Behind the Box Score, where the Los Angeles Lakers answered at home

Los Angeles Lakers 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 96 (Thunder lead series 2-1)

Game 1 was the blowout, the startling realization that the Oklahoma City Thunder remained a championship-level force to be reckoned with, even after a week-long layoff. Game 2 was the ugly nail-biter, the one that Los Angeles let get away. Game 3? It wasn’t perfect. But it was fantastic, end-to-end playoff basketball.

There were quibbles, to be sure. Thunder coach Scott Brooks probably shouldn’t have left Derek Fisher try to guard Kobe Bryant after Kobe’s entrance in the fourth quarter; Kevin Durant will get criticism for the pass he made (to Serge Ibaka, in the game’s third-to-last possession); Ibaka will get criticism for the pass he didn’t make (to Durant or Russell Westbrook with the Thunder down three with three seconds left); and Kobe Bryant’s ability to goad referee Marc Davis into putting him at the line on a phantom foul late in the fourth quarter. There were mistakes.

[Photos: Lakers get back in series with win over Thunder]

Kobe, though, earned just about every other trip to the line. He hit double-figure free-throw attempts by the end of the third quarter, and did not fall victim to the low-percentage looks down the stretch like he did late in Game 2 (save for one instance, that led directly to OKC going up five in the middle of the fourth as Kobe admired his follow through). One drive and score over both Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka in the fourth probably saved Los Angeles’ season. Whine all you want over the Lakers shooting 42 free throws and Kobe hitting 18 of 18, but by my count he earned all but four of those 18 (both on phantom fouls versus James Harden), and the Lakers earned this win.

Andrew Bynum was fantastic defensively, hedging and moving bodies on the interior, making up for a tough night from the floor (2 for 13) by playing so well on the other end and hitting 11 free throws of his own. Pau Gasol was once again given afterthought status, but still added a team-high (tied with Kobe) six assists, with Los Angeles dishing an assist on 14 of the its 16 first-half baskets.

The Thunder have some rotation issues to work through. Derek Fisher entered the game early (just six minutes in) because Brooks wasn’t happy with Russell Westbrook’s energy level to start the game, and that was probably a good move. But eventually playing James Harden only 29 minutes and letting Fisher get burned on Bryant’s two warm-up jumpers in the fourth quarter was a misstep. Westbrook still has an astonishing two turnovers in 96 combined minutes of play in this series, but he also managed to create only one assist for a teammate on Friday.

And yet, there they were. Kevin Durant with a 3-pointer to tie it with just a few ticks left, just a little to the side.

As much as we dug this game, it’s unfortunate we’ll have to see these two teams suit up again on Saturday night, because a back-to-back (and Los Angeles’ 11th game in 20 days) rarely produces a good batch of basketball on the second end — even dating back to the 1990s in non-lockout years. Three games in, and with just 21 hours separating the final buzzer from the opening tipoff of Game 4, these teams are probably just all adjusted out. They know what they have to do.

And we know what we have to do. Watch.

***

Philadelphia 76ers 92, Boston Celtics 83 (series tied 2-2)

If I told you before the Sixers and Celtics tipped off on Friday night that the 76ers would win by a 92-69 score, you’d probably be a little surprised — especially considering Boston’s dominant turn in Game 3. But it certainly wouldn’t have been the craziest idea, considering how Boston’s offense can come and go, and that the 76ers were working in the midst of a must-win situation.

If I point out that the Sixers spotted the Celtics a 14-0 lead to start the game? Then things get a little dicey. Everyone expected this to be a long series, and in a long series everyone gets their blowout win, so, is this, perhaps, Philadelphia’s blowout win? Even if the C’s seemed well on their way to a blowout win in the opening quarter.

An odd game, obviously. Philadelphia showed absolutely no interest in playing smart basketball from the outset, matching tough perimeter jumpers with frantic, nervous play. Boston relented, though, after its hot start. The C’s gave up too many turnovers, which allowed Philadelphia the chance to leak out in transition and chip away at the lead. Still, with Paul Pierce hitting from the outside and Andre Iguodala struggling mightily, Boston led by 18 in the third.

Then the Celtics went small. For some reason.

[Related: Celtics collapse in Game 4 after succumbing to Sixers' 'trick']

Brandon Bass is no great shakes, but the team missed his ability to connect on jumpers while he was on the bench in the second half. Ray Allen was murderously bad on both ends — missing four of six shots after starting the series by hitting 48 percent of his looks and getting beat continuously on defense. Sometimes by two different players on the same possession, after the Celtics switched. It was not fun to watch.

