Rose leads Bulls past Celtics 97-81 - Close in on Home-court Advantage

CHICAGO - Derrick Rose scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls on top seed closed in the Eastern Conference, beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.

The Bulls "The 17 in 19 games to put four games over Boston and Miami with four to play and to remove heat from entering the No. 1 seed.

The Celtics, who play the Heat on Sunday, mathematics, once again, but a remote control.

But unless the collapse, Chicago is the top seed in the East.

It is another step for a team that should great things after a major overhaul, and all the Bulls have done is to provide their best season since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made championship celebrations a regular event.

Rose was a highlight reel of a man against Rajon Rondo, hit him with a crossover and reach the edge, especially at the start of classes. Rose scored 16 points in the first half as the Bulls jumped out to a 48-43 lead, and Chicago after a brief regrouped in the third position.

Luol Deng scored 23 points and Carlos Boozer added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Chicago dominated the Celtics 44-22 in the paint, outrebounded them 44-35 and held Boston to 38.4 percent shooting.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 15 points. Kevin Garnett scored his 10 points in the second half and finished with seven Rondo Jeff Green scored 10 and Ray Allen had seven points.

The Bulls led 48-43 at halftime when Pierce made a bridge and Rondo hit his first two baskets to give Boston a one-point lead, but the Bulls responded by running 10 straight, a dunk by Deng and the float Rose what it 58-49 midway through the third.

E 'state after 61-58 Glen Davis hit two free throws just over three minutes from the end of the quarter, the Bulls began a journey that stretched 13-2 in the fourth quarter.

Deng began the surge with a 3, and followed by a layup off a turnover Boozer with a steal and layup to make it 68-58 with 1:31 left. Davis hit two free throws for Boston. But Rose made a 3 with 23 seconds left in the quarter and Boozer added a play to three points 45 seconds into the fourth to strengthen the lead 74-60 in Chicago.

Not only do the Bulls in front of one of the best teams in the East, also honored with the unveiling of a sculpture Pippen him during a halftime ceremony.

Shaq is Back for Celtics — But Only for a Moment

BOSTON – Boston Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal limped off the court 5 1/2 minutes into his first game back in more than two months with a new injury that casts new doubt on his ability to help the team in the playoffs.

After missing 27 games with a sore right leg, O'Neal entered Sunday night's game against the Detroit Pistons with 4:43 left in the first quarter. He scored on Boston's first two possessions and again later before grabbing a seat for the final play of the quarter.

Then, after returning for the start of the second, he lasted just 49 seconds more before limping off to the locker room accompanied by medical staff. The team said he had a strained right calf — the previous injury was in his right Achilles' tendon — and that he would be re-evaluated at halftime; at the break, a Celtics spokesman said he would not return.

It's not clear how long the injury will sideline the 39-year-old former NBA MVP. The Celtics had been counting on him to take important minutes at center in the playoffs — especially after trading Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City for Nenad Krstic, who is day-to-day with a bone bruise in his right knee.

A 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, O'Neal signed with the Celtics for the veteran's minimum salary last summer for the chance to win another title. He has been limited to 37 games this season and is averaging 9.3 points.

He missed a week in November with a bruised right knee, a week in December with a calf injury and another in January with a sore right hip. He returned for three games — a total of about 34 minutes — before missing the next 27 games with what the team officially has called a sore right leg.

Although the injury was originally expected to keep him out just a few games, his absence stretched to more than two months.

New-look Nuggets Bang Short Handed Celtics 89-75

DENVER – The integration of five new players offensively will take time for the Denver Nuggets. Defense? That came immediately.

Nuggets kept short-handed - and shortened - Boston Celtics profit in the last minute over six Thursday night, closing the game with a 16-0 run 89-75 victory, their second in a row from the front Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups at the New York Knicks.

"Defense is all effort," said Kenyon Martin, who led Denver with 18 points and 10 rebounds despite playing with the flu and missing the second quarter to get two bags of intravenous fluids.

"This is the difficulty of play. Plans to come and go," said Martin. "This is simply to give maximum effort every day. That's what we did. That's what we will continue to do so."

Wilson Chandler, one of the newcomers, had 16 points and eight players each played more than 20 minutes coach George Karl system to spread the new wealth stars Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton time to divide point to the last five minutes when they were in the field and helped the Nuggets to get out.

The game between two teams who have transformed their lists before the NBA trade deadline. Nuggets took a lot of new players and the Celtics a lot of empty seats along the bench after a wave of occupations that have landed a large group of men.

