TNT’s coverage of the 2012 NBA Playoffs continues Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. ET with a doubleheader featuring the Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics (Second Round, Game 1) followed by the Denver Nuggets @ Los Angeles Lakers (First Round, Game 7)
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
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The Inside crew sends the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks fishin’
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Atlanta Hawks (80) @ Boston Celtics (83) – Celtics win the series 4-2
Announcers: Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
Fratello on Hawks guard Joe Johnson: “One area of major improvement for Joe Johnson is when he is double-teamed and in a trap, he’s more willing to give it up.”
Fratello on veteran Hawks forward Tracy McGrady: “Tracy McGrady may not have the same hops that he used to have but he’s still long enough, big enough and smart enough to post up a smaller defender and shoot over the top of him.”
Fratello on the defense in the Celtics/Hawks series: “Neither team fouls a lot. Both teams play great defense and don’t put their opponent on the free throw line.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “He can control a game by getting assists or by scoring. He’s definitely the leader of the team and he plays with a little chip on his shoulder because they always talk about the Big Three.”
Barkley on the Hawks lack of consistency: “The problem with the Hawks is they aren’t consistent. They can rise up every now and then but they aren’t consistent.”
Smith on the Philadelphia 76ers: “In transition, Philly is tough to beat, but when the game slows down…you have to think your way through it.”
Barkley: “And when the game slows down, some people have trouble thinking.”
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Fratello on Hawks veteran reserve Erick Dampier’s contributions to the team this season: “Dampier has given them good minutes. He’s been very solid for them, doing things, protecting the front of the rim and using his big body down low.
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Los Angeles Lakers (96) @ Denver Nuggets (113) – Series tied 3-3
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Kerr on the Nuggets offense: “The quicker they shoot, the more efficient they are on offense.”
Kerr on how the Nuggets cause matchup problems: “That’s what makes it so difficult to guard a team that pushes the ball ahead early in the shot clock. You can’t just guard your normal guy…you have to guard whoever is closest to you. The Nuggets do a nice job of exposing that.”
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Kerr on Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson: “Ty Lawson is the guy who really makes this [team] go in Denver. They don’t have a go-to scorer. It has to come from a team effort of pushing the tempo and the pace. He’s one of the fastest guys, end-to-end, in the NBA.”
Kerr on the Lakers’ performance in Game 6: “This just doesn’t look like a championship team.”
Kerr on Ty Lawson: “His aggressiveness early [in the game] really set the tone for the Nuggets.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on what differentiates the Nuggets from the Lakers in this series: “There are two things [to consider] in a seven-game series when the teams are comparable. [Your] bench wins you one game and coaching can win you one game. Everyone knows the Nuggets bench is much better and Coach Karl is a better coach.”
O’Neal on the Nuggets maintaining composure: “I think Denver did a great job of gaining the lead, keeping their composure and not getting too happy or celebrating too early.”
O’Neal on the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol lack of scoring in Game 6: “I don’t know where they were…but when you are a part of a one-two punch, your numbers have to go up at least five or ten points, they have to dominate the game. Tonight, they did not play big. Playing against Denver they looked evenly matched.”
Barkley on the Lakers’ Gasol and Bynum’s lack of focus in Game 6: “If I was Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum, I would have said ‘Hey our man is sick, we are going to get it done tonight.’ The Lakers didn’t compete tonight.”
Smith on who will win Lakers/Nuggets Game 7: “I was rolling with the Lakers all the way up to this point. This is the toughest decision I’ve had in a long time while watching basketball. Talent-wise, I would say the Lakers should win this because they’ll be at home. But the last four or five minutes of Game 6 and the expression on guys’ faces and the way they acted, I’m actually, for the first time, rooting for a team to win…the Denver Nuggets.”
O’Neal on who will win Lakers/Nuggets Game 7: “Experience wins the series. I’m going with experience [with the Lakers].”
Barkley on who will win Lakers/Nuggets Game 7: “I’m going with George Karl. Their bench and coach are going to win them two extra games and they are going to win this series 4-3.”
Barkley on the Chicago Bulls: “Every young kid has to like the Bulls. That team competes. They compete; they don’t make any excuses for injuries. Even after they lost Rose, they still wanted to win. The city of Chicago should be proud of that team and they are set for the next few years.”
Smith on CJ Watson passing to Asik in the last Bulls possession: “He’s in a position he has never been in before. This is the first time that he had to make a decision [that he will probably regret] but then he will learn from because he did have a great season.”
Barkley on the impact of Metta World Peace returning for Game 7: “I don’t think he will have any. I don’t think he can join the race in the middle. If the Lakers are going to win this series it will have to be Bynum and Gasol. If they keep getting outplayed they are not going to win.”
Barkley on the Denver Nuggets: “When the Lakers were up 3-1, no one mentioned Metta World Peace. Now all of a sudden he’s going to help them a lot. If the Denver Nuggets stick to their game plan and get over 100 points they are going to win Game 7.”
O’Neal on the Atlanta Hawks: “They have a lot of young great talent..but just a little too cool. To me if you are cool, it seems as if you don’t care and if you want to win a Championship, you definitely have to care.”
Barkley on the Sixers/Celtics series: “I like Boston to win that series. I don’t think the Sixers can beat the Boston Celtics. Do I think they are going to beat them easy? Yeah, I do. Philadelphia plays extremely hard and are very well coached, but they just almost lost to a team without their two best players. Unless Boston loses their two best players, they are not going to beat them.”
O’Neal on the Sixers/Celtics series: “The Boston Celtics are built for this. During the regular season, they just wanted to get to the playoffs. The first round wasn’t pretty, but they got the win.”
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