May 17, 2012

Turner Sports & CBS Sports Announce Tip-Times & Announce Teams for Regional Semi-Finals

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Exclusive Coverage Continues with Regional Semi-Finals on Friday, March 23, on TBS and CBS

            Turner Sports and CBS Sports announce tip-times and match-ups for the Regional Finals of the 2012 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship on Saturday, March 24 (4:30-9:00 PM, ET), on CBS.  Louisville will take on Florida / Marquette in the first game (4:30 PM, ET) followed by Syracuse playing Ohio State at (7:05 PM, ET).

Saturday’s coverage begins on truTv with Infinti NCAA Tip-Off (12:00 NOON-1:00 PM, ET) with Ernie Johnson, Seth Davis, Steve Smith and VCU head coach Shaka Smart. The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship (1:00-3:00 PM, ET) tips-off the day’s action on CBS followed by THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR®, hosted by Greg Gumbel along with analysts Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony, Kenny Smith and Kansas State head coach Frank Martin (3:00-4:30 PM, ET).

Below are the tip-times and announce/production assignments for Friday’s Regional Semi-Final games and Saturday’s Regional Final games. Tip times for Sunday’s Regional Final games will be announced after the conclusion of Friday’s games.

Additionally, NCAA March Madness® Live provides a robust suite of products including live streaming video of all 67 games from the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; personal channel lineup (MyChannel) features and schedule updates; social media integration; and real-time brackets, scores and stats across online and mobile platforms.

 

REGIONAL SEMI-FINAL GAMES

FRIDAY, MARCH 23

 

Time (ET) Network Site Game Play-by-Play/Analyst//

Reporter

Producer//Director
         
7:15 PM CBS Atlanta I Baylor vs. Xavier Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg//Tracy Wolfson
        Bob Dekas//Bob Fishman
         
7:47 PM TBS St. Louis I North Carolina vs. Ohio Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager
        Scott Cockerill//Lonnie Dale
         
after conc. I CBS Atlanta II Kentucky vs. Indiana Nantz/Kellogg//Wolfson
        Dekas//Fishman
         
after conc. I TBS St. Louis II Kansas vs. N.C. State Albert/Kerr//Sager
        Cockerill// Dale

 

 

REGIONAL FINAL GAMES

SATURDAY, MARCH 24

 

Time (ET) Network Site Game Play-by-Play/Analyst//

Reporter

Producer//Director
         
4:30 PM CBS Phoenix Louisville vs. Florida/Marquette Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore//Marty Snider
        Steve Scheer//Mike Arnold
         
7:05 PM CBS Boston Syracuse vs. Ohio State Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//Lesley Visser
        Mark Wolff//Suzanne Smith

 

-30-

Filed Under: CBS, NCAA Basketball, Turner

Head Coaches Frank Martin & Shaka Smart Join NCAA Tournament Coverage

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

…from Turner Sports and CBS Sports:

CBS Sports and Turner Sports have added Kansas State head coach Frank Martin and VCU head coach Shaka Smart as guest studio analysts for the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, airing across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV.

Martin will serve as a guest analyst in the New York studio, joining host Greg Gumbel and analysts Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony and Kenny Smith, for the Regional Finals on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25, which will air on CBS.

Smart joins the Atlanta studio team of host Ernie Johnson and analysts Steve Smith and Seth Davis, working the Regional Semi-Final and Finals on Thursday, March 22, Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24, which will air across CBS and TBS.

 

-30-

 

Filed Under: CBS, NCAA Basketball, Turner

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Monday, March 19, 2012

March 20, 2012 By

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Monday, March 19, 2012

TNT’s NBA coverage continues Monday, March 29 at 8 p.m. (ET) with doubleheader action

featuring a rematch of the 2011 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat

followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder @ L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET)


****    ****    ****    ****

Game 1:  Chicago Bulls (85) @ Orlando Magic (59)
Announcers: Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)

Webber on whether the Chicago Bulls can win without injured point guard Derrick Rose: “This team really believes they can win collectively.”

Webber on the body language of the Bulls and Orlando Magic: “Watching this…the Bulls body language says we want a championship. The bench of the Bulls says we want to win. The body language of the Magic looks as if they’re trying to find themselves.”

Webber on the Magic: “They are a very good team and if Dwight Howard believes in them, I definitely believe in them.”

 

****    ****    ****    ****

Sprint Halftime Report
Winer, O’Neal, Scott and Smith

Smith on the Magic defense: “That’s a concern for me for Orlando. We always keep talking about Dwight [Howard] but they can’t get stops. You can’t tell me which guy on their team besides Quentin Richardson is a lock down defender.”

 

O’Neal on the Bulls maintaining momentum without Derrick Rose: “Even though Mr. MVP [Derrick Rose] is not there, they don’t panic at all. Everyone is getting easy baskets, they are having fun. This is a great Chicago team.”

 

****    ****    ****    ****

Webber on Bulls forward Carlos Boozer’s improved confidence: “This isn’t the Boozer of last year that was rushing and wasn’t sure of his role.  This year, he’s coming in and trusting himself and his teammates even more.”

