River Walk Chronicles ♦ ///

[Martti.]

I don't think Duncan's absence will affect you too much.

[mp3]

Dont you have Drew Gooden ?

that's a joke right....?

ahahd Drew is not going to replace what TD can do...

i'm sure u can still finish of the Hornets...i'm would just be more worried about the next round

Just noticed him in the pic above , havent heard his name mentioned.

[kibaxx7]

Flawless second quarter gives Duncan-less Spurs win over Hornets, passport to West Semis
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (NOH :: SAS)
SAN ANTONIO, April 29 -- Tiago Splitter gave himself and the San Antonio Spurs several days of rest, and a long vacation for the New Orleans Hornets. Splitter had 15 points and 13 rebounds as San Antonio advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 104-98 victory over New Orleans. The first-seeded Spurs closed out the eighth-seeded Hornets in five games to set up a West Semis series with the Dallas Mavericks, who also defeated the Utah Jazz in 5 matches. That series starts next Tuesday, May 3, which certainly should benefit the Spurs. Having lost Tim Duncan to injury in Game 4, this gives Duncan more days to heal and his teammates a plethora of time to recharge their batteries. “I'm kind of tired,” said Duncan, sitting on the Spurs bench, wearing street clothes and a sling on his left arm. “My shoulder still hurts. This gives me more days to heal my shoulder completely.” With both Corey Maggette and Tony Parker struggling in Duncan's absence (8 points each), the bench appeared again: Larry Hughes contributed with a team-high 18 points (nine in each half), Drew Gooden added 14 and seven boards and George Hill posted nine points and five assists.

Taking Duncan's starting spot, Splitter couldn't catch fire early in the game, but he got a second wind in the second quarter, scoring nine of his 15 points. “I was hoping we could jump out to an early advantage, but they jumped on us early,” said the Brazilian. “Because of this things, you kind of force yourself to pick up your energy and pick up the pace a little bit in the coming periods.” Splitter had some trouble in the first quarter staying with New Orleans' Emeka Okafor, who blocked three of San Antonio's shots in a row, giving New Orleans a 30-24 lead and sending Tiago to the bench. But a two-hand dunk by Maggette kickstarted a 14-2 run early in the second period and seemed to get Splitter going. “Emeka gave him some trouble in the first quarter and I took him out, just let him sit down for a couple of minutes because he couldn't get focused on it,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He proved me right in the second period exploding for those nine points and excellent defense.” Manu Ginobili managed just 12 points, while DeJuan Blair scored 10. Maggette added, “Tiago was great. We needed him to come through like that, specially without Tim. He was huge. I hope to bounce back in the Semis, I couldn't find my shot tonight.”

A new 8-0 spurt gave the Spurs a 62-50 lead at halfime; the Hornets couldn't lead again in the whole game. “He had a great game despite everything that was going on,” said Chris Paul of Splitter, who left to a standing ovation and hugs from his teammates midway through the fourth quarter. Paul led this team with 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. “We came out extremely aggressive,” added Antawn Jamison, who scored 18 points. “We were leading early, but they delivered us a big punch in the second quarter. They were just a little too hot for us tonight.” Trevor Ariza and David West scored 16 and 13 points, respectively, as New Orleans was outrebounded 44-34 and outscored in the paint, 56-32. “This is not what we wanted,” said Ariza. “We had a good start, but then we were sluggish. You have to play like a madman against this team. We didn't do that tonight and they made us pay.” Okafor scored six points and four blocks and Willie Green nine points off the bench for the Hornets.

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Video Music :: Funkagenda • “What The Fuck”

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[kibaxx7]

Thanks for the Mavs Update. I trust in T Spillter to be a defensive force, but with offense I'm not too sure.

Well, it's Spurs-Mavs now. I scored more with Hughes, but Splitter got a lot of rebounds.

OH NO!! NOT TIMMY!!!

I was able to squeeze the win this time. I'm scared for the Semis now.

Lmao !

Dont you have Drew Gooden ?

that's a joke right....?

ahahd Drew is not going to replace what TD can do...

i'm sure u can still finish of the Hornets...i'm would just be more worried about the next round

Just noticed him in the pic above , havent heard his name mentioned.