Celtics dressed only nine players and had to fight through the emotions of losing center Kendrick Perkins, who was treated in Oklahoma City to forward Jeff Green in the greater Boston trio trading Thursday.

"Tough day to play basketball," said Kevin Garnett. "Very difficult day to play basketball, not concentrated. Being honest right. You feel like you lost a family member today. Hard day. "

"It was very moving, especially for me is that I had the chance to see Perkins grow from day one, fresh from high school who come here and see the level he has come to a team of championship, "said Paul Pierce." It's definitely emotional. I had the chance to talk with him this afternoon a little, he was certainly injured. The guys around this locker room was pretty painful to see Perk go. "

Nuggets, 2-0 since trading Melo, had their full complement of players, but their best defensive player, Martin, spent the second quarter in the locker room.

New Nuggets Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Felton went to a slow start, combined to shoot 2 for 12 in the first half, which ended in Denver ahead 37-36.

Denver took a 61-60 in the fourth quarter, when the pace taken lightly.

Pierce led Boston with 17 points, hit a 3-points with 6:05 left that gave a lead of 75-73 in Boston, but the Celtics would not score again.

Chandler 3-pointer put Denver in front of a good, and three-point play by Martin with 3:03 left gave Denver the largest lead to a point at 79-75.

Celtics Eastern Conference leading also dealt reserve Nate Robinson Thunder and scored Nenad Krstic, a future first round draft picks and cash in accordance Perkins.

Earlier in the day, the Celtics draft picks acquired by sending forward Luke Harangody and rookie center Semih Erden in Cleveland and forward Marquis Daniels injured in Sacramento.

With such a short bench for coach Doc Rivers to work with, called the Celtics center Chris Johnson of the D-League, made him sign a contract for 10 days and put right to work. He scored six points.

Once loaded inner dimension, the Celtics now have the hope of Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal to get healthy in time for the playoffs.

"We have healthy Shaq. Shaq will be healthy. But if Shaq plays a lot, this operation was obviously very, very good for us," said Rio.

Participation Krstic center from Thunder, when they returned to the NBA from Russia in December 2008 should help to mitigate the loss of Perkins Boston.

It was not just the Perkins' departure, the Celtics were so sad.

"We lost Semhar, Luca, Quis" Garnett said, stopping. "Just a tough day. A difficult day."Nuggets hope to stay in playoff race in the West after the megadeal that led Gallinari, Felton, Chandler, and Timofey Mazgov Kosta Koufus New York and Minnesota.

"The last two games have probably been more fun for me to coach and win because you play a strong and united," said Karl. "We have too many talented children. It can not be the same story every night, but we'll see how you can score points and we'll find a way to win if we play hard and defend. "

The Celtics are concerned about its chemical composition without Perkins.

"I'm sorry to lose a teammate like Perkins," Pierce said. "He meant so much. People do not understand the chemistry of the bus engine is derived from the dressing room, so it's definitely a shock. It depends on how the other guys to adjust.

Pierce also said that this is an example of the ruthlessness of the NBA for both.

"The nature of business," he said. "People think LeBron James was ice cold in Cleveland the way it is. This is an example of how to do it consistently until the end. It can not be angry with the players, because it can happen to them suddenly, as if the player can be anywhere he wants. It 's just a real character. "

Heat's Atrocious Debut

Playing under Boston's 17 championship banners, the Miami Heat team set together to win its own NBA title couldn't win its first game, as the new Big Three lost to the old Big Three of the Celtics, 88-80 on Tuesday night.

James scored 31 points, but the other members of the trio struggled. Dwyane Wade was limited to 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Chris Bosh added eight points and eight rebounds. They combined for 15 of the Heat's 17 turnovers — eight by James, six by Wade and one by Bosh.

Ray Allen led Boston with 20 points, Pierce scored 19 and Kevin Garnett had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Those three joined together in 2007 and led the Celtics to the NBA title that season.

Boston led 45-30 at halftime, but Miami cut that to 63-57 after the third quarter behind James' 15 points in that period. A layup by James made it 83-80 with 1:10 left in the game. But Boston, which once led by 19, got the last five points on a 3-pointer by Allen and two free throws by Pierce.

Boston led 16-9 after one quarter, the first time since March 15, 2009, at the Philadelphia 76ers that the Heat scored nine points or fewer in a period. The last time James' Cavaliers scored nine or fewer points in a quarter was February 2, 2007, when they managed nine in the second against the Chicago Bulls.

