Jeremy Lin joins Houston Rockets

Jeremy Lin is officially a Houston Rocket. Now, we find out whether "Linsanity" can survive Texas heat.

The Knicks confirmed on Tuesday that they would not match the three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet Lin signed with the Houston Rockets on Friday. The club declined to comment on the stunning development while Lin took to Twitter to say, "Extremely excited and honored to be a Houston Rocket again."

The decision was both financial and emotional since Garden Chairman James Dolan was upset over Lin's decision to restructure his deal with Houston last week to include a third year salary of $14.9 million. Dolan, according to sources, felt he was deceived by the 23-year-old Lin.

"Much love and thankfulness to the Knicks and New York for your support this past year," Lin said on Twitter. "Easily the best year of my life. #ForeverGratful."

Of course, team officials privately felt that Lin's actions over the past few weeks were anything but grateful. They were upset that Lin hired a publicist without their consent and were livid that the second year point guard out of Harvard went back to the Rockets for more money.

As recently as last week, all signs pointed to Lin returning with head coach Mike Woodson even saying that Lin would be his starting point guard and that newly acquired Jason Kidd would serve as the back-up.

But in Lin's original deal with Houston he was to receive $9.8 million in the third year. With the Knicks publicly stating their intentions to match the offer, Lin and his representatives went back to the Rockets to restructure the contract.

That third-year balloon payment of $14.9 million could cost the Knicks another $35 million or more in luxury tax penalties. Dolan has a history of overpaying his players and has never shied away from the luxury tax before.

But in this case, Dolan felt betrayed by Lin for going back to Houston to re-work the contract. After all, the Knicks acquired Lin in December after Lin was released by both Golden State and Houston.

When Lin finally got a chance to play in early February, he performed well in Mike D'Antoni's system and instantly became a cultural phenomenon. Lin instant popularity and worldwide appeal was something that had not been seen before in the NBA.

He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in back-to-back weeks and became the most talked about player at the All Star Game in February even though he was only chosen for the rookie/sophomore game.

The feeling inside the organization is that the Knicks gave Lin a chance, helped to create his brand only to have him negotiate a deal that made it cost prohibitive to keep him.

There are other factors, of course. When D'Antoni resigned and was replaced by Mike Woodson, Lin's role was changed slightly as the Knicks became more of an isolation team featuring Carmelo Anthony.

Lin's breakthrough season ended in late March and after 35 games and 25 starts when he suffered a torn meniscus and required left knee surgery. He was ruled out for the playoffs but after Game 1 hinted that he might return. On the morning of Game 5, Lin raised eyebrows by claiming he couldn't play because he was only 85% healthy.

There was also a sense that some players may have resented Lin's instant fame. Two days ago, Anthony called the terms of Lin's contract ridiculous. The following day, Anthony said he hoped Lin would return. Another Knick, J.R. Smith, hinted that if Lin were to return his deal with the Knicks could potentially create unrest in the locker room.

The Knicks began moving on from Lin over on Saturday, one day after Lin signed the offer sheet with Houston. The Knicks re-acquired point guard Raymond Felton in a sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. Before the trade was announced, Felton told a South Carolina TV station that he was coming back to the Knicks and that the deal with Lin was off.

A person close to Felton maintains that Felton never would have returned to the Knicks if Lin were re-signing. The Knicks have three point guards under contract, Kidd, Felton and Pablo Prigioni.

Last season, they began the season with Toney Douglas, Baron Davis and Mike Bibby under contract. A week later, Lin was signed.

All four are gone but only one captured the imagination of Knick fans, who signed a petition this week to keep him in New York.  No one ever could have predicted that Lin would have made this much of an impact in just a few short months in New York.

Fewer still ever would have predicted that his exit would be more stunning than his arrival.

Extremely excited and honored to be a Houston Rocket again!! #RedNation

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 18, 2012

Much love and thankfulness to the Knicks and New York for your support this past year...easily the best year of my life #ForeverGrateful

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 18, 2012

PHOTO: Official 'NBA 2K13' cover revealed, features 3 superstars!

Breaking away from Michael Jordan and the legends who’ve graced the “NBA 2K” cover the past few years, 2K Sports announced Tuesday that Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin will appear on the cover of “NBA 2K13.”