Gooden had a nice game. 14-7 off the bench. Of course, he will never replace Tim's stats, but he's putting some nice numbers in his absence.

I believe that you can win this one...
Even with TD out you have a nice chance against NOLA, even more if you concentrate on D,now that you have Tim out...
Splitter can perform nicely,he has the potential and of course is the best choice for the starting 5...

Yep, there's the win. That second quarter, I'm not sure but I think I had zero turnovers. It was perfect. They were a little tougher in the second half.

I don't think Duncan's absence will affect you too much.

I was hoping for a bigger point differential, but what the heck.

Will later post how the all the first round series ended.

[Grandmama Johnson]

Congrats! Only 12 wins away from a ring

[shadowgrin]

This is going to be boring if Thierry won a ring.

[Martti.]

Over-did the real Spurs, make sure you beat the Lakers if you face them!!

[Mavs4Life]

Good Job. Mavs- Spurs, gotta love it.

[mp3]

Tough match up vs the Mavs with Dirk and Caron is also a killer in 2k

[Houndy]

Mavs going all the way!

[rise]

Oh crap, Timmy Duncan's out?? Hope he gets back in time... wait, you're facing the Mavs next?

[Mavs4Life]

Mav's4Life's Keys to the Series Victory:

Get a hand in Dirk's face
Contain Terry, Kidd, & Beaubois from behindthe line
Don't let Chandler & Haywood get hot on defense

Follow this, & you should win.

[Bucket]

Oh no, Hornets out.
I hope you don't get a ring

[Justine.]

Hornets lost At least it's nice to see Splitter playing like that, he can really fill the void left by Duncan

[Fresh8]

Thierry, if you want people to keep posting, let the Lakers sweep you.

[Cruzerr]

As much as I dont like the Spurs, I got to say, good luck and good job beating the Hornets " Their my favorite team, damn you "

[kibaxx7]

2010-11 Playoffs: First Round Review, Western Conference ::
nba.com/spurs/beat | April 30th, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- As the San Antonio Spurs await the beginning of their Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks, we take a look back at the team’s first round win over the New Orleans Hornets and also review how the other seven series in the playoffs finished. Let's check the West:

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(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) New Orleans Hornets

♦ Game 1 --- NOH @ SAS [0-1] --- Manu, Spurs recover from 11-point deficit, close Game 1 in style against Jamison, Hornets: This is exactly what the New Orleans Hornets -- and the rest of the league -- feared. Manu Ginobili scored 27 points and Tony Parker notched 18 as the San Antonio Spurs bounced back from a 11-point deficit to defeat the Hornets, 110-95, in the opener of their Western Conference first-round series. “We have great weapons on this team,” said Parker. “If you try to double me, then Manu is going to get off. If you try to double him, then I'm going to be there to explode.” Ginobili also grabbed five rebounds and Parker dished eight assists in the victory. “It seemed like there wasn't a lot of space for Manu in the first half. Tony kept us in the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Then, in the second, when Tony's space went away, Manu found his rhythm and was able to carry us for the triumph.” Tim Duncan contributed with 14 points, eight rebounds and five rejections for the Spurs, who made 41-of-81 shots (50 percent) and 26-of-30 free throws (86 percent). (Read More ... )

♦ Game 2 --- NOH @ SAS [1-1] --- Again -- Hornets are unstoppable from deep; take the win at San Antonio and tie series: The New Orleans Hornets did not allow Manu Ginobili to burn them down the stretch this time. Antawn Jamison scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Trevor Ariza added 22 points for the Hornets, who defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 117-104 to even their Western Conference first-round series at one game each. “It looks like the sixth man role suits Antawn well,” said Hornets coach Monty Williams. “Without him we would not have been the same team in this playoffs.” After opening up a 16-4 lead, the Hornets allowed the Spurs to pull within 28-25 after one quarter, and an all-around 52-52 tie at the break. San Antonio got within three points twice midway through the third period: Tim Duncan made it 89-86 on a layup, but Ariza countered with a fastbreak dunk and Jamison made a 3-pointer to make it 94-86, and the Spurs got no closer than eight points thereafter. This time, Ariza held Ginobili to 17 points, 11 in the first half and only six in the second. (Read More ... )