Philly just chipped. Evan Turner was awful from the floor (5 of 22) but he hit six of his nine free throws, and Lou Williams was the star of stars with 15 points off the bench while somehow registering eight assists in an incredibly ugly game. And after starting the game 2 of 8, Andre Iguodala hit 3 of 4 in the fourth quarter to somehow give the Sixers 33 points in the game’s final 12 minutes. Sixty-one points in the second half for Philly after managing just 31 in the first half. Astonishing.

And yet, somehow during the entire run, I was a little nonplussed. Because Boston is so bad offensively and so banged up, it almost felt normal. Kevin Garnett has probably been the best player in the postseason thus far, but he’s also had to hit his fair share of tough makes in the playoffs — and those tough makes weren’t going down. Toss in the 17 Boston turnovers, both forced and unforced? It just makes sense.

Philly was desperate, but somehow they kept their nerve even in an easy spot to back down with both the early and third-quarter deficits. That’s a credit to Doug Collins, and each member of that Sixers rotation. This team had every right to bow down after being dominated in a fourth consecutive quarter (dating back to Wednesday’s Game 3, in the second quarter), and yet the team gave us a tidy (if borderline unwatchable) best-of-three series to pay attention to over the next week.

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Ed Reed isn’t sure he wants to play football, but Ed Reed is probably going to play football

Thursday on Sirius XM NFL Radio, legendary Ravens safety Ed Reed said he wasn’t “100 percent committed” to playing football this coming season. It’s not about money, he says. It’s about other things happening in his life.

“I know that time is kind of inching away at me. We do have a mandatory camp coming up that I’m still in deep thought about because other things are important to me now. I still know I can play at a high level. I can still go for another couple years physically. But other things is kind of taking place in my life right now and making me think about things differently.”

If it’s truly not about money ‒ Reed is scheduled to make $7.2 million in the last year of his current contract ‒ that’s not necessarily a good thing for the Ravens, because back in April, it was about the money.

“For what I offer on the football field, for what I give on the football field and for what they know they’re going to get, it’s much more than these young guys out here today and what they’re getting. And I’m talking at any every defensive back position right now, not just safety.”

So now maybe it’s about two things.

If you’re a Ravens fan, you can relax. It’s not yet time to start worrying yourself sick about a season that might not include Reed or Terrell Suggs. Especially since Reed said just a few hours after his Sirius interview that he does intend to play this year. From the Carroll County Times:

“It’s not about retirement, it’s about my focus in the offseason, health, family and football,” said Reed, who has battled hip, neck and shoulder injuries in recent years. “This is the time of year where players think through things. My goal is to play football in the years to come.”

So that should ease some concerns. There’s also this: In recent years, randomly threatening retirement in the offseason has become kind of a tradition for Ed Reed. It’s just something he does.

The same time Ed Reed leaves the Ravens could be the same time the Ravens stop being one of the league’s best defenses. He’s one of those lynchpin guys ‒ pull him out, and not only does it create a huge hole, but everything surrounding that hole gets a lot less stable, too. They’ll still have some horses on defense, but the back end won’t be nearly as strong as it’s been for the last decade.

That’s getting ahead of ourselves, though. This is something that’s natural for a veteran player to experience. He gets older, family becomes more important, the body gets worn down, and it’s natural to stop and wonder if it’s all still worth it. It would be weird if he wasn’t thinking of walking away from the game.

When the Ravens need him, though, he’ll be there. He’s still easily one of the best in the game. And there’s still a lot of money on the table. It’s perfectly human for Reed to think about these things, but in the end, I think it’ll turn out that he’s not yet ready to walk away.

Video: Catch up with Round 1 of the Byron Nelson Classic

Ryan Palmer is a Texas local, and he’s doing just fine in his home state as the PGA Tour begins play at the Byron Nelson Classic, leading the field. Check out some of the fine play from Palmer, as well as three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Andres Gonzales, Alex Cejka and others. Play continues Friday, but then you already knew that.

ACC commissioner regarding Florida State and the Big 12: ‘I don’t deal in hypotheticals’

ACC commissioner John Swofford isn’t going to indulge in speculation of Florida State leaving the ACC for the Big 12. Instead, he said he believes FSU and the conference have a good working relationship and he doesn’t expect that to change any time soon.

“I don’t deal in hypotheticals, I deal with what’s tangible,” Swofford told media Wednesday during the ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla. “It’s what we’re doing as a league with the current 12, soon to be 14 membership league, and we’re moving ahead on the basis of that full membership.”

