'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 38

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4216472

Report: Rose's team investigated
Illinois High School Association officials on Friday said they are investigating the eligibility of several players on Simeon's 2006 and '07 teams, which won the Class AA boys basketball championship, according to a published reports. Chicago Bulls rookie of the year Derrick Rose was on those teams.

According to the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, the investigation is in response to allegations of grade-changing that came to light on Thursday. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Thursday that Rose's academic record at Simeon was altered to improve his transcript before it was sent to Memphis and changed back a month later. Citing sources and a report by a Chicago Public Schools investigator, the paper identified Rose as one of four students who had grades changed. In Rose's case, a D became a C, according to the report.

Marty Hickman, IHSA executive director, told the Tribune the organization would be in contact with the Chicago Public League's director of sports information early next week to begin the process. Chicago Public Schools representative Monique Bond said CPS chief Ron Huberman planned to review the inspector general's findings, but there were no plans to reopen the investigation. Hickman told the Tribune that Simeon might have to forfeit games and championships if Rose and other significant players on the school's title teams were found to have been ineligible when they competed.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/ ... id=4216525

Jackson awaiting NBA improvements
Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson is still waiting for the NBA's new era of officiating "transparency" to improve the game. Speaking before Friday night's Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against Denver -- a series beset by complaints about refereeing that included $50,000 in fines against the Lakers and their coach -- Jackson conceded how difficult it is to call an NBA game. "This is the dawn of a new age, we were told in the last two years," he said. "Transparency, a wonderful word, was going to be used, and we're looking for that to help us. In that regard, we want to use all these aspects, whether it's called credibility or accountability, and use it to improve everything that can happen to this game, because it's a great game."

Jackson was speaking about some of the changes the NBA has made in the wake of the scandal involving Tim Donaghy, the former NBA ref who is serving a 15-month sentence after confessing to betting on games and passing game information to gamblers. After Game 4 of the Lakers-Nuggets series, Jackson drew the fines for criticizing the refs for the 14-shot discrepancy in Denver's favor from the free throw line. He also complained about Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones being "unsportsmanlike" for tripping Kobe Bryant. Jones, not called for a foul on the play, was assessed a flagrant-1 foul the next day.

After Game 5, some of the Nuggets were confused about inconsistent whistles that resulted in eight more fouls on them than the Lakers. Denver coach George Karl voiced mild complaints after Games 3 and 5 but nothing that has gotten him fined. He stayed away from critiquing the refs before Game 6. Veteran official Joe Crawford was assigned to Game 6, along with Mike Callahan and Mark Wunderlich.

[nasty daddy]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/29/lebr ... f-you-can/

LeBron to Magic: Stop Me If You Can
If you liked LeBron James Thursday in the fourth quarter of Game 5 -- when he made everyone else look like puppets on his string -- you'll love what he has planned for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Saturday. He is promising even more of the same, essentially challenging the Orlando Magic with a Stop-Me-If-You-Can proclamation. "When you haven't seen something like that in a long time, it's easy to say, 'it's too much pressure for one guy,' but I live for that moment,'' James said Friday at the team hotel in Orlando. "I was built for this. It's probably something we'll go to again.'' Taking the ball at the top of the key on almost every Cleveland possession in those final 12 minutes, James dictated the flow of the game, making everyone react to his moves, either scoring or assisting in 32 of the Cavs' final 34 points. "It's pretty simple, give him the ball and get out of the way,'' chuckled teammate Delonte West on Friday. "You free up LeBron to just play playground ball, one-on-one at the top of the key. It's tough to double him there. If you do, you'll probably pay.''

As good as James has been all series and all season, he was at his best in Game 5 when he finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, making sure the season didn't end there, cutting Orlando's series lead to 3-2. The Cavs were so confident of winning Game 5 in Cleveland -- and they're still confident now -- that each of them came to the arena with their bags packed for the airport and the flight immediately following to Orlando. Cleveland coach Mike Brown even bought his family's tickets Thursday morning."We were confident we were coming back to Orlando. And now we're here to win Game 6,'' Brown said, comparing his strategy with what the Magic do by surrounding Dwight Howard with 3-point shooters. "For anyone else, it could be a load, but that's what makes him (James) great. He's capable of coming through.''

