TNT’s NBA coverage continues Tuesday, April 16, at 8 p.m. ET with a doubleheader featuring the Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics followed by the
Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m.
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
(Please click the text below to view)
TNT’s Kenny Smith Vents during Inside the NBA
**** **** **** ****
TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Barkley on the Knicks: “With Kenyon Martin joining the team, now they have two guys [Martin and Chandler] playing defense and Carmelo [Anthony] is scoring…this is a very dangerous team.”
Barkley compares Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant: “The only difference between him and Kevin Durant is…[Durant] is strictly a jump shooter.”
Smith on the difference in Carmelo Anthony’s game this season: “The difference in Carmelo this year versus previous years is he takes four seconds to take a shot and before it used to take him seven [seconds]. He still takes some bad shots sometimes but he does it in four seconds so everyone can still play with him. Before, no one could play with him when he was taking seven seconds to take a shot. He’s shortened his decision-making time and that has made the Knicks a better time.”
Barkley on the Knicks: “If they don’t get Chandler and Kenyon Martin healthy, they aren’t going to get past the first round of the playoffs.”
Barkley on a potential Knicks vs. Nets playoff series: “In a seven-game series, Brooklyn would win.”
Barkley on Kobe Bryant playing 48 minutes in Wednesday’s game against the Trail Blazers: “I wonder if he’s going to get injured, he can’t play that many minutes every night at his age. He has to play that [many minutes] for the rest of the season. Even if they make the playoffs, you have to wonder how much will he have left in the tank. He thinks he can do it all…but that’s a lot.”
**** **** **** ****
Game 1: New York Knicks (111) @ Chicago Bulls (118) in OT
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)
Fratello on Knicks head coach Mike Woodson: “Mike Woodson has done a good job of emphasizing the fact that they get more possessions if they don’t turn it over. They must protect the basketball.”
Fratello on Knicks veteran Kurt Thomas: “His entire career, Kurt Thomas has been filled with doing the things to help your team win games.”
**** **** **** ****
Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Smith on the Knicks: “The Knicks can play small ball because they have shooters and you can post Carmelo [Anthony].”
O’Neal on Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony: “He’s mixing it up, he’s going inside and outside…He’s taking more effective shots and he’s playing well. He looks like he wants to be the first Knick to lead the league in scoring…since Bernard King.”
**** **** **** ****
Fratello on Bulls guard Nate Robinson: “He gets a bounce in his step when he comes off the screen…he’s been huge for the Bulls.”
**** **** **** ****
Game 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (116) @ Golden State Warriors (97)
Announcers: Steve Kerr, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber (analysts) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Kerr on the Thunder: “The one area they’ve improved on is their three-point shooting. They’ve become an excellent three-point shooting team.”
Kerr on the Warriors backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson: “Curry and Thompson are absolutely lethal…one of the best shooting tandems in the backcourt that the league has seen maybe ever.”
Miller on the Thunder’s chances of returning back to the NBA Finals: “It’s championship or bust. They virtually have the same team as last year except they swapped out James Harden for Kevin Martin. They have two of the top five players in the NBA with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. I think it’s all set up for them to make it back to the NBA Finals. Anything less will be seen as a failure for this team.”
Miller on the Western Conference Playoffs: “This is going to be an unbelievable playoffs in the West [Conference]. Every match-up is fabulous and every lower seed could potentially beat the higher seed.”
Miller on Thunder guard Kevin Martin: “Fair or unfair for Kevin Martin, he’ll be judged in the playoffs versus James Harden. Last year, James Harden personally won games for them in the playoffs. I’m not sure if Kevin Martin can win a game by himself.”
Miller on Warriors guard Stephen Curry: “There’s not a better shooter in the NBA.”
**** **** **** ****
Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Thunder forward Serge Ibaka: “I like Serge Ibaka…he’s turned himself into a bona fide star.”
Smith on Warriors guard Stephen Curry: “He’s the best shooter in basketball because he’s able to do it off the dribble, hit floaters and jump shots.”
**** **** **** ****
Miller on the Warriors: “If they are going to take that next step, the growth is going to have to come from within.”
Miller on the Thunder: “The problem when you’re going against the Thunder and they get out to a double-digit lead is they’ve got two guys [Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook] who consistently get fouled, get to the free throw line and make their free throws.”
Webber on the challenge for teams to get over the hump and win a championship: “Every year you hit new milestones or you win one more game than the previous year but when that love-fest is over, it’s time for you to win a championship. It’s put up or shut up time and I think OKC is going to go through that. But what a wonderful ride they’ve had and it’s going to be fun watching them continue.”
**** **** **** ****
Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on injured Warriors center Andrew Bogut: “I love Andrew Bogut but he’s never going to be the same again.”
O’Neal on the Lakers: “I need to see everybody play well [down the stretch], not just Kobe.”
Barkley on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook: “No one can guard Russell Westbrook. He’s the fastest guy in the NBA.”
– 30 –
Recent Comments