As this week has been absolutely crazy and I’m borrowing wireless from another office, I’m going to give you a couple of press releases today. Here’s a note from TNT about tonight’s NBA doubleheader.
NBA on TNT Action Continues with a Doubleheader Featuring Heat @ Cavaliers and Spurs @ Trail BlazersTNT NBA Thursday continues on February 4 with a doubleheader beginning at 8 p.m. (ET). The first game will feature LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Play-by-play announcer Marv Albert will call the game alongside analysts Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller with Craig Sager reporting. In the second game of the night, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs visit Brandon Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Doug Collins (analyst) will be courtside with David Aldridge reporting. The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst) will recap the games.This week, TNT will announce the nominees for its ‘TNT All-Decade Individual Performance: Regular Season’ category. Fans can visit NBA.com’s ‘TNT All-Decade’ page (http://www.nba.com/alldecade/vote3/) to view clips of the previously announced nominees and cast a vote on who they think should win. ‘TNT All-Decade’ includes the top performances, games and moments throughout the 2000’s and winners will be announced in a special one-hour show airing during TNT’s exclusive coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. (ET).Exclusive content, analysis from TNT announcers and replays of Inside the NBA are available on TNT OverTime on NBA.com. The broadband channel gives fans the inside scoop on players, coaches and storylines taking place around the league seven days a week. Check out the NBA on TNT pages on Twitter (http://twitter.com/NBAonTNT) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) to see the latest NBA on TNT schedule, news updates and special features from TNT announcers.TNT NBA THURSDAY SCHEDULE:Thursday, Feb. 48 p.m. NBA Tip-OffErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)8:15 p.m. Miami Heat @ Cleveland CavaliersAnnouncers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)10:30 p.m. San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail BlazersAnnouncers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)Post-game Inside the NBAErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:Monday, Feb. 88 p.m. NBA Tip-OffErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)8:15 p.m. New Orleans Hornets @ Orlando MagicAnnouncers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)10:30 p.m. San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles LakersAnnouncers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)Post-game Inside the NBAErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)Thursday, Feb. 118 p.m. NBA Tip-OffErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)8:15 p.m. Orlando Magic @ Cleveland CavaliersAnnouncers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)10:30 p.m. San Antonio Spurs @ Denver NuggetsAnnouncers: Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)Post-game Inside the NBAErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenn
y Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)
And here’s quotage from NBA TV’s Fan Night from Tuesday.
Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night – Tuesday, February 2, 2010Memphis Grizzlies (89) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (105)Washington Wizards @ Charlotte BobcatsChicago Bulls @ Indiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves @ Philadelphia 76ersHouston Rockets @ Miami HeatSacramento Kings @ New York KnicksAtlanta Hawks @ Memphis GrizzliesDetroit Pistons @ Milwaukee BucksDallas Mavericks @ Denver NuggetsOklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trail BlazersUtah Jazz @ LA ClippersCLIP OF THE DAY**** **** **** ****Pre-Game ShowErnie Johnson, Kevin McHale and Chris WebberWebber on the Grizzlies pounding the ball inside: “If other teams played this way that have more talent they’d have more wins. It’s going inside, getting the other team in foul trouble, getting turnovers and running. These two big fellas are one of the best duos in the league, and that would be and that would be Big Z (Zach Randolph) and the other Gasol, do not forget about him his (Pau’s) little brother.McHale on Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph: “This is what he does, he goes and he rebounds the mess. He’s a great offensive rebounder. He can’t jump an inch off the ground but I tell you what he’s a he can rebound and he can throw that little left handed hook over everybody.”McHale on Grizzlies guard Mike Conley: “One guy who has made a big, big impact on that team and helped them tremendously has been (Mike) Conley. He doesn’t need to score to help them win, he has four great scorers on that team in OJ May, (Rudy) Gay and the two big guys we talked about (Gasol and Randolph). Conley does a terrific job of distributing that ball and he