playoffs Page 136 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Big Al And The Bobcats Deserved More Than What They Got
For a few short minutes during the Bobcats' Game 3 loss to the Miami Heat, Al Jefferson did his thing. Which is to say he stuck his ass into whatever helpless defender got himself dragged onto the left block, took a brief moment to size up the situation, and then bullied his way to the rim on the st...
The NBA Player No One Would Pass To
Early this season, we ran an item called "The NBA Players No One Will Pass To." It used newly accessible SportVU motion-tracking data to determine who among all the NBA players receives the ball the least. It was based on just a few weeks' worth of data, but ended up being representative. In short: ...
Angry Pacers Heckler Just Says What We're All Thinking
The Pacers, they suck. They suck so bad that they are now one loss away from being bounced out of the first round by the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks. They suck so bad that during last night's loss in Indiana, they drove one Pacers fan to his breaking point....
Kyle Korver Shows Off His In-The-Building Range
Kyle Korver draws all net from about 30 feet out and he's not even curling off a screen or walking into the shot; he's completely flat-footed. ...
Sidney Crosby Breaks Stick Slashing Artem Anisimov
Here's Sidney Crosby getting pissed at Artem Anisimov in the second period of Game 6 against the Blue Jackets and lashing out by swinging his stick at his legs. Crosby's stick broke and the slash earned him two minutes in the penalty box, but the Penguins beat Columbus 4-3 and took the series 4-2....
For Real Though, We Need To Talk About Thomas Robinson's Block
I, like most basketball fans, have been thinking about last night's game between the Rockets and Blazers pretty much all day. But out of all the amazing shit that happened in that game—Wes Matthews torpedoing the ball and the win out of Patrick Beverley's hands; that brief stretch when Nic Batum, D...
Behold, The Most Useless Graphic Of The NBA Playoffs
The map above—from TNT last night—is one of those "who's getting the most buzz" graphics that are as ubiquitous as they are useless. Unfortunately, Houston and Portland both wear red, a nuance lost on whatever computer program generated this image. Better luck next time, computer program!...
Cool Charts: Where The NBA's Best Scorers Are Getting Their Shots
Last Friday on Grantland, Kirk Goldsberry released a great series of charts breaking down the top NBA scorers and shooters from various spots on the floor. The graphics—interactives, thanks to Bostonography's Andy Woodruff—are revealing as always, especially Dirk Nowitzki's:...
How Have NBA Pundits Fared In The First Round Of The Playoffs?
Most of the NBA's first-round playoff series are shaping up to be hotly contested matchups, so let's check in to see if the "experts" had them pegged right....
Blazers Win In Overtime, Mo Williams Wants To Fight Someone
The Rockets and Blazers went to overtime for the third time this series tonight and Portland beat Houston 123-120 in the extra session. The Blazers now lead the series 3-1. ...
Kevin Harlan With That Lean
Kevin Harlan expertly gives the world a better view of the Cosby-sweatered gentleman sitting behind the TNT booth during a break in the action between the Blazers and Rockets in Portland. Thanks, Kevin Harlan. ...
Nathan MacKinnon Continues To Dazzle, Nets OT Winner
Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal, giving the Avalanche a 4-3 win in Game 5 and a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Wild. After an impressive debut, and a great follow-up in Game 2, the Avalanche rookie added to his short (though fast-growing) playoff resume with a three-point performan...
Mavs Beat Spurs On Vince Carter's Three-Point Buzzer-Beater
The Mavericks beat the Spurs 109-108 on a Vince Carter three-pointer at the buzzer. Down 108-106, Carter got the ball off the inbounds with 1.7 seconds left, pump-faked Manu Ginobili into the stratosphere, and drained a three from the corner as time expired. The play was reviewed and upheld, and th...
Nene Suspended One Game For Head-Butting Jimmy Butler
Wizards big man Nene has been suspended for Game 4 against the Bulls after this altercation with Jimmy Butler. Early in the fourth quarter of the Bulls win over Washington, Nene head-butted Butler, then grabbed him around the head and neck, and the two had to be pulled apart by referees and teamma...
Blues Fan Has Facepalm For The Ages After Toews Goal
A hearty thank you to reader Justin for pointing this out because it is wonderful. Look at this man who probably smacked himself in the face with such force that his whole section heard the thwack! Go ahead and expand this one to get the full experience, but don't stop there. There's a lot more goin...
Jonathan Toews's Overtime Winner Was As Close As It Gets
There's not much space at all between Ryan Miller's skate and the post, but Jonathan Toews used all of it on his backhand winner in overtime against the Blues. Toews gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 after he found himself at center ice all alone with the puck thanks to a Duncan Keith...
This Is How Much Larry David Enjoys Hockey
From reader Ben comes this shot of Larry David at last night's playoff game between the Kings and Sharks. Looks like Larry enjoys playoff hockey about as much as he enjoys Knicks games....
Joakim Noah Got Into A Shouting Match With Wizards' Security
NBA teams enjoy many advantages when playing on their home court, but the Washington Wizards appear to have one thing going for them that others don't: a head of security who isn't afraid to get into it with visiting players....
Shaq Makes Inadvertent Dick Joke, Everyone Loses It
He was talking about Dick Bavetta. This is the kind of thing that happens when studio analysts have to stay up until 2:00 a.m. every night....
Seriously, What The Hell Is Going On With The Pacers?
Things have been bad for the Pacers for about two months, during which the team took on the surly, listless post-holiday air of an unhappy family too long indoors. But even when they were playing their worst, it was hard to imagine this. Down 2-1 series to the eighth-seeded Hawks, the Pacers are in ...