SBNation.com User Blog: jlpennington

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Brian Shaw, George Karl emerge as top candidates for Clippers coaching job

jlpennington — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:40:29 -0000

Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw and former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl have emerged as the top two candidates for the vacant Los Angeles Clippers head job, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne reported Thursday.

The report called Shaw the leading candidate. Shaw was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2004-11 and was a candidate to replace Phil Jackson when he retired following the 2011 season. When Mike Brown got the job instead, Shaw was hired as Indiana's associate head coach.

Karl emerged quickly as a candidate after being fired in Denver on Thursday morning, according to the report. The report also said the Clippers, knowing a change in Denver was imminent, have been keeping their eyes on the situation for several weeks. Karl, who is the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, was coach of the Nuggets since 2005 and has 1,131 career wins.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins is also considered a candidate for the job.

Vinny Del Negro was fired from the Clippers last week.

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• Flannery: Your NBA Finals Primer | The surprisingly sympathetic Spurs

• #Panquake: The pancake-eating marathon for charity

• NBA mock draft: Let's collaborate! | Scouting reports | Big Board

Maurice Cheeks on verge of becoming Pistons head coach, according to report

jlpennington — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:49:03 -0000

Maurice Cheeks could officially become the head coach of the Detroit Pistons by the end of Thursday night, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

As of yesterday, the coaching search was narrowed to Cheeks, the former Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers coach, and Nate McMillan, who coached the Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics.

Since Flip Saunders was fired following the 2007-08 season, the Pistons have employed three head coaches. Lawrence Frank coached the team the past two seasons and had a 54-94 record. He was fired immediately following the season.

In the 2008-09 season, Cheeks was fired from the 76ers 23 games into his fourth year as head coach. He amassed a 122-147 record, qualifying for the playoffs once and losing in the first round. He also coached Portland for three full seasons and was fired during the fourth, coaching the Blazers to a 162-139 record from 2001-05. He made two first-round playoff appearances in Portland.

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• Flannery: Your NBA Finals Primer | The surprisingly sympathetic Spurs

• #Panquake: The pancake-eating marathon for charity

• NBA mock draft: Let's collaborate! | Scouting reports | Big Board

NBA Draft 2013: Dario Saric leaning towards withdrawing, according to report

jlpennington — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:12:35 -0000

Croatian forward Dario Saric may withdraw from the 2013 NBA draft to stay in Croatia one more season, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported Thursday evening.

The 19-year-old small forward is considered to be the top international prospect in this year's draft. However, Ford said Saric enjoys playing in Croatia, and is considering the extra season to develop his skills before making the leap to the NBA.

It was reported yesterday that he was considering staying in Europe. Players have until June 17 to withdraw from the draft, which is on June 27.

Saric makes for an intriguing prospect because of his skillset and size; despite standing 6'10, he'll likely develop into a wing player because of his ball-handling ability.

He was the No. 21 overall pick in Draft Express' most recent mock draft Thursday. Ford reported New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps traveled to Croatia earlier this week to see him play in person.

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• Flannery: Your NBA Finals Primer | The surprisingly sympathetic Spurs

• #Panquake: The pancake-eating marathon for charity

• NBA mock draft: Let's collaborate! | Scouting reports | Big Board

Antonio Barton will transfer to Tennessee, according to brother Will Barton

jlpennington — Sun, 26 May 2013 16:38:21 -0000

Former Memphis Tigers guard Antonio Barton will transfer to the Tennessee Volunteers, his brother Will Barton tweeted Sunday. Barton will be eligible to play immediately.

My bro Antonio Barton has decided to attend the university of Tennessee for his senior year where hewill be allowed to play right away
— Will Barton (@WillTheThrillB5) May 26, 2013

Barton, who was a junior last season, will play for the Volunteers in 2013-14 because of a rule that stipulates a transfer player can play immediately if he enrolls in a graduate program not available at his current school. Barton will finish his undergraduate degree this summer.

He averaged 5.6 points, 1.1 assists and 16.7 minutes per game as a junior, all career lows.

Barton will have an opportunity to play point guard for Tennessee next season. Former point guard Trae Golden was dismissed from the team in May.

Barton chose Tennessee over the Texas A&M Aggies, the Maryland Terrapins and the Kansas State Wildcats, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Stephen Hurt transferring from Lipscomb to junior college

jlpennington — Sun, 26 May 2013 16:08:48 -0000

Lipscomb Bisons forward Stephen Hurt is leaving the school to transfer to Northwest Florida State, CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish reported Saturday.

Hurt, the Atlantic Sun freshman of the year last season, averaged 11.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Bisons. The 6'10 forward will transfer to the junior-college ranks and play immediately, with plans to transfer back to Division I the following season without ever having sat out a season due to transfer rules, Parrish wrote.

Longtime Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson resigned in April, and Hurt asked for his release at that point. The Bisons have since hired former Stetson coach Casey Alexander to replace Sanderson. Six players from Northwest Florida State's 2011-12 roster transferred to Division I schools, for the 2012-13 season.

Northwest Florida State's Chris Jones, who was the national junior college player of the year, has signed to play for the defending National Champion Louisville Cardinals next season.

2013 Byron Nelson leaderboard: Sang-Moon Bae holds lead heading toward the turn

jlpennington — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:43:44 -0000

Sang-Moon Bae, who has not won a PGA Tour event, holds a two-stroke lead at 14-under through his first five holes at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.

