[GS/UTA] Western Semifinals
- Thread starter nebs
- Start date
kirilenko is something else. 13 blocks in 2 games. did brad even have 13 blocks all season 
Just found this: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2007050926
After the game Wednesday, he told how serious 10-month-old Tatum's condition was. She has retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer that required a three-hour combination of surgery and chemotherapy at New York's Presbyterian Hospital.
"My daughter's doing well," Fisher said. "We had a successful operation in New York and I flew back and got off the plane and came to the game. I'm speechless."
After the game Wednesday, he told how serious 10-month-old Tatum's condition was. She has retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer that required a three-hour combination of surgery and chemotherapy at New York's Presbyterian Hospital.
"My daughter's doing well," Fisher said. "We had a successful operation in New York and I flew back and got off the plane and came to the game. I'm speechless."
They boo every single whistle, even if it's an obvious foul. If any call whatsoever goes against the Jazz, everyone in the arena starts complaining and then boos whichever Golden State player was involved in the play.
And then there's this:
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02/14/a-life-sentence-would-be-too-kind-for-rafael-araujo/
I didn't know they were that bad until this series got started.
And then there's this:
http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02/14/a-life-sentence-would-be-too-kind-for-rafael-araujo/
I didn't know they were that bad until this series got started.
Classless is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Personally, Philadelphia would get my nod...
But this isn't about the "class" level of the fans.
I'd like to get back to Derek Fisher for a moment. Talk about being torn between family and team. I applaud him for staying with his family and only leaving once the operation was over and this comment really stood out to me:
I didn't like Fisher as a Laker, but my respect for him as a human being and a parent just went through the roof.
But this isn't about the "class" level of the fans.
I'd like to get back to Derek Fisher for a moment. Talk about being torn between family and team. I applaud him for staying with his family and only leaving once the operation was over and this comment really stood out to me:
I didn't like Fisher as a Laker, but my respect for him as a human being and a parent just went through the roof.
Does anyone else find the noise level meter (decimal-whatever its called) annoying?
Its kind of like the theory of being cool? You don't have to say you're cool, you just are? Anyone get what I'm saying?
Its kind of like the theory of being cool? You don't have to say you're cool, you just are? Anyone get what I'm saying?
Guess they are trying to see if they can break Arco's world record of 130db.
Utah needs to slow it down more and shoot with 8 to 10 secs on the shot clock, they have the rebounding to do so and should do that to limit the Warriors fast break opportunities. With that said some of those calls in the first half on Williams and Fisher were horrible and the Warriors just got to hack the Jazz and no call.
GSW changed their strategy on defending Boozer in this game and stopped fronting him so that he couldn't get so many offensive boards...it appeared to have worked while I watched the game, but I thought that would've made Boozer more available for early offense, and he just wasn't in the flow at all until mid-way through the 3rd quarter.
From SI.com
Sweet surprise
Barnes stands out among overachieving Warriors
Posted: Thursday May 10, 2007 1:48AM; Updated: Thursday May 10, 2007 4:21PM
Matt Barnes is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games for the Warriors.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY -- Matt Barnes is a first bus kind of guy.
Strange as it sounds, the battered bus to the arena is the closest thing the NBA has to a status symbol. Generally speaking, the visiting team makes the hotel-to-arena trek on two buses: the first, which usually arrives three hours before tip-off, contains mainly bench players, reserves who know that the practice they get before the game will almost certainly be the most work they get all night.
Starters rarely arrive on the first bus, choosing instead to take the second shuttle that gets them there about 90 minutes prior to the start. Yet there was Barnes, Golden State's lanky forward, on the EnergySolutions Arena floor, firing jump shots some 2½ hours before his team took the court for Game 2. That's starting forward Matt Barnes.
On a team filled with overachievers, Barnes just might win the fictional Mark Anthony award for his surprising success. An end-of-the-bench player for the bulk of his four-year career, Barnes has thrived in the Warriors' helter-skelter system, posting career highs during the regular season in points (9.8), rebounds (4.6) and assists (2.1). After recording just 10 three-pointers in the three previous seasons, Barnes finished 2006-07 with 106, the second most on the team.
His circuitous route to semi-stardom included stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New York and, most recently, Philadelphia. The only consistency in Barnes' life was that each year ended the same: with a pat on the back and a push out the door. (Says one of Barnes' former coaches, "It wasn't just us that didn't see this kind of play in him. Three other teams were morons about Matt Barnes.")
