Robert Horry considers retirement

SI:

San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry said Saturday he's considering stepping away from the game after winning seven NBA championships in a 16-season career.

"Right now I'm up in the air," Horry said. "That's all I can really tell you, up in the air. I want to play, 80 percent of me wants to play and I'm sure as soon as I get in the gym and see people bouncing the ball it would turn into 100 percent. So we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Horry is eligible for social security in 2010.

Accusations from the Donaghy camp

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3404607

NEW YORK -- Disgraced basketball referee Tim Donaghy told investigators in the NBA betting probe that relationships among officials, coaches and players "affected the outcome of games," his attorney said. The league said the charges were unfounded.

Donaghy's attorney made the assertions in a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on Monday, in which he argued that his client should be sentenced to probation because he fully cooperated with prosecutors and has been undergoing treatment for his gambling addiction.

The attorney also suggested that Donaghy told investigators about the gambling activities of other NBA officials and about a referee who passed "confidential" information to an unidentified coach.

The attorney, John F. Lauro, wrote that the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District agreed to plea agreements with other defendants in the case, even though his client told investigators about NBA matters outside of the government's initial investigation. Lauro said the disparity in treatment could not be fully explained because prosecutors have "surrounded this case with a cone of silence."

Predictions from here on out

Finals: Lakers vs Celtics
Why? Because the Spurs and Pistons go through these 8-10 minute periods of time where they score 0-2 points.

Bruce Bowen is a great bump, grab, stay in front of, make you uncomfortable defender, but he's not Battier or Tayshaun, he actually blows at keeping his hand in a shooter's face. The Lakers-Spurs series will be short and sweet. No I am not bitter that the Spurs beat us, I'd prefer them over the Lakers any day.

Detroit perpetual underdog? or weighed down by too many chips on the shoulder? Boston comes in as the better defensive team. The Pistons could use their toughness to take away Ray Allen's range, Pierce's drives, and Garnett's post game, forcing them all into a crowded middle area of the floor where they have to live and die by their jumpshot, essential turning them into.... the Detroit Pistons (on offense). With a better defense and the two or three times a game the Boston 3 get their way, Cetlics take this one 4-1 or 4-2.

Sorry.

I want to apologize for my post last night. I was a bit frazzled by last night's game.
Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs.

And here's to the New Orleans Hornets.

It was on hell of a ride.

What am I going to do with all this Hornets memorablilia?

This David West jersey can't feed my kids!
I gotta pay all the bills around here.

David West takes advantage of Chris Paul's 14 assists.

Chris Paul had 16 of his 22 points in the second half and added 14 assists for the Hornets, who've never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in the franchise's 20-year history.

New Orleans 101 San Antonio 79

The only vision that matters, is court vision

think about it

Tony Parker on the cover of SI

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/covers/issues/2008/0512.html

Hornets fire investigated

An NBA spokesperson said Monday that the league continues to investigate the incident that delayed Saturday's Game 1. Powerful fire extinguishers required to douse flames in a ring of fire through which Hornets mascot "Super Hugo" jumped during the break between the first and second quarters left a powdery residue on the court. It took more than 20 minutes to remove the residue. The Hornets likely will be fined for precipitating the delay.

link

David Stern also indicated he would establish an investigation into why Chris Paul is on fire.

happy birthday to paul...

"Paul had 30 points and 12 assists, leading the New Orleans Hornets to a 102-84 victory"

Yahoo-

“These are some of the best moments, I think, of my life that we’re experiencing right now,” Paul said. “We’re just riding a wave right now.”

It’s a wave that wiped out the Dallas Mavericks and is now crashing hard on the defending champion Spurs.

Paul had 30 points and 12 assists, leading the New Orleans Hornets to a 102-84 victory Monday night and a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven, second-round series.

Peja Stojakovic made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points for the Hornets, who’ve won both games by wide margins in becoming the first team to put San Antonio in an 0-2 playoff hole since 2001, when the Spurs were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.

“We’re definitely a little shocked,” Spurs forward Kurt Thomas said. “You can’t take anything away from them. They are playing extremely well. If one person’s not going, someone else is stepping up.”

17 and 13, 4 stls, 4 rebs -- Hornets stick it to the Spurs

ESPN - Spurs 82, Hornets 101

West scored a career playoff-high 30 points to lead New Orleans to a 101-82 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Saturday night.

Paul added 17 points, 13 assists and four steals for New Orleans, which trailed by as much as 11 in the first half but stormed into the lead for good in the third quarter.

"It sort of gives you goose bumps," Paul said of seeing Scott's rings, won in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers. "We understand right now we're on that same journey and we feel like we can get there."