Things got so bad for the Heat in the first half that Shaquille O'Neal, a notoriously poor free throw shooter, made the first two he tried as a Celtic. That boosted the lead to 41-22 with 2:13 left in the second quarter.

Miami then got a brief burst, scoring six straight points to make it 41-28. The last basket in that surge was a dunk by James on a backward pass from Eddie House, whose steal started their 2-on-none break.

That drew cheers from two Heat fans — one wearing a T-shirt with James' name on the back and the other with a jersey bearing Wade's name — but a fan wearing a green Celtics T-shirt, yelled, "He's supposed to do that. That is not impressive."

It was pretty impressive, considering how poorly the Heat shot in the first half against a quick, aggressive Celtics defense.

Miami missed 30 of its 41 shots, a paltry 26.8 percent. Boston went 17 for 38 (44.7 percent).
The Celtics lost Pierce with 4:32 left in the third period when he hit the floor and hurt his back as he was charged with a blocking foul on James, who made two shots and cut the lead to 55-45. Pierce returned with 10:43 left in the game with Boston ahead 64-57.

James came back to the building where he lost the last game of his Cleveland career in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He then became a free agent after seven seasons with the Cavaliers and signed with the Heat.

That also was O'Neal's last game there, also with Cleveland. He was back in a Celtics uniform Tuesday and had nine points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes.

At last, Miami set for Big 3 debut in Boston

MIAMI – Before leaving for the airport Monday and catching the flight to Boston, Dwyane Wade had a conversation with the friend he calls Larry.

As in, the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The one they give out for winning an NBA championship.

"I asked him where he's been," Wade said. "He's eluded me. He's been missing for a while."

Larry will be waiting for someone in June, and on Tuesday night the Miami Heat will take what they hope is their first steps toward winning him when a season of title expectations finally opens in Boston. Miami squares off against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Celtics in a matchup loaded with story lines.

LeBron James' opener with Miami after seven seasons in Cleveland. Wade's first time with James and Chris Bosh as his Heat running mates. Shaquille O'Neal — once a teammate to both Wade and James — playing his first game in Celtics' colors. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett motivated by a Game 7 loss to the Lakers in last season's finals. Miami's new Big 3 vs. Boston's not-so-new Big 3.

Oh, and the small fact that Wade and James were both ousted from the playoffs by Boston last spring, defeats that helped along their decision to play with one another.

"I think the NBA did an unbelievable job of picking a great first game," Wade said.
O'Neal says he believes it's just another game, noting that the only big games in which he's played in are the ones where "jewelry" — a ring — is up for grabs.

Not everyone is of that opinion.

"Once LeBron took his talents to South Beach, I think everyone got excited," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

The Heat practiced one last time in Miami on Monday morning, followed by coach Erik Spoelstra gathering his team in the locker room for a quick meeting.

He didn't have to say much. Spoelstra brought Miami's 2006 championship trophy and reminded everyone of the season's lone goal.

"We're all ready for this because of how long the summer has seemed," Spoelstra said. "Seemed like it's taken forever to get to this point. But it's finally here. And finally we can have most of the talk about the game and not all these other things which people are interested in right now, which is normal. But let's play."

James feels the same way.

Why Shaquille O’Neal Play for the Enemy?

Just after the Los Angeles Lakers won last season's title, Kobe Bryant(notes) let slip a little comment ("I just got one more than Shaq. You can take that to the bank. You know how I am, I don't forget anything.") That proved what a lot of people had suspected for years — the Kobe/Shaq feud isn't over. As much as they'll be buddy-buddy at All-Star games or before their teams play each other, these two want nothing more than to destroy each other and prove that they are the best player of their generation. No matter what they say or how they act, that's always going to be the case.

In fact, the fact that that enmity will never die is the very reason the Boston Celtics took a chance on Shaquille O'Neal(notes). No, really, it is. Just because Kobe Bryant mentioned Shaq at his postgame press conference, the Celtics inked the well-traveled big man. Seriously. The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn has the proof.

Of course, this could be all a part of Kobe's master plan. It probably went something like beat the Celtics, rile up Shaquille O'Neal, have him convince Boston he'll help because he wants to beat Kobe one last time, then Boston signs Shaq and realizes he's not quite as good as he used to be and his presence in the locker room destroys the fragile chemistry that the Celtics have built. Just like that, there's one less contender for the Lakers' third straight title. It's a genius move, and it's one that only Kobe Bryant could conceive. And while it's totally far-fetched, it's kind of not that far-fetched. Only moderate distance-fetched, I'd say.