Bae, who posted three scores of 66 to start the week, entered the day a stroke behind Keegan Bradley; Bradley was at 13-under, and Bae was at 12-under. But while Bradley was at 1-over through five holes Sunday--he bogeyed the par-4 third hole--Bae birdied No. 3 and No. 5, a par 3.

Bradley, the 2011 Byron Nelson champion, took an early command of the tournament with an opening-round 60, but Bae's consistent play throughout the weekend seems to have offset Bradley's huge Thursday.

Charl Schwartzel was in third at 10-under through his first seven holes Sunday.

The biggest mover so far Sunday has been Charley Hoffman, who was 5-under for his round through 13 holes. He currently stands at 9-under, alone in fourth place and five strokes off the lead. Hoffman was 4-under through his first three rounds.

Brandon Bolden transfers to Kansas State

jlpennington — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:48:08 -0000

Former Georgetown Hoyas forward Brandon Bolden will transfer to the Kansas State Wildcats, the school announced Friday.

The 6'10, 210-pound forward from Sumter, S.C., played in only four games as a true freshman in 2012-13, logging five minutes. His only counting stat on the season was one missed field goal. He neither scored nor rebounded nor did anything else in limited action.

Bolden will be ineligible to play for Bruce Weber in the upcoming season, but he'll have three seasons of eligibility remaining when he hits the court for the 2014-15 season. Rivals.com rated him the No. 81 overall prospect in the Class of 2012 out of the Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C. There, he played alongside point guard Jevon Thomas, one of Weber's incoming freshmen.

Weber now has seven players signed for his incoming class in his second year as the Kansas State coach. The class includes five incoming freshmen, Bolden and Maine Black Bears transfer guard Justin Edwards.

Lipscomb hires Casey Alexander as head coach

jlpennington — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0000

Casey Alexander has been named the head coach of the Lipscomb Bisons, the school announced Saturday.

Alexander made an intra-conference move after spending the last two seasons as head coach the Stetson Hatters, who are also in the Atlantic Sun. Stetson finished 11-7 in league play last season under Alexander, losing in the A-Sun semifinals to the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.

Before his two-year tenure at Stetson, Alexander spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach for the Belmont Bruins, who were also in the Atlantic Sun before leaving for the Ohio Valley Conference in 2012. Alexander also played at Belmont from 1992-95.

Lipscomb's was the final head-coaching position still open this offseason. Alexander replaces Scott Sanderson, who coached the Bisons for 14 seasons. He was 222-201. Lipscomb has never played in the NCAA tournament. Its only appearance in the NIT was in 2006.

A press conference officially announcing Alexander as the new coach will be held on Sunday.

NBA Playoffs 2013, Knicks vs. Pacers: New York's massive finish not fluky

jlpennington — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:48:46 -0000

Throughout the playoffs to this point, the New York Knicks' problem is that they've only sometimes been the New York Knicks that earned the best seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, non-Miami Heat division. It seems that almost more often than not--and this includes Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals--the Knicks have been fighting themselves while a team in another set of jerseys piles on.

That was not the case in the fourth quarter Tuesday. The Knicks dropped the fight on the Knicks and dismantled the Indiana Pacers in just about every way imaginable; in fact, the only imaginable way in which the Knicks could have been better over a stretch of 11:32 between the third and fourth quarters was if they didn't allow that one, lonely basket during a 30-2 run.

Runs of that magnitude are certainly not normal, but the Knicks were adamant in the post-game news conference that nothing about the game's deciding stretch was fluky.

Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 32 points and had 11 during the 30-2 run, has struggled throughout the playoffs. Tuesday's Game 2 was his best performance in this postseason to date, and he attributed that to keeping his foot on the pedal despite struggles in the first round and in Game 1 against Indiana.

"I always said I can't stop doing that. I can't stop attacking. I can't stop being aggressive out there on the basketball court. I think I did a good job of making some adjustments out there, just being patient. I thought in the first game, I was a little too impatient coming off the pick-and-rolls. Seeing (Roy) Hibbert, my eyes got big seeing him in one-on-one matchup out there. He does a great job of protecting the paint, jumping straight up-and-down to avoid fouls. Tonight it was just a matter of taking advantage of that, getting in the paint and distributing the ball, getting guys open shots. It opens it up for myself."

Paul George of the Pacers was a bit simpler in his analysis of how his team allowed the Knicks to do what they did Tuesday.

"(Anthony) just made shots. We still had the same, we still contested shots. I feel like we made it as difficult as we could. But that's why he's an elite player. He has the ability to make contested shots."

Quotes via NBA.com's live press conference stream.

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NBA Playoffs 2013, Pacers vs. Knicks: New York surges in 4th for 105-79 Game 2 win

jlpennington — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:45:50 -0000

The New York Knicks blew past the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter Tuesday, lighting up a 30-2 run late in the game to beat the Pacers 105-79 and even the Eastern Conference semifinals series at 1-1 as they shift to Indianapolis.

The Knicks' decisive run lasted an amount of game time nearly equivalent to an entire quarter: 11 minutes and 32 seconds. Carmelo Anthony, who has struggled from the floor so far in the playoffs, led the run with 11 points, including two three-pointers and a three-point play that gave New York an 87-66 lead with 6:33 to play. Anthony and the rest of the Knicks' starters were lifted with 4:55 to play and a 92-66 lead.

