1. הזן מסטר ביצע את צעדו הראשון
Spurs vs. Mavericks: Game 3 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 NBA Playoffs
By
Rob Goldberg, Featured ColumnistUse your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories
USA Today
An incredible battle came down to one shot, and it was Vince Carter who came through for the Dallas Mavericks.
The 37-year-old swingman hit a three-pointer as time expired to give the home team a 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3. ESPN summed up the reaction:
All of a sudden, the NBA's best team during the regular season is in trouble, as the Spurs are now down 2-1 in the series with another road game coming up in Game 4.
San Antonio appeared like it was going to come away with the key road win after Manu Ginobili scored the go-ahead basket with 1.7 seconds remaining. This was his last of 12 points, all of which came in the second half.
Unfortunately, they could not keep Carter from stealing the win for the elated home crowd.
Monta Ellis led the way for the Mavericks with 29 points, including a number of clutch baskets late. Jose Calderon also had a strong performance with 16 points and nine assists.
Who will win this series?
The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan, who scored 22 points one day after turning 38. Tony Parker had 19 points, but only two of those came in the second half as San Antonio fell just short. The squad will now need at least one road victory to ensure a trip to the second round.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle set the stage for Game 3 by talking about the physical nature fans should expect, via Dwain Price of theStar-Telegram:
These two veteran teams lived up to this statement, as both sides came ready to battle right out of the gate. The Spurs grabbed the early advantage with a 34-27 lead after the first quarter due in large part to the play of Parker.
However, the Mavericks were able to remain in the game thanks to the performance of Jose Calderon. The guard had 10 points in the opening frame and was extremely aggressive, as David Ubben of Fox Sports Southwest noted:
San Antonio remained in front in the beginning of the second quarter, with Parker looking almost unstoppable as both a scorer and a passer. Chris Webber was impressed while calling the game for TNT:
This lead only stood for a few minutes longer, until the Mavericks started making all of their shots. The biggest stretch featured three three-point shots in a row, as Price described:
Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News pointed out the poor defense that was taking place in the second quarter.
Dallas outscored the Spurs, 32-20, in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 59-54 lead. Parker led all scorers with 17 points along with six assists at the break, but both sides were hitting over 50 percent of their shots.
The home team built the lead up to seven points in the third quarter and appeared as though it was going to run away with it. At that point, ESPN's Skip Bayless noticed one player who needed to step up his effort:
It turns out that Ginobili played a big role in bringing his team back, dropping eight points in just three minutes of game time to take the lead. Dallas was then able to make a couple of field goals to take a 77-74 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to some impressive balance, as ESPN's Tim McMahon identified:
Both teams continued to make their shots as the lead swung back and forth throughout the final 12 minutes.
Ellis was especially impressive, tying the game up on a three-point play with just over a minute remaining, and then again on a floater with 24 seconds left after Boris Diaw gave the Spurs the two-point lead.
Alan Hahn of MSG was one of many who liked what he saw:
Ginobili put the Spurs in front with a difficult shot, as Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN Dallas illustrated:
However, Carter got the last laugh with a three-pointer from the corner, leading to this reaction from the veteran player:
The series will continue with Game 4, which is set for Monday, April 28 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT. The one day of rest is the shortest of the postseason for either team, and the fatigue is likely to become a factor with two older squads.
This will also be a must-win game for San Antonio after falling behind 2-1 in the series. A win turns it into a best-of-three battle, but a loss makes it extremely difficult to come back.
The Spurs clearly need to improve defensively after allowing 51.2 percent shooting in this one, but you can never count out reigning NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich. Expect San Antonio to get back on track and look more like the group that won 62 games during the regular season.
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For a third game in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies needed overtime to decide a winner. For the first time, Oklahoma City prevailed, 92-89, in Memphis to tie the series at 2-2.
Only twice has one postseason series featured three consecutive overtime games, per ESPN Stats & Info:
If before the game, you had been told that the two teams would combine to score 181 points, and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would shoot a combined 11-of-45, you'd have picked the Grizzlies to win. That kind of low-scoring game is right in their wheelhouse, and the Thunder are surely going to struggle when their best players have such off nights from the floor.