That being said, if Shaquille O'Neal is as dedicated to besting Kobe Bryant as the Celtics' brass thinks he is, Boston's getting a great deal. Less than $1.5 million for a motivated Shaq is totally worth it, even if he only plays 20 minutes a game. Sure he might struggle mightily against hyperathletic teams like the Heat and Magic in the Eastern Conference playoffs before Boston even meets the Lakers in the finals, but those are just minor details.

Please, Please, Please Don’t Go!

The Clevelanders crying it on billboards, in song, in letters, in petitions and more, whatever the format, the message from Cleveland fans is just the same: Dear LeBron James, please don't go. Please, please, please don't go.

From the hard-luck city on the shores of Lake Erie is very much trying to show its NBA superstar (LeBron James) that, with free agency threatening July 1, the best mark for him is right up the road from his hometown of Akron, Ohio, the town where he's played for seven seasons as a Cleveland Cavalier and gain two MVP awards.

And in the wake up of an inexplicable early departure from the playoffs a six-game series failure to the Boston Celtics the grass roots crusade has taken on not just a new pressure but the sense of a last chance. Without LeBron James, after all, the chances of Cleveland breaking its 46-year title less streak in major pro sports don't seem too good.

Austin Briggs of Cleveland Heights, 23-year-old and co-founder of the Web site pleasedontleave23.com said "He's a hometown guy. We definitely want to put that on his conscience.”

Yet before the playoffs, fans had assisted fund a banner near the home of the Cavs, showing James through his life with the words "Born Here. Raised Here. Plays Here. Stays Here."
However if Clevelanders think showing a little public pride will be enough to romance LeBron, they better think again.

Injured LeBron Help Cavs To Eliminate Bulls in 5

The KING (LeBron James) pulled his right arm tightly to his chest, incapable to do anything but frown as the final seconds expired on Cleveland’s series-clinching win.

The Chicago Bulls were lastly out of the way. However, for the Cavaliers, touching on in the NBA playoffs wasn’t pain free.

LeBron playing regardless of his right elbow injury that went numb and forced him to shoot a free throw with his left hand in the dying seconds, just missed a triple-double as the Cavs advanced to a playoff date with Boston by beating Chicago 96-94 in Game 5 on Tuesday night in possibly Vinny Del Negro’s final game as Bulls coach.

Despite of the injury James scored 19 points – 16 in the second half – added 10 rebounds and contribute 9 assist as the Cavs finally burden the obstinate Bulls to end the series 4-1. After making single free throw, James then lifted and missed the second with his left with 7.8 seconds remaining and the Cavs only ahead by four.

LeBron James doesn’t know when he injured the elbow, which he said troubled him the entire second half. He exposed after the game that he underwent an MRI and X-rays two days ago.

“It troubles me because I don’t know what it is,” James said. “Hopefully it doesn’t continue to burden me. But I’m not worried. There’s nothing to worry about for the fans. No reason to panic. I don’t mind it’s that serious.”

Wade’s 46 Leads Heat Past Celtics 101 – 92

Staring playoffs elimination in the face and the opportunity of playing his last game in Miami, Dwyane Wade explodes with a career playoff-high 46 points to help the Miami Heat to a 101-92 victory over the Boston Celtics last Sunday.

At the end of the season Dwyane Wade become a free agent and possibly be on his way out of Miami. He gives his team an assurance to stave off elimination for another two days anyway, by scoring a 19 of points in the fourth that includes three quick-three-pointers.

The win reduced their deficit in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven series to 3-1 with Game Five heading back to Boston on Tuesday, despite the fact that no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win in the playoffs.

In an interview, Wade says, “Were always going to fight” after leading the heat to a 25 – 8 run to open the final quarter.

"We fought today and I finally had an excellent shooting game the way I wanted to, he added.

Rajon Rondo provide 23 points and nine assists while Kevin Garnett finished with 18 and 12
rebounds for the Celtics who had formerly defeated the Heat in all six meetings this season.

Shedding Paul Pierce's buzzer-beater shot to bring the win in Game Three, Boston fell behind by 13 after the first quarter but claimed a six-point lead after the third before Wade twisted the game with his fourth-quarter performance.