Anthony finished with 32 points on 13-of-26 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. Iman Shumpert was the Knicks' second-leading scorer with 15 points. Raymond Felton, who scored 14 points, left the game with just under a minute left in the third quarter after turning his left ankle and did not return.

The Knicks' offense, though hot, was only part of the big run. Mike Woodson's defense held Indiana without a field goal for a 12-minute span while Anthony and Co. found and expanded upon the first-half rhythm that pushed them to a lead as large as 13 in the second quarter. The Pacers didn't even get on the board at all in the final quarter until Tyler Hansbrough hit a pair of free throws with 4:48 to play.

Indiana's first field goal of the fourth quarter was an Orlando Johnson three with 3:09 to play. The Pacers had gone 12 minutes and 19 seconds without a made field goal before the make.

Before Indiana seemed to throw in the towel, it had done a fine job of hanging with the Knicks after a slow start. The Pacers led as late as the three-minute mark in the third quarter.

The Knicks were 10-of-30 from three-point range, building their lead in the first half mostly inside the arc. The Pacers finished 30-of-66 from the floor. Paul George had 20 points, four rebounds and seven turnovers for Indiana.

Game 3 in Indianapolis tips off Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

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Ray Felton injury: Knicks point guard leaves with ankle injury

jlpennington — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:51:49 -0000

New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton turned his left ankle in the third quarter of Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.

With a minute left in the third quarter, Pacers guard George Hill controlled the ball. David West set a screen, and Felton came off the screen awkwardly. He bumped into Hill, who had stepped toward the basket at the top of the key, and Felton appeared to turn his left ankle trying to gain his footing and get back on the ball.

Felton hobbled around during the next dead ball with 55.6 seconds to play -- West was shooting free throws -- and Felton came out of the game. Jason Kidd replaced him.

On the previous possession, Felton had stolen the ball and thrown a transition alley-oop off the backboard to Kenyon Martin.

Felton's status to return is unclear. The Knicks led 72-66 at the end of the third quarter.

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Pacers vs. Knicks score update, Game 2: New York controls first half, leads 47-42 at halftime

jlpennington — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:11:02 -0000

The New York Knicks answered Sunday's Game 1 home loss to the Indiana Pacers with a complete first half in Tuesday's Game 2. The Knicks set the pace defensively and had help across the floor on offense on the way to a 47-42 halftime lead over Indiana. The Pacers scored eight straight points to close out the first half to bring the margin from New York's largest lead to within five.

New York was 21-of-44 from the field in the first half (47.7 percent), but it didn't arrive at that figure by way of a particularly hot Carmelo Anthony or hitting a bunch of threes. Instead, the Knicks excelled around the basket and in the midrange game. SB Nation's Rodger Sherman previewed Game 2 with three questions, and upon further inspection, it's clear the Knicks did, at least in the first half, exactly what was deemed vital to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole headed to Indiana.

1. Will the Knicks figure out how to avoid Roy Hibbert?

Indiana dominated Game 1 with its defensive performance, and much of that was easily traced back to center Roy Hibbert. He dominated the game, as SB Nation's Mike Prada outlined, blocking five shots and altering many more on the way to a 102-95 win Sunday. In essence, the Pacers won Game 1 choosing the best shots to give up and heavily contesting higher-percentage fares. The Knicks seemed to adjust well in the first half Tuesday, due in part to simply shooting better than in Game 1 but also compensating with sets that drew Hibbert away from the basket more often, opening the lane for drives.

Also, Iman Shumpert did this, which certainly seems to help.

2. Good Melo and J.R., or Bad Melo and J.R.?

Anthony and Smith were a combined 14-of-43 Sunday, and the Knicks' offense is as reliant as it is on two players that shoot 32.6 percent, being within seven points by the final buzzer is better than some would predict. Anthony still struggled from the field Tuesday, and Smith did too. The two were 9-of-19 in the first half Tuesday. But picking up the slack were New York guards Raymond Felton and Shumpert. Felton came out hot in the first quarter, setting the pace early for the Knicks' offense. Felton had nine points at halftime on 4-of-5 shooting. Shumpert, seen above dunking on the entire city of New York, was 5-of-8 and had 11 points at the break.

3. Who Wins the Perimeter?

Neither team was great from deep in the first half, but the Knicks opted for a higher-than-usual dose of shots from inside the arc. The Knicks made 891 threes this season, setting an NBA record, but they were only 3-of-11 in the first half Tuesday. Indiana was 3-of-10. It's hard to blame the Knicks, who shot 18-of-33 from inside the line in the first half and stuck with the first-half attack that worked for them to build a lead as large as 13 before giving up Indiana's half-closing run.

Paul George had 15 points and three rebounds at halftime.

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NFL Draft 2013: One executive calls 2013 draft worst in 10 or 12 years

jlpennington — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:23:37 -0000

One day removed from the beginning of the NFL Draft, one high-ranking executive called this year's draft the "worst draft in the past 10 years or longer," according to Mike Freeman of CBSsports.com.

The comment was made in regards to the amount of potential franchise players available in the draft, Freeman said.

"There will be 13-15 players picked in the first round that are true first-rounders," he said. "That's a fairly low number."

Last year, according to the general manager, there were 20-23 players who were true first-rounders. That's about average.

