Latest Gear Live Videos
The NBA Draft Lottery was held in the midst of the Miami Heat/Detroit Pistons playoff game, and no matter who ended up winning the game, the Toronto Raptors were going to be winners too as the lottery played itself out in front of a national audience on ESPN. The Raptors beat the odds, only having an 8.8% chance of getting the first pick.
The Portland Trailblazers having the worst record during the regular season, and therefore having the best odds of winning the lottery, actually fell all the way to picking number four. Tough luck. The Chicago Bulls will pick second overall thanks to a trade of Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks before the season started. Excellent luck. The Charlotte Bobcats will pick third.
On top of having the number one overall draft pick, the Raptors also have some salary cap flexibility and it will be interesting to see what they do. With PF/C Chris Bosh as the cornerstone for the franchise, to go along with SF/PF Charlie Villanueva and PG Mike James, the Raptors can improve themselves in a hurry.
At this point, there is no consensus number one overall draft pick, but the projected top players will be Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison, Texas’ LaMarcus Aldridge, and LSU’s Tyrus Thomas. Don’t be surprised if the Raptors go across the Atlantic and choose PF Andrea Bargnani from Italy, considering the new Assistant GM, Maurizio Gherardini is coming from being a GM for Italy’s powerhouse Benetton Treviso.
The NBA Draft takes place on June 28.
Advertisement
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 5.23.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: MLB, NBA, NHL, Scoreboard,
To continue the trend, I will begin this edition of TSTC with the NBA. Whew! Watching this season’s playoffs is TIRING! Last night’s San Antonio Spurs/Dallas Mavericks overtime game was a classic. With the Spurs trailing the whole way, even by much as 20 points, the Spurs finally got a lead late in regulation, but thanks to some quick production from DeSagna Diop and clutch free-throw shooting from Dirk Nowitzki, the game went into overtime where the Mavericks just pulled away for a 119-111 win. The Mavs move on to the Western Conference championship.
They will be facing the Phoenix Suns who beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 127-107 in a rout that highlighted the team’s two superstars - Steve Nash (29 points; 11 assists) and Shawn Marion (30 points; 9 rebounds). I’ll applaud Elton Brand for his 36 point effort and the rest of the Clips for showing that they have the strong potential of being serious playoff contenders next season. But that will depend on what they do in the offseason, particularly with Sam Cassell.
The Western Conference Championships begin tomorrow night when the Mavericks host the Suns.
*Tonight the Eastern Conference championship round begins when the well-rested Miami Heat travel up to Detroit to face the Pistons, who barely averted a Cleveland Cavaliers playoff upset. The Heat will look to avenge a series loss in the conference championship to the Pistons last season. The question is, will the new pieces acquired during the offseason - Jason Williams, James Posey, and a bit more importantly, Antoine Walker - pay dividends this time around?
In MLB, there was much ado about nothing when Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols’ teams faced off in San Francisco. Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double, as Bonds went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk. Let’s see what unravels tonight.
*In other games, the Yankees got absolutely crushed in the first game of their series with the Boston Red Sox last night, losing 9-5. The Yankees scored four ninth inning runs off of ineffective former closer, Keith Foulke, which skews how badly the Yankees lost. Jaret Wright looks to get the Yankees on track, facing highly-effective knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield.
*Chicago Cubs pitcher, Kerry Wood, makes his second start of the season against the young Florida Marlins lineup. Wood who missed most of the season up to this point, went five innings, giving up four runs on three homers, as well as striking out six while walking none against the Washington Nationals. If Wood can chill with the long ball, he’ll go a long way.
*When the Baltimore Orioles take the field at Seattle facing the Mariners, rookie pitching prospect, Adam Loewen will take the hill for the O’s. Loewen is one of the prized proscpects in the organization and it will be interesting to see how the lefty will do as he could possibly stay up in the Big Show with Daniel Cabrera hurt and the other pitchers on staff, aside for Kris Beonson, have been underachieving.
*In Kansas City, Detroit Tigers pitcher, Kenny Rogers, looks to become the league’s first eight win pitcher as he deals to the anemic Royals, who actually are almost 100% better when hitting at home due to the gaps of Kauffman Stadium.
In the NHL, we go up North as the Western Conference series moves to Edmonton. The Oilers have a 2-0 lead and look to push the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the brink of elimination. Dwayne Roloson has been amazing in goal for the Oilers and has been holding the Ducks offense to a mere one goal per game.
Well, folks, enjoy the games!