“We picked three guys who we think are the most exciting future legends of the game,” says Jason Argent, vice president of marketing, 2K Sports. “They will all appear on one cover, all together. Last year we had three different covers, but this year we wanted all three guys together. It’s the new dynasty. It’s the next evolution of our cover. We’ve been pushing and changing our cover over the years, and this year will mark another exciting evolution.”

That doesn’t mean that all of the legendary players and teams who have helped elevate the 2K series to best-seller status won’t be back, however, as you can expect more dunks and jams from Jordan and crew.

“Jordan will still be part of the game, he’s still part of the 2K family, but we wanted to make a really clear transition to the new dynasty and the new legends of the game,” adds Argent. “All of those classic teams will appear in the game again, but our main focus moving forward puts the spotlight back on the current game.”

Source: ESPN

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra proud to be Filipino; regrets not playing in PBA

There is no doubt that Filipino-American basketball coach Erik Spoelstra has reached the pinnacle of coaching career by steering the Miami Heat to its second title in six years.

But his career may have taken a different course had he opted to play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

In an interview with ABS-CBN’s TJ Manotoc, the 41-year-old National Basketball Association (NBA) coach revealed that he regrets missing the chance to play in Asia’s first play-for-pay league.

“Right after college, that’s probably one of my few regrets in my life, that I didn’t get to go there and play,” he said.

Before focusing on full-time coaching, Spoelstra played for the University of Portland Pilots and was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.

Spoelstra was the Pilots' starting point guard for four years, averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. He eventually became a member of Portland's 1,000-point club.

After college, he spent two years as a player/coach for TuS Herten, a German professional basketball team.

It was there that he decided to become a coach rather than a player, which is why he no longer pursued a career in the PBA.
“I wanted to be a high school coach or coach in college when I was in my early 20s,” he said.

Meanwhile, Spoelstra is grateful for the Filipino support, as shown by the warm welcome he gets whenever he holds the NBA FIT program in the Philippines.

He said he has always been proud of his Filipino roots.

“Thank you so much for the support, the support even before we won it, and hopefully we do gain some new fans now, but the love and response that we got to when I took my staff over [to the Philippines] every year the last 3 years was incredible,” said Spoelstra.

“I'm proud to be Filipino.”

Source: ABS-CBN

VIDEO: Miami Heat Championship Parade in Miami

In celebration of their NBA 2012 Championship victory, the Miami Heat on Monday, June 25, held their championship parade in the streets of Miami all the way to American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami.

Hundreds of thousands of fans lined-up the streets of Miami and 15,000 more got into the arena to see their favorite Miami Heat players like MVP LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, coach Erik Spoelstra, manager Pat Riley and owner Micky Arison boarding an open-double-decker buses with their friends and families. Other Heat staff were on flatbed trucks, as confetti fell and horns blared every step of the way.

Watch the video below:

LeBron James MVP as Miami Heat wins NBA title!

The decision is final: LeBron James made the right call coming to Miami.

Finally an NBA champion, it's all worth it now.

James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and got the kind of help that was worth leaving home for, leading the Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.

Best player in the game, best team in the league.

James, a unanimous choice as series most valuable player, has found it all since taking his talents to South Beach.

"It means everything," James said moments after the win. "I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about ... I knew we had a bright future [in Miami]. This is a dream come true for me. This is definitely when it pays off."

He left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a celebration he's been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft.

James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and watched the confetti rain down from the rafters.

The Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew it open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.

Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party two summers ago, both had strong games. Bosh, who broke down in tears as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games last year vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.

That made it easier for James, the most heavily scrutinized player in the league since his departure from Cleveland, when he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" on a TV special called "The Decision" that was criticized everywhere from talk shows and water coolers straight to the commissioner's office. James has said he wishes he handled things differently, but few who watched the Cavaliers fail to assemble championship talent around him could have argued with his desire to depart.

He found in Miami a team where he never had to do it alone — though he reminded everyone during his sensational postseason run that he still could when necessary. He got support whenever he needed it in this series, from Shane Battier's 17 points in Game 2 to Mario Chalmers' 25 in Game 4.