Webber on the Dallas Mavericks saving their energy until the Playoffs: “You have to wonder why Dallas Mavericks have been in the tank as of late. Hopefully for their sake they are a little bit old and saving what’s in the reserve. This is going to be very interesting playoffs, especially starting one day after the regular season ends.”

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Chicago Bulls guard John Lucas III following his 20-pt night

Lucas: “We needed this win. It’s a good road win for us.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Game 2:  Dallas Mavericks (112) @ Denver Nuggets (95)
Announcers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

Fratello on Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler: “[The Nuggets] like his defensive mindset and they like the fact that he can make jump shots.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Sprint Halftime Report
Winer, O’Neal and Scott

Scott on the Nuggets lack of an inside presence: “I’m still concerned with Denver getting rid of Nene, they have no inside presence. And they have to force the tempo.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Fratello on Mavericks guard Vince Carter: “Vince Carter is so dangerous behind the 3-pt line. At the end of the game you better make sure you know where he is on the floor.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Dallas Mavericks center Dirk Nowitzki after his 33-pt night:

Nowitzki on the Mavericks getting back to last year’s form: “We just have to get back to the stuff we were doing last year. It helps when you shoot the ball well.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Winer, O’Neal and Scott

Scott on if the Nuggets can make the playoffs: “I’m interested to see if Denver can hold on to a [playoff] spot.  We know they can get out and run but if they get in a half-court set, it’s kind of sketchy where they will get their offense from.”

O’Neal on Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson: “If Joe [Johnson] did more [driving to the basket], he could be in the category of a LeBron [James], Dwyane Wade or Kevin Durant. Right now, he just stands out there and shoots jumpers.”

O’Neal on the Boston Celtics: “They might have a lot of [mental] lapses but they never panic and they’ll get the win.”

O’Neal on the Philadelphia 76ers: “I’m surprised that Philadelphia didn’t make a trade to get better [at the trade deadline]. To me, they don’t have a closer.”

Winer: “They picked up Sam Young from Memphis [in a trade]. That was the one thing that they did.”

O’Neal: “Like I said…they didn’t make a trade. They still need a closer.”

Scott on New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson getting the team to play defense: “If [Woodson] can get Carmelo [Anthony] and Amar’e [Stoudemire] to play defense together, they could be a tough out because they know they can score.”

Smith on Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Kyrie Irving: “Most of the time when you’re a rookie point guard, you try to speed up your play. [Irving] plays at his pace, he gets to where he wants to and he knocks down shots.”

O’Neal on Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love: “In about three years from now, [Love is] going to be where Dirk Nowitzki was when he started to step his game up.”

- 30 -

 

Filed Under: NBA, TNT

Notes from tonight’s Turner Sports and CBS Sports Selection Sunday Conference Call – Sunday, March 11, 2012

March 14, 2012 By

Notes from tonight’s Turner Sports and CBS Sports

Selection Sunday Conference Call

 

Sunday, March 11, 2012

 

 

Participants:

Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller, Turner Sports analysts; Clark Kellogg and Bill Raftery, CBS Sports analysts

 

Kellogg on Kentucky’s ‘Road to the Final Four’ through the South Region: “I certainly think there is some pretty good Final Four and championship royalty there when you consider Duke is in that particular region. Kentucky has been the No.1 team for most of the season by a decent amount compared to other teams. I don’t see it [the South Region] being a real ‘resistant’ region. UConn has struggled a bit. Baylor is extremely talented and Duke has played at a pretty good level for most of the year. Kentucky is still clearly the favorite there.”

 

Miller on the Big Ten and teams from that conference having a chance to win it all: “The way they beat up one another in the regular season and championship series, every team is physical, every team likes to bang, every team likes to hold. This year will be different because they do have the best conference and they have a lot of the best players. I have some of the teams from the Big Ten going pretty far in the tournament just for the fact that each and every night they are well coached and well prepared and in every game because of that.”

 

Kerr on the Big Ten and teams from that conference having a chance to win it all: “Big Ten teams are most used to the physical play. The problem is you have officiating crews from all over the country and you don’t know what you’re going to get in the tournament. So, you really have to adapt. It will be very interesting…if teams like Michigan State and Ohio State get a different crew that calls more fouls, to see how they react to that.”

 

Kellogg on what Big Ten team is likely to go the deepest in the tournament: “Michigan State offers the best chance to go the deepest from the Big Ten. They have versatility at both ends of the floor. They execute pretty well in the half court. They rebound the ball fairly well. They’ve got the best chance to advance the farthest. Looking at Ohio State, when [Jared] Sullinger is a factor, he’s such a key to what Ohio State does. Wisconsin is an interesting team. To me, Vanderbilt is the sleeper team in that quadrant.”

 

Kellogg on Florida’s seeding: “Clearly if you stumble late it can have an impact on your seeding as much as you can move forward when you get on a roll late. If you look at it just from a pure numbers standpoint…seven [seed] was probably right in my mind.”

 

Raftery on Mississippi State not making the tournament and why they fell short: “They just never got it going. It’s one of those teams that never got on a roll. We thought they could do better but they never did.”

 

Kerr on Mississippi State: “Mississippi State was very impressive early. They just collapsed late. I don’t think it helps when you lose six out of your last eight. You have to, at some level, take some momentum going into the tournament…and they just looked like they were heading south.”

