Archive for May 22nd, 2012

WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS GRAB WIN, OKC MOVES ON, VAN GUNDY LOOKING FOR JOB

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 5 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.  With the series tied at 2 a piece, this game in Boston was pivotal.  Even Will Smith was in attendance to cheer on his hometown Sixers.  The Sixers were hoping to steal a game in Boston and have a chance to close it out in Game 6 back in Philly, but the Celtics definitely wouldn’t make that easy.  The game started out rather competitive with Elton Brand having a pretty decent night for the Sixers with 19 points and 6 rebounds.  But, in the second half, the Celtics started to roll and got a surprisingly amazing game from an unlikely source:  Brandon Bass.  Bass had 27 points and 6 rebounds to help the Celtics grab the key win.  Now the game heads back to Philly, where the Sixers are in a must-win situation.
Next up, it was Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Thunder were able to steal a game in LA, giving them a 3-1 lead in the series, and you can bet that they had every intention of closing out the series on their home floor in OKC.  But Kobe Bryant wouldn’t go down quietly.  He did his thing, pretty much taking over the game and posting an alarming 42 points on the night.  He kept it close all the way up to the 4th quarter, but then the Thunder just turned electric.  A key steal from Russell Westbrook, resulting in an off-balance lay-up excited the crowd to a fever pitch and it would be all they needed to nab the win and advance to the Western Conference Finals to play the Spurs.  The Lakers, however, now have to ask some serious questions in the off-season, because they clearly can’t compete in the West with this current line-up.  Oklahoma City 106, LA Lakers 90.

And finally in the NBA, the Orlando Magic, after a disappointing season full of internal turmoil, have decided to part ways with their coach Stan Van Gundy.  Van Gundy was actually responsible for turning the Magic around these past couple seasons, even leading them to a championship.  But, according to sources, Magic star Dwight Howard didn’t get along with Van Gundy, and the Magic want to keep their superstar happy.  Then again, who knows if Howard will be the same after his back surgery.  So, now jobless, Van Gundy is looking for a job.  And all things considered he’s a pretty good coach.  So who’s looking for a good coach that can make intelligent decisions down the stretch?  Did someones say… ‘The Clippers?’

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