NBA -

oobi

Western Conference

(2) Phoenix Suns



1. Sun, May 6

oobi

(1) Detroit Pistons



1. Detroit 95 - 69 Chicago
2. Detroit 108 - 87 Chicago
3. Detroit 81 - 74 Chicago
4. Detroit 87 - 102 Chicago
5. Detroit 92 - 108 Chicago
6. Detroit 95 - 85 Chicago



(5) Chicago Bulls

Pistons win series 4-2



[ Last edited by  oobi at 18-5-2007 12:17 PM ]

oobi

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers



1. Cleveland 81 - 77 New Jersey
2. Cleveland 102 - 92 New Jersey
3. Cleveland 85 - 96 New Jersey
4. Cleveland 87 - 85 New Jersey
5. Cleveland 72 - 83 New Jersey
6. Cleveland 88 - 72 New Jersey



(6) New Jersey Nets

Cavaliers win series 4-2



[ Last edited by  oobi at 19-5-2007 03:25 PM ]

oobi

(2) Phoenix Suns



1. Phoenix 106 - 111 San Antonio
2. Phoenix 101 - 81 San Antonio
3. Phoenix 101 - 108 San Antonio
4. Phoenix 104 - 98 San Antonio
5. Phoenix 85 - 88 San Antonio
6. Phoenix 106 - 114 San Antonio




(3) San Antonio Spurs

Spurs win series 4-2



[ Last edited by  oobi at 19-5-2007 03:22 PM ]

oobi

(4) Utah Jazz



1. Utah 116 - 112 Golden State
2. Utah 127 - 117 Golden State  OT
3. Utah 105 - 125 Golden State
4. Utah 115 - 101 Golden State
5. Utah 100 - 87 Golden State




(8) Golden State Warriors

Jazz win series 4-1



[ Last edited by  oobi at 16-5-2007 11:14 PM ]

oobi

Jazz to make first conference finals appearance since 1998


Associated Press
Link to original article

SALT LAKE CITY -- Confetti fell to the floor and Tina Turner's "Simply The Best" blared from the speakers.

The best? Probably not, but certainly better than Utah fans have seen in a long time.

The Jazz clinched their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 1998 by beating Golden State 100-87 Tuesday night, winning the series 4-1 by finally slowing down the galloping pace that had gotten the Warriors this far.

Utah dominated the rebounds 59-35 and outslugged the Warriors in another physical game that had plenty of collisions and a few tantrums.

"That's the way close-out games should be. They're going to let you play. They're going to let you earn it. And we earned it," said Utah's Carlos Boozer, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Andrei Kirilenko also scored 21 and had 15 boards and three steals. Derek Fisher, the elder statesman for the young Jazz, scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Utah ended Golden State's surprising run through the playoffs and got the Jazz back to where they haven't been since the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone, whose numbers now hang from the rafters at the EnergySolutions Arena.

Stockton and Malone were still in their prime the last time the Jazz made it this far in the playoffs, when they won back-to-back Western Conference titles in 1997 and 1998. With Stockton's No. 12 and The Mailman's No. 32 hanging above them, the new Jazz improved to 6-0 at home in the playoffs.

"I don't think anybody really knew, including ourselves, how good our team could be," Fisher said.

Utah held Golden State to 14 points in the fourth quarter and unraveled the Warriors, who had knocked out top-seeded Dallas in the opening round but were badly outmatched in much of this series.

Still, the Warriors were in it until the Jazz started making their free throws in the final minutes.

"We were there the last four or five minutes of the game and had a shot. And that's where they showed their dominance," Golden State coach Don Nelson said. "I thought they were just fantastic in this series."

Baron Davis led Golden State with 21 points and eight assists. The Warriors needed a stellar run through March and April just to make it to the playoffs, then as the No. 8 seed had one of the biggest upsets in postseason history by knocking off the Mavericks.

The Warriors finally ran out of energy and patience at the end of Game 5.

"We were three wins away from going to the Western Conference finals," Davis said. "We can't regress. We have to use this opportunity and this platform."

Utah will play either Phoenix or San Antonio in the Western Conference finals.

Paul Millsap had 12 rebounds and Utah atoned for an otherwise shaky game by grabbing 20 offensive boards to Golden State's six. That helped make up for the 25 turnovers, which coach Jerry Sloan will have almost a week to harp on before the next series begins.

"If we hadn't of rebounded the ball, we would have really been in trouble," Sloan said.

