TNT’s NBA coverage continues Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the New York Knicks @ Memphis Grizzlies followed by the Orlando Magic @ Golden State Warriors
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
(Please click the link below to view)
TNT’s Inside crew discusses the firing of Sacramento Kings head coach Paul Westphal
Part I
Part II
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber
Webber on the Atlanta Hawks: “Atlanta is one of the smallest teams with the biggest heart. I love Atlanta.”
O’Neal on Miami Heat center Chris Bosh: “When I say he’s not part of the ‘Big Three,’ people get me wrong. He’s a great player, (he’s) very unselfish, he can shoot the ball and is a great passer. When you say ‘big’ to me, I think of certain players…he doesn’t fit in with those certain players. Don’t get me wrong, I respect his game and he’s a great player but part of the ‘Big Three’? No way. Dominant big man? No way.”
O’Neal on Miami Heat rookie guard Norris Cole: “Norris Cole reminds me of a disciplined (retired NBA veteran) Damon Jones, who was a pretty good shooter but a wild player. Cole is a streaky, great shooter and he’s disciplined.”
Smith on the Miami Heat: “This season they have more continuity on offense. They decided to run. It took them 82 games last year to figure out that if they get in transition, they are the best team in basketball.”
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Game 1: Miami Heat (116) @ Atlanta Hawks (109) – 3OT
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter).
Barkley on the Hawks: “I don’t think are tough enough mentally to have that killer instinct.”
Barkley on the Hawks offense: “Their half-court offense is so lackadaisical…that’s why they always struggle in the playoffs.”
Barkley on the Princeton offense: “I want my attorney to come from Princeton…not any of my players.”
Barkley on Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love: “The best power forward in the world who better be starting for the Western Conference (All-Stars) is Mr. Kevin Love in Minnesota.”
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Halftime
Johnson, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
O’Neal on why the Hawks are struggling against the Heat who are without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade: “When guys get ready to play against big (star) players, they get hyped…they get amped. Because LeBron James and Dwyane Wade aren’t playing, the Hawks aren’t amped and there is a letdown.”
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Miller on the Hawks: “(Hawks head coach) Larry Drew said his team has to grow up? They have the second oldest team in the league. This is not a young team.”
Miller on the Hawks core group of Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams: “The farthest they’ve ever gone is the second round. These guys have to play a lot tougher than what they’ve shown.”
Barkley on Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade: “As great as LeBron and Dwyane are, they aren’t great shooters. So, anytime they slow down, it hurts them.”
Barkley on Hawks rookie Ivan Johnson: “Ivan Johnson brings that toughness that the Hawks sorely, sorely need.”
Miller on the Heat’s triple-overtime win over the Hawks: “That’s a huge win for Miami and a black eye for the Atlanta Hawks.”
Barkley: “I wish I could punch them in the other eye.”
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Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers (96) @ Portland Trail Blazers (107)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)
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Halftime
Johnson, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
O’Neal on Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum: “He’s the best big man in the league right now.”
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Kerr on the Portland Trail Blazers hot start to the season: “The Blazers have been the most impressive team in the West (Conference) so far this season.”
Kerr on the contributions of Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews and forward Gerald Wallace: “Matthews and Wallace have given (the Blazers) a new dimension with their constant cutting from the weak-side. They are putting pressure on the defense.”
Kerr on the Trail Blazers: “This team is really fun to watch. This is an explosive team.”
Kerr on Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford: “Crawford is best suited coming off the bench as a ‘Microwave’ (Vinnie Johnson) type player. He comes in and gets some quick points. If he doesn’t have it going, they can go back to the starter (he replaced).”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
Webber on the Portland Trail Blazers: “They are a scary bunch. They are tough, resilient and they’ve been hurt a lot and you know they are going to come back and play.”
Smith on the L.A. Lakers finding a resolution to their missing perimeter defense: “The Lakers still have not addressed the perimeter defenders. Guards are just having their way getting into the lane, getting shots off. If they don’t address that they will be a fifth seed in a first round elimination.”
Smith on the Dallas Mavericks: “The Dallas Mavericks are on a victory lap right now. They still haven’t had an opportunity to be together because of the Championship mystique. All of a sudden they are not realizing that the season has started yet.”
Smith on the Spurs missing guard Manu Ginobili due to injury: “You need someone that can break the defense down and he’s that guy. He makes great decisions. When he is in the lane, 90 percent of the time he makes great decisions and they will miss that over the long haul.”
Webber on the Sacramento Kings showing effort with new head coach Keith Smart: “It seems like sometimes when a coach gets fired, you can tell by the team’s reactions whether the guys rally around or play hard. It seems like from their reaction, they were interested in playing because they gave an effort (against the Bucks) that they didn’t give before.”
Webber on the timing of the firing of Sacramento Kings head coach Paul Westphal: “It is so early into the season. If you say the development of our players isn’t there, you can’t tell the development of the players in seven or eight games in a strike-shortened season. It just can’t happen. To me it seems like there may have been more than that because that is not fair for Westphal.”
O’Neal on what he wishes Kings center DeMarcus Cousins would bring to the game: “DeMarcus Cousins is a great player and has to get a little more aggressive. I would like to see him play above the rim. When you are that big, that talented, you cannot play below the rim.”
Smith on Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins being the cause of Westphal’s firing: “There is no way that DeMarcus Cousins name should be in the same sentence about Westphal’s firing. He’s not a good enough player. He’s a good young talent. There are four or five guys in the league, if a coach can’t coach them, they may not be there. If you can’t coach Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, you might not be there. If you can’t coach DeMarcus Cousins, you still keep your job.”
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