ALASKA ACES FORTIFIES BID WITH JASON FORTE

The Alaska Aces, fresh from securing the services of promising big man Jay-R Reyes in a blockbuster trade that sent regular Joe DeVance to the Air21 Express, is bringing in an old face as import reinforcement in the coming PBA Governor’s Cup. The Aces has tapped the services of the 6-4 former Express import Jason Forte in this season’s final conference. Forte played two games for the Express during the 2009-10 Governor’s Cup, wherein he averaged 23.0 ppg, 16.5 rpg and 3.0 apg. A hometown native of Mississippi, Forte played three college ball seasons for the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. He averaged 4.0 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 76 total outings for the Golden Eagles. This past season, Forte played 33 games for the BC Mures Targu-Mures squad in the Romanian and Balkan Leagues, respectively, while submitting impressive norms of 17.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Aces head coach Tim Cone says he is excited with the kind of energy Forte will bring to the Alaska team. The 27 year-old Forte is described as a very versatile and athletic kind of player, according to the Southern Mississippi Men’s Basketball official website.

“Very versatile player who adds depth in the backcourt and on the front line. One of the more athletic players on the team. The strongest player in the weight room.”

PETRON BLAZE SETTLES FOR RICKY HARRIS

After failing to land top prospect and NBA veteran guard Will Conroy, the Petron Blaze Boosters settled for the young and wily former University of Massachusetts Minutemen star point guard Ricky Harris as its reinforcement for the PBA’s Governor’s Cup set to start on June 12. The 23 year-old Baltimore native is fresh from a stint in the Euro circuit where he played for the Siauliai club in the Lithuanian league and also saw action for Ferro-ZNTU in the Ukrainian League. Harris played four seasons with the Minutemen and submitted norms of 15.2 points-per-game in 129 total games. Harris was described as the best player of the Minutemen during his senior year, according to The Rookie Wall.

“The 6’ 2” guard was far and away the best player for the University of Massachusetts Minutemen this year, and was really one of their all-time greats.  As a sophomore, he burst onto the scene scoring over 18 points per game, up from just four points as a freshman, on his way to winning the Atlantic 10’s Most Improved Player award.  As a junior, he had a repeat performance of his sophomore year, again averaging 18 points despite seeing more attention from opposing defenses.  As a senior, Harris led the team in minutes played, points, assists, and steals despite seeing constant double teams as the opposition dared other players to beat them.”

SMART GILAS: STILL FAR FROM BEING FEARSOME

It was a very disappointing performance so far for the Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas in the ongoing 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup at the PhilSports arena in Pasig City. The Nationals struggled for form in the first half of their game against the second-rate Kuala Lumpur Dragons of Malaysia before playing solidly in the final half to win, 95-64. The Dragons, which almost relied solely on its two imports Chris Ayer and Mike Morrison, led the Gilas, 40-39 at the half. With only four months to go before the FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifiers, it looks like coach Rajko Toroman’s charges are still far from being a well-oiled machine gunning for the sole regional spot for the London Games. Toroman says their unfamiliarity with the Dragons game contributed to the team’s anemic showing in the first half.

“We didn’t know anything about Malaysia and we’re playing bad in the first half, that’s why we struggled. But I told them at the break that we should play like we used to – be aggressive and run like hell.”

Video: 2011 NBA FINALS PREVIEW - MIAMI HEAT VS. DALLAS MAVERICKS.

SLAM PHL EDITION IS FINALLY HERE!

Believe it or not, SLAM Magazine, which is widely considered the b-ball bible of hoop junkies, has its Philippine edition now. The maiden issue of the PHL edition is the July 2011 or the issue number 149, which had the up-and-coming high school stars Michael GilChrist, Austin Rivers and Anthony Davis on the cover. Filipino flavor is truly evident with a small Philippine flag seen on the banner of the cover. The said issue also features interesting articles on Filipino college star Kiefer Ravena, the Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas and Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings all-star Ronald Tubid. The good thing with the PHL edition is that it has all the contents of the current US edition and it sells a lot lower at Php 200.00 a copy compared to the Php 450.00 for the US edition. I got my copy yesterday at Fully Booked store in Mall of Asia. SLAM Philippines editor-in-chief Dong Magsajo is truly excited with the many positive things that the localized version of SLAM can bring to Filipino hoop fans.

