MySports Today

In case you missed what had to be the best game this weekend the Bulls beat the Celtics in Chicago.

The Boston Celtics showed why they are the defending NBA Champions – crushing the Chicago Bulls 107-86 at the United Center on Thursday night.  The Celtics now have a 2-1 lead in the series.

The 2 teams next face off at 12 noon on Sunday at the United Center.

Meanwhile, the Jazz chipped into the Lakers 2-0 lead with a dramatic 88-86 win over the Lakers on Thursday night.  Derron Williams hit a fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds left to give the Jazz the win.

The 2 teams next face off at 9 pm on Saturday night in Utah.

Derrick Rose was voted the NBA Rookie of the Year.  Rose received 111 first-place votes and 574 total votes from a panel composed of national sports writers and broadcasters.  O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies was the runner-up for the award – he received only 5 first-place votes and 127 total votes.

Rose hails from the Chicago area and led his hometown Bulls to the playoffs with a 41-win season.  Rose became the 3rd Bulls player to win the Rookie of the Year Award – Michael Jordan and Elton Brand also won the top rookie honors.  Rose was the #1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and he led all rookies with 6.3 assists per game and was 2nd in rookie scoring with a 16.8 points per game average.  Rose was named the rookie of the month in November, December and March this season.

Rose did not disappoint come crunch time in the playoffs.  In Round 1, Game 1 against the defending champion Boston Celtics in Boston, Rose scored 36 points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds to lead the Bulls to the 105-103 upset overtime win over the Celtics.  Rose’s 36 points matched the playoff record for a rookie in his first NBA playoff game.  And in his 2nd playoff game – a 118-115 loss to the Celtics in Boston – Rose turned in another solid all-around performance – 10 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

Rose has received excellent commendations from players and coaches around the league.

Former Bulls coach Phil Jackson said:  “He can finish around the basket, and that’s not easy for – he’s not small, but he’s not a big guard.  He’s good at that, and that’s impressive for a guy that size.  His quickness to the basket is impressive.”

Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant had this to say:  “He plays both ends of the court, which is refreshing to see.  A lot of young players don’t play both ends.  He works hard at it, defense as well.”

Rose is a superstar in the making and will be the face of the Bulls franchise for years to come.

Despite finishing the NBA Season with the 2nd best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the defending champion Boston Celtics were concerned about their chances in the playoffs.  Right before the playoffs started, they got word that Kevin Garnett – their leader and defensive stopper in the middle – would miss at least the 1st round of the NBA playoffs and maybe more.  In the 1st game of the playoffs against the #7 seed Chicago Bulls, rookie guard Derrick Rose burst out onto the NBA playoff scene with an incredible 1st ever playoff game – 36 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal.  The Bulls upset the Celtics in overtime 105-103 behind Rose and a solid team effort that saw 5 Bulls players score in double-digits.

The Celtics struggled to pull out a 118-115 over the Bulls in Game 2 of the series on Monday night.  Ray Allen hit a game-winning 3-point shot with 2 seconds left in the game to prevent the Bulls from taking a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series .  But the win did not come without a cost.  Rajon Rondo had the game of the night – 19 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds and 5 steals – but he did injure his left ankle.  Rondo will not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday to rest the sore ankle, but he will play on Thursday night in Chicago.  Leonard Powe, however, is not so fortunate.  Powe injured his knee on a spin move and could only play 3 more minutes on the bum leg.  Tests on Tuesday revealed a torn ACL and Powe will miss the rest of the 2009 playoffs.

All in all, the Celtics are counting their blessings.  Ray Allen came to life in Game 2, scoring 28 of his 30 points in the 2nd half to help the Celtics pull off the win.  Paul Pierce has yet to bust out in the series -23 points and 7 rebounds on Saturday and 18 points and 8 rebounds on Monday.  Eventually a huge night will come for the Celtics, and when that happens, it could mean the end for this spirited Bulls run.

The Chicago Bulls made it into the playoffs Wednesday night, but this could not be the best thing for the team. There are the seventh seed and are going to have to take on the Boston Celtics. The Bulls are going to need all the help they can get and they are getting some, we learned today the Kevin Garnett could be out the whole post season. Since we are in Chicago we are hoping the Bulls can go as far as possible in the playoffs. We also know this is a long shot, but hey crazier things have happened. As always if you are looking for NBA playoff tickets check out.

