TNT’s NBA coverage of the 2013 NBA Playoffs continues Tuesday, April 23, with a doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (Game 2) at 8 p.m. ET and
Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets (Game 2) at 10:30 p.m.
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Smith on Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams dealing with injuries during the regular season: “He felt healthy but he wasn’t in basketball shape. You don’t play basketball to get in shape…you get in shape to play basketball. He wasn’t in basketball shape and he wasn’t able to get going.”
O’Neal on making adjustments in the playoffs: “In the playoffs, Game 1 is always the ‘feeling-out’ game. Game 2 is a game of adjustments.”
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Game 1: Chicago Bulls (90) @ Brooklyn Nets (82) – Series tied 1-1
Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with Rachel Nichols (reporter)
Kerr on the challenge of defending Nets point guard Deron Williams: “[Bulls point guard Kirk] Hinrich is an excellent defensive player, but his offensive game isn’t what it once was. He’s got to deal with Deron Williams all night. You exert so much energy at times on defense that your offense can struggle.”
Kerr on the Nets backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson: “The Nets’ backcourt had so much hype early in the season, but neither Johnson or Williams played well. They are on top of their games now. They are both capable of breaking down the defense with their individual one-on-one play.”
Kerr on Nets forward Reggie Evans: “He does so many things for [the Nets], not only on the glass but with his hustle plays.”
Kerr on Chicago’s defense vs. Brooklyn’s three-point shooting: “The way Chicago plays defense they load everything up in the paint and you have to make some shots from the perimeter…[The Brooklyn Nets] aren’t a great three-point shooting team.”
Kerr on Brooklyn’s depth: “The Nets are deeper and healthier than this Bulls team. It’s a long game and [Nets head coach] P.J. [Carlesimo] is thinking he can wear Chicago down.”
Kerr on the Bulls without Joakim Noah: “We’ve talked so much about his defense, but Chicago misses him equally on the offensive end. They run a lot of offense through him.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on the Nets: “This is the Brooklyn team that I thought was going to have the best record in the Atlantic Division this year. They’re big, athletic and deep at every position”
Barkley on the Nets potentially facing the Miami Heat in the second round: “I don’t know if [the Nets] can beat [the Heat] but they’ve got the components. What do you have to do against the Heat? Beat them up. [The Nets] have an All-Star center [Brook Lopez] and Reggie Evans and Kris Humphries are going to be terrors on the offensive boards. If Deron Williams keeps playing at an All-Star level, that’s going to be a good series.”
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Kerr on the Bulls: “The key to this team is their resilience, their grit, their emotion and the way they play together.”
Kerr on the adjustments the Nets need to make following Game 2: “After Game 2, teams really get a feel for what’s happening on the floor. The biggest adjustment [Nets head coach] P.J. Carlesimo will have to make is with his rotation. He has to figure out how to get enough shooting on the floor to support his big three [Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez].”
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Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies (91) @ Los Angeles Clippers (93) – The Clippers lead series 2-0
Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Chris Webber (analyst) with Jaime Maggio (reporter)
Webber on Clippers forward Blake Griffin: “What you’re going to see [in this series] is Blake Griffin doing a lot of things that the stat sheet doesn’t tell, such as boxing out and tipping the ball out. It won’t be a series where he averages 30, but he’s going to have his normal huge impact in the game.”
Webber on the “big fellas” on the Clippers: “These big fellas of the Clippers remind me of Karl Malone; they remind me of the big players that you always had to watch your back, run down as fast as you could and not let them establish their athletic position inside.”
Webber on Grizzlies center Marc Gasol’s need to perform in the paint: “What do I see that’s different about Memphis? Instead of [Marc] Gasol popping back, trying to shoot or be the facilitator, he is going to the hole and diving every time. [What the Grizzlies need] is for him to make easy buckets.”
Webber on the Clippers’ bench: “You love seeing this team being that aggressive. When their bench comes in, the game goes up a notch in speed and intensity.”
Webber on Grizzlies’ point guard Jerryd Bayless’ emergence in the playoffs: “You make a name for yourself during a playoff series. It seems like a star is born every year and [Jerryd] Bayless is no exception.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on what the Grizzlies need to do to beat the Clippers: “For the Grizzlies to win this series, [Zach] Randolph and [Marc] Gasol have to impose their will on the [Clippers’] big men down low.”
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Webber on the Grizzlies: “Ugly games are in the Grizzlies favor. They like ugly games and they like to mess things up.”
Webber on the Clippers: “The Clippers get in trouble in half-court offense. They try to play hero ball.”
Webber on the Clippers’ improved maturity: “If you’re a Clippers fan, you’re so happy because you’re seeing the maturity of the Clippers from last year…defensively, they’ve been playing to the end of every possession, completed with a rebound.”
Webber on the Clippers: “Any time you see the Clippers dunking, that’s bad news for the other team because that means they are getting easy buckets and playing great defense.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley: “[Spurs’] Tony Parker is the best point guard in the NBA but Mike Conley is the most underrated. He was spectacular tonight and is a terrific player.”
Barkley on the Clippers lack of a half-court offense: “They proved again tonight that they have the worst half-court offense in the history of basketball.”
Smith on the Grizzlies losing Game 2: “This was a big loss for Memphis. However, they did execute a lot of things that they wanted to in their game plan and they actually played better [than Game 1].”
O’Neal on how the Bulls won Game 2 vs. the Nets: “When you look at the Brooklyn Nets [in Game 2], they took a lot of jumpers. When you look at the Bulls, they took a lot of high-percentage shots. They got inside to the basket, getting steals and making hustle plays. That’s why they won tonight.”
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