Prince Swats Magic Out of the Playoffs - Detroit Pistons

May 14th, 2008
On Monday, Tayshaun Prince said he'd take a game-winning block over a game-winning basket anytime.
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At about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday night, he got that satisfaction. With the Pistons up by three, Prince rose and knocked away a dunk attempt by Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, sending the ball into the lane and the Magic out of the playoffs.

Richard Hamilton then made four free throws to ice Game 5, a 91-86 capper to a 4-1 second-round series win that earned the Pistons a sixth-straight berth in the Eastern Conference finals.
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Hornets Sting Back, Lead Series 3-2 - New Orleans Hornets

May 14th, 2008
The Hornets waited two games, almost as patiently as any team could, for the return of the intensity, aggressiveness and energy that they credited for getting them into the Western Conference playoffs. In the end, the return came with a homecoming game at the gold-flavored New Orleans Arena and one of the best performances of David West's career.

The Hornets snapped a two-game losing streak and regained the upper hand in a conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs, beating the defending champions 101-79 before a sellout crowd of 18,246 on Tuesday night.
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Defense Carries Cavs Past Celtics - Cleveland Cavaliers

May 13th, 2008
LeBron James is in the middle of one of his worst shooting slumps, but don't expect to get any sympathy from Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

"You think LeBron is struggling?" Rivers said. "You only look at field goal percentage. We don't. Clearly no one right now is shooting well from the field, but let's give him some credit. He's making plays."

Rivers' point was clearly taken on Monday night.

James nailed a key 3-pointer -- right after missing six straight shots -- and sealed the deal with an emphatic dunk to help propel the Cavs to an 88-77 victory over Boston at The Q in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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Kirilenko Stuffs Kobe, Lakers in OT as Jazz Tie Series 2-2 - Utah Jazz

May 12th, 2008
Kobe Bryant has a bad back but says it should be fine for Game 5.
Larry H. Miller has another payday and at least one more chance to do what he did not on Sunday: watch the team he owns play at home.

And the Jazz have a mother lode of momentum, the result of regrouping in fine-enough fashion Sunday to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-115 in overtime of Game 4 and even their best-of-seven NBA Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2.

"We're definitely confident now," said point guard Deron Williams, who had a 29-point, 14-assist double-double and was largely responsible for helping the Jazz keep their poise down a rather adventurous stretch. "But we still have to prove we can win one on the road."
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Spurs Win Game 4 to Even Series - San Antonio Spurs

May 12th, 2008
Robert Horry did not need a medical degree to tell him Tim Duncan was feeling good Sunday night. He did not need an army of specialists to run a battery of tests to tell him what his eyes already saw.

The only thermometer Horry needed to gauge the health and vigor of his All-Star teammate, in what became a resounding 100-80 Spurs victory in a pivotal Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, was this:

Late in the first half, Duncan spun, cat-like, on Tyson Chandler, twisting so quickly the New Orleans center didn’t seem to know which way to turn.
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Supporting Cast Guides Cavs Past Celtics - Cleveland Cavaliers

May 11th, 2008
It started as it always does, with swords blazing like a bunch of musketeers bent on arson. As smoke puffed and fireballs flared, you wondered when the real LeBron James, the NBA's leading scorer this season, savior of the Cavaliers' franchise, King without a crown (although everyone figures that's just matter of time) would come out of the haze and funk into which his game had fallen.

Still hasn't happened in the shooting aspect. Didn't matter Saturday night anyway in a 108-84 blowout Cavaliers' victory that got them back in the Boston series.
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Prince Gives Pistons Boost to Give Them 3-1 Lead - Detroit Pistons

May 11th, 2008
The man known as Mr. Big Shot was on the bench in a beige sports coat, inactive with a strained hamstring. But even with Chauncey Billups out, the Pistons found plenty of other heroes in the second half of Saturday's Game 4, when they rallied from 15 back and won, 90-89.

The Magic might house the All-NBA first-team member Dwight Howard, but the Pistons had the collective experience to rally behind big plays and contributions from all over the floor.
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Boozer Breaks Slump in 104-99 Victory Over Lakers - Utah Jazz

May 10th, 2008
No matter how much confidence he tried to maintain, no matter how many times he vowed to stay aggressive and wait for his shots to start falling, Carlos Boozer couldn't help but offer clues as to the toll his playoff slump was taking.

There was the morning he arrived at the Jazz practice facility 90 minutes early after missing five free throws in a loss to Houston. There was the night he couldn't fall asleep until 6 a.m. replaying the three fouls he picked up in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers.
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