The draft is lacking two key elements, the executive told Freeman: franchise quarterbacks and impact players at other positions.

Last year's draft saw two quarterbacks go in the first two selections that have already had major impacts on their franchises: Andrew Luck to the Indianapolis Colts and Robert Griffin III to the Washington Redskins. This year's draft doesn't seem to feature similar talent at that marquee position, though Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib goes No. 8 overall to the Buffalo Bills in SB Nation's latest mock draft. Nassib played for BIlls coach Doug Marrone when Marrone was the coach at Syracuse.

Nassib is the only quarterback projected to go in the first round of SB Nation's mock draft.

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NFL news and rumors: Floyd and Fisher could go No. 3 to Oakland, Nassib could go just about anywhere, and more

jlpennington — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:37:25 -0000

We're less than 24 hours to draft day, and all the who's-going-where and will-they-trade is impossible to fully meter, despite television networks flush with coverage from now until the last pick of the last round Saturday. Still, we'll do our best to round up the Internet's loudest (or at least most credible) chatter when it comes to the league's news leading up to Thursday's first round.

Raiders eyeing Floyd and Johnson with No. 3 pick

The Kansas City Chiefs seem settled in choosing Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel with the first pick, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly eyeing Eric Fisher with their selection. The next team up will be the Oakland Raiders, and NFL Network's Mike Mayock said the Raiders are looking at either Florida defensive tackle Shariff Floyd or Oklahoma left tackle Lane Johnson with that selection.

More: Raiders blog: Silver and Black Pride

The Raiders' roster is thin all around, and if they want to go with the best available player, Mayock said that pick would be Johnson, assuming the first two selections go as predicted. But if Johnson were to be chosen at the No. 3 spot, that would mean moving to right tackle so that Jared Veldheer, he of recent Internet fame for having reached a permanent state of being Hulked out, would remain at left tackle.

Floyd would fill an immediate need, presumably in the starting lineup, on Oakland's defensive front.

Ronnell Lewis arrested after bar fight

Detroit Lions linebacker Ronnell Lewis was arrested after a bar fight Saturday. He would have had a better chance of getting off clean had the incident not happened in front of a police officer, but alas, it did happen in front of a police officer.

More: Lions blog: Pride of Detroit

The man Lewis punched was on the ground when Lewis hit him, according to Jake Trotter of ESPN.com. A police officer was standing nearby, and Lewis was tased several times before being apprehended.

The Lions said they are in the process of gathering more information about the incident.

The jury is out on Nassib

Ryan Nassib, the quarterback from Syracuse, has yet to make a fan out of all 32 NFL teams as draft day approaches. On one hand, he's doing pretty well: Nassib is "in play" to go No. 8 overall to the Buffalo Bills, Jason La Canfora of CBSsports.com reported. The Bills would seem to be in play to grab Nassib at this spot because Bills coach Doug Marrone coached Nassib at Syracuse; otherwise, La Canfora said Nassib could slip, at best, to the bottom of the first round.

More: Bills blog: Buffalo Rumblings

Meanwhile, one team has graded Nassib as an undrafted free agent and doesn't even have him on their draft board, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on air during NFL Live. Such stark contrast seems rare, where one team could consider taking him with the eighth overall pick in the draft and another won't even consider taking him at any point. If one team believes in any player enough, though, that's all that ultimately matters.

Three main suitors for Carradine

Florida State defensive end Tank Carradine has had recent contact with the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and and Minnesota Vikings leading up to Thursday's first round, according to NFL Draft Insider.

More: Dolphins blog: The Phinsider Giants blog: Big Blue View Vikings blog: Daily Norseman

The Dolphins will have the first swipe at Carradine with the 12th overall pick. Much of the decision over whether or not to select Carradine at No. 12 could come down to Brandon Albert's decision in free agency. If the Dolphins sign Albert before Thursday and know they won't have to fill a need at offensive tackle, NFL Draft Insider said Carradine's selection by Miami could be much more likely.

NFLPA partners with DocuSign for mobile contract signings

NFL players will now have the option of signing life-altering contracts on the same touch surface they'd use to tweet or play Angry Birds or whatever game is cool right now. The NFL Players Association agreed to a deal with DocuSign for players to sign contracts via a mobile device in the wake of the Elvis Dumervil fax machine gaffe, Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes reported.

DocuSign transfers documents immediately, eliminating that ghastly wait for faxes to transmit. It's unclear if DocuSign will make users fill out an unnecessarily detailed cover page.

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Branden Albert trade rumors: Jonathan Martin bulks up while Chiefs trade 'at standstill'

jlpennington — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:30:25 -0000

The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins seem to be at a standstill with a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to the Dolphins, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald reported.

The Dolphins seem determined to trade for Albert in order to replace Jake Long, who left in free agency to sign with the St. Louis Rams. But because of the nature of the trade involving draft picks, the deadline to execute a deal is fast approaching.

The Chiefs are seeking one of Miami's second-round picks in the deal, so that would mean the de facto deadline to make a deal would be Friday afternoon. Another question needing to be resolved, Beasley said, is if the Dolphins are willing to give Albert a top-dollar contract extension, a question at which they balked in negotiations with Long.

Dolphins center Mike Pouncey supported the Dolphins' pursuit of Albert.

