First quarter: Celtics 24, Lakers 20
BOSTON — Derek Fisher said the Lakers’ first task tonight was to hang in against what was an expected game-starting emotional surge from the Celtics as they seek the championship in Game 6. The Lakers did that — with Kobe Bryant recognizing the need situation and leading a shaky…
June 17, 2008, 11:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Bennett defending those pesky emails
Day 2 of the trial between the City of Seattle and the Sonics over terms of the KeyArena lease focused mainly on the testimony of Sonics chairman Clay Bennett. For most of the day in court Bennett answered questions from the city's lead attorney, Paul Lawrence, and Sonics attorney Brad Keller.…
June 17, 2008, 11:30 PM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Post-Game 5 poll: Does Lakers’ victory give you hope?
Is there hope in the air today as the Lakers travel to Boston? If so, listen up: “Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” That quote was from the prison philosopher Red in “The Shawshank Redemption.” And the Lakers,…
June 17, 2008, 11:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Pre-Game 6 poll: Will Lakers extend it?
Once the Lakers collapsed in Game 4, this consensus prediction emerged: Lakers win Game 5. Celtics close it out in Game 6. Of course, if it were all preordained, there’d be no reason to play or watch, right? The Lakers still believe they can win this series — hey, when you’ve…
June 17, 2008, 11:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Derek Fisher previewing Game 6
I say the key to Game 6 will be energy — which team has more of it. I thought entering the series that the Lakers would have the late-series edge through youth, lighter regular-season drive and shorter postseason grind (Boston about to play its record 26th postseason game). Now the Celts are…
June 17, 2008, 10:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lamar Odom has sore right knee
BOSTON — For all the attention being paid to Paul Pierce’s right knee in this series, far under the radar has been Lamar Odom’s sore right knee. Odom had an electric stimulation unit taped to his knee just now before Game 6. Odom missed 21 games last season with a sprained medial…
June 17, 2008, 10:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Phil Jackson’s pre-Game 6 interview
Q. I’m sure you’ve heard about these little things the Celtics are going through with the travel delays yesterday and obviously their injuries. Do these things stack up going into a game like this? COACH PHIL JACKSON: You know, I don’t know. I really don’t. …
June 17, 2008, 10:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
A sample of Clay's comments
Here's the AP story on some of Sonics owner Clay Bennett's testimony: SuperSonics owner Clayton Bennett testified that he knew when he bought the team that it was losing money at KeyArena, but thought “perhaps we could turn that around.” Under questioning from city of Seattle lawyer…
June 17, 2008, 4:00 PM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
And you thought Lakers faced tall odds
If you had one wish, it wouldn’t be stupid to return to July 17, 2007. On that day, had you gone to Las Vegas, you could have walked into the MGM Grand sports book, and they would have handed you a sheet of paper offering some (in hindsight) astonishing odds. Last July 17, the odds for the…
June 17, 2008, 3:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Bennett on the stand
Sonics chairman Clay Bennett took the stand at 9:40 this morning. City attorney Paul Lawrence is asking questions about Bennett's background and how he became interested in the Sonics. An interesting note from that line of questioning is Bennett and his ownership group sought to purchase the New…
June 17, 2008, 3:00 PM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Watch parties canceled at Staples Center
Who says Lakers fans aren’t rowdy? The Lakers have decided not to hold any more watch parties at Staples Center during the NBA Finals. It’s possible the video below had something to do with it. (more…)
June 17, 2008, 2:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
City vs. Sonics: Day 2
Currently, former KeyArena manager Joy Syngh is continuing his testimony on the witness stand. Sonics attorney Paul Taylor is asking specific questions regarding financial arrangements in the KeyArena lease. It seems like Taylor is trying (I would say unsuccessfully) to show a dysfunctional…
June 17, 2008, 2:45 PM ET from Sonics Insider by Frank Hughes
Pau Gasol’s post-Game 5 interview
Q. Pau, what got into you specifically tonight, the 19 points, 13 boards and one primal screen early in the first half after a dunk. PAU GASOL: It was needed tonight. It was required for us to give our very best effort and intensity and aggressiveness tonight to be able to…
June 17, 2008, 2:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lamar Odom’s post-Game 5 interview
Q. How much easier did you find it physically with Kendrick Perkins out of the lineup? LAMAR ODOM: It’s definitely not easier. Those guys are still banging. Of course, this was the close‑out game. They wanted to close it out tonight. It’s not easy, and I…
June 17, 2008, 2:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Phil Jackson’s post-Game 5 interview
Q. I thought you guys were really, really physical tonight. PHIL JACKSON: We were aggressive. We played hard. Not smart all the time, but we played hard. Q. Now that you, as you said earlier, this series isn’t over,…
June 17, 2008, 2:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Kobe Bryant’s post-Game 5 interview
Q. What do you think about the ‑‑ can you explain the game of Pau Gasol today, his aggressive way of playing compared to the rest of the Finals up to this point? And also, the second question is you did a great play in the third game to finish the game with your scoring, and…
June 17, 2008, 1:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Post-Game 5 poll: Does Lakers’ victory give you hope?
Is there hope in the air today as the Lakers travel to Boston? If so, listen up: “Let me tell you something, my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” That quote was from the prison philosopher Red in “The Shawshank Redemption.” And the Lakers,…
June 17, 2008, 1:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Pre-Game 6 poll: Will Lakers extend it?
Once the Lakers collapsed in Game 4, this consensus prediction emerged: Lakers win Game 5. Celtics close it out in Game 6. Of course, if it were all preordained, there’d be no reason to play or watch, right? The Lakers still believe they can win this series — hey, when you’ve…
June 17, 2008, 1:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Herrmann and Brezec updates
From Ball in Europe last Friday: Walter Herrmann, the current Detroit Piston confirmed to Greece’s Gazzetta newspaper that he has an offer from a Greek team. There are, of course, only two possibilities: Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Herrmann, who averaged 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in…
June 17, 2008, 10:00 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Billups stumps for Obama
Who says athletes today aren’t as political as they used to be? With the Wallace-Kander campaign failing to gain momentum, Chauncey Billups was at Joe Louis Arena stumping for Barack Obama on Monday night. (Thanks to DBB reader joejoejoe for the link)
June 17, 2008, 08:30 AM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Derek Fisher previewing Game 6
I say the key to Game 6 will be energy — which team has more of it. I thought entering the series that the Lakers would have the late-series edge through youth, lighter regular-season drive and shorter postseason grind (Boston about to play its record 26th postseason game). Now the Celts are…
June 17, 2008, 04:15 AM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
BlogABull roster evaluation: take two
(Here is take one, although this isn't meant to use a similar format or anything...) With Derrick Rose (or Beasley, of course) coming into the fold, it truly changes the dynamic of how this roster will be assessed. Rose will be 20 years old by the time the season starts,…
June 17, 2008, 02:30 AM ET from Blog a Bull
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