“Well, SLAM PHILIPPINES is the localized version of the world’s best basketball magazine. And we sure as hell have no intention of making it anything other than the world’s best basketball magazine- except, this iteration will have more local flavor.”

Video: RECAP OF HEAT WIN OVER THE BULLS, 83-80 (ECF GAME 5)

THE HEAT IS NOW MORE THAN A ONE-MAN SHOW

During the 2006 NBA finals, the Dallas Mavericks went to an early 2-0 series lead before a one-man wrecking crew in Dwyane Wade brought a sweep of the next four games to win the championship for the Miami Heat. Fast forward to 2011, the Heat demolished the Chicago Bulls, 83-80, to win the Eastern Conference finals series and set a title rematch with the Mavericks. But unlike five years ago, the Heat are going into the championship series with the tag of being the favorites to win it all. The Heat won the 2006 title all because of Wade and now, the South Beach outfit has become a three-headed monster with the addition of future hall-of-famers LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Despite winning the East, James, who top-scored anew with 28 points in their series-clinching win over Bulls, remain cautious going into the finals against the dangerous Mavericks. He says there are still lot of works to do for them to win this year’s Larry O’Brien trophy, according to the Associated Press.

“There’s no sense of relief right now. We still have lots of work to do. We have a little bit of time tomorrow to go over what we accomplished. We don’t take for granted this win and being Eastern Conference champion. We have a lot of work to do still and we look forward to the challenge.”

WILL MAURICE BAKER LEADS TNT TO A GRAND SLAM?

The Talk N Text Tropang Texters are courting history this coming Governor’s Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise is bidding to become only the fourth team in local pro league history to win the grand slam after Crispa (1976, 1983), San Miguel (1989) and Alaska Milk (1996). The Texters had earlier won this year’s All-Filipino and Commissioner’s Cup conferences and it seems they are on their way for a triple-crown finish. Currently, TNT’s local crew is one of the most deepest rosters in the league but the main key to their elusive dream is the team’s import reinforcement in the season-ending third conference. An import can make or break a team’s campaign in the PBA. The Texters has reportedly signed Maurice Baker for the Governor’s Cup. Baker is a 6-1 dynamo and a native of Granite City, Illinois. He played college ball at Oklahoma State University but was not drafted in the NBA after his graduation. However, Baker suited up as a free-agent for the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers in the latter part of the 2004-05 season. Baker, 31, made his mark in the NBA D-League, seeing action for the Dakota Wizards in five seasons. He has career norms of 12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 4.8 apg in 196 total games for the Wizards. Baker also saw action for the Ola Verde de Poza Rica Ver squad in the Mexican pro league last season. He averaged 13.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 4.5 apg in 22 total outings. Baker had his moment during the 2008 NBA D-league Showcase when he exploded for 41 points in a victory over the Iowa Energy, according to Draft Express.

“Maurice was phenomenal in his first game of the Showcase. He scored 41 points on a variety of plays, and was perfect from the line, shooting a whopping 17 of 17. He punished the Iowa defenders by knocking down open jumpers off of screens and curls and drew contact on the defender for several and-1 opportunities. Clearly we’re talking about an extremely versatile scorer with outstanding instincts for putting the ball in the net.”

