NJ and Utah make the cut; Detroit, Cleveland and San Antonio go up 1-0.
It was another big weekend for Nike ballers in the postseason. Check out the top performances as the second round began to unfold.
SECOND ROUND
Detroit 95, Chicago 69
The lock-down defense and inspired team play that had been Detroit’s signature style in the playoffs returned in a big way, as they steamrolled over Chicago at home Saturday night. Richard Hamilton led the way with 20 points and five assists. He had plenty of help on the night, with four other players dropping double-digit point totals, including 13 apiece from Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. Chicago’s Luol Deng had a decent game, putting up 18 points and collecting eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of the team. Overall, it was a rude welcome for a young Chicago team that hasn’t seen the second round of the playoffs since 1998. Let’s see if they can turn it around in Game 2 tonight.
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San Antonio 116, Phoenix 110
People expected a head-to-head battle between Steve Nash and Tony Parker in Game 1. But no one predicted the bloody mess that took place with 2:53 to go, when Nash (31 points, eight assists) and Parker (32 points, eight assists) collided with such force that it left Nash’s nose split wide open and Parker writhing on the floor. Nash returned to hit a big 3 and drove the lane for a nice scoop layup, but had to sit again because the blood just wouldn’t stop flowing. In the end, poor clock management and missed shots kept Phoenix from getting back into the game, as San Antonio held on to take a 1-0 lead in what looks to be a hard-fought series.
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Cleveland 81, New Jersey 77
After fighting for every win against Toronto, New Jersey ran out of steam against the well-rested Cleveland squad. Although neither team shot particularly well, Cleveland played tough on D and won the battle of the boards thanks to 14 rebounds by Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Larry Hughes chipped in 17 points, including a LeBron-assisted bucket with 0:35 left that put the Cavs up 79-75. And LeBron fought through a cold to finish with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, plus one big block at the end that took away NJ’s hope for a comeback.
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FIRST ROUND
New Jersey 98, Toronto 97
Game 6 came down to one play as Richard Jefferson drove to the basket and scored the winning bucket with just over eight seconds remaining. Jason Kidd managed the game from the outset with 18 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds, averaging a triple-double for the series. Vince Carter (21 points) kept Toronto off balance by repeatedly taking the ball inside and drawing fouls. But it was Jefferson (24 points, five rebounds) whose clutch play on both offense and defense would ultimately decide the game. Toronto fans can look forward to the return of Chris Bosh (23 points, 7 rebounds) and Andrea Bargnani (17 points, 7 rebounds), who showed enough strength during the series to make next year look promising for the squad.
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Utah 103, Houston 99
Facing a tough Game 7 on enemy ground, Utah prevailed to move to the next round for the first time since 2000. Utah came out strong, taking a 10-point lead into the half with Carlos Boozer (35 points and 14 rebounds) and Deron Williams (20 points) leading the way. Houston narrowed the gap and tied it up in the fourth, resulting in some heart-stopping play down the stretch. But clutch 3-point shooting from Mehmet Okur (16 points, 11 rebounds) and big baskets by Booz sent Houston home for another long summer of wondering what went wrong.
Keep checking back as our postseason coverage continues.