♦ Game 3 --- SAS @ NOH [2-1] --- Coach Popovich makes key adjustments; TP, Spurs stop Hornets to take 2-1 lead: Corey Maggette and Tony Parker made sure the San Antonio Spurs quickly regained home-court advantage from the New Orleans Hornets. Maggette scored 20 points for the second straight game and Parker had 17 and nine assists as the Spurs defeated the Hornets, 103-92 to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series. First-seeded Spurs had lost home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series last game, a 117-104 defeat. “It's huge,” said Maggette. “That's what we were out there to do. It's been a bad couple days for us, giving up home-court advantage. We wanted to come out here today and take care of business. And we did it.” Once again, the Hornets had an early lead, 19-9, continuing their momemtum from Game 2. The first quarter ended with New Orleans holding a 27-23 lead. But San Antonio opened the second quarter with a 12-2 spurt, taking a 35-29 lead on a three-point play by Parker. Manu Ginobili added 16 points and Tim Duncan chipped in 13 and 12 rebounds for the Spurs. (Read More ... )

♦ Game 4 --- SAS @ NOH [3-1] --- CP3's turnovers prove costly; Spurs take 3-1 lead on New Orleans but lose Duncan to injury: Tiago Splitter is learning to step up when Tim Duncan is out. Splitter scored 19 points and Corey Maggette once again showed why he is one the league's best dunkers, finishing with 14 points, as the Spurs took a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series against the New Orleans Hornets, with a 124-119 victory. After a collision with Emeka Okafor in the first minute of the fourth quarter, Duncan fell awkwardly and suffered a separated shoulder, which will keep him out for the rest of the series. “It was obvious that we needed to step up after Tim left the court,” said Splitter, after playing 28 minutes, 8-of-9 from the field, and helping pick up the offensive loss of Duncan. “Some guys needed to step up and some guys needed to log more minutes. We made out pretty well, if you ask me.” Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker scored 15 points apiece and rookie James Anderson added 13 for the Spurs, who shot 54 percent on the night and hit seven of eight free throws in the final two minutes of the game to assure the victory. (Read More ... )

♦ Game 5 --- NOH @ SAS [1-4] --- Flawless second quarter gives Duncan-less Spurs win over Hornets, passport to West Semis: Tiago Splitter gave himself and the San Antonio Spurs several days of rest, and a long vacation for the New Orleans Hornets. Splitter had 15 points and 13 rebounds as San Antonio advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 104-98 victory over New Orleans. The first-seeded Spurs closed out the eighth-seeded Hornets in five games to set up a West Semis series with the Dallas Mavericks, who also defeated the Utah Jazz in 5 matches. That series starts next Tuesday, May 3, which certainly should benefit the Spurs. Having lost Tim Duncan to injury in Game 4, this gives Duncan more days to heal and his teammates a plethora of time to recharge their batteries. “I'm kind of tired,” said Duncan, sitting on the Spurs bench, wearing street clothes and a sling on his left arm. “My shoulder still hurts. This gives me more days to heal my shoulder completely.” With both Maggette and Tony Parker struggling in Duncan's absence (8 points each), the bench appeared again: Larry Hughes contributed with a team-high 18 points (nine in each half), Drew Gooden added 14 and seven boards and George Hill posted nine points and five assists. (Read More ... )

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(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Utah Jazz

♦ Game 1 --- UTA @ DAL [0-1] --- Mavericks defeat Jazz, lead series 1-0; Okur out with broken foot: Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and Caron Butler scored 19 points as the Dallas Mavericks pulled out a 93-80 victory over the Jazz in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series ... The German grabbed 11 boards, and Butler grabbed 10 ... Brendan Haywood and Jason Terry scored 10 points each for Dallas ... Haywood had a plus-minus of +30 and Jason Kidd was +22, with eight points and six assists ... Mehmet Okur led Utah with 22 points and eight rebounds, before suffering a broken foot; he would miss the rest of the series ... Deron Williams and Al Jefferson scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, for Utah.