Kevin Garnett has been out for 13 games with a knee injury, but was back on Friday night. Garnett scored 10 points before sitting out the fourth, this was a precaution so he could rest his knee. The Celtics still won the game 80-77, the Celtics have now won four of its last five against the Spurs following an 18-game losing streak. Another big game for Rajon Rondo who had 16 points and 12 assists, this his third straight double-digit game. Tony Paker helped the spurs with 25 points.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-94 in Boston on Friday night.  It was a battle of the 2 top teams in the Eastern Conference – the Cavs (48-13) now lead the Celtics (49-14) by percentage points because they have played 2 less games than the Celtics.  It marked the 15th straight time that the home team has won the contest between the 2 teams.

The Celtics used a 33-26 edge in the 3rd quarter to pull away in the 2nd half.  Paul Pierce led the way for the Celtics – 29 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists.  Leonard Powe also turned in a solid night off the bench with 20 points and 11 rebounds.  Ray Allen chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Rajon Rondo dished out 10 assists.

For the Cavs, Lebron James had a mediocre night – 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.  Mo Williams actually led the Cavs in scoring with 26 points.  Delonte West had a productive night too – 5 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists.

We’ll likely see a rematch of these 2 teams in the Eastern Conference Finals later this year.  It should be a joy to watch, as the Cavs are much more balanced this year and have the ability to beat any team in any arena – even the defending champion Boston Celtics.

That was quick – just days after Stephon Marbury and the New York Knicks parted ways, Marbury agreed to terms with the Boston Celtics, passed his physical and helped the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers in a closer than expected game on Friday night in Boston.  The Celtics needed a 9-0 run in the 4th quarter to pull away from the Pacers and Marbury was right in the middle of it, scoring 6 of 8 points during that span.  Marbury played 12 minutes – scoring 8 points, dishing out 2 assists and committing 3 turnovers.  Celtics teammates and Celtics fans both seemed to welcome the controversial guard with open arms.  Let’s see how long the honeymoon actually lasts.

Our prediction is that Marbury acts professionally for the Celtics the rest of the season.  A good showing with no issues or problems, could set Marbury up for a nice payday from some stupid NBA GM for the 2009-2010 NBA season.  It should be fun to see how this all plays out.

As for the rest of the game. Troy Murphy (20 points and 13 rebounds) and T.J. Ford (23 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) led the way for a solid effort by the Indiana Pacers.  Ray Allen led the Celtics with 30 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.  Rajon Rondo was a one-man assist machine – dishing out a stellar 17 assists.  Paul Pierce chipped in 16 points, Glen Davis added 18 points and Leonard Powe knocked in 14 points off the bench.

Good news Knicks fans – - you won’t have to see this image anymore at the Garden during Knicks games.  The New York Knicks and disgruntled guard Stephon Marbury finally agreed to part ways this week.  The 2 sides agreed upon a buyout of his contract which was set to expire following the 2009-2010 NBA season.  He was set to make $20.8 during the 2009-2010 NBA season.

Marbury’s last official games was January 11, 2008.  Marbury took a leave of absence from the team in December 2007 following the death of his father.  He returned for a short time thereafter, but had season-ending ankle surgery after that January 11, 2008 contest.  Marbury reported to training camp and was present on the Knicks bench during the early part of the season, but refused to play for the Knicks.  He did not log any minutes during the current season, and Knicks President Donnie Walsh finally ordered Marbury to stay away from the team in early December.

It brings a sad end to an awful display of sportsmanship by the troubled Marbury.  The Brooklyn-born Marbury could have made his stay in New York City a memorable.  Instead, because of feuds with coaches and his refusal to practice or play in games, Marbury leaves the Knicks a bitter man and an NBA pariah.  There are rumors that the Celtics are set to pounce on Marbury once he clears waivers, but if I was the Celtics (or any other NBA team for that matter), I would run away as fast I could.

WOW!

Another amazing performance from King James. Lebron James scored 55 points on 16 of 29 shooting – 8 of 11 from 3-point range, dished out 9 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds against the Bucks on Friday night. The Cavs needed his entire effort as the Cavs trailed by 6 at halftime and had to ride James’ coattails in the 3rd quarter to take a 4-point lead heading into the 4th quarter. James hit a 33-foot heave at the buzzer before halftime to give him 25 points before the break. Then James went nuts at the start of the 3rd quarter – 16 points scored in the quarter’s 1st 3 minutes of play.

The Bucks are still looking to find a groove after losing their 2 best players – center Andrew Bogut and guard Michael Redd. Carlos Villanueva led the Bucks with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Richard Jefferson chipped in 17 points in the loss. The Bucks hold on the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference is slipping – they now lead the Bulls by only 1/2 game.

As for the Cavs, they have played 3 less games than the top seed Boston Celtics, so they are sitting pretty. Will they have what it takes to take the #1 East Seed away from the defending NBA Champion Celtics? We’ll find out soon in the season’s final 29 games…