It was all right there in front of them. With a 98-94 victory in Game 5on Thursday, the Rockets captured a 3-2 lead over the defending champs in the Western Conference finals. The Warriors were vulnerable, on the brink of elimination for the first time since adding Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.Then, it all disappeared. The Warriors used one of their patented third-
Dorian O'Daniel Jersey quarter explosions to run over the Rockets on Monday night, winning Game 7 and finally removing Mike D'Antoni's teamfrom their path to the NBA title. Golden State deserves credit for fighting off Houston, and yet, it felt like this series came down to what could have been for the Rockets more than what did happen for the Warriors.Heading into the offseason after a disappointing finish, the Rockets are left with a few "what if" questions to ponder...What if Chris Paul didn't go down with aninjury?This is the big one. Paul fell awkwardly late in Game 5 with a strained right hamstring and was physically unable to transition back to defense. That's the reason whyDraymond Green still felt confident the Warriors despite the 3-2 deficit the lo s of Paul in the final two games of the series was simply too much to overcome.Rockets with Paul vs. WarriorsOff
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Jersey RtgDef RtgA st/TOTS %Paul ON (184 minutes)102.2110.61.2055.0Paul OFF (152 minutes)98.0113.40.9151.3"It sucks because you know you could win this series if we just had one more playmaker,"Rockets guard Eric Gordon said after the Game 7lo s. "If we had Chris, if he was out there, we'd have been playing on Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals . It's just tough."Paul is an All-NBA performer whose poise and production can't be replicated, especially not against this opponent. James Harden couldn't handle the offensive burden without Paul, and talent eventually won out.What if the Rockets hit a few more 3-pointers orany3-pointers?The Rockets' shooting woes are tied to Paul's absence, as the veteran likely would have been able to settle down the offense with his own scoring and mix in a few midrange jumpers to add some variation. Even so, Houston mi sed an NBA playoff
Tyreek Hill Jersey record 27 3-point attempts in a row (several of them wide open),finishing 7-of-44 (15.9 percent) from beyond the arc in Game 7.Here's what 27 consecutive mi sed threes looks like.It's the most by one team in a playoff game in NBA History. SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Over the course of
Larry Johnson Jersey that 0-for-27 drought, the Warriors outscored the Rockets, 59-34, and went 13-of-23 from 3-point range. Houston mi sed from the top of the key, wings and corners with players like Harden (2-of-13), Gordon (2-of-12)and Trevor Ariza(0-of-9)all clanking makeable shots. Just bring those percentages up from awful to below average, and it's not hard to envision aclose fourth quarter.What are the odds of a trigger-happy team like the Rockets mi sing that many shots? According to calculations done by, 1-in-72,000.What if this was the Rockets' best shot at a title?It's po sible the Rockets come back from this devastating lo s and reach the Western Conference finals next season. General manager Daryl Moreycouldmake minor tweaks or chase a big free agent to improve the roster. If nothing else, Houston proved Golden State is beatable.But championship windows can close quickly. D'Antoni
Damien Williams Jersey knows this better than most his "Seven Seconds or Le s" Suns never broke through to the NBA Finals.Paul just turned 33 this month, and injuries can add up for a player at his size. Harden did all he could given his workload, but questions remain about his decision-making and ability to lead a team in key moments. Role players could see regre sions.The Rockets had the Warriors on the ropes, but they couldn't land a knockout blow. There are no guarantees they find their way back into the ring.