Rumors of Florida State’s defection to the Big 12 have been rampant for the past week ever since Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com, laid out the reasons why a move would be beneficial for the Seminoles. Since then, everyone from Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher to members of the board of trustees has weighed in on the move.

[Dan Wetzel: FSU trustee may have lit the fuse on a move to the Big 12]

Wednesday, former linebacker Derrick Brooks told the Tim Brando Show that the Big 12 had reached out to Florida State and not the other way around.

“From my understanding, it is the Big 12, you know, wanting to talk to us,” Brooks said. “Again that’s from my understanding; that appears to be the case.”

However, Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds, a member of the Big 12′s four-man expansion committee, told the Austin American-Statesman earlier this week “there’s no traction” in regards to Florida State joining the Big 12.

“They’re a long ways away,” Dodds said of Florida State. “There’ve been no conversations between Florida State and the Big 12.”

New Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who officially takes over on June 15, told USA Today he thought conference expansion would be on the agenda of future conference meetings, but declined to specifically talk Florida State.

“Conference realignment will continue to be an issue and one we all have to be vigilant about,” Bowlsby told USA Today. “I think the topic of expansion will be on every agenda going forward. But it’s on every other conference’s agenda going forward, too.”

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Behind the Box Score, where the Nuggets were too much for Kobe Bryant’s gutty game

Denver Nuggets 113, Los Angeles Lakers 96 (Series tied, 3-3)

Yell at these Lakers all you want. Get frustrated at Andrew Bynum’s sleepy play, Pau Gasol’s inability to do anything in the post and the squad’s refusal to take advantage of a clearly flu-ridden Kobe Bryant’s gutty 31 points on 23 shots. Still, please give these Denver Nuggets credit. The Nuggets are good enough to play in the second round out West, and they’re good enough to beat a Lakers team that obviously has championship potential.

And Los Angeles will have to fight to fulfill that potential. That was always going to be the case against Denver because the Nuggets are too deep and too good to dismiss.  And when Denver starts the game on a 13-0 run and then peels out of the second half just as effectively and dominant, the Nuggets just aren’t going to lose. Credit George Karl for having his men ready.

Do we discredit Mike Brown for clearly not having the same running for Los Angeles? I think you can. He’s had weeks to ring Bynum’s ears. He’s had months to figure out how to make Gasol a more consistent mainstay of this team’s offense. But at some point Bynum has to act like a leader, and Gasol has to hit more than 1 of 10 shots. And at some point we need to stop talking about the Lakers so much and pay more attention to the team that has won two in a row to force a Game 7 on Saturday night.

Denver’s guards continue to get their way. Ramon Sessions is clearly an upgrade defensively from Derek Fisher, but he’s never been known as anything more than adequate defensively, and Ty Lawson (after a so-so Game 5) absolutely had his way with the Lakers on Thursday night. It took just 18 shots for Lawson to put up 32 points, and he added six assists while declining to add any turnovers. Add in Kenneth Faried’s hustle and Los Angeles’ apparent apathy, and you have a blowout that isn’t fully represented by a relatively close 17-point Denver advantage.

This is what the Nuggets do, if you’ll allow them to, and this is obviously what the Los Angeles Lakers do. Nothing has to be easy, everything has to be rife with drama, and they have less than 48 hours to turn it all around and get it right before Game 7.

Do they go down as martyrs, as was the case this time last year? Kobe was absolutely on point in Game 6, but does he attempt to shoot his team into the second round on Saturday, percentages be damned? Will he have to, if Gasol floats and Bynum continues to pout?

Denver’s already taken a game in Los Angeles, and they could have taken a second one in Game 2. But with comebacks and tied series come responsibility, expectation and added pressure. It might be enough, playing from a draw, to overwhelm George Karl’s team. If not George Karl.

Who knows how either side will respond?

I love the playoffs. Even this year’s model.

***

Boston Celtics 83, Atlanta Hawks 80 (Celtics win series, 4-2)

For a while in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta Hawks looked like a team worth cheering for. Boston wasn’t screwing up — it was that those Hawks were actually playing an assertive, confident brand of basketball that should have led to a win and a Game 7 back home in Georgia this weekend. And then, out of nowhere, bad habits returned. Jeff Teague dribbled the ball for each of a possession’s 24 seconds before missing a hurried layup. Joe Johnson worked real, real hard for a fadeaway, low-percentage 21-footer that he put too much on. Al Horford missed the first of two free throws that could have tied the game. It happens, but he compounded that mitigating factor by failing to miss the second one on purpose.

