2011 NBA Playoffs- Conference Semifinal Predictions

Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Mavs edged Portland through outstanding backcourt play of Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. Meanwhile, LA took care of the Hornets despite dropping Game 1 at home.
The key in this semifinal series will be how well Dallas will defend the trio of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. Wanting to get rid of the "soft" label that has been put on them over the last couple years, Marc Cuban's team will get their chance to prove it. And what the heck, I think they have a very good shot. Although, I think Dallas will have a hard time stopping Kobe one-on-one, I think Dallas' big men can neutralize the Laker bigs. Tyson Chandler and Brandon Haywood will not back down from any challenge underneath, and I think Dirk Nowitzki will be a matchup nightmare for Pau Gasol when he takes him outside. Probably won't happen, but the Lakers can't win it every year (can they?)
Mavericks in 7

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
How about them Grizzlies? I bandwagoned on them before the playoffs (because of Battier) not expecting much in return. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Zach Randolph absolutely destroyed Tim Duncan head-to-head and San Antonio's resurgent season turned out to be fluke. OKC, meanwhile, took advantage of Denver's awful defense and ran them off the court in 5.
In this series, it will be all about the match-ups. For Memphis to have a chance to pull off another upset, Z-Bo will have to win his individual match-up against Thunder shot-blocker Serge Ibaka. In addition, Shane Battier will have to slow down the red-hot Kevin Durant. If both of these things happens, Grizzlies have a shot. The ultimate ex-factor, in the end, though is OKC point guard Russell Westbrook, who I don't see Memphis having an answer to.
Thunder in 6

Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls
The ATL pulled off a mammoth upset in round one, dispatching Dwight Howard and the Magic, through the ridiculously hot shooting of Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford. Can they keep it going and beat the Bulls, which struggled against up-start Indiana?
I don't think so. Certainly, they have the capability to prove me wrong, but you just can't continue to win in the playoffs by depending so much on perimeter jump shots. The Hawks will have to get center Al Horford involved in this series, and his effectiveness against Joakim Noah will be integral for their season to continue. In the end, too much D-Rose (who will dominate this series against Kirk Hinrich and Crawford) and not enough ball movement against a good defensive team dooms the Hawks.
Bulls in 6

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat
So much for the panic in Beantown. Okay, so the Knicks were actually terrible, but the C's looked on championship form in sweeping NY. Miami, likewise, just overwhelmed Philly with its talent.
Now, it's time to rumble. It'll be Boston's Big 3 against Miami's Big 3. It'll be two of the top defensive teams in the league. It'll be LeBron trying to take revenge against Boston for humiliating him in last year's playoffs. And in the end, it'll be Boston's bench depth, playoff experience, and team chemistry that will put Miami's championship parade off for at least a year. Miami is definitely more talented (LeBron and Wade should dominate), but Boston is a better complete team.
Celtics in 7

My First Round Record: 6-2

2011 NFL Draft

First Round
1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton (QB) Auburn
2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller (OLB) Texas A&M
3. Buffalo Bills: Marcel Darius (DT) Alabama
4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green (WR) Georgia
5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson (CB) LSU
6. Atlanta Falcons* (from Cleveland): Julio Jones (WR) Alabama
7. San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith (DE) Missouri
8. Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker (QB) Washington
9. Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith (OT) USC
10. Jacksonville Jaguars* (from Washington): Blaine Gabbert (QB) Missouri
11. Houston Texans: J.J. Watt (DE) Washington
12. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder (QB) Florida St.
13. Detroit Lions: Nick Fairley (DT) Auburn
14. St. Louis Rams: Robert Quinn (DE) North Carolina
15. Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey (OL) Florida
16. Washington Redskins* (from Jacksonville): Ryan Kerrigan (DE) Purdue
17. New England Patriots* (from Oakland): Nate Solder (OL) Colorado
18. San Diego Chargers: Corey Liuget (DT) Illinois
19. NY Giants: Prince Amukamara (CB) Nebraska
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Adrian Clayborn (DE) Iowa
21. Cleveland Browns* (from Kansas City): Phil Taylor (DL) Baylor
22. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo (OL) Boston College
23. Philadelphia Eagles: Danny Watkins (OL) Baylor
24. New Orleans Saints: Cameron Jordan (DE) Cal
25. Seattle Seahawks: James Carpenter (OL) Alabama
26. Kansas City Chiefs* (from Atlanta): Jonathan Baldwin (WR) Pittsburgh
27. Baltimore Ravens: Jimmy Smith (CB) Colorado
28. New Orleans Saints* (from New England): Mark Ingram (RB) Alabama
29. Chicago Bears: Gabe Carimi (OL) Wisconsin
30. New York Jets: Muhammad Wilkerson (DT) Temple
31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cam Heyward (DT) Ohio State
32. Green Bay Packers: Derek Sherrod (OL) Mississippi St.
*denotes trade

Blackhawks Force Game 7

If you haven't been keeping up with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in addition to all the NBA Playoff action, you have been missing out.

