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| Reports out of Boston indicate forward Paul Pierce is suffering from a lower back strain sustained during the first quarter of tonight's win over the Atlanta Hawks, according to the Boston Globe. Pierce was asked about the injury in the post-game press conference but indicates it is not a big deal. "The back's a little sore," Piece said. "Obviously, I took a hard hit in the first quarter. I'll get treatment, rest it up for the next couple of days, and I think it should be fine." |
Our View: Keep an eye on this as Game 3 approaches. It sounds minimal, but back pain can be tricky and may hamper Pierce the rest of the way.
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| The Big Ticket was the leader of force as the Boston Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, winning Game 2, 77-96. Forward Kevin Garnett shot 6-of-18 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe to score 19 points, also adding 10 rebounds to complete the double-double effort. |
Our View: Garnett has put his best foot forward early in this series, but this is far from his best potential effort. Both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have been fairly quiet, in large part due to the lackluster effort needed by this Boston team to advance forward against an ill-prepared Atlanta Hawks.
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| The Atlanta Hawks have few points of optimism after falling in Game 2, 77-96, to take a 0-2 deficit to the Boston Celtics in their first-round playoff series. Forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams led their effort with 13 points each, but neither will wish to dwell on the evening. |
Our View: Smith shot just 3-for-13 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line. Williams wasn't much better, shooting 3-of-9 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe.
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| Point guard Rajon Rondo is using the playoffs to show just how far he has advanced during his short career in the NBA. Rondo shot 6-for-11 from the field to score 12 points, adding six rebounds and eight assists in helping the Celtics win 77-96. |
Our View: Rondo has been the unsung key to success for the Celts this season and now he's getting a chance to shine on the league's brightest stage. Look for continued success from a young guard just starting to realize his potential.
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| Three of the five starters for the Detroit Pistons scored 16 points as the power of the Eastern Conference found their motivation and put the Philadelphia 76ers to bed, 88-105. One of those starters scoring 16 was forward Antonio McDyess , going 8-for-14 from the field (failing to garner a single foul) and adding a team-high 12 rebounds to the effort. |
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| The Detroit Pistons obviously learned the lessons from a troublesome Game-1 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and hit the floor running in Game 2, putting the Sixers in the loss column by 17 points (88-105). Shooting guard Richard Hamilton led the way, shooting 9-for-16 from the floor to score a team-high 20 points on the evening. |
Our View: Rip also added seven rebounds (topped only by Antonio McDyess) and a team-high seven assists, giving him top honors amongst a strong team effort for Detroit this evening.
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| In an evening the fans of Philadelphia can't forget soon enough, the 76ers failed to post a single player of note in their 88-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series. Forward Reggie Evans , coming off the bench, was the team's top producer on the evening, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 5-of-10 from the free-throw line to score 13 points with 11 total rebounds. |
Our View: Evans was the only player to record double-digit rebound numbers for the Sixers and was topped only by guard Louis Williams, also coming off the bench, with 17 points.
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| As the Rockets suffer what seems to be an annual fall in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the pressure is starting to mount for Tracy McGrady , according to the Houston Chronicle. McGrady has acknowledged that the bulk of the reporters and fans that choose to point the finger at him for the continued playoff failures of this team are starting to get to him. |
Our View: McGrady went on an extended outburst after a question arose about those feelings, and McGrady revealed more than a bit of frustration. "It's my fault," McGrady said. "It's my fault we missed free throws. It's my fault we lost both games. Blame me. It's my fault we fouled to tie the game up. That's my fault. It's my fault they get easy layups. It's my fault we're not executing well on the offensive end. It's my fault a couple people in the stands ordered Heinekens and they got Budweiser. It's my fault. I'm sorry." McGrady has played well and it is hard to dismiss the absence of Yao Ming as this team struggles to compete at their top level. McGrady is essentially working with an inferior cast, and the ability to play so well and even qualify for the playoffs has been amazing. We should all give McGrady a pass this season... but the continued struggles are rather worrisome.
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| Raptors coach Sam Mitchell intends to scramble his lineup with hopes of reversing their fortunes in these playoffs, but he is not implying exactly what he will do, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: The Raptors have struggled to keep pace early in their losses to the Orlando Magic and Mitchell believes some changes will rectify that problem. "We have to stop digging holes for ourselves in the first quarter, first and foremost," said Toronto forward Chris Bosh. "That's the major issue right now." You can expect, at the very least, a new starting lineup for the Raptors on Thursday night.
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| Nene Hilario (groin) participated in practice with his teammates on Tuesday and he should be available on Wednesday night, according to the Denver Post. "I'm hoping he's playing," HC George Karl said. "We'll have a morning shootaround and evaluate how he ran. My gut says there's a good chance he'll play." |
Our View: Nene likely will be limited given that he has barely played this year due to testicular cancer and his latest set back, in fact he hasn't played more than 11 minutes since returning from the cancer, but he would help to matchup against Pau Gasol.
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| D.J. Mbenga, who had been out of action due to an injured rib cage, returned to practice and should be available for the Lakers game on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. |
Our View: Hey, you can't say we don't print all the news we can since Mbenga is about a useless a fantasy player left in the playoffs.
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| Isiah Thomas has a new job with the Knicks, we're just not sure what it is. The former coach and general manager doesn't have a title, isn't working full time, may not have an office, and won't work with the players, the New York Post reports. Thomas may only be holding this "job" until he finds another gig. |
Our View: Uh, what would you say you do here, Isiah? Seriously, the Bobs would simply let the former NBA star go at this point.
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| Grant Hill started in Game 2 on Tuesday, but it may be time to give his sore groin a longer rest. "Even the first (minutes) were as struggle," Hill admits to the East Valley Tribune. "I wasn’t doing much. I couldn’t do much. I tried to suck it up." Should he have sat out? "I don't know," Hill replies. "Who knows? I'm a foot and ankle guy." |
Our View: Hill is in a tough spot, as the Suns want him for the long run but may not advance if he doesn't help out.
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| Jason Kidd realizes he is on the bad end of the matchup with Chris Paul, and he is looking to change things. "I have to do what I do best," Kidd tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I have to try to control the tempo and somehow try to get my fingerprints on the next 48 minutes of the game." He adds that the Mavs need to focus on defense before worrying about their offense. |
Our View: Few, if any, guards are equipped to deal with Paul's speed and agility, so we can't blame Kidd too much on that end of the floor. Jason probably need to figure out how to make life tougher for Paul when the Mavs are on offense, though.
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| Vince Carter underwent right ankle surgery on Wednesday, the Newark Star-Ledger confirms. He had loose bodies and a bone spur removed and a debridement of the ankle. Carter will be on crutches for a few weeks but is expected to be ready for training camp. |
Our View: It doesn't sound like there's any reason to downgrade Vince's fantasy value for the 2008-09 season.
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| Ronny Turiaf will likely be available for tonigh's game against Denver, according to the LA Daily News. He has been bothered by a sore throat, but was able to practice on Tuesday. |
Our View: He holds little fantasy value, but provides the Lakers with adequate depth as he averages 6.6 points and 3.9 boards over 18.7 minutes per game.
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