Notes from TNT’s NBA Playoffs Coverage – Sunday, April 21, 2013
TNT’s NBA coverage of the 2013 NBA Playoffs continues Monday, April 22, with doubleheader action featuring the Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets (Game 2) at 8 p.m. ET and Memphis Grizzlies vs. L.A. Clippers (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
Barkley on Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith: “I don’t know how much his head is going to be in this series. He doesn’t know where he’s going to play next season. Josh Smith is the best player in this series. Is he going to prove it?”
O’Neal on Indian Pacers center Roy Hibbert: “I need Roy Hibbert to finally step up and be a big man. He needs to play like a big man.”
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Game 1: Atlanta Hawks (90) @ Indiana Pacers (107) – Pacers lead series 1-0
Announcers: Matt Devlin (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Dei Lynam (reporter)
Fratello on his expectations for the Atlanta vs. Indiana series: “I expect a very physical series. For Atlanta, they’re going to try and play at an Indianapolis 500 pace.”
Fratello on Hawks head coach Larry Drew: “He’s doing an outstanding job with his team.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Pacers center Roy Hibbert’s first half of play in Game 1: “You have to over-exert energy and do everything for your team. He should be jump-hooking people to death. [Hibbert] having no rebounds [in the first half] is a disgrace to all big men.”
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Fratello on the level of intensity of the Hawks vs. Pacers first half: “If you are faint of heart, don’t enter the lane in this series.”
Fratello on Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough: “He is relentless in pursuing the basketball when it’s on the glass.”
Fratello on Atlanta’s approach through the remainder of the series: “They’ve got to come out with a higher level of intensity.”
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings predicting a Bucks victory in the series: “I like the confidence he has predicting the Bucks win in six…I would love to see them win the first game just to see Miami under the gun a little bit.”
Smith on Jenning’s prediction: “There’s a difference between swagger and insanity…there’s a fine line in the NBA. Overall, the one thing that Miami is able to do to everyone, they make you change your lineup and you have to go small. When they move LeBron James to the four spot and he starts doing things off the dribble, you have to play small to compete with them.”
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Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks (87) @ Miami Heat (110) – Miami leads series 1-0
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Miller on the importance of pace for the Bucks: “If you are the Bucks, you are going to have to force turnovers and try and run and get some easy ones before the Heat can set up that defense.”
Miller on the Bucks’ wild card: “Brandon Jennings is the wild card because he’s had games of 30 and 25 [points] vs. the Heat and [he has the] ability to make shots and also get in the lane and find the [Bucks’] shooters.”
Miller on Milwaukee’s offensive approach: “If I’m Jim Boylan and Milwaukee, I’m just going to exclusively run high or mid screen and roles…if you move the Heat side-to-side, you are going to have greater results and [create] better ways for Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings to get into the paint.”
Miller on the Bucks attacking the Miami defense: “You can’t allow [the Heat] to set their defense…they are too good, they are too long and too athletic.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on Jenning’s pre-game prediction: “You should always as a player, think you can win the game.”
O’Neal on Jennings: “He reminds me of Nick Van Exel…even though other opponents may be better than him, he was going to give it to you every night and put it all on the line every night.”
Smith on Jennings: “The point guard is supposed to get you in your sets, kind of create a tempo and not turn the ball over. Brandon Jennings does none of that. He’s really good at creating things when there is nothing there. That’s where he’s at his best…he’s at his best when it’s chaotic.”
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Miller on Jennings and Ellis: “The only way they are going to be competitive in this series is if Jennings and Ellis force shots…offensively, they are the only two guys who can control the series for the Bucks.”
Miller on Dwyane Wade: “If they want to repeat, as much as he has deferred to LeBron James, and rightfully so, they will still need an abundance of – and possible glimpses of – the old Dwyane Wade the farther they advance in the playoffs.”
Miller on the Heat’s pursuit of a second consecutive championship: “Back-to-back champions are viewed a little bit different than guys that win it every other year…that is why this team was constructed.”
Miller on the Bucks and the need for a third option: “They have to find that third guy [to go along with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis] that is going to be that consistent scorer if they want to compete with the Miami Heat.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed LeBron James following the game:
LeBron James on what they learned in Game 1: “We have to do a better job in the second game holding our turnovers down.”
James on Chris Andersen: “Energy. There’s a select few that we have in our league with that type of motor…Anderson Varejao, Joakim Noah and Kenneth Farried…‘Bird’ is one of those guys that has that same type of motor that can’t be matched.”
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Game Break
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Barkley on Oklahoma City: “They’re going to beat Houston pretty easily. This is going to be a quick 4-1 series.”
Smith on OKC’s Serge Ibaka in this first round series: “This might be a series where Serge Ibaka plays more in the paint than on the perimeter.”
Barkley on the Spurs/Lakers and Celtics/Knicks series: “The Spurs are going to beat the Lakers pretty easily. The Celtics are going to get beat 4-1. They [Boston] are just too old and they’ve got no answers for Carmelo [Anthony].”
Game 1: Houston Rockets (91) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (120) – OKC leads series 1-0
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Greg Anthony (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
Anthony on OKC head coach Scott Brooks: “This OKC team has gotten better each and every year under his guidance.”
Anthony on OKC’s Kevin Durant: “Kevin Durant is not in the same ilk as Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony. He’s more like LeBron James – he [Durant] doesn’t like to force his will on the game.”
Anthony on Rockets guard James Harden: “He’s better than I thought he was. And, I thought he was pretty good.”
Anthony on the Houston Rockets ability to score in transition: “They’re one of the best in the league at attacking after [opponent’s] makes.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Ibaka: “Serge is one of the few players in the NBA that is a bona fide superstar without having his play called all the time. He’s a great team player.”
Barkley on the Rockets’ slow start: “They [Houston] got off to a rocky start because of him [James Harden]. He came out a little too amped up.”
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Anthony on the Houston Rockets: “Sometimes we forget – this Houston team is really young.”
Anthony on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook: “Russell Westbrook is always in attack mode.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Smith on how the Houston Rockets play deteriorates near the end of quarters: “It was a bunch of bad decisions…the end of quarters are the most important [time] of an NBA basketball game.”
O’Neal on how the Houston Rockets might be able to improve moving forward in the series: “Jeremy Lin has to do a better job of controlling the team and the tempo.”
Barkley on Houston’s shortcomings: “They’ve really only got one guy [Harden] who can come out and score.”
Barkley on watching Miami’s LeBron James: “It’s an honor and a privilege to watch LeBron James play.”
Smith on how the Lakers need to play to compete with the Spurs: “The Lakers have to shorten the game. The Lakers should play more zone [defense]…it will slow the game down and stop some of the penetration that they [Spurs] get on a consistent basis.”
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