Derrick Rose goes no.1 in NBA Draft
June 27, 2008
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The Chicago Bulls have used their number one draft pick to select Derrick Rose out of Memphis. Rose was widely tipped to go number one in the mock draft boards around the basketball world.
Rose is a 6′3″ guard who helped Memphis go all the way to the 2008 NCAA final where his team went down to Kansas. Rose’s speed and athleticism should see him score plenty of driving baskets in the NBA.
Miami Heat picked Michael Beasley at no. 2. Beasley who came out of Kansas State.
For all the info about the NBA draft day picks head over to the NBA site.
Now that the draft picks have been made it will be interesting to see if they all sign up and end up playing next season. As a bulls fan I am looking forward to seeing what impact Derrick Rose can make. It would be nice to see them in the playoffs again.
Boston adds to the legend
June 18, 2008
Last season the Boston Celtics went 24-58 and sat at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Their record was the second worst in the NBA. Fast forward to June 2008 and they are NBA Champions for the 17th time in franchise history. Boston after being the best team in the regular season with a 66-16 record in this years NBA have gone on to complete a historic turnaround.
In game 6 of the NBA finals Boston has creamed their opponents from Los Angeles. The final score was 131-92 to give the Celtics a 4-2 series win. Such was the dominance of Boston in this match they were able to start celebrating with more than four minutes left in the match.
After a fairly tight first quarter where Boston lead by four at 24-20 it was in the second quarter that they setup their victory. Boston outscored the Lakers 34-15. Unlike Boston’s huge comeback in game 4 over in Los Angeles there was no inkling of a comeback by the Lakers. The Celtics just kept on powering away from the Lakers and outscored them in every quarter.
Kobe Bryant could only manage 22 points in this match. Once again he was held in check and no-one else was able to step up. For Boston it was Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen who top scored for Boston with 26. Hometown hero and finals MVP, Paul Pierce knocked in 17. Rajon Rondo also put in a good display with 21 points, well above his finals average of 9.8.
The fairytale went exactly to plan for the Celtics who lost once away so that they could complete the title win on their home court.
Well done Boston, NBA Champions for 2008.
Lakers take it to 6 in NBA playoffs
June 17, 2008
A good team effort has seen the Lakers stay alive in the NBA finals against Boston Celtics. Today they won 103-98.
Once again the Lakers came out firing. It was 39-22 after the first quarter. The Celtics pulled that back a bit in the second quarter before making it a close affair by the final buzzer.
Paul Pierce was the standout for Boston scoring 38 points but this was not enough to seal the deal.
Game 6 will be played in Boston on Tuesday.
Yao Ming donates $2 million to Earthquake
June 14, 2008
NBA basketball star Yao Ming has donated $2 million to help rebuild schools destroyed in the Sichuan earthquake last month. Visit the Yao Ming Foundation website to read more, or to make a donation.
Yao Ming plays for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He will represent China at the Beijing Olympics in August.
On the Yao Ming Foundation website it says $100 000 will allow the Chinese to build a permanent school for 300 students. A donation of $3 500 will be enough for 1 prefabricated classroom for 50 students.
Over the years Yao Ming has shown he is dedicated to helping out the less fortunate. He said after seeing the earthquake he felt powerless to do something. Through his foundation he will now be able to play a significant role in the rebuilding of the area devastated by the earthquake.
Celtics stun Lakers after huge comeback
June 13, 2008
The Boston Celtics have moved to within one win from taking 2008 NBA title. The win against the Lakers was more impressive as the Celtics were at one stage down by 24 points. The loss for the Lakers was the first at home in the 2008 playoffs.
With 6:45 left in the second quarter the Celtics trailed by 24 points. At halftime they still had 18 points to make up just to pull level with the Lakers.
The match started well for the home side. Fans would have been thinking the game was in the bag after a 35-14 opening quarter in which the home team could do no wrong. It was Lamar Odom who came out firing for the Lakers when he scored 13 points in the first quarter.
The key point for the Celtics was that they had plenty of time to chip away at the Lakers lead. This is exactly what they did. After being down by such a huge margin in the second quarter the Celtics had got to within 2 points going into the fourth quarter.
For Boston there was no one player that stood out. It was a good team effort that helped them get back into the match. It was much the same for the Lakers as the scoring was well spread through the team. The problem was that Kobe Bryant would normally lead the scoring by a wide margin and today he did not deliver scoring just 17 for the match. This came from 6 of 19 shooting. His inaccuracy lead to the downfall of the Lakers. At the start of the final quarter Bryant had scored only 7 points. Bryant has been averaging over 30 points a game throughout the playoffs.
The match was up for grabs with 1:30 left on the clock as the Celtics held a 2 point lead with the scores 89-87. From there it was a Posey 3 point shot that stretched the lead to 5. The Lakers hit back with a 2 point bucket to Fisher. With the match in the balance it was the pressure free throw shooting of Paul Pierce that edged Boston clear.
A Gasol dunk made the score 94-91 in favour of Boston. On the next play the Celtics worked down the clock and Ray Allen ended the play with a layup to once again take the lead to 5. So that was where it ended and we saw Boston complete one of the greatest comebacks in NBA finals history.
Game 5 will also be played in Los Angeles. Can the Celtics claim their first NBA crown since the mid eighties or will the Lakers take the series back to Boston?
Lakers hit back on home court
June 11, 2008
The Lakers kept their home winning streak alive in the 2008 NBA playoffs with a 87-81 victory over the Boston Celtics in game three of the finals.
Kobe Bryant helped the Lakers turn a two point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter into a six point victory. The Lakers star scored 10 points in the last quarter and 36 for the night.