James spent the early parts of Game 5 making sure his teammates were more involved than they had been in the previous four games. He made sure they were ready when he created their opportunities down the stretch. He didn't score all the points, just 17 in the fourth, but he made sure someone did. "It was like he was going one-on-five,'' said teammate Wally Szczerbiak, one of the shooters in the fourth quarter Thursday. "Whenever LeBron has the ball like that 15-to-20 feet from the basket, it's not easy to guard him when our shooters are ready. He forces you to pick your poison.'' James has averaged 41.2 points in the five games against the Magic, and they prepared extensively to minimize the damage he would do against them. For four games, the defense worked reasonably well because they kept his teammates in check. But Game 5 was different, and he presented different problems with his latest strategy from the top of the key. He played 46 minutes but he never wore down. The load never looked to heavy for him. "It's tough for teams to defend this,'' he said. "And I'm comfortable in this role. I wasn't tired. I'm not going to get tired. It's every possession for five straight games. I'm okay with that.''

[nasty daddy]

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/05/29/lebr ... in-game-5/

LeBron James Stands Alone in Game 5
LeBron James just wasn't ready yet for the season to end, willing his Cleveland Cavaliers to a Game 5 victory Thursday night to keep this Eastern Conference final alive. There was nothing complex about Cleveland's fourth quarter strategy against the Orlando Magic. It was give the ball to James at the top of the key, step back and see what wonder he could create. It was all LeBron, all the time down the stretch. And it was impressive – even by the highest MVP standards. As good as 37 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists may sound for James, his fourth-quarter flourish was even more impressive in this 112-102 victory. James either scored or assisted in 32 of the 34 points in the fourth.

he wasn't scoring, he was making sure one of his teammates did when it mattered most. While everyone marveled at this one-man show, and the Magic kept waiting for him to wear down, he never faltered. It wasn't like he was playing point guard and moving the ball. It was James holding the ball like it was a last possession, waiting to make his final move. Except, he did it from start to finish of the fourth quarter. "You never want to disappoint the home crowd. It was win or go home,'' James said. "You have to do everything sometimes.''

The Magic still hold a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 in Orlando on Saturday. The Cavs are trying to become just the ninth team in NBA history to win a series after trailing 3-1. They already lost twice in Orlando earlier in this series, but with James, anything obviously is possible.James did it all in the fourth, overcoming the better balanced Magic. He did get the best support he has had in this series with Mo Williams scoring 24 points and six 3-pointers. Daniel Gibson, who has been no factor through most of the series, hit a trio of 3-pointers. "LeBron was huge for us. It wasn't pretty. We just gave him the ball, and said `get us some good looks, big fellow,''' said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "That's what great players do. He put the team on his back and made plays for everyone.'' The Cavs started with a 35-point first quarter, leading by as many as 22 points when they hit 10 of their first 11 shots and threatened to end this game early. Unfortunately for the home crowd at the Q, the Magic stood their ground and scored 37 points in the second quarter, dousing any early momentum the Cavs had built.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Familiar Intrigue
With three 2nd round picks all within nine slots of each other, the chance that Joe goes with a couple if foreigners we don’t know really anything about is, what, 50%? 75? 90? Personally, it would be a little anti-climatic if that is Joe’s desired route, but then again, stashing foreign talent overseas for a few years is not all that bad of an idea. But it sure the hell makes it more interesting when your team selects players you’ve seen and heard about for a few years.

Of course, Joe did select three college players from last year’s draft, so my worrisome thinking could be all for nothing.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

A few player’s I would like to see be selected by Detroit in the 2nd round:

Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin)
Lester has quite a few drawbacks. He’s 24 years old now, will be 25 by the time season starts. Lester didn’t graduate from junior high or high school. And he also didn’t graduate from junior college. He’s a 6′2 score first guard with questionable ball handling skills. Turnover prone. Volume shooter.
Positives: He graduated from Tennessee-Martin. Has a great body, phenomenal length (6′9 span) for his size and is a big time jumper. A creative scorer, very good in the mid-range area—displayed his talents well against some of the best teams Tennessee-Martin faced the past two seasons: 35 points versus Memphis in 07, 36 versus Vanderbilt in 07, 27 versus Mississippi State in 07, 33versus Auburn in 09. He’s a solid rebounder (7.9/gm in 08/09) and racked up tons of steals as well. A capable three point shooter, shot around 36% in two seasons at UT Martin.

