Brown Bag it, Baby
Fans watching the Bulls-Pacers game on Tuesday evening were treated to a pleasant surprise when the TNT cameras showed Joakim Noah’s sister in the stands. People on twitter began buzzing instantly about the beauty, wondering more about her. Everyone’s eyes don’t lie — Joakim Noah’s sister, Yelena Noah, is actually a model, so it’s no surprise her looks stood out. Yelena and Joakim’s mother, Cecilia Rhode, is a former Miss Sweden.
Here are more pictures of Yelena Noah.
Through four games of the opening round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, the Hornets have given the Lakers all they can handle. Chris Paul has been outstanding and the series is currently tied, 2-2, with Game 5 Tuesday night in L.A. What is even more concerning for the Lakers than the series being up for grabs is the fact that Kobe Bryant left the court on crutches after Game 4. Even worse, he is refusing any MRI or X-rays on his injured left foot.
Phil Jackson told ESPN Los Angeles on Monday that while it would probably be a good idea for Bryant to undergo the appropriate scans and tests on his foot, it doesn’t matter. At this point Kobe has no interest in knowing what could be structurally wrong with his foot/ankle and will play Tuesday night regardless. The question now is whether or not the Lakers will suffer.
Jackson finds himself faced with a classic damned if he does, damned of he doesn’t scenario — there is no arguing that. If Kobe were to sit out, the Hornets would have a tremendous opportunity to steal Game 5 and close the series out at home on Thursday. If Kobe plays and lacks explosiveness, the same opportunity could be presenting itself.
The Oklahoma City Thunder missed an opportunity to sweep the Denver Nuggets when they lost Monday evening in Game 4 104-101. OKC was actually down by 10 with under three minutes to play yet they were able to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Unfortunately they were unable to tie the game or take the lead because Russell Westbrook missed three three pointers (including a buzzer-beating heave at the end of the game).
Not only did Westbrook’s shot selection appear questionable because of his poor results, but also because he didn’t defer to the team’s perceived leader and franchise player, Kevin Durant. Durant happened to be nearly flawless from three-point range in the game, going 5-for-6.
Folks on twitter were killing Westbrook for not deferring to Durant while the TNT analysts called him out for trying to be the hero. After the game though, Durant had Westbrook’s back.
“We got some good looks, Russell got some good looks … he shot the three it rimmed out,” Durant said about the game’s ending.
He was then asked some tough questions by the media where he could have called out his teammate, but he refused to take the bait.
From Anthony Mason to Dennis Rodman and lately Ron Artest, basketball players have been known to get creative with their hairstyles. Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen was set to join them in the crazy hairdo category until he was advised to shave off this sweet look prior to Game 4 in Memphis:
It’s too bad he was advised to shave it off because aside from the glitter, it was pretty hot. I even think Ron Artest would have to agree.
Photo Credit: Curtis Givens on twitter, Story credit Lakeshore Dave
It was only two years ago when the Orlando Magic had reached the NBA Finals before deciding they had done enough for the season and laid down at the hands of the Lakers. That team had a lethal combination of the most dominant big man in the game, and a slew of shooters knocking down threes from the outside. Though the three-point shooting style of the Magic made them a frustrating team from game-to-game because their performance fluctuated, they were a talented bunch who went far in the postseason. The team’s run to the Finals seemed to signify they were bound to be a consistent force in the Eastern Conference for the next several years, but that all ended quickly.
Hedo Turkoglu, who fit in perfectly with their offense as a 6’10″ forward who could run the point and shoot threes, decided to leave in free agency. The Magic made it to the Eastern Conference Finals without him last season, but they were outclassed by the Celtics falling behind 3-0 before losing in six. Turkoglu meanwhile flopped harder than a Duke player in March during his only season in Toronto, forced a trade to Phoenix, and then he was dealt to Orlando in a blockbuster deal that also involved Jason Richardson.
What we’ve come to learn is that teams that need to overhaul their roster midseason are already in poor shape so making huge trades likely won’t be enough. What we’ve also learned is that the Magic fell behind the Bulls and Heat who both improved drastically over the offseason. Most importantly, we’ve learned that Hedo Turkoglu isn’t half as effective as he was two seasons ago, and the Magic are paying the price.
Postgame interviews can be quite entertaining — just ask Kevin Garnett — but rarely do they generate not one, but TWO headline-worthy stories. After leading the Hornets to a Game 4 victory over the Lakers on Easter Sunday, Chris Paul spoke with Cheryl Miller and not only did he say he’d treat his mother like the enemy on the court, but he also dropped a “pause.” Check it out:
And if you don’t understand the whole “pause” reference, read this.
There are a lot of Boston Celtics fans who are laughing at Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni now that Boston swept New York out of the playoffs. The Celtics were already up 3-0 in the series when D’Antoni questioned Rajon Rondo’s brilliance prior to Game 4 Sunday, making him look even worse since Rondo had a good game to knock them out.
Rondo was coming off a triple double against the Knicks in Game 3 racking up 20 assists when D’Antoni made his remark.
“I’d like to see him play in Minnesota and see how he does,” D’Antoni said. “Rondo is a very good basketball player – really good. But if you look at their team and you have to say, ‘What can we take away? What do we have to give them and play the odds?’ You have to give him his shot and you have to try to close up the middle on him and that’s kind of how we did it. We think that’s the best way to go. Nothing might work because they’re that good. He’s a very good basketball player, there’s no doubt about it.”