LeBron James , with Kevin Durant and Cari Champion, to make people angry, vengeful, bitter andemotional in every conceivable way about the state of the country, about his own role in impacting it and, of course, about the job the president is doing.What he never said was who was allowed to talk about it, and who should shut up about it. The response, from a
Baltimore Ravens Jersey Fox Newshost, was to tell him to shut up about it.Because thats what athletes and other celebrities are told all the time. And even with that, only certain athletes and celebrities.MORE: Theyre not the only people who get routinely get told that theyd better remember their place, that theyd better stay in their lane andthat theyd better stick to whatever role they occupy while making their living.Never stray from it into conversations where they dont "belong."In this host's words, "shut up and dribble."Its atried-and-true, terribly unoriginal tacticby certain segments of the population to silence di sent, to restrict real debate, to homogenize thoughts, opinions and policiesand to erase entire undesirable populations.James belongs to one of those populations, as does Durant, and throughout the excerpts of that interview, they talk about starting their lives one way and taking it in an
Mark Ingram II Jersey entirely different direction. Specifically, it took them to this weekend's NBA All-Star events, which puts him in the cro shairs of commentators who eagerly exploit people like them for their own purposes.Laura Ingraham says should "shut up and dribble" and leave political comments to people who didn't leave high school a year early. Thomas Bishop (@bishopk0s) That's likely just one of many motivations for the likes of that Fox News host, her employers, their supporters and the people they support. Their succe sand profitability dependon keepingthe likes of James and Durant right where they started and, just as important, to make sure everyone like them stays quiet and invisible.At least while theyre not serving their prescribed purpose in life, to entertain. What the two world-cla s athletes didnt do in the back of that car on camera was entertain the way they are required to entertain.Stick to sports. Stick to being silent. And stick to being, in so many words, dumb and sweaty.MORE: Understand, of course, that James doesnt have to provide credentials to be allowed to speak about the state of the
Jordan Lasley Jersey nation and the job performance of the president. The fact that so many people felt compelled to defend his intelligence, accomplishments or qualifications is as demeaning as it gets (and proved that the Fox News host's strategy worked).He doesnt have to show his resume, or his college diploma, or his high school diploma. (Speaking of that, do not ever forgetthathost told a bald-faced lie about him by saying he left"high school a year early to join the NBA." And never forgetshe didn't apologize for it .)It advanced her argument greatly to tell the world that LeBron, that guy who had the nerve to disparage the president, was a high-school dropout who lucked out andgot rich anyway and ought to be grateful hes not being forced to go back and do a Billy Madison before he can even show his face in public again. She apparently wont ever face consequences for slandering him in front of a national prime-time cable audience on a network that has the term "news"in its name.But for her intended audience, claiming LeBron didnt even get through high school gained her a lot of cache.Neverthele s, even if he had never started high school in the first place or, for that matter, had ever become renowned for basketball theres nothing she nor her network could do to stop him from trashing anyone in the seat of government any
Maurice Canady Jersey time he wanted to.But he is a sports superstar, and he referenced the power that position had for him and others as he was growing up and now (the same way, he pointed out, that being president did).You hold those positions, he said, and you can be inspirational and influential. He had a platform because of it. Its no le s a platform than the Fox host, who as far as anyone knows does not have to show her diplomas or resume before her show starts every night to be allowed to speak on hers.DEVENEY:Her platform does not cancel his. She used hers to try to cancel his anyway. In her mind, hers counts, and his doesnt.If any of this sounds familiar, its because "stick to sports"has become the go-to phrase for those who dont like certain athletes
Earl Thomas III Jersey functioning outside of the box the public shoehorned them into. Theyre resisting the athletes resistance.When in doubt, tell them theyre out of their lanes. Or that theyre not carrying the proper credentials, random, arbitrary and irrelevant as that concept it. "Show your papers,"this host is e sentially saying to James. Yes, that should send a chill through you. Just from a sports perspective, this is what was demanded of Colin Kaepernick two seasons ago, too.James never told anyone to shut up, about the life he lived but they didnt, the family hes raising but theyre not and the opinions on this country that he holds but they dont.For doing that on his platform, someone got on herplatform and told him he doesnt deserve his.As if a platform was hers to give. Hes got it, whether she likes that or not.A post shared by (@kingjames) on Feb 16, 2018 at 7:47pm PST
Adam Silver would like the future of the NBA to include more female referees and coaches.The commi sioner said during an appearance Thursday for The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., that he wants half of all new referees joining the league to be women."It's an area, frankly, where I've acknowledged that
Adam Humphries Jersey I'm not sure how it was that it remained so male-dominated for so long," Silver said, per the . "Because it's an area of the game where physically, certainly, there's no benefit to being a man, as
Tajae Sharpe Jersey opposed to a woman, when it comes to refereeing."Silver noted there are currently only three women officials in the NBA, two of whom (Ashley Moyer-Gleich and Natalie Sago) were promoted from the G League to full-time NBA
Kamalei Correa Jersey refs last fall.The goal is: Going forward, it should be roughly 50-50 of new officials entering in the league, hesaid. Same for coaches, by the way. We have a program, too. Theres no reason why women shouldnt be coaching mens basketball.The league has never had a female head coach, but women have been hired as a sistants.Most notably, Becky Hammon is currently an a sistant for the Spurs.Kristi Toliver, who playsfor the WNBA's Washington Mystics,
Taywan Taylor Jersey served as an a sistant for the Wizards this season. Other women in coaching or player development roles around the NBA include Lindsey Harding (76ers),Natalie Nakase (Clippers), Jenny Boucek (Kings) and Karen Stack Umlauf (Bulls).Kelly Krauskopf became the first woman to hold the title
A.J. Brown Jersey of a sistant general manager when she was hired in December by the Pacers.While there's still work to be done to add more women asreferees and coaches in the league, Silver's comments indicate the NBA could see a shift soon.
