Tony Parker shines with Spurs

Hey dude, What do you want ? Today , I found for you a special guy who is able to run the floor like nobody in the league. 

He’s the fastest player in the NBA with the ball, according to NBA cameras that evaluate speed. He was measured at 20.9 MPH, which was the best out of anyone ! Not enough for you ? I let you guard Parker on the court  ! Good luck ! I hope you are ready to make your heart and your mind run ! The show must go on !

Point Guard: Tony Parker (2001-present)

Born in Belgium and toughly raised in France by his american father, Parker came to the Spurs as the 28th overall pick in the 2001 draft. It was a special gift for the serious coach Pop. Tony Parker , Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili represent one of the best trio of the league despite their advanced ages.  Parker has a fabulous career with the spurs which adpoted the french touch.

Parker has been part of three championship rings in San Antonio and is a five-time NBA All-Star who was named MVP of the NBA Finals in 2007. What a phenomenal career for the french boy !

Parker is a remarkably efficient competitor, shooting 49.4 percent in his career and averaging 17.1 points and six assists per game. In his 12-year career Parker connected 14,917 points, logged 5,247 assists and recorded a PER of 19.1.

The assist total is tops in franchise history and the points rank him fourth. With 836 steals, Parker ranks seventh on the franchise’s all-time list and he is fourth with 872 games and 28,688 minutes.

Here’s what Parker has done for Spurs and for your eyes, as in his top 10 plays from 2012-13.

Focus about George Hill the MVP of the series VS Knicks

George Hill, Indiana Pacers

George Hill was the clearly the factor X  for the  heavy Indiana Pacers. (NBA.com photo)

Hill unfortunately missed the Game 5 of the series with a bad concussion and his absence was conspicuous. Without Hill to run the point, Indiana turned the ball over 19 times and shot just 36.2 percent in a 10-point loss that forced the series back to Indianapolis for Game 6.

Hill returned for Game 6 and the turnover count dropped to nine, with just one of them coming in the second half, and the Pacers were able to withstand a sizzling second-half run by the Knicks to close out the series. 11-2 to close out well the series. We need to thank every Pacers who had solid performances during the span.

It’s not as if Hill’s numbers in the series were dazzling—16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the five games he played on just 36.8 percent shooting (25-for-68). But the advanced numbers tell a big story. Hill had an offensive rating (ORtg, points per 100 possessions), of 106 and a defensive rating of 97.1—that 8.9 differential was far and away the best among Indiana’s balanced starting five. What a player to help his team to destroy Knicks ! The balanced starter was the key factor !

The game of his life

Hill was especially tough in Indiana’s Game 4 win, with 26 units.

3 Hottest players in NBA Playoffs 2013

The reigning  MVP LeBron James had a fast start in the NBA playoffs in 2013. His team was so good to trounce the lowly Bucks !

Check out my standing : The Top 3 of best players are :

3. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Carmelo Anthony got the Knicks out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000. He did what he does best which is score. He averaged over 29 points a game in the series win over the Celtics. His shooting abilities sometimes annoy me as he takes to many shoots.

Anthony, who only got out of the first round once with the Nuggets, shot under 40 percent but was still the best value in the series. Anthony will face a  new and tough challenge in the next round against the defensive minded Pacers. Defense !

2. LeBron James, Miami Heat

The MVP of the league has played like it in the playoffs. LeBron James and the Miami Heat swept the Bucks .  James does everything on the court . He has averaged 24.8 units with eight rebounds and six assists a game in the series. Bucks had no chance to defeat Heat !

In my eyes, James is the best all-around player in the league and looks to be on the verge of another NBA trophy. I love watching LeBron James ! He is a cyborg !

1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry was the super star of the Warriors 4-2 series win over the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 24.3 points a game during the series and also dished out 9.3 assists. His shooting numbers were also off the chart as he shot 43 percent from behind the arc. He connected also 23 pointers ( 14 at home ) to ruin Denver’s hopes. I  really love watching Curry. G.Karl must be in the dumps after that upset !

