Sunday 5/13
Chicago v Detroit (Pistons up 3-1) – The Bulls managed to stay alive and avoid the sweep yesterday in Game 4 by not imploding under pressure for once. Luol Deng (10-15 FG, 25 points & 13 rebounds) and Kirk Hinrich (7-15 FG, 19 points & 10 assists) both played well and Chicago may have cleared a daunting mental hurdle with this victory.
This was the first time in this post season that the “normal” Detroit Pistons showed up. By that I mean the nonchalant bunch that thinks they can make all the plays down the stretch to eek out wins. If the boys from Motown had played with the same intensity Sunday that they did in Game 1, this series would be over already. It also didn’t help the Pistons cause when Rasheed Wallace (4-16 FG), Chauncey Billups (5-14) and Richard Hamilton (4-12) couldn’t throw it in the ocean.
I still think this one is over in Game 5, but the Bulls may play free and easy now that they’ve gotten over the hump. And if the Pistons give another blasé effort, this series may yet return to the Windy City.
Golden State v Utah (Jazz up 3-1) – Utah went back to what got them here by riding the inside presence of Carlos Boozer (13-19 FG, 34 points & 12 rebounds) to an overpowering win. Deron Williams (20 points, 13 assists & 6 rebounds) out played Baron Davis (15 points, 7 assists & 4 steals), but Derek Fisher scoring 14 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter, including three daggers in the final 5:54, really sealed the deal. The Jazz closed the game on a 22 to 10 run and outscored the Warriors 40 to 23 overall with only *one* turnover in the final stanza.
Those 4th quarter numbers, along with Davis, Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson shooting a combined 14-43 (32.6%) from the field, seem to suggest that GS is tiring from a physical standpoint. Further proof of fatigue, this time mental, was issued when B Diddy dropped D Fish with an elbow to the right ear with 1:37 to play. Then J-Rich got in the act by clotheslining Memo Okur with just :37 seconds remaining. Richardson was issued a flagrant two and ejected immediately while Baron was not whistled for a foul at all.
You can’t count the Warriors out just yet (roster intact) with the way they shoot threes, but a sure sign that things aren’t going well is that GS coach Don Nelson has adjusted *his* lineup and rotation, and not the other way around. Nellie started out with Andris Biedrins in the middle but has now added Al Harrington to the mix as his main PF. This gives GS a “traditional” starting lineup and steers them away from the “small ball” that got them here. Chalk up another victory for Utah, and more specifically coach Jerry Sloan, for making the Warriors bend to their style and pace of play.
This was the first time in this post season that the “normal” Detroit Pistons showed up. By that I mean the nonchalant bunch that thinks they can make all the plays down the stretch to eek out wins. If the boys from Motown had played with the same intensity Sunday that they did in Game 1, this series would be over already. It also didn’t help the Pistons cause when Rasheed Wallace (4-16 FG), Chauncey Billups (5-14) and Richard Hamilton (4-12) couldn’t throw it in the ocean.
I still think this one is over in Game 5, but the Bulls may play free and easy now that they’ve gotten over the hump. And if the Pistons give another blasé effort, this series may yet return to the Windy City.
Golden State v Utah (Jazz up 3-1) – Utah went back to what got them here by riding the inside presence of Carlos Boozer (13-19 FG, 34 points & 12 rebounds) to an overpowering win. Deron Williams (20 points, 13 assists & 6 rebounds) out played Baron Davis (15 points, 7 assists & 4 steals), but Derek Fisher scoring 14 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter, including three daggers in the final 5:54, really sealed the deal. The Jazz closed the game on a 22 to 10 run and outscored the Warriors 40 to 23 overall with only *one* turnover in the final stanza.
Those 4th quarter numbers, along with Davis, Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson shooting a combined 14-43 (32.6%) from the field, seem to suggest that GS is tiring from a physical standpoint. Further proof of fatigue, this time mental, was issued when B Diddy dropped D Fish with an elbow to the right ear with 1:37 to play. Then J-Rich got in the act by clotheslining Memo Okur with just :37 seconds remaining. Richardson was issued a flagrant two and ejected immediately while Baron was not whistled for a foul at all.
You can’t count the Warriors out just yet (roster intact) with the way they shoot threes, but a sure sign that things aren’t going well is that GS coach Don Nelson has adjusted *his* lineup and rotation, and not the other way around. Nellie started out with Andris Biedrins in the middle but has now added Al Harrington to the mix as his main PF. This gives GS a “traditional” starting lineup and steers them away from the “small ball” that got them here. Chalk up another victory for Utah, and more specifically coach Jerry Sloan, for making the Warriors bend to their style and pace of play.
posted by D$ at 9:42 AM
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