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Trevor Ariza, who took a spill in Game 3 and aggravated his hip and groin, had just three points on 1-for-4 shooting in Game 4, but like Odom, he too refused to blame the limited production on his injuries.
“I’m all right … I just didn’t have it yesterday,” Ariza said. “A lot of us are banged up, but that’s a part of the game. Especially now, it’s going to be physical. People are going to play tougher, we got to fight through it.”
Phil Fined
Lakers coach Phil Jackson and the Lakers were both fined $25,000 on Wednesday for Jackson “publicly criticizing game officials” after Game 4.
Columnist T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, who has stirred a reaction from Jackson before (he prompted Jackson to swear during a press conference in the Houston series), set the table for Jackson’s rant by asking, “How big of a source of frustration is that officiating is so inconsistent?
When Jackson was asked on Wednesday if he was still upset at the referees, he explained he wasn’t pushing an agenda on Tuesday, merely answering a question. “I don’t think I got into that last night,” Jackson said after the Lakers practice, about an hour before the news of his fine was released. “I think that was a topic that was brought up and I answered a question about it, but I didn’t bring that topic up yesterday. That’s not something I’d focus on.”
Look Who's Laughing
Cleveland's Mo Williams has been in the headlines lately, but it was Orlando point guard Rafer Alston who let his play do the talking in Game 4, dropping in 26 points.
Howard Can't Afford Another T
If there's one nagging nightmare scenario to torment the Orlando Magic after they took a dream 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, it's this:
Dwight Howard getting hit with a technical foul in Thursday's Game 5 in Cleveland.That's because Howard collected his sixth tech of the playoffs in Tuesday's Game 4, leaving him just one T shy of suspension territory. Seven technical fouls, remember, add up to an automatic one-game vacation. So Howard is on the brink unless the league rescinds the T he received for what was deemed to be taunting of Cleveland's Anderson Vareajo after a third-quarter dunk. The good news? Getting a tech erased is far from implausible, as Kenyon Martin could tell you. Denver's K-Mart would be tied with Howard for a league-leading six Ts in the playoffs if three of Martin's six hadn't been rescinded by the league office this month.
However ... If Tuesday's T stands, Howard will have to be extra careful not only for the rest of a postseason that threatens to last longer than so many of us Orlando skeptics ever imagined ... but especially so in Game 5. Although a 3-1 deficit certainly has Cleveland at death's door, as Phil Jackson would say, imagine how much the complexion of the series would swiftly change if the Cavs not only forced a Game 6 but if Howard also had to miss that close-out opportunity at home. The Magic might have been able to get through a Game 6 without Howard in the first round against Philadelphia, when he was suspended for Orlando's clincher on the road after slamming an elbow into the Sixers' Samuel Dalembert. You can be sure that they don't even want to think about trying to finish off LeBron James without him. Especially not after Howard, after three quarters of virtual quiet, scored 10 of Orlando's 16 points in Tuesday's OT, enabling him to finish with 27 points and 14 boards and take another significant step toward LeBron's stratosphere. "Hopefully they look at it," Howard said of a possible mulligan from league officials on his sixth tech, insisting that he didn't taunt Varejao and that he didn't deserve the T after escaping the Brazilian's forceful grasp to squeeze home a key layup. Then Howard joked about trying to keep his mouth zipped for the rest of the series: "I might have to really use some duct tape." (There is one other scary omen for Howard's Magic that we have to stick in here: Only eight teams in NBA history have blown a 3-1 lead but Orlando is one of them, losing three straight games to Detroit in 2003 in the series remembered for Tracy McGrady prematurely talking about getting to the second round for the first time.)
Top college prospects will put best foot forward at predraft showcase
The NBA conducts its annual predraft combine starting today at Attack Athletics Gym in Chicago. Fifty-two players are scheduled to work out and conduct interviews with NBA personnel over the next five days in the hope of hearing their names called in the June 25 draft. Free Press sports writer Vince Ellis provides more details.
The Big Three
By all accounts the top three draft prospects are Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin, Spain point guard Ricky Rubio and Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet.
Griffin is the consensus No. 1 pick and likely will be selected by the Clippers, unless they trade the pick. Thabeet and Rubio appear to be jockeying to go No. 2 to the Grizzlies. Griffin and Thabeet are scheduled to be in Chicago.
From Chicago to Detroit
It's hard to see a scenario in which the Pistons' pick at No. 15 wouldn't be among the 52 prospects at the combine.
Various mock drafts have the Pistons taking Virginia Commonwealth point guard Eric Maynor, Gonzaga small forward Austin Daye, Ohio State center B.J. Mullens, Louisville small forward Terrence Williams or Wake Forest small forward James Johnson. All five will be in Chicago.