Jared Dudley is standing by the notion that Ben Simmons is "average" in the half court.The Nets forward made an initial statement about the 76ers star ahead of Game 2 of his team's first-round series against Philadelphia. Dudleydoubled downMonday and gave the media more detail regarding his opinions on the second-year player."My comments were basically directed as me being a
Seattle Seahawks Jersey coach or analyst, directing how we're going to guard someone," Dudley told reporters, via ESPN. "How we're trying to guard (Simmons) is put him in the half court. The difference is I'm a player that just voices my opinion more directly."I think he's average in the half court, but you're going to put him in because he's elite, All-Star level in the full court."When asked
Tre Flowers Jersey about Ben Simmons today, Jared Dudley offered some perspective on the Nets approach in defending the Sixers star and reiterared, in detail, why he sees Simmons as elite in transition and average in half-court offense: Ian Begley (@IanBegley) Dudley went on to say that Simmons is predictable in the half court, and seems to think his experience can be a way to limit Simmon's go-to moves."I
Jason Myers Jersey 'm a 12-year guy. I'm not going to give you those points," Dudley said. "I've guarded Kobe (Bryant) in the playoffs, Brandon Roy andDirk Nowitzki. Those guys you have to play further out, so it's not being disrespectful. Now he might have taken it (that way) because he
Cortez Kennedy Jersey heard the word average. So once he gets going, and he had such a good game (in Game 2). In all those good games, I'm not on him."Simmons erupted for a playoff career-high 31 points in Game 2 of the series, following Dudley's first comments on the subject. It appears the two have developed ill will for one another, as they've been jawing ever since.Dudley was ejected from the Nets' Game 4 lo s forshovingJoel Embiid after
Germain Ifedi Jersey the center committed a flagrant foul on Jarrett Allen. A scuffle followed in the aftermath, resulting in the ejection of Philadelphia's Jimmy Butler.Neverthele s, the 76ers came out on top, claiming a 112-108 victory. Simmons posted 15 points, eight rebounds and eight a sists.Brooklyn hasn't won since it upset Philadelphia in Game 1, and now it will face elimination Tuesdayat the Wells Fargo Center. Related Articles
Mackenzie Forrest loved basketball,
Alec Ogletree Jersey loved scoring points, loved Stephen Curry. Lakewood (Colo.) High Schools career points leader was the smartest player I ever coached, .Curry, one of the NBAs smartest players and best scorers, heard the me sage. And after anda campaign by Lakewoods senior cla s Curry interrupted his pregame routine
Wayne Gallman Jersey for a subtle but meaningful shoutout.Lock in! Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) MORE: |"Lock in! #DubNation" is what Curry tweets before every game. It's part of his ritual, . This one, before Wednesday's game against the Knicks,meant
New York Giants Jersey a little more.Curry's gesture may seem small. Curry's gesture was small. But Curry's gesture went a long way for a grieving community. thank you so much Mr. Curry. This means the world. I'm sure Lil Mac is freaking out in heaven. Lakewood High School (@lhs_tigers) Here was Lakewood senior cla s' campaign to get Curry's attention:It would truly mean the world Mr. Curry! LHS SENIORS 16 (@LHSseniors16) Forrest was a standout enough that she played in a local all-star tournament as a sophomore. The description from
Dexter Lawrence Jersey her coach at that event sounds somewhat similar to ."She was the youngest on the team, everyone else was either juniors or seniors. She was the baby," her coach there, Terri Ward, . "She just had that infectious
NFL New York Giants Jersey smile, and she could shoot the darn ball. That is for sure."
A Heat executive hired over summer from the Kings is under investigation for allegedly using $13.4 million from twoKings sponsors to fund his own real estate
JJ Arcega-Whiteside Jersey endeavors, .Jeffrey David, now the chief revenue officer of the Heat after operating in the same role withSacramento, allegedly participated in a "sophisticated money-laundering scheme"that stole cash from the Golden 1 Credit Union ($9 million)andKaiser Permanente Foundation ($4.4 million). The Heat announced they have placed Davidon leave.
Malcolm Jenkins Jersey The Sacramento Bee reports David used the money he siphoned from team sponsors to purchase beachfront property in Southern California, and while no criminal charges have been filed,the Kings referred the case to federal investigators last week. The
Cameron Johnston Jersey FBI and federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into the matter."That investigation is underway and on Monday, U.S. Department of Justice authorities began the formal proce s of recovering and seizing the properties involved in
Brian Dawkins Jersey the investigation,"the Kings wrote in a statement to The Sacramento Bee.Kings attorney William Portanova told The Beethat he doesnt expect any a sets to be lost given the quick response to the situation.David was in charge of negotiating advertising contracts and corporate partnerships for the Kings, according to TheBee."We are aware of the investigation of Jeff David, which focuses on events that
Jalen Mills Jersey took place prior to his joining our team,"the Heat said in a statement. "We are fully cooperating with the authorities."
