(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sunday featured a full docket of NBA Playoff games to keep fans busy. I’m a little over 7/8 of the way through the quadruple header, and I’m going out on a limb to assume the Jazz will hold on to their 20 point lead at the time of posting. First, Miami was able to stay alive thanks to the heroic effort of Dwyane Wade. I got a sense of overexposure dating back to the Heat’s last Championship run – Wade was everywhere and got all the calls. But now that his team is a lower seed again, I’ve come to appreciate, once again, the will and ability of one of the game’s great players. D-Wade single-handedly took over the fourth quarter with a barrage of clutch baskets. He finished with 46 to make sure the Heat held on to this one to send the series back to Boston for at least one more game.
In Chicago, the Cavs ran away from the Bulls despite a monstrous effort from Joakim Noah. I had all the doubts in the world about this kid coming out of Florida. I didn’t see him ever becoming anything more than a role player, but today, he was the Bulls best player on the floor. Noah put up 21 points to go with 20 rebounds, and repeatedly came up with big buckets when other Bulls couldn’t. Problem is, too often were the times no one else could come through. On the other side of the ball, Lebron James was dominant once again, posting his fifth career postseason triple-double with 37 pts, 12 reb, and 11 ast. Mo Williams chipped in a couple huge three pointers and finished with 19.
In San Antonio, the 7th seed Spurs took a stronghold on their series with the Mavs, notching a 92-89 win to send the series back to Dallas with the home team in a 3-1 deficit. George Hill had a breakout game with 29 points to lead the way for the Spurs. The Mavs meanwhile looked like the same familiar disappointing team that continually fails to show up in the postseason. Jason Terry led a respectful comeback attempt, but the Spurs showed that they’re still the better team when the games mean something.
There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played in Utah, but barring a miraculous fourth quarter, the Jazz look poised to take a 3-1 lead back to Denver with three chances to close out the series. Deron Williams is building upon his legacy, further cementing his status as one of the top point guards in the league. Also, Carlos Boozer is showing that he can still be a dominating force in the post, something that teams with cap space will certainly be looking to add to their roster in the upcoming offseason.
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
April 26th, 2010 at 4:31 am
[…] George Hill had a breakout game with 29 points to lead the way for the Spurs. The Mavs meanwhile looked like the same familiar disappointing team that continually fails to show up in the postseason. Jason Terry led a respectful comeback …This Blog […]
April 26th, 2010 at 8:17 am
mceezy
It appears that the Mavericks are the bit_hes I thought them to be ! Now what have the likes of chappy and Anthony got to say for themselves now ?
The Mavericks have never had the stomach for a fight and it could be seen in Nowitzki’s postgame interview .
It’s not what you do during the season that counts it’s the postseason. And also the pedigree you bring with it ! The Mavs simply haven’t any at all !
Alan Parkins
April 26th, 2010 at 8:56 am
I’m shocked at how good Noah is, I never thought he’d be more than a role player either, but think if they teamed him up with Amare next offseason!?! They’d have one great offensive guy, and one great scrappy guy that doesn’t always need the ball to be productive.
My DWill mancrush is as big as it’s ever been!
April 26th, 2010 at 11:09 am
chappy 81
If you’d seen Noah in college as a Gator , you could see that his game was still raw. Now that he’s in the NBA . He’s had to refine his game and but the raw talent is still there and it’ll serve the Bulls well in the future. And given that they’ve so much money under the salary cap. Look for them to make a run at D-Wade . After all he played his college ball with Marquette .
Alan Parkins
April 26th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I watched him as a Gator, and thought he might make it, but didn’t think he’d be nearly this good. I figured he’d just be the energy guy off the bench, but he had molded into the energy guy for the starters! One other thing on Noah, he’s probably the ugliest productive player since Sam Cassell retired!
April 26th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Chappy, I think Anthony Mason or Popeye Jones might have something to say about that! Should we dare do a post on this? LOL
April 26th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I like it! Ugliest of the Ugliest of All-Time!
April 26th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I know a lot of ladies who would vote Nick Van Exel onto that list.
April 26th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
chappy
The coaching staff of the Bulls under Del Negro have really helped him refine his game. He was the work ethic of his father without the laissez-faire attitude . His father Yannick Noah was one hell of a tennis player in his prime. But he p_ssed it all away on booze and cocaine before it led to him cleaning his act up.
Now he spends his time touring Europe playing in different bands with little to show for the fame and fortune he’d attained.
Alan Parkins
April 28th, 2010 at 8:21 am
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Doin Work. Doin Work said: If you missed the NBA action here's a wrap up of yesterday! https://doin-work.com/2010/04/25/four-game-fours-four-series-at-3-1/ […]