And the Celtics prevailed. In an ugly series that nobody was looking forward to and few will remember, the C’s and Hawks gave us a couple of close games that were loaded with more missteps than fabulous moves, but that’s OK. Because it’s over now, and we’ll still have fond memories of the times when Josh Smith and Al Horford took good shots, all while playing through injuries that the word “nagging” just doesn’t do justice.

We’re beyond our saturation point with Kevin Garnett memories — the dude flooded that sponge years ago — but his Game 6 work was pretty special to behold: 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, three steals, two dimes and just one turnover in nearly 39 minutes against a bruising front court. When Garnett sat, the Boston offense absolutely fell apart, as would any team that features Ryan Hollins (two points and two rebounds in 18 minutes, somehow still getting burn without actually doing anything) in its bench rotation. The Celtics’ pine, overall, was pretty shocking with a combined 3-1of-4 shooting.

It was enough, though. It will always be enough against Atlanta because the Hawks continually shoot themselves in the foot with strange decisions at the absolute worst time. We’ll get into their future later on Friday. For now, though, this is all about a Celtics team that could find itself in the conference finals for the third time in five years later this month.

Quite believable, with nary an “un” to be found. Even if, yes, that is Ryan Hollins.

What hurts the C’s moving forward is the pain. We’ll have a series preview for their showdown with the 76ers going up at BDL soon enough, but we should point out that with the 76ers series ending as well on Thursday night, Boston won’t have as much time to recover. Paul Pierce has looked sluggish since hurting his knee on Sunday, and though his stats in the two games since aren’t the worst we’ve seen (12-of-28 shooting, 17 points per game on 43 percent from the floor), Andre Iguodala awaits. A 1-of-7 night from the field brought his postseason shooting percentage down to 45 percent, but Ray Allen has had a good playoff run despite the bone spurs in his ankles. K.G., apparently, is ageless. Rajon Rondo stirs the drink.

It’s all unprecedented, every bit of this. Boston was in and out of prominence all season, and now it has a chance to make it to the third round or beyond.

Maybe I’m getting a little too excited over Kevin Garnett. Even a sponge gets thirsty sometimes.

***

Philadelphia 76ers 79, Chicago Bulls 78 (76ers win series, 4-2)

In a vacuum, there’s absolutely no reason to have any faith in the Philadelphia 76ers moving forward. The team needed six games to barely beat a Chicago Bulls team that was playing without (in my opinion, apologies to Luol Deng) its best two players. Chicago came all the way back to take a four-point lead in this game, which is a massive advantage in a game where both teams combined to score just 69 second-half points, as the 76ers nearly destroyed their chances by continually failing to reel in defensive rebounds.

Get out of the vacuum, though. Because … you go ahead and get those rebounds. Just try it.

Seriously, it’s one thing to have to match the intensity and drive and talent of a Chicago frontline that is just desperately heaving itself at loose balls in what was potentially (and eventually) its last game of the season. But it’s also something else entirely to try and corral Chicago’s crazy shots. The Bulls couldn’t score to save their life, so the Sixers were continually forced to attempt to box out on shots coming off the rim (if the Bulls were lucky) and backboard at impossible angles. The 76ers were fourth in the NBA in defensive rebound rate during the regular season. They’re fine. This was an aberration in a season full of them.

(In a series full of them. Obviously, we’ll talk about the Bulls later on Friday once we run out of tissues.)

So I’m not going to freak out too much over the Sixers pulling in 28 defensive rebounds in a game that saw the Bulls missed a combined 55 shots from the floor and free throws. The Boston Celtics (Philly’s second round opponent) pull in an offensive rebound once every 37 minutes — I looked it up — so the Sixers should have an advantage on the glass against the team’s next opponent.

It’s going to be a quick turnaround, though. Sixers coach Doug Collins lives for practice, but his team will have only one full day “off” between Thursday night’s win and Game 1 of the second round. And with his young team heading into Boston for the first two games, the up-and-down Sixers might regard a 2-0 Boston lead as a fait accompli, which is probably already giving Collins heartburn.

Yes, Philly nearly gave it all away. A Game 7 win in Chicago was never a given for the Bulls, not with the way they shoot, but this is just how these 76ers operate. It remains a dangerous and talented team, to be sure, but one that doesn’t consistently play bigger than the sum of its parts despite Collins’ significant gifts. Sometimes rosters just aren’t meant to be together.