In the clincher it was Miller, banged-up from so many recent injuries that he practically limps from the bench to scorer's table when he checks in. He made his fourth 3-pointer of the half right before James' fast-break basket capped a 15-2 run that extended Miami's lead to 53-36 with 4:42 remaining in the first half. James had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists at halftime, with the Heat ahead 59-49.

Durant added 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who made a remarkably early trip to the NBA Finals just three years after starting 3-29. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden all 23 or younger, the Thunder have the pieces in place for a lengthy stay atop the Western Conference.

But their inexperience showed in this series, a few questionable decisions, possessions and outright mistakes costing them in their franchise's first playoff appearance since Seattle lost to Chicago in 1996. Westbrook scored 19 but shot only 4 of 20, unable to come up with anything close to his 43-point outing in Game 4, and Harden finished a miserable series with 19.

Nothing they done could have stopped James, anyway.

Appearing fully over the cramps that forced him to sit out the end of Game 4, he was back to his dominant self, a combination of strength and speed that is practically unmatched in the game — and rarely seen in the history of it.

Wade skipped to each side of the court before the opening tip with arms up to pump up the fans, then James showed them nothing wrong with his legs, throwing down an emphatic fast-break dunk to open the scoring. He made consecutive baskets while being fouled, showing no expression after the second, as if he'd hardly even known he was hit. Drawing so much attention from the Thunder, he started finding his wide-open shooters, and the Heat built a nine-point lead before going to the second up 31-26.

Oklahoma City got back within five early in the third before consecutive 3-pointers by Chalmers and Battier triggered a 27-7 burst that made it 88-63 on another 3-pointer by Miller. James didn't even score in the run until it was almost over, hitting a pair of free throws after he was flagrantly fouled by Derek Fisher while powering toward the basket.

Gone was the tentative player who was mocked for shrinking on the big stage last year, too willing to defer to others who didn't possess half his talents. This time, he was at peace off the court and on attack on it, vowing to have no regrets and playing in such a way they wouldn't be necessary.

James promised multiple titles at his welcoming party, and the Heat have three pieces to build around. Pat Riley will have to fill some holes on the roster, but will likely find some players eager to come to Miami for the good weather and great chance to win.

Miller was one of them last year, and though injuries have ruined his effectiveness, his shooting turned this into the only blowout of the series after Miami had outscored Oklahoma City by just 389-384 over the first four games.

NBA Finals 2012 Game 4: Miami Heat defeats OKC Thunder to take 3-1 lead

GAME 4 RESULTS: Thunder 90 Heat 104

They got an epic performance from Russell Westbrook. They ran out to a huge early lead. They watched LeBron James get carried off the court in the fourth quarter, and took the lead shortly after he departed.

Somehow, it still wasn't enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And their hopes in these NBA Finals took a massive hit on Tuesday night.

Even after getting 43 points from Westbrook, 28 more from Kevin Durant and staking itself to a 17-point lead by the time the first quarter was over, Oklahoma City is now officially on the brink. James finished with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each scored 25 points and the Miami Heat beat the Thunder 104-98 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven title series.

"I can guarantee this," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We have fight in us."

Game 5 is in Miami on Thursday night, where James and the Heat can capture the NBA title that they were assembled to get two years ago.

History says the Thunder are now in deep, deep trouble. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. No team has even forced a Game 7 when faced with that scenario.

Westbrook took 32 shots, as many as James and Chris Bosh tried combined. He made 20 -- half of Oklahoma City's field goals on the night -- and finished with seven rebounds and five assists as well. For a guard who struggled so much so many times against Miami, it was a breakout night that the Thunder desperately needed.

"I thought Russell was terrific tonight," Brooks said. "The guy played relentless. He was aggressive. He kept us in this game and he gave us a chance to win."

Said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: "He was tremendous tonight."

What they also needed was to take advantage of that tremendous night -- and that didn't happen, largely because Miami made sure Oklahoma City only had two options by night's end.

Durant's mother grabbed him by both arms as he walked off the floor, hugging him and then using her right hand to turn his face back toward her, trying her best to console the scoring champion.

For the final 16-plus minutes, the Thunder were reduced to playing 2-on-5 basketball. Serge Ibaka made a jumper with 4:46 left in the third quarter, cutting Miami's lead to 68-66.

After that, it was either all Westbrook or all Durant, all the time.