♦ Game 2 --- UTA @ DAL [1-1] --- Jazz draw even with Mavericks following big win: Deron Williams scored 21 points and handed out 12 assists as the Utah Jazz evened their Western Conference first-round series with the Dallas Mavericks at a game apiece, 96-88 ... Utah also got a huge game from Al Jefferson, who collected 17 points and 14 rebounds (six on offense), notching his first double-double of the series ... Allen Iverson also scored 17 points for the Jazz, while Raja Bell and Andrei Kirilenko posted 12 apiece ... Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood scored 21 and 17 points, respectively, to lead Dallas ... Nowitzki also grabbed eight rebounds, while Jason Kidd had six points, six boards and 10 assists ... Caron Butler scored 14 points and Jason Terry added 13 for the Mavericks, who now visit Utah for Game 3 and 4.

♦ Game 3 --- DAL @ UTA [2-1] --- Nowitzki lifts Mavericks to Game 3 win over Jazz: Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points to lead five players over 11 points as the Dallas Mavericks routed the Utah Jazz, 104-80, to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series ... Caron Butler (+20) added 22 points and Shawn Marion had 15 off the bench for Dallas ... The physical game saw one player ejected from each team, both with six fouls: Mavericks center Tyson Chandler and Jazz bigman Paul Millsap ... Jason Kidd (+18) had 11 points and 11 assists and Jason Terry 12 points for the Mavs ... Al Jefferson shot a series-best 10-of-12 field goals, for 22 points and 11 rebounds, but it was not enough, as Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko and Allen Iverson combined for a 6-of-29 shooting.

♦ Game 4 --- DAL @ UTA [3-1] --- Nowitzki, Mavericks race past Utah for 3-1 lead: Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to a 94-86 victory over the Utah Jazz and a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round series ... Dirk scored a series-high 34 points to go with 10 rebounds ... Caron Butler (+6) and Jason Terry (game-best +20) finished with 19 and 12 points, respectively, as the only three Mavericks in double figures ... Jason Kidd (+15) had five points, eight rebounds and nine assists ... Andrei Kirilenko led Utah with 19 points and nine rebounds and Allen Iverson added 17 points ... Al Jefferson had his third straight double-double with 12 points and eleven rebounds ... The series now returns to Dallas for Game 5.

♦ Game 5 --- UTA @ DAL [1-4] --- Mavericks advance to Semis after tuning out Jazz: Deron Williams, Al Jefferson and the rest of the Jazz made a quiet exit in a 114-79 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, who wrapped up their Western Conference first-round series in five games ... Williams had 20 points while Jefferson had another double-double, with 11 points and 11 rebounds ... Dirk Nowitzki (+32) exploded for 38 points and nine rebounds and Jason Terry (+36) scored 19 points for the fourth-seeded Mavericks, who advanced to the conference semifinals and will face the Spurs ... Allen Iverson had 13 points, six boards and five assists for the Jazz ... Jason Kidd flirted with a triple-double, scoring 15 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, while Caron Butler added 13 points for the Mavericks, who never trailed.

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(3) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (6) Houston Rockets

♦ Game 1 --- HOU @ OKC [0-1] --- Thunder take hard-fought Game 1 against Rockets: Kevin Durant's big performance gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a 107-99 victory over the Houston Rockets in their first-round Western Conference playoff opener ... Durant (+16) showed why he is one of the top candidates for the league's MVP award, with 33 points and 14 rebounds ... Russell Westbrook (+14) added 24 points and 10 assists ... Cole Aldrich had 13 points and seven rebounds and Jeff Green scored 10 points for Oklahoma City ... Kevin Martin led Houston with 25 points and Aaron Brooks scored 18 ... Both Yao Ming and Luis Scola had double-doubles: 15 and 10 rebounds for the center, 12 and 16 boards for the power forward.