As the Lakers took to the court in game three they knew it was essential to win this match or they could virtually kiss goodbye the 2008 NBA title. No team has come back to win a series from 0-3 in the history of the NBA finals.
The hero for Boston in game 2, Paul Pierce, had a quite night for Boston with just 6 points. Ray Allen top scored for the visitors with 25.
Of the starting five for the Lakers it was only Bryant who hit double figures. Lucky for the men in yellow reserve Sasha Vujacic chipped in for 20 points.
The Lakers will be looking to extend their playoffs home court winning streak to 10-0 as they take on the Celtics in game 4 on Thursday.
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Boston fight off late challenge from the Lakers for 2-0 lead
June 9, 2008
The Boston Celtics almost let a 24 point lead slip in game two of the NBA finals. Playing at home with less than eight minutes to go you would have thought they were safe.
The Lakers thanks to a huge 41 point final quarter almost snatched what would have been a vital away win. What got the Lakers back in touch was a flood of three point baskets. They scored seven in the last quarter. With 38 seconds to play two Bryant free throws got the Lakers to within two points at 102-104.
Paul Pierce who fought off knee pain was key in the final seconds. He sank two free throws to extend the lead to four. On the next play he got a blocked shot as Vujacic attempted a three point shot.
Pierce played another big game for the Celtics as he scored 28 points for the night. He was backed by Powe who scored 21 for the Celtics. Kobe Bryant once again lead the scoring for the Lakers with 30.
The series now moves to Los Angeles for the next three games. It of course is vital that LA win the next game to get back into the series. They really need to win all three to go back to Boston with two shots at getting the away win that is required to win the series.
The Lakers are 8-0 at home in the playoffs for 2008 and are 14-0 at home since March 28. They will be keen to keep that streak alive. Game 3 is on Tuesday night at the Staples Center in LA.
Are you a high school athlete in the USA? Get into TAKKLE.com
June 9, 2008
Have you heard about TAKKLE the Ultimate Site for High School Sports? It is a great site that gives high school athletes a chance to showcase themselves to sporting scouts or fans of high school sports in the USA.
TAKKLE follows the social network model to allow you to post photos and videos, share schedules and stats. It is also a place to hangout for coaches, athletes and fans. It gives you an outlet to share your passion for sport.
TAKKLE was developed with the high school athlete in mind. It is a place to help you succeed. If you are looking to promote yourself to the scouts or college coaches this is the place for you. TAKKLE.com allows you to load pictures, videos and stats from all your games. It is a great place to showcase your abilities.
At the end of the season when it is time to get your name out to college coaches you can send the “TAKKLE Sheet”. This is a one-page snapshot of your stats and all your personal info. It can easily be sent to any college coach in the USA.
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If you are a coach TAKKLE makes your life easier as well. You can use the tools in the site to organize game and practice schedules and keep in touch with your players in a secure environment. You can even scout your upcoming opponents. Join FREE Today! TAKKLE also makes it easier to help you get your players in contact with college coaches.
TAKKLE is great for college recruiters also
To succeed as a college coach you need to find the best athletes and of course coach them well. Takkle can help you find athletes easier than before. Takkle will bring all the key information to you in an easy to search format. You can use just about any criteria you can think of to find the perfect fit for you team. The high school athletic world will be at your fingertips.
TAKKLE.com is also a great place for fans, friends and parents of high school athletes. The site will be one to keep up-to-date with all that is happening with your favorite athlete or team. There will be stats, photos and videos for you to view and comment on.
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Lakers looking to level series and then wrap it up at home
June 8, 2008
The Lakers were second best in the opening game of the 2008 NBA finals against Boston Celtics. The Celtics playing at home to the first match 98-88.
With the way matches are scheduled if LA can steal the next match they go home to play 3 straight matches. This could see them claim the title on their home court. There is a long way to go before thinking about that.
In game 2 the key for the Lakers is to be more physical on the boards. They need to grab more rebounds than they did in match one.
Game 2 tips off at 9pm ET on Sunday.
Celtics back to finals after 21 years
June 1, 2008
Going into the fourth quarter at home with a 68-60 lead the Pistons may have thought that was enough to close out the game. They did not see what was coming from the Bostons, a team hungry to make the NBA finals for the first time since 1987.
The Pistons opened the fourth quarter with a bucket from Rip Hamilton to take the lead out to 10. Here is where it went wrong for the Pistons. They missed their next four shots and turned the ball over three times in a four minute period. During that time the Celtics scored 10 unanswered points to tie up the scores at 70.
The team from Boston now had a sniff for victory and there was no letting up. A 29-13 final quarter blew the game apart and with it they were heading to the NBA finals.
The Celtics had the lead after the first quarter after a 24-21 opening. They still lead a halftime by the same margin. They faded in the third quarter to make the Pistons think the game was theirs.
Then they hit them with a 23-6 run in the fourth quarter. It was too much for the home team to handle and they were out of the NBA finals for 2008.
It was Paul Pierce that sparked the Celtics in the fourth quarter. He hit two key baskets and some free throws that got things going. He ended the match with 27 to lead the Boston scorers.
For the Pistons it was the guards who did the bulk of the scoring when the big men were needed to step up and help overcome the rush of points the Celtics got in the closing quarter. Billups lead the scoring with 29 and Hamilton contributed 21. Prince, McDyess and Wallace could only score 20 between them.
Now just like in the days I first remember following the NBA from here in Australia it is the old classic matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Who can forget the old rivalry of Bird vs Magic.
The 2008 series between the Lakers and Celtics has a lot to live up to. Play in game one begins on June 5 in Boston.
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