Indiana Pacers win Game 4, take commanding 3-1 lead over Knicks

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Indiana PacersIndiana Pacers win Game 4, take commanding 3-1 lead over Knicks

George Hill put up a game-high 26 points and Paul George chipped-in 18 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Indiana Pacers over the New York Knicks by the score of 93-82 in Game 4 Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoffs series.

The Pacers need just one more victory to advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, which would be the first time the franchise has reached that point since 2004.

Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points, before fouling out, and J.R. Smith added 19 points as New York had yet another horrible night shooting the basketball.

This series has followed a consistent pattern, and Game 4 was no different. The Knicks were off shooting the ball, the Pacers outrebounded New York by a wide margin and NY could not compete during the second half.

The Knicks did not hang around for very long either. The Pacers ended the opening quarter going on a 9-2 run to break a tie of 14-14. New York couldn’t get any closer than five points for the rest of the game.

The Pacers’ home record during the postseason improved to 5-0, winning each of those games by double-digits. Indiana and the Memphis Grizzlies are the only two teams that are yet to lose at home during these NBA playoffs.

For New York, these type of shooting nights are becoming all too familiar, as they lost their fifth out of the last seven contests.

The Knicks shot only 35.6 percent, as a team, from the field, including shooting 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. They were also outrebounded 54-36 in Game 4.

The Indiana Pacers will look to close out the series as both teams travel back to New York for Game 5, which will be played on Thursday night.

NBA All-Defensive Team includes LeBron James, not Marc Gasol

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NBA All-Defensive TeamNBA All-Defensive Team includes LeBron James, not Marc Gasol

Miami Heat forward LeBron James and Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen led in the voting for the first NBA All-Defensive Team.

Allen earned 53 points in votes, while James earned 52. Both players received 25 votes for the first team, which come from the head coaches of all 30 NBA teams.

They were joined by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (46 points), Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (37 points), Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (24 points) and New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (24 points) to round up the first team.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol was left off the first NBA All-Defensive Team, however he did make the second team. Others that joined him were Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley, Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan.

Grizzlies beat Thunder as OKC is pushed to brink of elimination

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Grizzlies Beat ThunderGrizzlies beat Thunder as OKC is pushed to brink of elimination

Grizzlies beat Thunder as Tony Allen scored on a layup while driving the lane to start OT and Memphis rallied to beat Oklahoma City by the score of 103-97 Monday night, pushing the reigning Western Conference champions to the brink of being eliminated. The win for the Memphis Grizzlies puts them up 3-1 in their NBA playoffs series.

Memphis shook off a first half where they just could not get any shots to fall and the Oklahoma City Thunder could not seem to miss as they built a 17 point lead, which is their largest lead during this series. However the Grizz are yet to lose at home during these NBA playoffs, and they refused to be denied again as they won their third straight contest and seventh out of their past eight.

Memphis outscored OKC 9-3 in OT.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points, but he went 0 of 5 in overtime, including a botched layup in the final seconds.

Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 23 points and 12 rebounds, Marc Gasol had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Mike Conley socred 24 points and recorded four steals in Memphis’ victory.

The Memphis Grizzlies will look to close out the series in Game 5, which will be played Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

LeBron James and Miami Heat embarrass Bulls again, win Game 4

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LeBron James and Miami HeatLeBron James and Miami Heat embarrass Bulls again, win Game 4

LeBron James and Miami Heat ran the Chicago Bulls right off the court in front of their own fans.

James put up 27 points, dished out eight assists and pulled down seven rebounds as the Heat embarrassed the Bulls on the road in Game 4, beating them by the score of 88-65 Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in their NBA playoffs series.

The 65 points Miami allowed Chicago to score was only two points more than the franchise postseason record for a Heat opponent, along with by far being the absolute worst performance offensively by a Bulls team.

Prior to Monday night, the Bulls never put up lower than 69 points in any postseason game or 10 points in any postseason quarter, however both those lows were beaten in a game where Chicago was completely dominated on both sides of the court.

The Heat held an 11 point lead at halftime, and outscored the Bulls in the third quarter 17-9.

LeBron James and Miami Heat will attempt to close out the Chicago Bulls when both teams travel back to MIA for Game 5, which will be played Wednesday night.

Jerry Sloan drawing much interest from Milwaukee Bucks to be coach

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Jerry SloanJerry Sloan drawing much interest from Milwaukee Bucks to be coach

Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is being seriously considered to become the Milwaukee Bucks next head coach, according to sources.

It’s been reported that the 71 year old Hall of Famer has already met with Milwaukee in regards to the coaching vacancy.

Sloan, who ranks third all-time with 1,221 career wins, turned down the Portland Trail Blazers last year when they extended an offer to him. He also was entertaining the Charlotte Bobcats job last season before stepping out of the running.

After deciding not to keep Jim Boylan as their coach, the Milwaukee Bucks have been on the search to fill their vacancy since they were eliminated by the Miami Heat during the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Bucks have supposedly also been in contact with Steve Clifford, who is the Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, in case Jerry Sloan doesn’t end up working out.

Golden State Warriors rally to beat Spurs in OT and even series

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Golden State WarriorsGolden State Warriors rally to beat Spurs in OT and even series

The Golden State Warriors, led by Harrison Barnes‘ double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Stephen Curry‘s 22 points while playing on an injured ankle, came back from a horrendous first half to get the victory in Game 4 over the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 97-87 in OT to even their NBA playoffs series at 2-2.

