Notes from TNT’s NBA Playoffs Coverage – Tuesday, May 13, 2014
TNT’s NBA coverage of the playoffs continues Wednesday, May 14, with an exclusive doubleheader featuring the Brooklyn Nets @ Miami Heat (Game 5) at 7 p.m. ET and the Portland Trail Blazers @ San Antonio Spurs (Game 5) at 9:30 p.m.
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Washington Wizards (102) at Indiana Pacers (79) – Pacers lead series 3-2
Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Chris Webber (analyst) with Tracy Wolfson (reporter)
Webber on Wizards guard John Wall handling the pressure of the playoffs: “Everyone is under pressure in the NBA, no one cares whether you are playing good or bad and no one gives any pity for you. He needs to forget all the criticism and just be the leader and the player that he is and let it come to him naturally.”
Webber on Pacers forward Luis Scola: “Scola has been inconsistent with his scoring but his effort has never been in question.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Barkley on the Wizards downfall: “I think the Wizards fall in love with the jump shot too much. If you go back and look at the Bulls series, they played well and won. They haven’t shot threes well this entire series. That’s been the difference in this series. They haven’t been getting easy baskets in the low post.”
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Webber on the value of veteran players: “Effort is when you give all you have even though you know you are outmatched. Andre Miller is outmatched by the quickness of [CJ] Watson. You like to see veterans know when to use their basketball IQ and include that with their effort.”
Webber on the consistency of a team’s effort: “One thing you gain as a player and as a team that watches film you understand how they play, you understand how they make their runs, their leaders and you understand their heart…going into the next series, coaches are going to say, ‘We can take their heart because they didn’t bring effort, not because they didn’t bring talent but because their effort is not consistent.’”
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GameBreak
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Wizards center Marcin Gortat joins EJ, Chuck, Kenny and Shaq following the Wizards 23-point win against the Pacers
Gortat on his performance in Game 5: “I believe that I’m a better player than I presented at home [in Game 4]. I just came out and tried to play the best game of my life. I was glad I was able to help the team win the game tonight.”
Smith on the Pacers: “You can win a championship the way they are doing it, but I have never seen it happen. Now, they can be the first team that does it, but I have never seen it.”
O’Neal on the Pacers lacking effort: “They haven’t showed me that they are back consistently. The possibility of them winning a championship…if they go into the next series, Miami will blow them out.”
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Los Angeles Clippers (104) at Oklahoma City Thunder (105) – Thunder lead series 3-2
Marv Albert (play-by-play) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)
Kerr on Blake’s confidence level: “There is a level of confidence for every shooter. You might have confidence in the regular season but not so much in the Playoffs…I think Blake [Griffin] is still searching for that level.”
Kerr on Thunder center Steven Adams: “He’s going to be some player. He hasn’t played a lot of basketball in his life…but athletic, moves well and he has a nasty streak to him.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith
Smith on Wizards guard John Wall: “This guy was unbelievable. He set the pace and the tone of the game.”
Barkley on the importance of a third guy: “Someone has to step up and be the third guy on one of these teams. Someone has to step up [for the Thunder], whether it is Reggie Jackson or [Serge] Ibaka.”
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Kerr on Thunder forward Kevin Durant: “With his athleticism, his emotion, competitive desire, he’s an incredible player.”
Kerr on Thunder/Clippers Game 5: “Unlike Game 4, both teams are staying big, traditional lineups on the floor, power forwards on the floor…very different feel for this game.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Kia
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith
Barkley on the Clippers losing Game 5: “I like the way Doc [Rivers] came back and said ‘We never should have lost this game.’ Refs do a good job, they just missed a call. The replay didn’t work in this situation. We can’t argue over that one call. Let’s not make this game about that one call.”
Barkley on blaming coaches rather than the players for mistakes: “Two weeks ago we blamed everything on [Pacers head coach] Frank Vogel. The week before we blamed [Thunder head coach] Scott Brooks. We blame coaches for everything but it’s these players that are making some of the dumbest, stupidest mistakes.”
Barkley on Clippers guard Chris Paul’s comments: “I respect Chris Paul because he’s a leader in the NBA and for saying ‘I really made a dumb play.'”
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