With the Eastern Conference championship series all set between the battle-weary Detroit Pistons and loungin’ for a week Miami Heat, the two combatants for the Western Conference championship will be determined today. Considering both series have gone to Game Seven, you know that tonight’s games are going to be slobber-knockers!
*The first game of an NBA playoff doubleheader will be the Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs, who amazingly came back from a three games to one deficit to tie the series up at three apiece. Tim Duncan and company come back home where they will look to stop Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavs to take another step towards repeating as World Champions. Jason Terry, suspended for Game Six, looks to make a difference tonight in trying to shut down Tony Parker and bring some offensive punch (not real punches) for the Mavs. But, let’s see if it’s, in fact, Michael Finley who can help knock out his former team.
*The Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers has been a great matchup between the power inside and the speed and accuracy from outside. Elton Brand continues to bring some overdue respect towards his game, but so has everyone else in the Clip Joint. It’ll be tough to slow down Steve Nash’s will to win and to get the best out of his teammates, let alone in Phoenix, but the Clips have shown to be more than worthy opponents. It will be a reversal of fortune if it’s the Clippers, and not the Lakers, representing Los Angeles in the Western Conference championship round. However, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell et al. may have something to say about that.
In MLB, Interleague play is over and done with, but will return in the middle of June. In the meantime, now that things are back to normal, there are a couple of games to keep an eye on.
*A Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees contest is always a good thing to watch. There’s the potential for high drama every game. Curt Schilling will host a hurt Yankees batting order with both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield on the mend. But, Schilling isn’t crying for anyone, having gone through his injury woes all of last season as he played hurt and was, for the most part, ineffective.
*The St. Louis Cardinals are on the road and take on the San Francisco Giants. This game is somewhat symbolic in that a former N.L. MVP and owner of MLB’s single season homerun record, Barry Bonds, will “face” the current N.L. MVP and potential player to break that single season record this season, Albert Pujols. Let’s see if the balls come flying off the bats of these great power hitters. If Bonds does go yard - “Babe Ruth, how does third place feel?”
Let’s not forget about hockey. The NHL isn’t as popular as the other sports (great, now I’m going to get tons of comments and/or e-mails from Canadians), but it deserves its due.
*The Eastern Conference round continues as the Buffalo Sabres, owner of a 1-0 lead, takes on the Carolina Hurricanes. The last time, the Sabres beat the Hurricanes on their home ice, 3-2. Look for another highly contested matchup.
Enjoy the games!
Detroit Pistons Prevail Over Upstart Cleveland Cavaliers
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: NBA, Scoreboard,
The Detroit Pistons clamped down on defense and limited the Cleveland Cavaliers offensively in the second half, which is where the game was won, 79-61, for the Pistons. They only allowed a paltry 23 points in the third and fourth quarters and held LeBron James to 1-for-9 shooting from the floor in the second half as well. James’ first half success - 10-for-15 for 21 points - could not continue because the Pistons raised it up a notch in what they’ve beeb known for for years - defense.
The Pistons will face the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference title, a rematch from last season. Note that this will be the Pistons’ fourth consecutive Eastern Conference championship series, which speaks highly of their consistency. The first game of this rematch will be played in Detroit on Tuesday, May 23.
I have to admit, I haven’t been this proud of being an NBA fan in a long time. It’s hard to argue that this season’s playoffs haven’t been anything short of magnificent. It seems every game is either going into overtime or is thisclose until the end. I’ve been losing sleep watching the West Coast games and have needed about five cups of coffee every morning to get stuff done at work! However, the caffeine rush and subsequent addiction has been well worth it.
*Today’s the day. Will the defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons move on to face a well-rested Miami Heat club? Or will LeBron James continue to add to his legend by leading his Cleveland Cavaliers into the next round of the playoffs? The start of the answer to these questions tips off at 3:30pm EST. If we learn anything from recent history, this will be another classic and very tight matchup.
Well, he did it. San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds tied the Bambino yesterday with his 714th homerun of his career. Today, he tries teeing off against the Athletics to get number 715, which would move him to second place on the all-time homerun list all by himself as Bonds pursues Hank Aaron’s 756 to become the all-time best MLB homerun hitter.
*Young Lefties Duel It Out… Florida Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis tries to get his season in gear when he faces the Tampa Bay Devils Rays, who have a lefty of their own taking the hill, Scott Kazmir. Both are quality pitchers and this should be a good one to watch. I can’t believe I just said that about a Marlins/D-Rays game.