Mullens, by the way, will be the lone Big Ten player there. No players from Michigan schools will be at the combine.
No more 5-on-5 scrimmages
There will not be five-on-five scrimmages as in years past at the camp, according to ESPN.com hoops guru Chad Ford. Still on the agenda: vertical jumps, bench pressing, other light drills, medical exams and one-on-one player interviews by NBA teams.
Point guards rule
While the big-men prospects are scarce, there are many point-guard prospects along with Maynor. There could be 10 selected in the first round.
What's next?
The annual Reebok Eurocamp will be June 6-8 in Treviso, Italy. Point guard Brandon Jennings, who caused a stir when he jumped overseas from high school last summer, is scheduled to be there.
On June 15, the draft-eligible list will be complete with the deadline for underclassmen returning to school who haven't signed with an agent. Then teams will conduct individual workouts to get ready for June 25.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 10
Marcus Thornton Detroit SG 6-4 Senior LSU Brian Elfus First round pick.
NBA fines Phil Jackson, Lakers
The AP reports: The NBA has fined Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson $25,000 for his public criticisms of the referees following Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. The Lakers organization was also fined $25,000 Tuesday, the day after the team’s 120-101 loss in Denver that evened the series.
RoundCast: LeBron Done in Cleveland?
Okay, we might be overstating it, but the fact of the matter is that a spectacularly played Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final led Moore, Watson and I to discuss LeBron James' future ... both immediate and long term.
After Cleveland managed to take last night's game into overtime, the Magic then reversed the fortunes of this series with a strong overtime period before putting the Cavaliers in a do-or-die situation. Unfortunately, that's a scenario that involves Mo Williams "not being horrible" and "being a man of his word." We take him to task, naturally.
Rafer Alston Orlando's Unlikely Hero
Rafter Alston doesn't shoot the ball well every night. But he sure knows how to pick his spots. Alston became one of the unlikely heroes Tuesday night when the Magic beat the Cavs, 116-114, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final, delivering a career playoff high 26 points. The Cavs made the same mistake that Philadelphia made in the first round and Boston made in the second round, leaving Alston open to help defensively on the Magic stars. And as usual, Alston made them pay, bringing back memories of his playground days when he become the legendary "Skip-to-my-Lou.''
He made 10 of 17 shots and six of 12 from 3-point range, scoring 20 of his points in the second half after playing only nine minutes because in the first half because of early foul trouble. He scored the Magic's first 10 points in the second half, keeping them close when the Cavs threatened to run away."It fueled us when I came out strong after halftime because we were able to thrive off that,'' he said. "I'm probably not the most consistent one we have making threes, but tonight was my night.''
Alston had similar games against Philadelphia and Boston. In Game 6 of the first round, when the Magic closed out the Sixers, Alston hit 8 of 16 shots for 21 points. In Game 7 against Boston, he hit three of seven 3-pointers for 15 points. In the Magic's Game 3 victory over Cleveland on Sunday, he hit six of 13 shots for 18 points. "It's been a challenge for me, all throughout the playoffs,'' he said. "Philadelphia dared me to shoot it, and I burned them. Boston dared me to shoot it, and I burned them, too, at their place. This is a make-and-miss league. Right now I'm able to knock them down.'' Alston was the Magic's mid-season pickup from Houston after they lost Jameer Nelson for the season because of his shoulder injury. At times, he has struggled with his shot. He is shooting 40 percent from the field. During the regular season, he made only 38 percent of his shots. "You can almost taste it, this opportunity to get to the Finals. We understand we have to win one more, and it's not going to be easy,'' he said. "We're enjoying this ride, but we also understand we've got some work to do yet.''
Dwight Howard Close to Suspension
Dwight Howard promised everyone he could control himself going into Game 4 of this Eastern Conference final against Cleveland. Well, he lied. Howard played well Tuesday night – dominated overtime in this 116-114 victory – and he left Amway Arena one victory away from a trip to the NBA Finals. Yet the dark cloud over his head has grown more ominous. Howard received his sixth technical foul of this post season Tuesday, leaving him one away from an automatic one-game suspension that will follow him until this season ends.
The fear now is that the threat of a suspension will restrict the emotional play that often makes him so dominant. Or the Magic will be playing a game in the NBA Finals without him.Howard was called for his technical Tuesday for taunting Cavs center Anderson Varejao, who had tried to wrap up Howard with a high bear hug, only to have the Magic center dunk over him anyway. Varejao was called for a personal foul. Howard got a technical because he paused over Varejao and flexed his muscles. The technical irked both Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and Howard. "You do start to feel like he's a marked man. That's a pretty tough technical foul to get,'' Van Gundy said. "You start to feel like they really are looking for him. Varejao grabs him by the shoulders going up. To me, that's a bigger problem than him making noises when he makes the basket. I guess there is no problem grabbing a guy by the neck, but if you celebrate the basket, that's a bigger problem.''