♦ Game 2 --- HOU @ OKC [0-2] --- Durant and Westbrook survive Rockets rally for 2-0 lead: The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets, 103-99 that put them up 2-0 in the best-of-seven first-round series in the West ... The Thunder led by 10 after the first quarter and by 24 at halftime, but the Rockets rallied until the very last minute ... Kevin Durant scored 30, leading five Thunder in double figures ... Russell Westbrook contributed 22 points, and Cole Aldrich added 19 ... James Harden (game-best +11) scored 13 points ... Luis Scola exploded and led Houston's comeback, with 23 points and 18 rebounds ... Kevin Martin scored 21 and Aaron Brooks added 20 ... The series now shifts to Houston for Game 3 and 4.

♦ Game 3 --- OKC @ HOU [2-1] --- Rockets trio slow down Thunder, cut OKC's lead but lose Battier: Aaron Brooks scored 23 points and six assists, Yao Ming added 20 and ten rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-96, to cut Oklahoma City's lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series ... Kevin Martin added 20 points, and Luis Scola posted another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets ... Rookie Patrick Patterson had 12 points in only seven minutes ... Kevin Durant had his third 30-point game of the series with 30 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder ... James Harden and Russell Westbrook scored 17 points apiece; Westbrook also had five rebounds and nine assists ... Game 4 will be played at Toyota Center, where Houston will try to tie the series after trailing 2-0; the Rockets will play without Shane Battier, who will miss the rest of the playoffs with bone spurs.

♦ Game 4 --- OKC @ HOU [3-1] --- Durant too much for Rockets; Thunder take 3-1 lead: Kevin Durant (+25) scored 35 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-99 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series ... Russell Westbrook scored a series-high 28 points, to go with six rebounds and six assists ... Leading 3-1, the Thunder are on the brink of winning their first playoff series since moving to Oklahoma City ... James Harden (+17) added 11 points for the Thunder ... Houston was led by Yao Ming, with 22 points and nine boards ... Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks scored 17 points apiece for the Rockets, while Luis Scola had another double-double, 14 and 10 rebounds ... the Thunder will host Game 5 on their first attempt to close the series and advance to the Semis.

♦ Game 5 --- HOU @ OKC [2-3] --- Six Rockets in double figures avert elimination against Thunder: Yao Ming scored 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks and Aaron Brooks (+10) added 15 points as the Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-90, to avoid elimination in their Western Conference first-round series ... Luis Scola and Kevin Martin chipped in 16 points apiece, while Most Improved Player candidate Terrence Williams had 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists ... Kevin Durant scored another 30+ point game, with 33 points for the Thunder, and 10 rebounds ... Russell Westbrook and James Harden scored 22 and 13 points, respectively ... Game 6 is back in Houston and the Rockets can tie the series at 3-3.

♦ Game 6 --- OKC @ HOU [3-3] --- Martin, Rockets top Durant, Thunder; force Game 7: Kevin Martin 33 points, shooting 11-of-16 from the field, and Luis Scola had 16 points and 16 rebounds as the Houston Rockets forced a decisive seventh game in their Western Conference first-round series with a last-minute 101-99 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder ... Martin was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and was one half of a huge duel with Kevin Durant, who scored 36 points for OKC ... Durant also grabbed 14 rebounds ... James Harden scored 21 points and Russell Westbrook was held to just 12 for the Thunder ... Aaron Brooks added 16 points for Houston ... The Rockets can become one of few teams in NBA history to erase a 3-1 deficit and win a seven-game series if they defeat the Thunder in Game 7, at Oklahoma City.

♦ Game 7 --- HOU @ OKC [3-4] --- Durant, Westbrook lead Thunder to Game 7 victory over Rockets: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook carried the Oklahoma City Thunder into the Western Conference Semifinals as they powered to an 101-86 Game 7 victory over the Houston Rockets ... Durant scored 33 points and nine rebounds; he broke the 30-point barrier in all seven games of this series ... Westbrook added 20 points and 11 assists ... Oklahoma City also got a huge contribution from rookie Cole Aldrich, who had 19 points and 12 rebounds ... Kevin Martin was held to just 13 points and four rebounds in 40 minutes ... Yao Ming kept the Rockets in the game with 19 points and 11 rebounds ... The third-seeded Thunder advance to face the second-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the Semifinals.