And they were superb, again, just not superb enough to take down Miami. After that Ibaka jumper, no other Thunder player besides the team's two superstars scored a point.

"It's not disappointing. It's just, it happens that way," Brooks said. "Russell had a great game. We were going. We were going with him. He was making terrific plays at the basket. He was attacking, he was getting into the teeth of their defense and made basketball plays."

James Harden struggled yet again, shooting 2 for 10 for the second straight game, though he did finish with 10 rebounds. Nick Collison scored six points, but the other three Oklahoma City starters -- Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha -- combined for a mere 13 on 6-for-16 shooting.

Westbrook was amazing. Durant was great. Everyone else was nearly nonexistent.

And if the Thunder don't figure out a way to do something no NBA team has ever done throughout the rest of this series, James will finally get that ring he's spent nine seasons chasing.

NBA: Heat wins Game 3 vs Thunder, leads 2-1 in Finals

MIAMI -- LeBron James scored 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 91-85 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

James hit a free throw with 16.2 seconds left to make it a two-possession game, the Thunder immediately turned it over and Miami escaped to grab a 2-1 lead in the best -of-seven title series.

Dwyane Wade scored 25 and Chris Bosh added 10 for Miami. Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook added 19 and Kendrick Perkins finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who were just 15-for-24 from the foul line.

Game 4 is Tuesday in Miami.  Catch it on our LIVE STREAM.

REPLAY: NBA Finals 2012 Game 2 – MIAMI Heat vs OKC Thunder (June 14 2012)

Watch the full replay of the 2012 NBA Finals Game 2: MIAMI Heat vs OKC Thunder below.

Original air date: June 14, 2012 – USA | June 15, 2012 – PH

2012 NBA Finals Game 2 Results: Miami Heat Wins to Level Series 1-1 vs OKC Thunder

The Miami Heat survived a late explosion from Kevin Durant, as MVP LeBron James nailed two clutch free throws to seal their 100-96 win, Thursday (Friday, PHL time) at Oklahoma City, tying the best-of-seven series at 1-1.

The Heat were hot right from the opening tip. With Chris Bosh returning to the starting line-up, the Eastern Conference champs ripped off an 18-2 run in the game's first seven minutes, while their defense held the hometown Thunder to a miserable 1-for-12 clip.

Their advantage then grew to as much as 25-8 before Oklahoma City sent in their reserves to spark the club. Sixth Man of the Year James Harden provided 17 first-half points, but whenever the Thunder got the lead down to around 10 points, Miami was there with a counter, as they entered the break up 55-43.

In the third quarter, a three-pointer by Shane Batier pushed the Heat lead all the way up to 15 points, 70-55 at the 5:54 mark, after Durant had gotten it down to 12 on a three of his own. Russell Westbrook scored the last two Thunder field goals though, to make it a more manageable 11-point lead going into the final period.

Things turned dire for Durant and the Thunder, when the three-time scoring champ was tagged with his fifth foul of the game fighting for a rebound with Udonis Haslem at the 10:30 mark of the fourth quarter.

However, Thunder head coach Scotty Brooks gambled though by leaving him in, and the decision paid off, as "the Durantula" exploded for five straight to make it 82-74, a run capped off by an earthshaking dunk that forced Miami to sue for time.

Shane Battier gave the Heat some breathing room, ending a 7-2 Thunder run with a booming triple off a Mario Chalmers assist, 90-83, 5:07 left, but Durant was still on fire, answering with a triple of his own to make it a four-point game.

Off a series of steals, Westbrook then connected on a put-back dunk off a Durant miss that made it a single-possession game, 94-91, 1:47 remaining.

James countered though with a two-pointer off a timeout, his first field goal of the fourth period, then on the next possession, the Thunder wasted multiple close-in looks, only for the ball to go out of bounds. The Heat then padded their advantage with a play involving their Big Three, resulting in a dunk by Bosh that made it 98-81, under a minute to play.

A quick score by Durant made it five points, 98-83, 48.5 seconds remaining. Wade then turned the ball over off a steal by veteran Derek Fisher, and the Thunder got the ball to Durant for the three, 98-96, which James was unable to match.

