anyone have ESPN insider?

[Wanobe]

hey does anyone have ESPN insider? if so can you post this artical for me pls.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?page=intelligencereport/060502&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba %2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fpage%3dintelligencerep ort%2f060502


wasnt sure where to put this but its about basketball so thought this would be the right place.

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Chicago Bulls
Finally, Bulls Have Escaped MJ's Shadow

When You-Know-Who showed up for the playoffs the other night with his two favorite Jordanaires, sons Jeff and Marcus, an amazing thing happened. None of the current Bulls hyperventilated. More remarkably, nobody stared up at his private suite and fainted. Crazier, not a single one of them was carried off on a stretcher with lockjaw and blurred vision. In fact, two players didn't even notice when the sellout crowd, treated to a shot of a waving Michael Jordan on the United Center big screen, launched into a long, throaty standing ovation. Seems the new Bulls were too busy getting on with their lives. -- Chicago Sun-Times

Skiles: Erratic Deng Will Be OK

Bulls forward Luol Deng continues to struggle with inconsistency in the playoffs, which coach Scott Skiles attributes to postseason inexperience. Deng missed the playoffs last season because of a wrist injury. "Offensively, he has not seemed like himself," Skiles said Monday. "We don't worry about it too much. He's really a low-maintenance guy, and I feel like he's settling down." -- Chicago Tribune


Skiles Not Expecting Lack O' Shaq

Shaquille O'Neal has sat early and often the last two games, helping the Bulls even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece as it moves to Miami tonight for Game 5. But Bulls coach Scott Skiles is not expecting the referees to whistle while Shaq works nearly as much on the Heat's home court. Not to the tune of 31 free-throw attempts for the Bulls to only five for the Heat, as was the case Sunday. -- Chicago Sun-Times

Campaigning For Kirk

NBA coaches cast ballots for an all-defensive team each season, and only a league rule barring a coach from voting for any of his players kept Scott Skiles from voting for Kirk Hinrich. Skiles said playing in a high-profile series such as this and guarding Heat star Dwyane Wade should start getting Hinrich some recognition as an elite defender. He received only three votes last season. ... "Just the publicity that's created from that, people start looking at guys differently,'' Skiles said. "I'd like to think coaches know Kirk is a very good defender, but maybe they don't.'' -- Chicago Sun-Times

Chandler's Status Key Vs. O'Neal

His news conference delayed Monday, Bulls coach Scott Skiles watched with a smirk as TV cameramen scrambled for a picture of injured center Tyson Chandler hobbling toward the locker room at the Berto Center. "Got to get a shot of the guy limping," Skiles joked. "That's like when we get off the bus and they have to get a 'walking into the arena' shot." Sure, it looked a little silly, but even Skiles would have to acknowledge the news value of the moment. Chandler's sprained right ankle is just about the only piece of negative information associated with the Bulls right now. -- Arlington Heights Daily Herald


Cleveland Cavaliers
Brown Accepts Calls, But Bothered By Play
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown had ample opportunity to respond to many questionable calls by the officials in Sunday's Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Cavs and the Washington Wizards. ... Brown, however, refused to solely blame officiating for the loss. "The amount of charges we're getting called for is frustrating," Brown said. "Especially when it didn't look like guys were set. ... My philosophy to talk about officiating would depend on if I looked at the tape and [the loss] was just the officiating; but we gave up too many turnovers that led to too many points. We also gave up too many offensive rebounds." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Lost Lessons Haunt Cavs
A big lead in a big road game evaporating in a listless second half has been a story line for the Cavs more than once during this season. The 106-96 loss to the Washington Wizards had all the hallmarks of the Cavs' bad habits that were exposed at some low points during the 82-game season. Turnovers, a stagnant, jump shot-happy offense and an inability to make the proper adjustments were blamed for several duplicate losses in recent memory. -- Akron Beacon-Journal

Hughes Wants Cavs To Stop Making Excuses
While coach Mike Brown and superstar LeBron James didn't care for the officiating in the Cavaliers' 106-96 Game 4 loss to the Washington Wizards, shooting guard Larry Hughes said Cleveland players should look in the mirror. "In the third quarter, we weren't executing the way we planned to and it showed," he said. "We lost the game in the third quarter no matter what calls were made." -- Medina Gazette

