I have some press releases to post before doing linkage. I have three NBA-related press releases in this post for you. All are from Turner Sports so let’s get to them.
First, TNT talks about its doubleheader tonight.
Teams Continue to Battle for Playoff Positions as TNT NBA Thursday Features Cavaliers @ Bulls and Lakers @ NuggetsTNT NBA Thursday continues on April 8 beginning at 8 p.m. (ET) featuring an exciting doubleheader with playoff implications The first game will feature LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are vying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan will call the game alongside analysts Doug Collins and Kevin McHale with Craig Sager reporting. The second game of the night will feature a rematch of the 2009 Western Conference Finals when Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets host Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. (ET). Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst) and Reggie Miller (analyst) will be courtside with David Aldridge reporting. The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA with Matt Winer (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst) will recap the games.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. Also follow Turner Sports PR on Twitter (http://twitter.com/TurnerSportsPR) to keep up with the latest news from the division.TNT NBA THURSDAY SCHEDULE:Thursday, April 88 p.m. NBA Tip-OffMatt Winer (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)8:15 p.m. Cleveland Cavaliers @ Chicago BullsAnnouncers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst), Kevin McHale (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)10:30 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver NuggetsAnnouncers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)Post-game &n
bsp; Inside the NBAMatt Winer (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:Tuesday, April 138 p.m. NBA Tip-OffErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)8:15 p.m. Boston Celtics @ Chicago BullsAnnouncers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)10:30 p.m. Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix SunsAnnouncers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)Post-game Inside the NBAErnie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)
NBA TV has added a live game to its Sunday lineup.
NBA TV Adds Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors to its Sunday Line-upTeams Battle for Final Eastern Conference Playoff SpotNBA TV has announced the addition of the Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors to its Sunday, April 11th schedule, replacing the Houston Rockets @ Phoenix Suns match-up. The game will feature the two teams battling for the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. The game will begin at 6 p.m. (ET), with the Pre-Game Show tipping off the night at 5:30 p.m. (ET). NBA TV’s Rick Kamla and Steve Smith will provide commentary and analysis throughout the network’s pre- and post-game studio coverage.UPDATED NBA TV PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 11:SUNDAY, APRIL 11 &nb
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5:30-6 p.m. Pregame Show Rick Kamla, Steve Smith
6-8:30 p.m. NBA Regular Season: Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors Local Announcers
8:30-9:30 p.m. NBA GameTime Rick Kamla, Steve Smith
9:30-Midnight ENCORE: Chicago Bulls @ Toronto Raptors Local Announcers
12 – 1 a.m. NBA GameTime Rick Kamla, Steve Smith
And we have quotage from NBA TV’s Fan Night on Tuesday.
Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night – Tuesday, April 6, 2010San Antonio Spurs (95) @ Sacramento Kings (86)CLIP OF THE DAY(see attached terms and conditions for video usage)**** **** **** ****Pre-Game ShowErnie Johnson, Kevin McHale and Chris WebberWebber on what is shaping up to be exciting playoffs: “I’m just excited; we talk about meaningful games for a team that isn’t really that good or in the playoff race but every team has a meaningful game. This is going to be one of few seasons where the standings don’t matter at all and home court advantage may not matter at all. There are going to be some good games played.”McHale: “It is interesting because some of the teams that struggled for awhile are really starting to play well and some of the teams that played really well early on (Lakers) are starting to stumble. It is going to be a really interesting end of the season and a great playoffs.”McHale on Spurs guard Tony Parker’s surprise return: “He probably wouldn’t be playing if George Hill hadn’t sprained his ankle. But I think the Spurs right now are sensing a little something. You start getting that mojo this time of year so these guys are starting to feel it. I think Pop (Gregg Popovich) said ‘I know George is hurt but let’s keep this train rolling and bring Tony in.’ I think they are excited. There is a purpose about the Spurs every night they step on the floor.”Webber on the Spurs’ recent play: “This is the best basketball that they have been playing, that is why Tony Parker is coming back. Finally, (Manu) Ginobili is in a groove. He is just a good playmaker when he h