With 12.3 seconds to go, the Thunder called timeout, with a chance to win or force overtime, OKC went for the safe play with Durant in the post. His shot missed though, and when the Thunder sent James to the line, the much-maligned forward responded with two charities to make it a two-possession affair, good enough for the win.

Oklahoma City won the opening game 105-94 on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time). The best-of-seven series shifts to Miami for Game Three on Sunday night (Monday, PHL time). - AMD, GMA News

REPLAY: NBA Finals 2012 Game 1 – MIAMI Heat vs OKC Thunder (June 12 2012)

Watch the full replay of Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs OKC Thunder below:

NBA FINALS: Thunder wins Game 1 vs Heat, 105-94

Kevin Durant finishes with 36 points for Oklahoma City, which rallies in the second half. LeBron James scores 30 for Miami.

If Miami wasn’t aware of the jagged terrain ahead, it was understandable.

The Oklahoma City Thunder played like the fatigued team, not the Heat, fumbling through the first half and playing anything like the fun, young collection that advanced to the NBA Finals.

Then came the third quarter, the awakening of the two Thunder stars and, never good for an opponent, the emergence of the penetratingly loud Thunder crowd.

It all turned into Oklahoma City’s 105-94 victory Tuesday in Game 1 of the Finals.

Kevin Durant had 36 points, 17 in the fourth quarter, and Russell Westbrook had 27 points, 18 after halftime at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Seemingly nobody in the blue-shirted crowd sat in the fourth quarter, save a few Miami fans of course, as the Thunder completed a comeback from a 13-point second-quarter deficit.

Durant was ridiculously good in the fourth, making six of eight shots and controlling the offensive end for Oklahoma City, which improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs.

Miami endured three more playoff games than the Thunder to get to the Finals and came off a grueling seven-game series a few days earlier against Boston.

And yet, Oklahoma City trailed until Westbrook converted a three-point play with 16.4 seconds left in the third quarter, giving the Thunder a 74-73 lead.

LeBron James played well enough, totaling 30 points and nine rebounds but Dwyane Wade had a rough shooting night, scoring 19 points on seven-for-19 accuracy.

Miami’s offense completely disappeared in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points, and its defense wasn’t so hot either, forcing a puny two second-half turnovers.

Source

VIDEO: Jessica Sanchez – National Anthem – 2012 NBA Finals Game 1

American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez made Filipinos proud to be Filipinos again by singing the U.S. National Anthem before the 2012 NBA Finals Game 1: Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pinoys love basketball and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Jessica is perfect. So proud to be Pinoy!

Watch the video here:

Miami Heat beats Boston Celtics in Game 7 of Eastern Conference final!

The Heat is headed back to the NBA Finals.

LeBron James had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 23 and Miami rallied from as many as 11 points down to beat the Celtics 101-88 Saturday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.

Chris Bosh finished with 19 points off the Miami bench, and made a 3-pointer that sparked a huge Heat run to end the game.

Next up: The Heat plays Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.

Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for Boston, which got 19 points from Paul Pierce in what might be the last game of the "Big Four" era for the Celtics.

Durant not satisfied to just reach Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY — Win or lose, Kevin Durant can be found after just about any Thunder game talking about the need to keep working and getting better.

It was his approach when the Thunder was 3-29 and the laughingstock of the league. It's the same now that he has led the team to the NBA Finals just three years later.

Durant has never been about glitz and glamour. His winning combination has been humility and hard work, and it may soon pay off. The Thunder needs four more wins to win a title in only its fourth season in Oklahoma City and fulfill Durant's ultimate goal.

"There's always another level you can go to. In basketball, you always can be better at something, I think," Durant said after Saturday's practice.

"I haven't seen a guy that totally dominates the game in every aspect. He can't make every shot, he can't get every rebound, he can't get every assist, so I think you can get better. That's the mind-set I take."

Durant became the seventh player in league history to win three straight scoring titles, averaging 28 points per game, and he set career highs in shooting percentage, 3-point shooting, rebounding, assists and blocks.

And yet he's still driven to want more.

"I wouldn't say I'm satisfied," Durant said. "I'm happy that I progressed a little bit. I have a long ways to go, and I think that if I continue to just keep getting better at the mental part of the game — watching film and knowing where the defense is going to play, knowing where my teammates are going to be — then I can get better.

