In Sketches, we’ll be taking you on a quick trip through the NBA blogosphere to get our finger on the pulse of all of the key happenings and storylines in the L each day.
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HEAT INDEX: The NBA changed a Jermaine O'Neal foul on Jones in the third quarter from a flagrant foul to a standard personal foul. As a result of O'Neal's flagrant, Jones made two free throws and the Heat got an extra possession, during which Mike Bibby made a 3-pointer. At the time, the Heat were not in the bonus. If it had been called a personal foul at the time, Miami only would have received the ball on an out-of-bounds play.
The league also removed a technical foul on Jones that was called during the fourth quarter, while upgrading his personal foul on Paul Pierce on the play to a flagrant foul. Jones made contact with Pierce's head on the play after he was caught in the air on a pump-fake. An upset Pierce went face-to-face with Jones, their foreheads hitting each other. Pierce made the two free throws that came with the shooting foul, but did not receive the extra possession.
HOOPINION: Given his lack of regular playing time over the past two seasons, Jeff Teague should probably be graded on a curve. But he needn't be. The 44:37 he played, the 10 points he scored on 11 shots (that 8 of those 11 came inside of 15 feet certainly contributed to the diverse offensive attack), the 5 assists he earned against a single turnover and the 27 shots Derrick Rose needed to score 24 points (even though the Bulls, as a whole, scored just as efficiently tonight against the Hawks as they did during the regular season) should earn the second-year point guard a passing grade on merit.
PEACHTREE HOOPS: Al Horford actually didn't sit the rest of the first half after picking up his second foul in the first quarter. This was critical as Horford, along with Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia, helped keep the Bulls off the glass in the second half and locked them out down the stretch. Horford's 9 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists were steadying. There was really good ball movement, resulting in 20 assists against 10 turnovers. Joe Johnson gave the ball up, and got it back in better position to shoot, playing no small role in his good shooting tonight.
BLOG-A-BULL: The ankle seems like an easy excuse, but if it was bothering him to the point where he wasn't driving as much by design, then the fact that he reaggravated it in the game's final play makes things pretty scary. It's not even as much how Rose and the team downplays the significance of this latest tweak, it's that after nearly a week of rest it was so easily re-injured. Makes it more likely to be something that will last all playoffs, and especially in a series where there is only one day off between each game. During game one, there were enough wow moments from Rose in transition to where it's hard to say the ankle was bothering him that much, but I won't dismiss some physical confidence issue that made him so likely to settle on the outside. To the Hawks credit, especially Jeff Teague (who played 44 minutes), the result of Rose staying on the outside and not getting fouled was their design as well. But usually Derrick Rose lays waste to the best laid plans of defenders, so it's possibly something more.
MAVS MONEYBALL: With 20 seconds left in the game, Dallas forced a turnover and a foul gave them possession on their end of the floor. When Kidd threw the ball in he got it to Dirk, who was fouled by Gasol without a foul to give. He calmly hit both free throws to give the Mavericks a one point lead with 19 seconds. Kidd's lockdown defense forced a turnover and a foul. He only hit one of two to put Dallas up two with three seconds to play. But then Bryant tried a three on the Lakers' final play and couldn't hit, and the Mavericks stole game one, 96-94.
LAND O'LAKERS: Spectacular as Kobe's shooting performance was through the third, the manner in which the Lakers maintained, then lost, their lead was completely unhealthy. Balance went out the window, as Bryant took 17 of the team's 42 shots following the break (keep in mind, he only played 17 of the 24 minutes following the break, give or take). The point here isn't to blame Kobe for the loss. He didn't shoot the team out of the game, so to speak. Bryant, like his teammates, had some great moments and some lesser ones. But the bottom line is this: If the Lakers expect to win the series, it cannot happen with Bryant taking seven more shots in the second half than any of his teammates took in the entire game. Particularly when the vast majority come on the perimeter. Even if many go in, and Monday they did, it's unsustainable, and plays away from the team's strengths.
CELTICSHUB: Why didn’t Garnett demand the ball more often? Why didn’t Rajon Rondo (and Delonte West) call his number more frequently? Why didn’t Doc call a timeout and insist the Big Ticket get down on the block? Garnett often avoids direct criticism about his offensive play for the good reasons that you’re all aware of: he’s a stunning team defender, an excellent defensive rebounder, a great teammate, and the defining individual for this team’s culture. But Garnett’s preference for passing and his proficiency from the elbow don’t excuse his failings in game one. Where most of his teammates were impatient on offense, Garnett was, as we have seen many times before, far too willing to fit into the flow of the game rather than alter it.
DAILY THUNDER: Even Perk said after the game that he didn’t know Gasol could consistently hit that 15-foot jumper (he shot 40 percent from there during the season). Gasol wasn’t afraid to tee up the midrange jumper but he also was patient with the ball and let the Thunder defense rotate a tick before dumping off to a cutter or Randolph in the paint. The high pick-and-roll sets up good high-low action for Memphis. The Thunder has to cover this better, otherwise the Grizzlies gave a solid go-to set in big moments, something the Nuggets did not.
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