Last night, the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, seeded 8th in the Western Conference, won their third straight game to even their series with top-seeded Vancouver 3-3 with a thrilling overtime win at the United Center. They are only the 7th team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in a series. Highlights of the game are below.



They will try to complete the amazing comeback tomorrow night in Vancouver Game 7 at 9 PM CT on Versus.

Adelman Fired

You have got to be kidding me. Sources have confirmed to the Houston Chronicle that Rick Adelman has been fired as coach of the Houston Rockets, following two straight seasons of missing the playoffs. Adelman, who is 64, ranks 8th all-time in wins as an NBA coach and led the Rockets to their only playoff series win in 14 years in 2009.

To me, this is absolutely ridiculous. To blame Adelman for the Rockets' continual defensive failures over the last two seasons is absolutely unwarranted.

Is it his fault Kevin Martin, who makes $12 million a year, stands around and lets people score on him and is probably the worst defending guard I have ever seen?
Is it his fault PF Luis Scola has the quickness of a turtle and flops all the time?
Is it his fault Chuck Hayes, who has had to fill in at center because of Yao Ming's continual foot problems, is only 6' 6" and is simply too short to defend 7-footers?
Is it his fault General Manager Daryl Morey lit $5 million dollars on fire by signing washed-up Brad Miller?
Is it his fault Yao Ming's feet keep breaking down?

I get it, Mr. Alexander if you are frustrated. We as Houston fans know it's been 16 years since that championship. We know how horrible the Texans (which by the way have missed the playoffs for 5 straight years under the same inept head coach) and Astros, are. Houston begs for a winner (although not as loudly as Cleveland). But, you are making a mistake with this rash firing. Adelman got the best out of the players he had the last two years. And by letting him go in favor of a Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer, or a Mike Woodson does not make you a better team in the near future.

Opening Weekend Thrillers

Highlighting a great weekend of opening games from the 2011 NBA Playoffs, Shane Battier of the Grizzlies and Ray Allen of the Celtics hit clutch three-pointers to lead their teams to hard-earned victories. (below)

In other Game 1 action, Chris Paul absolutely took over, getting 33 points, 14 assists, and 4 steals, as the Hornets stunned the Lakers at Staples Center 109-100. OKC and Dallas both won close Game 1's in the other Western Conference matchups.

In the East, Chicago's Derrick Rose saved the Bulls from a embarrassing, flat loss to Indiana, the Hawks shot lights out and withstood Dwight Howard's 46-point outburst, and Miami survived a scare from the 76ers.

Game 2's start tonight, with 76ers-Heat @ 7 PM ET and Pacers-Bulls @ 9:30 PM ET on TNT.

2011 NBA Playoffs- First Round Predictions

Western Conference
Spurs in 6 over Grizzlies: San Antonio has looked shaky down the stretch, and Memphis has actually improved as a team after losing Rudy Gay for the season. In the end, the playoff tested Spurs come out the victors, although Zach Randolph and the Grizz do finally win a playoff game.
Thunder in 6 over Nuggets: What a run the Nuggets have been on since the Carmelo Anthony trade. Nobody thought they could still make the playoffs without their superstar, but George Karl's squad has proved them wrong by playing as a true team. Against division rival OKC, it'll be a speedy point guard battle between Ty Lawson and Russell Westbrook. However, the Thunder also have scoring champ Kevin Durant and should have the advantage on the inside with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka against Nene and Kenyon Martin.
Mavericks in 7 over Trailblazers: It's a power forward match-up for the ages with Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki both borderline MVP candidates for their respective clubs. The Blazers are certainly capable of pulling off this upset, as Portland is very strong defensively, and Dallas has yet to consistently live up to its spectacular regular seasons with good postseasons. In the end, too much Dirk, Jason Terry, and J-Kidd is the difference.
Lakers in 5 over Hornets: The defending champs have been up and down again this season, but are once again favorites out West. Andrew Bynum may have the worst knees ever, but he, along with Pau Gasol will dominate New Orleans' bigs. (they are without David West) Chris Paul may be best player on court in the series, but Hornets just can't match the Lakers' length.

Eastern Conference
Bulls in 4 over Pacers: MVP D-Rose and Bulls roll over 37-win Indiana.
Magic in 6 over Hawks: Dwight Howard has made gigantic strides this season, after working with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in the offseason. The effectiveness of Hawks center Al Horford's single-coverage defense on him will determine how long this series lasts. Both teams like to bomb three-pointers away, but I like Orlando's overall balance better than Atlanta's dependence on Joe Johnson.
Celtics in 6 over Knicks: C's traded away (in my mind) its 18th title earlier this year when it dumped center Kendrick Perkins, replacing him in the lineup with broken down Jermaine O'Neal and undersized Nenad Krstic. But more in later series. New York has Amare and Carmelo, the two best offensive players in the series, but as a team, is pathetically awful defensively, and Boston is too well coached not to execute offensively.
Heat in 5 over 76ers: Doug Collins has done a great job in his first season in Philly, and he has an outstanding bench led by Thaddeus Young and first team led by emerging star point guard Drue Holliday. However, Miami just has too much firepower with LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Charl Schwartzel Wins Masters

Incredible drama at Augusta National today in the final round of the 2011 Masters. At one point down the stretch of the back nine, nine golfers were within two shots of the lead.

