TNT’s NBA coverage continues Thursday, April 19, with a doubleheader featuring the Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat (8 p.m. ET) followed by the Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns (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 and Shaquille O’Neal
Barkley on New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony: “He’s the best scorer in the NBA. He is a fantastic scorer and he’s going to get plenty of time to rest after the first round when they get beat by the Bulls or the Heat.”
O’Neal on New York’s Amar’e Stoudemire’s role with the team: “I think it would be best for Amar’e (Stoudemire) to come off the bench. He doesn’t have the same explosiveness that he had when he played for the Phoenix Suns. I think he could be the ultimate scorer off the bench.”
O’Neal on Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo: “He’s the true definition of a point guard. He gets everyone involved and makes everyone better.”
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Game 1: Boston Celtics (110) @ New York Knicks (118)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Fratello on Celtics forward Brandon Bass returning from injury: “When you’re playing alongside pros like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, you tend to recover quickly [from injury]. They understand what they are playing for. They are trying to win their division and get home court [advantage] in the playoffs…they are playing for a lot and they need Bass in the lineup.”
Fratello on how Celtics head coach Doc Rivers’ player rotation helps the second unit: “Doc Rivers takes Kevin Garnett out of the game early and when he puts him back in the second unit is on the floor. [Ray] Allen and Garnett together provide enough offensive punch to the second unit that they can either hold their own or they build up the lead that they have to that point.”
Fratello on Knicks guard J.R. Smith’s streaky shooting: “One of the biggest complaints about J.R. Smith is that even though he can shoot you into a bunch of games he can shoot you out just as quickly.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal
Barkley on Knicks guard Steve Novak: “Steve Novak has officially become the best shooter in the NBA. I like Kyle Korver but I have to elevate Mr. Novak. He can shoot it.”
Barkley on how Amar’e Stoudemire’s return from injury changes the dynamic of the Knicks: “Once they get Amar’e Stoudemire back, that’s going to change the whole dynamic, [Anthony] won’t be getting every shot. The reason the Knicks can’t advance [in the playoffs] is because the game is going to come down to how well Carmelo and Amar’e play defense and rebound the ball.”
Barkley on Knicks guard J.R. Smith: “No one has ever questioned his athletic ability. They’ve questioned his brains and rightfully so. If he could get it together, he could be scary because he has incredible athletic ability.”
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Fratello on if Knicks head coach Mike Woodson deserves a contract extension: “With the job [Woodson’s] done right now and the support that the players have given him…down the stretch is so important. They’ve got to get into the playoffs and can they do any damage in the playoffs? He’s shown that he can coach and this team has responded to him.”
Fratello on Celtics guard Sasha Pavlovic’s confidence: “I wish he would get his confidence back on the offensive end of the court. He’s been hesitant to shoot the basketball. When he was playing with LeBron [James] in Cleveland, he was a threat from behind the three-point line.”
Fratello on the Celtics’ three-point shooting: “The Celtics picked up two guys who can make three-point shots. One is [Keyon] Dooling and one is [Sasha] Pavlovic but they have to shoot the ball with confidence to be a contributor for the Celtics.”
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Game 2: San Antonio Spurs (112) @ Los Angeles Lakers (91)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)
Kerr on San Antonio Spurs: “San Antonio wants the No. 1 seed [in the Western Conference]. They’ve got to play it smart in the last week, they don’t want to extend themselves and risk injury. It would be nice for them to avoid the Oklahoma City/Lakers [potential] matchup and let them battle it out in the second round.”
Miller on Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum: “Sometimes I think it was the negative press that turned Andrew around a little bit. This is the best I’ve seen Andrew Bynum play the last two or three weeks.”
Kerr on the Lakers getting into a good rhythm offensively: “The Lakers have played better as a team since the All-Star break mainly because this is [head coach] Mike Brown’s first year, no training camp, very few practices early on. They were trying to replace [former head coach] Phil Jackson and the triangle offense. I think they had a really hard time finding their rhythm offensively and now they are starting to get comfortable with one another.”
TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed injured Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during the second quarter
Bryant on how he’s been able to observe the team while sitting out with an injury: “It’s been an adjustment but it’s been a good one. I got a chance to sit and really observe my guys. It’s a lot easier to identify the struggles that they go through throughout the course of a game when I’m sitting down and observing for 48 minutes.”
Bryant on how his absence has forced the Lakers’ bench players to step up: “Without me on the floor, particularly our second unit, has really had to step up to the challenge and perform. As opposed to when I’m out there and they [think], ‘ehh, maybe I shouldn’t [shoot], I’ll just throw it to him [Bryant] and take a step back.’ Because of it, we’re a much better ball club.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley and O’Neal
O’Neal on the Spurs: “They are playing with great speed and confidence…I think they are going to win the West [Conference].”
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Miller on Spurs forward Boris Diaw: “One thing that Diaw brings [to the Spurs] is his ability to score, especially around the basket. He has great hands and great moves.”
Kerr: “He’s a wonderful passer from the high post area so they can run some offense through him.”
Kerr on the improved outside shooting of Spurs guard Tony Parker: “He’s put so much work into [his outside shooting] over the last several years. This is best I’ve ever seen him shoot. It’s a combination of years of work, shot selection and confidence.”
Kerr on the Spurs’ deep player rotation: “The thing that playing so many people does is it creates unbelievable chemistry in the locker room. Just the morale of having everyone contribute, feeling good about themselves. That allows you to sit guys on certain nights and they are going to be ok with that because they know the next night might be their turn.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley and O’Neal
Barkley on San Antonio Spurs: “They [San Antonio Spurs] are the deepest team in the league and they went out and got all these swing men. They are going to be tough to beat in the Western Conference.”
Barkley on a possible matchup in the Western Conference playoffs: “If the season ended today, Memphis [Grizzlies] and the [Los Angeles] Clippers would be a fantastic series.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviews New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony after the game
Anthony on the New York Knicks three-point shooting for the night: “We got open shots and guys made shots today. JR [Smith] was terrific. We took advantage of what was given and found the open man.”
Anthony on the return of New York Knicks Jeremy Lin and Amar’e Stoudemire from their injuries and how they are going to fit in: “We want those guys to come back and be healthy. The guys that are playing now, we are holding it down until they get back.”
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