TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley will be a guest Tonight on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 at 10 p.m. ET. Cooper will make a guest appearance via satellite from his CNN New York studios on TNT’s Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Barkley following the second game of TNT’s NBA Playoff doubleheader Tonight as well.
Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs – Wednesday, April 22, 2009
TNT’s “40 Games in 40 Nights” NBA Playoffs coverage continues on Thursday, April 23rd with the Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls (Game #3) at 8 p.m. ET followed by the L.A. Lakers @ Utah Jazz (Game #3).
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Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith
Smith on the tough physical Game #1 played between the Hornets and Nuggets: “(The Nuggets) realized you’ve got to keep Chris Paul out of the paint because he takes the biggest load on the offensive end in getting everyone else shots. The only way to keep him out to the paint is to be a little more physical and when he goes in there he’s going to get punished.”
Barkley on Hornets coach Byron Scott’s belief that Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones flagrantly fouled Chris Paul: “(The Hornets) are trying to look for anything to get motivated, the Playoffs are supposed to be tough, they are supposed to be aggressive, that’s what the Playoffs are for. I love Byron Scott, but that (foul) is nothing, they didn’t cheap shot Chris Paul, they are just looking for anything to get motivated.”
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Game #1: Miami Heat (108) @ Atlanta Hawks (93) – The series is tied 1-1.
Announcers: Dick Stockton, Mike Fratello; and Cheryl Miller reporting
Stockton on the Miami Heat: “The Heat are a lot more aggressive and certainly more poised than they were in Game #1.”
Fratello on Heat guard Daequan Cook: “(Daequan Cook) has had a sore right shoulder. He goes one-for-six the last game, zero-for-five from the three-point line. He’s a youngster who really lost his confidence and as a result of that (Coach Erik) Spoelstra cut his minutes back, but they need him.”
Hawks guard Joe Johnson on the positive impact of guard Mike Bibby: “Mike (Bibby) has been great for us since day one, I’ll never forget the day we got him. He came in and made everybody better since the first day. He takes a lot of pressure off me coming off pick and rolls, a guy who can shoot and keep the defense honest and he creates for everyone so he makes everyone happy.”
TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Heat guard Dwyane Wade at halftime.
Wade on arriving to the arena early to work on his shooting: “It was very beneficial, (I) got a chance to shoot around with nobody in there, work on my stroke, see the things that were going wrong. Sometimes you have to do that and repetition always works.”
Wade on the Heat being more aggressive from the start in Game #2: “We came out and got into the fight early on, we didn’t let them bring it to us. We didn’t let them get out into transition and get those easy buckets. Even when they got a highlight and the crowd went crazy, we came back and got a bucket so we’ve got to keep doing it.”
Wade on his visit from former Heat teammate Alonzo Mourning: “We’ve got to focus on the defensive end, rebounding. I got a visit from Alonzo today, he flew up to see me, and he told me we better lock down on that end of the floor. You don’t want Alonzo to be mad at you, so we did it.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Smith on Heat guard Dwyane Wade showing patience throughout the first half: “Dwyane Wade said he gets criticized if he shoots too much or doesn’t shoot enough, but I thought the other night he over-penetrated and he wasn’t patient, not that he took shots. Tonight, right off the bat he showed his patience. When your best player shows patience, then the rest of your team does, too.”
Barkley on the slow tempo of the first half favoring the Heat: “They are just walking the ball up and down the court, they are just taking the air out of the ball. Atlanta wants to make it the ‘Highlight Factory,’ but they have a terrible half court offense. You sit there and watch their offense and it’s like, ‘it’s your turn, now your turn,’ they play terrible in a half court set. The first quarter they (the Heat) just walked the ball up and down the court and then Dwyane Wade got hot in the second quarter. Atlanta wants to run and gun and they suck in a half court offense.”
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TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed retired NBA great Alonzo Mourning, a former Miami Heat player.
Mourning on why he made a special trip to see the Heat play in Game #2: “I made a trip down here, I told (Dwyane Wade) I could be on the golf course right now, but I didn’t like what I saw in Game #1. The team feeds off his energy regardless, if that ball is going through the hole. He’s proven he’s a great defensive player and he needed to show that.”
Mourning on whether he wants to play professional basketball again: “No I don’t. It’s kind of bittersweet. I miss the camaraderie and being around the guys, but I tell you what, I don’t miss the way I used to feel after games, the way I feel waking up in the morning, ice bags and everything.”
Fratello on Heat guard Dwyane Wade having a strong performance in Game #2: “(Dwyane Wade) has had too many great performances this season, he’s carried this team into the playoffs so you expected him to bounce back.”
Fratello on the series being tied up 1-1 going into Game #3 in Miami: “It’s going to be a wild crowd in Miami’s building. (Atlanta) worked so hard during the course of the season to get home court advantage, finishing fourth. Now all of a sudden you come back after a great first performance and you don’t have the same kind of a night. I’m not sure if it was that Atlanta played poorly or the fact that Miami played so well and made so many huge shots.”
TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Heat guard Dwyane Wade after the Heat defeated the Hawks.
Wade on forward Udonis Haslem and center Jermaine O’Neal contributing to the win: “Udonis (Haslem) is one of our main guys, he’s the heart and soul of the team. Him going out with the stitches in his hand at the end of the regular season and now getting his rhythm back, we love him back. This is going to be a tough series, we’re going keep grinding. We’ve got guys who get in there and rough it up and make it tough for them. (It was a) total team effort, Jermaine (O’Neal) told us, ‘give me the ball, I want to make things happen for this team.’ He did a great job offensively and passing at the post. If we can get that production every night it’s going to be a long series.”