In the end, it was South African Charl Schwartzel who came away with the green jacket and his first major championship. Schwartzel birdied the final four holes of his round, to finish at -13 and defeat Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day by two shots.

"It was just such an exciting day," Schwartzel said. "There were so many roars and the atmosphere out there was just incredible.

Among those adding to the roar was Tiger Woods, who shot 67 today, including -5 on the front nine. However, he was even-par on the back-nine, falling four back in a tie with Geoff Ogilvy and Luke Donald. Three-round leader Rory McIlroy, who had a four shot lead coming into today, led throught nine holes, but completely fell apart on the back 9, and finished shooting an 80.

Connecticut Shuts Down Butler for Title

53, 41

HOUSTON- In certainly wasn't pretty, but the Connecticut Huskies will take it. In a defensive struggle for the ages, UConn wins its third national championship by beating the Butler Bulldogs 53-41 at Reliant Stadium.

The Huskies' size defensive effort and Butler's offensive woes made for the worst shooting performance in NCAA championship history, as Butler made an embarrassing 12 of 64 shots to finish shooting 18.8% for the game, breaking a record for futility that had stood since 1941. The Bulldogs finished with just 19 points in the second half, as UConn's length on the inside (Huskies had 10 blocks) and quickness on the perimeter thorough frustrated Butler, as their leading scorers Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard combined to shoot 5 of 28.

As bad as their offense was in the game, don't knock Butler for not playing hard. Leading 22-19 at halftime, the Bulldogs' defense did not let up until late in the game when they had to gamble for steals. Star point guard Kemba Walker was held to just 16 points on 5 for 19 shooting. The Huskies made just one three pointer in the game. However, the impact guard Jeremy Lamb and center Alex Oriakhi made in the game, with the latter scoring 11 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots, along with Butler's incompetent shooting helped UConn grab control of the game in the second half. When it was all over, the Huskies had won their unprecedented 11th straight tournament game to end the season with the championship trophy.

"You see the tears on my face," Walker said. "I have so much joy in me, it's unreal. It's surreal. I'm so happy right now."

2011 NCAA Championship Preview

#8 vs. #3 8:23 PM CT CBS

Tonight, deep in the heart of Houston, the 2011 NCAA Basketball champion will be crowned on the floor of Reliant Stadium. In a season without a super-team, it has come down to the Connecticut Huskies, just 9-9 in the Big East, but winners of 10 straight tournament games (5 Big East, 5 NCAA) and the Butler Bulldogs, last year's national finalist that was one shot away from slaying mighty Duke, and ready to win this one.

Leading each of their respective teams are senior point guards in what should be an amazing position battle tonight: Shelvin Mack of Butler vs. Kemba Walker of UConn. More importantly, down low in the paint, Butler bigs Matt Howard and Andrew Smith must be successful against the UConn front-line of Alex Oriakhi and Roscoe Smith to give Butler an additional dimension in the back court. The play of Huskie freshman guard Jeremy Lamb on the biggest stage against the more-experienced Butler senior Shawn Vanzant will also go a long will in determining a champion.

In the end, although I will be rooting hard for Brad Stevens and the Cinderella story of the Bulldogs, I have to go with Kemba Walker and the Huskies to win the game.
My pick: UConn

UConn Advances, Ousts Kentucky

In the nightcap from H-Town, Connecticut survived a second half rally from Kentucky and nipped the Wildcats 56-55 to advance to the national final on Monday night. The Huskies were up 10 at the half, but had to overcome a 16-5 run by the Wildcats to start the second half. In the end, Kemba Walker rose to the occasion, scoring 18 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists, as UConn is one win away from its third championship. For Kentucky, a great season comes to an end, with John Calipari's latest team of freshmen to head to a Final Four falling one point short of a title game appearance. In most likely their last college game, NBA lottery-bound point guard Brandon Knight had 17 points to lead Kentucky, while forward Terrence Jones added 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Butler Advances to Championship

Butler is in the national final for the second straight year, after defeating VCU 70-62 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Bulldog seniors Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard had 24 and 17 points, respectively, as the tournament-experienced team from Indy stopped the Cinderella run of the Rams. For coach Shaka Smart and VCU, who I didn't even have winning a single game in the tournament, an amazing season comes to an end. Jamie Skeen had 27 points and 6 rebounds in the loss.

Game 2 Pick: In a rematch of an earlier season matchup, I like the tournament-tested Huskies over the upstart Wildcats from Kentucky. Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker should be an amazing guard matchup, but in the end, I have to lean with the team with the best player on the court.