The Starting Five

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talked to TNT prior to Game #4

Jackson on San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili’s performance in Game #3: “The impact that (Manu) Ginobili had in the last 18 minutes of the first half (of Game 3) was tremendous. Every time we’d come back, he’d hit a three. We matched scores for a while and obviously, at the end of the half, we fell behind and stayed behind the rest of the game.”

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(Photo:Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

For the first time in the playoffs, Chris Paul was outplayed by a quicker Tony Parker

Congratulations to Robert Horry for tying Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s NBA playoff games record of 237.

Is he a Hall of Fame Player? Why or why not?

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(AP Photo/Mark J. Terril)
Does this look like a team led by a selfish superstar?

Game 1: Detroit Pistons (86) @ Orlando Magic (111) – The Pistons lead the series 2-1.

Announcers Marv Albert and Reggie Miller with Pam Oliver reporting

Miller on how Pistons center Jason Maxiell has found a successful way to post-up Magic center Dwight Howard: “(Jason Maxiell) has posed a lot of problems for Dwight Howard, who is about four inches taller (than Maxiell). He is using his legs to get underneath Dwight Howard a little bit down low. He’s not worried about the upper body strength of Dwight Howard He’s trying to get into his legs and bring him down to his size.”

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(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.”

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(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Get back young boy!

Game #1: Orlando Magic (93) @ Detroit Pistons (100) – The Pistons lead the series 2-0.

Announcers: Dick Stockton, Mike Fratello and Pam Oliver reporting

Fratello on Pistons center Rasheed Wallace getting off to a good start: “Rasheed’s ankle is better in case you were concerned.”

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(AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Chris Paul is as fearless as any athlete playing any game. Is he the real MVP?

Barkley on Game #7 of the Hawks/Celtics series: “I’m still going with the Celtics (to win the series), but if they lose (Game #7) it will be the biggest upset in NBA history. The Celtics need to relax. They don’t need to play in Atlanta (anymore); Atlanta has to win in Boston. Is everyone surprised this series has gone seven games? No question, but the Celtics have got to relax. That’s why they play the regular season; they’ve got the home court (advantage). Nobody talks about the job (Hawks head coach Mike Woodson) has done getting the Hawks to the playoffs. Everyone thought this series was going to be a Boston sweep. I take my hat off to the Atlanta Hawks.”

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(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

The clamps: Once Iggy got past Prince, Roscoe was there waiting

Wade on getting in shape to play on the US National team this summer: “My body will be good. Next week I start working out with my trainer, Tim Grover in Chicago. My trainers from Miami all come down and we all get to work on my body. I’m trying to get as healthy this year as I’ve ever been in my life. They Olympics are very important, not only for me but for the USA…I’m 100% in, unless somebody else tells me that I can’t play.”

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(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.”

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How many points is Chris Paul adding to Tyson Chandler’s career total?

Barkley on the Mavericks at practice: “Maybe (the Mavericks) were talking about where they are going to go on vacation after the game, because they are going to lose tonight.”

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KG and the C’s are looking to get the ATL outta there

Smith on Atlanta Hawks guard Mike Bibby focusing on the wrong thing with his comments about Celtics fans: “The one thing that Mike Bibby should allude to is that (the Celtics are) a real team. They’re playing against a team that can win the NBA title for sure and those are the things he needs to concentrate on, the execution things that the Hawks need to do.”

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(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.”

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Could this be the year KG and PP do the damn thing?

Notes from the TNT NBA Playoffs Conference Call

Wednesday, April 15, 2008

TNT tips off its “40 Games in 40 Nights” of NBA Playoff coverage on Sunday, April 20 with a first-round tripleheader (times TBD).

I got a chance to be a part of this call today with a lot of NBA beat writers across the country. I really appreciated Reggie and Charles’ honesty on some subjects. Can’t wait till Sunday.

Participants:

Charles Barkley – TNT NBA studio analyst

Reggie Miller – TNT NBA analyst

Jeff Behnke – Turner Sports executive producer

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(Photo:Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bucket!

Barkley on the Dallas Mavericks needing a playing identity: “I think the Mavs just haven’t figured out how to play, they only have one way to play. They have to figure out a way to become the Phoenix Suns, they need to outscore people…They are not going to have a good half-court team, they’ve got to run and gun and let Jason Kidd make (Brandon) Bass and (Erick) Dampier better. It’s no secret, they have to speed up the game, they can only play one way.”

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