I’ve only seen him play once, maybe twice. College basketball aficionado Kyle Whelliston, of The Mid-Majority blog, is a unrepentant admirer of Lester. Kyle’s seen Lester play in person a few times and says he’s the real deal. I feel Kyle Whelliston is often the real deal, so a portion of my Lester Hudson man crush is credited to Kyle. I’d be conning you too if I didn’t mention that my prior adventures of attending a small Mid-Majority type school (Oakland-Summit League) also factored somewhat into this selection. What can I say, I have a soft place in my heart for talented small time college hoopsters. Lester’s supposed to go anywhere from late 1st round to late 2nd round, though as of late I’m only seeing him selected at the latter. An interesting bit that I found on collegehoopsnet’s overview of Hudson,
“Consensus: No doubt some team will take a chance on his natural scoring instincts and impressive physicality, hoping he develops ala Rodney Stuckey. “

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Josh Heytvelt (Gonzaga)
I love this guy’s attitude, mean streak, and elegant shooting touch from deep. He really came on this last season and proved to be dependable and mature, averaging 14.9 ppg in only 29 minutes a game. I liken him to a slightly less intelligent but more athletic Brad Miller. He’ll be 23 in a few days, so that’s a small detractor, but that age worry seems so arbitrary in most cases. Injury and drug problems have plagued him over the years, though I have a feeling he’s matured and can stay healthy. I’ll admit that the overall body of work for Josh isn’t even in the same ballpark as a lot of other 2ndround fringe guys, however, in terms of potential, he has more upside than a lot of other prospects. If you watched Gonzaga play at all this past season, hopefully you understand where my ‘potential’ argument comes from.

Maybe I should supress my Mehmet Okur like aspirations for Heytvelt. But I can’t resist.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Jeff Adrien (UConn)
Whereas the potential meter for Heytvelt is high, it’s surely not quite on the same playing field as Adrien’s. But I like Adrien because of the gradual improvement he made at UConn and his ability to rebound at a consistently high level. While being just 6′7, he blocked shots and rebounded to the tune of 1.2 and 9.8 during his senior campaign. I especially took notice of him when he began to consistently knock down jump shots. Overall, I just think he has a nice NBA skill set, and if he was 6′9, 6′10, he’d be a top 15 pick easily. My guess would be he goes undrafted, so a training camp invite would probably be the course of action instead.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Other players I’ve watched that have passed my EYE test:
Jerel McNeal (Marquette) I watched Marquette a lot this past season and I like the three headed monster of James, McNeal,and Matthews. McNeal showed the most NBA potential in my eyes. He possesses a very nice three point shot, a great point guard body (6′3 and muscular), and the savvy of a veteran.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Greivis Vasquez (Maryland) He’s likely to return to school, but said he’ll make a decision probably close to the June 15th deadline. However if he does decide to enter, I could see him slipping to the 2nd round, so he might be there at #36. His wiry 6′5 frame is intriguing, especially since he’s a point guard… a very unorthodox yet crafty point guard, mind you.

[nasty daddy]

http://lifeondumars.com/2009/05/29/familiar-intrigue/

Ben Woodside (North Dakota State) 5′11 guard from the Summit League will not likely be on many team’s draft boards, but he needs to be. Probably just another overlooked mid-major baller. Though, heck, the Summit League’s got some credibility—in the 08 draft IUPUI’s George Hill was drafted in the first round by the Spurs. Granted George is 6′3ish, but the Summit League ain’t that dopey (and remember Rawle Marshall from Oakland, had a cup of coffee with Dallas and Indy). Best comparison I can come up with for Ben is Will Bynum. Both have good handles and the ability to change speeds quickly. Ben can stroke the three a million times better but probably doesn’t possess the defensive toughness/quickness of Will Bynum.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290529007

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are heading back to the NBA finals after dispatching the pesky Denver Nuggets with a 119-92 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points and J.R. Smith added 24, but Denver trailed for all but a few seconds and never mounted a serious charge after halftime, although they kept hitting 3-pointers.

