Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Thursday, February 16, 2012
TNT’s NBA coverage continues Monday, January 20, 2012 at 8 p.m. ET with a special doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks (8 p.m. ET)
followed by the Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET)
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Smith on Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “[Rondo] is the most difficult guard, other than [Chicago Bulls point guard] Derrick Rose, to play against because you cannot prepare for him.”
Barkley on the Boston Celtics: “The Celtics have a great reputation but they can’t beat the Bulls or the Heat. They can’t sustain a [high] energy level in the playoffs because those games are going to come quicker and they’re going to play against better teams.”
O’Neal on the Celtics: “They’re older but the games they have lost have been because of defensive lapses. [Head coach] Doc Rivers is a defensive-minded coach and the new guys [on the Celtics] don’t understand his system. As they get into the playoffs and play more, they will understand the system. I think they could surprise [in the playoffs].”
Smith on the Chicago Bulls: “[The Bulls] have the ‘it’ factor. Everybody is playing at a championship level.”
Barkley on the Bulls: “Even when Derrick Rose is out [of the lineup], they are not going to get blown out because they have depth and they’re the best defensive team in the league right now. They are playing championship defense.”
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Game 1: Boston Celtics (80) @ Chicago Bulls (89)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Reggie Miller (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)
Miller on Rajon Rondo: “[Rondo] is clearly the best and most talented player on this Celtics team.”
Miller on the Bulls: “They are still winning games with their MVP [Derrick Rose] on the bench. That shows the depth and camaraderie of this team.”
Miller on veteran Celtics forward Kevin Garnett: “Gone are the days of [Garnett] battling guys on the post. When you turn 35-years-old, it takes a lot out of you to battle these younger and stronger guys.”
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Halftime
Johnson, O’Neal, Smith and Barkley
Barkley on what makes the Bulls so good: “[The Bulls] play the best team defense and [Head] Coach Thibodeau holds his players accountable.”
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Miller on concerns with the Celtics’ scoring: “Because of their defense and familiarity with each other, they are going to be in most ballgames. My only question is…are they going to be able to score enough points.”
TNT interviewed Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo prior to the game
Rondo on facing the Bulls without Derrick Rose in the lineup: “I try to stay aggressive offensively against [C.J.] Watson. He’s one of the best backups [point guards] in the league. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s not a night off.”
Miller on Bulls guard Rip Hamilton: “I love Rip Hamilton but is he going to be the same Rip Hamilton knocking down those mid-range shots and corner threes? If we see that Rip Hamilton, this is going to be a very dangerous Bulls team.”
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Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers (74) @ Portland Trail Blazers (71)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst)
Kerr on Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler: “[Butler] has been so good for the Clippers this year. I’m really impressed with the way he has adapted his game now that he’s playing with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.”
Kerr on the Clippers struggle with point guard Chris Paul on the bench: “When Chris Paul goes to the bench, [the Clippers] execution really suffers.”
Kerr on Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford: “He’s never going to shy away from a shot. It doesn’t matter how many he’s going to miss. He loves taking the big shot.”
Kerr on Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin’s recent hot streak: “What impresses me is his confidence. I’m amazed by his guts every night at the end of the game. He wants the ball in his hands. It’s really become his team.
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Halftime
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on the Trail Blazers: “When the Trail Blazers get healthy, they are going to be a very tough team to beat. They are one of the deeper teams in the NBA.”
Barkley on the Bulls: “The Chicago Bulls are the best passing team in the NBA. They are very unselfish.”
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Kerr on Clippers forward Kenyon Martin: “He’s a pro and he’s been around a long time. He’s got a reputation of being a little dirty and a little wild but he knows how to play.”
Kerr on the Portland fan base: “This is an incredible place to play. These fans are among the best in the NBA. They have so much passion. If you get a chance to play for this franchise, you can’t feel any more support anywhere in the league.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin joins the Inside crew following the game
Griffin on picking up Kenyon Martin and what that has meant: “He [Martin] has been huge, just his leadership alone.”
Barkley on the Portland Trail Blazers: “Nobody’s going to want to play that Portland Trail Blazers team when they get healthy.”
Barkley on the New Jersey Nets: “They’ve got a good young team. New Jersey is not as bad as their record.”
O’Neal on how the teams in the Eastern Conference will finish in this condensed season: “Indiana, Boston and New York, they’re going to shuffle around. Boston is going to be a sleeper. New York is going to be a sleeper. Indiana is going to be a sleeper.”
Smith on how New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony should perform when he returns since Jeremy Lin has been running the offense: “He [Anthony] should be flourishing in this offense [when he returns]. This should be the easiest 25 points [average per game] of his life.”
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