*The Thrilla In Chi-Townilla… I wonder which fighters we have on the card today? After yesterday’s brawl, today’s game could be interesting to watch, especially with fiery Carlos Zambrano taking the mound for the Cubbies.
*The Rubber Match In New York… After splitting the first two games of their Subway Series, the Yankees and Mets play tonight to claim supremacy of New York.
The NHL Playoffs have been almost as exciting as the NBA’s, and I’ll admit I’m biased, but I don’t think they’ve been quite on the same level… but somewhat close.
*The Anaheim Mighty Ducks look to even the series against the Edmonton Oilers in tonight’s Eastern Conference matchup. The Ducks’ offense needs to get rolling, particularly Teemu Selanne and the Brothers Niedermayer, Scott and Rob.
Well, folks, enjoy the games!
After dressing, but not playing in Game Six against the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard, Larry Hughes will likely get some playing time in the decisive Game Seven of the series. Hughes who did not play in Games Four to Six due to time off to grieve his younger brother’s death, could be instrumental on Sunday afternoon.
Not only will Hughes provide rotation depth, but his ability to steal the ball and score will come in handy against the Pistons. Hughes was brought in during the last offseason to complement LeBron James and be James’ Scottie Pippen of sorts. However, due to injury, Hughes only played 36 regular season games. But, he was a key cog in the Cavaliers’ playoff run to get a high seed and get homecourt advantage in the first round.
It will be an emotional time for Hughes, but after the team attended funeral services for his brother this past Tuesday in St. Louis, there is no question that on top of self-satisfaction and winning a game for his brother, Hughes would like to repay the team back in kind by helping the Cavs get to the Eastern Conference Championship.
There are no NBA games today, but the NBA Playoffs certainly have not disappointed its fans. Last night, the Cleveland Cavaliers barely missed pulling off the incredible of ousting the defending Eastern Conference champs, the Pistons of Detroit. However, luck was on the Pistons side as a nearly-tipped ball by Chauncey Billups on an intentionally missed LeBron James free throw at the end of the game did not go in. As much of a heart attack the Motor City may have had collectively, Billups and company eeked out an 84-82 victory, bringing the series back to Detroit for the deciding Game Seven to be played tomorrow afternoon.
In the West, down 3-1, the San Antonio Spurs have won two in a row, including last night’s 91-86 win in Dallas, thanks in part to clutch free throws by Manu Ginobilli and Tony Parker. With the series now tied at three games apiece, the series goes back to San Antonio. Don’t be surprised by the Spurs’ comeback… to borrow from a great man… as L.L. Cool J said in “Mama Said Knock You Out,” the Spurs have been here for years! Game Seven will be played on Monday.
Today’s baseball games are the same as yesterday with Interleague play in full effect. The one game to keep an eye on is the Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants where Barry Bonds is still looking to tie Babe Ruth’s 714 dingers. He’ll be trying to tee off on A’s starting pitcher, Brad Halsey whom he’s never faced.
In the NHL, last night’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks (gag) found the Oilers beating the Ducks 3-1, with the game-winning goal scored by Ales Hemsky. The Oilers take a 1-0 lead in the Western Confernce Championship.
*The Eastern Conference Championship gets under way today when they drop the puck in Carolina with the visiting Buffalo Sabres trying to be bad guests as they face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. Both finished with 52 victories during the regular season, tying for the most wins in the East, along with the Ottawa Senators. Look for a great fight.
Enjoy the games!
It’s a good time to be an NBA fan. The playoffs have been nothing short of AMAZING!!! And that should continue tonight with two excellent games on tap:
*Have to start with my man, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers trying to be as least hospitable as possible to the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs lead the series 3-2 and can close it out with a win tonight to move on to the Eastern Conference Championship. BUT I’m jumping the gun, so let me chill. (GO CAVS!).
*With their backs up against the wall, the San Antonio Spurs visit Dallas to hopefully stave off the Mavericks, as well as elimination from the playoffs and defending their title. The Spurs will have a bit of an advantage as Mavs’ PG Jason Terry is suspended for tonight’s game as he didn’t want to share the ball with former Mav and current Spur, Michael Finley. So, what did Terry do? As any four-year-old would do, he punched Finley and said, “Nooooo, it’s MY ball.”
This afternoon, MLB’s Interleague play begins with a matchup between the Chi-Town teams - the Cubbies and the ChiSox. Other notable matchups:
*The Fight for New York as the Yankees come down from the Bronx to visit the Mets from the best borough in New York, Queens! And, yes, I am being subjective as I was born and raised in Queens.