Sometimes they back into the second round, though. Or third, even. The Sixers are as funky as ever.

(Yes, C.J. Watson should not have passed the ball. But this thing has ended, and it’s time to move on. Piling onto a guy that has ably and sometimes spectacularly played through injuries for most of the regular season and playoffs — just because he saw the open man and acted — will do no good, for anyone.)

Jered Weaver takes his Top Ten turn on Letterman

After throwing a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins last week, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver immediately started looking forward to delivering a Top Ten list on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Spending a few minutes with David Letterman has recently become somewhat of a tradition for no-no pitchers, so Weaver started getting ready to appear on one of his favorite shows.

An initial appearance, however, didn’t work out in the immediate days that followed the no-hitter. But Weaver showed so much disappointment that Letterman’s people finally made it work. Weaver read Tuesday’s Top Ten on location from Target Field — home of the “Minneapolis” Twins as Letterman called them. And just as he had a better next start than Chicago’s Philip Humber, his list was probably also funnier than the one Humber was saddled with.

Click below to find the full list if you’re at work and can’t watch the video:

Top Ten Signs You’ll Never Throw a No Hitter

10. You wear a glove on both hands.

9. The altitude of the mounds makes you dizzy.

8. You performed your own Tommy John surgery.

7. Your pitches tend to bounce.

6. You spend most of the game sipping cocktails in the players’ wives section.

5. You can only pitch when no one’s watching.

4. You’re allergic to the resin.

3. The last guy you stuck out was Phil Rizzuto.

2. You’re still not sure if you’re a righty or a lefty.

1. Most teams don’t let the mascot pitch.

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Peter Alliss really enjoyed giving his World Golf Hall of Fame Induction speech

If you were going to sum up Peter Alliss’ entire life in one photo, the above would be a pretty good candidate. BBC’s voice of golf for the past 40 years, and former European Tour winner (he won 23 times in his professional career), has marched to the beat of his own drum his entire career. He’s never been one to shy away from the spotlight … or giving his opinions on the best players in the sport, for that matter.

Alliss thrives on big moments. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he decided to make the most of his World Golf Hall of Fame induction speech on Monday night by adding a little twist to his closing remarks. The twist? That would be Alliss finishing up his speech by flipping the bird to a former headmistress who left quite an impression on him as a kid.

(And if you’re looking for the full transcript from last night’s speech, you can find it here.)

So it’s time to‑‑ I could waffle on for another four or five hours.  I just want to say this:  I think of it often because I did leave school early.  I was quite bright, but I remember my last report which was sent home.

We had a headmistress that my modest school was called cross by house school.  She was a Mrs.Violet Weymouth, and she was a short Welsh woman.  She always had a cigarette dangling out of her mouth and the smoke used to trickle up here, and you could see where the smoke went.  There was sort of a brown line up there.  But she was‑‑ you didn’t mess about with Mrs. Weymouth, I can tell you that.  I’m always staggered today where I read that children go to school and beat up the teachers.  They wouldn’t have done that in my day, I’ll tell you.  But I remember the last report she sent back to my parents, and it went something like this:  Peter does have a brain, but he’s rather loathe to use it.  His only interests appear to be the game of golf and Violet Pretty, a girl I liked.  She never knew about Iris Baker, but they were the two that uced me to some of the ways of the world, for which I’ll be eternally grateful.  And although we were very young, I wish to God we could do it today.

I fear for his future were the last words she wrote on my report.  So mom and dad died a long, long time ago, and if there is such a thing as heaven and if people do look down, well, mom, dad, here we are.  Look at this lot.  Look where I’ve been, look what I’ve done.  Never worked very hard at it.  But it’s all fallen into place.  Lovely family, lovely wife, looks after me, shouts a bit occasional.  But they are remarkable.  They put up with all my nonsense, and I love them dearly.

And Mrs.Weymouth, if you’re there, (holds up middle finger).

So there you go, Peter Alliss leaving the stage with a great story and a final bird flip. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you want see something like that again at a future Hall of Fame induction ceremony in the future. But then again, there’s only one Peter Alliss.

Visor tip to GeoffShackelford.com

Behind the Box Score, where Chris Paul keeps acting like Chris Paul over and over

Los Angeles Clippers 101, Memphis Grizzlies 97 (OT) (Clippers lead series, 3-1)

There were far too many factors in this Clippers win prior to Chris Paul’s late-game takeover — factors that allowed Chris to step into an environment that allowed him to create — for us to completely point to CP3 and put the win on his shoulders. Blake Griffin’s post moves seemed to grow before our very eyes. Reggie Evans (eight rebounds, four offensive) was all over the place in his time spent frustrating Grizzlies off the bench. And the Grizzlies themselves lost several opportunities due to close referee calls, missed free throws, a foot on the line of a Mike Conley 3-pointer, and those damned offensive rebounds off free throws.