"I've just got to keep improving."

As Durant approached his first chance to leave — even as a restricted free agent — there became growing concern about whether a budding superstar would want to remain in one of the league's smallest markets without as many opportunities to make money and promote himself outside of the game.

Instead, he even skipped the chance to put an opt-out clause in his maximum contract to stay five more years in Oklahoma City.

"My job is to come in here and get better every day as a basketball player, and being here provides me the best opportunity to do so," Durant said. "The city is just so laid-back and quiet, and that's the type of person I am and it fits me well. It's just a perfect place to be. It's the perfect place to bring your family, just a nice place to relax and I enjoy it."

Durant isn't about all the extracurricular activities that can come with being in the NBA. He filmed a movie, due out later this year, but said it was the kind of thing he probably wouldn't do again.

Beyond turning in some of the best clutch performances this postseason, his image during the playoffs has been as the kid who toted a backpack to the podium for his postgame comments and created his biggest controversy by perhaps hugging his mom too early to celebrate his first trip to the NBA Finals.

Heat 101, Celtics 88

BOSTON (88): Pierce 7-18 3-5 19, Bass 6-8 4-4 16, Garnett 6-12 2-2 14, Rondo 10-22 1-2 22, Allen 5-11 2-2 15, Stiemsma 0-0 0-0 0, Pietrus 0-2 0-0 0, Hollins 1-1 0-0 2, Dooling 0-1 0-0 0, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Moore 0-0 0-0 0, Pavlovic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-75 12-15 88.

MIAMI (101): James 9-21 12-17 31, Battier 4-9 0-0 12, Haslem 3-4 1-2 7, Chalmers 4-6 0-0 9, Wade 8-17 7-8 23, Bosh 8-10 0-0 19, Miller 0-2 0-0 0, Cole 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Howard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-70 20-27 101.

Boston 27 26 20 15— 88

Miami 23 23 27 28— 101

3-Point Goals—Boston 6-19 (Allen 3-8, Pierce 2-6, Rondo 1-2, Dooling 0-1, Pietrus 0-2), Miami 9-26 (Battier 4-9, Bosh 3-4, Chalmers 1-3, James 1-5, Jones 0-1, Miller 0-2, Wade 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 39 (Rondo 10), Miami 45 (James 12). Assists—Boston 19 (Rondo 14), Miami 16 (Chalmers 7). Total Fouls—Boston 24, Miami 14. Technicals—Rondo, Wade. A—20,114 (19,600).

Source

NBA: Heat wins over Celtics 98-79 to force NBA playoff game 7!

                                                       

Rapid reaction after the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 98-79 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night at TD Garden. (The series is tied at 3.)

                                       

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
LeBron James erupted for 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting with 15 rebounds and 5 assists over 45 minutes. The only reason he left the floor was the Heat had built an insurmountable lead and forced a Game 7 back in Miami on Saturday. Dwyane Wade added 17 points, eight of which came in the final quarter while putting this game away. Rajon Rondo scored a team-high 21 points -- only two of which came after the intermission -- to go along with 10 assists, four rebounds, and three assists over 40 minutes. No other Celtics starter had more than 12 points (both Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass reached that mark), while Paul Pierce had a mere nine points on a cringeworthy 4-of-18 shooting.

TURNING POINT
You can make the case that the Heat put this one away in the first quarter when James made 6-of-7 shots for 14 points and Miami built a double-digit lead that never sunk lower than seven the rest of the way. The Celtics were still in striking distance entering the fourth quarter, but Wade hit a couple of quick baskets, then paired up with James on a little 8-0 run that pushed the lead to 89-64 with 7:15 to play. That was enough for Boston to wave the white flag and roll in the likes of Ryan Hollins, Sean Williams, and Sasha Pavlovic in place of the Big Three.

BOLD PLAY OF THE GAME
The Celtics were desperately trying to mount a third-quarter run, but couldn't seem to get a 17-point deficit to single digits. Boston finally seemed to be making its charge after a nice hustle play by Rondo led to a second-chance layup (James got a technical for spiking the ball in frustration) and, after drawing a charge, Mickael Pietrus put back a Pierce miss to make it a 10-point game with under three minutes to play in the third quarter. But this was James' party. He calmly took down the shot clock at the other end of the floor and, working out of isolation, drained a cold-blooded 3-pointer from the top of the arc to put Miami out front 72-59. Boston never got to single digits in the frame and the game quickly got away from them.

