nba league News
Boston 18.6 : The Boston Celtics secured a record 17th National Basketball Association championship after thrashing the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in game six of the NBA Finals to seal the best-of-seven series 4-2. Paul Pierce had 17 points for the Celtics and was named the MVP of the championship series. The Celtics' triumph clinched their first championship since the Larry Bird era 22 years ago.
Boston 15.6 : center Kendrick Perkins confirmed that he would not play in Game 5 of the NBA finals on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers because of a strained left shoulder. The Celtics took a 3-1 lead into the fifth game of the best-of-seven series. Game 6 would be in Boston on Tuesday, if necessary. Celtics coach Doc Rivers said it was doubtful Perkins would be able to play then.
Boston 14.6 : Kendrick Perkins left the game on Thursday night, clutching his left shoulder after slamming into Lakers forward Lamar Odom early in the third quarter. Coach Doc Rivers said Friday hat Perkins has a 50-50 chance "at best" of playing in Game 5 on Sunday night. "When I first saw it, I didn't like what I saw," Rivers said. "Obviously the injury he had last night could be significant, and we don't know the results yet. But that's clearly not looking great right now."
Detroit 10.6 : Michael Curry will be the Detroit Pistons head coach next season after only one year as an assistant. A week after firing Flip Saunders, the Pistons and Curry agreed on a three-year deal worth $2.5m a season. The team holds an option for a fourth season. The Pistons gave the 39-year-old his first head coaching job in part because they're confident he can get the most out of their remaining veterans, some of whom are former teammates.
Boston 8.6 : Forward Paul Pierce practiced without difficulty Sunday and was cleared to play in Game 2 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Doc Rivers said Pierce showed no ill-effects of the right knee sprain that sent him to the locker room in a wheelchair during Game 1. Center Kendrick Perkins, who sprained his ankle in Boston's 98-88 victory in Game 1, said he would start as well.
Detroit 4.6 : Flip Saunders was fired as the Pistons' coach Tuesday, four days after Detroit was eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars said a change is necessary despite Saunders' successes. In his three seasons, the Pistons were 176-70 in the regular season and 30-21 in the postseason, but they lost in the conference finals each year. Dumars also publicly put his entire lineup on the trading block.
Boston 31.5 : The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are meeting again in the NBA finals after the Celtics ended the series against Pistons with an 89-81 victory Friday. It will be the 11th championship meeting between the franchises, with Boston winning eight of its 16 titles against the Lakers. Boston, which won both meetings during the regular season, will host Game 1 of the finals on Thursday night.
Detroit 30.5 : Richard Hamilton is listed as questionable for Friday's Game 6 against the Celtics. The All-Star guard and Detroit's leading scorer strained his right elbow in the final seconds of Boston's 106-102 playoff victory over the Pistons on Wednesday. X-rays were negative, but coach Flip Saunders says the player's status won't be determined until Friday. Hamilton leads the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals with 22.2 points per game.
San Ant. 29.5 : Coach Gregg Popovich has signed a contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs. Popovich confirmed the extension with the defending NBA champions, which runs through the 2011/12 season, before the Spurs' Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Popovich became the Spurs' head coach in December 1996. He has a 632-302 regular-season record.
Boston 29.5 : Guard Tony Allen was inactive Wednesday for the Celtics' playoff game against the Pistons after hurting his Achilles' tendon during practice. Forward Brian Scalabrine, who did not play in any of Boston's previous 18 playoff games, was activated in his place for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Allen played just 46 minutes in 12 playoff games this year, averaging one point per game.
Utah 24.5 : The Utah Jazz say forward Paul Millsap's injured left thumb should be completely healed in six weeks. Millsap had surgery Thursday to repair a ligament torn May 16 during the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. He'll wear a cast for two weeks. He averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds this season.
Chicago 21.5 : The Chicago Bulls won the NBA's draft lottery Tuesday. Coming off a miserable season and still without a coach, the Bulls vaulted from the No. 9 spot, where they had just a 1.7 percent chance of landing the top choice. So, Chicago will almost certainly choose between Michael Beasley, the Kansas State forward who averaged 26.2 points and an NCAA-best 12.4 rebounds, or Derrick Ros, the point guard who carried Memphis within minutes of the national title. The NBA draft will be held June 26 in New York.
Detroit 16.5 : Chauncey Billups is expected to be ready to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The all-Star point guard went through a full workout with the Detroit Pistons Thursday for the first time since getting injured. He missed the last two games against the Orlando Magic in the second round with a strained right hamstring. The Pistons will open the conference finals Sunday if the Boston Celtics eliminate the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 on Friday. If the Cavs extend the series to Game 7, the conference finals are expected to begin Tuesday.
Clevela. 15.5 : Guard Daniel Gibson will miss Game 6 of Cleveland's playoff against the Boston Celtics after separating his left shoulder. Gibson, one of the Cavs' best perimeter shooters, was hurt early in the fourth quarter Wednesday following a collision. The Cleveland Cavaliers estimated he would miss one to two weeks.
