FIBA Basketball
USA - Brand efforts in vain for Clippers
PHOENIX (NBA) - FIBA World Championship hopeful Elton Brand tasted both the highs and the lows of the NBA play-offs after producing a magnificent individual performance for the Los Angeles Clippers, but still
Playoffs results
PHOENIX (NBA) - FIBA World Championship hopeful Elton Brand tasted both the highs and the lows of the NBA play-offs after producing a magnificent individual performance for the Los Angeles Clippers, but still finishing on the losing side.
Brand, who was included in Team USA's 23-man provisional squad ahead of this year's FIBA World Championship in Japan, poured in 40 points but that still wasn't enough to stop his side from slumping to a 130-123 defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in Game One of the Western Conference semi-finals.
Steve Nash had 31 points and 12 assists and Shawn Marion added 20 and 15 rebounds for the second-seeded Suns, who shot 55% (47-of-86) from the field and had six players in double-figures.
Phoenix scored a staggering 74 points in the second half and pulled away late for a fourth straight post-season win and they host Game Two on Wednesday.
The highest-scoring game of the play-offs thus far saw an explosion by Brand, who made 18-of-22 shots, most of them on short jumpers after overpowering the smallish Suns in the post.
And the All-Star forward added nine rebounds and four blocks.
A dunk by Brand pulled the sixth-seeded Clippers into a 101-101 tie with 8:33 to play but he was given a rest for less than two minutes and the Suns pounced with a 19-6 surge to take the game away from LA.
In the other match, Jason Kidd collected 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the New Jersey Nets cruised to a 100-88 victory against the Miami Heat in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Vince Carter scored 27 points and Richard Jefferson added 20 in slightly more than a half for third-seeded New Jersey, who were swept by the Heat in the first round a year ago but wasted no time letting them know that this will be a different series.
Second-seeded Miami, considered one of the favourites for the NBA title, struggled at times and needed six games to dispatch Chicago in the first round.
Against the Nets, the Heat were repeatedly beaten off the dribble, made poor decisions with the ball and saw Shaquille O'Neal limited by foul trouble.
O'Neal finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, mostly in the fourth quarter.
With the quickness of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson and the shooting of Serbo-Montenegrin center Nenad Krstic, the Nets appear to have the formula for instilling fear in the Heat.
And Miami will be concerned about this loss, their first at home in the post-season.
The Heat's inability to defend the perimeter was evident as they allowed 64 points in the first half, matching the most in franchise play-off history.
Kidd and Jefferson particularly ran wild, scoring 17 points each.
Jefferson sprained his right ankle early in the third quarter and did not return.
X-rays were negative but his status is unknown for Game Two on Wednesday.
Dwyane Wade, who is also in the Team USA preliminary squad, scored a quiet 25 points for Miami, who shot 39% (27-of-69), including 4-of-22 from the arc.
PA Sport
PHOENIX (NBA) - FIBA World Championship hopeful Elton Brand tasted both the highs and the lows of the NBA play-offs after producing a magnificent individual performance for the Los Angeles Clippers, but still finishing on the losing side.
Brand, who was included in Team USA's 23-man provisional squad ahead of this year's FIBA World Championship in Japan, poured in 40 points but that still wasn't enough to stop his side from slumping to a 130-123 defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns in Game One of the Western Conference semi-finals.
Steve Nash had 31 points and 12 assists and Shawn Marion added 20 and 15 rebounds for the second-seeded Suns, who shot 55% (47-of-86) from the field and had six players in double-figures.
Phoenix scored a staggering 74 points in the second half and pulled away late for a fourth straight post-season win and they host Game Two on Wednesday.
The highest-scoring game of the play-offs thus far saw an explosion by Brand, who made 18-of-22 shots, most of them on short jumpers after overpowering the smallish Suns in the post.
And the All-Star forward added nine rebounds and four blocks.
A dunk by Brand pulled the sixth-seeded Clippers into a 101-101 tie with 8:33 to play but he was given a rest for less than two minutes and the Suns pounced with a 19-6 surge to take the game away from LA.
In the other match, Jason Kidd collected 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the New Jersey Nets cruised to a 100-88 victory against the Miami Heat in the opening game of their Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Vince Carter scored 27 points and Richard Jefferson added 20 in slightly more than a half for third-seeded New Jersey, who were swept by the Heat in the first round a year ago but wasted no time letting them know that this will be a different series.
Second-seeded Miami, considered one of the favourites for the NBA title, struggled at times and needed six games to dispatch Chicago in the first round.
Against the Nets, the Heat were repeatedly beaten off the dribble, made poor decisions with the ball and saw Shaquille O'Neal limited by foul trouble.
O'Neal finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, mostly in the fourth quarter.
With the quickness of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson and the shooting of Serbo-Montenegrin center Nenad Krstic, the Nets appear to have the formula for instilling fear in the Heat.
And Miami will be concerned about this loss, their first at home in the post-season.
The Heat's inability to defend the perimeter was evident as they allowed 64 points in the first half, matching the most in franchise play-off history.
Kidd and Jefferson particularly ran wild, scoring 17 points each.
Jefferson sprained his right ankle early in the third quarter and did not return.
X-rays were negative but his status is unknown for Game Two on Wednesday.
Dwyane Wade, who is also in the Team USA preliminary squad, scored a quiet 25 points for Miami, who shot 39% (27-of-69), including 4-of-22 from the arc.
PA Sport