Jarrett Jack chipped-in 24 points off the bench and Andrew Bogut was dominant on the glass with 18 rebounds to help Golden State rally from being down eight points with approximately five minutes remaining in regulation. The Warriors started the overtime session on a 9-0 run, which sent the sell out crowd of 19,500+ into a frenzy.

Manu Ginobili scored a team-high 21 points while coming off the bench, and Tim Duncan posted another double-double by scoring 19 points and grabbing 15 rebounds for San Antonio, who was outshot 35.5 to 38 percent and out rebounded 51 to 65 in the losing effort.

The Spurs will look to bounce back versus the Golden State Warriors when both teams travel back to San Antonio for Game 5, which will be played Tuesday night.

Indiana Pacers turn up the defense to take Game 3 from New York Knicks

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Indiana PacersIndiana Pacers turn up the defense to take Game 3 from New York Knicks

Roy Hibbert led the Indiana Pacers with 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Paul George added 14 points, grabbed eight boards and dished out eight assists to lift their team past the New York Knicks by the score of 82-71 Saturday night to win Game 3 and grab a hold of a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoffs series.

Carmelo Anthony put up a team-high 21 points, as he was the only player to score in double-digits for New York. The Knicks only held a lead at one time during the game, and it lasted a total of 76 seconds. They spent the remaining 45 minutes playing from behind.

Amare Stoudemire returned to the New York Knicks lineup in Game 3, but he looked rusty after being sidelined for the past two months. Stoudemire ended up shooting 3 of 8 for seven points in nine minutes of playing time. J.R. Smith added nine points while coming off the bench, after he missed the team’s morning shootaround due to a fever of 102-degrees.

The Indiana Pacers will look to go up 3-1 in Game 4, which will be played Tuesday night in Indy.

Memphis Grizzlies go up 2-1 over Thunder with Game 3 victory

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Memphis GrizzliesMemphis Grizzlies go up 2-1 over Thunder with Game 3 victory

Marc Gasol led the Memphis Grizzlies with 20 points, including hitting two free throws with just over one minute remaining to give his team the lead for good, as they gritted out another ugly game over the Oklahoma City Thunder by the score of 87-81 Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoffs series.

Gasol put up 16 of his points during the second half as the Grizzlies stayed undefeated at home in the postseason.

Kevin Durant had a team-high 25 points for the Thunder, but only scored two points in the fourth quarter. Durant shot 91 percent from the free throw line during the regular season, however he missed two crucial attempts with 39 seconds remaining Saturday night. KD also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists in the losing effort.

Oklahoma City put forth their worst shooting and scoring performance of these NBA playoffs. Reggie Jackson scored 16 points, while both Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin added 13 points each. Ibaka and Jackson also each grabbed 10 rebounds. Kevin Durant shot only 3 of 11 during the second half, and the rest of his team shot 23 of 69 combined for the entire game.

Tony Allen had 14 points, which is the most he’s had this postseason, and Jerryd Bayless put up 11 points for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph chipped in eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Memphis’ victory.

The Memphis Grizzlies will look to go up 3-1 in Game 4, which will be played Monday night.

Stan Van Gundy on the top of Atlanta Hawks list to be next head coach

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Stan Van GundyStan Van Gundy on the top of Atlanta Hawks list to be next head coach

With the Atlanta Hawks likely letting go of their current coach Larry Drew, Danny Ferry, the team’s GM, has reportedly made Stan Van Gundy his No. 1 choice to fill the coaching vacancy.

According to sources, Ferry has already reached out to Van Gundy in regards to the position, but the two have not yet met in person. It’s also been reported that Van Gundy is yet to decide whether he wants to coach next season, but he thinks very highly of Ferry.

Danny Ferry released a public statement that said,

“I have great appreciation and respect for Larry and how he led our team this season. At the same time, it is my responsibility and in the best interests of the Hawks organization to consider all of our options, and talk with other potential head coaches before making a decision about who will lead our basketball team.”

“Larry and I have had open communication about this approach. If Larry and I continue our work together, we ultimately will be a stronger organization because of our discussions and this thorough process.”

Also, Atlanta plans to make an asserted effort  to sign free-agent Dwight Howard during the offseason, and they feel SVG would be a big help in persuading him in wanting to play for the Hawks. Stan Van Gundy coached Howard previously when they both were with the Orlando Magic.

San Antonio Spurs get Game 3 win over Warriors in hostile environment

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San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs get Game 3 win over Warriors in hostile environment

The San Antonio Spurs, led by Tony Parker putting up 25 of his 32 total points while being on fire during the first half, and Tim Duncan posting a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, quieted the Golden State Warriors rowdy crowd and hot-shooting by winning Game 3 by the score of 102-92 Friday night. The victory for the Spurs gives them a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoffs series.

Kawhi Leonard ended up scoring 15 points and grabbing nine boards, while Parker also dished out five assists and grabbed five rebounds, to help San Antonio take back home-court advantage from Golden State with the win.

The San Antonio Spurs led by 10 points heading into the fourth. That is when the Golden State Warriors rallied by scoring the first nine points of the final quarter to pull within one point, 79-78, with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.

But ultimately the Warriors couldn’t keep pace, as the Spurs followed Golden State’s 9-0 run with a 11-1 run of their own, and coasted from there for the victory.

The Spurs shot 50.6 percent, compared to the Warriors 39.3 percent, as San Antonio was able to hold Golden State’s streaky shooting back court of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry to a combined 12 of 37 shooting for 33 total points.

The San Antonio Spurs will attempt to take a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals during Game 4, which will be played on Sunday.