“We could have won Game 1 and everyone would have been in love with Mike and the series might be a lot different.”
The Phoenix Suns’ window of opportunity to win an NBA title under coach Mike D’Antoni may have slammed shut with their first-round playoff loss to San Antonio. via Fox Sports
“I can’t believe that was a first-round matchup”
Afterward, after the Spurs had somehow, some way absorbed yet another desperate punch from the Phoenix Suns, Tony Parker said what everybody else was thinking. via MySanAntonio.com
“I’m excited about the possibilities of starting fresh.”
Last place and the Hall of Fame will be the final two stops of Pat Riley’s coaching career. via The Orlando Sentinel
“I think it’s important to be excited that we have a little life and fight and try to go from there. “We’ve just got to not give up, not give in to a summer that everyone thinks we’re destined to.”
Matt Paulson , Tribune Here’s how much time the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday put into preparation for today’s Game 4 of their first-round playoff series with the Suns: They didn’t even practice. via East Valley Tribune
“The NBA does whatever they do”
Jerry Brown , Matt Paulson , Tribune After being called a dirty team by Amar Stoudemire during last year’s playoffs and drawing the ire of the Suns and their fans for several unsportsmanlike plays, the San … via East Valley Tribune
“He give us belief because he’s all about winning championships… he’s got four and he wants more. “… it’s a lot of fun to go to work with a guy like that in the locker room.”
New Zealand basketball player Sean Marks is keeping himself at high alert as he awaits a call to make his debut in the US National Basketball Association playoffs. via The New Zealand Herald
There was a time in the NBA playoffs when it was practically Guaranteed Win Night when Shaquille O’Neal got 19 points and 14 rebounds. via Palm Beach Post
“I don’t know if this is the time or place for that.”
The Milwaukee Bucks need to play tougher defense, and start sharing the ball on offense. via Journal Gazette
“There’s some guys who just can’t get to bed at night and he was one of those kind of guys. I think this team gets to bed; not everyone, but most of them.”
Sure, the 7-foot Spaniard helped the Lakers secure the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2000, but much like Shaquille O’Neal when he was in L.A., his importance and presence down low … via CNN
“Because I definitely wanted to be out there, and I felt if I was out there we could have won the game.”
So said coach Mike D’Antoni the day after his team was on the losing end of a 117-115 double-overtime thriller against the San Antonio Spurs that saw the defending champions hit two clutch threes and later the … via The Globe and Mail
The Pacific Division champion and top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers have a tough test in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, as they meet No. via WKRC-TV Cincinnati
“Let’s go. This is what it’s all about for me. You can’t draw it up any better”
Finally, the wild West playoff picture is settled. Only two days until a new set of madness. via CBS SportsLine
“We know this team shoots a lot of 3s, but we can’t get into that”
Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh consider themselves friends, having played together for USA Basketball and on two All-Star teams. via Fox Sports
He’s played in only 45 games this year and his longest stint has been 24 minutes. via Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“It gives them a different dynamic on both ends and obviously makes them a better team.”
It’s a matchup that seemed destined for later in the playoffs. But in the hyper-competitive Western Conference, the third-seeded San Antonio Spurs and sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns will renew their rivalry in a … via Slam Sports