 

Kellogg on the No. 7/10 game – Gonzaga vs. West Virginia – in the East Region on the possibility of facing Ohio State in the next game: “That’s a real intriguing matchup. In West Virginia and Gonzaga, you have that potential along the front line [to negate the play of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger]. Either one of those teams would be a real stiff test for Ohio State.”

 

Kellogg on Louisville’s first round opponent Davidson: “That is a good team [Davidson]. They are well coached. They will be well prepared. One of the things they do that can equalize or negate whatever disadvantages they may have in overall team speed or size, is their ability to space the floor and shoot the basketball. They do that as well as any team in the country year in and year out.”

 

Kerr on how Louisville matches up with Davidson: “They run their stuff [offense] beautifully. Any time you get a team like that, that executes and takes care of the ball, and shoots threes, you’ve got your hands full. That’s the challenge for Louisville. Louisville has to have a ton of confidence right now coming off the BIG EAST tournament.”

 

Kellogg on Louisville’s Peyton Siva and his play in theBIG EAST tournament: “He is outstanding [in getting into the lane]. When he takes perimeter shots, he’s much better right now off the catch. He does a really good job of keeping pressure on the opposing team defensively, too. I like the chemistry of this team [Louisville] and the fact that they stay together and fight you. They’ve gotten better and a lot of it has to do with the play of Siva.”

- 30 -

 

 

Follow us on Twitter: @MarchMadnessTV


Filed Under: CBS, NCAA Basketball, Turner

Turner Sports & CBS Sports Announce Tip Times for First Four & Second Round

March 12, 2012 By

TURNER SPORTS’ AND CBS SPORTS’ EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF

2012 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TIPS-OFF MARCH 13

Announce and Production Teams Assigned for NCAA First Four® and Second Round Coverage

CBS Sports’ and Turner Sports’ exclusive coverage of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship tips off with first round coverage of the NCAA First Four on Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14 (6:00 PM, ET; both days) on truTV. Second-round coverage begins Thursday, March 15 and Friday, March 16 (11:00 AM-12:00 AM, ET; both days), with all games available live in their entirety across four national television networks: TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV.

Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will call the action, with Tracy Wolfson courtside for the two First Four games on Tuesday. Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel, along with courtside reporter Lewis Johnson, will handle the call for the games on Wednesday. The studio coverage for Tuesday’s First Four games will include Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony, Kenny Smith and Seth Davis. On Wednesday, Matt Winer, Steve Smith and Davis offer analysis in the studio (6:00 PM, ET; both days).

Following are the tip times for the First Four games, as well as the announce and production team assignments for the second round games.  Tip times for the third round games on Saturday will be announced on Thursday after the conclusion of the day’s games. Sunday’s tip times will be released after the conclusion of play on Friday.  For a complete channel guide click on MyChannels at NCAA.com/MyChannels.

NCAA March Madness® Live will provide a robust suite of products including live streaming video of all 67 games from the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship; personal channel lineup (MyChannel) features and schedule updates; social media integration; and real-time brackets, scores and stats across online and mobile platforms.

 

FIRST ROUND GAMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 13

 

                                                                                                                         Play-by-Play/Analyst//Reporter

Tip (ET)         Network         Site                  Game                                      Producer//Director                           

6:40 PM          truTV              Dayton I          Mississippi Valley St. vs.        Nantz/Kellogg/Kerr//Wolfson

                                                                        Western Kentucky                  Ken Mack/Jim Cornell

 

after conc. I     truTV              Dayton II        BYU vs. Iona                          Nantz/Kellogg/Kerr//Wolfson

                                                                                                                        Mack/Cornell

 

FIRST ROUND GAMES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14

 

6:40 PM          truTV              Dayton I          Lamar vs. Vermont                 Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel//

                                                                                                                        Lewis Johnson

                                                                                                                        Mack/Cornell

 

after conc. I     truTV              Dayton II        California vs. South Florida    Eagle/Spanarkel//Johnson

                                                                                                                        Mack/Cornell

 

                                                                 

SECOND ROUND GAMES

THURSDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 15 (12:00 NOON-5:00 PM, ET)

 

                                                                                                                         Play-by-Play/Analyst//

                                                                                                                        Reporter

Tip (ET)         Network         Site                  Game                                      Producer//Director   

 

12:15 PM        CBS                Louisville I      Murray State vs.                      Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery//

                                                                        Colorado State                        Lesley Visser

Mark Wolff/Suzanne Smith

 

 

12:40 PM        truTV              Pittsburgh I     Kansas State vs.                      Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller//

                                                                        Southern Miss                         Marty Snider

Steve Scheer/Mike Arnold

 

 

1:40 PM          TBS                 Portland I        Louisville vs. Davidson          Brian Anderson/Dan Bonner//

                                                                                                                        Jenn Hildreth

                                                                                                                        Craig Silver/Renardo Lowe

 

                                                                                                                                               

2:10 PM          TNT                 Albuquerque I Wisconsin vs. Montana          Spero Dedes/Bob Wenzel//

Jamie Maggio

Vic Frank/Mark Grant

 