"When you've got to replace a guy like Jake Long, you need an elite-caliber type player to play that position. Left tackle is obviously the hardest position on the offensive line. You're going up against the best guys, week in and week out. I think [Albert] would be a great fit for us."

While the Dolphins' left-tackle situation remains unresolved, Jonathan Martin is bulking up, Beasley said. Martin played left tackle in college and finished the season there last season when Long was injured. Beasley said Dolphins coaches had not instructed Martin to focus on one side or the other during the offseason.

"I played left for so long, so I'm still a little more comfortable there, but I think I can play both positions comfortably," Martin said. "I know [Albert] is a good player. He's a veteran. He's a guy [who has] been around for a long time. Any time you can add a great player to your team, you want to take advantage of that."

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Toby Gerhart trade rumors: Vikings could put RB on the block

jlpennington — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:48:21 -0000

Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart is entering his contract year, and he could be available on the trade market, Tom Pelissero of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported.

The Vikings' primary back is Adrian Peterson, who obviously got a load of the work last season when he ran for 2,097 yards and missed the NFL's all-time rushing record by seven yards, winning the NFL Most Valuable Player award as a result. Thus, Gerhart was relegated to mostly third downs last season. He had 50 carries for 169 yards and one touchdown in 2012, and he has 1,022 yards on 244 career rushes for three touchdowns.

Pelissero said the Vikings will have to decide if his value as an insurance back is more than other teams would value him as more of a featured ball-carrier.

He could be trade bait once injuries start hitting in camp, depending on whether the Vikings have any intention of trying to convince him he'll get his shot with the Vikings eventually. Then again, they value him as a load-carrier if something happens to Peterson, and could take a compensatory pick if he walks anyway.

Gerhart, who turned 26 in March, will make $630,000 in 2013, according to Spotrac.com.

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Clippers vs. Grizzlies: Chris Paul's game-winner hardly surprises anyone involved

jlpennington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:54:58 -0000

As Monday night's game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies worked closer and closer to its conclusion, it began to seem apparent how it would end: Chris Paul would win it.

Of course, watching to find out how he'd do it was fun, but he took over the game in the fourth quarter for the Clippers, first leading them to a lead as large as 12 points with under 10 minutes to go, then breaking two ties in the final 90 seconds of the game to give the Clippers a 2-0 lead as the series turns to Memphis.

If you didn't see the game-winning runner in all its beauty -- and it was beautiful, because Memphis' Tony Allen defended the play about as well as it could be defended, giving up neither too much space for a jumper or too little space to send an 88.5-percent shooter to the free throw line in the final seconds of a tie game -- here it is:

Paul scored the Clippers' final eight points over the game's final four minutes, and each trip down the floor, his command and sure-handed presence seemed calming to the home team. He took over when the Clippers needed him to. Paul was 4-of-5 from the field on Los Angeles' final seven possessions. His one miss was a desperate heave after a jump ball as the shot clock expired with 22 seconds to play.

The consensus among those in post-game interviews was that, to paraphrase, great players like Paul hit great shots in key moments. See if you can differentiate the following quotes, said by three different people during three different sessions at the post-game news conference Monday night:

In the biggest moments, that's when he's usually at his best. He has the competitive edge and the drive to want to be in those moments, and that's a gift.

They threw it in bounds, he went and got it, he went baseline. What can you do? The kid made a tough shot. He's a great player. That's what great players do.

He just hit a tough shot. That's what great players do. We did the best we could have done to defend him.

(If it really matters: The first was Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, the second was Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, and the third was Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley.)

During the same post-game news conference, a reporter asked Paul about the final play and the quarter leading up to it. He was excited to ask the question, as we all would have been, because it was an exciting moment that further illuminated the superior skill of best player in the league at his position. Paul laughed it off.

I don't think it's that dramatic. It's just basketball.

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NBA Playoffs 2013, Grizzlies vs. Clippers Game 2: Chris Paul hits game-winner to give Los Angeles 93-91 win over Memphis

jlpennington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:37:18 -0000

Chris Paul hit a runner with 0.1 seconds Monday, and the Los Angeles Clippers won Game 2 of their Western Conference Playoffs' first-round series, 93-91, over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers now have a 2-0 lead as the series turns to Memphis.

Memphis didn't let the Clippers pull away like they did in Game 1 (the Clippers outscored Memphis 37-22 in the fourth Saturday to win, 112-91), but the Grizzlies ultimately couldn't find the points to overcome their consistently marginal deficits. The Grizzlies took a 61-59 lead with about 6 1/2 minutes to play in the third quarter, but that would be their only lead of the second half.

The Grizzlies tied it at 89 with 1:37 to play and again at 91 with 13.9 seconds to play on a pick-and-roll into a dunk from Mike Conley to Marc Gasol out of a timeout.

Los Angeles called a 20-second timeout to set up the play at mid-court for the Clippers. Paul held the ball at the top of the key and took it to his right, letting go with just over a second to go. The ball banked in off the backboard, lit red, to give the Clippers the win.

The big void for the Grizzlies in Game 1 was on the glass, and that was an area of big improvement Monday. Memphis was out-rebounded, 47-23, in the series opener, and Los Angeles used that advantage. The Grizzlies had four offensive rebounds in the entire game Saturday. Memphis was much better on the boards in Game 2, fighting tougher under its own basket and playing more physical in general. The Clippers won Monday's rebounding battle, 40-38.

