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| Andre Iguodala uncharacteristically took only seven shots in Game 6 and the result was that he was held to 16 points on the night. He also faired poorly from the line by making just seven of 12 shots from the charity stripe. |
Our View: Iguodala did pick up four steals on the night but he only had four boards and one assist. With both he and Andre Miller playing well below their capabilities, the Sixers didn't have a chance.
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| Andre Miller ended a fantastic season with a poor outing on Thursday as he was held to just four of 16 shooting for 11 points for the Sixers in Game 6. Miller also had a paltry one rebound and two assists. |
Our View: Miller lost his shot the past couple of nights in the playoffs and he averaged just 12.3 points over his last three outings, well below his 17 point per game average from the regular season.
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| Tayshaun Prince took only six shots in Game 6, but he made five of them on his way to 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Pistons. |
Our View: Prince is the perfect player in a system that requires an athletic player to do whatever is necessary on a given night. Tonight his job was to support the other Pistons scorers, and he did that without a single complaint.
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| Chauncey Billups had 20 points, three rebounds and seven assists as the Pistons defeated the Sixers to move on to the second round of the playoffs. |
Our View: Billups hit eight of 11 shots, including three 3-pointers, and when he was on the court the Pistons outscored the Sixers by 37 points. A true leader in every sense.
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| Richard Hamilton scored a game-high 24 points for the Pistons in their 100-77 victory over the Sixers as the Pistons will move on to the second round with this 4-2 series victory. |
Our View: Hamilton hit nine of 14 shots and dished out five helpers, though his five turnovers certainly tarnished an otherwise solid outing a bit. Hamilton averaged 19.6 points in the first round matchup and figures to continue to be at the top of the team's scoring efforts on most nights.
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| Brian Cook, out with a broken bone in his right hand, hopes to be able to return in the second round, according to Florida Today. ``Right now it’s just really weak. Today was my first day with (the cast) off and I’m just trying to get back acclimated to the ball,’’ he said. |
Our View: Cook is still likely at least a way from returning to action, but the removal of the cast after four weeks is still a positive sign for the Magic.
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| Dennis Rodman has been arrested for allegedly hitting a woman at a Century City hotel in California, according to the AP. Los Angeles police say the 46-year-old Rodman was arrested Wednesday night after officers answered a report of a domestic dispute.
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Our View: The woman suffered injuries to her arm, and the former NBA star was jailed for investigation of felony domestic violence and freed on $50,000 bail early Thursday.
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| Kobe Bryant has been resting nagging injuries over the last few days, but he is not in danger of missing a game, according to the LA Times. He is battling minor pain in his ankle, and tendinitis in his right knee. He said, "It's good to have a couple days and get your body right." |
Our View: He averaged 33.5 points over the four-game sweep against Denver. He will be ready for the next round of action.
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| Tracy McGrady had a considerable amount of swelling in his left knee on Wednesday, but he is not worried about his playing status for Friday versus Utah, according to the Houston Chronicle. He said, "I was in there getting a lot of treatment. The knee is pretty swollen today. I don't think it helped immediately, but I'm not concerned." He also commented that he has been finishing with his left hand because he can get better lift when jumping off his stronger right leg.
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Our View: McGrady has been held in check during the series with Utah, but broke loose for 29 points in Game 5. It sounds like he will be good to go for Friday.
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| Suns general manager Steve Kerr defended himself on Thursday and tells the Easy Valley Tribune that the Shaquille ONeal worked out for the better. "Shaq brought an awful lot to our team. He was terrific," Kerr says. "He played very well and added a totally different dimension. (Coach Mike D’Antoni) and I are on the same page in terms of Shaq, the impact he’s made and what he can make in the next couple of years" |
Our View: What else is Kerr going to say? Shaq played decently after coming over from the Heat, and the Suns need to spend the offseason tweaking their offense to better suit the combination of Shaq and Amare Stoudemire.
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| Tests have shown that Carmelo Anthony's blood alcohol level was over the legal limit when he was arrested for driving under the influence on April 14. Attorney Dan Recht tells ESPN.com, "This is old news in that Carmelo has admitted from the beginning that he had been drinking and driving and he should not have been." Anthony is due in court on May 14. |
Our View: We're not sure what sort of punishment the Nuggets or the NBA might impose on Anthony, but we doubt it will affect his 2008-09 fantasy value much, if at all.
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