Three Is Huge Number For Cavs
The Cavaliers have been tied, 2-2, heading into Game 5 four times in their postseason history. On all four occasions, the winner of Game 5 won the series. Also, the team that had home-court advantage in the series won all four times. Of course, the Cavaliers and Washington Wizards are tied at two games apiece heading into Wednesday's game at Quicken Loans Arena -- Willoughby News-Herald


Detroit Pistons
Fine Baffles Hamilton
Richard Hamilton was as surprised as anyone when he heard the news that he had been fined $15,000 and awarded a flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Michael Redd in Game 3. "I have never gotten a flagrant 2 my whole career," Hamilton said. "To have them fine me $15,000, I don't think that's fair." -- Detroit News

Hunter Giving Pistons A Big Lift
It has become an annual rite of spring. Lindsey Hunter heads into the NBA playoffs pondering retirement and wondering whether he'll get another chance to win a championship. But when the games begin, he makes a convincing case for coming back for another season. After going scoreless in Game 1 of the Pistons first-round series, Hunter gave his club a surprising offensive lift in games 2 and 3. He reached double digits in back-to-back games for the first time this season, equaling his season high with 14 points in Game 3, and had seven points in Game 4. "I've learned to cherish these moments, being in the league as long as I have," said Hunter. -- Oakland Press

At The End, Pistons Roll The Dice
With less than five minutes to play, Detroit Pistons forward Antonio McDyess expected to see Ben Wallace sitting at the scorer's table, ready to come into the game and replace him. McDyess looked over at head coach Flip Saunders, who nodded at him to stay on the floor. He looked at Wallace on the bench, who gave him a similar nod. After Monday's game, McDyess asked Wallace why he didn't want to go back in the game. "He (Wallace) told me, 'You were playing so well, you needed to stay out there,'" McDyess said. "I was happy to hear that from him." -- Booth Newspapers

Fan Gets Jail Time In Palace Brawl
John Green was sentenced to 30 days of work release Monday for punching former Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest during a 2004 Detroit Pistons game. Green, 41, was convicted in March of one count of misdemeanor assault and battery for punching Artest during the melee at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 19, 2004. The jury acquitted him on a second assault charge for tossing a cup of beer at Artest, sparking a nationally televised brawl that sent Artest and other Pacers players into the stands. -- Detroit News


Indiana Pacers
Their Last Game 5? Oh, The Drama
The Pacers and Nets meet in another Game 5 in another first-round playoff series tonight at Continental Airlines Arena. Whatever happens, however, is not likely to match the magnitude of their meeting May 2, 2002, when the Nets survived two dramatic Reggie Miller moments to capture their best-of-five series at Continental Airlines Arena. It was one of the most memorable games in the history of two franchises, it further entrenched Reggie Miller's reputation as a clutch shooter and it offered fundamental reminders on how to win in the postseason. -- Indianapolis Star

Stojakovic Likely Out
Pacers small forward Peja Stojakovic said he doesn't think he'll play in Game 5 tonight at Continental Airlines Arena. "Probably, I won't be available," he said after he sat out practice Monday afternoon. "My (right) knee is still hurting and swelling." Stojakovic sat out Games 2 and 4, both Pacers losses. -- Indianapolis Star

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Miami Heat
Keep O'Neal Out Of Foul Trouble
Alonzo Mourning had something to say. You could see it in his eyes. He sat for several minutes after practice Monday and listened to people complicate the Heat's playoff series with Chicago. ... "We need Shaquille O'Neal to play well in order for us to be successful. Plain and simple. D-Wade knows that. And everybody else on this team knows that. We need Shaq to be on the floor. We need Shaq out of foul trouble. And we need him to play well." -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wade Downplays Tiff With Payton
All the attention devoted to that back-and-forth between Heat guards Dwyane Wade and Gary Payton that started late in the second quarter and appeared to last into halftime of Game 4 on Sunday? Much ado about nothing, according to Wade. ''It looked worse than what it was to me. It was just a disagreement on my part and on his part,'' Wade said. "It kind of got blown out of proportion a little bit. I was trying to talk to him. You see other guys pull guys away from other guys, and that seems more than what it was." -- Miami Herald