can go out and half six or eight points and really help that team win. I’m a big fan of Mike Conley, he has really improved. For awhile coming out of Ohio State I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it in this league. ”Webber on the Cleveland Cavaliers being the best team in the Eastern Conference: “They’ve dealt with everything, getting used to Shaq, a couple of injuries, a couple of things off the court, but at least right now they are in a rhythm. Right now they are the best team in the East to me, because of injuries to other teams, and this team is playing really well.”McHale on his picks for next Tuesday’s fan Night: “Atlanta vs. Memphis or Dallas vs. Denver, please. Keep Ernie, Chris and I happy. C’mon fans, do us right!”The Fan Night crew spoke with Grizzlies All-Star forward Zach Randolph via ArenalinkRandolph on the big difference this year for him versus year’s past: “Just focus. Coach (Lionel Hollins) trusted me, the team trusted me. We get along so well, we can talk to each other when we are not doing the right things when somebody is going off-course we can talk to him. Just camaraderie to come together and believe in each other.The NBA announced the Skills Challenge field for All-Star Saturday Night which includes Steve Nash (Phoenix), Deron Williams (Utah), Derrick Rose (Chicago and Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee)Webber on his favorite to win the Skills Challenge: “I’m going to go with Deron Williams because it’s his first All-Star appearance and I think he’ll probably go at it real hard, take it serious, but these are three of the best five points guards in the game, so its going to be exciting.”McHale: “Repeat, (Derrick) Rose, that’s it, what the next segment?”Webber on Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal: “I did not think the Shaquille O’Neal trade would work, I thought he would slow the team down but I was wrong. He has accepted his role and he has gotten his legs back.”***** ***** *****Halftime ReportJohnson, McHale and Web
berMcHale on the Grizzlies going away from going inside early: “It’s a test of wills when your plan isn’t working to stick with it and I thing they got away from that early with Mike Conley taking some bad shots, OJ Mayo, go back inside.”Webber on Pacers forward Troy Murphy: “There’s been a lot of talk about Troy Murphy in a trade. You never know, if Indiana get a good veteran in a trade they could be really good.”McHale: “And I think Murphy can help a lot of teams out there, a guy who can spread the floor, make some threes and rebound.”Webber on the unselfish play of Cavaliers forward LeBron James: “He gets unfairly criticized because he plays basketball, because he’s a teammate, because he’s a leader…When you get everybody else involved, the defense intensity goes up, the crowd gets into the game and you know you can get yours at any time.”Webber on Raptors guard Marco Belinellie: “I actually got a chance to play with him in Golden State. He really can shoot the ball and when he works on his ball handling and other aspects of his game he really could be a solid player.”***** ***** *****NBA GameTimeJohnson, McHale and WebberCavaliers guard Daniel Gibson joined the show via ArenaLink.Gibson on being prepared to make an impact on the team: “It takes a mental focus. LeBron was one of those guys who stayed in my corner and let me know that it was going to come back around. He told me to stay in the gym, keep making shots. When I came in early, he was always there, so he kept me motivated.”Gibson on where his nickname ‘Boobie’ came from: “It’s really a childhood name that I didn’t want to get out. It’s nothing I promoted myself. Being a rookie I had E(ric) Snow and David Wesley and Damon Jones on the same team. We got to talking about nicknames and mine came up and me being a rookie, that’s what everyone called me. It just stuck from there. With the memories it has on it – my grandmother passe
d away and she’s the one that gave me the name – so it feels good to hear it when the fans say it.”McHale on the talent of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant: “That guy (Kevin Durant) makes undefendable shots. If you play your best defense, you rise up, you get a hand up and he drains that shot because he’s such a good closer like Kobe, ‘Melo, those guys make tough shots at the end of the game.”McHale on reports that Nets assistant coach Del Harris is stepping down from his position: “Del’s older and this losing just tears you up. I’m sure he’s not enjoying this. He probably said, ‘I came here to help you, Kiki, and it’s not working well for anybody,’ maybe he’s saying, ‘for my health, I’m stepping away.’”Webber: “If we check our email after the show he’ll probably invite us to a party he’s having, saying ‘I’m glad I got out of this mess.’ He’s played coach for too long to be putting up with that.”
I don’t have time to do linkage. Perhaps tonight. Work might be easing up today.
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