I’m really looking forward to it. I still like the Celtics to win the series, but it can go either way because LeBron (James) is the best player on the floor. It’s going to come down to role players. Cleveland runs that horrible offense where they give the ball to LeBron and let him go one on five, that won’t work against the Celtics unless they speed up the tempo of the game and get (Wally) Szczerbiak going, get Delonte West going.”
Smith on the Cleveland Cavaliers matching up against the Boston Celtics: “(Boston is) vunerable, but the difference (with them playing Cleveland versus Atlanta) is that I don’t know if Cleveland can pull off the thing that Atlanta was able to do and that’s be more athletic in five positions on the court at one time. The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t put a line up out there like that.”
Barkley on Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce saying he wants to guard Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “(Paul Pierce) is crazy, saying that he wants LeBron James. That’s like me saying I want to go on a hunger strike.”
Webber on LA Lakers guard Kobe Bryant winning the MVP trophy: “(Kobe Bryant) has a few of those MVP trophies in my eyes. This is the first official one, but he’s been the best player in the NBA for a long time.”
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Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers (72) @ Boston Celtics (76) - The Celtics lead the series 1-0.
Announcers Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello with Cheryl Miller reporting
Fratello on Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo: “As we saw in the Atlanta series, (Rajon) Rondo has the ability to hang in the air and make some very difficult shots, whether they’re on balance or off balance his concentration and lift is excellent.”
Fratello on the depth of both the Boston and Cleveland benches: “A couple of pick-ups by both teams to make their teams stronger. (Joe) Smith came along in the trade along with Ben Wallace, (Sam) Cassell and PJ Brown (were) late pick ups in the season by the Boston Celtics to give them more depth, more experience. These are two very, very deep teams.”
Fratello on the aggressive offense of Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “One thing about LeBron James that you have to give him credit for is that he is a scorer who works for his points, he finds ways of putting points on the board. Nights when he’s not shooting well he goes after it and gets it with second shots, (he) gets out in fast breaks (and) gets to the free throw line. He works for his points.”
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Halftime
Johnson, Barkley, Smith and Webber
Webber on LeBron James’ play in the first half of the game: “This is an ugly game and I wouldn’t say that LeBron (James) has played great yet. (Boston) has been keeping the ball out of his hands and it’s been a game where you really can’t get the pace.”
Barkley on the Paul Pierce/LeBron James match-up: “I don’t expect Paul Pierce to have a great series because he has his hands full with the manchild (LeBron James). Even though he’s a terrific player, he can’t guard LeBron (James) because he’s too little and he’s got to think about defense even when he’s on offense.”
Barkley on the MVP race: “I thought three guys deserved the MVP award, but if I had a vote I’d go with the guy with the best record. I love Kevin Garnett, but I discriminated against him (for the MVP award) because he plays in the East against lesser competition. I was a little bit surprised that there was such a gap in the first place votes because I said whoever finishes with the best record between LA and New Orleans and it only came down to one game. I was surprised but Kobe (Bryant), well earned. Chris (Paul) and Kevin Garnett, great years.”
Smith on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant winning the MVP award: “I thought Kobe Bryant was the second best player all year. The first half of the season I thought Kevin Garnett was the best player and Kobe was right behind him. The second half of the season I thought Chris Paul had the best year and Kobe was right behind him. So consistency, keeping his team afloat even when Andrew Bynum went down, before Pau Gasol came then after Pau Gasol came he went and showed you what superstars do, which is take their team to the next level. (Kobe’s) the MVP in my book, without question.”
Webber on Kobe Bryant: “(Kobe Bryant’s) one of the few guys who does it on both ends. A lot of people talk about LeBron James and a lot of others guys and they’re great players, but at the end of a game guys are not going to check Kobe, but at the end of the game Kobe’s going to check those guys. I think he’s been deserving of the MVP for some time.”
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Fratello on the offensive play of Celtics forward Kevin Garnett: “(Kevin Garnett) is one of the few players who still has the confidence to use the glass. He takes advantage of the square back there and plays it off the glass.”