This Is No Time To Panic
Yes, Miami appears dysfunctional. Yes, it is shocking to see a Pat Riley team play and act this undisciplined. Yes, Chicago's defense seems to give Dwyane Wade more trouble than he saw at any time in any of his previous playoff experiences. And, yes, the Bulls are now the most dangerous thing in sports -- an underdog who believes. But, again, the Heat still has all the most important advantages. We forget how tense and tight playoff basketball is sometimes. Wade is part of the reason. He swept through the first two rounds last season and didn't even need Shaq's help. But the NBA's other No. 2 seed -- a team that had a better record than Miami this season -- should remind us how hard this can be. -- Miami Herald

Heat Suddenly Feel Strange
Well, don't look now, folks, but the calendar has flipped all the way to May, and Van Gundy is long gone and no doubt relieved. Riley stands alone at the controls of an experiment that has been reduced from one interesting season to one essential game, tonight's Game 5 in the opening playoff series with Chicago. The Heat still looks a little strange, with players blowing their stacks on the sideline and taking turns getting suspended. The difference is that this team suddenly feels strange, too. Unreliable. Confused. Frustrated. -- Palm Beach Post

Shaq Practices, Goes Home To Baby
Shaquille O'Neal practiced with the Heat on Monday but left immediately afterward to be with his wife and new daughter. The newborn is Shaunie's fifth child, her fourth with O'Neal. Coincidentally, Mearah was born just six minutes before Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, the second child of former Shaq teammate Kobe Bryant. His wife, Vanessa, gave birth in Orange County, Calif. -- Palm Beach Post


Milwaukee Bucks
This Is No Choke, Pistons Simply Are Better
As this playoff series returns to Detroit for its logical conclusion, the Milwaukee Bucks can spend the last few days of their season secure in the knowledge that they did what they could against a championship-level team. To have won one and then pushed the Pistons to the edge of the final quarter in Game 4 Monday night at the Bradley Center was as much as anyone could've expected. The 109-99 loss, not as severe as the margin would indicate, might have sealed the Bucks' fate as far as this series is concerned but they have no reason to question their value as a worthy post-season team. -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ford Gets His Motor Running In Second Half
It was a roller-coaster night for Milwaukee Bucks guard T.J. Ford. In the first half he was frustrated by the Detroit Pistons' enveloping defense, which seemed ready to swallow him up every time he penetrated the lane. But in the second half he made an adjustment that allowed him to break out for a 16-point third quarter, as the Bucks charged back for a two-point edge entering the fourth quarter. Ford's night ended in disappointment as the Pistons defeated the Bucks, 109-99, at the Bradley Center and took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series. -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Stu Jackson Strikes Again
The National Basketball Association fined Detroit shooting guard Richard Hamilton $15,000 for an elbow he threw at Bucks shooting guard Michael Redd late in Saturday night's playoff game. ... The Bucks shouldn't have been surprised by the NBA's verdict, especially considering it was Stu Jackson who determined it. Jackson is the same individual who suspended Bucks starting power forward Scott Williams from Game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals against Philadelphia. So what was the reaction of the Bucks to Jackson's decision? You won't know. -- Racine Journal Times


New Jersey Nets
Nets Know Every Minute Is Precious
They haven't even played their best game yet. The first game was a 48-minute celebration of rust and brain lock. They played three strong quarters in Game 2, before nearly blowing a 19-point lead. They had a superb first half in Game 3, before their offensive meltdown bled into defensive indifference. They were dominant for three periods in Game 4, before the whistles nearly sprung an insidious road trap. But four great quarters? Elusive. Yet always the objective. "We haven't played for 48 minutes, no," said Vince Carter, who might be at the top of his game individually. "We've been close." -- Newark Star-Ledger

Ratner Willing To Pay For His Thrills
If the Nets manage to get bounced by the Pacers (the series is tied, 2-2), team owner Bruce Ratner will have produced the two most costly first-round exits from the playoffs in recent history. All of which begs one simple question: Is it worth it, especially since Ratner plans to move the team to Brooklyn by 2010? With the team expected to cultivate an entirely new fan base in a borough that feels a world away to a lot of New Jerseyans, might Ratner have been better off dumping his costly stars, making do with a bargain team in his final years in East Rutherford and waiting until his dream of a Brooklyn arena is a season or two away to rebuild with a young crew of dynamic players? -- Newark Star-Ledger