The influence of sports on our communities is impo sible to ignore.The two
John Hayden Jersey most recent examples: The the Cavaliers' NBA championship, the city's first major sports title in 52 years. Las Vegas being .MORE: On a smaller scale, had a huge impact on Conway and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the whole state., the estimated value of the entire sports industry in the United States is just under $500 billion. Sporting goods manufacturing is a large part of the economy. So, obviously, sport is "big busine s."It is a sumed that cities with sports franchises reap the benefits of having those teams in their communities. For example, city officialsoften believe having a sports team helps makes it a top-tier city, creating a more positive image and prestige for the city. Also, city
Brent Seabrook Jersey leaders usually proclaim having a sports team is a way for the community to come together and be supportive behind a common cause (i.e., team), which is projected to be good for the community psyche.City administrators often state that sports teams bring unity, publicity and "community spirit" to their cities. These claims are similar to what high schools and colleges stipulate as benefits of having sports teams on campus. While approximately 90 percent of all NCAA Division I athletic departments lose money each year, city leaders often project sports teams will bring economic growth to their cities. However, what is often omitted from the discu sion is how cities end up subsidizing the cost of building arenas and provide special tax breaks to team owners at the expense of its taxpayers.Cavs fans celebrate Cleveland's NBA championship.Yet, sports franchises at times can provide financial boosts for cities, particularly for hotels, restaurants, transportation, media,and other related busine ses. Also, jobs are provided for people who work in stadiums
Alexandre Fortin Jersey and arenas, such as ushers, venders and other auxiliary busine ses.MORE: I have lived in or near cities that have participated in the Super Bowl. I have been fortunate to be on the faculty of two college campuses where four national championships were won. And I was an athlete at a high school that won astate championship. I can confidently state that I and fellow students felt a sense of pride and togetherne s after
Nathan Noel Jersey these victories. Good feelings seemed to be all around campus as we all However, being a former high school and college athlete and currently a sport psychology profe sor in a sport science department places ourstudents and I in biased positions. We are particularly interested in the sports world from academic and fan perspectives. Still, if we take a global view of our communities, we must acceptthere are numerous people who have little or no interest in sports and athletics. I have had numerous discu sions with students and fellow citizens who have no interest in the happenings within and around sports.It would be naive of us to believe what happens in sports really influences or matters to them.While sports may play large and influential roles in many of our lives, we must realize cities (and educational institutions) are populated by diverse people with a variety of interests and backgrounds. Sports matters to us, but not to all of us within
Chicago Blackhawks Jersey the same community.Charles Dickens may have stated it best, and most succinctly when he titled his 1859 novel, "A Tale of Two Cities." Kevin L. Burke is a sport psychology profe sor andconsultant at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C. Contact him atand follow him on Twitter: @SportPsyching.
Kevin Durant and Ru sell Westbrook were again involved in a heated exchange during the third quarter of Durant's return to Oklahoma City as a Warrior Wednesday night.With just under seven minutes to
Rich Hill Jersey play in the third quarter and Golden State trailing 73-56, Durant dribbled up court and attempted to blowby Westbrook, who knocked the
Walker Buehler Jersey ball out-of-bounds.MORE:Following the play, the two exchanged words and ended up face-to-face before teammates and an official broke up the discu sion.KD & Westbrook
Max Muncy Jersey forehead to forehead Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) The pair also appeared to jaw with one another late in the second quarter.
Chris Taylor Jersey Westbrook & KD discu sing Thanksgiving dinner plans Steve Noah (@Steve_OS) Durant addre sed the confrontation with reporters after the game.Kevin Durant on the Ru sell Westbrook (non) confrontation. Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) Oklahoma City came away with a.Durant spent nine seasons with the Thunder franchise before signing with Golden State
Andre Ethier Jersey prior to 2016-17. Westbrook and Durant were last season in mid-February.