 

after conc. I     CBS                Louisville II    Marquette vs. BYU/Iona        Lundquist/Raftery//Visser

                                                                                                                        Wolff/Smith               

 

                                   

after conc. I     truTV              Pittsburgh II    Syracuse vs. UNC Asheville   Harlan/Elmore/Miller//Snider

                                                                                                                        Scheer/Arnold

                                                                                                                       

 

after conc. I     TBS                 Portland II      New Mexico vs.                      Anderson/Bonner//Hildreth

                                                                        Long Beach St.                       Silver/Lowe    

 

after conc. I     TNT                 Albuquerque II  Vanderbilt vs. Harvard        Dedes/ Wenzel//Maggio

                                                                                                                        Frank/Grant

 

 

SECOND ROUND GAMES

THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 15 (6:30 PM-12:00 AM, ET)

(Announce and Production teams same as day games)

 

 

6:50 PM          TBS                 Louisville III   Kentucky vs. Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky

 

 

7:15 PM          CBS                Portland III     Wichita State vs. VCU

 

 

7:20 PM          TNT                 Pittsburgh III  Gonzaga vs. West Virginia

 

 

7:27 PM          truTV              Albuquerque III Baylor vs. South Dakota State                   

 

 

after conc. III  TBS                 Louisville IV   Iowa State vs. Connecticut

 

 

after conc. III  CBS                Portland IV     Indiana vs. New Mexico State

 

 

after conc. III  TNT                 Pittsburgh IV  Ohio State vs. Loyola Maryland

 

 

after conc. III  truTV              Albuquerque IV  UNLV vs. Colorado          

 

 

 

SECOND ROUND GAMES

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 16 (12:00 NOON-5:00 PM, ET)

                                                                          

                                                                                                                        Play-by-Play/Analyst//

                                                                                                                        Reporter

Tip (ET)         Network         Site                  Game                                      Producer//Director   

 

12:15 PM        CBS                Nashville I       Cincinnati vs. Texas                Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel//

                                                                                                                        Lewis Johnson

                                                                                                                        Bob Mansbach/Chris Svendsen

 

 

12:40 PM        truTV              Columbus I     San Diego St. vs. NC State    Tim Brando/Mike Gminski//

                                                                                                                        Otis Livingston

Ross Schneiderman/Bryan Lilley/Andy Goldberg

 

                                                                       

1:40 PM          TBS                 Greensboro I   Creighton vs. Alabama           Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/

                                                                                                                        Tracy Wolfson

                                                                                                                        Bob Dekas/Bob Fishman

                                                                                                                       

                       

2:10 PM          TNT                 Omaha I          Florida vs. Virginia                 Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager

                                                                                                                        Scott Cockerill/Lonnie Dale

 

 

after conc. I     CBS                Nashville II     Florida State vs.                      Eagle/Spanarkel//Johnson

                                                                        St. Bonaventure                      Mansbach/Svendsen  

 

                                   

after conc. I     truTV              Columbus II    Georgetown vs. Belmont        Brando/Gminski//Livingston

                                                                                                                        Schneiderman/Lilley/Goldberg

 

after conc. I     TBS                 Greensboro II  North Carolina vs.                   Nantz/Kellogg/ Wolfson

                                                                        Lamar/Vermont                       Dekas/Fishman

 

 

after conc. I     TNT                 Omaha II         Missouri vs. Norfolk St.          Albert/Kerr/Sager

                                                                                                                        Cockerill/Dale

 

                                                                       

 

SECOND ROUND GAMES

FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 16 (6:30 PM-12:00 AM, ET)

(Announce and Production teams same as day games)

 

6:50 PM          TBS                 Columbus III  Memphis vs. Saint Louis

 

 

7:15 PM          CBS                Greensboro III Duke vs. Lehigh

 

 

7:20 PM          TNT                 Nashville III    Michigan vs. Ohio

 

 

7:27 PM          truTV              Omaha III       St. Mary’s (CA) vs. Purdue               

 

 

after conc. III  TBS                 Columbus IV  Michigan State  vs. LIU Brooklyn

 

 

after conc. III  CBS                Greensboro IV Notre Dame  vs. Xavier

 

 

after conc. III  TNT                 Nashville IV    Temple vs. California/South Florida

 

 

after conc. III  truTV              Omaha IV       Kansas vs. Detroit

 

-30-

Filed Under: CBS, NCAA Basketball, Turner

Notes From truTV’s Infiniti NCAA Hardcore Brackets – March 11, 2012

March 12, 2012 By

2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship begins Tuesday, March 13, and Wednesday, March 14, with NCAA First Four™ on truTV presented by Northwestern Mutual

 

 

**********

Talent: Host Greg Gumble, Analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Greg Anthony and Seth Davis and Division I Men’s Basketball Committee Chairman Jeff Hathaway and Mike Bobinski, who will become committee chair for the 2012-13 season

 

Barkley on any surprises tied to the No. 1 selections: “No, I thought Carolina was a lock the whole time. I didn’t think Ohio State was a No. 1. I thought it was between (University of) Missouri and Michigan State.”

Barkley on his sleeper in the West region: “Memphis is my sleeper in this region. They are terrific across the board.”