Deron Williams battled foul trouble and scored just two points, but he had seven assists and Fisher picked up the slack in the backcourt and flustered his former team, which traded him to Utah last summer.

Golden State had two technicals and a flagrant foul in the second half.

Davis, who received a flagrant foul from the NBA earlier Tuesday for knocking down Fisher late in Game 4, was caught grabbing Fisher's shorts as Fisher was getting up after one of many collisions in the game.

Official Bennett Salvatore was right there and called Davis for the foul, which was symbolic of how the game was going. The series and season were falling out of the Warriors' grasp.

"Utah was the better team this series. You know we've got to give them credit point blank," Stephen Jackson said. "They beat us up inside."

The Jazz kept the Warriors' hopes alive for a while by missing half of their first 22 free throws, then regained their composure from the line and scored their last 12 points on foul shots.

Kirilenko broke the last tie of the game on a tip-in with 6:04 remaining, then Fisher added a 3-pointer 19 seconds later to put Utah up 88-83. It was Utah's last field goal.

Davis made two free throws and Jason Richardson added a jumper with 3:39 left to pull the Warriors within 88-87, then Golden State didn't score again and the Jazz sealed it from the line.

Jackson had 16 points and five assists, and Jason Richardson had 13 points and eight rebounds for Golden State, which couldn't keep up the galloping pace that carried the Warriors through the first round and pushed the Jazz in the first four games of the series.

Game notes
Golden State was 6-for-30 from 3-point range. ... Utah G Dee Brown returned after missing two games with a sprained neck and had two points and two assists. ... The Jazz are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, Stockton and Malone's last season with the team. ... The Warriors forced 14 turnovers in the first half.

oobi

Pistons awaken in second half, top Bulls for East finals berth


Associated Press
Link to original article

CHICAGO (AP) -- Chauncey Billups mentioned how quiet the United Center was after the game. If there's one benefit to closing out a series on the road, that's it.

"In a strange sort of way it always feels better to close it out on the road," Billups said. "That silence, like church."

That quiet didn't come easily, but finally, the Pistons can breathe a little easier. There won't be a Game 7.

Richard Hamilton scored 23 points and the Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls 95-85 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday night, clinching a series that turned tense after Detroit won the first three games.

"We thought that we let one slip away in front of our home fans," Hamilton said. "We knew that we had to come out here tonight and play hard."

No NBA team has lost a best-of-seven series after taking a 3-0 lead, and the Pistons rejected the Bulls' shot at history. Now, Detroit can focus on its fifth straight conference final.

Down 48-43 at halftime, the Pistons outscored the Bulls 31-21 in the third quarter to take a 74-69 lead, and Chicago could not sustain any momentum in the fourth.

Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Detroit, while Tayshaun Prince added 17 points and nine rebounds. Chauncey Billups was just 3-for-12 from the field but he scored 11 of his 21 points in the third quarter.

"We never talked about having a Game 7," Prince said. "We wanted to really make a statement with this game."

A jumper by Wallace, who had received a technical foul just over a minute earlier, and hook shot by Prince made it 85-73 with 2:20 left, and Detroit hung on from there.

"We were moving the ball," Wallace said of the difference in Detroit's offense in the second half. "In the first half we were stagnant and didn't move the ball. That's what we talked about at halftime."

Chicago's P.J. Brown attempted just three shots in the second half after scoring all of his 20 points in the first two quarters, matching his playoff career-high. Luol Deng added 17 points, but the Bulls were off target after shooting 57.3 percent in Game 5.

This time, they were 28-of-75 (37.3 percent), with Ben Gordon (19 points) going 7-for-18 and Kirk Hinrich (11 points) 3-of-13.

Wallace said the Pistons didn't do anything special against Brown in the second half.

"He was getting the same shots. We were still contesting, he just didn't hit them," Wallace said. "He was on fire in the first half."

The Bulls were trying to become the fourth NBA team to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0, and keep alive their hopes of joining another exclusive club. Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2004 Boston Red Sox have rallied from 3-0 deficits to win a best-of-seven series.

The Pistons put the Bulls in that hole by blowing them out in Games 1 and 2 at home and rallying from 19 down to take Game 3 at the United Center, but instead of a second straight sweep, Detroit got a fight.

"We just have to get better," Deng said.

The Bulls have been doing that the past three seasons after a long rebuilding period following the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen era. They lost in six games to Washington in 2005, and pushed eventual champion Miami to six games again last year. The expectations jumped when they signed Ben Wallace from the Pistons, and Chicago finished the regular season with 49 wins following a 3-9 start, then swept the Heat in the first round.