It was Barnes's stint with the 76ers, however, that had the most profound impact on his career. In 2005-06, Barnes played in 50 games for Philadelphia, averaging three points in 10.8 minutes. He also developed what can best be described as an acrimonious relationship with Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks. According to Barnes, Cheeks would frequently degrade him, resulting in his confidence sinking to an all-time low.
"He's the biggest a------ in the world," says Barnes. "He talked to me like I wasn't a man. Other players saw it and would tell me, 'Don't let him talk to you like that.' "
After the season, Barnes seriously considered quitting basketball. An All-America wide receiver in high school, Barnes even contemplated a career in professional football, saying he had "seven or eight" NFL teams interested in bringing him in for a tryout.
"I was real close [to quitting]," says Barnes. "My teammates knew it. My friends knew it. My agent knew it. I was done."
Warriors coach Don Nelson did not know it. Nelson liked the versatility the 6-foot-7 Barnes presented and brought him in for a series of workouts last summer. Barnes impressed Nelson enough to earn an invitation to training camp on a make-good contract.
"I didn't know him, but I knew of him," says Nelson. "I told him we needed a guy like him and said good luck. He's kind of a utility guy that does a little of everything, who can play more than one position, a player you can put in the game and not hurt you."
What Nelson also did not know was how hard Barnes had worked on his shooting last year in Philadelphia. That season Barnes worked with shooting coach Buzz Braman to remove the hitch in his jump shot. Once free from Philadelphia, Barnes continued to focus his attention on becoming a more lethal perimeter player.
"I owe that to [Cheeks] too," says Barnes sarcastically. "The stuff he did to me lit my fire. Whenever I was tired, I thought of him."
Whatever the motivation, the work seems to have paid off. Barnes has been an invaluable asset to the Warriors in the postseason both on offense (he is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games) and defense (he has guarded All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Carlos Boozer with varying degrees of success). His perseverance is reflected in his choice of body art: "Believe" is tattooed to the right side of his neck in cursive letters.
Nelson clearly believes in Barnes, a faith that is reinforced by Barnes' big play in, well, big moments. In the final two minutes of Game 2, Barnes came up with a key offensive rebound, took a charge from Boozer and hit a clutch jump shot from the top of the key.
Still, Barnes sees plenty of room for improvement, which is why we shouldn't expect that first bus to leave without him. That is, of course, unless it doesn't leave early enough.
"I'm not even a first bus guy, I'm a cab guy," says Barnes with a laugh. "Some nights I can't get here
fast enough."
*(Opps, this SI article was posted a bit earlier under "Go Matt Barnes" but here's something worthwhile - interview with Matt by a guy who watched him since he was a freshman in H.S. and Matt talks about his upcoming free agency)
http://hoopsaddict.com/2007/05/01/nba-playoffs-player-interview-matt-barnes-golden-state-warriors/
Sweet surprise
Barnes stands out among overachieving Warriors
Posted: Thursday May 10, 2007 1:48AM; Updated: Thursday May 10, 2007 4:21PM
Matt Barnes is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games for the Warriors.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY -- Matt Barnes is a first bus kind of guy.
Strange as it sounds, the battered bus to the arena is the closest thing the NBA has to a status symbol. Generally speaking, the visiting team makes the hotel-to-arena trek on two buses: the first, which usually arrives three hours before tip-off, contains mainly bench players, reserves who know that the practice they get before the game will almost certainly be the most work they get all night.
Starters rarely arrive on the first bus, choosing instead to take the second shuttle that gets them there about 90 minutes prior to the start. Yet there was Barnes, Golden State's lanky forward, on the EnergySolutions Arena floor, firing jump shots some 2½ hours before his team took the court for Game 2. That's starting forward Matt Barnes.
On a team filled with overachievers, Barnes just might win the fictional Mark Anthony award for his surprising success. An end-of-the-bench player for the bulk of his four-year career, Barnes has thrived in the Warriors' helter-skelter system, posting career highs during the regular season in points (9.8), rebounds (4.6) and assists (2.1). After recording just 10 three-pointers in the three previous seasons, Barnes finished 2006-07 with 106, the second most on the team.