Hathaway on the strength of Missouri’s schedule earning them a No. 2 seed:  “From the committee standpoint, that is a determining factor. We have tremendous respect for Missouri and what they did but the fact of the matter is that they didn’t stretch themselves very much on non-conference scheduling.”

Bobinski on Missouri’s seeding: “We talked about Missouri at great length, tremendous year, great team. We did not ever envision them as a No. 3 seed. They have clearly achieved at that level (of a No. 2 seed). At that point, strength of schedule becomes a distinguishing point.”

Bobinski on his criteria for selecting teams: “Road wins are a big thing for me. I like to see teams that are willing to challenge themselves away from home. Teams that would take a chance really make a difference.”

Bobinksi on what differentiated Iona from other teams: “At the end of the day, we felt Iona made a strong effort to schedule aggressively; they performed well against that schedule. In their league, they were a dominant team throughout, they were aggressive. In general, they were a very good team during the course of the year. I think they are going to hold up pretty well in the tournament.”

Hathaway on Seton Hall not being selected for this year’s tournament: “Seton Hall had a very solid year; they had a tough stretch at the end of the year. At the end of the day, they were a quality team but we knew some quality teams weren’t going to be a part of the 37.”

Bobinski on Western Kentucky being selected as No. 68: “When you talk about a team like Western Kentucky, we have a committee that takes a look at teams on that last seed line. We met Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning to make sure we had those teams [on the last seed line] as right as we possibly could. Getting the seed right is really a critical effort. We spend a lot of time and effort making sure to put those teams in the right place.”

Hathaway on selecting North Carolina State for the tournament: “They had some good wins, they beat Miami twice. They got better as the season went on and continued that into the (conference tournament).”

Hathaway on transitioning teams from the seed list to the brackets: “There is a lot to be said about the seed list. The first thing to keep in mind is that we operate off a true seed list. When we get to bracketing, particularly in the first four lines, there is movement in the seed list. We try to minimize it, but there are a wide range of bracket principles that affect how those teams go into the bracket.”

Hathaway on what teams seeded 17-33 could do to move up in the future: “You have to be more aggressive in the scheduling. A wide range of schools are reaching out and they schedule very aggressively. Keep in mind; coaches have to figure out what’s best for their program given the talent that they have and what they can face.”

Bobinski on how to schedule effectively: “There is a fine line between scheduling aggressively and scheduling over your head. You have to be smart and creative; finding your way into preseason events that you wouldn’t get on your campus. You will see a lot of schools have chosen that way to find quality games.”

-30 -

Filed Under: NCAA Basketball, truTV

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Thursday, March 8, 2012

March 9, 2012 By

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Thursday, March 8, 2012

TNT’s NBA coverage continues Monday, March 19 at 8 p.m. (ET) with doubleheader action

featuring the Chicago Bulls @ Orlando Magic followed by the

Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET)

***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***

(Please click the text below to view)

Shaq gets quizzed on his knowledge of China and the gang looks at some of his old highlights from Cole High School.

 

****    ****    ****    ****

TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Matt Winer, Shaquille O’Neal and Dennis Scott

O’Neal on Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard: “He’s a great player. If he wants to be a dominant player he has to average 28 points.”

Game 1:  Orlando Magic (99) @ Chicago Bulls (94)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

****    ****    ****    ****

Fratello on Magic center Dwight Howard and the affect the trade rumors are having on the rest of the team: “For Orlando, it’s been a season of turmoil so far. All the players are looking over their shoulders wondering if they’re going to be part of the trade with Dwight Howard, which may or may not take place. If they’re spending that much time worrying, are they really listening to what their coach is saying every day?”

****    ****    ****    ****

Sprint Halftime Report

Winer, O’Neal and Scott

Scott on the Chicago Bulls: “They’re missing C.J. Watson right now. He’s the guy that comes in and knocks down shots for them [when Derrick Rose is out of the game].”

O’Neal on what the Chicago Bulls need down the stretch: “They need another scorer and one more shooter.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Fratello on whether the Chicago Bulls can make a run at Miami in the playoffs: ‘They [Chicago] need him [Richard “Rip” Hamilton] back in there if they’re going to make a run at Miami.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Game 2:  Dallas Mavericks (94) @ Phoenix Suns (96)

Announcers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)

 

****    ****    ****    ****

Webber on the possibility of Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash being traded: “For fans of Steve Nash, we would love to see him play for a championship.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Sprint Halftime Report

Winer, O’Neal and Scott

 

Scott on Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom getting back to his old ways: “Sometimes when you get traded it takes you a little longer to understand the business. Tonight we’re starting to see some of that LO that got championships in L.A.”

O’Neal on Suns center Marcin Gortat: “Gortat is playing great. [He’s] one of my favorite players.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Webber on referees reviewing instant replays in close games:  “I’m so thankful the competition committee added this in where you do check the instant replays. These games are too important in a shortened season. You want to make sure you have it right, especially when there are 2.5 seconds left. It is great to be able to go to the clock and make sure you have that call right.”

 

TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill and guard Steve Nash:

 

Nash on how the Suns maintained the tempo against the Mavericks: “I thought our defense picked up…and we got a little bit of rhythm to our offense. Everyone pitched in tonight.”