The following GIF, however, may have been taking "physical play" to a bit of an extreme. Always count on Zach Randolph.

Griffin was not amused.

The Clippers couldn't quite pull away from Memphis in the first three quarters, but it began to happen early in the fourth quarter. They scored nine straight points to start the fourth, including two on a loud Eric Bledsoe dunk and two more on a driving lay-up. Bledsoe's physical, aggressive play typified the Clippers' Game 2 win, keeping the energy going when the offense couldn't quite ignite the Staples Center crowd and help Los Angeles pull away.

This Bledsoe block on Tony Allen in the second quarter kept Memphis from getting within one point, and the Clippers recovered to score on a Griffin turn-around jumper in the post.

L.A.'s lead grew as large as 12 in the fourth quarter at 83-71 with 9:50 to play, a stretch during which the Clippers' defense was as impressive as anything. Memphis was held without a field goal for a stretch of over six minutes that Conley snapped with a jumper at the 7:35 mark of the fourth quarter. At that point, the Clippers led, 83-76.

Conley led the Grizzlies with 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He was also 9-of-13 from the free-throw line. Jamal Crawford had 15 points off the bench for the Clippers.

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Clippers vs. Grizzlies score update: Los Angeles holds 50-44 lead over Memphis at halftime of Game 2

jlpennington — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:54:13 -0000

The Los Angeles Clippers lead a close game at halftime of Game 2 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, 50-44. Blake Griffin has 15 points for the Clippers, and Jamal Crawford buoyed the Clippers' offense early in the second quarter with a handful of electrifying plays. Crawford had 13 points at the half on 6-of-6 shooting.

Previewing Game 2, SB Nation's Drew Garrison found three keys to the game if Memphis wanted to even the series Monday night.

1. Memphis' pick-and-roll defense

The Clippers love the pick-and-roll, and the pick-and-roll loved them in Game 1. Los Angeles was 10-of-14 from the field on attempts off pick-and-roll plays in Saturday's win, according to Garrison. The Grizzlies seemed to have adjusted Monday, looking more like the team considered to be one of the best defenses - maybe the best defense - in the league throughout the season, as they tightened up and rotated faster. Yes, Chris Paul is going to make plays happen despite what any five players do - even Marc Gasol, whose defensive prowess is well documented - but the Grizzlies kept Paul and the Clippers mostly in check during the first half, or at least forced Griffin into more post-ups and the Clippers into more jump shots.

2. Mike Conley's shooting

The Grizzlies seemed to have accepted that they aren't going to do much of anything from the perimeter, so at least they didn't try. Knowing is half the battle. After a 5-of-12 performance from 3-point range on Saturday, Memphis was a mere 2-of-5 from the perimeter in the first half of Game 2. Conley was 1-of-3 from deep and 5-of-10 overall, scoring 16 points. It stands to reason the Grizzlies will have to figure out how to score more points at some point. Conley was their only scorer in double figures through 24 minutes. Marc Gasol and Tony Allen each had seven.

3. Rebounding

The most befuddling aspect of Memphis' Game 1 performance was its job on the boards. The Clippers won the rebounding battle 47-23, and Memphis had a total of four offensive boards in the entire game. That's no way to win a playoff game. The Clippers were still better on the boards in the first half Monday, but not by as wide a margin; Los Angeles was up 18-13 on the glass. Memphis still struggled under its own basket, though, with only one offensive board in the first half.

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2013 NFL Draft schedule: NFL Network handles exclusive coverage for first time

jlpennington — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:16:40 -0000

The 2013 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, the first of three days of the annual draft. For the first year, all three days of live draft coverage will be hosted exclusively on the NFL Network.

The draft begins Thursday in prime-time with the first round, but NFL Network's comprehensive coverage begins well beforehand. Their live coverage will begin at 1 p.m. ET with seven hours of live coverage from Radio City Music Hall prior to the 8 p.m. draft. The first round is scheduled to last three hours, and the NFL Network will host a one-hour first-round wrap afterward.

Day Two coverage begins again at 1 p.m. live from Radio City Music Hall, providing 5 1/2 hours of preview before the second and third rounds begin at 6:30 p.m. A 90-minute wrap-up show will air afterward on the NFL Network.

The final day of draft coverage kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m. with a two-hour live preview before the fourth round begins at noon. The final telecast from Radio City Music Hall is scheduled to end at 7:30 p.m., at which point a 30-minute wrap will close out the week's coverage.

All times ET

Thursday, April 25, NFL Network

1 p.m.-8 p.m.: NFL Draft Pre-Show

8 p.m.-11 p.m.: NFL Draft first round

11 p.m.-12 a.m.: NFL Total Access

Friday, April 26, NFL Network

1 p.m.-6:30 p.m.: NFL Draft Pre-Show

6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.: NFL Draft second and third rounds

10:30 p.m.-12 a.m.: NFL Total Access

Saturday, April 27, NFL Network

10 a.m.-12 p.m.: NFL Draft Pre-Show

12 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: NFL Draft, rounds 4-7

7:30 p.m.-8 p.m.: NFL Total Access

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NBA playoffs 2013, Knicks vs. Celtics: New York took season series 3-1

jlpennington — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:45:12 -0000

The New York Knicks, Atlantic Division champions and No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, dropped their first regular-season game against the Boston Celtics before winning the final three against their eventual first-round opponent in the NBA playoffs.