FIRST QUARTER: NOT THE START BOSTON WANTED
The Celtics came out sloppy, missed easy looks (7 of 17, 41.2 percent), turned the ball over five times (leading to eight points), and let James get going early (6 of 7, 14 points). James nearly matched Boston's output (16-14) as the Heat (11 of 19, 57.9 percent) opened a double-digit cushion little more than nine minutes in and led 26-16 after one frame.

SECOND QUARTER: LBJ OVERSHADOWS RONDO
James was unconscious in the first half, connecting on 12-of-14 shots (his shot chart was ridiculous) for 30 points. About the only thing he missed was four free throws. James' complete domination overshadowed a solid first half by Rondo who scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with five assists and three steals (he added two Garnett-inspired knuckle push-ups after taking a spill late in the half). Neither Rondo nor James left the floor in the half, but it was the Heat that owned a 55-42 advantage at the intermission.

WHAT IT MEANS
A Celtics fan had a sign that read, "We're taking our talents to OKC." If that trek happens, it'll need a layover in South Beach. That's where Boston is headed Saturday for a decisive Game 7. Keeping with the theme of the Big Three era, the Celtics elected to use their mulligan, failing yet again to close out on first attempt. More disappointing was the rather putrid effort put forth with a chance to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. The Celtics will have to do it the tough way again. And now Miami has the momentum and home-court advantage with a chance to win the Eastern Conference for the second straight season.

Game 7 will be in Miami on Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines). The winner will face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The game will coincide with the Pacquiao-Bradley Fight.

Source

Oklahoma City Thunder defeat San Antonio Spurs 107-99 to advance to NBA Finals!

Kevin Durant had 34 points and 14 rebounds while playing all of regulation for the first time all season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed a spot in the NBA finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 on Wednesday night.

Russell Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who trailed Game 6 of the Western Conference finals by 18 in the first half and erased a 15-point halftime deficit before pulling ahead to stay in the fourth.

Durant grabbed the final rebound, dribbled the ball across halfcourt and raised his right fist to celebrate with a sold-out crowd. The franchise will play for the NBA title for the first time since 1996, before relocating from Seattle.

Tony Parker had 29 points and 12 rebounds for San Antonio.

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NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Durant Wins MVP As Kobe Bryant Breaks Michael Jordan's Record!

The Kevin and Kobe show won it for the West at the NBA All-Star game, holding off LeBron James at the end.

They got an MVP and a scoring record, too.

Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game, Kevin Durant had 36 in an MVP performance, and the Western Conference held on for a 152-149 victory over the East on Sunday night.

James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds, but weren't able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Dwyane Wade finished with a triple-double.

"With all these great players on the floor, you never know what will happen. Guys making big shots and they cut it down to one. We were up 18 (at halftime)," Durant said.

"It was fun. That's the type of All-Star game you want to see."

Blake Griffin scored 22 points for the West, which rang up 89 points in the first half, setting an All-Star record. But he won the game with his defense, picking off James' pass when the East had a chance to tie in the final seconds.

"I can't turn the ball over like that," James said. "I let my team down, but overall it was a great weekend."

Griffin then hit one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, and Wade was off on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Jordan and James as the only players with All-Star game triple-doubles.

Durant was the MVP, leaving Bryant tied for the All-Star record with his four. But he got a bigger mark in his 13th All-Star game.

He broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter and now has 271 for his career. He entered with 244 and passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) earlier in the game.

It nearly wasn't enough, as the East's comeback had the crowd filled with entertainers and athletes chanting for defense – never a part of the All-Star game vocabulary – in the final seconds.

With Bryant covering him, James hit two long 3-pointers in the final period, and the East had a chance when Bryant, with the crowd loudly booing, missed a free throw with 18 seconds left and the West up 151-149.

"Just being a competitor," James said. "They pretty much beat us up all game so we just wanted to make a game of it."

But New Jersey's Deron Williams was short on a 3-pointer, and after the East came up with it, James fired a pass into a crowd that Griffin intercepted.