Hill on guarding Mavericks center Dirk Nowitzki: “I know I gotta be real physical with him…make life difficult for him. Sometimes he scores, sometimes he doesn’t. He’s a great player and I love playing against him.”

Nash on the Suns making it to the Playoffs: “We are getting better but we have a ways to go. We have to catch up.”

 

****    ****    ****    ****

Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Winer, O’Neal and Scott

Scott on Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom staying consistent:  “He’s finally getting back to his old ways and finally playing solid basketball. I think he can stay consistent. He has knocked off his sensitivities and now he can get back to playing his game.”

O’Neal on possible concerns with the Mavericks recent losing streak:  “There aren’t any [concerns]. When you win a championship, you think you have the blueprint. Right now, I think they are in post-mode and they just want to wait to get to the Playoffs. Hopefully, everyone will be healthy and Lamar Odom is playing at a high level.”

O’Neal on the Mavericks having enough stamina to get back on a championship level: “Defensively, I don’t think they have enough. Offensively, they play well at home and on the road. And when you are a team that plays well on the road, you don’t really need home court advantage. Right now, they are just coasting until the Playoffs. In the Playoffs they are going to get hot and be ready to defend their title.”

O’Neal on Suns guard Steve Nash: “I love Steve but he only has one or two years left, we all know that. I respect Steve for saying he doesn’t want to be traded. The only way Steve should get a trade is if he goes to a team and they guarantee and they know they can win.”

O’Neal on Bulls guard Derrick Rose: “He’s a great player. I’m worried about him because he is doing a lot of scoring. I hope he doesn’t tire himself out before the Playoffs.”

O’Neal on Bulls forward Carlos Boozer: “Carlos Boozer has to be more aggressive. Right now he is just focused on shooting 15 footers.”

Filed Under: NBA, TNT

Turner Appoints Vice Presidents – Nate Smeltz and Jenn Toner

March 9, 2012 By

Nate Smeltz Named Vice President of Turner Sports Content Communications;

Jenn Toner Promoted to Vice President of Turner Ad Sales and Sports Business Communications

 

Jenn Toner has been elevated to vice president of Turner Broadcasting Ad Sales and Sports Business Communications and Nate Smeltz has been named vice president of Turner Sports Content Communications, it was announced today by Sal Petruzzi, senior vice president of sales, distribution and sports communications, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Smeltz will be based in Atlanta and Toner in New York, with both reporting to Petruzzi.

Smeltz, a 12-year media public relations executive, will be responsible for managing the linear and digital publicity initiatives for Turner Sports. Most recently, Smeltz served as ESPN’s Director of Communications where he was responsible for overseeing the public relations initiatives for the network’s NBA and MLB content.

Toner, who began her career at Turner Broadcasting in 2000 and was previously director of public relations, will continue spearheading ad sales publicity for the company’s portfolio of entertainment, kids, news, sports and young adult brands and platforms. Within her expanded role, Toner will add communications oversight for Turner Sports marketing initiatives and the new Turner Live Events group.

“Jenn has been invaluable in promoting Turner Ad Sales initiatives that have further expanded the awareness for our broad portfolio of brands and platforms, as well as for our advertising partners” said Petruzzi. “Her knowledge, skills and experience at every level of communications and media relations make her a great fit for this expanded role.”

Petruzzi added, “Nate will add depth and leadership to the Turner Sports communications department in Atlanta. His diverse and forward-thinking style, as well as his strong relationships across the industry, will benefit our strategic communications and publicity initiatives for our television and digital content and platforms.”

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN.com and HLN; TBS, TNT, truTV and Turner Classic Movies; Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim; and Turner Sports.

 

-30-

Filed Under: Turner

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Thursday, March 1, 2012

March 2, 2012 By

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of NBA – Thursday, March 1, 2012

TNT’s NBA coverage continues Thursday, March 8 at 8 p.m. (ET) with doubleheader action featuring the Orlando Magic @ Chicago Bulls

followed by the Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns (10:30 p.m. ET)

***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***

(Please click the text below to view)

 

The Inside crew discusses the current top eight teams in the Western Conference

 

****    ****    ****    ****

TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith

Smith on how Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook can become a great player by involving his teammates: “Right now he dominates a game by just scoring because scoring is easy for him. There’s five ways of becoming a superstar – points scored, rebounds and assists, the other things are leadership and tempo of the game. He can create a tempo for the game where he can get those guys [his teammates] easy baskets.”

Game 1:  Oklahoma City Thunder (105) @ Orlando Magic (102)

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

****    ****    ****    ****

Kerr on trade rumors surrounding the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard: “Everything Orlando does is based on Dwight Howard. Every single offensive action. If he is traded it’s going to throw this whole franchise for a loop.”

****    ****    ****    ****

 

T-Mobile Halftime Report

Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith

Barkley on the weakness of the Thunder: ‘When the game slows down that’s when they really struggle with their half-court offense.”

 

Barkley on Magic center Dwight Howard’s level of production: “Dwight Howard is probably 60% of the player he could be. He’s getting better but he’s not where he should be.”

