By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP)—Leon Powe(notes) has seen the Boston Celtics at their best. They aren’t there anymore.
After coming off the bench and helping the Cleveland Cavaliers put away the Celtics 104-93 on Sunday, Powe, who won an NBA title with Boston in 2008, took a moment to reflect on his former team, a squad showing signs of age and perhaps vulnerability.
“Looking at the defense from the championship year, when we won it, it doesn’t look the same,” Powe said. “It looks like the rotation is slower and they ain’t getting to the shooters and closing out like they did before. I don’t know if it’s effort or maybe they’re a little older.
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By Adrian Wojnarowski,
PHOENIX – Privately, people wonder: How many more passes does Kobe Bryant(notes) give Pau Gasol(notes) for speaking so boldly about him? How long until Bryant’s public and private reprisal comes with a ferocity that could bring a 7-footer to his knees? All season, Gasol has been a relentlessly consistent, if not passively aggressive, critic of the franchise star’s shooting habits, of an offense that doesn’t deliver him the ball with the frequency that he wants.
Whatever the reasons, Gasol has been emboldened to speak his mind. Whatever the odds, Bryant has bit his lip and let it go.
“I believe in what I believe,” Gasol said.
Hours before Friday night’s victory over the Phoenix Suns, chatting on a chair inside U.S. Airways Center, Bryant let out a laugh and insisted there will be no public rebuttals. “I’m not touching that,” Bryant said with a smile and shrug.
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By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP)—Jermaine O’Neal(notes) called it, telling teammates in overtime that the next time someone drove the lane he would be there to take the charge.
That someone was Kobe Bryant(notes).
And O’Neal delivered on his vow.
O’Neal stood his ground with 18.7 seconds left in the extra session and Bryant was whistled for an offensive foul. It was the final turning point as the Miami Heat found a way to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 114-111 in the NBA’s wildest back-and-forth game this season.
There were 19 ties and 31 lead changes, two more than any game in the league in 2009-10, and Miami’s center stood tallest at the end.
“He was there. He stepped up,” said Dwyane Wade(notes), who led the Heat with 27 points and 14 assists. “I saw it coming the whole way. That’s J.O.—J.O. not only protects the basket by being a shotblocker, but he also protects it because he can take charges. And that’s great. Everybody did their job tonight.”
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