Odom and Gasol both scored 20 points and Ariza had 17, and the Lakers made all 24 of their free throws.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009 ... id=4216570

Hansbrough wants to disprove doubts
There was more than a touch of defiance in Tyler Hansbrough's voice while he spoke Friday at the NBA predraft camp. "Doubt me all you want, but I think I have a lot to prove," the winner of the 2008 Naismith and Wooden awards said.

There are plenty of doubters whether Hansbrough's abilities will translate into a successful NBA career after a wildly successful college career. Hansbrough, who measured 6-foot-8 1/4, 234 pounds at the predraft camp, averaged 20.3 and 8.6 rebounds for his career and led North Carolina to the NCAA championship in April. However, many predictions have labeled him a middle first-round pick. "I'm not worried about it," he said. "It's just a bunch of people saying whatever they want. I think I'll prove a lot of people wrong. "They kind of doubted me in high school and said I wouldn't be a good college player. I'll bet a lot of people wouldn't have thought I would have wound up being the ACC all-time leading scorer. They can doubt me or whatever, but I got the job done and won a national championship."

Hansbrough had a reputation with college basketball fans for being the sport's biggest villain, possibly a college version of former Detroit Piston Bill Laimbeer. Regardless of where he goes in the draft, in a higher league Hansbrough can look forward to blending in more while inciting fewer crowds. "Maybe a little bit, but I'm always going to have people who hate me so much just for some of the things I've done at Carolina," he said. "It's no big thing for me, but I enjoy it and I have fun with it."

[nasty daddy]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft200 ... tes-090529

Clippers planning to keep No. 1 pick?
While 50 or so prospects were working hard at Attack Athletics training facility, site of the NBA pre-draft combine, hoping to impress team scouts and GMs, those same front-office people were stirring up things off the court. That's what happens when you get this many GMs together. Whether every rumor turns out to have merit is the question.

The hottest rumor at the camp Thursday had the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in hot and heavy talks about a swap of the No. 1 pick for the No. 3 pick. I heard a number of variations, including Oklahoma City sending Jeff Green to Los Angeles and another in which the Thunder take back one of the Clippers' bad contracts, particularly those of Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman.

[nasty daddy]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft200 ... art-090529

Big Winners
• A lot of people questioned the height of Oklahoma's Blake Griffin during the season. At the draft combine, Griffin's measurements were a mixed bag. He checked in at 6-foot-8½ inches in bare feet and measured a legit 6-10 in shoes. That part was fine. But his wingspan came in at just 6-11 and he ended with a standing reach of 8-9. That's just one inch longer than the reach registered by Tyreke Evans and an inch and a half shorter than DeJuan Blair's.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/