ALL ROADS LEAD TO PASIG CITY

Finally, big time international hoop championship returns to Manila after a six-year absence. The 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup reels off tomorrow at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City with ten countries vying for the prestigious title of this annual event. Mahram of Iran won last year’s championship over host Al Rayyan of Qatar. This year’s edition will see both teams landing in the same group during the preliminary round. Group A will be made up of Duhok (Iraq), ASU (Jordan), Kuala Lumpur Dragons (Malaysia), host Smart Gilas Nationals and Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia). Mahram and Al Rayyan leads Group B with Al Riyadi (Lebanon), Al Jala'a (Syria) and Al Shabab (United Arab Emirates). Imports seeing action are Darren Keely and Vladislav Dragajlovic of Al Ittihad, Samaki Walker and Jamaal Miller of Al Jala’a, Chauncey Leslie and Ousseynou Ndiaye of Al Rayyan, Loren Woods and William Carl Pharis of Al Riyadi, Courtney Fields of Al Shabab, Ryan Forehan-Kelly and ex-PBA import Jameel Watkins of ASU, Marcus Morrison and Christopher Martin Ayer of KL Dragons, ex-Smart Gilas stalwart CJ Giles of Duhok and Christopher Williams and Samb Chikh of the defending champions Mahram. Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas will be bannered by naturalized citizen Marcus Douthit, PBA standouts Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros and regulars Chris Tiu, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz and Mark Barroca. The Gilas squad are setting their sights on the championship this year following a dismal 7th place finished last year. Games will be shown locally on IBC-13 via TV 5 Sports. The following is the complete schedule of the preliminary games:

28/05/2011 1 1400 PhilSports PR – A Duhok (IRQ) vs. ASU (JOR)

28/05/2011 2 1600 PhilSports PR – B Al Jala'a (SYR) vs. Mahram (IRI)

28/05/2011 3 1800 PhilSports PR – A Smart Gilas (PHI) vs. Al Ittihad (KSA)

28/05/2011 4 2000 PhilSports PR – B Al Shabab (UAE) vs.Al Riyadi (LIB)

29/05/2011 5 1400 PhilSports PR – A Al Ittihad (KSA) vs. Duhok (IRQ)

29/05/2011 6 1600 PhilSports PR – B Al Rayyan (QAT) vs. Al Jala'a (SYR)

29/05/2011 7 1800 PhilSports PR – A KL Dragons (MAS) vs. Smart Gilas (PHI)

29/05/2011 8 2000 PhilSports PR – B Mahram (IRI) vs.  Al Shabab (UAE)

30/05/2011 9 1400 PhilSports PR – A ASU (JOR) vs. Al Ittihad (KSA)

30/05/2011 10 1600 PhilSports PR – A Duhok (IRQ) vs. KL Dragons (MAS)

30/05/2011 11 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Riyadi (LIB) vs. Mahram (IRI)

30/05/2011 12 2000 PhilSports PR – B Al Shabab (UAE) vs. Al Rayyan (QAT)

31/05/2011 13 1400 PhilSports PR – B Al Jala'a (SYR) vs. Al Shabab (UAE)

31/05/2011 14 1600 PhilSports PR – A KL Dragons (MAS) vs. ASU (JOR)

31/05/2011 15 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Rayyan (QAT) vs. Al Riyadi (LIB)

31/05/2011 16 2000 PhilSports PR – A Smart Gilas (PHI) vs. Duhok (IRQ)

01/06/2011 17 1400 PhilSports PR – A Al Ittihad (KSA) vs. KL Dragons (MAS)

01/06/2011 18 1600 PhilSports PR – B Mahram (IRI) vs. Al Rayyan (QAT)

01/06/2011 19 1800 PhilSports PR – B Al Riyadi (LIB) vs. Al Jala'a (SYR)

01/06/2011 20 2000 PhilSports PR – A ASU (JOR) vs. Smart Gilas (PHI)

Video: RECAP OF MAVERICKS WIN OVER THE THUNDER, 100-96 (WCF GAME 5)

CHUCK IS AT IT AGAIN!

Popular TNT NBA studio analyst Charles Barkley continues to bash the Miami Heat and it seems there is no stopping the outspoken Basketball Hall-of-Famer. Barkley has been criticizing the Heat ever since LeBron James made his infamous “Decision-Day” last summer when James left his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers to form a high-powered and fearsome triumvirate with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. Now, Barkley is not only after the Heat but he is going after the popular shoe brand Nike as well, according to the Miami Herald.