Curry, who was already a good player in the NBA, established himself as a superstar in the playoffs. If he gets hot in the next round, the Spurs could have some trouble. Pop is not afraid of his impact but he has surely prepared a system to limit him ! Spurs are here to stop the Californian dream !

Playoffs Week 1 : The Movie

Relive with emotion  all the BIG NBA action from week 1 of the 2013 NBA Playoffs!

The intensity of the game is so torrid !

Miami is the team to beat ! Spurs are the team to look after ! The  decisive Game 7 between Chicago and Brooklyn is the game to watch !

Warriors eliminated Denver with a 92-88 big win in Game 6

Curry was the catalyser of his team. He finished the first round with 23 3-Pt Field Goals connected. 146 pts were scored by him ! Well helped by J.Jack, Curry was a strong tool to ruin Denver. 

Rk	Player	Age	G	MP	FG%	3P	3P%	FT%	DRB	TRB	AST	TOV	PTS
1	Stephen Curry	24	6	239	.468	23	.434	1.000	24	26	56	20	146
2	Jarrett Jack	29	6	228	.526	4	.308	.906	26	31	42	24	113
3	Harrison Barnes	20	6	213	.457	13	.406	.857	29	33	7	4	89
4	Klay Thompson	22	6	246	.463	12	.343	.667	19	22	11	13	88
5	Carl Landry	29	6	126	.500	0		.864	16	24	5	10	77

 

Check out the best Warriors during the first round 

What an accomplishment made by Mark Jackson and his fellows ! Curry, Jack , Barnes were everywhere on the floor to push the young team (25,3 years old on average ) Only the Rockets with an average of 24,4 are younger. Mark Jackson can be proud of his team.

Mark Jackson is the right man in the right place

David Lee’s injury during the opener of the series was not a problem to solve Denver’s equation. Golden State with 643 points, 107,2 pts per game is  the only team to shoot with at least 40% behind the arc during the post season ( 59 – 147 ). David Lee just played 30 minutes during the serie, with 10 points and 15 rebounds.  Well, How They’ve won without the all star Lee.

If you’re looking at how the Warriors have won three straight, you have to start with the baby-faced assassin: Stephen Curry.

Entering the playoffs, I thought the Denver Nuggets had a fair chance of reaching the NBA Finals. Even without Danilo Gallinari, George Karl‘s team seemed like the kind of machine that would just replace the missing cog with guys like Wilson Chandler, Evan Fournier and Corey Brewer. I didn’t give the Golden State Warriors much thought and once David Lee went down, I thought the series would last four, maybe five games. About a week later, Nuggets fans and I are sitting here scratching our heads and wondering how a Warriors team without its All-Star power forward has pushed Denver to the brink of elimination. After you know the history. Warriors are in the next round.

The great component of the Warriors’ success is Stephen Curry and his magnificent play. In three consecutive games won by Golden State, Curry was averaging 30 points, 10.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and three steals while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range  to pace the second youngest team in the post season. People, those numbers are just whopping. Especially when you consider all the efforts Denver has made defensively to prevent Curry from taking over the way he has.

It’s time to celebrate it

Behind a crucial home win vs Nuggets,  Golden State reaches NBA 2nd Round.  The Golden State Warriors became the first National Basketball Association team this postseason to wrap up a playoff series at home, and the Brooklyn Nets won on the road to force a decisive Game 7 tomorrow against Chicago.

The point guard Stephen Curry the MVP of this series  netted 14 of his 22 points in the third act as the Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets 92-88 to complete a four-games-to-two series victory and advance to face the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference’s second round.

Spurs – Warriors is the next series

Golden State will be playing in the second round of the playoffs only for the second time in 22 years. Game 1 of the Warriors-Spurs series is set for May 6 in San Antonio.

Curry had eight straight points, including consecutive 3- pointers, as the Warriors took the lead for good early in the third quarter and built the margin to as many as 18 points in the fourth period before surviving a late Denver rally.

The Nuggets used a 13-0 run to whittle the margin to five points and got within two points in the final minute as the Warriors missed shots and committed 10 turnovers in the final period. Nuggets have missed their first round. Karl was overcoached by the rookie Mark Jackson as head coach.