****    ****    ****    ****

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Thunder center Kevin Durant following his game-winning basket:

Durant: “I’ve been practicing that shot. I haven’t been shooting it so well but it worked out well for me tonight.”

Sager: “What do you expect out of this team?”

Durant: “We just continue to keep getting better every single day. Keep growing. Keep improving and learn from [our] mistakes.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Game 2:  Miami Heat (107) @ Portland Trail Blazers (93)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

 

****    ****    ****    ****

Miller on the Miami Heat’s transition game after a fast break slam dunk by LeBron James in the first quarter: “The way they get out in transition from defense to offense…is probably the best – no question – of any team currently in the NBA.”

Miller  on Portland Trail Blazers guard Raymond Felton returning to the lineup: “Once Felton gets into game shape, this Blazers team can take off.”

Barkley  on Heat forward LeBron James: “LeBron James is scary good. The Miami Heat are only going to go as far as LeBron James takes them. If he keeps playing like this, the Miami Heat are going to win the championship because he is playing on a whole other level right now.”

Smith: “LeBron is playing his best basketball this year.”

****    ****    ****    ****

Reggie Miller on the Heat’s explosive offense: “Don’t turn the ball over against the Heat. Because from defense to offense, they may be the best since ‘Showtime’ [Magic Johnson’s L.A. Lakers].”

Cheryl Miller on the Heat: “These guys [Miami] are more aggressive, faster than ‘Showtime’ [Magic Johnson’s L.A. Lakers] and they’re more explosive than ‘Showtime.’”

 

Reggie Miller on Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum: “He’s the second most-important player on this team, next to LaMarcus Aldridge, in terms of growth.”

****    ****    ****    ****

 

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Miami forward LeBron James following the Heat’s win:

James: “We showed up…we played some good basketball.”

****    ****    ****    ****

 

Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith

Smith on the Trail Blazers: “At one time I thought the Portland Trail Blazers had athletes until they played against the Miami Heat.”

O’Neal on Trail Blazers’ lack of tenacity: “The bad thing about Portland is that they always start off fast, but they can’t finish.”

O’Neal on comparing the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen: “Would it be fair to call LeBron and D.Wade the new Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen?”

Barkley: “They will be in that conversation in a couple of years.”

Smith: “Offensively, they [James and Wade] can do some of the things they [Jordan and Pippen] did, but defensively Michael and Scottie shut it down.”

Barkley on the Minnesota Timberwolves making it to the Playoffs: “Minnesota is not going to make the playoffs. They are a little too young and not deep enough.”

Barkley on the Trail Blazers: “There is something going on with that team. They have a lot more talent than they are showing. Raymond Felton has lost all confidence at the point. They should be playing a lot better.”

Smith on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook’s athletic ability: “Russell Westbrook may be more athletic than Derrick Rose right now.”

Barkley on the flaws of the Heat: “You can beat them up on the inside and when they go to their bench, they get even smaller.”

O’Neal on the New York Knicks going against the Miami Heat in the Playoffs: “If Carmelo [Anthony] and Amare [Stoudemire] can play at a superstar level the remainder of the season, I see them giving Miami trouble in the first round [if they remain in that eight spot].

Smith: “That is a team that would be interesting against Miami.”

Filed Under: NBA, TNT

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of 2012 NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia – Sunday, February 26, 2012

February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of 2012 NBA All-Star Game presented by Kia – Sunday, February 26, 2012
Western Conference (152) vs. Eastern Conference (149)

The NBA 2011-12 regular season resumes on NBA TV on Tuesday, February 28, with the Fan Night game featuring the New Orleans Hornets @ Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. (ET)
And on TNT on Thursday, March 1, with a doubleheader featuring Oklahoma City Thunder @ Orlando Magic at 8 p.m. (ET) followed by the Miami Heat @ Portland Trail Blazers
at 10:30 p.m. (ET)

CLIP OF THE DAY
(click on link below to watch)

Magic Johnson joined the TNT studio team during the All-Star pregame show

****  ****  ****  ****
NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber

Webber on his five trips to All-Star:  “Best thing of my life.  It never gets old especially seeing your favorite players and the guys I came into the All-Star games trying to emulate.  So, to me, it never gets old and it never will get old.”

O’Neal on entertaining the crowd at All-Star:  “When I really started watching the All-Star Game, watching Chuck, watching Karl Malone, watching Michael Jordan those guys put on a show. People paid a lot of money to come here and watch us play so I wanted to put on a show so people would have a good time.”

O’Neal on his entertaining dancing:  “I was a break dancer back in the day. You bring in any dancer in the TNT studio and I will battle them. How about that!”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviews Miami Heat forward LeBron James: “I’m going out there to have fun. We go out there to try and play at a high level.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviews Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard on talk of him leaving Orlando: “I want everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun.”

Smith on his favorite All-Star moment:  “My favorite moment as a fan is when Magic Johnson came back after missing half the season and announcing he was HIV positive. That was the best all-star moment for me.  It opened up the coaches and people’s minds and it showed how great a player he still was.”

Smith on his one basketball career regret:  “I have been fortunate to play on two championship teams, blessed to be named college player of the year. My one regret is not playing in the All-Star Game.”

