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| The Boston Globe reports that Lakers cancelled their Friday practice a day after lossing a 24-point lead in Game 4 of the NBA finals.
Head coach Phil Jackson said he sent the players home after a brief get-together that included watching some of Thursday night's debacle against the Boston Celtics.
"I told them that the series is not over and we want to force the action," said Jackson, whose opportunity for an NBA-record 10th championship ring as a head coach appears to be slipping away -- at least for now.
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Our View: The Celtics lead the 7-game series 3-1 and Game 5 will happen Sunday, Fathers Day, at the Staples Center.
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| Matt Harpring underwent successful
scope surgery to remove two bone spurs from his right ankle, this according to The Sports Network.
The report notes that there is no timeline on Harpring's recovery or rehab schedule.
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Our View: The Jazz swingman averaged 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game,
shooting .500 from the field in 76 games, all off the bench last season.
The 6-foot-7 veteran, entering his ninth season and seventh with the Jazz,
appeared in all 12 of Utah's playoff tilts this past season, averaging 6.6
points and 2.8 rebounds per contest.
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| Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo aggravated his sprained left ankle which limited his minutes in the second half of the Game 4 win over the Lakers. |
Our View: Rondo wasn't as aggressive as he typically is and his speed was compromised due to the injury. The team lists their point guard as day-to-day.
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| Celtics All Star forward Paul Pierce rolled his right ankle in the Game 4 comeback win over the Lakers but was able to remain in the game. |
Our View: The team is calling Pierce day-to-day, but there is no way the staff will be able keep their top scorer out of the potential series ending Fathers Day affair.
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| Kendrick Perkins is questionable for the NBA Finals Sunday night game, this according to the AP. The Fathers Day affair is Game 5 of the seven-game series. Perkins strained his left shoulder in Boston's 97-91 victory Thursday night. |
Our View: The big center is averaging 4.5 points in the series. The Celtics lead the series 3-1.
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| Kobe Bryant commented on the Lakers' Game 4 collapse which let the Celtics escape with a commanding 3-1 lead in the Finals, according to the Star Tribune. The MVP said, "We let a huge opportunity slip away, so I'm upset, hurt, disappointed. It's a huge loss, no doubt about it. We've got to take the good things that we did well in this game, understand what we did wrong in the third quarter and move on from there."
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Our View: Bryant only hit six of 19 shots in Game 4 Thursday, and the Lakers are not likely to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the series against the NBA's best defensive team.
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| Elton Brand is being coy regarding his plans of whether or not to opt out of his contract with the Clippers, according to the OC Register. Brand said, "Even if there is an opt-out, it doesn’t mean I’m going to a new team. It’s hinging on my agent saying to me, ‘Here are your options. The best-case scenario is to be here and to get to the championship, in the time that we have, and then everything would be great."
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Our View: Brand was limited to eight games in 2007-08 due to a left Achilles' tendon injury, but averaged 17.6 points and eight boards. He would garner interest from other teams if he tests the open market, despite coming off a serious injury.
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| Coach Doc Rivers has defended Kevin Garnett's lack of offense in the NBA Finals against the Lakers, according to the Boston Globe. He was averaging 18 points per game in the series heading into last night's Game 4, but was only shooting 35.5% from the field. Rivers said, "I liken him a little bit to Patrick Ewing. Playing for the Knicks, I remember everyone complaining that Patrick Ewing took too many jump shots. used to laugh. Well, he made most them, so why shouldn't he take them?"
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Our View: It is hard to fault a guy that won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and has the Celtics one win away from claiming the NBA title.
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| Zydrunas Ilgauskas will not be allowed to play for Team Lithuania in the upcoming Olympics, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He wants very much to compete in Beijing, but the Cavaliers believe it would be too risky to grant him permission. GM Danny Ferry said, "Zydrunas is an important member of our team and has generally been a higher-risk player due to his injury history. We declined consent for Zydrunas to play in the Olympics when he approached us several weeks ago."
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Our View: He battled foot injuries early in his career, but only missed 14 contests from 2002-03 to 2006-07. He did sit out two weeks in early March to rest a bad back this season, which went into the decision to decline his request for the Olympics.
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| Kendrick Perkins left last night's Game 4 with a shoulder strain in the third quarter, according to the Boston Globe. He said the injury is minor and isn't expected to miss Game 5. Perkins said, "It's nothing but a shoulder strain. It was too sore to go back in the game tonight. But on Sunday it will be fine. Any time you strain your shoulder it hurts. For the next three days I will rest and take care of my body."
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Our View: He only contributed two points and one board prior to his early exit, but the Celtics still rallied back to claim a 97-91 victory over the Lakers. Perkins should be fine, as he fought through a high ankle sprain earlier in the series.
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