Tony Parker reminded us Wednesdaythat he is still Tony Parker. He was playing for France and had scored all of four points near the end of a close game against Australia, when he did this:The play was pure Parker: ahigh-arching shot off the dribble that won a big game. Parker uses his understanding of angles as well as anyone in NBA history. He also wins as much as just about anyone in NBA
Patrick Beverley Jersey history.This 76-75 France victory against Croatia in the group stage of the Rio Olympics' men's basketball competition reinforced who Parker always has been as well as who he is now.MORE: Parker is a four-time champion, six-time All-Star and one-time NBA Finals MVP. He did all of that for the Spurs. He is 34 and coming off a season in which he started 72 games for a team that won a franchise-record 67.Yet some wish Parker were the one retiring, rather than 40-year-old Tim Duncan. The buzz has been there for two years now: Tony Parker doesn't quite have it anymore, the Spurs are better off with Patty Mills, the backcourt isn't good enough to win in this environment, the NBA has moved past players like Parker, he's not fast enough, he's a defensive liability.The weird part is, those naysayers tend to be Spurs fans. Outsiders tend to defer when it comes to the Spurs. Gregg Popovich knows what he's doing, and the succe s doesn't ever stop. The franchise has never mi sed the postseason in consecutive years, going
Wesley Johnson Jersey all the way back to its days as the Dallas Chaparrels in the ABA. By the end of next season, the Spurs probably will have the best all-time winning percentage, surpa sing even the Lakers. In short: If you're looking on from the outside, you don't feel compelled to nitpick at San Antonio's absurd succe s.MORE: The naysayers have a few valid points, though. The Spurs inarguably have produced better without Parker on the floor. Mills, whose Team Australia beat Team France in their Olympic opener, is a better shooter in an era when
Avery Bradley Jersey floor-spacing is a premium. Last season, the Spurs were 0.7 pointsper 100 po se sions better with Mills on the court than off, while they were 1.6 points per 100 worse with Parker on the court than off.Parker is not good at one-on-one defense, though Popovich's schemes have worked to his advantage and prevented him from being a liability. Parker has spent his entire career using his ridiculous quickne s to penetrate, find open pockets in opposing defenses and either score or force them to collapse, leading to teammates being open. He's not as quick as he once was, though, and his a sist rate and at-the-rim scoring have slipped noticeablyin the past two seasons.The complaints register similar to Heat fans arguing that the team was playing better with Dwyane Wade off the court and Goran Dragic controlling the offense during last regular season. The playoffs rolled around, and Wade reminded everyone that he is still Dwyane Wade.MORE: And Parker is still Tony Parker. He's changed his game quite a bit over the past few years, deferring offensive responsibilities to Kawhi Leonard and spending last year working on newfound pick
Montrezl Harrell Jersey -and-roll chemistry with LaMarcus Aldridge. Mostly, he's become a really efficient, low-volume shooter: He made 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers last year, taking 0.9 per game after years of being derided as an awful shooter.Low volume is the best way to describe Parker now, for the Spurs and for Team France, which he guided to its first European championship in 2013. Parker's six points Wednesdaycame on five shot attempts, and he let former Spurs teammates Nando De Colo(22 points)and Boris Diaw (11 points, nine rebounds and nine a sists)carry most of the offensive burden.Parker makes $14.5 million next season and$15.4 million in 2017-18. The contract he signed in 2014 was a bargain; he was coming off being the starting point
Landry Shamet Jersey guard and leading scorer for the NBA champions. With the expanding salary cap, that money means he is making what a decent starter should make, and he's at least a decent starter.MORE: There still exists a need for Tony Parker to be Tony Parker, though. Let's hope the naysayers saw that shot above. Let's watch as Parker proves yet again next NBA season that he can provide the spark when his team needs it most.
The Hornets got their biggest win in more than a decade Wednesday, and they may owe it to some unconventional healing methods.Courtney Lee credited a
Lance Lynn Jersey bible study se sion with his ma seuse forgiving him the confidence to hit what turned out to be the game-winning 3-pointer in the Hornets' 90-88 win over the Heat in Miami.MORE: | I had a ma sage yesterday and we pretty much do Bible study in the ma sage se sion, .
Willie McGee Jersey She was explaining faith. And it was like, Just believe in something you cant see.'For most of the game, Lee couldnt see the ball going in the basket, as he started 1 for 8 from the field, including a mi s
Keith Hernandez Jersey on a potential go-ahead layup with under a minute remaining. Instead of getting down on himself, he remembered the words his ma seuse/spiritual adviser gave him.
Chris Carpenter Jersey MORE: Its not my best shooting performance," Lee said. "I felt like I couldnt make a shot, but the biggest one went in. Im grateful.Lees revelation caused a stir on social media.Ay! Yall heathens will not tear my boy Lee asunder cause he gets a deep ti sue with His word. Nope. Not today. Brenden
Chris Beck Jersey Whitted (@WBHUAlum) With his team headed home to Charlotte with a 3-2 series lead, Lee may find more teammates with him at his next Bible study.