Name Height w/o Shoes Height w/shoes Weight Wingspan Standing Reach Body Fat No Step Vert Max Vert Bench Press Lane Agility 3/4 Court Sprint Class Rank Projected
Hasheem Thabeet 7' 1.25" 7' 2.5" 267 7' 6.25" 9' 5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 2
B.J. Mullens 6' 11.75" 7' 1.25" 258 7' 1.5" 9' 3" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 21
Josh Heytvelt 6' 10" 6' 11" 246 7' 1.25" 9' 0" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 50
Austin Daye 6' 9.75" 6' 10.75" 192 7' 2.75" 9' 2" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 15
Jordan Hill 6' 9.25" 6' 10.25" 232 7' 1.5" 9' 0" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 5
Jeff Pendergraph 6' 8.75" 6' 10" 240 7' 1" 8' 11" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 57
Earl Clark 6' 8.5" 6' 10.25" 228 7' 2.5" 9' 1.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 14
Blake Griffin 6' 8.5" 6' 10" 248 6' 11.25" 8' 9" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 1
Taj Gibson 6' 8.5" 6' 9.75" 214 7' 4" 9' 1" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 53
Tyler Hansbrough 6' 8.25" 6' 9.5" 234 6' 11.5" 8' 10" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 22
Joe Ingles 6' 7.75" 6' 8.25" 209 6' 10.25" 8' 9" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 52
Gani Lawal 6' 7.75" 6' 9" 229 7' 0" 8' 10" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 23
Omri Casspi 6' 7.75" 6' 9.25" 211 6' 9.25" 8' 10.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 37
Derrick Brown 6' 7.5" 6' 8.5" 225 7' 2.5" 8' 11.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 41
DaJuan Summers 6' 7.25" 6' 8.5" 243 7' 0.75" 8' 10.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 31
James Johnson 6' 7" 6' 7.75" 257 7' 0.75" 8' 9.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 18
Dante Cunningham 6' 7" 6' 8.25" 227 6' 11" 8' 10.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA No
Luke Harangody 6' 6.25" 6' 8" 240 6' 9.75" 8' 10" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA No
Damion James 6' 6.25" 6' 7.5" 224 7' 0.75" 8' 10" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 42
Chase Budinger 6' 6.25" 6' 7" 206 6' 7" 8' 5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 24
Demarre Carroll 6' 6.25" 6' 7.75" 207 6' 10" 8' 9" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 51
Demar Derozan 6' 5.5" 6' 6.5" 211 6' 9" 8' 6.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 9
Sam Young 6' 5.25" 6' 6.75" 223 6' 10.75" 8' 9.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 25
Jeff Adrien 6' 5.25" 6' 6.5" 236 7' 2" 8' 11.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA No
Danny Green 6' 5.25" 6' 6.5" 208 6' 10" 8' 7" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 35
Dejuan Blair 6' 5.25" 6' 6.5" 277 7' 2" 8' 10.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 11
Tyler Smith 6' 5.25" 6' 6" 212 6' 9.75" 8' 8.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA No
Terrence Williams 6' 5" 6' 6.25" 213 6' 9" 8' 7.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 16
Greivis Vasquez 6' 4.75" 6' 6" 197 6' 7.25" 8' 5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 56
Dionte Christmas 6' 4.25" 6' 5.5" 211 6' 9" 8' 6.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 59
Wayne Ellington 6' 4.25" 6' 5.25" 202 6' 6.5" 8' 4" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 29
James Harden 6' 4" 6' 5.25" 222 6' 10.75" 8' 7.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 3
Gerald Henderson 6' 4" 6' 5" 215 6' 10.25" 8' 6.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 12
Tyreke Evans 6' 4" 6' 5.25" 221 6' 11.25" 8' 8" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 6
Jermaine Taylor 6' 3.5" 6' 4.75" 207 6' 8.75" 8' 5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 32
Jrue Holiday 6' 3.25" 6' 4.25" 199 6' 7" 8' 4.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 13
Jodie Meeks 6' 3" 6' 4" 211 6' 4.5" 8' 2" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 44
Marcus Thornton 6' 2.75" 6' 3.75" 194 6' 5" 8' 3" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 26
Eric Maynor 6' 2.25" 6' 3.25" 164 6' 2.5" 8' 1" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 19
Stephen Curry 6' 2" 6' 3.25" 181 6' 3.5" 8' 1" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 8
Jerel McNeal 6' 1.5" 6' 3" 190 6' 7.25" 8' 3.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 46
Rodrigue Beaubois 6' 1.25" 6' 2.25" 182 6' 9.75" 8' 4" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 39
Toney Douglas 6' 1" 6' 2" 183 6' 6" 8' 1.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 36
A.J. Price 6' 0.5" 6' 2" 193 6' 3.75" 8' 1" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 43
Jeff Teague 6' 0.25" 6' 1.5" 175 6' 7.5" 8' 2.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 20
Darren Collison 6' 0.25" 6' 1.5" 166 6' 3" 8' 0.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 27
Jack McClinton 5' 11.75" 6' 0.75" 185 6' 2.5" 8' 0" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 58
Patrick Mills 5' 11.25" 6' 0.5" 175 6' 2" 7' 11" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 30
Ty Lawson 5' 11.25" 6' 0.5" 197 6' 0.75" 7' 10.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 17
Jonny Flynn 5' 11.25" 6' 0.75" 196 6' 4" 7' 11.5" NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 10

Measurements prior to 2000 are based on newspaper articles rather than official league documents. While the measurements reported in such articles are reported to be officially from the predraft camp, we are taking those writers at their word and can not completely verify that information.