*The Baltimore Orioles travel to the country’s capital as they face the Washington Nationals. You can bet that Peter Angelos is hoping to destroy the Nats the same way George Steinbrenner wants to crush the Metropolitans. The guys just can’t share a backyard with anyone.
*Surprise! Surprise! Two of the more surprising teams matchup in Motown as the Queen City’s Reds visit the Tigers, hoping to tame the beast.
*Futily in Florida… yeah, ho hum. The Florida Marlins visit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
*The Heat Is On In Houston! The Rangers matchup against the Astros in Orange Juice Park.
*The Battle of the Bay is on as Barry Bonds and the San Fran Giants cross the bridge to play the Athletics of Oakland. Let’s go Danny Haren! Sorry… had to show my A’s Love.
*The Real Versus The Fake. The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (HUH?!?!?) with former Dodger, Jeff Weaver taking the hill for the Angels. I smell the scent of revenge.
In the NHL, the Western Conference Finals begin tonight when some Canadians invade America… you see what happens? You piss off Canadians enough and they will kick butt. At least that’s what the Oilers of Edmonton hope to do when they face off against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (c’mon, guys, just change the name already or else I’m always going to associate your team with Emilio Estevez… and believe me, that’s not a good thing).
Enjoy the games, all!
Cleveland Cavaliers Win Third In a Row
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NBA, Playoffs,
The Cleveland Cavaliers went into Detroit with their playoff series tied at two apiece with the Pistons. After tonight’s 86-84 victory, not only do the Cavs have the 3-2 lead in the series, but have taken away homecourt advantage from the Eastern Conference champions the past two seasons. Wake up, folks, the Cavs are making some noise in the East. And after winning their third straight playoff game for the first time in team history, the Cavs have all the momentum going back to Cleveland to close out the series.
Once again, LeBron James was an integral part in the Cavs win, finishing with 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists - including the game-winning dish to Drew Gooden for a layup down in the box. Donyell Marshall came off the bench to provide some timely rebounding and defense. It also helped that Pistons guards Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton seemed “off” with their combined 11-for-32 shooting from the floor.
Rasheed Wallace never should have said a thing as I think the Cavs used it as extra motivation. Not that they needed it. The Cavs seem focused and it all starts with James, who seems to be improving every time he steps on the floor. And his maturity is showing through the media as well. Check out the following quote:
‘‘It’s just basketball,’’ James said. ‘‘They’re not the Big, Bad Wolf. And we’re not the Three Little Pigs.’‘
James doesn’t sound and, more importantly, hasn’t played like a playoff rookie or seem intimidated in any way as he continues to penetrate to the basket, challenging the Pistons’ big men of Rasheed and Ben Wallace. He’s reminding me of Michael Jordan doing the same thing to the Pistons’ Bad Boys - Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, and Dennis Rodman. But Jordan comparisons are never fair and James reminds me more of Magic Johnson, but scoring a little more.
In Game Six, I’m looking for the Cavaliers to… oh wait. I don’t want to do a Rasheed! I’ll just keep quiet and trust that you know whom I’m rooting for. But, I will say this much - CLEVELAND ROCKS!
As The Knicks Turn
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, Front Office, NBA, Rumors,
It all seems like a done deal at this point. And I’m not talking about the rumors of Larry Brown being bought out of the remaining four years of his contract for $40 million turning into actual fact. If you followed the Knicks, it was almost an inevitability like a Grant Hill injury. No, I’m talking about something else, something every Knicks fan knows and I hope doesn’t pay for anymore.
The front office is as shaky as Trina’s (ahem) in one of her videos.
Seriously, with all of the mistakes the front office committed, (Jerome James anyone?), Larry Brown is going to be the fall guy? I’ve even heard that one of the reasons why the front office is thinking about letting Brown go is because they can’t meet the personnel demands of Brown, such as getting a shot-blocker. James was supposed to fulfill this role, but couldn’t do a lick to earn more than 9.2 minutes per game. Some may say that Brown didn’t establish a rotation, which was a problem and I wouldn’t disagree, but seriously, no one was doing what they needed to do night-in and night-out to earn the playing time besides Jamal Crawford (no, that isn’t a long typo) and Channing Frye before he got injured.
But, when you’re given lemons, you either try to make lemonade OR, apparrently, have your dad take your pitcher of water and gallon of ice away from you.
Click to continue reading As The Knicks Turn
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.