Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs – Saturday, May 2, 2009
TNT’s “40 Games in 40 Nights” NBA Playoffs coverage continues on Monday, May 4th with the Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics (Game #1) at 8 p.m. ET followed by the Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers (Game #1) at 10:30 p.m. ET.
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith
Barkley on Game #7′s: “The mistakes are magnified (in Game #7). I always worry about guys being goats. I don’t ever want guys to be considered goats. The key is that the home team always has an advantage but the road team can get off to a good start and take the crowd out of the game.”
Smith on knowing who is with you and who isn’t in Game #7: “Game sevens are different because you really get to understand what people are all about. Game #7 is like being in a dark alley and then a forward is coming towards you, you look to your right and you look to your left and you know who’s with you and who’s not. Before the game you can look in guys eyes to figure out who’s going to be there and who isn’t going to be there in a Game #7.”
Barkley on if a Bulls victory in Game #7 would be a huge upset: “This is not the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are the champs with Kevin Garnett. This is a team that’s wounded and if they win this series, it’ll be a heck of a series. If they were the defending champs and had everyone in the lineup, it would be a monumental upset. But I don’t think this will be a huge upset because of the absence of Kevin Garnett.”
TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Celtics guard Ray Allen prior to the game
Allen on the difference between the Celtics last year and this year: “We went through a lot of adversity last year. It was fairly smooth-going during the regular season but in the playoffs, we couldn’t win on the road. There were times in the locker room, when it got tense and guys were looking at each other to pick it up. We took that challenge individually. We’ve all been there and we were in Game #7 last year in this building (against the Atlanta Hawks); everyone wanted it so bad and we came out and played well. We’ve been there before so we hopefully know what to do to go back and be ready to play tonight.”
TNT’s John Thompson interviewed Chicago Bulls forward Joakim Noah in another edition of Timeout with Thompson
Noah on the character of the Bulls: “I’m not afraid to express myself or be who I am as a person. I’m comfortable with who I am. I think we have a lot of good characters on this team and that’s what has helped us. Even though we lack in experience compared to the Celtics but we have good character on this team.”
Noah on not having to score to have a good game: “I think that accepting your role is more important than people might understand. I think that I can have a good game without scoring ten points. I can have a good game and only score two points. Some of the fans might not know that but my teammates and coaches know.”
Noah on not having admiration for the Celtics: “I don’t feel that I have admiration for (the Celtics) because if you look at the series, people don’t even say ‘hi’ or give ‘taps’ (greetings) before the game. ‘Big Baby’ (Glen Davis) and I have known each other since we were 16-years-old, he used to sleep over at my house, and I haven’t said one word to him since the series started. That’s how it is and there’s no admiration there.”
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Game #1: Boston Celtics (109) @ Chicago Bulls (99) – Celtics win series 4-3
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Doug Collins with David Aldridge reporting
Collins on which team is under more pressure going into Game #7: “I think the pressure is on both teams. You get into a Game #7 for Chicago, I don’t think they think our season is great if they lose.”
Collins on the Celtics lack of depth on the bench: “There isn’t any depth on Boston’s front line. They come in with Brian Scalabrine who is a hybrid forward who can play out on the floor, can shoot the ball but he doesn’t give you rebounding, toughness or defense. They don’t the depth, Mikki Moore has not played well and Doc Rivers doesn’t have any big guys off that bench.”
Collins on the Celtics becoming an offensive-minded team against the Bulls: “The toughest thing for Doc Rivers now is with Garnett out, they have become a more offensive-minded team. This is a team that hung their hat on defense, they were one of the best in the league. Now it’s very difficult for them to stop Chicago and now they have to beat them by pushing the ball up the court and playing at a pace they haven’t played with all year long.”
Collins on Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro, who is in his first year of coaching: “This is the fun part of coaching. I told Vinny (Del Negro), ‘If you knew what you knew right now, you never would’ve gone to your first practice’. You would’ve been scared to death.”
Collins on equating playing in the paint and boxing: “When you go in the paint, it’s like a heavyweight fight. You don’t go to the head early, you go for the body and then you go for the knockout.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Barkley on why the Celtics will win Game #7: “Boston is going to win because they’ve got a better team. For the Bulls to win, Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose would have to have career games. John Salmons and Brad Miller are good players but they can’t play like they did (in Game #6). I just don’t see Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose going ballistic. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen don’t have to play great (for the Celtics to win).”
Smith on role players needing to step up in big games: “I feel that there will always be opportunities for guys who aren’t considered key scorers. All of a sudden, you’re going to see Eddie House, Brad Miller and Kirk Hinrich, who aren’t playing well, have open shots. They have to hit open shots for their teams to have a shot.”
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Collins on Celtics forward Kendrick Perkins emerging as an important player for his team: “One of the things that’s happened for the Celtics in the absence of Kevin Garnett is they found themselves another good player (Kendrick Perkins) for next year.”
Collins on the emergence of point guards across the league: “It’s a point guard driven league now. The way the rules are, teams want to play more up-tempo. Teams are too good defensively and if you don’t get easy baskets, it’s hard to score in this league. Point guards push the ball and create plays.”
TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Celtics guard Ray Allen after the game
Allen on how the Celtics starters need to get the bench involved: “A lot of that onus goes on us as a starting unit. When we start mixing in the bench players, we have to make sure we get them involved. It’s important that we find Eddie (House) good shots and set screens for him. When we do that, the ball starts flowing.”
Collins on the Chicago Bulls future: “You see a Chicago Bulls team end the season on a very high note. There’s disappointment, absolutely. You come into a Game #7 and you want to win in advance, but they can take a lot away from this. The growth of this team and the growth of their coach. Looking ahead, they’ll be much better next year. I expect them to be a top-four team in the East (Conference) next year. If they can stay healthy and get Luol Deng back, they should be a top-four team in the East next year.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Smith on what the Bulls take away from making the playoffs: “I think the Bulls took some steps and some strides to become a better basketball team next year. I think when you play in the playoffs as a unit for the first time. They see the intensity that a team needs to get to that next level.”
Barkley on what the Bulls need to do with free agent Ben Gordon: “They’ve got to figure out what they are going to do with Ben Gordon, how much are they going to pay him? To me, he is a specialist. He’s not a starter, he’s a guy that can come off the bench and give you instant offense. He’s either hot or cold.”
Smith on the league adjusting a Ben Gordon basket from a two to a three pointer late in the game: “There has to be a time constraint when that can happen. As a player and a coach, you play the score just as much as you play the game. How long can you wait to add that point on?”
Barkley on the Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics in the second round: “Boston has no shot at beating Orlando. Without Kevin Garnett, (the Celtics) struggled against the Bulls. I don’t think they have any chance and Orlando wins it in six.”
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