Collins Is Net On The Spot
A little more than 27 months ago in Houston, Jason Collins helped defend Yao Ming into a 2-for-9, nine-point afternoon, bumping and grinding him all over the floor. Collins played textbook positional defense, using his strength and girth to push and prod Yao out of his comfort zone -- Job One for every low-post defender. ... for all the talk about the roles the Nets' Big Four of Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Jason Kidd and Nenad Krstic might play, Collins versus Jermaine O'Neal could play as large a part in determining which team moves within one victory of moving on to the next round. -- Bergen Record

Jefferson: Peja Factor Ain't Big
The Pacers are not planning on Peja Stojakovic for Game 5 tonight because of his sore and swollen right knee. Richard Jefferson says the Nets don't seem to care either way. "I wouldn't say it changes anything. He's a very talented player and you have to make adjustments, but he hasn't had the impact over this series that he would like, and the Pacers would like," Jefferson said. "He's struggled a little bit. So having him out on the court is not really going to change the way we play." -- New York Post


Orlando Magic
Magic's Act Needs A Bit Of Country
There's a tough, disciplined, old-school way about Otis Smith that doesn't mesh with the NBA's look-at-me culture. He loathes players who are into entitlement and believe it's no big deal to be a little tardy for a team meeting. "You know me, same ol' country boy from Jacksonville," said Smith, the ex-basketball star at Forrest High and Jacksonville University. Not country in the Hank Williams Jr., blue-jeans-only sense. Smith's version is more of a no-nonsense, do-the-right-thing approach. He's a man apt to be more impressed with someone who continually sets good screens than having a dunk featured on SportsCenter. Maybe that's why the Orlando Magic, seeking to transform themselves from a perennially mediocre franchise into a championship contender, is expected to name Smith its general manager any day now. -- Florida Times-Union


Philadelphia 76ers
Dealing Iverson Isn't King's Only Option
I've listened and heard and read just like everyone else, and I feel the need to clarify some points, most specifically the notion that Billy King's only choice right now is to trade Allen Iverson. If King had only one choice, he would have long since made it, and in the coming months, he would act on it, take a deep breath and go forward on the latest hopeful, bright, new path. The truth is, the Sixers' president/general manager has a whole series of choices before he decides whether to trade his four-time scoring champion, former MVP and career enigma. -- Philadelphia Daily News

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Washington Wizards
Arenas Defends Trips To Line
Gilbert Arenas yesterday addressed the latest in a mounting list of complaints about the officiating in the Washington Wizards' first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland coach Mike Brown said Arenas was getting to the line far too often after attempting 17 free throws in Sunday's 106-96 victory by Washington in Game 4. Through the first four games, Arenas has taken 50 free throws and made 42. LeBron James is 29 of 42. "I get to the free throw line," Arenas said. "It's not the first time I shot 17. If you want to keep me off the line, tell your team to stop hacking." -- Washington Times

Jordan Wants Better Effort From Wizards
As happy as he was to see the Washington Wizards rebound from a sluggish start to win Game 4 Sunday night, Coach Eddie Jordan knows that his team must deliver a more complete performance tomorrow night if it hopes to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. One key difference is that the game will be in Cleveland, in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Wizards looked disjointed during a 97-86 loss in Game 1 and where they barely held on for an 89-84 win in Game 2. -- Washington Post

Arenas Willing To Lead Wizards
Gilbert Arenas hoisted the Wizards on his back late in the third quarter of Game 4 and did what the leading figures of the NBA are supposed to do in the playoffs -- he rescued his team from the looming near-death experience of a 3-1 series deficit. He scored 28 of his 34 points in the second half, 20 in the fourth quarter, and wrested the exercise from the hands of LeBron James, who has been the principal story line of the series. Regardless of the breathless superlatives being tossed in the direction of James, Arenas has imposed his will on the series every bit as much as the precocious one. -- Washington Times

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Dallas Mavericks
No Struggle For Mavs This Time
The dream of a very busy spring at American Airlines Center is gone, but the Mavericks are moving on in a big way after achieving their first sweep ever in a best-of-7 series. Of course, the Memphis Grizzlies have never done anything except get swept. But this was a 49-win Memphis team that figured to pick up its first franchise playoff victory against a franchise that has always carried a "soft" reputation into the postseason. -- Dallas Morning News

