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| On a night when the Celtics generally struggled to score, Ray Allen found his touch. The sharpshooter poured in 25 points in Game 3. Allen shot 8-for-13 from the floor and hit five threes. The 25 points tied his second-best effort of the postseason. |
Our View: The Celtics will need Allen to stay hot if they plan to run with their lead in the series. Ray has his hands full with guarding Kobe Bryant, but he's also doing his job on the other end with 61 points through three contests.
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| Sasha Vujacic stepped up and delivered a playoff career-high 20 points in the Game 3 win over the Celtics. The guard knocked down 7-of-10 shots overall and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Vujacic scored eight points in both Game 1 and 2. |
Our View: Sasha picked a great time to step it up. The Celtics will need to honor his shot moving forward, which is great news for the Lakers.
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| Paul Pierce had a rough night in Game 3. The captain scored only six points on 2-of-14 shooting from the floor. He missed all four of his three-point attempts. |
Our View: Pierce had a four-point performance back in the series against the Cavaliers, and we expect him to come back with a much, much better outing in Game 4.
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| Kobe Bryant (who else?) led the Lakers with 36 points in the Game 3 win over the Celtics. He shot 12-of-20 from the floor and closed the door with two key buckets in the final 1:10 of the contest. |
Our View: He isn't the MVP for nothing. The Lakers will need to continue to hold serve if they want to stay in the series.
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| Rajon Rondo limped off the court early in the third period of Game 3 against the Lakers. There's no early word on his injury, the Boston Globe notes. |
Our View: We'll update the point guard's status when more is known.
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| The Knicks brought in guards Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordon for workouts on Tuesday, the New York Post reports. "I have all the tools," head coach Mike D'Antoni informs Bayless. "I just need an engine to run it." The Knicks own the No. 6 pick in the June draft. |
Our View: Bayless could be a wonderful fit for D'Antoni's system, but the Arizona guard is not expected to be available at the No. 6 spot. Gordon could still be around, and the former Indiana star might also thrive in a run-and-shoot system. We're not sure how Gordon would fit alongside Jamal Crawford, though.
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| Mike Miller is rumored to be involved in trade talks between the Grizzlies and the Miami Heat. The trade would also send point guard Kyle Lowry and the number five pick in the draft to the Heat in exchange for the number two overall selection, ESPN.com reports. |
Our View: Heat president Pat Riley is apparently unimpressed with Michael Beasley, who measured just 6-foot-7 in his bare feet and is desperately hoping Derrick Rose will be available at No. 2. The Heat feel they can contend next year and landing Miller, one of the league's best shooters, and Lowry would help make that a reality.
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| A lawsuit against Zach Randolph has been dropped. The $300,000 lawsuit stemmed from an October 2006 incident in Portland. Robert Bacote accused Randolph of battery and harassment, as the forward and then-teammate Qyntel Woods believed Bacote told the police that Woods had abused his pit bulls, the AP summarizes. |
Our View: If only Randolph were as intimidating and focused on the court as he allegedly was in pursuing Bacote.
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| Daniel Gibson underwent left ankle surgery on Tuesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms. The guard will begin rehab next week and be ready for training camp. |
Our View: Gibson initially injured his ankle on February 20, but he was able to come back late in the season and work in the playoffs. He has shown signs of turning into a much more effective fantasy talent and could be a minor sleeper in 2008-09.
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| Barring a sign-and-trade deal, there are very few teams with enough room under the cap to sign Gilbert Arenas. Those teams are: the Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Washington Wizards. The Los Angeles Clippers, who announced they will not re-sign Shaun Livingston yesterday, would also have enough space to land Arenas assuming Corey Maggette exercises his player option to become a free agent. According to the Washington Post, Arenas wants to remain in Washington and re-sign with the Wizards. The source also suggests he may accept a pay cut to do so.
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Our View: Arenas is from L.A. and craves a larger market. Besides the Clippers, the Lakers are also rumored to be a possible landing spot for him. The Wizards have the top two free agents in Arenas and Antawn Jamison and may be better off spending their money on Jamison. The market for power forwards is incredibly thin while there are plenty of options at point guard.
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| Antonio Daniels met with a specialist and it has been decided that he will not need surgery on his injured left wrist, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: He provides the Wizards with solid depth, as he averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 assists per game in 2007-08.
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| Vinny Del Negro has accepted the job to become the Bulls' new head coach, according to the AP. GM John Paxson is expected to introduce him at a press conference on Wednesday. |
Our View: Del Negro was an assistant GM with the Suns, and has never served as a head coach. His playing career began in 1988-89, and he was a member of the Kings, Bucks, Suns, and Warriors.
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| Michael Curry has been introduced as the new head coach of the Detroit Pistons, according to the AP. The 39-year old first time coach takes over for Flip Saunders, who led the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals for three straight seasons. Team president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said, "Michael has been a proven leader throughout his NBA career. Given his strong knowledge of the game and tireless work ethic, we feel he is the right person to lead our team. Michael understands the culture of our franchise and its expectations."
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Our View: The Pistons and Curry agreed on a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a season. The team holds an option for a fourth season. His career as a player ended when he was waived by the Pacers back in 2005.
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| Carmelo Anthony's agent (Calvin Andrews) stated that his client isn't being shopped and won't be dealt by the Nuggets, according to the Detroit Free Press. Andrews said, "I would say nothing is happening. The Nuggets are not trading Carmelo." |
Our View: The latest trade speculation had Anthony going to the Pistons. Anthony also previously said that the Nuggers told him they are not trying to deal him.
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