Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night presented by Sprint
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Oklahoma City Thunder (109) @ Los Angeles Clippers (97)
Voting is open on NBA.com, the NBA Facebook Page, Yahoo.com, mobile web, mobile Game Time app and Twitter for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Jan. 29
Fans can select between the following games:
Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks @ Detroit Pistons
Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trail Blazers
New Orleans Hornets @ Los Angeles Lakers
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NBA Fan Night presented by Sprint
Ernie Johnson, Greg Anthony and Chris Webber
Anthony on the Los Angeles Clippers: “In the regular season, they are the deepest team in the league, with Chris Paul being the best point guard in the game right now. Blake Griffin has been solid. Jamal Crawford has been their second most important player, so they have it all.”
Webber on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook: “Westbrook is the best point guard in the league. I’ve been watching him for awhile and have been one of his biggest critics.”
Anthony on the Clippers potential in the postseason: “They don’t know who they are yet. They haven’t been healthy the whole year. What’s the role of Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill when they return? Vinny Del Negro is going to have the most difficult job of any coach in the NBA – once we get to the postseason – if they are healthy.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Anthony and Webber
Webber on Clippers guard Chris Paul not playing against OKC: “It is remarkable that they are still in this game. They don’t have their best player. I think it hurts the pace of the game…allows guys to get easier buckets…that’s the impact of not having a Chris Paul out there.”
Webber on Clippers forward Blake Griffin: “This team is on his shoulders. Yes, Chris Paul is the best player, but when you look at this team, it is on the back of Griffin. Can he make free throws; can he pass out of double-teams, can he be that defensive guy in the middle to score in the paint?”
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NBA GameTime presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Anthony and Webber
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant joins the Fan Night crew via Arena Link following the game
Durant on the importance of the win against the Clippers: “We didn’t want to take it lightly that they were playing without Chris Paul because their bench has been playing well. I think it was a good win on the road.”
Durant on how he continues to improve his game: “It is all about repetition every single day. It may be boring but I keep doing the same things every day. Half of this game is mental, so you have to know how teams are playing you. It is a long grind throughout the season but any chance I get I try to work on my game.”
Durant on the chemistry of this year’s Thunder team versus last year’s team: “We are moving in the right direction. We are a really good team that bounces back after losses; we are a resilient team. We play hard every possession. That’s a good formula to have. I wouldn’t compare us to last year’s team, we are different without James [Harden] gone and adding Kevin Martin so I think we are moving in the right direction.
Durant on being named to the 2013 NBA All-Star team: “I am going to enjoy it; it’s always fun to be an All-Star. I never want to take it for granted and hopefully I’ll be fun to watch.”
Webber on the Boston Celtics: “The Celtics don’t have the same speed that they used to have. Defensively, they are not the same team but they do have the same expectations.”
Anthony on the Detroit Pistons: “In all fairness, let’s give the Pistons a lot of credit. They are playing some excellent basketball in these last two to three weeks.”
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