It was a major step for a franchise that hadn't won a series since capturing the championship in 1998, but the Bulls came up a little short against the Pistons.

"When you play a team like Detroit, they are going to play you every minute," Deng said. "They can beat you in a very short span."

Wallace hit a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the second half to start a 12-1 run that put Detroit ahead 55-49.

After a timeout, Gordon hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 55-52 with 8:17 left in the third quarter, but the Pistons kept coming. Billups hit a 3 to make it 67-59 with 3:29 remaining.

The lead reached 73-64 when Billups hit three free throws after Hinrich committed his fourth foul of the game and third of the quarter with 2:27 left. But a putback by Deng and a 3 by Gordon cut it to four before Detroit's Jason Maxiell hit a free throw.

The Pistons took control of the boards in the second half, outrebounding Chicago 14-7 in the third quarter and finishing with 48-35 edge.

"We started over-dribbling," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. "We were doing it some right in the beginning of the game but we were able to get away with it because our effort was good, our intentions were good. We were coming off pick-and-rolls and shooting on the way down. We only had 11 turnovers, but it seemed like a lot more."

Game notes
Ben Wallace showed up at the arena about 1 hour, 15 minutes before tipoff -- just as he did before Game 3 -- and Chris Duhon and Gordon were a few minutes late. Players are supposed to be there 90 minutes before the game. Skiles shrugged it off, saying, "It took (general manager John Paxson) well over an hour to get down here." ... The Pistons shot 13-of-22 from the field in the first quarter. ... The Bulls made their first 14 free throws but then struggled, finishing 24-of-35. ... Brown had a season-high 19 points against the Pistons on Feb. 25, and Golden State on Feb. 9.

ReuK

hahaa dulu kt skolah aku ske letak poster logo sumer team nba

ramai yg duk menyibuk kt meja aku smpi aku kena buang negeri huhuhu

logo team nba aku rasa paling cantik laa dari sport2 laen

oobi

LeBron takes charge, makes deepest playoff run for Cavs


By Brian Windhorst
Special to ESPN.com
Updated: May 19, 2007, 3:11 AM ET
Link to original article


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- LeBron James has treasured a handful of moments in his still young career.

There was his last game in high school, when he led his team to a mythical national championship. There was the night he was taken No. 1 overall in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It would also figure the day he signed a $90 million contract with Nike ranks right up there as well.

But basking in the euphoria of the Cavs' playoff series victory over the Nets Friday night, James couldn't think of anything greater. It may have just been a conference semifinal series, it may have been against a team seeded only sixth in the weaker Eastern Conference, but it nonetheless marks the first time the Cavs have earned a trip to the conference finals since 1992 when James was 7 and obliviously bouncing around a Cavs-crazed town.

Excuse him if he was lost in the moment.

"I'm not going to lie and say this isn't a great feeling," James said. "It is one of the best feelings I've had as a basketball player."

James' stats from the Cavs' 88-72 Game 6 win weren't history-making. He had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, pretty close to his averages for the 10 games of this postseason. The way he got them, though, was more statement-making.

After getting chewed up by the Nets and their double teams and zones in a Game 5 loss back in Cleveland on Wednesday, James eschewed his normal approach of using the first quarter to set up his teammates. Instead of being the passive and passing LeBron, the one so often cracked by observers, he was a aggressive and primal LeBron, using his size and skill to overpower the unsuspecting Nets.

Once he jump stopped, bounced to the left and banked one in. Another time he posted up Jason Kidd, spun quickly and tossed in a shot from the block. Then he drove, flung his body left to create space and threw in a one-handed shot as he was falling down.

When the quarter broke, he had 14 points and nine foul shot attempts, the Nets only resort was to foul.

The Cavs were on their way to a 22-point lead, putting the Nets in a deep hole that even a high-energy and valiant second-half comeback couldn't overcome. It was purely shock and awe, James at his best.

"We felt the most aggressive team was going to win," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "LeBron came out and executed the game plan very well."

Then came the still young and learning side of James. In the third quarter he picked up three fouls in five minutes and had to go to the bench. It was the earliest in his career James had picked up four fouls. Once he left, the Cavs instantly gave up a 12-0 run and nearly all of their lead.

James could only watch and see the difference a star can make. Kidd was making his impact, scoring 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter to made his push to extend his season, carrying the Nets in a desperate time.

"It was tough on every Cavs fan to watch that third quarter," James said. "It was tough on me as well as everyone back home."

