TNT’s NBA coverage continues Tuesday, April 8, with doubleheader action featuring the Brooklyn Nets @ Miami Heat at 8 p.m. ET and the Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m.
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Matt Winer, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Smith and Chris Webber
Steve Smith on Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard: “We all know to win championships you’re going to have to defend. And they don’t have the lockdown defenders other than Kawhi Leonard that you can put on somebody and make it hard… They need a guy that they can just take [an opposing player] out of a ballgame, and Kawhi Leonard is one of those guys.”
Chris Webber on the Oklahoma City Thunder: “I still believe you have to have three great players, two Hall of Famers, to win a championship in this league…That third great player could be [Serge] Ibaka, defensively.”
Shaquille O’Neal on Oklahoma City: “The difference between OKC and Miami is you can look at Miami and say, ‘they’re going to win because they do everything right.’ With OKC you have to say, ‘if their jumper is falling, then they’ll win. If they can score on the inside, then they’ll win. If [Thunder point guard] Russell Westbrook is playing under control, then they can win.’”
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San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Calabro (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)
Mike Fratello on Thunder guard Reggie Jackson: “He takes some of the pressure off [Russell] Westbrook. They have developed so much confidence in him, and he has developed so much confidence from when he took over for Westbrook. He’s a terrific defender, can penetrate and get to the rim; he’s another weapon on the floor.”
Fratello on Thunder forward Kevin Durant: “It’s just too easy for him to score because at his size he can run the floor, he can handle the ball; he can beat you off the dribble; he shoots the ball with incredible range.”
Fratello on Oklahoma City’s defensive focus: “Give Oklahoma City credit, when they get down in their stance, when they’re engaged, all five players on the floor, they’re a terrific defensive team.”
Fratello on the upcoming NBA television schedule: “There’s hardly a game that you can look at on the schedule and say not one of the two teams aren’t involved somehow in the playoff race.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Winer, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
Webber on Spurs forward Tim Duncan: “This is what I love about him, the fact that right now he’s averaging close to 10 rebounds. There are guys seven-foot that aren’t doing that, and they’re in their 20s. I think a lot of it is just being boring, just playing the same way, like a drill.”
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Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers
Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Brent Barry (analyst) with Craig Sager (reporter)
Brent Barry on the Dallas Mavericks trying to make the playoffs: “Their fate is in their hands. They just have to play better basketball. They have struggled in fourth quarters. They got to keep getting themselves in that position to win games.”
Barry on Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul: “He plays both ways. He knows how to take over games. Defensively, [he is] the steals leader in the league. He probably uses more energy than anybody who plays this game, talking, moving and communicating. He’s a special, special player.”
Barry on the Mavericks adding players during the offseason: “I think the Mavericks’ brass, in looking at free agency in the offseason, talked about what they needed to compliment Dirk Nowitski’s game. These guys fit together. Jose Calderon is a set up point guard, a great spot up shooter… And Monta Ellis causes all kind of matchup problems at his size.”
Barry on Glen “Big Baby” Davis’ role with the Clippers: “There are going to be some times I think quite frankly that “Big Baby” is going to be important for the Clippers, just in terms of the emotional energy he brings to the game.”
Barry on Dallas winning on the road: “[They had] some struggles in the fourth quarter but overall Rick Carlisle has got to be very pleased with this performance… They got this road trip started the right way by winning against one of the best of the West.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Winer, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
Webber on Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis: “I played with Monta Ellis when he was a rookie. You would have never seen him have the stats he has tonight… He’s become one of the best finishers in the game… When he’s keeping everyone on their toes, on ice-skates, on their toes, he gets guys involved.”
Smith on Ellis: “I like the way he’s distributing. It seems like he’s looking to win basketball games right now. And he’s playing with Dirk Nowitzki, who’s playing out of his mind at his age.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Kia
Winer, O’Neal, Smith and Webber
Smith on Dallas’ veteran contributors off the bench: “I take my hat off to Shawn Marion and Vince Carter. Old guys still getting it done, [they] still want to make the playoffs. I think to win championships… you have to have these vets. Vets know how to play at the end of the year. That’s when they get to going.”
Webber on the Clippers’ inconsistency: “This is why Doc Rivers probably isn’t getting all the sleep he should during the year because sometimes the Clippers go back to being the old Clippers from last year in the middle of the game. That’s the only thing that worries me about them.”
O’Neal on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook: “I think he could play linebacker in the NFL.”
Smith on Spurs guard Manu Ginobili: “I think they’re going to have to have Manu [Ginobili] play at a high level… We all know great scorers don’t want to really guard [other] great scorers.”
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