Hooped Up

Orlando center Dwight Howard’s elbows ended up sidelining two Magic players for Game 6 against Philadelphia on Thursday.

The NBA suspended Howard one game without pay for a right elbow delivered to 76ers center Samuel Dalembert’s head with 9:15 left in the first quarter of Game 5 in Orlando’s 91-78 victory Tuesday.

Later in the first quarter, Howard jumped to block Willie Green’s shot, and when Howard came down, his left elbow smashed guard Courtney Lee in the face and fractured his sinus. Lee will also miss Game 6.

The Magic own a 3-2 lead against Philadelphia in the best-of-7 series, and Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in Game 5.

USA Today

After Utah’s first two losses in the series, Deron Williams told friends he was growing increasingly frustrated with the softness of some of his teammates. Williams has previously targeted Andrei Kirilenko for criticism, but he’s said to have also soured considerably on Carlos Boozer. Boozer angered franchise officials and teammates alike early in the season, when he spoke openly of wanting to test his free agency this summer. It didn’t help that he made the comments while he was nursing a quadriceps injury that cost him more than half the season. 

Yahoo

The league office ruled Wednesday that the referees acted properly when they did not assess a flagrant foul against the Boston guard after he whacked Chicago’s Brad Miller in the mouth with two seconds remaining in Game 5 of the Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls series Tuesday night. A league spokesman said the play “stands as called,” meaning there will be no further penalty against Rondo. League officials had the option of upgrading the foul to a flagrant-category 1 or a flagrant-category 2 — the latter of which occasionally can come with an accompanying suspension, if NBA officials deem the foul particularly egregious. 

ESPN.com

Ray Allen or Paul Pierce? Pick your poison. The Celtics and Bulls series is proving to be one of the best first round match ups in quiet some time and last night Pierce added to the drama with this dagger bucket. The series is now 3 -2 Celtics and I’m fully expecting the Bulls to win the next game to force a game 7.

How can you not love a series that provides so much free OT basketball.

The NBA’s one year after high school graduation rule to enter the draft, continues to make no sense and Jeremy Tyler has been the latest US born player to expose its holes.

In a brave move for a 17-year-old, Tyler has opted to forgo his education and travel to Europe, where he will compete for a professional team. In doing so he will be the first player born in the United States to skip senior year in favour of developing his game abroad – a move that has caused a stir across the Atlantic for its bold defiance of tradition.

The NBA might as well remove this rule because, it’s bad for everybody involved. Unless they impose a 3 years removed from high school rule like the NFL, there is absolutely no point in enforcing such terrible rule that will continue to backfire on college basketball.

Check out Jeremy Tyler at work after the jump.

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Dwyane Wade’s back pain is just one of several reasons momentum appears to be back with the Atlanta Hawks for their first-round playoff series against the Heat.

Wade and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra counter by saying Wade’s back spasms could improve significantly by the start of Game 5 tonight in Atlanta. But then what else could they hope for at this point? Read More »

Dwight Howard must have been listening to some Luducris before last night Magic versus 76ers game because my man was straight droppin’ bows on everybody in game 5. Both Sam Dalembert and teammate Courtney Lee caught bows from D12 in the first quarter and both actions could have consequences. The blow Lee caught might have him out for Game 6 injured and the one that Dalembert caught might cost Howard a game or a fine after the play is reviewed by the league today.

Next time, maybe Howard should listen to some Eddy Grant before the game. Nobody has ever through an elbow after listening to Electric Avenue in the history of the world and it’s a wicked tune!

Orlando guard Courtney Lee left Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night after taking a blow to the head. He was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Lee took an elbow to his head from teammate Dwight Howard early in the first period. Howard soared to block a shot by Willie Green on the play and came down on his teammate. Lee was on the floor for a few minutes before going to the locker room with a towel to his head.

Orlando won Game 5 91-78. The Magic said the starting shooting guard’s status for Game 6 is questionable.

Lee, a rookie from Western Kentucky, averaged 15.7 points through the first four games.

Press Release

Melany Doucette is a model from Biddeford, Maine.

 A federal judge in Las Vegas has ordered former NBA star Dennis Rodman to pay a former casino employee $225,000 for grabbing and humiliating her at work in March 2006. Read More »