Most back in Cleveland were likely yelling at their television screens as they watched the Cavs fall into the trap of hoisting up jumpers against the Nets' zone. They needed some shooters and their difference-maker living up to his billing.

On this night, James did. He scored nine points in the fourth, nailing four jumpers, but he also had four rebounds and three assists as the Cavs shooters finally took advantage of the collapsing defense on James.

Perhaps it wasn't a command performance, but for James it was another stepping stone in his development. There have been potholes, highly visible ones at times, but he's steadily lifted his team.

When he arrived he joined 17-win team that was last in the NBA in attendance, ever since he's pulled them upward.

Now he's got the Cavs in the NBA's Final Four and he's taking a moment to be proud about it.

"I get criticized sometimes for not scoring, but the main thing in our profession is winning," James said. "I'm a winner and I've got a lot of winners behind me. We're moving on."

Brian Windhorst covers the NBA for the Akron Beacon Journal.

oobi

Duncan nears triple-double as Spurs endure Suns' furious rally


Associated Press
Link to original article


SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs proved Friday night they can beat a complete Phoenix Suns team. Their reward is a berth in the Western Conference finals.

The Spurs held on to beat the Suns 114-106 and avoided a return to the desert for a Game 7.

San Antonio will instead host the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the conference finals on Sunday. It's the Spurs' third trip to the conference finals in the last five years, and they won the title in 2003 and 2005.

Manu Ginobili had 33 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who saw a 20-point lead cut to five late in Game 6. Tony Parker added 30 points for San Antonio, while Tim Duncan had 24 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots.

"It was a hard fought, physical basketball game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We're thrilled with the win. (Suns coach) Mike (D'Antoni) and his staff and the Suns players are unbelievably good basketball players. ... Frankly, I'm going to try to figure out how we did this."

All-NBA first-team selection Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw of Phoenix were back Friday from their one-game suspensions for leaving the bench area at the end of Game 4 after Robert Horry's flagrant foul on Steve Nash started a minor scuffle.

Stoudemire led the Suns with 38 points, 15 in the fourth quarter, and 12 rebounds.

Nash, who had 18 points and 14 assists, said the end to the season was difficult and that he didn't know whether the Spurs' series victory will be questioned because of the Game 5 suspensions. The Suns lost that game 88-85.

"We'll never know. What can I say? Part of me wants to be a sportsman and give them credit. They beat us," Nash said. "At the same time I can't really answer that question because I don't know what the outcome might have been."

Horry missed the last of his two-game suspension for the foul that sent Nash tumbling into the scorer's table and his forearm to Raja Bell in the subsequent scrum just before the Suns sealed a 104-98 victory in Game 4.

"I don't know what to say," Nash said. "It would be wasted words. It's very difficult for us to finish the season like this."

The Spurs let a big lead dwindle in the fourth quarter Friday, just as they did in Game 4, but this time they didn't give up the lead. Phoenix got as close as 106-101 with 34 seconds to play, but even Nash's 15 fourth-quarter points couldn't save the Suns.

"You have to understand we didn't want to see it go one more" game, Duncan said. "Those guys are capable any night of putting a run together, exploding and running away with it."

San Antonio entered the fourth quarter leading 81-67 and Ginobili led the way over the final 12 minutes, hitting a 3-pointer with 10 1/2 minutes to play to make it 86-70. His basket with just over 9 minutes left gave the Spurs a 92-72 lead.

"Manu took over for a while there, Bruce (Bowen) hit some 3s," Duncan said. "We got a little bit of a lead and it snowballed."

Nash, who had just three points going into the fourth, keyed the 20-7 run that got Phoenix back in the game.

Nash's 3 with under a minute to play made it 105-99. Ginobili made one of two free throws and Shawn Marion's dunk brought the Suns within 106-101. But Ginobili made two more free throws and Michael Finley hit a basket to put the Spurs up by nine with 17 seconds left.

Leandro Barbosa and Bell each had 13 points for Phoenix and Shawn Marion had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"That kid's the greatest," Duncan said of Nash. "He's unbelievable the way he makes his team run. Bruce did an unbelievable job chasing him the whole time. We respect him so much. We stayed on his hip."

Now it's the Jazz on Sunday afternoon.

"It's like a back-to-back. We have to get ready really quick," Duncan said. "They're playing excellent basketball. We have to be ready for execution and physical play."

The Horry-Nash incident was just one among several that marked the series as confrontational, physical and nasty:

- Stoudemire early in the series called the Spurs a "dirty team" and said Bowen purposely kicked him during the Suns' series-evening Game 2 win. Bowen said he clipped Stoudemire, but that he would not kick him on purpose.

- In Game 1, Nash, who had been on the receiving end of several blows during the series, collided with Parker and got a gash across his nose that required six stitches. He had to sit out for a crucial stretch in the game's final minute.

- In Game 3, Bowen gave his critics ammunition when he kneed Nash in the groin area. Nash said Bowen told him on the court that the move was unintentional. The foul originally called on the play was later upgraded to a "flagrant foul 1."

- Ginobili sustained a bruised and bloodied eye on a drive to the basket in Game 3.

Stoudemire had 17 points and seven rebounds in the first half as the Spurs took a 53-51 lead.

Midway through the third quarter the Spurs took over. Ginobili hit the go-ahead basket to make it 60-59 for San Antonio and sparked a 14-2 run with 6:18 left in the period.

Game notes
A group of nuns, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, planned to pray for the Spurs in San Antonio ahead of Friday's game. "Does God love the Spurs more than the Suns? No, but we love them more than the Suns," Sister Geri Eveler said in a statement. "The Spurs are our boys!" ... Jeff Van Gundy, fired earlier Friday by the Houston Rockets, was an analyst for ESPN for the game. ... Duncan's nine blocked shots were a franchise-playoff record.

oobi

Western Conference

(3) San Antonio Spurs



1. Sun, May 20

oobi

(3) San Antonio Spurs



1. San Antonio 108 - 100 Utah
2. San Antonio 105 - 96 Utah
3. San Antonio 83 - 109 Utah
4. San Antonio 91 - 79 Utah
5. San Antonio 109 - 84 Utah



(4) Utah Jazz

Spurs win series 4-1



[ Last edited by  oobi at 31-5-2007 12:17 PM ]

oobi

(1) Detroit Pistons



1. Detroit 79 - 76 Cleveland
2. Detroit 79 - 76 Cleveland
3. Detroit 82 - 88 Cleveland
4. Detroit 87 - 91 Cleveland
5. Detroit 107 - 109 Cleveland  2OT
6. Detroit 82 - 98 Cleveland



(2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers win series 4-2



[ Last edited by  oobi at 3-6-2007 03:35 PM ]

oobi

Spurs close out Jazz, reach NBA finals


By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
May 30, 2007
Link to original article


SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Tim Duncan and Tony Parker wasted no time showing how serious the San Antonio Spurs were about getting back into the NBA finals -- immediately.

Duncan and Parker powered an early 14-0 spurt that featured perhaps the most dominant stretch the Spurs have played all postseason and the Utah Jazz never recovered, letting San Antonio cruise to a 109-84 victory Wednesday night and into the championship round for the third time in five years.

The Spurs took all the suspense out of it by taking a 23-point lead early in the second quarter. Although Utah got an emotional lift at halftime when Derek Fisher arrived from New York, where his infant daughter was getting medical care for a rare eye condition, the only thing in doubt by then was whether San Antonio will play Detroit or Cleveland in the finals.

The title series begins a week from Thursday in San Antonio, regardless of who comes out of the East. The Pistons-Cavaliers series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 on Thursday night in Detroit.

"It's great, it's about the journey," Duncan said. "Last year we had a tough finish. This year to come back, put the team together and to go through three really, really good teams to get here, it's tremendous."

Having a nine-day layoff before the next round was part of the motivation behind San Antonio's get-it-over-with approach to Game 5. After all, the Spurs have the oldest roster in the league, so they're both wise enough to value not giving the underdogs any hope and eager to avoid playing another trip to Salt Lake City.

San Antonio led only 16-11 when the game-breaking stretch began with Parker cutting through several big guys and making a tough layup. Over the next 2:13, Parker had seven more points, plus a perfect lob that Duncan slammed with as much authority as he ever does.

Then Bruce Bowen capped the blitz with a 3-pointer from the left corner that put the Spurs up 30-11. They'd made eight straight shots, were 12-of-16 for the game, and were outrebounding the Jazz 13-4. With Fisher missing and starting point guard Deron Williams slowed by a sprained right foot, Utah never recovered.

"Our first quarter was unbelievable," Parker said. "I can't remember, since I've been with the Spurs, shooting the ball like that. Our offense was great, our defense was great. ... You can't ask for a better start."

Utah coach Jerry Sloan agreed.

"They came at us really hard," Sloan said. "They destroyed our will to want to play. That was the whole thing. We abandoned our offense right away. And we never could get back into it the rest of the night. They put us where they wanted us all night long."

Duncan and Parker each finished with 21 points and Manu Ginobili scored only 12. None of them played in the fourth quarter -- it was that much of a blowout.

By getting to the finals, San Antonio continues its bizarre trend of dominating the league in odd-numbered years since Duncan arrived for the 1997-98 season. The Spurs won it all in 1999, 2003 and '05, and even came close in the lone exception, losing the 2001 conference finals to the eventual champs, the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It always feels good to be here," team owner Peter Holt said upon receiving the Western Conference trophy, a sparkling silver basketball, during an on-court presentation. "This is wonderful."

"This is just part of the process," Bowen added, drawing a loud ovation.

The looks on the faces of the Jazz players throughout the game showed their disappointment. However, star Carlos Boozer admitted Wednesday morning, "We're not even supposed to be here."

Utah won 51 games and its division this season, but opened the playoffs on the road and lost the first two games. The Jazz rallied to beat Houston and got past eighth-seeded Golden State to reach the conference finals for the first time since 1998, yet were no match for the Spurs, especially in San Antonio.

After taking a seven-point lead in the first quarter of the first game, Utah didn't lead during any of the other 11 quarters played here and has now lost 19 straight games on the Spurs' home court.

"We feel good about having beaten them now," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It's just going to get more difficult for everybody as they spend more time together."

Sloan may already have been looking ahead when he sent in Ronnie Brewer during the first half, figuring the experience would do the rookie some good in the long run. Brewer had played only two minutes this series and 24 all postseason. Late in the second quarter, Sloan used a lineup featuring deep reserves Brewer, Dee Brown and Rafael Araujo.

Another rookie, Paul Millsap, joined that trio during the third quarter. Things were so out of hand by then that Fabricio Oberto took -- and made -- a 17-footer and 7-foot center Francisco Elson took -- and missed -- a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Utah's early game plan was to get shooters Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur out of their funks. Kirilenko took the Jazz's first two shots, making a dunk, and Okur took five in a row, making only one when the Spurs had their big run. It was their best stretch since Game 6 of the second round against Phoenix, when they turned a 63-61 lead with 5:23 left in the third quarter into a 20-point lead with nine minutes to play.

Duncan actually went to the bench before the rally ended. Popovich told him, "Good job," and Duncan walked by as if he'd done nothing special. All he got was a light pat on the rear when he left the game for good with a few minutes left in the third quarter.

Kirilenko ended up leading Utah with 13 points. Williams and Matt Harpring each scored 11. Boozer had nine on 3-of-10 shooting and Fisher had only two free throws in 15 minutes.

San Antonio's Jacque Vaughn dribbled out the clock to end the game -- sort of. There was still 0.3 seconds left on the clock, but Popovich shrugged and went to shake hands with Sloan and people began filling the floor. Officials scurried to get the Jazz to inbound the ball so time could run out.

While the postgame ceremony was being set up, Utah players and coaches lined up to shake hands and hug the Spurs.


Notes

Ever heard of a "correctable error?" The officials called one on themselves midway through the second quarter, realizing they'd called an offensive foul against Utah but not given San Antonio the free throws it was entitled to because the Jazz were over the limit. The Spurs had finished another possession when things were sorted out. ... The fourth quarter was such a joke that fans did the wave to entertain themselves. Former Spurs star David Robinson was among those getting up on cue. ... There are good storylines regardless of who San Antonio faces in the finals. Detroit would be a rematch of a tight 2005 finals, while Cleveland's coach (Mike Brown) and GM (Danny Ferry) came out of the Spurs' organization. ... Utah had been 2-0 when facing elimination this postseason, winning Games 6 and 7 of the Houston series. ... The Spurs improved to 13-4 in close-out games since 2003. Over the same span, they are now 7-2 in playoff series that feature a loss by at least 12 points. ... San Antonio won 58 regular-season games, more than Detroit (53) or Cleveland (50). That's why the finals will start in the Alamo City.

akughi

emmmm...

oobi

Cavs top Pistons, reach first NBA finals


By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
June 3, 2007
Link to original article


CLEVELAND (AP) -- As his teammates danced and carried on while wearing baseball caps and T-shirts proclaiming "Champions," LeBron James walked around in a daze with a smile etched across his face.

"This is like a dream," he said, shaking his head. "This is probably the best feeling that I've ever had in my life."

An entire city felt the same.

For the first time in a long time, championship-starved Cleveland has something to feel good about.

The Cavaliers, once the punch line to jokes and Michael Jordan's favorite foil, are Eastern Conference champions -- and on their way to the NBA finals.

Lugging an entire region's hopes with him on every trip to the basket, James had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and unflappable rookie Daniel Gibson added 31 points -- 19 in the fourth quarter -- to give the Cavaliers a 98-82 victory in Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons.

Cleveland, a city that hasn't celebrated a world championship since the Browns won an NFL title in 1964, has the next closest thing. And now the Cavs, who won only 17 games the year before James arrived from just down the Interstate in Akron, will meet the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the finals on Thursday night.

James, who scored 48 points in Cleveland's double-overtime win in Game 5, didn't have to carry the Cavs by himself.

Gibson gave him all the help he needed.

The slender second-round pick from Texas, who didn't become a major contributor until March, outshined his superstar teammate. Gibson made three 3-pointers in the first 2:16 of the fourth and drilled another long-range jumper with 6:52 left, setting off a massive celebration in Quicken Loans Arena.

"If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up," Gibson said. "This was perfect, to win it for Cleveland."

The Cavaliers are only third team to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a conference finals, joining the 1971 Baltimore Bullets and 1993 Chicago Bulls.

The season couldn't have ended worse for the top-seeded Pistons, making their fifth straight appearance in the conference finals.

Rasheed Wallace fouled out and then got thrown out after being slapped with two technicals by referee Eddie Rush with 7:44 to play. Rip Hamilton, too, fouled out after scoring 29 points.

The loss could signal an end of an era for the Pistons, who lost in Game 6 of the conference finals for the second straight year after being the East's top-seeded team.

With Chauncey Billups (9 points) and Chris Webber (13) both bound for free agency, coach Flip Saunders' security could now come into question in Detroit, which hasn't won a title since 2004.

"It's disappointing," Billups said. "I feel bad for the guys on the team to have it end like this again after a great year."

As the final seconds ticked away, James flung the ball into the crowd and jumped into the arms of center Zydrunas Ilgauskas as the Q quaked. The moment was particularly sweet for Ilgauskas, the club's 7-foot-3 center who was drafted by the franchise in 1996 and spent two seasons on the sideline with major foot injuries.

"We said we loved each other," Ilgauskas said. "We've gone through so much as a team. For some reason we sought each other out and the emotions took over."

With wine-and-gold confetti falling from the rafters, James walked to midcourt for the trophy presentation and thanked Cleveland fans, some of whom were wiping away tears at finally seeing a hometown team win something significant.

"This is the best thing that ever happened to me, man," James said, addressing the 20,562 delirious fans. "But look here, look here. It doesn't stop."

Moments later, James was handed the Eastern Conference trophy by Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who had advice for the 22-year-old.

"You are representing the Eastern Conference," the Boston Celtics great said. "Make me proud."

Gibson, the hero of Game 4 when he scored a season-high 21, drained a pair of 3-pointers in the first 1:14 of the fourth quarter, giving the Cavs a 73-67 lead and forcing the Pistons to call time.

"Boobie is a guy with a lot of poise and a lot of heart," Cavs coach Mike Brown said of Gibson during the trophy presentation. "He's a scorer and a shooter. You leave him alone you better watch out, because it's Boobie for 3."

It's been 43 years since a Cleveland team captured a major pro sports title. The Browns lost three straight AFC titles to John Elway and the Denver Broncos, and the Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948.

The Cavaliers, who joined the league in 1970, now have a shot to end a drought that has spanned generations for Cleveland fans.

"Something had to go right for Cleveland sports," James said.

A lengthy delay at the start of the second quarter because of a scoreboard malfunction drained most of the energy from the frenzied crowd and prevented the Cavaliers from adding to their six-point lead.

Annoyed by the delay, James scored nine points -- all free throws -- in the first half. Officially, he tried just two shots from the field in the first 24 minutes but was fouled on several drives to the basket and got to the line 11 times.

Just as he did before Game 3, James arrived at the arena more than 3 1/2 hours before tipoff to get in some extra shooting practice. Wearing one of his popular "Witness" T-shirts, he worked on 3-pointers, free throws and his post-up moves, backing down imaginary Pistons for easy inside baskets.

Powerless to stop him in Game 5 on their home court, the Pistons were determined not to allow James to score as he did. They were as loose as always in the locker room before the game, as Wallace blasted some Snoop Doog from a portable stereo and several of his teammates bobbed to the beat.

Following the morning shootaround, Billups declared that Detroit's defense would not allow James an encore of his 48-point masterpiece.

"No, that won't happen again," Billups warned. "I won't say the kid can't get 40, you know what I'm saying? But he won't get the 40 like that again. No, no, trust me. Not like that. If he can get 40 with fadeaways and all that, then tip your hat. He won't get that kind of 40 again."

He didn't have to, as Gibson and his less-heralded teammates stepped up and made sure their wouldn't have to go back to Auburn Hills, Mich., where they lost Game 7 in the conference semifinals last year.

"We said we were going to make somebody else beat us, and the kid (Gibson) scored 30," Billups said.

After scoring 29 of Cleveland's final 30 in Game 5, James came out looking to get his teammates involved. He took only one shot in the first quarter but finished with five rebounds and five assists as the Cavaliers took a 27-21 lead into the second.

Because the scoreboard, 24-second shot clock and game clock were not operating in the second quarter, Cavaliers public-address announcer Olivier Sedra counted down in five-second intervals from 10 during each possession so the teams knew how much time they had left to shoot.

Notes

R&B star Usher, one of the Cavs' minority owners, sang the national anthem. ... The win was Brown's 19th in the playoffs, moving him past Lenny Wilkens for the most in team history. ... It was Cleveland's first game in June. The latest date the Cavaliers had ever played before was May 29, 1992, a 99-94 loss in the conference finals to the Chicago Bulls.

dlm game NBA, mostly 'pak itam' yang
selalu jadi star :solute:

oobi

(3) San Antonio Spurs



1. Thu, Jun 7

oobi

(3) San Antonio Spurs




1. San Antonio 85 - 76 Cleveland
2. San Antonio 103 - 92 Cleveland
3. San Antonio 75 - 72 Cleveland
4. San Antonio 83 - 82 Cleveland





(2) Cleveland Cavaliers

Spurs win series 4-0



[ Last edited by  oobi at 15-6-2007 12:01 PM ]

oobi

Spurs sweep Cavs to win fourth title


By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
June 15, 2007

Link to original article


CLEVELAND (AP) -- True roundball royalty, the San Antonio Spurs are once again wearing the crown.

LeBron James, Cleveland's preordained King, isn't quite ready for his.

Finals MVP Tony Parker scored 24 points, Manu Ginobili had 27 -- 13 in the fourth quarter -- and the Spurs, who bounced over from the ABA in 1976, moved in among the NBA's greatest franchises with an 83-82 victory Thursday night for a sweep of the Cavaliers -- court jesters through much of their first finals.



With their fourth championship since 1999 -- and third in five years -- the Spurs joined the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as the only teams in NBA history to win four titles.

And No. 5 might not be far away either with Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan leading this Texas-oiled machine. Coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, now a perfect 4-for-4 together in finals appearances, spent most of the postseason dismissing talk that they should be considered a dynasty.

But with titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, there's no more reason to pretend they aren't one.



As the final seconds ticked off on Cleveland's finest season, Duncan stood at center court with both arms raised triumphantly as the rest of the Spurs danced around their center in a huddle. San Antonio's star sought out Cleveland's Eric Snow, but was unable to find James in the pandemonium.

Moments later, the Spurs put on champions baseball caps, which has almost become a June ritual for them.

The final moments were hectic, though, as the Spurs needed every last free throw to hold off the Cavaliers, who made a last stand at home in a season of seasons for their once downtrodden franchise.

Cleveland went on an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter, taking its first lead in any second half of the series on James' drive with 7:55 left. Cleveland went up 63-60 on Daniel Gibson's drive, but that's when Duncan and Co. showed why they're champions.



Ginobili scored inside, was fouled and missed his free throw. But Duncan muscled into the lane and tipped in the miss to make it 66-63. The Cavs tied it, but Ginobili, who didn't make a field goal in Game 3, dropped a 3-pointer, and when James missed a 3, the Spurs regained control by outworking Cleveland.

Duncan and Fabricio Oberto scrapped for offensive rebounds as the Spurs kept the ball for nearly two minutes before Oberto's three-point play made it 72-66 with 2:29 remaining. Duncan then poked the ball away from James and Oberto scored underneath to give San Antonio a 74-66 lead.

James, possibly a little tired following the early morning birth of his second son, hit another 3-pointer but Ginobili responded again with a tough runner in the lane to make it 76-69.



Damon Jones made three free throws and James made another 3-pointer, but Ginobili made four free throws in the final seven seconds and immediately began celebrating a title that was all but inevitable.