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Game Break
Smith on why he believes the Miami Heat will win the series against the Hawks: “I really believe that the Miami Heat are going to win this series, they have an understanding of how to play half court basketball. I watched the Hawks throughout the year, their half court basketball is atrocious, they go one-on-one. If they get in the up and down game they can play with the best of them, (but otherwise) it’s just give the ball to Joe Johnson, give the ball to someone else and go one-on-one.”
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Game #2: New Orleans Hornets (93) @ Denver Nuggets (108) – The Nuggets lead the series 2-0.
Announcers: Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo; Marc Fein reporting
Carlesimo on the accomplishments of Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups: “I think sometimes Chauncey gets tired of hearing about the young guards in the league. Very few of the young guards, in fact none of the young guards, have accomplished what Chauncey has.”
Carlesimo on Nuggets guard J.R. Smith: “(The maturation) is happening a little slowly. (J.R. Smith) is coming along, but you’ve got to realize he’s only 23. As George Karl says, he’s a good/bad player, but a lot more good. J.R. Smith is improving with his ball skills, he still turns it over occasionally when he tries to go to the rim. Everybody plays him, they get into him and try to take away his three, the middle game and the finish, that’s what he’s got to develop.”
Carlesimo on Hornets center Tyson Chandler playing with an ankle injury: “The margin for error is not quite the same because (Tyson Chandler) is not quite as explosive. It used to be Chris Paul threw it up in the air and he would go and get it, but he’s got to be a little careful now.”
TNT’s Marc Fein interviewed Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups at halftime.
Billups on the Hornets defense compared to Game #1: “(The Hornets) made some adjustments. I didn’t get as many walk up threes and transition stuff, but we’ve got a lot of options, they can’t stop everybody.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Barkley on the Hornets needing to slow down the Nuggets: “It’s hard to play perfect basketball. We talked about Atlanta and Miami. Miami just took them out the game by walking the ball up and down the court. New Orleans tried to do that the first quarter and it worked, but one or two bad shots and fast breaks and they’re down six (points), they are down 10 (points). They have to play a perfect game because New Orleans really wants to run and gun, they don’t have one guy realistically who can get his anytime he wants to. It’s going to be a long series for them because they can’t run with Denver, if you let Denver run you at home, they are going to run you out the building. It’s going to be a tough series.”
Smith on the need to guard Nuggets center Chris Andersen: “You have to keep a body on the Birdman (Chris Andersen). He takes advantage of the fact when you concentrate on the other four offensive players; Carmelo (Anthony), Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin, Nene, all these guys who can score. He gets to roam free, and you have to put a body on him.”
Barkley on Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen’s Mohawk: “(Birdman’s) hair looks like Tweety Bird.”
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TNT’s Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo interviewed Nuggets Vice President of Player Personnel Rex Chapman before the start of the second half
Chapman on the Nuggets head coach George Karl and his staff: “George (Karl) and his staff have done a terrific job this year. He’s gotten the most out of this team. He seems to push the right buttons at the right time. We had a nice regular season and we’ve got plenty more to go.”
Carlesimo on Nuggets center Nene allowing Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic to get a three-pointer off on him: “It’s simple to say, coaches tell you all the time, when you’re playing an excellent three point shooter you cannot let him shoot without dribbling, you have to make him beat you on the drive.”
Carlesimo on the Hornets’ lack of defense: “Byron Scott is going to be talking about defense for the next couple of days.”
Carlesimo on the impact of the Nuggets trade that brought Chauncey Billups to Denver: “A night and day difference from that day (that Chauncey Billups was acquired); the professionalism, the defense, the knowledge that he had a ring and he knows how to get the to the Finals and how to get to the Conference Championship six straight years. That kind of leadership is invaluable and he’s brought it to Denver.”
TNT’s Marc Fein interviewed Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups after the Nuggets defeated the Hornets.
Billups on the cause for his strong two-game performance: “I’m in a nice groove right now, but it’s because of Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and Nene and Kenyon (Martin). It’s not all me, it’s the team and we’re playing good right now, what can I say?
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Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Smith on Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups: “Chauncey Billups to too big and too strong for (the Hornets’) guards. I used to call (Clippers point guard) Baron Davis the ‘bodyguard’ but (Billups) might be the new ‘bodyguard’.”
Barkley on Hornets point guard Chris Paul having to do too much for his team: “It’s unfair to Chris Paul because he has to do so much. Chris Paul is too little to have to get everyone on offense involved. He (has to) make David West, (Tyson) Chandler and (Rasual) Butler go (on offense) and guard Chauncey Billups at the same time…that’s physically impossible.”
Smith on the new style of play the Bulls are running in the playoffs: “In the first two games (of the series), the Bulls created a style of play that they didn’t have before. I feel that because of Ben Gordon’s contract situation, they didn’t really want to give him the green light that they are giving him now. Secondly, they were a team that was throwing the ball around to a couple of different guys. Now they are running the pick-and-roll with Derrick Rose or they are creating isolations for Ben Gordon. That is the (new) style that they created and they did not create that style until the playoffs started.”
Smith on the Chicago Bulls’ future: “(The Bulls) are on the rise. Not to necessarily win the series (vs. Celtics) but they are on the rise.”
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