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(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies

♦ Game 1 --- MEM @ LAL [0-1] --- Kobe & Pau lead Lakers to Game 1 win: Kobe Bryant scored 35 points and handed out seven assists as the Los Angeles Lakers survived a late Memphis Grizzlies rally for a 108-107 victory, in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series ... Pau Gasol (+20) had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers ... Lamar Odom, starting in place of an injured Andrew Bynum, added 11 points and 11 rebounds for a plus-minus of +15, while sixth man Shannon Brown contributed 15 points, four boards and five assists ... Nate Robinson led the Grizzlies with 21 points and seven assists, while O.J. Mayo scored 19 ... Both Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol posted double-doubles for Memphis: 18 points and 11 rebounds for Gay, 12 and 13 for the Spaniard ... Odom and Gasol held Zach Randolph to only 9 points.

♦ Game 2 --- MEM @ LAL [1-1] --- Z-Bo, Gay sharp as Grizzlies swamp Lakers: Zach Randolph scored 33 points and Rudy Gay added 27 as the Memphis Grizzlies evened their Western Conference first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with an 117-92 thumping in Game 2, as the franchise's first ever playoff victory ... Gay and Randolph had plus-minus of +29 and +25, respectively ... O.J. Mayo finished with 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists and Marc Gasol collected 14 points and 11 boards for the Grizzlies, the second double-double for Gasol ... Marc's brother, Pau Gasol, was Los Angeles' best player with 31 points and 15 rebounds ... Kobe Bryant added 28 points, eight boards and five assists, and Shannon Brown notched in 13 points off the bench, as the only three Lakers in double figures ... the series now shifts to Memphis for Game 3 and 4.

♦ Game 3 --- LAL @ MEM [2-1] --- Lakers ride double figures quartet to top Grizzlies and lead 2-1: Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, five rebounds and seven assists, leading the Los Angeles Lakers a 101-97 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies ... The victory returned home-court advantage to the Lakers, who have a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series ... Lamar Odom scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds as a reserve ... Shannon Brown (+15) and Pau Gasol had 14 points apiece ... Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo had 19 points each for Memphis, with Randolph also grabbing 13 rebounds ... Rudy Gay and Nate Robinson collected 16 and 15 points, respectively ... Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol finished with 11 points apiece for the Grizzlies.

♦ Game 4 --- LAL @ MEM [2-2] --- Mayo, Krypto-Nate best Lakers to tie series at 2-2: O.J. Mayo scored a series-best 26 points as the Memphis Grizzlies held off the Los Angeles Lakers, 112-92, and even the Western Conference first-round series at two wins apiece ... Nate Robinson almost posted a triple-double, with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists ... Marc Gasol (+18) added 15 points and 12 boards for the Grizzlies ... Zach Randolph scored only 11 points and eight rebounds, but had a game-best +28 because of his defense on Pau Gasol, who only managed a series-low 12 points ... Kobe Bryant had 44 points, and it was the only reason why the Lakers didn't lose by a bigger margin ... Game 5 is back in Los Angeles, at the Staples Center.

♦ Game 5 --- MEM @ LAL [2-3] --- Grizzlies on the brink after Game 5 loss at LA: In a game where baskets were a prize, Kobe Bryant squeezed out an 81-77 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in a pivotal fifth game of their Western Conference first-round series ... Bryant scored 27 points, along with five rebounds, seven assists and four steals as the Lakers took a 3-2 lead ... Ron Artest (+12) played a big part, limiting Rudy Gay to only 9 points ... Nate Robinson scored 17 points and nine assists, while Zach Randolph added 15 points for Memphis ... Pau Gasol scored 24 points and 13 rebounds for the second-seeded Lakers, who can advance to the conference semifinals with one more win.

