Bob's Corner: Nets cut down
TweetBOB'S CORNER: THE NBA playoffs are in full swing but for one of the preseason championship favourites the Brooklyn Nets, it was a swing and a miss, bowing out in straight sets to Boston. US correspondent BOB CRAVEN brings us uptodate on what's been going down across the Pacific.
THIS week started with the Boston Celtics sweeping Patty Mills and the Brooklyn Nets 4-0 in their first round NBA Eastern Conference series.
The Nets at one time were one of the favourites to take the title this year, but endured a turbulent season.
Kyrie Irving did not play at all early in the season, due to not being vaccinated against the Covid pandemic. When he did come back, initially it was for road games only.
James Harden became unhappy and was dealt to the Sixers for Ben Simmons, who never played before their season ended.
The Celtics are a legit title contender because they really play defence. They almost totally neutralised Kevin Durant in the first three games with their tough “D”. He did get 39 in Game 4, but it wasn’t enough, and even then, he was 13-of-31 from the floor.
It was an unfortunately abrupt end to the season for Patty - who started the year so well - and a Nets team which was the only club swept in the first round.
Dallas star, Luka Doncic, was injured shortly after the start of Game 1 in their series against the Jazz, and Dallas lost. He also missed the next two games which, amazingly, Dallas won.
He came back for Game 4, but Dallas lost that, too. Dallas crushed the Jazz in Game 5, 102-77, and yesterday took the series.
The Jazz really missed the outside shooting and energy of Joe Ingles.
Here’s a handful of recent hoops anniversaries:
1950—Chuck Cooper becomes the first African-American drafted in the NBA - by the Boston Celtics.
1960—The Minneapolis Lakers announce they are relocating to Los Angeles.
1963: On April 24, Bob Cousy ends his 13-year career by scoring 18 points as the Celtics win their 5th consecutive NBA title, beating the Lakers 112-109 in Game Six.
1969—Jerry West of the Lakers scores 53 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers defeat the Celtics 120-118.
1988—The NBA approves the addition of a third referee.
1994—David “The Admiral” Robinson of the Spurs scores 71 points, the 7th highest total in NBA history.
2009—The Denver Nuggets match the largest margin of victory in NBA playoff history with their 121-63 rout of New Orleans in Game 4 of their first round series. The Minneapolis Lakers had the other 58-point post-season victory, beating the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956.
ONE of the biggest rules changes that totally altered the game of pro basketball, occurred on April 23, 1954 when the NBA announced the introduction of the 24-second shot clock.
It was done to speed the game up and it literally saved the game.
For several years prior to that year, teams were playing the game slower and slower, particularly in an attempt to offset the advantage of a dominant big man in the middle, and particularly in overtimes.
Teams could no longer just hold the ball, looking for an unmolested, easy shot, or stall and hope they could make the last shot of the game.
George Mikan of DePaul U. and the Minneapolis Lakers was one of the main reasons for this. At 208cm, he was usually a fair bit taller than anyone on the opposing team, and he had what for those days was an unstoppable sweeping hook shot.
He was tough to beat underneath, too—essentially the predecessor of later stars, such as Wilt, Bill Russell, and Kareem.
A couple of “quotes of the week:
The first was about the lady wildlife activist who tried to glue herself to the floor under the basket during the play-in game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the LA Clippers. A reporter for the San Diego newspaper wondered if she received an increasingly rare 3-second violation?
The second one was a comment from Denver Nuggets backup centre, DeMarcus Cousins on sizing up the Sacramento Kings (whom he used to play for): “They sucked before I got there. They sucked when I was there. They sucked after I left.” I wonder how he really felt?