“God has a sense of humor, because he wanted to show folks at the end as we threw the ball all over the place,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said in a news conference. “It’s only a miracle that we advanced.”

Lee’s notable minute

Andrew Bogut , posted up 14 points and 21 rebounds for the Warriors, who got a cameo appearance from All-Star forward David Lee — who played one minute in his return to the court after hurting his hip in the opening game of the series.

Jackson, who played guard for the Knicks in 1987-92 and 2000-02, said his decision to play Lee was in part homage to Hall of Famer Willis Reed, who limped onto the court and hit two baskets for the Knicks early in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I guess the New York City in me, the Willis Reed impact as a kid, really played a role,” the Warriors coach told reporters. “Not only did I put him in, but I ran a play for him for a shot, just about where Willis hit his shot.”

The Warriors are often weird . Weird and spectacular and inexperienced and exuberant and inconsistent — I want to say, really, really fun to watch.  With the confetti snowfall filling the air of Oracle after the final buzzer, it was easy to drift back to Game 2, when Jackson talked to his players in the huddle during a timeout. “In case I forget to tell you guys,” he said, “I love you.” Jackson is the soul of the team ! Indeed the Game 2 won on Denver was the key game of that series.

League Playoffs : Check it out !

Eastern Conference First Round (3-3):	Chicago Bulls tied with Brooklyn Nets
Eastern Conference First Round (3-2):	Indiana Pacers over Atlanta Hawks
Eastern Conference First Round (4-0):	Miami Heat over Milwaukee Bucks
Eastern Conference First Round (3-2):	New York Knicks over Boston Celtics
Western Conference First Round (4-2):	Golden State Warriors over Denver Nuggets
Western Conference First Round (3-2):	Memphis Grizzlies over Los Angeles Clippers
Western Conference First Round (3-2):	Oklahoma City Thunder over Houston Rockets
Western Conference First Round (4-0):	San Antonio Spurs over Los Angeles Lakers

Denver find a solution to stop Curry’s performance

Curry ( 15 pts ) was well stopped by Denver’s defense. Dirty plays said Mark  Jackson ! 

The  offensive Nuggets finally looked like themselves this series. By topping the Warriors 107-100, the Nuggets not only staved off elimination, but grabbed some momentum in the process. They finally find a solution to display theirs skills. Yeah they were terrific in the paint to play the game they fancy.

Nearly every Nugget win this season saw the same trends develop and this game was no different. Denver scored 50 points in the paint, forced 17 Warrior turnovers (which they turned into 19 points), and worked the offensive glass to grab 15 offensive rebounds (which they turned into 20 points). When Denver can control these three aspects of the game, they become almost unbeatable as the Warriors found out. Warriors had not solution in that  game.

The star of that game was the versatile forward Andre Iguodala who put up a LeBron  James type line, stuffing the stat sheet with a team high 25 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 7 dimes. Iguodala was all over the floor, flashing his versatility by playing a lot of point forward and creating shots for himself and his teammates off the dribble.

Outside of Iguodala, it was a real team effort from Denver who got several strong contributions up and down their roster. Six players scored in double-digits, with Wilson Chandler‘s 19 points via some very good outside shooting helping to create spacing for Ty Lawson (who also scored 19) to create off the dribble and attack the interior of the Warriors’ defense.

But while the Nuggets on the floor clearly picked up their respective games to pick up this win, a lot of credit has to go to head George Karl for pushing the right buttons and making some effective adjustments. Karl switched up his starting lineup, going to JaVale McGee at Center to play next to Kenneth Faried in the front court. McGee’s activity in defending the paint allowed the Denver’s wing defenders to pressure the ball and shoot the gap into passing lanes and create turnovers.

With the series heading back to Oakland, it remains to be seen if Denver has actually figured things out to the point that they can still pull out the series. But, even if it was just for one night, the Nuggets finally resembled the team they were from the regular season; the team that was favored to win this series.

