Tom Haberstroh is one of the many people that was impacted by LeBron James’ infamous decision to head to South Beach in 2010. Having never taken a journalism class, Haberstroh was hired by ESPN.com as an analytics writer for ESPN’s Miami Heat Index.
The stage was set for the Nets to become the 9th team in NBA playoff history to come back from a 3-1 deficit, hosting Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the Barclay's Center. Kirk Hinrich was out with a calf injury, Luol Deng rested in a Chicago hospital suffering from the flu, and Derrick Rose dressed in a suit ̶ still unable to play one year after tearing his ACL. Despite the Bulls' injuries and momentum from a two game winning streak, it was not to be.
Ravaged by injury, the Chicago Bulls have given Deron Williams and the Nets a chance to climb back into their first-round affair, as the series shifts to the United Center for game 6 tonight. Tom Thibodeau's proud bunch heads home with a 3-2 lead, but reinforcements would surely help.
The Fordham Rams Men’s Basketball program has won just eight games in the Atlantic 10 over the past five seasons. Those struggles could finally be coming to an end as Christ the King High School sensation Jon Severe will be wearing a Fordham jersey next season. The 6’2 guard from Brooklyn is head coach Tom Pecora’s biggest recruiting splash since taking the job three years ago.
I’m sitting on a leather couch in an upscale bar on Fulton Street and New York Giant cornerback Prince Amukamura is a few feet to my right. My colleague/friend/socializer Kris Venezia is next to me and we engage in conversation to avoid any awkward stares in our direction, which we knowingly received from many people, including Hannah Storm’s younger daughters to our left. You see we inadvertently had situated ourselves in the VIP section of the bar, an open room with neon lighting that offered us a chance to breathe.
Derrick Rose isn’t playing (yet), and that means Deron Williams is ready for the spotlight in his first playoff stint as a Net. “I feel good, I definitely feel confident. I’m excited about being back in the playoffs; it’s been two years since I’ve been there. I’m ready to go,” said Williams after Wednesday’s win over Detroit. Williams last played postseason ball in 2010, for the Utah Jazz, and averaged over 24 points per game. This time, though, he won’t be dishing to Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Paul Millsap.
Just last spring the Knicks were eliminated in five quick games by the Miami Heat, but for Knick fans that feels like a decade ago, as the team had their best regular season in nearly twenty years. In a short few months fans have all but forgotten about Linsanity and barely recall two Aprils back where the team was quickly swept by the Boston Celtics in the first-round.
After Pat Riley’s bolted town for Miami following the 1994-1995 season the likes of Don Nelson, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkins, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas and Mike D’Antoni have come to lead the Knicks back to the promised land. But, all failed. In fact the group failed to land even a single division crown.
At long last behind the leadership of Mike Woodson, the Knicks first round draft choice in 1980, the franchise has secured their first division title in 19 seasons and first 50 win season in over a decade. Both achievements were goals he set for his team at the start of the season, despite New York being overlooked by many (in fact, not one of the 35 ESPN.com NBA writers picked them to win the Atlantic).
The Brooklyn Nets currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and second in the Atlantic Division. Sporting a record of 45-32, they have more than doubled their win total from last year, with 5 games left after their 104-83 thrashing of the 76ers Tuesday night. In Nets' 39 years in the NBA, only five other squads have more wins than this team currently does.
Less than 48 hours after celebrating the franchise’s last championship team, the red-hot Knicks headed into Chesapeake Energy Arena, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, with an 11-game winning streak on the line and seemingly some of the 1972-73 team's Championship spirit.
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