“I don’t know if Dwyane’s upset with me, but I don’t sit around and worry about it. These athletes today are all wussified. I’ve been saying LeBron’s been the best player in the league for three years. And I say one thing criticizing The Decision, and I get a phone call from Nike saying why don’t I like LeBron? It’s interesting how this [expletive] works. These groups today, if you don’t say 100 percent positive about their guy or their team, they overreact.”

ANDREA AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE

Toronto Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani had finally spoken. Rumors have it that the 7-0 Italian power forward is on the verge of leaving the Raptors for a chance to play with a winning team. The 25 year-old Rome native, who was the first pick over-all in the 2006 draft by the Raptors, has played a total of 367 games in five seasons with the Maple Leaf outfit. He submitted norms of 21.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg in 66 games last season. Bargnani says he loves the City of Toronto so much that he is set to continue improving himself for next season wars, according to The Score.

“I wish to personally clarify and correct an inaccurate portrayal of my words that recently appeared in the media. Much of what I said was taken out of context with respect to an entire conversation. I want to make clear my love for Toronto and that I consider the city a second home. I never said that I want to leave Toronto and I’m sorry if fans interpreted the inaccuracy that way. I am proud to represent Toronto and the Raptors organization. I appreciate what Bryan Colangelo and the organization has done for me during the past five years of my career. I will always continue to work to improve myself as a player in an effort to reward the organization and our fans with the best team possible.”

J-KIDD: THE BIG DIFFERENCE

Now that the Dallas Mavericks are in their second finals stint in five years, what would the fans expect as they gear up for a possible title rematch with the Miami Heat, which is just a game away from winning the Eastern Conference title? A lot of things have changed since the Heat defeated the Mavericks, 4-2 in the 2006 NBA finals. Of course, Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki are still there to lead their respective teams. But all-stars  LeBron James and Chris Bosh has since relocated to South Beach to give Wade the much needed support in firepower. On the other hand, veteran guard Jason Kidd will be playing in his first title series since moving in from the New Jersey Nets to the Mavericks. Back in ’06, the Mavericks lead guards were Jason Terry and the now-departed Devin Harris. Kidd could be the big difference for Dallas between their 2006 squad and their present team. The 6-4 San Francisco native, who at 38 remains the league’s yardstick for promising point guards, has been doing it all for the Mavericks. His leadership and over-all presence is a great compliment to the offensive games of Nowitzki, Terry and Shawn Marion. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins once said that Kidd is one player who plays with a lot of passion and loves winning. The ageless wonder could be the winner that Dallas needs to win it all in 2011.

“He plays with passion, he plays with love, he’s a winner. He’s going to win games for you. He transforms a whole team.”

Video: RECAP OF HEAT OT WIN OVER THE BULLS, 101-93 (ECF GAME 4)

LEBRON IS SIMPLY UNSTOPPABLE!

LeBron James is a man on a mission and that is to silence his critics once and for all. James exploded for 35 points to lead the Miami Heat to an exhilarating 101-93 overtime victory over the reeling Chicago Bulls and take a commanding 3-1 series advantage in the Western Conference finals series. So dominating is James, who combined with Chris Bosh for 57 points, that he did not only excel in offense but in the defensive end as well. Bulls star and current league MVP Derrick Rose had the chance to wrap up the game in regulation, but his his jumper in the dying seconds had gone haywire all because of James outstanding defense. The Bulls out-rebounded the Heat, 42-41 but Miami out-hustled Chicago down the stretch to nail down the all-important win. After Udonis Haslem’s heroics in game three, another Heat bench player played a solid role in Mike Miller, who pumped in 12 points. The Heat can now close out the series in game five in Chicago. James says he is just too happy even though it took an extra five minutes to win the game, according to the Associated Press.

“Even though it took an extra five minutes, we held serve.”

