Allen Iverson retiring after 14 seasons

Former MVP, scoring champ and 10-time All-Star Allen Iverson is reportedly retiring from the game he loves. He initially played 3 games with the Memphis Grizzlies this season before taking a leave of absence for personal matters. Soon after he and the team agreed to part ways. Now today according to Stephen A. Smith Iverson is hanging up the high tops.

For last season, Iverson was part of a Detroit Pistons team considered to be NBA title contenders. Iverson was upset at the role he was given as a reserve for the team. The Knicks considered signing the guard after he was waived this season, but decided against it because they felt Iverson would take time away from younger players they wanted to develop.

According to a statement that Stephen A. Smith published on his website, Iverson said "I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level." and that he still has tremendous love for the game. Iverson's former coach George Karl of the Denver Nuggets was shocked at the news, offering the following:

"I think he still has something left to give some team out there. If that's his decision, he'll go down in history, I think, as the greatest little guard ever to play the game of basketball," Karl said.

"I was happy to have him for a couple years and hopefully our paths will cross. But I have a sneaky feeling that somewhere along the way an injury or a circumstance with a team will open that window back up."

(Story Source: The Associated Press)

Detroit signs Gordon & Villanueva

The Detroit Pistons looked to keep themselves alive in the hunt for another NBA Title by adding two new stars to their lineup. According to the Detroit Free Press the Pistons signed Ben Gordon, shooting guard from the Bulls, and Charlie Villanueva, forward from the Milwaukee Bucks. Gordon was the Bulls' leading scorer for the past four years, and Villanueva has been coming into his own as an impressive rebounder and potential scorer. There had been rumors going around that Villanueva might end up on Cleveland as well. Gordon's signing is estimated at $55 million while Villanueva's is at $35 mill.

Both guys are also products of the University of Connecticut, and they'll now be aligned with another UCONN alumni, sharpshooter Richard Hamilton. Hamilton's got the NCAA Title, the NBA Title. Gordon's got just the NCAA title while Villanueva has yet to taste any championship champagne. That may change now that the Pistons have added more talent to their already interesting lineup which includes All-star Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace.

The question is what will Chicago and Milwaukee be looking to do now that they've cleared some salary cap room? Will these teams look to add a superstar to their teams? No disrespect to either Derrick Rose or Michael Redd, but adding someone like Dwyane Wade wouldn't exactly hurt their chances at making a deep run towards the NBA Finals.

Iverson's $25,000 Fine & Coach Firings

On Tuesday the NBA fined Detroit Pistons guard Allen Iverson $25,000 for comments he made toward a fan in Charlotte. The comments came with just 6.2 seconds left in the third quarter. Detroit ended up winning the game 90-86. No report on exactly what was said by Iverson or the fan. According to Washington Post this is the second fine for Iverson since being dealt to the Pistons. His previous fine involved skipping practice on Thanksgiving day, which also resulted in him being benched for the start of the next game.

Happy trails to two former players turned NBA coaches, Sacramento's Reggie Theus and the Sixers Maurice Cheeks. At SportingNews.com two NBA "gurus" discussed the firing of Theus which took place on Monday.

BS: Are people blaming Theus for this, and if so, why shouldn't they?

TZ: Theus is taking blame, and he should. The local beat writer reported this morning that Theus had been habitually late for practices and the team bus. Theus admitted to being late for the bus. His reasoning? He didn't want to catch anyone else showing up late, for fear disciplining them would ruin the team chemistry. I find it hard to absolve Reggie, considering the biggest knock on the team has been a lack of on-court focus and discipline.

BS: Who did less coaching this year, Theus or Vinnie Del Negro? Or am I mistaken in assuming that Theus' mixed signals canceled themselves out?

TZ: Theus remained a stoic presence on the sideline; Del Negro tinkers with his rotations endlessly, it seems. At this point, I feel comfortable in stating that Theus is a better coach (makes better decisions), but Del Negro actually, um, cares.

Cheeks took full responsibility for his team's 9-14 start to the season. Cheeks was quoted as saying "Things don't always work out the way you expect them to," Cheeks said. "I take solace in the fact I did the best I could." The Sixers had high hopes for the season in which they acquired consistent star player, Elton Brand from the Clippers.

Marbury & Iverson Absences

Recent news from the NBA has surrounded two guards who many view as troubled superstars, looking to get on the right track. Iverson has been in the spotlight once again for another "practice" related incident. He missed a team practice Thanksgiving morning but issued a public apology statement saying it won't happen again. Iverson is not the Iverson of past who wouldn't care about missing practice, or apologize. His famous "practice..we talkin' bout practice?" highlight continues to be a favorite of ESPN, Fox Sports and Best Damn Sports Show Period. However, this is a more mature and committed to winning Iverson. He's in a much better environment for team winning and he's already made that known. Also, skipping a team practice is definitely not tolerated, but it's not as bad as missing actual games.

On the other hand is a player who hasn't played yet this season, even though he's physically able to. Stephon Marbury was suspended and fined for refusing to play for the Knicks this past Wednesday against Iverson's Pistons. Marbury had been specifically asked to play by his coach Mike D'Antoni. It seems to be a war of words as well, with Marbury saying he never told Coach D'Antoni he wouldn't play, simply that given a choice he'd prefer not to. Then again, it is the Knicks who recently decided they wanted Marbury's services upon trading away Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. But to his discredit, Marbury was having similar player-coach issues last season with Isiah in town. This may be a carryover from last season's dismal New York team, or it may just be Marbury's personality. No matter what, it's clear one player wants to play and give his current team his all, while the other is riding the bench for a million dollar salary.

More on Marbury's issues in New York at Newsday.

Celtics Outdo Pistons 98-80

Tonight saw a hardwood rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, similar result. The World Champion Boston Celtics were able to defeat Allen Iverson & the new-look Pistons, thanks to the play of young guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo outdid his veteran, former-MVP opponent scoring 18 points and dishing out 8 assists. Iverson recorded 16 points and 4 assists for the Pistons. The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett added 15 for the Celtics, who continue to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Celtics currently rank 1st or 2nd in most Team D categories,

These are the Pistons who dethroned the mighty Lakers a week ago, handing them their first loss of the season, as well as snapping the Cleveland Cavs 8 game win streak. Despite the high the Pistons were on, the Celtics humbled them and showed that Detroit still needs more time to gel if they plan to top the best of the East. It wouldn't be surprising to see these teams in another showdown come Playoff time 2009.

Iverson's Move to Detroit

At one time, Allen Iverson vowed that his pairing with Carmelo Anthony on the Denver Nuggets would bring a title to the squad. This came after Iverson spent many controversy-filled seasons in Philadelphia. He had incidents with coaches and teammates, the famous "Practice?" clips on ESPN, an MVP award and then a trip to the Finals where the LA Lakers eventually dismantled his Sixers. Denver seemed like a bit of a saving grace for Iverson as he mellowed out with Melo. AI made the All-Star squad and the team made the playoffs, but heightened expectations didn't translate into a strong playoff presence. Team D was blamed for the team not making a strong push.

Now just a day ago, Iverson has been traded to his third NBA Team, the Detroit Pistons. In exchange for AI, Denver picks up Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb. The questions of who got the best of the deal already start pouring out. Mr. Big Shot Billups would be a welcome addition to most squads, but will he fit in well with Denver and Melo? The same goes for AI, will he work in the style of play the Pistons use? The Pistons are not as much an uptempo run and gun type team as Denver has been. Iverson now plays alongside Rip Hamilton, but he'll most likely be the Pistons lead scorer and go-to-guy. His talents will be welcome but may disrupt Detroit.

Experience is a factor in the NBA, but age can be as well. It might not be the popular analysis, but Denver may have added more at this point than Detroit. Billups provides veteran playoff experience and leadership. He's won the title that Melo wants and can help guide the team in a playoff run. Not to mention he plays D and can knock down the big shots. McDyess helps in the defensive needs as well as rebounding, even though he's up there in age. He'll most likely defer to Melo as lead scorer and set him up with the shots he wants. At the same time, Iverson is on a squad with a few guys left over from that Pistons Championship Squad. Iverson, McDyess and Billups aren't exactly young though, and aging players don't always guarantee a team is going to win it all.

Read the Washington Post article on Iverson's trade

The NBA's Early Unbeatens

The Western Conference has 4 undefeated teams while the East has 3. No surprises out West as both Houston and New Orleans are 3-0, and the Lakers and Jazz sit at 2-0. In the East, there may be a surprise or 2. One undefeated is Detroit, while the other two are Toronto and Atlanta. All three were playoff teams last year, with Atlanta surprising Boston by taking them a full 7 game series. The Raptors are on the rise this season, as they added forward Jermaine O'Neal to battle down low alongside Chris Bosh. These two provide quite an intimidating defense as well. As for Atlanta, the loss of Josh Childress to Europe hasn't hurt them so far, but again the season's early. Josh Smith has emerged into another Shawn Marion type player who definitely earns his salary. His stat lines are full night in and night out, and full stat lines help teams win games. Just ask guys like Marion, AK-47 and Kidd, who all have been known to "do a little of everything needed".

The West isn't so surprising, mainly because it's the West. Last season, even though they didn't come away with the NBA title, they still showed themselves to be the superior conference. There were teams with almost .500 records or better unable to make the playoffs. The Lakers and Hornets were amongst the final contenders, with the Lakers heading to the Finals. New Orleans at 3-0 this season shows how valuable guard Chris Paul is. The Jazz are yet another solid unit with a great point guard, defenders and shooters. The Rockets at 3-0, show that the addition of Ron Artest has been a big plus. It's one thing when you have a guy who's known as the Great Wall down low in Yao Ming, but even better when you've got Artest. And don't leave out Shane Battier, making for one solid defensive squad. Remember last season the Rockets were the hottest team in pro sports, winning over 20 straight games, and many without the services of Yao Ming.

How many of the above teams will continue their winning ways and who will be the first to falter? Will the West continue to be best, or will the East surge?

Free Agents Move East?

A New Sixers Brand

The Philadelphia 76ers made one of the biggest moves so far in the young free agency period of the NBA. Philly added the services of 10 year NBA veteran and perennial All-star, Elton Brand. It had originally appeared like Brand would re-sign with his longtime Clippers, and align himself with their latest acquisition, PG Baron Davis. But the Sixers gave up enough cash to add the big man to their front court mix, and are now ready to compete in the East.

As noted on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike show, more players are likely headed to the East because they have a better chance at competing there. In the West, talent is stacked and several teams are leaps and bounds above the rest. Right now the NBA Finals runner-ups, the Lakers, may lose Ronny Turiaf to the Warriors, as they need to match an offer made to him.
The Lakers basically steamrolled through the Western side of the playoffs, before being dismantled by Boston in the Finals. That said, Boston didn't have an easy route in the East. They were taken to the limit by both Atlanta and Cleveland. Meanwhile, Philly took the Pistons six games in the East, and with the addition of a solid upfront player like Elton Brand, the Sixers only increase their chances at making it deep into the playoffs.

The case was also made that teams like the Bulls and Nets made great draft night moves to position themselves. But that positioning might not pay off until a year or two down the road. The Bulls are young and able, but the Nets may be more of a rebuild as Vince Carter isn't getting younger and may decide to leave town for a title contender. Watch for more teams to attempt to sign key players in the coming weeks in order to compete in 2008-09.

Celtics KO Pistons en Route to NBA Finals

It will be a renewal of a classic rivalry in the 2008 NBA Finals as the Boston Celtics will face the Los Angeles Lakers. The two dynasties are storied in their histories as championship teams, and now the newest versions will do battle. Boston took care of business Friday night, winning their second road game to eliminate the Detroit Pistons.

The Luck of the Irish showed up in Detroit for sure. In the second half the Celts shot an amazing 67% field goal percentage. Rajon Rondo's shot with about 2:30 to go in the 4th put Boston up 7. Detroit had an 8 point lead just moments earlier. Billups was able to respond with a three point play to get the Pistons back into it. Posey had a huge steal from Prince after Rondo missed a three, and Pierce followed up by knocking down 2 free throws. Pistons fans began to leave the building as the Celtics had a 85-79 lead with about a minute to go. However, KG missed two free throws with 36 seconds to go, leaving signs of life for Detroit. After a drawn up play, Rasheed missed a three attempt and Pierce came down with the rebound. Pierce hit 1 of 2, and then another Pistons missed three lead to Ray Allen free throws. Celtics win 89-81 and return to the Finals for their first time since 1987. Pierce was jubilant during his post-game interview with ESPN's Michele Tafoya, saying it's been "10 long years" and "bring on the Lakers!" All-time Celtics legend John Havlicek presented the Eastern Conference Championship trophy to a highly charged Boston team who will now begin their 11th matchup with the Lakers in the Finals.

The Celtics-Lakers is definitely an exciting matchup as two squads with a trio of amazing stars will face off. The Lakers not only have the MVP Kobe Bryant but also its two versatile Forward/Center swingmen in Gasol and Odom. The Celtics of course feature the Big 3 with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Should be a very fun finals to watch, so let's hope it goes the full 7!

Boston 3 Party Wins 106-102

The Boston Three party was in effect Wednesday night. Boston and Detroit were 9 of 14 from three point land in the first half. Shot of the night was easily KG's fade away high arc three pointer bank shot as the shot clock expired in the 2nd quarter. Ray Allen hit two threes in the first quarter and Pierce did as well to aid the Celtics. Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the first half to really give the Celtics a lift. In the first half Boston out-rebounded the Pistons 28-11. Rajon Rondo had just 4 points but was aggressive and able to find his teammates for several key baskets.

The Pistons defense began to help Detroit work their way back into yet another game against the Celtics. Detroit had it down to a one point game after a huge Lindsay Hunter 3 pointer in the 4th. Several lazy lob passes from the Celtics lead to turnovers or near turnovers. Ray Allen hit yet another 3 pointer with a minute to go, pushing the lead back to 4. Rodney Stuckey hit two key free throws with under 10 seconds to go, narrowing it back to a 1 point Celtics lead. Ray Allen matched those two on the other end. After a near throwaway pass by the Pistons, Stuckey was back to the line where he missed his 1st attempt. Stuckey went for the intentional miss for his second, but hit the free throw accidentally. After two KG free throws, the Celtics had the four point lead and a hard fought win, 106-102.

This series still appears to be headed the full 7 games, because I'd expect it to be an intense Pistons squad that shows up in Detroit for Game 6. Expect the tie up and then a potentially classic game 7 in Boston. Rip Hamilton who's been the scoring spark plug for this Pistons team was the recipient of a poke to his eye and then a hurt arm in the 4th. Ray Allen has finally started to heat up though, which is a great sign for the C's.

* In other NBA news of interest, the NBA league office ruled that there should have been a foul called on Derek Fisher as he hit Brent Barry. Barry was going for a game winning shot at the end of regulation. The non-call allowed for a Lakers victory and Spurs protests.

* Spurs coach Greg Popovich and New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott both signed contract extensions on Wednesday, so expect to see both continue on the sidelines in the Wild Wild West.

Celtics Defeat Pistons for 1st Road Win

Just a few days ago the Boston Celtics had the unfortunate distinction of losing their 1st home game of the post-season. Things were tied at 1-1 as the series shifted back to Detroit. Tonight with an impressive performance in Detroit, they picked up their first road win of 7 tries, which many might have called a "much needed win".

Despite what seemed like an energetic pre-game intro show, the Pistons came out lackluster in the 1st. Boston was up 11-0 to start things, but the Pistons stormed back behind a 13-4 run to take the lead. The Celtics started to play great D, shot 55% and pushed the lead up in their favor bigtime. The C's were up by 18 heading into the half, but not because of their Big 3. It was the Celtics bench providing the points, lead by Rajon Rondo, the promising young guard. Garnett had a vicious dunk during the game, which semi-reminds me of the Vince Carter dunk over the French player for Team USA.

The Pistons showed grit and determination in the 4th as they fought back to make it a single digit lead. However, the Celtics pulled away as the game closed out to take it 94-80. Kevin Garnett was leading scorer for the Celtics with 22 points, with Game 4 set to take place Monday night in Detroit.

All in all, the Celtics have reason to celebrate as they are back on track. Should Detroit win their next home game, Boston has the advantage heading back to Beantown.

Pistons Steal Game 2 in Boston

Thursday night proved an exciting and close NBA playoff contest in Boston. The Pistons started to really up the notch on their D in the 2nd quarter and locked down the Celts. Pistons went up by as many as 11 in the game, pushing the Celtics to the limit. In the 3rd quarter, Ray Allen finally started to find his scoring touch and pushed the Celtics back. He also had 5 fouls making it tougher for him to give his all on D.

In the 4th the Celtics tried to fight back and got it down to as few as 2 points, but the Pistons prevailed, by hitting shots and free throws consistently. Rip Hamilton was the leading scorer for the Pistons with 25. Chauncey Billups chipped in 19 points and 7 assists. The Big 3 put in a solid effort as well in the loss, with Pierce scoring 26, Ray Allen 25 and KG 24.

The big concern here is this marks the Celtics' first home loss of the playoffs. As mentioned before here, if the Celtics lose a game at home they most likely will lose the series. The experienced and all-around steady Pistons just might have the Celtics number as of Game 2. Now more than ever, the Boston Celtics will need to pull off their first road win to keep their hopes at reaching the NBA Finals alive.

Celtics Control Game 1

With the city of Boston still abuzz over the Red Sox No Hitter on Monday night, the Celtics took to the court against the Detroit Pistons to start their Eastern Conference Finals. Boston came out very energized Tuesday night and ready for business. Behind Garnett's 26 points and 9 rebounds, the Celtics won 88-79 and are now up 1-0 on the Pistons. Paul Pierce added 22 points of his own and the Celtics never really trailed in this one. For the Celts, Ray Allen continues to be cold as he shot just 3 for 10 for field goals. Detroits defense was also out of wack in this game.

Of course this is just one game of 7, so there's bound to be better Piston performances to come. The Pistons may even have been in a bit of a lull after resting for a good week. After the game, Flip Saunders addressed the loss saying the Pistons just couldn't get their offense into a good flow, and they were a step slow on defense. Don't expect that to be Detroit's performance in the rest of this series. It's still going to be a tough series which could go the full 7 games for these teams, unless the Celtics have finally decided to up their game to that next level.

Read about the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery to find out the order teams will pick in June's NBA draft!

Pistons & Lakers in Finals?

Today marks Game 7 between Boston and Cleveland, and it will be the second elimination game of the playoffs involving the Celtics. Next week we get the additional treat of New Orleans hosting San Antonio in their final game. While these 4 teams duke it out to be a part of the NBA's Final 4, two teams are sitting back and relaxing, the Detroit Pistons and the LA Lakers. Could they also be the 2008 NBA Finals matchup?

You'd have to give both the Pistons and Lakers the edge in their next round series. The Pistons have demonstrated the ability to win on the road, and just 1 win in Boston would be all it takes to knock out the top team in the NBA. In fact, earlier in the 2007-08 season, Detroit was able to do just that, defeating the Celtics in TD Banknorth. As for the Lakers, it may come down to the status of Hornet David West. If the All-star forward for the Hornets is hurt, the Lakers will be dominating inside thanks to Gasol, Kobe, Odom and several others on the team. That's if New Orleans can get by San Antonio Monday. As for the Celtics, they will continue to be not only the team to beat, but the team that needs to prove it can win in any situation, home or away.

Rodman Charged with Offense

The Worm has once again found himself tangled in quite a mess. The former rebounding and defensive clown-prince of the NBA, Dennis Rodman was charged with offense, more specifically Domestic Violence on Friday. The former NBA champ allegedly hit his girlfriend at a hotel last month bringing on the charges. On Wednesday, his charges included spousal battery, brandishing a deadly weapon, and one count of dissuading a witness. The charges were all misdemeanors.

More from ESPN.com:

The 46-year-old was arrested at a hotel April 30 after Gina Peterson called hotel security. Police say she suffered injuries to her arm.

Rodman spokesman Darren Prince says Rodman had had too much to drink when he got into an altercation with Peterson. Prince says the couple are still dating.

"We look forward to a successful resolution of this misdemeanor matter," said Rodman's attorney, Paul Meyer.

Attempts to find a phone listing for Peterson were not successful.

Rodman was part of championship teams with the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.

Source: ESPN.com.

Hornets Buzzing & Pistons Move Forward!

On Tuesday night the New Orleans Hornets gained payback as they beat the Spurs soundly, 101-79. New Orleans buzzed out after halftime with the Spurs leading, and Chris Paul took over the game. Paul finished with 22 points and 14 assists to lead his team to victory. Forward David West had an impressive 38 points and 14 rebounds in the win, as well as 5 blocks. Perhaps the most impressive of his 2 points came on a layup where he drove by Duncan under the basket and then hit the layup. The Hornets have now outscored San Antonio by a total of 93 points in their 3 wins, while San Antonio has outscored New Orleans by a combined 41 in their two wins.

Despite the victory, the Hornets saw their defensive-minded Center Tyson Chandler leave the game in the 4th with an apparent ankle injury. Chandler was in obvious pain and was helped the bench by his teammates. There was also a brief verbal altercation between referee Joey Crawford and Spurs coach Greg Popovich.

During Popovich's post game press conference one reporter asked why all the contests have been blowouts and Pop replied he had no idea, but if he did he'd prevent them. Popovich also gave credit to great defense from New Orleans during the game. Game 6 on Thursday could see the Hornets move on to the Western Conference Finals to await Utah or Los Angeles.

Also on Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons, minus their star point guard Chauncey Billups, managed to beat the Magic and move on to the next round. In Game 5 it was Detroit's masked man, Rip Hamilton who scored 31 points in all to lead the way. Tayshaun Prince added a key block on Turkoglu down the stretch while poor FT shooting hampered Orlando who still played Detroit tough this series. When all was said and done Tuesday night, it was an 81-86 Pistons win. Hamilton not only helped his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, but he also broke Isiah Thomas' career playoff scoring record. Isiah's record of 2,261 points was set in 111 games, while Rip broke the record in 110 games. Congrats to Rip and the Pistons who have now reached six straight Eastern Finals!

Wednesday night sees the Cavs and Celtics resume at 8PM wit the Jazz and Lakers also resuming Game 5 at 10:30 PM. Both games will be shown on TNT.

Boston Celtics in Trouble?

The Boston Celtics owned the best regular season record in 2007-08, coming very close to the 70 win mark this past season. They have homecourt advantage right now, but it may not matter. In the post season they've had immense trouble winning on the road. Many analysts expected the Celts' Big 3 to be on vacation getting spa treatments after sweeping the Hawks. However, the Hawks were tough at home and exposed the Celtics as a bad team on the road taking them to a full 7 game series.

Now the Celtics find themselves in a similar situation, however it's against a superior team in the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron and company have evened the series at 2 games a piece. After some antics in the last game involving Lebron yelling at his mom, the Celtics still couldn't find a way to win the game. Ray Allen's been cold, Rajon Rondo has been an unlikely star, and the team continues to struggle. The Big 3 have become "The Big Mystery". Lebron just may be hungry to get back to the Finals and win it this year, and King James may leave the Celtics looking like mere peasants.

I agree quite a bit with what Magic Johnson suggested on last night's TNT Inside the NBA following the game. Magic said the Celtics will not be able to beat Detroit if they are playing like this, because Detroit is smart. Detroit is a smart, veteran team with good experience together. They may be missing Ben Wallace, but they still have the core of their championship teams with Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Rasheed. They also possess experience winning championships, as well as experience exposing the weaknesses of just about any other NBA team. The Celtics are in trouble, while Detroit, barring serious injury to Billups, may be in cruise control for another NBA Finals trip.

2 Games & 2 Coaches

Saturday featured two Eastern Conference playoff games with Orlando hosting Detroit and Cleveland returning home to host the Boston Celtics. It wasn't pretty for Boston or Hedo Turkoglu though.

In the Detroit-Orlando game it came down to 8.9 seconds to go with the Pistons up by 1. For some reason the winning play was drawn up for Hedo Turkoglu. Not that he can't score or hasn't won games before, but you'd have to wonder why Dwight Howard can't be "the Man" when it comes to final shots down low. True, there is a "Hack a Howard" going on, due to the fact he can't hit free throws. But he is capable of putting the ball in the hoop when he's down low. Either way, Turkoglu's drive resulted in a botched layup which bounced off the backboard/rim area and gave Detroit a slim victory. Detroit now commands with a 3-1 series lead which they can close out next week.

In the late night game it was the Boston Celtics against the Cleveland Cavs. Cleveland came out extremely hot at home, and was up by over 20 at some points. The Celtics seemed lackluster and two of their former roster, Delonte West and Wally Sczerbiak put a hurting on them. The Cavs ended up with a rout of the best team in the East, who oddly enough can't win playoff games on the road. I'd be quick to say this would hurt their title chances, but they have the best record in the NBA, giving them that homecourt advantage throughout.

Two coaches have also been assigned to new teams. Rick Carlisle will be at the helm in Dallas, while Mike D'Antoni will look to resurrect the New York Knicks. Good luck to both!

Billups Down, Kobe Up

Game 3 in Orlando featured Rashard Lewis scoring a career-playoff high of 33 points, while the Pistons suffered the loss of their PG leader, Chauncey Billups for most of the game. Billups went down with a strained right hamstring after stepping on Jameer Nelson's foot in the 1st quarter. An MRI will be done on Thursday, and Detroit coach Flip Saunders said they are shooting for Billups to return Saturday for Game 4. Orlando stayed in control throughout most of Wednesday's game, up 12 at the half. Detroit started to come back in the third, closing the gap to just 4. But the Magic started off with an 11-0 run in the 4th. Dwight Howard finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks. Orlando wins 111-86 to get back into the series.

In the 2nd game of TNT"s slate, the Lakers hosted Utah for Game 2. Kobe Bryant held the MVP award high above his head prior to the contest, then hit an incredible shot which banked high off the backboard during the game. Kobe scored 34 tonight after receiving his award, with Derek Fisher adding 22. The Lakers took this game despite the Jazz trying to get back into it several times. Los Angeles has yet to lose during the playoffs which goes to show just how good a team they are this season.

It seems like a Celtics vs. Lakers Finals may be inevitable as both teams push forward through the competition.

The NBA's Clock Error

During Game 2 of the Pistons versus Magic series, there was about 5 seconds left on the clock, quarter 3. The ball was inbounded, went up the full court, and eventually a 3 pointer was hit by Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups, to give the Pistons a 2 point advantage. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and crew weren't pleased with the refs' decision to let the shot count, but the refs had no choice. Pistons win 100-93, Magic go down 2 games to none. The NBA just a few days later admits it, there was a screwup, and Billups' 3 should have been no good.

Let's face it, first off the Pistons are the better of the two teams, and playing some of the best basketball in the playoffs right now. It's a 7 game series, which gives Dwight and the Magic plenty of opportunity to recover. But the stuck clock issue is the sort of thing that can make or break a team in a game, as it gave the Pistons the lead and momentum which they continued with into the 4th. A whistle should have blown immediately to stop play, but for some reason the refs just let it go. Excuses can't be made for the Magic loss, the rules are the rules...but hopefully the NBA will look into changing this one as it could hurt a team during important contests.

Related story: Pistons & Hornets Up 2-0.