Boston won the first meeting 102-96, which was most notable because of this altercation:

After that game, Anthony waited for Kevin Garnett at the Celtics' team bus at Madison Square Garden, moments after yelling for Garnett to come out of the Celtics' locker room. Anthony was suspended one game. At the time the prevailing thought was that the altercation would weigh heavily on the rest of the season series, but that has not been true to date.

New York held on to win the second game, 89-86, on Jan. 24, for its win in Boston since 2006. Rajon Rondo had a triple-double that night (in what turned out to be his second-to-last game of the season before tearing his ACL), but Anthony's 28 points and nine boards were enough for the Celtics to eke out the road win.

As the season series went on, New York continued to improve and leverage its improvement against the Celtics. The third game of four in the regular-season series went a lot like this:

That was J.R. Smith, who finished that game with 32 points off the bench on 13-of-24 shooting (though that was his only made 3-pointer; he was 1-of-3 from beyond the arc). The Knicks' offense was at its that day--March 26--when Anthony took 30 shots, Smith took 24, and the rest of the Knicks was 16-of-36. The win was New York's fifth in a row in what would become a 13-game win streak, and the loss guaranteed that the Celtics would not win the Atlantic Division for the sixth-straight time. Boston had 19 turnovers in the game.

New York zapped the Celtics from long range in the regular-season series' finale, a Knicks 108-89 win on March 31 in which New York was 14-of-27 from 3-point range. Garnett missed that game with an injured left ankle. It was Boston's eighth-straight win. Chris Copeland had 22 points off the bench for the Knicks, and Anthony had 24 points and 10 boards.

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Knicks vs. Celtics, NBA playoffs 2013: Doc Rivers, Mike Woodson approach series from opposite sides of history

jlpennington — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:36:23 -0000

The first-round series between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks features two coaches with starkly different playoff histories than Doc Rivers and Mike Woodson.

Rivers has made his name as a coach whose Celtics teams have thrived in the postseason. Rivers won the 2008 NBA Finals in his fourth year in Boston, and the Celtics have won at least one playoff series in each season since. The popular rag against the Celtics during that run has been related to the team's age. Many of the team's big names--Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen until this season--seemed to wear down near the end of regular seasons, only to amp back up come playoff time.

When it was revealed in the middle of a Celtics-Miami Heat game on Jan. 27 that Rajon Rondo had torn his ACL and would miss the rest of the season, the 20-23 Celtics' playoff hopes looked dire. But that day, Boston began a seven-game winning streak that set the pace for their playoff run. Rivers helped the team through several adjustments, including helping Avery Bradley assume the role as the primary ball-handler in Boston's offense.

Meanwhile, Woodson has had a much more successful and consistent team this season but has struggled historically as a coach in the playoffs. This will mark his fifth playoff appearance as a coach--three as the Atlanta Hawks' coach, and two now with New York--and he's 2-4 in his six career playoff series (the Hawks advanced past the first round in 2009 and 2010).

But Woodson hasn't had a team like this year's Knicks. They won 13 games in a row all the way up until an overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on April 11. Carmelo Anthony has found another dimension to his game, a dimension in which he seemingly struggles to miss shots. The Knicks won the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994, and Woodson won his first division title as a coach in eight years as a head coach.

The Knicks have had their health problems too, forcing Woodson to shift things around and maintain a healthy record and attitude heading into the playoffs. Anthony, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Rasheed Wallace, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby have all missed time lately.

The two coaches have only coached against each other in one postseason series. Rivers and the Celtics beat Woodson's Hawks in seven games in the first round of the 2008 playoffs on the way to the Celtics' championship.

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NFL news and rumors: JaMarcus Russell comeback unlikely, Devin Hester not working with WRs and more

jlpennington — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:25:47 -0000

Tuesday was the second day of offseason workouts across the NFL, and when combined with the clock ticking toward the 2013 NFL Draft, it makes for a busy couple of days around the league.

JaMarcus Russell 'overweight and out of shape'

This may surprise you. Free agent quarterback JaMarcus Russell is looking for one last chance in the NFL, but it's unlikely a team is willing to grant his wish, the National Football Post reported Tuesday. The report said Russell was "overweight and out of shape," and NFL general managers are unlikely to give Russell a chance if he has yet to get past the primary problem that derailed his career in the first place.

Interest in Russell's comeback was low to begin, the National Football Post said. His last NFL game was Jan. 3, 2010. He had 1,287 passing yards, three touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the 2009-10 season.

Devin Hester no longer working out with wide receivers

The Chicago Bears opened workouts Tuesday, and Devin Hester did not run a single route with the wide receivers all day, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. Instead, the veteran entering his seventh season worked exclusively with the specialists. Hester has excelled as a punt and kickoff returner since the Bears drafted him in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft out of Miami, but he's contributed as a secondary receiver each year, too.

More: Bears blog: Windy City Gridiron

That production on offense dropped in 2011 and 2012, though. His 26 receptions in 2011 and 23 catches in 2012 were both the lowest of his career since he had 20 receptions as a rookie in 2007, and he only had one touchdown catch in each of the last two seasons. His 242 receiving yards in 2012 were a career low.

Bears head coach Marc Trestman said earlier in the offseason that Hester would be used exclusively on special teams, so Tuesday's news shouldn't be much of a surprise.

