Miami 78 Detroit 91 Miami Leads Eastern Conference Finals 3-2
Key Moments: The Pistons had a brief 11-point lead in the 2nd quarter that was eased by a 16-4 Heat run. The game became close after that. With Miami trailing by just 4 at 3:30 of the 4th quarter, Detroit shut them out 9-0 the rest of the way to secure the win. The final period was only 18-13 in favor of the Pistons. And although the Heat actually outshot them 43% to 25%, they also hit only 1-8 free throws in that final 12 minutes.
Dallas 86 Phoenix 106 Western Conference Finals Tied 2-2
Key Moments: A 12-2 run late in the 3rd started the Suns on their way. And a 14-2 run early in the 4th finished their job. The Mavs shots 67% in the 1st quarter, but just 34% the rest of the game.
Adrian Griffin: 13 points, 6-8 shots, 7 rebounds, 18 minutes
Josh Howard: 16 points, 9 rebounds
May 29, 2006
Detroit 78 Miami 89 Heat Lead Eastern Conference Finals 3-1
Key Moments: Miami used a seris of runs to build a 14-point lead at 2:10 of the 2nd quarter. Detroit woke up and finished the half with 10-2, then went on a 19-7 run in the 3rd to grab a 4-point advantage. The game stayed very tight for a while, until early in the 4th when the Heat started a long 23-10 run to put the game away.
Key Team Stats
Miami 55% shooting, Detroit 39%
Miami 28-51 shots, Detroit 30-77
Miami 28-47 free throws, Detroit 12-22
Key Players
Dwyane Wade: 31 points (12 in the 4th), 8-11 shots, 15-19 free throws, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
Dallas 95 Phoenix 88
Mavericks Lead Western Conference Finals 2-1
Key Moments: The Suns looked to be in control after their 12-4 run gave them a 11-point lead in the 2nd quarter. But the Mavs finished the half 5-0 to stay in the game, and then started the 3rd quarter with a 12-2 run to grab the lead. After that, the game became a series of alternating small runs; the key one being a 8-0 spurt by Dallas early in the 4th that broke a tie and gave them a lead they never gave up.
Detroit 83 Miami 98 Heat Lead Eastern Conference Finals 2-1
Key Moments: Although there were no significant runs in the first three periods, the Pistons were held to 14 points on 33% shooting in the 3rd quarter. That helped the Heat establish a 10-point lead going into the 4th. The final period was a different experience. Detroit made the first big move with an 11-0 run to grab a 1-point lead. But that lead was short lived as Miami responded by finishing the game 24-10. In the end, a 58% to 42% shooting advantage was probably the difference in this one.
Phoenix 98 Dallas 105 Western Conference Finals Tied 1-1
Key Moments: The Mavs held the Suns to 30% shooting in the 1st and 36% in the 4th. In a seesaw game, the last period was Dallas' turn to take the lead with a 12-2 run. And this time they held on to it. After Phoenix got with 2 points 4:11 left to play, they outscored then 14-9 from that point on to get the win.
Key Players
Dirk Nowitzki: 30 points (12 in the 4th), 14 rebounds, 6 assists
Josh Howard: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Shawn Marion: 19 points, 19 rebounds, 3 steals
Boris Diaw: 25 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists
Steve Nash: 16 points, 11 assists, 4 turnovers
May 25, 2006
Miami 88 Detroit 92 Eastern Conference Finals Tied 1-1
Key Moments: The Pistons just held on to this one. Their lead was as much as 18 in the 3rd quarter, but then watched as the Heat slowly chippped away at it in the 4th. From the 2:00 mark to 0:09, Miami went on a 17-17 run to get within 2 points, but no closer.
Phoenix 121 Dallas 118
Suns Lead Western Conference Finals 1-0
Key Moments: A real western shootout; 55% to 51%. The Mavs forged a 9-point lead, the biggest of the game, after a 13-0 run from the latter 3rd quarter into the early 4th. After the Suns 12-6 run, the Mavs went 5-0 to again grab an 9-point lead. But from there on it was 16-4 Phoenix to give them the 3-point win. The most import part of that run being a jumper by Boris Diaw with a half-second left in regulation.
Key Players
Steve Nash: 27 points, 11-18 shots, 5 rebounds, 16 assists
Miami 91 Detroit 86
Heat Lead Eastern Conference Finals 1-0
Key Moments: A nice start for the Heat with an 11-0 run. But they lost that lead after the Pistons 16-3 run in the 3rd quarter. Then runs of 11-1 and 11-2 gave them a 13-point lead by the mid-4th. That was enough to survive one final push by Detroit.
Dallas 119 San Antonio 111
Mavericks win 2nd round series 4-3
Key Moments: Dallas started the game with a 15-6 run, and after a 10-0 spurt early in the 2nd they lead by as much as 20 points. But the San Antonio responded in the 2nd half with runs of 18-6 and 20-8 to force overtime. It came down to shooting in the extra period. The Mavs hit 4-6 and 7-9 free throws, while the Spurs hit 2-10 and 3-3 free throws. Dallas got a little from everyone, while Tim Duncan was 1-7 in the overtime for San Antonio.
LA Clippers 107 Phoenix 127 Suns win 2nd round series 4-3
Key Moments: The Suns started off hot with a 26-12 run in the 1st quarter, and pulled away for good with a 17-8 run in the 3rd quarter. A few team stats stand out from this game. The Clippers shot 53% from the field and an amazing 96% (25-26) from the line. But that couldn't overcome the Suns 60% shooting, including 56% (15-27) from 3-point range. Phoenix also matched the Clips in rebounding and out assisted them 32-11.
Key Players
Steve Nash: 29 points, 11-16 shots, 11 assists, 4 turnovers
Cleveland 61 Detroit 79 Pistons win 2nd round series 4-3
Key Moments: After the Pistons opened the game with a 19-6 run, the Cavs fought back and the game looked like another nail biter to the end. Then with the score 46-45 Detroit, a 1-point lead at 5:58 of the 3rd quarter, the Pistons proceeded to outscore Cleveland 33-16 the rest of the way. They held the Cavs to 13 points in the 4th.
Key Players
Tayshaun Prince: 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
LeBron James: 27 points, 8 rebounds
May 19, 2006
Detroit 84 Cleveland 82
2nd round series tied 3-3
Key Moments: Another 2-point game, but this time the Pistons won. They took the lead for good with 3:01 left to play, and held on to it mainly due to 4 consecutive offensive rebounds. LeBron James was forced to try and miss a last second free throw, but Cleveland didn't get the tip-in to tie the game.
San Antonio 91 Dallas 86
2nd round series tied 3-3
Key Moments: Down by 8 points in the first half, the Spurs fought back until they had a 5-point lead in the mid-4th quarter. They lost that lead, then finished the game with an 11-5 run to get the win. In the end, San Antonio benefitted from an edge in free throws and poor shooting by Dallas.
Key Players
Manu Ginobili: 30 points, 12-13 free throws, 10 rebounds
Tim Duncan: 24 points, 8-10 free throws, 8 rebounds
Michael Finley: 16 pionts, 6-10 shots, 6 rebounds
Dirk Nowitzki: 26 points, 21 rebounds, 5 assists
Josh Howard: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
May 18, 2006
Phoenix 106 LA Clippers 118 2nd round series tied 3-3
Key Moments: After a back-and-forth 1st quarter, the Clippers separated themselves from the Suns with a 29-14 run in the 2nd. Leading by 7 going into the 4th, they sealed the win with a 17-7 run behind Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Overall, the Clippers won by outrebounding 48-28 and shooting 62%.
Cleveland 86 Detroit 84
Cavaliers lead 2nd round series 3-2
Key Moments: Another low scoring game, another win by Cleveland. The 10th tie of the game was at 84all at the 1:20 mark of the 4th quarter. Detroit missed their final 3 shots and 2 free throws. The Cavs made a layup, and that was the difference.
Dallas 97 San Antonio 98 Mavericks lead 2nd round series 3-2
Key Moments: Each team had a big run earlier in the game, but they found themselves tied at 97-97 with 2:38 left in the game. The only score after that point, however, was a free throw by Manu Ginobili.
New Jersey 105 Miami 106 Heat win 2nd round series 4-1
Key Moments: The only big run of the game was Miami's 28-13 stretch in the 2nd quarter that erased New Jersey's 12 point lead. A second half dog fight came down to a 5-0 Heat run that gave them a 6 point lead at 1:05 of the 4th, and the Nets closing the game with a 6-1 run that left them a point short.
LA Clippers 118 Phoenix 125 Suns lead 2nd round series 3-2
Key Moments: After blowing a 19 points lead in the 3rd period, the Suns clung to the lead through 2 OTs and finally put together a 6-0 run in th OT2 to get the lead for good.
Key Players
Shawn Marion: 36 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists
Raja Bell: 22 points, 8-13 shots, 5 rebounds, 4 steals
Steve Nash: 17 pints, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 5 turnovers
Tim Thomas: 25 points, 10-17 shots, 5-8 3-pointers
Key Moments: A low scoring, defenisve struggle like this would seem to favor Detroit. But after the game was tied at 70 with 2:53 left in regulation, the Pistons missed all six of their remaining shots. The Cavs hit 1-4, and that was the difference.
San Antonio 118 Dallas 123 Mavericks lead 2nd round series 3-1
Key Moments: The Spurs lead by by 5, 103-98, at the 4:03 mark of the 4th quarter after a 21-8 run. But the Mavs outscored them 25-15 the rest of the way, including a 5 minute overtime, to win by 5.
Tim Duncan: 31 points, 12-23 shots, 13 rebounds, 6 assists
Manu Ginobili: 26 points, 8-11 shots, 4 steals
Tony Parker: 33 points, 12-23 shots, 5 turnovers
May 14, 2006
Miami 102 New Jersey 92
Heat lead 2nd round series 3-1
Key Moments: Miami had the lead most of the game, but couldn't quite hang on to it. It wasn't until their 8-0 run during the last 2 minutes of the game that the win was certain.
Phoenix 107 LA Clippers 114 2nd round series tied 2-2
Key Moments: A 12-0 4th quarter run got the Suns within 1 point of the lead with 1:12 to play. But their comeback was thwarted as the Clippers answered with 6 straight points to solidify their lead.
Boris Diaw: 21 points, 8-14 shots, 7 rebounds, 8 assists
Shawn Marion: 14 points, 10 rebounds
May 13, 2006
Detroit 77 Cleveland 86 Pistons lead 2nd round series 2-1
Key Moments: Traily by 10 points in the 3rd quarter, the Cavaliers used a 9-0 run to get back into the game and then a 27-12 run in the 4th to get the win. At the same time, they prevented any runs in the half by Detroit.
Key Players
LeBron James: 21 points (15 in the 4th), 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, 4 turnovers
Anderson Varejao: 16 points, 6-7 shots, 22 minutes
Ronald Murray: 13 points, 7 rebounds
Chauncey Billups: 20 points, 5 assists
Rip Hamilton: 22 points, 5 assists
San Antonio 103 Dallas 104 Mavericks lead 2nd round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Mavericks looked in good shape after their 23-10 1st quarter run. They maintined the lead into the 3rd, when the Spurs started a 45-31 run that gave them a 3-point lead in the 4th. Dallas had to outscore them 9-5, including 6 free throws, the rest of the way to get the win.
Vince Carter: 43 points (26 in the 2nd half), 17-34 shots, 6 rebounds
Phoenix 94 LA Clippers 91
Suns lead 2nd round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Clippers overcame an 11-point deficit with a 16-2 run early in the 4th quarter, behind the hot shooting of Vladimir Radmanovic. The Suns retook the lead with a 10-1 run late, and survived a last minute surge by the Clips.
Key Players
Shawn Marion: 26 points, 18 rebounds, 4 steals
Tim Thomas: 15 points, 13 rebounds
Vladimir Radmanovic: 18 points (14 in the 4th), 6-7 shots, 5-5 3-pointers
LA Clippers 122 Phoenix 97
2nd round series tied 1-1
Key Moments: After one hoop by Phoenix, the Clippers went on a 32-13 run at the start of the game. The Suns never got closer than 11 points of the lead after that.
Key Players
Elton Brand: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals
Chris Kaman: 14 points, 6-8 shots, 16 rebounds, 4 turnovers
Sam Cassell: 23 points, 8-12 shots, 5 rebounds, 6 assists
Cuttino Mobley: 23 points, 8 rebounds
May 9, 2006
Cleveland 91 Detroit 97 Pistons lead 2nd round series 2-0
Key Moments: After a 35-12 first half run by the Pistons, the Cavs trailed by as much as 22 points. They rallied in the 4th quarter with a 27-12 run to get within 5 of the lead, but no closer.
Key Moments: A Nets run of 36-17 in the 1st quarter set the tone as the Heat played from behind. Trailing by as much as 28 points, Miami got within 9 of the lead after a 18-3 run in the 4th quarter. But no closer.
LA Clippers 123 Phoenix 130 lead 2nd round series 1-0
Key Moments: They traded runs and the lead until the 4th quarter, when a 23-8 Phoenix run gave them a 13-point lead. The Clippers responded with a 11-4 run that came up short.
Dallas 85 San Antonio 87 Spurs lead 2nd round series 1-0
Key Moments: A defensive, back-and-forth game. Just an 8-2 run gave the Spurs the lead back at 5:22 of the 4th quarter. The Mavs came back to tie it at 3:28, but the only hoop after that was a three pointer by Bruce Bowen to give San Antonio the win.
LA Lakers 90 Phoenix 121 Suns win 1st round series 4-3
As if all their spirit had been drained from them by their major disapointment in game 6, the Lakers barely showed up for today's game 7. Other than a 21-11 stretch early in the 2nd quarter, they had very little run in them.
Again the defense, that had worked so well earlier in the series, was missing. They did have only 10 turnovers this time, won offensive rebounds 15 to 1, and had 91 shot attempts to 77 for Phoenix. But it doesn't matter when you shoot 35% and let your opponent hit 61%. That's right, 61%. Lots and lots of layups.
For the season, I think they accomplished more than most expected. We saw them comming together as a team. We saw Kobe and Lamar being effective as a duo, Kwame blossom into a starting center, Luke find his role, and some young players grow a little bit. As disapointed as I am at present, I am encouraged about the future. They know what they need to work on for next year. Defense.
Lakers lines
Kobe Bryant: 24 points, 8-16 shots
Luke Walton: 16 points, 5 rebounds
Sasha Vujacic: 11 points, 6 rebounds
Phoenix lines
Boris Diaw: 21 points, 8-14 shots, 6 rebounds, 9 assists
Leandro Barbosa: 26 points, 10-12 shots
Shawn Marion: 14 points, 10 rebounds
May 5, 2006
Cleveland 114 Washington 113
Cavaliers win 1st round series 4-2
Key Moments: A 24-8 Wizards run in the 1st quarter did not deter the Cavs. They fought back and ended up in overtime. Damon Jones, who had not played all game, came off the bench to hit the winning jump shot with 4 seconds left.
Antonio Daniels: 22 points (11 in 4th), 8-15 shots
San Antonio 105 Sacramento 83
Spurs win 1st round series 4-2
Key Moments: A 33-8 run by the Spurs, that spanned halftime, was all she wrote for the Kings.
Key Players
Tony Parker: 31 points (14 in 3rd), 11-20 shots, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Bruce Bowen: 16 points, 4-5 3-pointers
May 4, 2006
Old Habits
Phoenix 126 LA Lakers 118
1st round series tied 3-3
Instead of resembling the confident, smooth running machine that they had of late, the Lakers looked very much like they had most of the season; nervous, unsure, worried too much about offense, forgetting about defense, relying too much on Kobe, etc. They results are obvious. They shot 55% but allowed the Suns to shoot 57%. They hit just 68% of 22 free throws. They committed 20 turnovers.
And yet, even with all that they still should have gotten a win tonight. They should have a ticket to the second round of the playoffs. Kobe Bryant made a 3-pointer at 1:47 of the 4th quarter, and then a layup at 0:29. That completed a 16-8 run that gave them one of their few leads of the night.
Leading by three and with a foul to give, I was shouting at them to camp out at the 3-point line to prevent the 3-pointer. When Steve Nash went down the lane I said let him go. Instead the Lakers pointlessly contested the interior, leaving Tim Thomas open for the 3 to tie the game. The OT was all Phoenix.
New Jersey 96 Indiana 90
Nets win 1st round series 4-2
Key Moments: A 20-7 Nets run early in the 3rd quarter helped them get a twelve point lead. But they would have to survive two Pacers surges the reduced the margin to just 2.
Key Players
Richard Jefferson: 30 points, 10-13 shots, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Milwaukee 93 Detroit 122 Pistons win 1st round series 4-1
Key Moments: Pistons' runs of 21-2 in the 1st quarter and 27-6 in the 3rd were the end of the Bucks.
Key Players: Rip Hamilton scored 40 points on 15-23 shots. Rasheed Wallace had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. And Chauncey Billups added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. For Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 23 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
Washington 120 Cleveland 121 Cavaliers lead 1st round series 3-2
Key Moments: With the lead no bigger than 8-points, this one came down to a layup by LeBron James with almost no time left in OT.
Key Players: That layup gave James 45 points for the game, with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Larry Hughes added 24 points. Washington's Gilbert Arenas almost matched LeBron with 44 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. They also got 32 points from Antawn Jamison.
May 2, 2006
Deviating From The Plan
LA Lakers 97 Phoenix 114 Lakers lead 1st round series 3-2
Like the last game, the Lakers didn't stick to the plan. And they didn't stay close enough for a miracle comeback to occur. They actually outshot the Suns 51% to 49%, but took only 70 shots to their 86. This was the result of allowing 12 offensive rebounds while getting only 5, and committing 18 turnovers to only 8 by Phoenix. They tried to run with them too much and generally didn't playing the defense required.
The Lakers recoverd from a 15-5 Suns run to open the game to trail by just 2 after one period. They even lead by two at the 5:09 mark of the 2nd quarter. That's when Phoenix started a long run of 47-22 that lasted until 1:22 of the 3rd. That's the kind of thing you don't recover from.
Lakers lines
Kobe Bryant finished with 29 points on 10-17 shots with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers
Lamar Odom had 18 on 7-14 shots with 15 rebounds and 6 assists
Kwame Brown, plauged by foul trouble, socred 14 with 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers
Phoenix lines
Boris Diaw scored 25 points (11 in the 2nd) on 7-12 shots, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished 9 assists
Shawn Marion scored 21 with 9 rebounds
Steve Nash added 22 points
Tim Thomas had 13 points in 16 minutes (10 in the 2nd)
Indiana 86 New Jersey 92 Nets lead 1st round series tied 3-2
Key Moments: As often happens in a game of swapping runs, the team with the last run wins. The Pacers opened the 4th quarter with a 7-0 run that tied the game at 72. The Nets responed with a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead and keep it to the end.
Key Players: Vince Carter with 34 points on 13-24 shots with 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Nenad Krstic scored 19 with 11 rebounds. Richard Jefferson added 24 points.
Chicago 78 Miami 92 Heat lead 1st round series 3-2
Key Moments: 4th quarter runs of 10-0 and 15-0 turned a close game into a rout by the Heat.
Key Players: Dwyane Wade had 28 points on 9-18 shots with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Shaquille O'Neal scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots. For the Bulls, Andres Nocioni had 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Sacramento 98 San Antonio 109 Spurs lead 1st round series 3-2
Key Moments: A game of big runs. Down by 14 early in the final period, the Kings went on a 22-8 run to tie the game late. The Spurs responded by going 14-3 to get the win.
Key Players: Manu Ginobili with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Tim Duncan had 24, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Tony Parker added 21 points. For Sacramento, Bonzi Wells finished with 38 points and 12 rebounds. And Ron Artest had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.
May 1, 2006
Dallas 102 Memphis 76
Mavericks win 1st round series 4-0
Key Moments: Only one small run the entire game by the Grizzlies, while the Mavs went on several; including two big ones in the second half.
Key Players: Dirk Nowitzki finished with 27 points and 7 rebounds. Josh Howard had 24 and 9. And Jerry Stackhouse scored 19 off the bench. Paul Gasol did what he could with 25 points and 6 rebounds.
Detroit 109 Milwaukee 99
Pistons lead 1st round series 3-1
Key Moments: The game was going downhill for the Pistons in the 3rd quarter, but they put together a 27-13 run in the 4th that got them the lead and the win.
Key Players: Chauncey Billups lead the way with 34 points (13 in the 4th) and 6 assists. Tayshaun Prince scored 18 with 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Rip Hamilton added 18 points. And Antonio McDyess had 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. The Bucks got 33 points from Michael Redd, and 21 points (16 in the 3rd), 5 rebounds, and 5 assists from T.J. Ford.
Denver 83 LA Clippers 101 Clippers win 1st round series 4-1
Key Moments: A 33-9 run that spanned the 3rd and 4th quarters was the decider for the Clippers.
Key Players: Elton Brand had his usual 21 points and 13 rebounds. Cuttino Mobley added 23 points. Shaun Livingston had 8 and 14 assists. And Corey Maggette scored 23 off the bench.