Mavs Exhibited Their Killer Instinct
Gifted with what amounted to four chances to close out the series, coach Avery Johnson's Mavericks opted Monday for the quick knockout. They seldom stood still on offense. Their passing was almost relentlessly unselfish. For the fourth time in four games, the Mavericks dominated the boards. And on defense, they grabbed a firm bite on the Grizzlies in the middle of the second quarter and refused to let go. It was exhilarating to watch -- and exhausting. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Howard Turns Key To Success
Josh Howard finally made it to the playoffs when he figured out how to steer clear of the referees. The Mavericks swingman had his most productive game of the first round with 24 points and nine rebounds in the Mavericks' 102-76 wipeout of Memphis on Monday night. Actually, Howard felt like the only game he was AWOL from was the first one, when he also was battling a stiff back and foul trouble. In the last three games, he averaged 19 points and seven rebounds. -- Dallas Morning News

No Satisfaction For Dirk
The memories of last year's postseason deficiencies for Dirk Nowitzki are gone. He erased them after consecutive 31-point games to start the Mavericks' series against the Memphis Grizzlies. But instead of being satisfied, the Mavs' All-Star just kept coming and averaged 31.3 points in the 4-0 sweep. Nowitzki helped finish off the Grizzlies with what seemed like a ho-hum night. He scored 27 points in the Mavs' 102-76 series-clinching win at FedEx Forum. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

X-Rays Set For Van Horn
Keith Van Horn, who hasn't played since breaking a bone in his right hand March 31, will have the hand X-rayed on Wednesday in Dallas. The Mavericks will then have a better idea whether it's realistic for Van Horn to return during the playoffs. "I wouldn't say that I'm optimistic, because a lot of it depends on if the X-ray shows how much it's healed," Van Horn said. "But obviously, there are no guarantees. You know your body heals on its own time." -- Dallas Morning News


Denver Nuggets
Vandeweghe Era Appears On Brink
Kiki Vandeweghe's contract expires Aug. 1. He professes love for the Nuggets. Franchise owner Stan Kroenke, however, refused to discuss the uncertain future of his general manager. The mess on the court is a reflection of backstabbing among the team's disjointed leadership, with ugly infighting that has left Vandeweghe's reputation bloodied. The rap sheet against Kiki, being leaked by his detractors, hints why Vandeweghe's days with the Nuggets are numbered. -- Denver Post

Vandeweghe's Tenure Could Be Ending
They had many excuses, most of them having to do with injuries and continuity, some of them legitimate. But my guess is general manager Kiki Vandeweghe will pay the price for a season in which they regressed. Whether this is fair is in the eye of the beholder. Kiki has his supporters and his detractors. But if you're the GM and people are added to your personnel staff you didn't hire - as Mark Warkentien, an original candidate for his job, was last summer - you can start packing up. Perhaps the Nuggets could have saved his job with a rousing postseason. I don't know. But they didn't. -- Rocky Mountain News

Evans Hit With Penalty
The NBA assessed a $10,000 fine and a flagrant foul-two penalty on Nuggets forward Reggie Evans on Monday for what it labeled "unnecessary and excessive contact" with Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman. But the league spared Evans a suspension. ... Before hearing of his punishment, Evans denied doing what Kaman said he did, although some video replays appeared to show Evans grabbing Kaman between the legs from behind. "No, man. Look at the tape. Just look at it," he said. "(Think about) the average people who probably get hit below. They all drop. Grab something. They are going to show some kind of reaction like, 'Dang!' This dude here was normal once I looked at the tape." -- Denver Post

Offseason Shaping Up
The Nuggets have five free agents heading into the offseason: forward-centers Nene (restricted) and Francisco Elson (restricted), forward Reggie Evans and guards DerMarr Johnson and Howard Eisley. Guard Greg Buckner has a $1.8 million player's option for next season and is likely to stay with the team. Forward Kenyon Martin, who was suspended for the final three games of the playoffs for conduct detrimental to the team, is expected to be on the trading block. -- Denver Post