Howard, who got a technical in Game 3 for saying something toward the Cavs bench, said he was surprised by the technical Tuesday, especially after promising that he would keep his mouth shut and his elbow in to avoid one. "All I was doing was playing with emotion,'' Howard said. "I wasn't taunting anyone. It was a tough play. He grabbed me around the neck, but I made the shot anyway. I understand the consequences. I might really have to use the duct tape [on my mouth] now.''
Magic Closing Book on Cavs
The wonderfully-hyped, LeBron James Magical Ride to the NBA Finals is on life support now. His box of miracles may be empty. The Orlando Magic have too many weapons to overcome. The 3-point shower is coming from all sides.The Magic took an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals with a 116-114 overtime victory Tuesday night. The series resumes Thursday in Cleveland, but the prospects are not good for the Cavaliers. In NBA conference final history, there have been 47 times in which one team has led a series 3-1. The team with the lead has prevailed in 44 of them. For Cleveland, it's only a matter of time now."We've got to have the killer instinct if we want to win a championship," said Magic center Dwight Howard. "We're not done yet. We've got to finish it.''
facing a myriad of scorers on the other side. As good as he is, it's like fighting off an army. "The only thing we're thinking about now is Game 5," said Cavs coach Mike Brown. "That's the only thing that matters, the next game." It was James who won Game 2 with an dramatic buzzer-beating 3-pointer, but this time he was too far away, launching another heave from almost half-court that barely missed its mark at the buzzer.Howard closed the deal with 10 of his 27 points in overtime. He also blocked a James layup with :16 remaining. But throughout the game, it was others who were hurting him. Rafer Alston had a playoff career high 26 points, including six 3-pointers. Mickael Pietrus had 17 in a reserve role, including five 3-pointers. Rashard Lewis had 17 points, including a huge 3-pointer near the end of regulation. Hedo Turkoglu had 15 and a pair of 3-pointers.In the three Cavs losses, James has scored 49, 41 and 44 points, proving again that the One Man Show can't overcome better balance. The Magic launched an amazing 38 3-pointers, making 17.
The game went into overtime when Turkoglu's desperation in-bound lob to Howard at the buzzer failed to connect. Howard and Cleveland's Anderson Varejao went down in a heap as they jockeyed for position. James tied the game with .5 in regulation when he hit a pair of free throws after being fouled on his final drive. Lewis, who struggled for much of the game, had hit a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining for the 100-98 lead. The Magic led, 96-90, but they struggled to score in the closing few minutes of regulation, missing too many shots from long range.Howard was called for a technical foul in the third quarter when he drove and dunked, despite being wrapped up by Varejao. Howard was called for glaring at Varejao after the play. It was Howard's sixth technical of the postseason, one short of triggering an automatic one-game suspension.The Magic are expected to appeal that technical to the NBA office. Alston scored the Magic's first 10 points of the second half. He had 15 in the period, yet the Cavs still led 79-78 when the fourth quarter began.
Finally, Kevin Garnett Has Surgery
(Kevin) Garnett underwent an arthroscopy yesterday at New England Baptist Hospital that included the removal of posterior bone spurs from his right knee. The surgery was performed by Celtics physician Brian McKeon, assisted by Michael Belkin and John Richmond.
An NBA source said Garnett, 33, is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. He is expected to do rehabilitation in Boston first before continuing it in his offseason home in Malibu, Calif.
"There were no surprises," said Celtics president Danny Ainge. "I just spoke to him [Sunday] night. He seemed like he knew what he needed to do. He was anxious to do the surgery."Absolutely, we feel like he will be 100 percent by training camp."
Hornets' Chandler, Posey Undergo Surgery
Hornets center Tyson Chandler underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle and left big toe late last week in New York in an attempt to lessen inflammation and irritation that hampered Chandler throughout last season, while forward James Posey underwent a procedure on his right knee, the team announced Tuesday night.
Chandler missed 29 regular season games because of the ankle injury, and the team's last postseason game, while a mid-season trade to Oklahoma City was rescinded by the Thunder because of concerns surrounding the repair of Chandler's left toe in 2006. Chandler did not miss any games this season because of the toe.
No other details were available. Both are expected to be fully recovered by the time training camp begins in October.
Mexico-bound. The Sixers said they will play an Oct. 18 preseason game against the Phoenix Suns in Monterrey, Mexico. The game, to be played at Arena Monterrey, will be the NBA's 18th game in Mexico, the most played in any country other than the United States and Canada. Tickets go on sale June 1 through www.arenamonterrey.com.