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| Tim Duncan didn't score 40 points again, but his 18-point, 17-rebound effort helped the Spurs take a 2-0 lead over the Suns. The big man also managed four assists, one steal, and three blocks. |
Our View: For those counting at home, Duncan now has 11 straight double-doubles in playoff games against the Suns. Not too shabby. Duncan may not be quite as dominant as he once was, but he is still a stud.
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| Steve Nash had another productive night on Tuesday, finishing with 23 points and 10 assists against the Spurs. Alas, the Suns fell to 0-2 in the series. Nash hit 10 of his 15 shots from the floor. He has produced a double-double in seven straight playoff games. |
Our View: We expect nothing less out of the two-time MVP. Actually, 10 assists is a little low for Stevie.
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| Manu Ginobili celebrated his new hardware by contributing 29 points off the bench in Tuesday's win over the Suns. The guard hit 9-of-17 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. He chipped in three assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block. |
Our View: Ginobili wasn't named the Sixth Man of the Year for nothing. He continues to be a stud despite his bench role.
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| Amare Stoudemire scored 33 points for the second straight game, but the Suns dropped to 0-2 in the series against the Spurs. The big man added seven rebounds and three blocks. |
Our View: Stoudemire has a history of playing well against Tim Duncan and company, but we guarantee he'd take a victory over his personal stats at this point.
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| Tony Parker paced the Spurs with 32 points in the Game 2 win over the Suns. The point guard also had seven assists, three boards, and three steals. He knocked down 13 of his 25 shots. |
Our View: Parker hadn't taken that many shots in a game since March 9, 2005 - also against the Suns. He had a bit of a disappointing fantasy season, but a strong playoff run would push him back up the rankings for the 2008-09 campaign.
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| Jameer Nelson continues to step up his game for the playoffs. He finished with 18 points, six assists, and one steal on Tuesday night. Nelson went 6-of-10 from the floor and knocked down four threes. |
Our View: Nelson hit four threes in a game just once during the regular season, and he's picking a nice time to find his groove.
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| Jason Kapono did hit best to keep the Raptors in the game on Tuesday night. He came off the bench and contributed 20 points. Kapono his 8-of-12 shots, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. |
Our View: He isn't the two-time All-Star three-point champ for nothing. Kapono has now lit it up in both games this series, but the Raptors have lost twice.
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| Rashard Lewis scored 18 points in Tuesday's playoff win over the Raptors, but the total doesn't look that good when placed in context. The forward hoisted and missed nine three-point attempts and shot 7-of-21 from the floor. Lewis added six boards, five assists, and three steals. |
Our View: The Magic have won two straight against the Raptors, but they'll need Lewis to pick it up if they hope to advance past the second round. Rashard is 3-of-18 from beyond the arc through two games.
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| Chris Bosh had 29 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block on Tuesday night, but he missed a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds against the Magic. |
Our View: You hate to put any blame on Bosh after such a nice night, but the star is paid to hit the big shots.
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| Dwight Howard had another 20-20 performance in Tuesday's win over the Raptors. The big man poured in 29 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and added in one assists, one steal, and three blocks. He became the first player since Nate Thurmond in 1969 to managed a 20-20 line in two straight playoff games, according to the AP. |
Our View: The Raptors simply have nobody who can body up with the imposing Howard. Management may want to think about adding some frontcourt muscle this offseason.
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| After a bit of a quiet Game 1, Peja Stojakovic hit five of his seven three-point attempts and tallied 22 points in Game 2 against the Mavericks. He added two rebounds and two assists to the cause. |
Our View: The Mavs have enough to worry about with Chris Paul and David West, and Peja is the extra dagger. If Stojakovic hits 50 percent of his threes on a given night, it's awfully tough for the Hornets' opponent to win.
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| Dirk Nowitzki once again led the Mavs in scoring, but the club lost to the Hornets by 24 in Game 2. The All-Star forward managed 27 points and added five rebounds and five assists. He hit 12-of-15 from the line. |
Our View: The problem is not Dirk's scoring. The Mavs defense has been unable to contain Chris Paul and the Hornets. Nowitzki remains a fantasy stud.
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| David West slapped around the Mavericks again on Tuesday night. The forward hit 11 of his 17 shots and finished with 27 points, four rebounds, and five assists. West also added a rare three-pointer to the mix. |
Our View: The Mavs may need to figure out something different on defense. West has 27, 23 and 26 points in his last three games against Dirk Nowitzki and company.
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| Brandon Bass was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 9-for-9 from the line in Game 2 against the Hornets. He chipped in eight rebounds and one steal along with the 19 points. |
Our View: Bass was the one good thing going for the Mavs on Tuesday night. The former LSU forward doesn't have any fantasy value because he's limited to around 20 minutes per night.
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| Chris Paul dominated the Mavericks again in Game 2. The MVP candidate finished with 32 points, 17 assists, five boards, and three steals in the 127-103 win. Paul hit 10 of his 16 shots from the floor. |
Our View: The Mavs simply haven't had an answer for Paul. Maybe they should have made a big trade for a point guard before the...oh yeah, they did do that.
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| Rafer Alston believes he may be able to play in Game 3 against the Jazz. The point guard has missed the first two contests due to a strained right hamstring. "I'm pushing hard," Alston tells the Houston Chronicle. "Right now I'm pushing for Game 3. My goal all along was to push for Game 3, and now I'm getting close." |
Our View: Backup point guards Bobby Jackson and Aaron Brooks are a combined 16-for-48 from the floor and 3-for-16 from beyond the arc. So, yeah, the Rockets would like to see Alston back in the lineup.
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| Grant Hill will start in Game 2 against the Spurs, the Arizona Republic confirms. His status was in jeopardy due to a sore groin. |
Our View: How long Hill lasts is another question. He struggled in Game 1, and there's no certainty that he'll be effective in this contest.
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| The Suns aren't sure if Grant Hill will be available on Tuesday night due to his nagging groin injury. "We’ll just have to see," Hill tells the Arizona Republic before the morning shootaround. |
Our View: The Suns would undoubtedly miss the veteran, even though he is no longer a superstar. We'll update Grant's status when more is known.
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| Brendan Haywood will not receive a suspension for his hard foul and ejection in Game 2 of the series against the Cavaliers, the AP reports. |
Our View: But he touched LeBron James?!? What happened to the star treatment? Come on!
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| Tyronn Lue won't be available for Game 2 against the Hornets due to lower back tightness, the Dallas Morning News reports. |
Our View: Lue is only insurance should something happen to both Jason Kidd and Jason Terry.
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| The Raptors are switching up their strategy for Game 2 against the Magic. They will go with a smaller lineup throughout the game, which means Andrea Bargnani will move from his small forward spot. "You're going to see Andrea (Bargnani) and Chris (Bosh) on the floor a lot more playing the four and five," head coach Sam Mitchell informs the Toronto Star. "And you'll see Jason (Kapono) out there, you'll see Carlos (Delfino) out there, you may even see Jamario (Moon) at the four." |
Our View: It almost seems like Mitchell is making Rasho Nesterovic the scape goat for Game 1. We're not sure a smaller lineup will stop Dwight Howard from grabbing 22 boards, but we can only wait back and see. Bargnani has been basically awful since the middle of March.
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| Kevin Garnett has been named the Defensive Player of the Year, according to The Boston Globe. Garnett earned the honor by averaging 9.2 boards, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks over 71 games. Garnett tallied 493 points (90 first place votes, 12 second place, seven third place). Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby finished second with 178 points. |
Our View: Garnett fit in very well in Boston this season, and will continue to play at a high level in their bid to win the NBA Title, assuming he'll be healthy.
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