Video: MIAMI HEAT - STOP D-ROSE, STOP THE BULLS

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=d3001e17-5f4d-45ba-97e0-3e42badaf02f" target="_new" title="">Turning up Heat on Rose</a>

Video: BULLS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=04487884-3332-4ed2-9549-a90c4e37967c" target="_new" title="">Bulls look to bounce back</a>

Video: RECAP OF MAVERICKS OT WIN OVER THE THUNDER, 112-105 (WCF GAME 4)

RUBIO HAS TO DECIDE NOW

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is starting to lose patience with their 2009 number five draft choice over-all, whiz guard Ricky Rubio. Despite being drafted, the 6-4 20-year old Spanish wonder boy has not seen a single minute of action for the T-Wolves. Instead, he has been toiling in the Spanish league for the last two seasons. Rubio thinks he has to know first if there will be a lockout or an NBA season at that, before he makes a decision on whether to play for Minnesota next season. Taylor on the other hand says Rubio has to decide now or before the NBA draft in June and no need to wait if there will be a lockout or not, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“That is the question. He's asking how that (lockout) might affect him, if we don't play or if we will play. And our answer is, 'We won't know the answer to that question. You're going to have to make your decision before that. We (NBA owners) are negotiating with the players right now. We're hopeful we'll play. But I don't want to guarantee him that because there's no way that I know that.”

OKC IN MONUMENTAL COLLAPSE

(AP Photo)

The Oklahoma City Thunder did not know what hit them in the final five minutes of  regulation in game four of the Western Conference finals series. Up by 15 points, 99-84, the Thunder were outscored 17-2 by the Dallas Mavericks to force overtime. With the momentum strongly in their favor, the Mavs handily won the game in the extension period, 112-105 and built an insurmountable 3-1 series lead. It was one of the biggest collapses in playoff history and OKC may have kissed their finals bid goodbye with the heartbreaking defeat as game five now shifts to Dallas. For the second time in the series, Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki hit the 40-point mark to lead the Dallas attack. The 7-0 “German Bomber” says believing in themselves, great team rebounding and having great stops in the clutch helped them win the crucial game, according to the Associated Press.

“We kept believing. I think finally we got some rebounds. I think that was killing us all night long. We got second-chance points, tipouts. In the last couple minutes we got great stops, finally got some rebounds, and it really helped us (with) our flow. They couldn’t really guard us off the transition and we needed to get some stops and that was big down the stretch.”

NBA VET CONROY TO BOOST PETRON BLAZE?

There are strong rumors that NBA veteran guard Will Conroy is set to see action for the Petron Blaze Boosters (formerly San Miguel Beermen) in the Third Conference of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) starting June 12. The 6-2 former University of Washington Huskies star played for three teams in his short NBA career. Conroy, 28, played a total of 12 games during the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons, submitting norms of 0.5 ppg, 1.3 apg and 0.8 rpg while seeing action for the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets. The Portland native also displayed his wares in the NBA D-League, wherein he played 181 total games and averaged 18.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 8.6 apg. He had a distinguished college career with the Huskies which was highlighted by a 32-point performance against Gonzaga in 2002. Conroy also invaded the Euro leagues, having played with the Virtus Bologna and Olimpia Milano of the Italian League in 2007-08 and with Oyak Renault of the Turkish League in 2010-11, respectively. Conroy’s strong points includes great court vision and a good eye in finding the open man, according to Draft Express.

“Conroy was at his best in transition, where the Huskies were lethal against opposing teams. He controlled tempo and got the ball to the myriad scorers he teamed with. He has great court vision and puts passes on the money, giving his teammates a chance to get good shots. When he gets into the lane, Conroy usually looks for his own shot, and he made an impressive 56.4% of his two-point shots. He likes to use a floater in the lane to much success.”

CHRIS BOSH COMES OUT BIG IN GAME 3 WIN

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=d4cef0fb-ded1-4ab5-beb2-41479d05f634" target="_new" title="">Bosh comes up big in Game 3</a>

PACIFIC RIMS: ONE GREAT HOOPS BOOK

I woke up this morning feeling a bit under the weather, so I decided to skip work and rest my aching body. But instead of having a restful day, I got glued in finishing the book entitled “Pacific Rims” by certified American hoop junkie Rafe Batholomew. I swear that once you get a hand on it, it will be very difficult to put it down. Through the years, I have read countless basketball books but this one is something special maybe it’s because this 384-page hardcover wonder touches everything about the rich history of Philippine hoops. What made it really interesting is that the author chronicled his inputs on the behind-the-scenes in following a championship season with PBA’s Alaska Milk Aces, which happens to be my fave local pro club (after the disbandment of the fabled Toyota Super Corollas squad). The locker-room heated confrontation between the Aces head coach Tim Cone and his prized-import Rosell Ellis during halftime of game five of Alaska’ run towards the PBA Fiesta Conference title in 2007 was really one the highlights of Bartholomew’s masterpiece.

Ellis: “Fuck that! You ain’t got shit! You guys (coaching staff) just stand there collecting a check. What are you guys here for? You don’t say nothing! When a guy comes out the game, tell him what he did wrong or tell him what he needs to do. Don’t just be sitting there. That’s what the goddamn fans are for!”

Cone: “Fuck you Roe!” (Cone shouted, defending his staff, and from there the two faced off in an obscenity-riddled, two-minute tete-a-tete as the Filipino players and assistant coaches, most of whom adhered to cultural values of saving face and eschewing confrontation, watched in horror.)

Ellis: “Yeah, get the fuck out of here! Run, you pussies!”

Cone: (Even though Cone agreed with Roe’s analysis of the game, the coach couldn’t allow a player to challenge him.) “He (Ellis) painted me into a corner where I have to come out swinging. If I don’t, I could lose whatever respect I have with the rest of the players.”

Video: RECAP OF HEAT WIN OVER THE BULLS, 96-85 (ECF GAME 3)

Video: RECAP OF MAVERICKS WIN OVER THE THUNDER, 93-87 (WCF GAME 3)

Video: DURANT'S MONSTER DUNK IN GAME 2 VS. THE MAVS

Video: RECAP OF THUNDER WIN OVER THE MAVERICKS, 106-100 (GAME 2)

HARDEN PROVES WORTH IN GAME TWO WIN

(AP Photo)

James Harden had just made Jason Terry ate his words following an explosive performance in game two of the Western Conference finals series. Harden waxed hot all-game long as he scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished off four assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder waylaid the Dallas Mavericks, 106-100, to even up the series at two wins apiece. Terry, who is the starting shooting guard of the Mavs, declared that he will outscore the Harden and the entire Thunder bench in the series. Terry finished with just 8 points and zero assist. Harden even scored his second 4-point play in the series. Thunder hitman Kevin Durant, who topscored for OKC with 24 points, was all praised for the performance of Harden and other surprise packages like Eric Maynor, Nick Collison and Daequan Cook, according to the Associated Press.

“They’ve been playing hard all year for us and this was another example.”

Video: THUNDER EYES EQUALIZER

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=21d36e09-95e2-4773-a4a5-195acb3707ee" target="_new" title="">Thunder ready to strike</a>

Video: RECAP OF HEAT WIN OVER THE BULLS, 85-75 (GAME 2)

UDONIS HASLEM: THE KEY TO HEAT’S TITLE ASPIRATIONS

(Getty Images)

If you think the celebrated trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are enough to win the NBA championship for the Miami Heat this season well, better think again. If coach Erik Spoelstra’s charges are going all the way to the NBA finals, they need a strong and intimidating defensive presence to make it happen and that’s where the name of Udonis Haslem comes in. The 6-8 former University of Florida standout, who along with Wade are the only remaining members of the 2006 Heat championship squad,  played his best game since coming back from an injury that sidelined him for the last 69 games of the past regular season wars. This is just his third game in the ongoing playoffs. Haslem was the only player aside from the Heat triumvirate to score in double figures in their game two win over the Bulls. He pumped in 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot in 23 minutes of action. Spoelstra says this is the right time to use a battle-tested player like Haslem in the most crucial series of the post-season play, according to the Associated Press.

“I talked to him (Haslem) two days ago, and there was a look in his eye. I’ve been through a lot of battles with that warrior, and I knew it was time to put him in.”

LEBRON’S SUDDEN IMPACT LEVELS OFF SERIES

LeBron James made up for his anemic showing in the series opener as he provided the necessary power to lift the Miami Heat to an emphatic 85-75 thrashing of the Chicago Bulls to even up the Eastern Conference finals series at one-game apiece. James, who scored a measly 15 points in game one, erupted for 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and scored the go-ahead 3-point basket after the Bulls came roaring back from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 73-all. So tight was the defense of the Heat as the Bulls were limited to only two points in the last 7:16 of the game. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra made the necessary defensive adjustment as Miami out-rebounded Chicago, 45-41 in game two. James says winning a game in Chicago in the first two games is vital as the series now shifts to South Beach for games three and four, according to the Associated Press.

“The series has just started. It’s 1-1. We’re excited that we were able to come here and get a win. But it’s just started.”

Video: HEAT PREPARES FOR GAME 2 COMEBACK

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=236462cb-1245-4e3e-9135-653592b1c1ba" target="_new" title="">Heat gearing up for Game 2</a>

Video: RECAP OF MAVERICKS WIN OVER THE THUNDER, 121-112 (GAME 1)

JASON TERRY TO OKC: BRING’EM ALL!

NBA sixth-man winner Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers were his earlier victims. Now, everyone is hyping up the match-up between grizzled veteran Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks against up-and-coming sentinel James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series. Call it being arrogant but Terry is oozing with confidence when he said that he can handle not only Harden but the entire Thunder bench in this series, according to ESPN.

“I’m trying to outperform their entire bench. That’s what I do. Whichever bench comes to play and outplays the other one, the other team has the advantage.”

LEBRON IS STILL THE MAN

Call him anything you want but LeBron James is still the man that brings money to the table. It is not only the Miami Heat that cashes in on James but the league itself. It is no wonder LeBron’s former employer Dan Gilbert acted like it was the end of the world when James left his Cleveland Cavaliers for South Beach in a drama-filled scenario last summer. Well, James and the Heat has made history once again as their Eastern Finals series opening game against the Chicago Bulls was recorded as the most-viewed NBA game ever in cable television history, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“So who's watching? LeBron James' new hometown, his old hometown, and seemingly everybody else. TNT, the cable network that is carrying this Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, announced Monday that Sunday's Game 1 was the most-viewed NBA game in the history of cable television, based on total viewership. According to a release from the network, 11.1 million viewers watched all or part of the Bulls' 103-82 victory at the United Center.”

KIDD AIN’T RETIRING YET

Jason Kidd belongs to a different kind of specimen. He is not the ordinary kind of an athlete whose skills has constantly deteriorated upon reaching the age of 38 years old. Just look at where he is right now, the lead point guard of the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kidd knows this is his best chance to finally win a championship and what a way if ever, considering that he is still at the top of his game. Kidd says he still has a year left in his current contract and retirement is still the farthest thing in his mind, according to Dallas Basketball.

“Nope, I’m not retiring. I think that’s a misunderstanding on somebody’s part. But I’ve got a year left ($8.5 mil for 2011-12) on this contract. We’ll see what happens after that. But no, no retirement plans. They might be right. But the big thing is there might be a lot of jealously that I’m still playing at 38.”

DIRK MADE THE RIGHT DECISION

(AP Photo)

Apart from LeBron’s D-Day last summer, Dirk Nowitzki’s decision to stay with the Dallas Mavericks comes in a close second. It’s because the “German Bomber” knew he made the right one. He could have joined the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls or even the Oklahoma City Thunder but chooses the only team that he had played for since his rookie year. He strongly believes that the Mavericks have the tools needed to finally nail the big one, the NBA title. Now, that decision is reaping dividends. The Mavericks are in the Western Conference finals and had just won the opener of their best-of-seven series against the Thunder. Thanks to Nowitzki’s incredible display of marksmanship that netted him 48 big points (including a record 24 straight free throws). Nowitzki says his teammates' big trust and confidence in him and defensive mismatches help secured game one for the Mavericks, according to Yahoo! Sports.

“I was really looking to shoot early and was able to get my rhythm after the first couple of shots. I kept attacking and my teammates kept feeding me and feeding me and I was able to take advantage over some smaller players.”

RP SMART GILAS GUNS FOR FIBA-ASIA CHAMPS CUP TITLE

If the campaign of Team Pilipinas Smart Gilas in the forthcoming FIBA-Asia Champions Cup ends up outside the top two finalists, head coach Rajko Toroman will consider it a failure. That is how confident the Nationals are as they brace up for the 10-team tourney set to start on May 28 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. This is the final year of the three-year program aim to bring back the Philippines to the Olympiad cage circle in London next year. The Olympic qualifiers is scheduled this Septmber in China where only one slot is available for the London games. Naturalized citizen Marcus Douthit together with PBA reinforcements Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros spearheads Smart Gilas, which will be playing Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the opening day. Torman says the Asia Champs Cup is a tough competition but they hope not to disappoint their countrymen by finishing in the top two spots of the eight-day event.

“We’re aiming for a finals appearance at least and see what happens from there. We know the Filipino people are coming to watch and cheer for us and we don’t want to disappoint them. We have to be prepared because we know the competition is going to be tough.”

Video: BULLS PREPARE FOR GAME 2 VS. THE HEAT

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=00db112f-8488-48ed-9804-b26b934de792" target="_new" title="">Bulls begin Gm.2 prep</a>

GALLINARI: LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE NUGGETS

Danilo Gallinari loves it in Mile High City. This past regular season is a memorable one for the 6-10 native of Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy. He had his first trade transaction in his young 3-year NBA career when the New York Knicks included him in the package for Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets last February. But like a true pro, Gallo (as he is fondly called by his teammates) strive harder to prove his worth with the Nuggets and he went on to average 14.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg in 14 outings with his new team. He also saw action in five playoff games with Denver wherein he posted 12.4 ppg and 3.4 rpg. Gallinari, who is set to play for Italy in the coming Euro Basket, says he is looking forward for a better year with the Nuggets next season under the tutelage of coach George Karl, whom he respects so much, according to Sportando.

“Regarding my next season, I know that the management in Denver wants for me a more important role. I am ready and I hope next season will be good for me and the team. It is a honour for me to be coached by George Karl. He is a winner.”

GRIZZLIES TRIES TO HOLD ON TO MARC GASOL

After a sizzling performance in the playoffs, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will surely be one of the hottest commodities in the free-agent market this coming off-season. The 7-1 native of Barcelona and younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers star Pau Gasol surprised a lot of pundits with his tough stand while patrolling the paint for Memphis in the 13 games he played in the post-season, while submitting norms of 15.0 ppg, 11.2 rpg and 2.2 bpg in 39.9 minutes of playing time.  Grizzlies owner Michael Heinsley knows a lot of teams will now be after the services of Gasol, who is set to become a restricted free-agent this summer, and he is ready to match any offer that comes his way, according to ESPN.

“Marc will decide whether he wants to be here. We will aggressively go after him. He's a restricted free agent, so we can match whatever's out there. But obviously if Marc wants to leave, I'm going to have a different attitude than if he wants to stay. I hope he wants to stay. And after what we've done in the playoffs, I think he will.”

Video: MAVERICKS-THUNDER WEST FINALS PREVIEW

Video: HEAT-BULLS EAST FINALS PREVIEW

Video: INSIDER'S VIEW ON THE DALLAS-OKC WESTERN FINALS SERIES

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=c661e6db-590a-44c0-a63b-6ae0f032d4c8" target="_new" title="">Playoff Preview: OKC/DAL</a>

Video: WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE CELTICS?

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