Only twice in 474 games have Durant and Westbrook been this bad in the same game:
To put everything in perspective, Tony Allen (14 points) nearly outscored the star duo (15 points apiece) in an NBA playoff game. That almost happened, and yet the Thunder still won.
Both Allen and Tayshaun Prince did a great job hounding Durant in particular:
The way in which he seemed bereft of ideas late in the game was befuddling:
As Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin pointed out, though, it was as if the two teams agreed to some sort of role reversal before the game, covering up for Westbrook and Durant's failings:
After the third, OKC was up 64-52 and the 12-point lead felt much larger given the low nature of the scoring.
Then, the Thunder's offense began to melt down in the fourth quarter. Memphis outscored Oklahoma City 28-16 in the final frame. Mike Prada of SB Nation highlighted the fact that Oklahoma City's offense had no Plan B when Plan A didn't work out:
Luckily for OKC, Reggie Jackson stepped up in a big way. He led all scorers with 32 points on 11-of-16 shooting off the bench, adding nine rebounds in a great overall performance by the third-year point guard.
Coincidentally, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks spoke about how little the team's supporting cast had provided during the first three games of the series, per NBA.com:
They’ve been good all year. They’re going to get great opportunities tonight. It’s not because they’re not trying. It’s not because they don’t care. They’ve got to make some shots they normally make. Reggie’s one of the best finishers in the game, and that includes all players. We have to get him more opportunities, and that’s on me, to find him more opportunities. But he’s going to get opportunities tonight to attack and create, not only for himself but for his teammates.
Jackson's 11 made field goals were eight more than he had made during the first three games of the series combined.
After the game, Brooks praised Jackson's performance.
"Reggie played an outstanding basketball game," he said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "He was able to attack and finish around the rim like he's done all year, and I knew he would bounce back. He's done a great job of coming in and giving us that lift offensively when we needed it as a sixth man."
His only real mistake of the game was his last-second heave at the end of regulation. Jackson channeled his inner Roscoe Smith, throwing up a prayer despite having more time on the clock to get up court.
Memphis' biggest stars fared slightly better than Oklahoma City's.Marc Gasol (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Mike Conley (14 points, 10 assists) both finished with double-doubles, but Zach Randolph shot 5-of-14 for 11 points.
What the Grizzlies really lacked was somebody like Jackson coming from out of nowhere to have a huge game.
That was exacerbated by their continued poor shooting from three-point range. They attempted (1,147) and made (405) the fewest threes in the league in addition to ranking 19th in three-point shooting percentage (.353), according to Basketball-Reference.com.
In the first three games of the series, Memphis shot a combined 10-of-37 from downtown. On Saturday, it managed a paltry 6-of-20.
It wasn't for a lack of opportunities, either. Grizzlies shooters weren't even attempting long-range shots when presented with open looks:
Foul shooting was also a problem for Memphis. It missed 10 of its 23 attempts from the charity stripe. In such a close game, you can't expect to miss that many gimmes and still expect to win.
The series heads back to Oklahoma City for Game 5. Both teams will get two days off to reflect on Saturday night's game and figure out what went right and what went wrong.
The Grizzlies will need a much better offensive performance if they want to get back in the driver's seat in this series. You do wonder, though, if this was Memphis' best chance to take control of the series.
As a team, the Thunder shot 36.7 percent from the field and turned the ball over 21 times. And yet, they still won. If the Grizzlies can't win at home with that kind of an advantage, do they have much hope for the rest of the series?
Given the unpredictability of the entire postseason so far, don't be surprised if this series has a few more twists and turns
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STERLING
Adam Silver, NBA Face Momentous Test in Donald Sterling Deliberation
By Howard Beck, NBA National ColumnistUse your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories
The public record strongly suggests that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling is an unabashed bigot, small-minded, mean-spirited, vindictive, parsimonious and petty.
That record was ingrained long before TMZ released an audiotape Saturday that purportedly captured Sterling making racist remarks.
Sterling has been sued for racially based housing discrimination, repeatedly. In 2009, he paid a $2.7 million settlement that was termed the largest of its kind.