as it going.”Webber on Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans being named rookie of the year: “I think he is the rookie of the year. You have guys that never average this in their career let alone their rookie year. It is not his fault that he was drafted to the team (Kings). Usually if you are a high draft pick, you are going to be picked by a bad team. I don’t think that you can put that argument in there for him not being ‘Rookie of the year. His numbers are incredible.”McHale: “From start to finish, Evans had the best rookie season of anybody. He had a little lull in the middle but from start to finish it has been good.”**** ***** *****Halftime ReportJohnson, McHale and WebberMcHale on the difference for Spurs guard Tony Parker’s coming back from a hand injury versus a leg injury: “This is completely different. If you have a leg injury you haven’t been able to run and you are fighting the bounce. He has all of that. His legs look really good to me and it looks like he is moving really well. But with his right hand being hurt, he hasn’t been able to shoot. It really is different when you are injured in your hand vs. your legs.”Webber on the Lakers not wanting to face the Spurs in the playoffs: “Right now the Lakers confidence isn’t all the way there and I don’t mean from head coach Phil Jackson or from Kobe (Bryant). A lot of guys are being exposed. A lot of guys that were touted as being Supermen or All-Stars aren’t playing that way. I would say right now that San Antonio is going into the playoffs with high momentum.”McHale on the Spurs playing the Lakers in the first round: “San Antonio is saying, ‘if we can avoid the Lakers, we will.’ They want to win this game, they want to win out; they want to stay away from the Lakers. Let Tony (Parker) get more acclimated and play some more games. San Antonio is playing better than the Lakers at this moment but also they don’t want to play them in the first round.”***** ***** *****NBA GameTimeJohnson, McHale and WebberMcHale on the San Antonio Spurs’ strategy of resting players throughout the season: “(Coach) Pops (Gregg Popovich) has done that all year long. He’s sat out (Manu) Ginobili after a big win, he’s sat out Timmy (Tim Duncan) on some back-to-backs, Pops has done that all year long. You’ll see Ginobili have a great game and the next night Pops will sit him. I think this team is poised and ready to play right into the playoffs.”Webber on playing well going into the playoffs allowing for more relaxed playoff preparation: “The fact that they are playing so well right now is better than them having a great record. (Coach) Pops (Gregg Popovich) loves the fact that they are going in (to the playoffs) on all cylinders. And the other thing, when you have those two or three days before the playoffs start, if you’re not playing well you get a little mini training camp and guys hate that. When you go into the playoffs playing well, there is more shooting, there is more ice, they can get their rest right before the series start.”Webber on the mental toughness of the Chicago Bulls: “If Chicago has had something that’s not been good for them all season, it’s been their mental play. They give up leads, they don’t show up for games, they don’t compete well, we’re used to see the mental lapses of Chicago this year.”Webber on Raptors forward Chris Bosh’s face injury: “I’m worried about (Chris Bosh’s) rhythm. Going through something like this, you won’t be able to eat the way you normally do, you won’t be able to sleep, the medication. You just never know how this affects you. I think for Toronto you’ve just got to step up because you have so many questions looming. Will he be back next year, was this the last game we ever saw of him in the Toronto jersey?”McHale on long-time NBA coach and current Warriors coach Don Nelson: “Back then, before Nellie (Coach Don Nelson) decided to play small ball, those Milwaukee Buck teams were so hard to play against. He was a great match-up coach, I thought he was one of the toughest coaches when you were a player to go against his teams. He did a great job.”Webber on his former coach Don Nelson and his impact on the game: “When I think about Nellie (Warriors coach Don Nelson) I think about his unorthodox style of playing small ball. He’s really genius in a lot of ways because he takes advantage of the rules. I remember when you could have an illegal defense, he used to make (Dikembe) Mutombo be illegal 15 times in a row to slow the game down. If there’s a loophole in the rules, he will find it. If there’s a way to get a mismatch, he’ll find that out. I think a lot of people who were stubborn and didn’t want to open their minds to different styles of playing the ball, he’s done that. To me, he’s responsible for the three guards playing, you look at what he did with Run-T.M.C. (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin), and you even look now in college and you have three guard rotations. I think he’s done a lot for the game and the coaches who came up under him.”McHale on Thunder coach Scott Brooks using a no-call at the end of the Thunder’s loss to the Jazz as a motivational tactic: “(Oklahoma City Thunder coach) Scottie Brooks is going in there and saying, ‘guys, we’re a young team and this is why we have to have home court. Because if we’re at home, we get that call.’ You use this game and say, ‘you know what? We’re no
t going to get calls in the playoffs. Are we going to lay around or are we going to cry or are we going to fight?’ If Scottie Brooks can use this, those guys will come out spitting nails and the next game they’ll be mad. That’s what you’ve got to do as a coach, you’ve got to use all those things to get those guys fired up and they’ll understand the importance of home court because you sell that all the time.”
That’s it.
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