Notes from TNT’s NBA Coverage – Thursday, December 6, 2012
TNT’s NBA coverage will continue Thursday, December 13, at 8 p.m. (ET) with doubleheader action featuring the L.A. Lakers @ New York Knicks
followed by the San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail Blazers at 10:30 p.m. (ET)
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
(Please click the text below to view)
Shaq explains how Lakers center Dwight Howard can improve his offense
**** **** **** ****
TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Smith on the Miami Heat: “The Miami Heat have proven this year they will let down. We saw it against the Wizards. We saw it with the Spurs and now, a no-Carmelo [Anthony] Knicks team is a letdown. This will be a very competitive game and the Knicks will have a shot to win down the stretch.”
O’Neal on the Knicks chances vs. the Heat: “New York has nothing to lose tonight so they’re going to come in and play with a lot of energy. The Miami Heat have been a little slippery so I think the Knicks are going to play them close.”
Barkley on Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade: “He’s starting to lose his athletic ability. He’s not the same guy. I got a better look at him in person. He doesn’t explode anymore and he’s shooting a lot of fade-away jumpers.”
O’Neal on Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade losing his athletic ability: “He’s one of those great players that, because of age, a little bit is gone. Dwyane is smart enough to pace himself.”
**** **** **** ****
Game 1: New York Knicks (112) @ Miami Heat (92)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)
Kerr on Miami Heat forward LeBron James: “LeBron, now that he’s won and the burden of winning is off his shoulders, he’s relaxed and probably playing the best basketball of his life.”
Kerr on the New York Knicks: “This team is for real.”
**** **** **** ****
Sprint Halftime Report
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
O’Neal on the tie score at halftime: “They’re [Knicks] playing with a different energy…they’re a dangerous team right now.”
Barkley on the Miami Heat this season: “They play too small. They’re not as good defensively. That’s one of the reasons they’ve been so inconsistent this year.”
**** **** **** ****
Kerr on the Knicks play vs. Miami Heat: “They [New York Knicks] are playing with a confidence and a little swagger tonight. Raymond Felton is having an out-of-body experience.”
Kerr on the Knicks potential for success this season: “The key is they don’t turn the ball over. They don’t get a lot of fast break points. They create a lot of mismatches…and then they move the ball. They’re just smart and tough.”
Kerr on what the turning point of the Knicks season will be: “The defining moment for the Knicks season will be when Amar’e [Stoudemire] returns.”
Kerr on New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace: “His defense is still at a really high level. He’s one of the smartest defenders around.”
Kerr on the Knicks dismantling of the Miami Heat: “The Knicks have responded to every single challenge tonight.”
Kerr on whether or not the Knicks will contend throughout the season: “They’re going to be tough all year.”
**** **** **** ****
Game 2: Dallas Mavericks (97) @ Phoenix Suns (94)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller and Mike Fratello (analysts) with Craig Sager (reporter)
Miller on Phoenix’s defensive struggles: “The Suns are the worst at guarding the three-point line.”
Fratello on Dallas’ offensive struggles: “It’s been hard for Dallas to get easy points [this season].”
Miller on the decline of offensive prowess today: “I’m seeing a decline in shooting. The fundamentals of the game are absent.”
**** **** **** ****
Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on the Dallas Mavericks (nine wins, 10 losses) without Dirk Nowitzki: “They’re disappointed. They would like to be somewhere around .500 when Dirk comes back.”
Smith on the Mavericks offense in the first half: “A lot of the Mavericks right now are stationary shooters.”
Barkley on the Suns so far this season: “I have no idea what the Suns are doing from a basketball standpoint. I just don’t understand what they’re trying to do.”
**** **** **** ****
Miller on Dallas’ recent signing of veteran point guard Derek Fisher: “What I love about Derek Fisher is the brains he brings to a team.”
Miller on Mavericks forward Brandan Wright: “This kid is having a career game here for the Dallas Mavericks on the national stage.”
**** **** **** ****
Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Smith on Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard and the strategy to derail the Lakers during a game: “When [teams used] ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ it was to stop Shaq. You couldn’t stop him so this was a way to stop him. ‘Hack-a-Howard’ is a strategic thing to stop him and the team.”
Barkley on Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard: “Dwight Howard is not a 30-point guy…and especially on that team. He’s playing with better players.”
Barkley on the two best teams in the NBA right now: “The two best teams in the entire NBA are the [Memphis] Grizzlies and Oklahoma City [Thunder]. Oklahoma City is the best and the Grizzlies are the second best.”
Barkley on the New York Knicks forward Steve Novak: “Best shooter in the NBA.”
TNT reporter David Aldridge interviewed New York Knicks Raymond Felton after Felton’s 27-point night which included six three-point FGs
Felton: “All of us had to be aggressive and I had to assert myself offensively. We’ve got one common goal and that’s to win.”
Smith on the Miami Heat’s inconsistent play and the way the Knicks approached the game: “They have established themselves and a style of play under Mike Woodson – hats off to him – how they’re going to play regardless if Carmelo [Anthony] is in there, Amar’e [Stoudemire] is in there, or if neither one of them is in there. They [Knicks] have a style of play and that’s what the Miami Heat didn’t expect.”
O’Neal on the Miami Heat’s style of play: “When you’re the champs, there are two kinds of swagger – the killer swagger and the cool swagger. Right now, the Miami Heat is playing with the cool swagger. The Knicks are saying…we can beat you guys. The Heat do not have the killer instinct they had last year to give them the championship.”
Barkley on the most underrated player in NBA history: “To me, Elgin Baylor is the most underrated player in NBA history.”
Barkley, O’Neal and Smith rate their Top 5 Los Angeles Lakers of All Time:
Barkley: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor
O’Neal: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain
Barkley: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain
– 30 –
Recent Comments