Martin Earns Support
Nobody would figure to benefit more from a Kenyon Martin departure than Denver Nuggets big man Nene. But Nene hopes Martin returns. "I want him to come back," Nene said. "He's good." ... Nene isn't the only Nuggets player who wants Martin back. "I like Kenyon," forward Eduardo Najera said. "Maybe he needs a little bit of help. Maybe he needs somebody to talk to him all the time and he won't go ballistic. ... We had (someone) in Dallas (Najera's former team), a psychologist." Guard Greg Buckner said Martin's left knee injury, which bothered him all season, got to him. -- Rocky Mountain News

Nene's Summer Plans
Injured Nuggets big man Nene plans shortly to go to his native Brazil, where he will remain for a few months. He said he will be getting married, likely in July. "It's a huge summer," said Nene, who gave his fiancee's name as Mel and said she is from Brazil. "I want to stay close to my family, close to my pastor." Nene, who will be a restricted free agent, should sign a big contract during the off-season. He will continue to rehabilitate the torn right anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in the Nov. 1 opener. -- Rocky Mountain News


Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers Have Every Right to Celebrate
The clock showed 8:01 to play when the Clippers turned to the crowd, smiled and waved their arms. There was nothing premature about this celebration. Not when the gestation period was 30 years. The regular season pointed to this moment -- the first-round series with the Denver Nuggets lost its competitive edge a week ago -- so with the Clippers well on their way to a 101-83 Game 5 victory, it was time to rejoice with a few dunks and flashy passes as the franchise advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since it played as the Buffalo Braves in 1976. -- Los Angeles Times

Clippers' Focus Off Lakers
Late in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' Game 5 clinching victory over Denver on Monday, a small chant of "Beat L.A." began inside Staples Center. ... "It really doesn't make a difference who we play," said Corey Maggette, who had 23 points and five rebounds off the bench. "It would be great to play [the Lakers]. It would be the first time in history that the two teams met in the playoffs. But it's really about whatever happens, we're ready." -- Los Angeles Times

After 30 Years, Clippers Ready For Second Round
This is a new world for the Clippers and they aren't about to pretend otherwise. They couldn't, really. "We don't know what to expect," said Elton Brand. "Everything is the first time. We're all excited." The world they left behind was filled with ridicule. Their name was synonymous with sad, pathetic losing. With how not to run a franchise. Now it's all upside down. Strange sentences are being put together, combining words like Clippers and winning. -- Los Angeles Daily News

Livingston Stays Cool In Spotlight
It was two hours before the Clippers took the floor against the Nuggets in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, and already Staples Center was buzzing with the anticipation of the Clippers first postseason series win in 30 years. But you'd never know it by watching Shaun Livingston nonchalantly sink jumper after jumper during as if he was preparing for just another regular-season game. The fact it was a potential series clincher didn't seem to faze him. The 20-year old point guard, a first-round pick of the Clippers in 2004 out of Peoria (Ill.) Central High School, seemed like the coolest guy in the building. -- Los Angeles Daily News


Penalty Should Fit Offense
The infraction was termed "unnecessary and excessive contact" in a statement issued by the league office. "Ron Artest throws an elbow to the face and gets suspended," Chris Kaman said. "(Miami's) James Posey bumped (Chicago's) Kirk Hinrich and got suspended. (The Heat's Udonis) Haslem threw his mouthpiece and got suspended. This guy grabs my (testicles) and pulls on them -- and he's known for dirty tactics -- and he's not suspended. I guess they don't really know what to do in that situation." -- Riverside Press-Enterprise

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

Los Angeles Lakers
Buss Getting Last Laugh
Jerry Buss heard it all: Shaq makes your team better. Shaq gives other teams a headache. Shaq will bring the Lakers back. So, of course, Buss went with Kobe. And, of course, Buss took a public-relations pounding. Of all the insults hurled at him in the aftermath, being called the second-best NBA owner in Los Angeles was the ultimate. But now, less than two years later, and two days after Bryant went Jordanesque on the Suns, Buss looks like the smartest person in basketball. Only one question remains: Do you apologize now or after the Lakers win the series? -- Newsday

Lakers Feel Reborn
Twenty-four hours came and went. The Lakers still couldn't exhale. Kobe Bryant had rushed to meet up with his wife at the hospital, Smush Parker grappled with the 36 text messages and dozens of voice mails that lit up his cellphone, and the team as a whole attempted, emphasis on attempted, to downplay a possible series with the Clippers. Bryant had the busiest time of anyone Laker-related, running to an undisclosed Orange County hospital to meet up with his wife, Vanessa, within hours after hitting two shots that were already budding on legendary. Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant was born Monday at 2:03 a.m. -- Los Angeles Times