Webber on if another player will break Wilt Chamberlain’s record:  “I don’t think it will be done. We’ve seen 81, but 100 is just so remarkable. I don’t know if we will ever see it again.”

Barkley on meeting Wilt Chamberlain and the comparison between Chamberlain and O’Neal: “It was an honor and a pleasure to play for the great 76ers and that legacy and I got the honor to meet Mr. Chamberlain. Shaquille O’Neal is the first guy where I said: “Man, that’s a big ass dude!”  But he was amazing.  Watching Shaquille run and jump as big as he was…Wilt is the closest I have ever seen to be the same size as Shaquille O’Neal.”

Magic Johnson joins the studio team during the pregame show:

O’Neal comments on Wilt Chamberlain and the 50th Anniversary of Chamberlain’s
100-pt. game: “He’s the ‘godfather’ of dominant big men.”

Magic Johnson comments on playing the 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando after he had announced he was HIV positive earlier in the year: “I prepared like it was my last chance to play basketball. That’s what the brotherhood is all about when you get into the NBA. It’s guys pulling for each other. I needed that moment. That was my therapy.”

Barkley on working with Magic Johnson and his accomplishments post-NBA: “As great as you were as a basketball player, we loved working with you. I admire you so much for your business sense and what you have done for the inner cities around the country. You have given people the opportunity to be successful.”

TNT’s Kenny Smith comments on Magic Johnson and becoming aware of people with HIV after Magic’s announcement: “That was the single most memorable moment in All-Star history for me. It taught me about sportsmanship and teamwork and made me appreciate people and include people that I didn’t think I could include in my life.”

****  ****  ****  ****
All-Star Game presented by Kia
Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller

Western Conference All-Stars
West Coach:  Scott Brooks, Head Coach, Oklahoma City Thunder
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

Eastern Conference All-Stars
East Coach:  Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach, Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
LeBron James, Miami Heat
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls
Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets
Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers

Kerr on the Miami Heat’s big three:  “They have been the most dominant team in the NBA so far because of these three – LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. The three of them seem to have the continuity now and the comfort level of playing together. This is a dominant defensive team and they are playing at a faster, high flying pace this season and they are just destroying teams.”

Kerr on the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard potential trade situation:  “The story here in Orlando this weekend is about Dwight Howard. He has asked for the trade with the deadline coming up mid-March. So Magic fans may be seeing Dwight play in this building as a member of the Magic for one of the final times tonight.”

Miller on the number of Lakers and Clippers players on the Western Conference team:  “There’s a reason they call it ‘Tinsel Town’ there’s something in the water. Four of five starters coming from LA playing in the same building and who would have thought the Clippers would be higher in the standings at the break.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviews New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony on the bench

Anthony on playing with Jeremy Lin:  “We are looking forward to the second half of the season.  As far as the Knicks go, we get back to business on Monday.”

Anthony gives Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard advice on the potential trade situation:  “Keep playing ball, keep your head up. Whatever decision you make, make sure it’s the right decision for you without any regrets and move on.  If you want to stay here in Orlando, stay here. Make that decision on your own as long as it’s a good one for your family.”

Kerr on Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant surpassing Michael Jordan’s record as all-time scorer in an All-Star:  “Quite a record; 14 consecutive All-Star appearances for Kobe. He loves these games. He relishes coming out here and performing.”

Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin talks with TNT’s David Aldridge on the Western Conference bench

What the Los Angeles Clippers need to do going into the second half of the season:  “We really have to lock in defensively.  We have a lot of road games coming up. We need to make sure we are staying healthy, getting rest. When we are on the court it has to be about defense.”

Kerr on the Dallas Maverick’s chances for a repeat trip to the championship:  “If you consider him [Dirk Nowitzki] a four-man, which most people do these last 11 games, he is back to the Dirk we have all come to know. That’s why I think Dallas is a legitimate threat to get back to the Finals. I didn’t think they had a chance when they lost Tyson Chandler, but statistically their defense is better.”

Miami Heat’s LeBron James talks with TNT’s Craig Sager

James on Kobe Bryant breaking Michael Jordan’s all-time All-Star Game scoring record:  “I want to commend Kobe on breaking the all-time scorer record in All-Star history passing MJ [Michael Jordan]. It just shows how he has been able to stay healthy and keep his game at a high level.”

TNT’s Craig Sager speaks with Miami Heat’s LeBron James following the game

James on the close All-Star Game:  “I had a key turnover.  I will get over it, but I am not going to watch highlights of it. I feel like I let my team down. All in all, it was a great weekend. All-Star was a success again and I am happy to be a part of it.”

****  ****  ****  ****
Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith, Webber

San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker chats with TNT’s David Aldridge following the game Parker on the comeback of the Eastern Conference to almost win the game: “It was fun to watch and I am glad we got the win. LeBron was on fire and he was getting into it with Kobe and then Kevin Durant was awesome, too, tonight.”

Barkley analyzes the second half of the regular season:  “Nothing about the NBA this year is normal. Normally this [All-Star] signals the second half of the season. It’s going to be a very interesting next couple of months in the NBA because, as I have said in the beginning, to win the championship you have to be able to win on the road and teams have to keep their best players healthy and fresh.”

-30-

Filed Under: NBA, TNT
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »