Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Game 2: New York Knicks (93) @ Boston Celtics (96), Boston leads series 2-0
TNT’s coverage of the 2011 NBA Playoffs continues on Wednesday, April 20 at 8 p.m. (ET) with a doubleheader featuring the Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder (Game #2) followed by the New Orleans Hornets @ Los Angeles Lakers (Game #2)
CLIP OF THE DAY
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Inside the NBA crew’s predictions of the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers series
Notes from NBA TV’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs – April 19, 2011 (Hawks vs. Magic)
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Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith
Barkley on injured New York Knicks point guard Chauncey Billups: “Chauncey Billups is a terrific player but he can’t run Mike D’Antoni’s system.”
Barkley on Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni: “Mike D’Antoni is always going to make excuses to cover his own (butt).”
Johnson: “[D’Antoni] says that if it comes down to it, Carmelo is getting the ball again at the end of the game.”
Barkley: “That’s why they are going to have a new coach next year.”
Barkley on Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony being the best closer in the NBA in the past 10 years: “Clearly [Anthony] is not [the best closer]. Is Kobe Bryant dead or something? He’s not the best finisher in the NBA in the last 10 years. That’s ridiculous.”
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Game 1: New York Knicks (93) @ Boston Celtics (96). Boston leads series 2-0.
Announcers: Marv Albert, Steve Kerr with David Aldridge reporting.
Kerr on Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony: “[Anthony] is one of the strongest players in the league. He’s got to get on the move and towards the rim.”
Kerr on Knicks guard Landry Fields: “He’s not going to make a lot of long-distance shots. He can hit the three but he’s scrappy. He’s one of those guys that can get loose balls and rebounds and make plays for you.”
Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire on the Celtics game-winning shot in Game #1: “I did glance over watching the ball, I saw Toney [Douglas] chasing Ray [Allen] and all of a sudden he hits the ground. I was like, ‘Oh no,’ and then the shot went up and I thought, ‘Don’t go in, please don’t go in, don’t go in…’ and he makes it. It was one of those times. It’s always tough but it’s important to us to make sure that game doesn’t beat us tonight.”
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Halftime
Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Smith on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “Rondo needs to have double-digit assists for the Celtics to win. That means he’s getting everyone else involved and that puts too much pressure on the Knicks.”
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Albert on the Knicks’ lack of depth with Amar’e Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups out with injury: “I don’t mean this disrespectfully, but it’s Carmelo and a bunch of guys.”
Kerr: “Sometimes that’s enough if those guys play hard, compete and play defense.
Kerr on Celtics guard Jeff Green being able to defend Carmelo Anthony: “[Jeff] Green is probably physically better suited to cover Carmelo [Anthony] than anyone around.”
Kerr on Carmelo Anthony’s performance in Game #2: “It’s like Carmelo is performing CPR on his own team to bring them back to life.”
Albert on the mismatch of talent between the Knicks and Celtics: “You look at these two clubs and aside from Carmelo [Anthony], you might say, ‘Who chose up these sides?’”
TNT’s David Aldridge interviewed Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo following the game
Rondo on being defended by Knicks guard Toney Douglas: “He just kept back-peddling. He never stopped the ball and I tried to attack the rim as much as possible.”
Rondo on Kevin Garnett getting the game-winning shot: “We have so many weapons. Kevin said he wanted the ball and I told him to be ready. He came through for us on both ends of the floor.”
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Game 1: Portland Trail Blazers (89) @ Dallas Mavericks (101). Dallas leads series 2-0.
Announcers: Matt Devlin, Kevin McHale with Marty Snider reporting.
McHale on Trail Blazers forward Gerald Wallace: “[Wallace] has to get going and attack. He is such a dynamic player and he gives Portland the ability to play smaller. He’s very active and he’s a great weak-side shot blocker.
McHale on Mavericks reserve guard Jason Terry: “If the Dallas Mavericks are going to win this series and make a long playoff run, ‘Jet’ Terry has to be really big for this team.”
McHale on the Trail Blazers wanting to speed up the games against the Mavericks: “Even though Portland plays a very slow game, they really want to speed this [series] up. They want to get a pace to the game and get into this small lineup and push the Mavs into a fast break game.”
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Halftime
Johnson, Barkley and Smith
Barkley on Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge: “LaMarcus Aldridge is such a tough match-up for anybody. He puts the Mavericks in an awkward situation because they have to double [team] him.”
Barkley on Celtics head coach Doc Rivers: “You have to give Doc Rivers credit. He started doubling Carmelo and making other [Knicks] make plays.”
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Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki on teammate Jason Kidd: “He didn’t really have a jump shot [early in his career]. He has really developed his game over the years. He’s an amazing guy and he always wants to get better. That’s why he’s still in the league. Sometimes your body might not be as quick as when you were 20 but if you add skills, you can make it [time] long in this league. He moves well and his shot looked amazing the other night. So, hopefully he can keep it going.”
McHale on veteran Trail Blazers point guard Andre Miller: “[Miller] has always been a good post-up player. He posted-up early in his career. He’s just a very clever player. He doesn’t get the due he’s deserved as one of the all-time great point guards in our league.”
McHale on Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki being guarded by Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum: “Dirk likes that match-up. He’s way more comfortable against Batum than anyone else. He’s very aggressive when Batum is guarding him.”
McHale on Mavericks reserve point guard J.J. Barea: “I really like [J.J.] Berrea. He just brings that toughness to the game. He might be undersized but he’s going to fight you.”
TNT’s Marty Snider interviewed Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki following the game
Nowitzki on getting secondary scoring from his teammates: “We’ve been having that secondary scoring by committee. [Shawn] Marion had a great finish to the season. ‘Jet’ [Jason Terry] has been there all season long. Peja [Stojakovic] was a great addition at the trade deadline, he’s still a knock-down shooter. The bigs are battling [LaMarcus] Aldridge and we’ve got to do more [in Game #3].”
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Inside the NBA
Johnson, Smith and Barkley
Barkley on the shooting proficiency of Dallas Mavericks forward Peja Stojakovic: “I never understood why [Portland] kept leaving him though. At this stage of his career, he doesn’t have great movement, [but] he’s just a great shooter so I don’t understand why they were leaving him wide open. I’m going to have to fault the Portland Trail Blazers on that tonight; you don’t leave a guy that is that great of a shooter open ever.”
Smith and Barkley on the depth of the Dallas Mavericks’ roster:
Smith: “The difference with the Dallas Mavericks is that they really are nine-deep. After Dirk [Nowitzki], those eight guys are interchangeable in terms of offensive loads. All of those guys at one point in their careers, maybe with the exception of [Jose] Barea, have carried an offensive load that was very instrumental in Playoff runs, from Jason Terry to Shawn Marion. Even DeShawn Stevenson at one time when he was a Wizard was able to get you 15 to 17 points at some time. That’s a very deep and very talented Dallas Mavericks roster.”
Barkley: “And they have Jason Kidd who is a very great leader.”
Barkley on the Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers series: “This is going to be a long series. I still like Dallas to win the series, but it’s going to be a six or seven game series. I still like the Mavs to win it, but Portland’s had a terrific season.”
Barkley on home court advantage for the Portland Trail Blazers: “I’ve always said that they have the best home court in the NBA. It’s a little different now that they are in [Rose Garden Arena], rather than the great arena they were in the eighties, but they have the best fans in the NBA. [Memorial Coliseum] was great. That was the best place to play in the NBA.”
Smith on the Dallas/Portland series moving to Portland: “I don’t think things change… [Dallas is] playing the best in the West to me, basketball-wise.”
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