Proving To Be A Steal
Whatever the odds were of Smush Parker coming up with a steal against Steve Nash in the final seconds of regulation Sunday, the odds were even smaller that the Lakers guard would find himself in that position to begin with. This time last year, Parker was watching the playoffs at home in NewYork, wondering where his next job in pro basketball would come. He had yet to stick on three NBA teams and had finished the season in the developmental league. -- Los Angeles Daily News


Memphis Grizzlies
Use Brooms To Clean Up This Mess
Remember the boom when they blew up Baptist Hospital? This one should be louder. People can line up to watch the blast. They should show it on live television. It's time to blow up the Memphis Grizzlies, to realize that what has been built can't be salvaged. The Grizzlies were swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks Monday night, 102-76. Some 15,104 showed up to watch. That's right, 15,104. The Grizzlies should take that as a message. -- Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Playoffs Not Miller Time
Memphis' Mike Miller, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, started Game 4 in place of injured forward Eddie Jones. While he got off to a hot start, hitting two 3-pointers in the first quarter, Miller again was not a major factor. Through the first three games, he had only 24 points. "Sometimes it becomes a mental thing, but I don't know if that's the case," Jerry Stackhouse said. "To his credit, he has been somewhat of a focal point of our defense. Hopefully that has something to do with it." -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram


Minnesota Timberwolves
Wolves Picked For Las Vegas League
The Timberwolves are among 16 NBA teams set to compete in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 6-14 at the Cox Pavilion on UNLV's campus, the league said. The other participants are Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Toronto and Washington. The schedule hasn't been determined. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press


New Orleans Hornets
Progress Made In All-Star Talks
The NBA and New Orleans have made significant progress in preparation for the league's 2008 All-Star Game, and sources familiar with the situation said contractual agreements have been wrapped up. "We're now planning to put the finishing touches on all the details and looking forward to making an announcement in the near future," a source said. -- New Orleans Times-Picayune

West Takes Second In NBA Vote
Hornets forward David West finished second in the NBA's Most Improved Player Award voting, the league announced Monday, losing to Phoenix Suns guard Boris Diaw. Diaw received 80 of a possible 124 first-place votes from NBA sportswriters and broadcasters and totaled 489 points. West received 22 first-place votes, and led voting with 52 second-place votes but totaled just 283 points. "It's cool to be considered for it," West said. "But I'm more proud of what we did as a group this year by coming back and improving upon last year. I'm more proud of that." -- The Oklahoman


Phoenix Suns
Suns Must Channel Emotions
TNT's Charles Barkley called the Suns "done" and "psychologically scarred" and he would seem to have a case because only seven teams have rallied from a 3-1 hole in the NBA playoffs. However, five were the series' higher seed with two remaining home games, which is the case with the Suns. The Suns are able, even if they look like an underdog with a 13-14 record in the past eight weeks. The Lakers are 17-8 in that time. Phoenix has scored fewer than 100 points in three consecutive games for the first time since its last three-game losing skid in December. Yet, the Suns had Game 4 won on the road and show confidence that they can change momentum. -- Arizona Republic

Suns' Loss Part Of Conspiracy?
The conspiracy theorists, mostly angry Suns fans, say Steve Nash, the soon-to-be announced two-time MVP, didn't get either call because the always-scheming NBA wants Bryant and Phil Jackson and the Lakers to advance to the next round. That would pit them against the Clippers, with whom they share the Staples Center in one of the bigger markets in the league. The Suns aren't buying it, at least publicly. "Everyone knows that the Lakers (vs.) Clippers would be great, but I don't really believe in a conspiracy," Nash said Monday. "If we had made one more shot, we wouldn't be talking about this." -- Arizona Republic

Diaw Honored For Improvement
Mike D'Antoni said more than once this season that he thought bringing in Boris Diaw from Atlanta would some day cost him his job. He was joking. Sort of. Truth was, the Suns coach wasn't initially sure what to make of Diaw, the versatile Frenchman who came to Phoenix in August for Joe Johnson and two future draft picks. As time passed, D'Antoni realized they had found a gem, a player who could play multiple positions. A player who Monday was named the NBA's Most Improved Player. -- Arizona Republic