His circuitous route to semi-stardom included stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New York and, most recently, Philadelphia. The only consistency in Barnes' life was that each year ended the same: with a pat on the back and a push out the door. (Says one of Barnes' former coaches, "It wasn't just us that didn't see this kind of play in him. Three other teams were morons about Matt Barnes.")
It was Barnes's stint with the 76ers, however, that had the most profound impact on his career. In 2005-06, Barnes played in 50 games for Philadelphia, averaging three points in 10.8 minutes. He also developed what can best be described as an acrimonious relationship with Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks. According to Barnes, Cheeks would frequently degrade him, resulting in his confidence sinking to an all-time low.
"He's the biggest a------ in the world," says Barnes. "He talked to me like I wasn't a man. Other players saw it and would tell me, 'Don't let him talk to you like that.' "
After the season, Barnes seriously considered quitting basketball. An All-America wide receiver in high school, Barnes even contemplated a career in professional football, saying he had "seven or eight" NFL teams interested in bringing him in for a tryout.
"I was real close [to quitting]," says Barnes. "My teammates knew it. My friends knew it. My agent knew it. I was done."
Warriors coach Don Nelson did not know it. Nelson liked the versatility the 6-foot-7 Barnes presented and brought him in for a series of workouts last summer. Barnes impressed Nelson enough to earn an invitation to training camp on a make-good contract.
"I didn't know him, but I knew of him," says Nelson. "I told him we needed a guy like him and said good luck. He's kind of a utility guy that does a little of everything, who can play more than one position, a player you can put in the game and not hurt you."
What Nelson also did not know was how hard Barnes had worked on his shooting last year in Philadelphia. That season Barnes worked with shooting coach Buzz Braman to remove the hitch in his jump shot. Once free from Philadelphia, Barnes continued to focus his attention on becoming a more lethal perimeter player.
"I owe that to [Cheeks] too," says Barnes sarcastically. "The stuff he did to me lit my fire. Whenever I was tired, I thought of him."
Whatever the motivation, the work seems to have paid off. Barnes has been an invaluable asset to the Warriors in the postseason both on offense (he is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games) and defense (he has guarded All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Carlos Boozer with varying degrees of success). His perseverance is reflected in his choice of body art: "Believe" is tattooed to the right side of his neck in cursive letters.
Nelson clearly believes in Barnes, a faith that is reinforced by Barnes' big play in, well, big moments. In the final two minutes of Game 2, Barnes came up with a key offensive rebound, took a charge from Boozer and hit a clutch jump shot from the top of the key.
Still, Barnes sees plenty of room for improvement, which is why we shouldn't expect that first bus to leave without him. That is, of course, unless it doesn't leave early enough.
"I'm not even a first bus guy, I'm a cab guy," says Barnes with a laugh. "Some nights I can't get here
fast enough."
*(Opps, this SI article was posted a bit earlier under "Go Matt Barnes" but here's something worthwhile - interview with Matt by a guy who watched him since he was a freshman in H.S. and Matt talks about his upcoming free agency)
http://hoopsaddict.com/2007/05/01/nba-playoffs-player-interview-matt-barnes-golden-state-warriors/
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I remember when he played one of the best quarters of basketball I have ever seen anyone play against the Kings earlier this year and commenting on how incredible BD is when isn't injured. But the way he is playing in these playoffs is just on another level. This is what being an MVP should be about. Unfortunately they don't give awards for that during the playoffs.
Sweet surprise
Barnes stands out among overachieving Warriors
Posted: Thursday May 10, 2007 1:48AM; Updated: Thursday May 10, 2007 4:21PM
Matt Barnes is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games for the Warriors.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY -- Matt Barnes is a first bus kind of guy.
Strange as it sounds, the battered bus to the arena is the closest thing the NBA has to a status symbol. Generally speaking, the visiting team makes the hotel-to-arena trek on two buses: the first, which usually arrives three hours before tip-off, contains mainly bench players, reserves who know that the practice they get before the game will almost certainly be the most work they get all night.
Starters rarely arrive on the first bus, choosing instead to take the second shuttle that gets them there about 90 minutes prior to the start. Yet there was Barnes, Golden State's lanky forward, on the EnergySolutions Arena floor, firing jump shots some 2½ hours before his team took the court for Game 2. That's starting forward Matt Barnes.