Sterling has been sued by countless ex-employees, including former general manager Elgin Baylor, who also alleged racial discrimination.
Court records are littered with stories of Sterling’s vile remarks on race.
Anyone who has ever worked or played for the Clippers could fill a coffee table book with such tales.
Donald Sterling is an abominable owner and, apparently, an even more abominable person.
Donald Sterling has owned the Clippers since 1981.
Donald Sterling has never been disciplined by the NBA.
Keep that in mind as we await a verdict by new commissioner Adam Silver, who on Saturday night pledged a full and swift investigation of the TMZ tape, which includes a voice, said to be Sterling’s, angrily castigating his girlfriend for “associating with black people” and for “taking pictures with minorities,” including Magic Johnson, and posting them to her Instagram account. He asks her not to bring Johnson to Clippers games.
“The audio recording posted by TMZ is truly offensive and disturbing,” Silver said at a press conference in Memphis, “and we intend to get to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible.”
This is the first serious test of Silver’s leadership, and his response will be closely scrutinized by players, coaches, fans, media and the league’s corporate partners. But it is not altogether clear that Silver can deliver the only sensible outcome: for Sterling to be an ex-owner.
A trained lawyer, Silver was predictably restrained in his remarks Saturday, citing “due process.” Asked about his options, Silver referred to “broad powers” and “a range of sanctions” at his disposal. Yet those broad powers have never been deployed to push out an owner.
Even if the league determines that the tape is legitimate andundoctored and that the voice is Sterling’s, it is unclear how far the league can go to punish him.
The NBA has fined owners for criticizing referees (Dallas’ Mark Cuban) and for commenting on labor issues (Miami’s Micky Arison). The league has suspended owners for salary-cap violations (Minnesota’s Glen Taylor) and for driving under the influence (the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jerry Buss).
A fine, no matter how steep, will never be sufficient in this case. A suspension, no matter how lengthy, will ring painfully hollow. A suspension only prevents the owner from attending games.
Sterling deserves to be expelled from the league and barred from ever setting foot again in an NBA arena. But there is no precedent in this area, and it is legally questionable whether the NBA can force an owner to sell.
If the league had that authority, it’s reasonable to think that former Commissioner David Stern would have shoved out Sterling long ago.
Nor is this decision purely in Silver’s hands. There are 29 other owners who have a stake in this—a fraternity of the hyperwealthy, who generally turn a blind eye to one another’s transgressions, lest they be the one in the firing line the next time.
But this case is different. This is a league that is dominated by African Americans, that prides itself on its diversity and its progressivism, that warmly embraced the first openly gay player in league history, Jason Collins, just two months ago.
The NBA in 2014 cannot passively tolerate bigotry in any form, from any member of its extended family. The players themselves made that clear Saturday, filling Twitter timelines and Instagram accounts with their outrage.
“Sterling basically articulated Plantation Politics,” the Pacers’ David West said on Twitter. “Make money off the Bucks/Lay with the Women/No Association in Public good or bad.”
Chris Paul, the Clippers’ star guard and president of the players union, called Sterling’s alleged remarks “a very serious issue which we will address aggressively.”
LeBron James, the game’s biggest star, declared unequivocally, “There's no room for Donald Sterling in our league. There's no room for him.” James challenged Silver and the league “to do something, do something very fast, quickly, before this gets out of hand.”
The players themselves could hasten the process with a boycott, or some other dramatic show of force. The Clippers reportedly considered, and quickly dismissed, that option. But this is not their responsibility, nor should it be.
It’s the NBA—albeit previous owners and previous league officials—who invited Sterling into this exclusive fraternity, who vetted him and approved him and for years willfully ignored his thinly veiled bigotry.
If the tapes are proven authentic and unaltered, if that is indeed Sterling’s voice (and multiple sources who know Sterling say it is), then there can be no ambiguity about the outcome: Sterling must be removed from the NBA landscape, as expeditiously as possible.
There will most certainly be legal risks, but that is nothing compared to the risk of alienating your players and your paying customers, or the risk of appearing insensitive and ineffectual.
How broad are the NBA’s “broad powers?” How extensive is that “range of sanctions?” How committed is the NBA to equality and social justice?
We’re about to find out.
ינון יבור
23 אפר 2014 07:29:53ג'ורדן מניו יורק? לא נראה לי
בכל מקרה יופי של טור. אתה כנראה צודק לגבי ג'קסון (לפי הסיפורים), אבל הנימוק שלך עקום: ישנה הוראה לא לשדר את כל ה-X ו-Y בזמן פסקי זמן. לא תראה אפילו את גדולי המאמנים אומרים שם משהו שונה מאיזושהי וריאציה של נאום מוטיבציה.
דניאל
23 אפר 2014 07:46:42אני חושב שמנחם צודק, ג'ורדן נולד בניו יורק אבל בתכלס את כל הכדורסל הוא קיבל בצפון קרולינה.
הניקס לא יכולים לבנות קונטנדורית עכשיו מנחם, לא עם מה שיש כרגע וגם אם מלו ישאר. הסיכוי הכי טוב לקונטנדורית זה לפרק את החבילה ב2015 ולהחתים שחקנים, אין לו יותר מדי ברירות.
מנחם לס
23 אפר 2014 09:23:24אם תלך לגוגל זה פתאום ייראה לך.
דדי
23 אפר 2014 07:55:34התפקיד של ג'קסון ממש ממש לא קשה.
כל מה שהוא צריך זה סבלנות לשנה וכל אדיוט יהיה מסוגל לעשות מהניקס קבוצת צמרת.
הניקס עדיין יהיו קבוצה מחורבנת העונה אם הם רוצים סיכוי אמיתי להפוך לקבוצת צמרת בהקדם האפשרי, והמטרה היחידה שלהם צריכה להיות לא להחתים את כרמלו על חוזה מקסימום, ולהיפטר מג'יי אר סמית.
ממש קשה…
סטיב קר רוצה לאמן את הלייקרס או הווריורס אם מארק ג'קסון יפוטר – לא את הניקס.
יש לו ילדים קטנים בסן דייגו.
וגריפין התקדם יפה העונה, אבל לקרוא לזה "מטאורי" ?
לא יודע.
יותר מהכל, זה בעיקר השיפור בזריקות העונשין, אבל לא רק.
אולי זה קשור לאיזה שינוי מבורך בעמדת המאמן…
מנחם לס
23 אפר 2014 09:18:20דדי! חשבתי שאנחנו עכשיו חברים…
דובי
23 אפר 2014 09:46:39חס וחלילה מנחם!
זה יהרוס את כל הכיף!
דדי
23 אפר 2014 16:16:50זה שאנחנו חברים לא עושה אותך מבין גדול… 🙂
דובי
23 אפר 2014 19:27:16תשובה כהלכה
מנחם לס
23 אפר 2014 09:21:58תראו כמה חכם הוא דדי: לקאר יש ילדים בסן דיאגו, אז הוא רוצה לאמן בווריורס שהיא ממש NEXT DOOR.
תגיד לי יא מפלצת: מה ההבדל בין שעה טיסה ל-6 שעות טיסה כשמדובר בילדים? אפילו אל איי. הוא יראה אותם פעם בחודש אם הוא יאמן 100 מייל מהם או 3,000 מייל מהם.
יניב
23 אפר 2014 09:33:47מנחם להזכירך אחת הסיבות שנאש בחר בלייקרס היא להישאר בחוף המערבי כמה שיותר קרוב לילדים שלו,אז מה שדדי אומר לא מופרך בכלל,למרות שפה אני נוטה לצד שלך,אם הוא יקבל הצעה מהניקס הוא לא יסרב
אוריה
23 אפר 2014 10:12:50צודק, שעה נסיעה יתן לילדים אפשרות לבקר אותו סתם בצהריים או ביום חופש. לעומת 6 שעות שיקחו יום שלם. ובכל מקרה אני גם מסכים שהוא הולך לחתום בניו יורק סיטי
מנחם לס
23 אפר 2014 10:51:19שעה טיסה זה לא שעה נסיעה
דדי
23 אפר 2014 16:18:30קר יעדיף לאמן בלוס אנג'לס, אבל הג'וב הנוסף הקרוב שאולי יתפנה הוא הג'וב בסן פרנסיקו.
וכן, שעה טיסה לעומת 6 שעות טיסה זה הבדל.
גדול.
Berch
23 אפר 2014 07:56:46נולד בניו יורק זה מה שקובע.
אני גר בתל הביב יותר מ 20 שנה אבל הנשמה נשארה בין הדיונות….
דדי
23 אפר 2014 07:58:54http://i.imgur.com/GX6mC2I.jpg
יניב
23 אפר 2014 08:49:15גדול נקווה שזה מה שיקרה גם ללברון 🙂
אשך שאוהב חציל בריבת תפוחים
23 אפר 2014 17:03:211+
אגבה
23 אפר 2014 20:25:22מזכיר לי מה שקרה לספרס שנה שעברה…
1000+
Mbk
23 אפר 2014 11:58:34ענק !!
מוש השור
23 אפר 2014 12:45:09ענק
p
23 אפר 2014 11:50:40אני ממש מסכים עם מה שנאמר על מארק ג'קסון, אבל לפי זכרון מהמשחק, קארי קלע על הדאבל טים כשהוא חודר בין שני המגינים וקולע בליי אפים ולא מרחוק. לדעתי גם פול היה על המגרש (שיחק 27 דקות וכולן ב36 הדקות של שלושת הרבעים הראשונים).
ואחד קצת קטנוני, אבל קרופורד שיחק רק 42 משחקים בגולדן סטייט כי הגיע באמצע העונה ולא בתחילתה =)
אבל אני מסכים לחלוטין שמארק ג'קסון לא מאמן מוצלח ומקווה שימשיך להוכיח את זה בסדרה הזאת…
asi
23 אפר 2014 14:37:43אני דווקא לגמרי בעד ג'קסון. באחד מהמשחקים של גולדן סטייט היתה סטטיסטיקה שלהם בהרכב מלא ללא פציעות יש להם את המאזן הכי טוב בליגה. הבעיה שבוגוט ולי מחסירים המון משחקים.למרות הכל הם שיפרו העונה את המאזן שלהם.
דדי
23 אפר 2014 16:21:08Knicks owner James Dolan tries to stop Phil Jackson's staff firings: source
Just one month into his role as Knicks president, Jackson has already clashed with the chairman of MSG over personnel decisions, the News has learned. According to a team source, Jackson is looking to remove several staff members, which is commonplace when a new administration takes over, but Dolan opposes removing certain employees.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/source-dolan-stop-jackson-knick-staff-firings-article-1.1765645#ixzz2zhJ2evD0
Despite all those championship rings Jackson owns, he may have met his match in Dolan, who famously said last month he is by no means “a basketball expert.” He is, of course, a stubborn bully who always gets his way at the Garden. Just look at Dolan’s history; he has the dysfunction and losses to prove it.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/source-dolan-stop-jackson-knick-staff-firings-article-1.1765645#ixzz2zhKCHBQL
דר עוזי חבושה
23 אפר 2014 16:37:50למרק גקסון אין מושג? הייתי דווקא אומר שלמנחם לס אין מושג.
כש דוקטור חבושה אמר שכרמלו ישאר בניקס למרות כל היודעי שום דבר כגון דדי מיני שאק וחבריו שטענו שהוא יעזוב אז מנחם העליב את חבושה.
מרק גקסון מאמן מצוין ורק חסר מושג יחשוב שיש קשר בין משחק למשנהו בפלייאוף
פיזיקאי
23 אפר 2014 19:23:17שמתי בברקאט גמר מזרח וושינגטון נגד ברוקלין,לא יאמן,
הלכתי ווש ב6 משחקים.
מומי שאוהב חציל בטחינה
24 אפר 2014 00:38:36ניו יורק זה התפוח הרקוב
מומי מאמין שהלייקרז יהיו על הרגליים מוקדם יותר מהניקס . מומי היה עושה חיטוי קומפלט כמו לפני פסח וביעור של כל הקבוצה כולל שחיטה של כבש בכניסה למדיסון סקוור גרדן