Fratello on the unselfish play of Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “I think often times when you have a star player who isn’t willing to give the ball up when teams come and double him to take the ball out of his hands the ball gets stuck. That doesn’t happen with LeBron James, he’s the most unselfish guy that you’ll ever see.”
Fratello on Kevin Garnett’s three-point shot to tie the game in the fourth quarter: “Big time players make big time shots when they have to with very little time on the shot clock or very little time in the game.”
Fratello on the offensive tandem of LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas: “I have seen Cleveland play a number times this year and I can’t tell you how many times Zydrunas (Ilgauskas) has tipped the ball around the rim because LeBron (James) brings all the big men to him.”
TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Kevin Celtics forward Kevin Garnett following the game.
Garnett on Ray Allen going scoreless in the game: “Tonight (Ray Allen) and Paul (Pierce), a lot of guys were just hyped. Second round, as the series goes they’ll settle in.”
Garnett on playing the game with energy despite being tired: “If you were to ever meet my mother, she’s one of the most energetic people I know in this world and I know that some of her toughest nights came was when she had to work second shift and she just got through it.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber
Smith on coaching errors by the Cleveland staff: “(If a game is decided by) seven points or more (and you can blame the loss on) the players and their effort, seven points or less and its tactical (coaching) errors that lose games. It was a big tactical error by the Cleveland Cavaliers (coaching staff) not making an adjustment and understanding that the Boston Celtics have some people that can guard LeBron (James) on the pick and roll and help and get back.”
Smith on must-win games: “In a playoff situation, in a seven-game series, when you start going to the second and third round there’s certain games, regardless of the number of game that it is, you have to win. This was a must-win because of the position that the Boston Celtics put the Cleveland Cavaliers in.”
Barkley on Kevin Garnett’s game performance: “Kevin Garnett was the man tonight. He was The Closer.”
Smith on David Aldridge’s report that this season Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has reached out more to his teammates and bought them dinner to build camaraderie: “(David Aldridge said) Kobe’s buying dinner (for his teammates), (that’s not a big deal, the big deal is) that he’s going to dinner. He’s making himself inclusive and we heard reports before that (he) seemed exclusive. He’s really done an excellent job of trusting his teammates in precarious situations now. I will say that last year he should not have trusted his teammates because they had opportunities where guys were open and did not deliver. This year that bench and those other guys have delivered and they’ve earned the trust and then he gave it to them and they earned the respect that he’s given to them as well.”
For a full replay of Inside the NBA log onto TNT OverTime on NBA.com or check out the “Daily Top 5 of Inside“.
TNT’s “40 Games in 40 Nights” Playoffs Coverage Continues Tonight
Five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber in TNT studio as an analyst
TNT’s coverage of the NBA conference semifinals, which includes home market exclusivity, continues tonight at 8 p.m. ET with Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons visiting Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in Game #3 of their second round series. The Pistons lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Calling the action will be Marv Albert (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Pam Oliver (reporter). At 10:30 p.m. ET, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers host Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz in the second game of their conference semifinal. The Lakers lead the series 1-0 following their Game #1 victory. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter) will be courtside. The night will conclude with the Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst).
NBA PLAYOFFS ON TNT SCHEDULE
DAY/DATE
TIME (ET) EVENT
Wed., May 7
8 p.m. Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic (Game #3)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Pam Oliver (reporter)
10:30 p.m. Utah Jazz @ L.A. Lakers (Game #2)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)
Sun., May 11
8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Charles Barkley (analyst)
8:15 p.m. New Orleans Hornets @ San Antonio Spurs (Game #4)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Charles Barkley (analyst)
Mon., May 12
8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Charles Barkley (analyst)
8:15 p.m. Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers (Game #4)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)
Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Charles Barkley (analyst)
Sphere: Related Content
May 7th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Hey - isn’t Kyra Sedgwick the Closer?
What did you think of LeBron’s attitude after the game? I’m proud of him for keeping his composure.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I’ll call you back in a bit C. That’s the one thing that separates LBJ from his peers is his composure. He’s unflappable and that strength will serve him well as he gets into the later stages of his career.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Mizz about the foggy set-up in the crowd: usually the pre-game explosions drain otu through the vents. sometimes, as was the case last night, they don’t. and you have that smoky look.