'Global Icon' Nash Doing The Right Thing
Steve Nash has been honoured for something other than his prodigious basketball skills. The 32-year-old native of Victoria has been named one of the world's 100 Most Influential People by Time magazine. Nash, who is to be named the NBA's most valuable player for the second straight year, has been lauded by the magazine in its Heroes and Pioneers section for being one of the "global icons" who use their influence to "do the right thing." -- Toronto Star


Sacramento Kings
Adjustments Prove Monumental
The chess match has begun. Kings coach Rick Adelman wasn't sure this first-round playoff series would even reach this point, his team surviving long enough to learn the ins and outs of its opponent with enough time left to do something about it. But as the Kings enter tonight's Game 5 at the AT&T Center even at two games apiece, they are the ones making all the right moves, and making the notion of a checkmate almost believable after coming so close to being Kinged themselves. -- Sacramento Bee

Welcome To Where Careers Are Saved
There is something to be said for second chances in life and in sports. Or third and fourth chances. Sacramento seems to be home base for them, with Arco Arena located at the corner of redemption and renewal. Or maybe there are simply no bad apples in the agricultural heart of the West, at least not since Olden Polynice left town. It's certainly local legend that Chris Webber once dragged into this cow town, weeping as his plane landed on a gloomy day, his "troublemaker" baggage too heavy for a 747. And then he became a Sacramento icon. But nothing matches the better-than-fiction amazement of a Kings revival led by Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells. -- Sacramento Bee

Wells Finds Comfort Level
It was the first time in days Bonzi Wells had looked uncomfortable on a basketball court. His 25-point, 17-rebound performance against the Spurs in Sunday's Game4 boosted the Kings to a 2-2 series tie in a 102-84 victory. In two games in Sacramento, he grabbed 31 rebounds, 13 on the offensive end. He scored 44 points, too. His coach, Rick Adelman, called him a "monster," and there doesn't seem to be a dragon slayer on call on the Spurs' roster. -- San Antonio Express-News

Artest Appeals Suspension
The suspension of Artest, the Kings' small forward, from last week's Game 2 for making contact with San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in Game 1 has been appealed to the league. Artest's agent, Mark Stevens, said Monday his client lost $72,000 because of the suspension, not to mention not being able to play in Game 2. Artest was given a personal foul, but not a flagrant foul during the game. -- Sacramento Bee

[NJBRONCOSFAN]

San Antonio Spurs
Parker: '06 Kings Have Pesky '03 Suns Feel
Of all the teams the Spurs have faced in the playoffs the past few years, Tony Parker thinks the Sacramento Kings most closely resemble the Phoenix Suns. Not this season's Suns. The Phoenix team the Spurs encountered in the first round of the 2003 playoffs. Like the Kings, the Suns were an eighth seed trying to upset the top-seeded Spurs. The strength and aggressiveness of Stephon Marbury and Amare Stoudemire made Phoenix a difficult matchup. "Phoenix was kind of physical like that and very athletic, and it caused us a lot of trouble," Parker said. "Sacramento is kind of the same way." -- San Antonio Express-News

Home Edge Helps Spurs
After watching the Sacramento Kings even the first-round series at 2-2, the Spurs hope home-court advantage and a lengthy résumé of Game 5 experience counts for something at the AT&T Center. That's not exactly the same as finding a 230-pound answer for Bonzi Wells, but, if nothing else, the Spurs can at least tell themselves they've been here before. This is the seventh time in the past four seasons the Spurs have split the first four games of a best-of-7 series. In all but one of the previous -- Derek Fisher's Point Four shot being the exception -- they won Game 5 and went on to win the series. -- San Antonio Express-News


Seattle SuperSonics
Council Sets Rules For Sonics Deal
If the Sonics are going to stay in Seattle, the city must make a profit from the deal, according to a measure approved Monday by the City Council. The resolution lays out the council's bottom line for any new lease to be negotiated with the basketball team's owners, whose current lease expires in 2010. Sonics officials have threatened to move the team if they don't get a more lucrative lease and a $220 million KeyArena renovation. -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer