If there was one standout shot from Kobe Bryant‘s 30-point near triple-double last night, it was the double-clutch jumper he hit off the glass over Goran Dragic after hanging in the air like Dwight Phillips. As TNT’s Doug Collins put it: “A great offensive play by the best offensive player in the NBA.”
Kobe has long been considered the best pure scorer and best clutch performer in the League, but is he the best all-around offensive weapon? It’s tough to argue against Kobe based on this Western Conference Finals series. Through five games, he’s averaging 33.0 points and 9.6 assists, hitting 53 percent from the field, 44 percent from three-point range, and 87 percent from the line. Read More »
It was put perfectly in Smack: In the post-game interview Ron-Ron did his usual hilarious stream-of-consciousness thing, and before signing off, Artest told Craig Sager, “Say Queensbridge.†Sager awkwardly did it. Next game-winner, Ron is gonna tell Sager to grab his d*** if he loves hip-hop.
Except for a couple of dudes in Detroit, is there anybody who doesn’t love Ron Artest? In a Lakers/Suns tiebreaker Game 5 that was headed for one of two finishes — Kobe Bryant being the hero or Steve Nash being the hero — Ron stole the show and the after-party … Blowing what had seemed like a safe second-half lead because they couldn’t stop Nash (29 pts, 11 asts), the Lakers were only up three with under a minute to go in the fourth quarter. Artest bricked a jumper, and after Pau Gasol got the offensive board, Artest immediately jacked a trey as the entire Staples Center screamed “NOOOO!” Read More »
From the announcer table to the ESPN studio, the media chorus line from last night’s Celtics/Magic game was unanimous when it came to one particular issue: Kendrick Perkins got a raw deal when he was ejected by referee Eddie F. Rush in the first half. (But really, what do you expect a bunch of former NBA players and coaches to say?) Then checking the response from other writers and Dime readers today, it seems the majority has sided with Perkins. Read More »
After about eight years of various sports leagues adopting instant replay, the success has been undeniable. Of course, there have still been errors made across the board, but this is one instance where technology both aids and trumps human judgment. The NBA first instituted instant replay at the start of the 2002-03 season after what happened in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Samaki Walker of the Lakers hit a half court shot as time expired going into halftime and the refs said that it counted. But replays showed that the ball was still in his hands as the backboard light went on. The Kings lost the game by one, and the Lakers went on to win the NBA Championship. Read More »
Going into his senior year, Winter Park (Fla.) High School point guard Austin Rivers is ranked 2nd overall on the HighSchoolHoop.com national Top 50 list. Having recently de-committed from Florida, he now has Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Kansas and the Gators vying for his signature.
The younger son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary on everything from his personal life to his AAU season to his recruiting process. Here’s an excerpt from his latest entry: Read More »
You know the backstory: Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Lakers superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is out with an ankle injury, rookie point guard Magic Johnson starts at center in Kareem’s place, Magic proceeds to put up 42 points, 15 boards, 7 dimes and 3 steals, Lakers win the ‘chip. Can you see anybody in today’s NBA duplicating this feat, especially as a rookie?
Let’s be honest. After losing back-to-back games in Phoenix, the Lakers shouldn’t panic. Yes, they’re going to have a couple less days off before the NBA Finals, but don’t get it twisted – they’ll be there. And for tonight’s game back in Los Angeles, there are three simple keys to victory. Read More »
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