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| Kobe Bryant lost this game while Andre Miller celebrated for the Nuggets. There will be a Game 6 in Denver (Photo by the Associated Press) |
Elimination games are exciting, most of the time. The NBA had four games tonight that had 3-1 leads with the opportunity to finish the series and move on to the next round. Only one team was sent home packing (Orlando Magic) while the rest of the match-ups forced a Game 6. Two of the games featured last minute turnovers and missed shots. More importantly, Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce, two very good closers for their respective teams made tough shots to bring their teams closer to victory. These same closers also missed shots that led to their teams losing the game. That's the way the playoffs are made and I love it!
#MillerTime #Kobe
The Lakers were down 15 midway to the fourth quarter. It appeared that the Nuggets were going to cruise with a win. Then, Kobe happened. Bean Bryant shot the Lakers back into the game with four consecutive treys. Bryant was hot (43 pts), the Staples Center was in a frenzy and the Nuggets appeared shaken. As the Lakers made their push, one veteran on the Nuggets fought back, Andre Miller. He made a couple of shots and some free throws to keep the Nuggets in the lead. He was not as hot as Kobe and he did not get cold like Kobe who missed his last three shots that would have given the Lakers a tie or lead. The Nuggets escaped with a win and there will be a Game 6 in Denver. This was an exciting game to the finish and I hope that there will be two more games in this series.
#win #StayAlive
Al Horford just got back from injury and played in Game 4 which was a loss. He was not ready to go home after playing just his second game back. The Hawks defeated the Celtics to force a Game 6 in Boston. Horford gets to play his third game and the Hawks hope that he produces the same numbers and intensity like what he did in Game 5. Horford started the game and came up with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He was even better in the clutch as he scored the last two buckets for the Hawks and He played excellent defense on Rajon Rondo on the last possession which resulted in a turnover. Paul Pierce played despite on an injury and he almost got the Celtics the win but he airballed a jumper that would have given the Celtics the lead. If Horford plays like this and Pierce is still hobbled by his injury on Game 6, then the Hawks might just be able to even the series and have a Game 7 back in Atlanta.
#win #finally
The Bulls finally won a game without Derrick Rose in the playoffs. They also did it without Joakim Noah. Luol Deng (24 pts) and Carlos Boozer (19 and 13) provided the offense while Taj Gibson provided the hustle and intensity. Gibson also provided an injury scare for the Bulls when he went down with a sprained ankle. He managed to go back into the game and contribute so hopefully the injury is not that severe to keep him from playing in Game 6. But a suspension could prevent Gibson (maybe Brand also) from playing in the next game due to an altercation with Elton Brand in the second quarter as they dove for a loose ball. Elbows were thrown and tempers flared then technical fouls were given but no ejections. The Sixers shot poorly (32%) and Spencer Hawes and Iguodala struggled offensively. This was a good win for the Bulls and they will need another one in Philadelphia to avoid going home early.
#GoHome #GolfingSeason
The Pacers are moving on to the next round after they dominated the Magic in the fourth quarter (36-16) to earn a blowout win. The game was close until Danny Granger and Darren Collision erupted in the final frame. Collision scored 15 pts in the fourth to close out the series. The Magic simply did not have enough weapons especially when the starters were not making their shots. Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson were not able to contribute much in offense and the bench was not much of a help either (16 total bench points). The Pacers winning the series was an expected outcome since Dwight Howard did not play in the playoffs. They are now waiting for the Heat to finish their own series.
#Tweet/Quote of the Night
And just like that, Kobe reminds us what happens when you make a habit of contested off-balance threes. He missed that one, Nugs rebound.- Daily Dime Update, ESPN @DimeUpdate
#RandomStuff #stats
- Corey Brewer of the Nuggets suffered an eye laceration and had to leave the game
- JaVale McGee had 21 points and 14 rebounds to outplay Bynum
- Darren Collison had only 1 turnover in the series
- Four of the five starters for the Hawks played at least 41 minutes (41, 45, 46 43)
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