On a colorful night in Orlando, from pregame performer Nicki Minaj's pink and green hair to the neon sneakers many of the stars wore, Dwight Howard had nine points and 10 rebounds as the game's host.

The NBA's first All-Star game in Orlando in 20 years wasn't close after 2 1/2 quarters. But players always say it gets competitive in the final five minutes, and James was again up for the challenge.

He hiked his scoring average to 25.9 points over his eight All-Star games, and someday he'll probably take the record Bryant set Sunday.

But he couldn't quite catch Kobe in the game.

With the 2-year-old Amway Center considered by many the finest arena in the league, the NBA brought its midseason showcase back to Orlando for the first time since the memorable 1992 game, when Magic Johnson was MVP three months after retiring from the league because of the HIV virus.

This one was once in jeopardy of being lost when the lockout lasted into late November. Without a settlement then, All-Star weekend may have been wiped out, as it was in 1999 following a work stoppage.

The party was saved.

James and Howard, wearing bright orange shoes, danced onto the stage for pregame introductions, Howard breaking into an enormous grin when fans gave him a thunderous ovation as the last All-Star introduced. He insists that he and Magic fans still have a love affair despite his trade request, understanding he still loves the city even if not his team, and urged everyone to ignore the trade talk for a weekend and have fun.

"We did it big for our city," he said in brief pregame remarks to the crowd before the game.

Then Andrew Bynum blocked his first shot attempt.

The speedy Russell Westbrook had the East looking like it was standing still late in the first half, and it was 88-69 at the break.

Howard and Derrick Rose ditched their orange sneakers in the second half – James kept his – and the East quickly got back into it, trimming 12 points off its deficit in less than 6 minutes. They even started to defend – Wade whacked Bryant so hard on a drive that the Lakers star needed a break between free throws to wipe blood from his nose before sinking it to tie Jordan.

Williams scored 20 points for the East. Carmelo Anthony had 19, and Rose finished with 14.

Kevin Love, who won the 3-point contest on Saturday, scored 17 points for the West, which has won two in a row. Chris Paul had eight points and 12 assists.

NOTES: With Bryant, Bynum, Griffin and Paul, four West starters were from Los Angeles. Bynum played only 5 1/2 minutes after a having a procedure on his knee Friday. ... Johnson came onto the court for a standing ovation following the first quarter after highlights of his 1992 performance were shown. He was part of another 20-year anniversary acknowledgement in the third quarter, joined by Olympic Dream Team teammates Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.

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Game Date/Time:

• Sunday, Feb. 26, 7:00 p.m. ET
• Monday, Feb. 27, 8:00 a.m. Philippine time

Venue: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

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Jeremy Lin Fan Flashes Most Outrageous Sign!

A Jeremy Lin fan is down with “linsanity” as she flashes the most outrageous sign for the sensational Asian basketball player.

A young female fan of Jeremy Lin during last Sunday’s game between the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks caught the attention of international news sites and blogs by flashing an outrageous sign that says: “Jeremy I Want You Linside Me.”

People would like to assume that the sign boosted Lin to exhibit yet another beautiful performance as the Knicks’ new superstar point guard put up 28 points, 14 assists and 5 steals in the game as the crowd got in on the Linsanity.

Spotted during the match were veteran actor/director Kevin Costner, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and “Saturday Night Live’s” Seth Meyers.

VIDEO: Jeremy Lin scores winning 3-point shot in Knicks vs Raptors!

Jeremy Lin made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than a second to play to cap his finishing flurry of six straight points, and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 90-87 Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to six games.

The NBA's first American-Taiwanese player, Lin had 27 points and a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week.

LINSANITY!

NBA All-Star Game 2012 Complete Players Line-Up!

The 2012 NBA All-Star players line-up were released on Friday, February 3, by the National Basketball Association through its website NBA.com.

Eastern Conference Starters

LeBron James, Miami – Forward
Carmelo Anthony, New York – Forward
Derrick Rose, Chicago – Guard
Dwyane Wade, Miami – Guard
Dwight Howard, Orlando – Center

Western Conference Starters

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City – Forward
Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers – Forward
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers – Guard
Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers – Guard
Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers – Center

The All-Star game, to be hosted by Orlando, Florida, will be played on February 26, 2012 at the Amway Center.