It is a Pyrrhic victory for Los Angeles Lakers

Bryant, who’s averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists , has to stop to play because of  an Achilles tendon tear.

Lakers edged Warriors 118-116 after injured Kobe Bryant exited game because he was tired and in pain with his body of 34-year-old. He is not eternal. Young talents are in NBA to outduel him. Stephen Curry with 47 units was here to say : ” Hey Bryant, I’m here, and I want to display my basketball skills to win games ”

Even if, that night , Curry did not manage to top Lakers, he truly showed who he was. I love watching Curry playing behind the arc  with big screens to have good vision to sink triple. His long distance weapon is deadly for opponent !

The fact of the game : 

Kobe suffers ‘probable’ Achilles tendon tear. It’s not a good news for NBA fans and Lakers lovers as Kobe Bryant has so much impact this year to help Lakers to rally the post season. I love watching Kobe Bryant but Mike D’Antoni needs to take care of this leader player.

Now, Kobe Bryant needs to stop to play to recover.  It’s official. Nobody can save Kobe Bryant.

Don’t you think the same way ? 

Bryant’s Achilles tendon apparently is badly torn. His season likely is over and the hope to lift the NBA Champion trophy is over too.

And though the Lakers held on to beat Golden State, Bryant thinks they’ll have to continue their playoff chase without their  symbolic leader.

Bryant posted a solid game with 34 units while playing much of the second half in obvious pain with an injured left leg, eventually leaving with 3:06 to play in the Lakers’ 118-116 win over the Warriors on Friday night. The spanish big man, P. Gasol posted a triple-double  26 Pts , 11 Reb and 10 Ast, he was essential this night.

“I made a move that I’ve made a million times, and it just popped,” he said solemnly while leaning on crutches in the Lakers’ locker room.

“I can’t walk,” Bryant said. “I tried to maybe put pressure on my heel, but there was nothing there.”

Immediately after the game, the Lakers reported Bryant probably had a torn tendon. He will have an MRI exam Saturday, but Bryant knows the injury is likely to end his season. What a terrific news for the champion he is !

Bryant called it the most disappointing and rare injury of his career “by far.”

“We worked so hard to put ourselves in position and control our fate,” he said. “I certainly have done a lot of work to prepare myself. It’s just bad luck.”

Kobe Bryant had spent all season trying to push the Lakers into the playoffs, so he won’t back down from that new challenge of recovering from a likely season-ending injury, Arash Markazi writes

Achilles tendon injuries needs months of rehabilitation and recovery, depending on their severity, and the 34-year-old Bryant has  mileage on his legs after 17 big NBA seasons. The NBA’s No. 3 scorer this season has played more than 38 minutes per contest this season, more than any teammate. The important minutes he played in previous games must have cut his body.

When asked what the injury meant for his career, Bryant is cash and honest.

“I know I can do this,” said Bryant, who’s averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists. “It’s fueling me. It’s fueling me. I can feel it already.”

The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history has been ferociously competitive down the stretch of the Lakers’ tumultuous season. While Pau Gasol and Steve Nash have missed long stretches of play with injuries, and while Dwight Howard struggled to get to full strength after last year’s back surgery. Bryant is the soul of Lakers but he ‘s not god, he has weaknesses and sometimes he has to give up. That time it’s  really finished for Kobe Bryant, so far this season. The post season would probably see Los Angeles Lakers but not Kobe.

The main fact of that night to remember is that Lakers stay at 8th spot in the epic Western Conference. 

Los Angeles (43-37) stay one game ahead of  strong-willed and young Utah (42-38) for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with two games to go. Nevertheless,  The Jazz hold the tiebreaker. Utah and Los Angeles are the last teams to  be able to clinch a playoff berth, the other 15 tickets are already given.