Proposed offseason changes unlikely

The NFL proposed a number of changes to the offseason calendar, essentially delaying free agency and other events for two weeks, but the NFL Players' Association is unlikely to approve the changes, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported.

Maske reported that the delay to free agency was the biggest snag, but he also said the players' union wanting to avoid possible expansion of the regular season may also have impacted the decision to pass on the changes. The beginning of free agency, the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft would have each been pushed back two weeks if the proposal had passed. The current collective bargaining agreement made it such that both the owners and the players' union would have to approve such changes.

An extra two weeks on the back-end of the offseason could have allowed two more games to be wedged into the 17-week schedule, which the players' union wanted to prevent.

Peyton Manning feeling more arm strength

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said he's feeling additional arm strength after a series of five workouts just before the Broncos' team camp started Monday, Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post reported.

More: Broncos blog: Mile High Report

Manning said he had a series of workouts at Duke University with wide receivers Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, and that he was feeling additional arm strength throughout. From the Denver Post:

"I've made some improvements since last year, but still have a plan with the trainers, a plan with the strength coaches," Manning said. "I'm still in a get stronger, rehab mode. I'll be that way for a pretty good while."

Manning was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year last season, leading the Broncos to a 13-3 regular season and No. 1 seed in the AFC. Denver lost its first playoff game, a 38-35 double-overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the eventual Super Bowl champions.

Keenan Allen's Combine drug test flagged for too much water

Keenan Allen, a wide receiver in this year's draft class out of Cal, had his drug test from the Combine flagged for suspiciously high levels of water, ESPN reported. The results of the test are as yet unknown.

More: Cal blog: California Golden Blogs

Allen didn't even work out at the Combine--or at Cal's pro day, for that matter--because of a knee injury, but he was present and apparently was subjected to a drug test. He was forced to take a second drug test in March because of the red-flagged initial test.

SB Nation's Dan Kadar ranked Allen as the No. 2 receiver and the No. 19 overall prospect in the 2013 draft class.

James Harrison rumors: Bengals in no rush to sign LB

jlpennington — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:20:56 -0000

Negotiations between the Cincinnati Bengals and free agent linebacker James Harrison have stalled and a signing is not imminent, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Tuesday.

From the Enquirer:

Harrison visited town last Thursday and meetings with the team went well. But as is usually the case, things can change once negotiations begin.

Harrison visited the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the offseason, but interest on the Ravens' side ceased upon the signing of Elvis Dumervil. Reedy said the Bengals may wait to sign Harrison until after next week's NFL draft, during which the team could satisfy its need at outside linebacker.

Harrison is from Akron, Ohio and played his college ball at Kent State. He was undrafted out of Kent State in 2002, and within five years (including a stint in NFL Europe in 2004), he was a Pro Bowler in Pittsburgh. He won the 2008 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year with his team-record 16 sacks. He was released in March.

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Reggie Bullock will leave North Carolina, enter 2013 NBA Draft

jlpennington — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:50:29 -0000

North Carolina Tar Heels forward Reggie Bullock will leave Chapel Hill for the NBA draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported Monday night.

A formal announcement is expected Tuesday, Wojnarowski said.

The 6'7 junior is leaving North Carolina after a season in which he averaged 13.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. Bullock came up large for the Tar Heels late in the season, scoring double figures in eight of his last 10 games before scoring just five points on 1-of-7 shooting in North Carolina's 70-58 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament.

DraftExpress.com is currently projecting Bullock to go No. 30 overall in its 2013 mock draft. He has the right size -- 6'7, 203 pounds -- to be a small forward in the NBA, and he also has the shooting ability. He was 88-of-202 from deep as a junior.

North Carolina coaches tried to convince Bullock to return for his final season of eligibility, Wojnarowski reported.

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Spurs vs. Warriors final score: Golden State takes 10-point win

jlpennington — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 04:39:19 -0000

The Golden State Warriors made an impressive, if ultimately insignificant, statement Monday night with a 116-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs as both teams prepare for the playoffs to begin this weekend.

Stephen Curry had 35 points, eight rebounds and five assists, finishing 7-of-13 from behind the arc. Curry has now made 268 threes this season, leaving him one short of tying the single-season record for made three-pointers with one game to go. Ray Allen set the current record of 269 as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2005-06 season.

Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker all sat out Monday's game for the Spurs in what has become a frequent occurrence on the San Antonio bench in the lead-up to the playoffs. Both of San Antonio's leading scorers Monday came off the bench: Gary Neal had 25 points, and Patrick Mills finished with 23.

Klay Thompson added 25 points for the Warriors.

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Jazz vs. Timberwolves final score: Utah keeps playoff hopes alive with 96-80 win

jlpennington — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:57:46 -0000

The Utah Jazz kept their playoff hopes alive Tuesday, taking control in a must-win game for a 96-80 road victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Jazz, who are 43-38, are one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers, and each team has one game to play. In the event of a tie, the Jazz would earn the Western Conference's No. 8 seed by virtue of winning two of their three match-ups this season against the Lakers.

Utah finishes its regular season Wednesday night on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Lakers host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night in their last game of the regular season.

Al Jefferson had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Jazz, who took a 26-18 lead after the first quarter. Minnesota got to within two points at 43-41 with 2:49 until halftime, but the Jazz scored six straight points going into the locker room to lead 49-41 at the break.

Derrick Williams had 18 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves.

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