* players marked with an * have an unofficial measurement that look reasonable.
+ Players marked with a + have an unofficial measurement that looks to possibly be inflated.
In the case of averages, private measurements are not included regardless of listed category.
In either case, non-official measurements should be viewed as such.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... ls--119-92

Lakers storm into Finals, 119-92
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are heading back to the NBA Finals after dispatching the Nuggets, 119-92, Friday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. Bryant (35 points, 10 assists) got scoring help from Trevor Ariza, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom as the Lakers shot 57.3 percent from the field. The Lakers are headed to their record 30th NBA Finals and lost in the title series last year to the Celtics. "Now we're in a place where we didn't get the job accomplished last year," Bryant said. "Hopefully we will this time."

Instead of cruising through the West this time, the Lakers survived an arduous seven-game semifinal series against Houston and a physical test with Denver. The Lakers will face Orlando or Cleveland in the Finals. The Magic lead, 3-2, and can clinch the Eastern Conference finals tonight at home in Game 6 and prevent a Bryant-LeBron James Final. The Finals begin Thursday, at Los Angeles if Orlando wins, and at Cleveland if the Cavaliers prevail.

Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points and J.R. Smith had 24, but Denver trailed for all but a few seconds and never mounted a serious charge after halftime. This was the Nuggets' eighth consecutive loss in a playoff elimination game. Odom and Gasol scored 20 and Ariza had 17, and the Lakers made all 24 of their free throws.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... ls--119-92

Conference finals
(Best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference
Cleveland vs. Orlando
Orlando leads 3-2
Game 1 : Orlando 107, Cleveland 106
Game 2: Cleveland 96, Orlando 95
Game 3 : Orlando 99, Cleveland 89
Game 4: Orlando 116, Cleveland 114, OT
Game 5 : Cleveland 112, Orlando 102
Today: at Orlando, 8:30 p.m.
Monday*: at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m.
Western Conference
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver
Los Angeles wins 4-2
Game 1 : L.A. 105, Denver 103
Game 2 : Denver 106, L.A. 103
Game 3 : L.A. 103, Denver 97
Game 4 : Denver 120, L.A. 101
Game 5 : L.A. 103, Denver 94
Game 6 : L.A. 119, Denver 92
* If necessary

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... ls--119-92

The 76ers have an agreement in principle with Eddie Jordan to become their next coach, the Associated Press said. He was fired by the Wizards in November.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/Jonath ... ition-3235

Analyzing the NBA Combine Measurements
Check out all of our measurements and see how prospects in this class stack up with players in our database from the last 10+ years. Keep in mind that you can sort them by position and by where they were drafted with the help of the drop-down menus on top.

Opinions on how important measurements really are vary greatly, but they are still widely anticipated both by NBA draft fans and talent evaluators, as they present a completely objective way of comparing prospects against each other. Here is a quick look at some of the interesting facets of this year’s measurements. First, and perhaps most importantly, this year’s measurements were taken early in the morning. As the day wears on, the back compresses making a person slightly shorter in the evening than in the morning. When looking at the three North Carolina players and how they measured out last year without shoes compared to this year, we see some serious growth.

Name 2008 Height 2009 Height 2008 Reach 2009 Reach
Ty Lawson 5'10.75 5'11.25 7'9.5 7'10.5
Danny Green 6'4.5 6'5.25 8'4.5 8'7
Wayne Ellington 6'3.75 6'4.25 8'5.5 8'4
As you can see, all three players measured out a half-inch taller this year than last year. While we’re not going to change the numbers, it may be best to view this class as a half inch shorter than their listed measurement compared to last year’s class. We’ve seen some fluctuation happen in the past too, but not quite as pronounced as this year. For the purpose of the discussion below, we’re considering the numbers to be legitimate.