On a team filled with overachievers, Barnes just might win the fictional Mark Anthony award for his surprising success. An end-of-the-bench player for the bulk of his four-year career, Barnes has thrived in the Warriors' helter-skelter system, posting career highs during the regular season in points (9.8), rebounds (4.6) and assists (2.1). After recording just 10 three-pointers in the three previous seasons, Barnes finished 2006-07 with 106, the second most on the team.
His circuitous route to semi-stardom included stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New York and, most recently, Philadelphia. The only consistency in Barnes' life was that each year ended the same: with a pat on the back and a push out the door. (Says one of Barnes' former coaches, "It wasn't just us that didn't see this kind of play in him. Three other teams were morons about Matt Barnes.")
It was Barnes's stint with the 76ers, however, that had the most profound impact on his career. In 2005-06, Barnes played in 50 games for Philadelphia, averaging three points in 10.8 minutes. He also developed what can best be described as an acrimonious relationship with Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks. According to Barnes, Cheeks would frequently degrade him, resulting in his confidence sinking to an all-time low.
"He's the biggest a------ in the world," says Barnes. "He talked to me like I wasn't a man. Other players saw it and would tell me, 'Don't let him talk to you like that.' "
After the season, Barnes seriously considered quitting basketball. An All-America wide receiver in high school, Barnes even contemplated a career in professional football, saying he had "seven or eight" NFL teams interested in bringing him in for a tryout.
"I was real close [to quitting]," says Barnes. "My teammates knew it. My friends knew it. My agent knew it. I was done."
Warriors coach Don Nelson did not know it. Nelson liked the versatility the 6-foot-7 Barnes presented and brought him in for a series of workouts last summer. Barnes impressed Nelson enough to earn an invitation to training camp on a make-good contract.
"I didn't know him, but I knew of him," says Nelson. "I told him we needed a guy like him and said good luck. He's kind of a utility guy that does a little of everything, who can play more than one position, a player you can put in the game and not hurt you."
What Nelson also did not know was how hard Barnes had worked on his shooting last year in Philadelphia. That season Barnes worked with shooting coach Buzz Braman to remove the hitch in his jump shot. Once free from Philadelphia, Barnes continued to focus his attention on becoming a more lethal perimeter player.
"I owe that to [Cheeks] too," says Barnes sarcastically. "The stuff he did to me lit my fire. Whenever I was tired, I thought of him."
Whatever the motivation, the work seems to have paid off. Barnes has been an invaluable asset to the Warriors in the postseason both on offense (he is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games) and defense (he has guarded All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Carlos Boozer with varying degrees of success). His perseverance is reflected in his choice of body art: "Believe" is tattooed to the right side of his neck in cursive letters.
Nelson clearly believes in Barnes, a faith that is reinforced by Barnes' big play in, well, big moments. In the final two minutes of Game 2, Barnes came up with a key offensive rebound, took a charge from Boozer and hit a clutch jump shot from the top of the key.
Still, Barnes sees plenty of room for improvement, which is why we shouldn't expect that first bus to leave without him. That is, of course, unless it doesn't leave early enough.
"I'm not even a first bus guy, I'm a cab guy," says Barnes with a laugh. "Some nights I can't get here
fast enough."
*(Opps, this SI article was posted a bit earlier under "Go Matt Barnes" but here's something worthwhile - interview with Matt by a guy who watched him since he was a freshman in H.S. and Matt talks about his upcoming free agency)
http://hoopsaddict.com/2007/05/01/nba-playoffs-player-interview-matt-barnes-golden-state-warriors/
Barnes stands out among overachieving Warriors
Posted: Thursday May 10, 2007 1:48AM; Updated: Thursday May 10, 2007 4:21PM
Matt Barnes is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games for the Warriors.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY -- Matt Barnes is a first bus kind of guy.
Strange as it sounds, the battered bus to the arena is the closest thing the NBA has to a status symbol. Generally speaking, the visiting team makes the hotel-to-arena trek on two buses: the first, which usually arrives three hours before tip-off, contains mainly bench players, reserves who know that the practice they get before the game will almost certainly be the most work they get all night.
Starters rarely arrive on the first bus, choosing instead to take the second shuttle that gets them there about 90 minutes prior to the start. Yet there was Barnes, Golden State's lanky forward, on the EnergySolutions Arena floor, firing jump shots some 2½ hours before his team took the court for Game 2. That's starting forward Matt Barnes.