♦ Game 6 --- LAL @ MEM [4-2] --- Lakers ride Kobe's offense, Lamar's defense to Semifinals: Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, along with seven rebounds and nine assists, as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 88-83, to finish their Western Conference first-round series in six games ... Lamar Odom finished with six points and six rebounds, but a plus-minus of +15 for his defense on Sam Young, who only scored 2 points ... Shannon Brown scored 13 points off the bench for the Lakers, while Ron Artest scored 7 points, but grabbed 13 rebounds, holding Rudy Gay to 14 points ... Zach Randolph led Memphis with 25 points and 13 rebounds, limiting Pau Gasol to only 2 points ... interesting fact: both Grizzlies wins were by 20 points or more, while all four Lakers victories were by 5 points or less ... the Lakers advanced to meet the Oklahoma City Thunder, whom they ousted in six games in last year's first-round.

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[kibaxx7]

Congrats! Only 12 wins away from a ring

Thanks man, tough Semis coming now.

This is going to be boring if Thierry won a ring.

Why boring? In that case, the challenge would be repeating next year.

Over-did the real Spurs, make sure you beat the Lakers if you face them!!

If I defeat the Mavs, then it's either Lakers/Thunder, I don't know what could happen there, Durant is burning.

Good Job. Mavs- Spurs, gotta love it.

I know you do. Hova, Houndy also.

Tough match up vs the Mavs with Dirk and Caron is also a killer in 2k

Dirk has been killing the Jazz, Caron had some great games, some others were normal. Fingers crossed!

Mavs going all the way!

Doubt it.

Oh crap, Timmy Duncan's out?? Hope he gets back in time... wait, you're facing the Mavs next?

It's gonna be tougher against the Mavs with Tim out. Splitter has been producing great while Tim's out, but I'm not sure now in Semis.

Mav's4Life's Keys to the Series Victory:

Get a hand in Dirk's face
Contain Terry, Kidd, & Beaubois from behindthe line
Don't let Chandler & Haywood get hot on defense

Follow this, & you should win.

Yeah, first key is holding Dirk. Kidd almost had a couple of triple-doubles. Haywood has been a monster on the boards for them.

Oh no, Hornets out.
I hope you don't get a ring

At least, I'm sure the Hornets will bounce back next year, they will have Jamison from the start, he's been a monster. If I remember correctly, the Hornets were in 10th place in the West, then acquired Jamison and went 9-1 to finish the season.

Hornets lost At least it's nice to see Splitter playing like that, he can really fill the void left by Duncan

Yes Splitter has been producing like Duncan in offense, but not in defense. Blair and even Gooden played better at some times...

Thierry, if you want people to keep posting, let the Lakers sweep you.

First, I gotta get past the Mavs, and then your Lakers gotta defeat the Thunder. Most likely 7 games for you, if Durant keeps playing like that.

As much as I dont like the Spurs, I got to say, good luck and good job beating the Hornets " Their my favorite team, damn you "

Thanks man, as I said to Valdis, you can rest assured the Hornets will bounce back next season.

Tomorrow -- first round review for the East, school has been killing me the last couple of days. Enjoy and comment how the West played out

[Houndy]

Dirk is gonna tear you up.... So did Durant

[Mavs4Life]

Good luck... The Semis in the west look great. I'd want good seats to go see those.

[Bucket]

Thunder won Rockets in 7th game?
Thunder-Lakers? Revenge time.

[hova-]

You're facing the Mavs? Will be tough for me not to be biased. Great recaps.

[Nutellar]

Grats for advancing to next round

[kibaxx7]

Dirk is gonna tear you up.... So did Durant

Gotta get Gooden and Blair to stop him.

Good luck... The Semis in the west look great. I'd want good seats to go see those.

Yep, Thunder-Lakers looks really nice too.

Thunder won Rockets in 7th game?
Thunder-Lakers? Revenge time.

Thunder had a 3-1 lead and almost lost in Game 7...

You're facing the Mavs? Will be tough for me not to be biased. Great recaps.

Thanks Hov, yep Spurs-Mavs, will be a great series

Grats for advancing to next round

Thanks man

Still, having a tough week in school, I'll try to post the East today

[George7]

Congrats for the Win and the advance!!
Now if you manage to stop Dirk,you're going to have an easy job.Mavs are an one man team...