Check out the thrilling  NBA Standings – 2012-13

Eastern Conference
EASTERN		W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
1	z - Miami	63	16	.797	-	35-4	28-12	14-1	38-11	102.9	95.1	+7.8	Won 5	8-2
2	y - New York	52	27	.658	11	29-10	23-17	10-6	35-14	100.2	95.8	+4.3	Won 1	9-1
3	y - Indiana	49	30	.620	14	30-10	19-20	13-3	31-18	94.9	90.5	+4.4	Lost 1	6-4
4	x - Brooklyn	47	32	.595	16	24-15	23-17	11-4	34-15	96.8	95.0	+1.8	Won 4	7-3
5	x - Atlanta	44	36	.550	19 ½	25-15	19-21	11-5	29-21	98.1	97.4	+0.7	Won 2	5-5
6	x - Chicago	43	36	.544	20	23-17	20-19	9-7	32-17	93.1	92.8	+0.2	Lost 1	5-5
7	x - Boston	40	39	.506	23	27-13	13-26	7-8	26-23	96.3	96.6	-0.3	Lost 2	4-6
8	x - Milwaukee	37	42	.468	26	21-19	16-23	7-9	24-27	98.9	100.4	-1.5	Lost 3	3-7
	Philadelphia	32	47	.405	31	22-18	10-29	7-9	20-29	92.9	96.6	-3.7	Won 1	5-5
	Toronto	31	48	.392	32	19-20	12-28	3-11	19-30	96.8	99.0	-2.1	Won 2	5-5
	Washington	29	51	.363	34 ½	22-19	7-32	5-11	15-35	93.1	95.6	-2.5	Lost 4	3-7
	Detroit	28	52	.350	35 ½	17-23	11-29	8-8	24-26	94.6	98.8	-4.1	Won 3	5-5
	Cleveland	24	55	.304	39	14-26	10-29	3-13	18-31	96.7	101.3	-4.6	Lost 3	2-8
	Orlando	20	59	.253	43	12-27	8-32	3-12	10-39	94.3	100.8	-6.5	Won 1	2-8
	Charlotte	18	61	.228	45	12-26	6-35	6-10	15-34	93.1	103.0	-9.9	Lost 4	2-8
Western Conference
WESTERN		W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
1	y - Oklahoma City	59	21	.738	-	33-6	26-15	10-6	38-13	106.0	96.6	+9.4	Won 3	8-2
2	y - San Antonio	58	21	.734	½	35-5	23-16	12-4	33-16	103.3	96.3	+7.0	Won 1	5-5
3	x - Denver	54	25	.684	4 ½	36-3	18-22	10-5	36-14	105.8	100.9	+4.9	Lost 1	7-3
4	y - LA Clippers	53	26	.671	5 ½	31-9	22-17	10-5	32-17	101.2	94.8	+6.4	Won 4	6-4
5	x - Memphis	54	25	.684	4 ½	31-8	23-17	9-6	32-17	93.5	89.4	+4.1	Won 3	7-3
6	x - Golden State	45	35	.563	14	27-13	18-22	9-7	26-24	101.0	100.4	+0.7	Lost 2	6-4
7	x - Houston	44	35	.557	14 ½	28-12	16-23	6-10	23-26	105.8	102.3	+3.5	Lost 1	6-4
8	LA Lakers	43	37	.538	16	27-12	16-25	8-8	26-24	102.4	101.3	+1.1	Won 3	7-3
	Utah	42	38	.525	17	30-11	12-27	8-7	25-25	98.4	98.5	-0.1	Won 1	8-2
	Dallas	39	40	.494	19 ½	23-16	16-24	5-8	22-27	101.1	102.1	-0.9	Won 1	6-4
	Portland	33	46	.418	25 ½	22-18	11-28	6-9	18-31	97.7	100.6	-2.8	Lost 10	0-10
	Minnesota	29	50	.367	29 ½	19-20	10-30	4-11	15-34	95.7	98.2	-2.6	Lost 3	4-6
	Sacramento	28	51	.354	30 ½	20-20	8-31	7-8	14-35	100.2	104.8	-4.6	Lost 1	3-7
	New Orleans	27	53	.338	32	16-24	11-29	5-9	15-35	94.2	97.8	-3.6	Lost 3	3-7
	Phoenix	24	55	.304	34 ½	16-24	8-31	5-11	16-33	94.9	101.3	-6.4	Won 1	1-9