On a team filled with overachievers, Barnes just might win the fictional Mark Anthony award for his surprising success. An end-of-the-bench player for the bulk of his four-year career, Barnes has thrived in the Warriors' helter-skelter system, posting career highs during the regular season in points (9.8), rebounds (4.6) and assists (2.1). After recording just 10 three-pointers in the three previous seasons, Barnes finished 2006-07 with 106, the second most on the team.
His circuitous route to semi-stardom included stops in Los Angeles, Sacramento, New York and, most recently, Philadelphia. The only consistency in Barnes' life was that each year ended the same: with a pat on the back and a push out the door. (Says one of Barnes' former coaches, "It wasn't just us that didn't see this kind of play in him. Three other teams were morons about Matt Barnes.")
It was Barnes's stint with the 76ers, however, that had the most profound impact on his career. In 2005-06, Barnes played in 50 games for Philadelphia, averaging three points in 10.8 minutes. He also developed what can best be described as an acrimonious relationship with Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks. According to Barnes, Cheeks would frequently degrade him, resulting in his confidence sinking to an all-time low.
"He's the biggest a------ in the world," says Barnes. "He talked to me like I wasn't a man. Other players saw it and would tell me, 'Don't let him talk to you like that.' "
After the season, Barnes seriously considered quitting basketball. An All-America wide receiver in high school, Barnes even contemplated a career in professional football, saying he had "seven or eight" NFL teams interested in bringing him in for a tryout.
"I was real close [to quitting]," says Barnes. "My teammates knew it. My friends knew it. My agent knew it. I was done."
Warriors coach Don Nelson did not know it. Nelson liked the versatility the 6-foot-7 Barnes presented and brought him in for a series of workouts last summer. Barnes impressed Nelson enough to earn an invitation to training camp on a make-good contract.
"I didn't know him, but I knew of him," says Nelson. "I told him we needed a guy like him and said good luck. He's kind of a utility guy that does a little of everything, who can play more than one position, a player you can put in the game and not hurt you."
What Nelson also did not know was how hard Barnes had worked on his shooting last year in Philadelphia. That season Barnes worked with shooting coach Buzz Braman to remove the hitch in his jump shot. Once free from Philadelphia, Barnes continued to focus his attention on becoming a more lethal perimeter player.
"I owe that to [Cheeks] too," says Barnes sarcastically. "The stuff he did to me lit my fire. Whenever I was tired, I thought of him."
Whatever the motivation, the work seems to have paid off. Barnes has been an invaluable asset to the Warriors in the postseason both on offense (he is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in eight postseason games) and defense (he has guarded All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Carlos Boozer with varying degrees of success). His perseverance is reflected in his choice of body art: "Believe" is tattooed to the right side of his neck in cursive letters.
Nelson clearly believes in Barnes, a faith that is reinforced by Barnes' big play in, well, big moments. In the final two minutes of Game 2, Barnes came up with a key offensive rebound, took a charge from Boozer and hit a clutch jump shot from the top of the key.
Still, Barnes sees plenty of room for improvement, which is why we shouldn't expect that first bus to leave without him. That is, of course, unless it doesn't leave early enough.
"I'm not even a first bus guy, I'm a cab guy," says Barnes with a laugh. "Some nights I can't get here
fast enough."
*(Opps, this SI article was posted a bit earlier under "Go Matt Barnes" but here's something worthwhile - interview with Matt by a guy who watched him since he was a freshman in H.S. and Matt talks about his upcoming free agency)
http://hoopsaddict.com/2007/05/01/nba-playoffs-player-interview-matt-barnes-golden-state-warriors/
thanks for the article purplehaze. i'm really proud of his accomplishments.
I haven't seen him play this well since the Hornets were in the playoffs, and Davis was outplaying a pre-injured Jason Kidd. Then all the sudden he dropped off the face of the earth with injuries and weight problems (that come with being injured). Glad he is back to remind me why I used to cheer for him.
Finally got to see the second half highlights of this game having only had time to "enjoy" the first half last night before leaving for some family business. Noticed Bricklayer's comment on BD and can see why. Regardless who your affiliations might be it is just impossible not to be impressed or rather amazed at what Baron brings to the court (the human highlight reel). I can't help myself. I would love to see these guys (GSW) prove the pundits wrong. It's too much fun watching to have to lose them anytime soon...with all due respect.
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