With those unfortunate reflections in place … ah, forget it.  You can go ahead and completely point to CP3, and put the win on his shoulders.

Why not? This was a terrible, fantastic game. Players were flopping and frustrated, but also legitimately getting hit hard (you can take the lick and still overreact) and earning the right to kvetch. Referees were missing calls or making dubious ones, but they also had quite a bit to work through in a contest between two teams that clearly do not like each other right now. And though Vinny Del Negro made his typical series of questionable calls down the stretch, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins (a legitimate Coach of the Year candidate two years running) cannot be happy with some of his rotation work and play calling in this loss.

It wasn’t a great game. It was kind of the greatest, though.

Mike Conley has to be fawned over, before we get to Chris Paul’s play. Early on, it was evident that he was squaring his shoulders and getting that elbow under the ball, and his line reflected his touch with the jumper — 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and he would have hit 4-of-4 threes had he not barely stepped on the line with one third-quarter bomb that was downgraded. One move late in the fourth quarter actually saw him forced to his right and finishing with his off hand on the floater. Seven boards and eight assists as well. Marvelous.

Not enough-e-lous, too. Because Chris Paul had the ball on a string, ready to take over after V.D.N. tempted fate and left Mo Williams in for a hefty chunk of time to start the fourth quarter.

Paul scored eight points in overtime, and probably would have had a fantastic look at a last-second game-winner in his wheelhouse toward the end of regulation were it not for a terrifically timed double-team from Rudy Gay, who shaded on CP3 after he had busted past Tony Allen’s defense on consecutive possessions. Twenty-seven points on 22 shots, nine rebounds, seven assists, two turnovers and his D on Conley was just fine, despite Mike’s great line. Rhymes.

Add that to Blake Griffin’s encouraging 30-point, seven-assist game, and the Clippers had just enough to beat the Grizzlies at home. Which makes us think we’ll see these two bash it out again at least a few more times before this series is through.

Thank goodness for that.

***

San Antonio Spurs 87, Utah Jazz 81 (San Antonio wins series, 4-0)

We’ve already discussed what the Utah Jazz can look forward to as they enter the offseason, and the playoff preview for San Antonio’s second-round series will have to wait for another day. For now let’s just sit back and wonder just exactly what the NBA’s hottest team will do with potentially another week off before its next series.

The Los Angeles Clippers could very well defeat the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. They’ve already taken a game in Memphis, and the Grizz might be a little despondent following a tough overtime loss on Monday night. But reasonable expectation would have the Grizz winning Game 5 and forcing a Game 6 in Los Angeles on Friday, which would have the next series (assuming the Clippers take Game 6) setting up shop in San Antonio on either Sunday (less likely) or Monday. That’s a good week for the veteran Spurs to recover.

That’s a good week to rest for the team that has won 25 of its last 27 games. You do realize the Spurs have won 25 of their last 27 games, right? And that they rested each of their starters for one of those losses (to the Jazz, coincidentally)?

Of course, momentum is a tricky thing. And both the Clippers and Grizzlies work off rhythm quite well, while the Spurs’ go-to move of late is to beat teams with superior offense (predicated on passing and ball movement) rather than knockout defense. This isn’t to say they’re lazing it up on the defensive end, but this is the sort of style the personnel demands. And it’s hard to jump back into those extra passes and smart cuts after a few days off.

We need to marvel at this run, though. And the way the team came out on Monday night determined to cut the cord. The Jazz made a fourth-quarter run, of course, after the Spurs went up 21 points — so it isn’t as if San Antonio completely demoralized Utah. That’s more a function of Utah’s resolve, though, than it was the Spurs’ play. While San Antonio struggled to finish on the inside as the Jazz switched Derrick Favors’ long arms into the starting lineup, the Spurs hit from behind the arc (45 percent), and only a crazy and pell-mell style of basketball allowed Utah to make a game of it late.

The Clippers and Grizzlies sometimes employ that style. But you can’t run it for 48 minutes, and if Manu Ginobili is going to start scoring 17 points on 11 shots again, then the Spurs are going to be tougher than ever.

Utah never had a chance in this series. And it’s a fascinating, smile-inducing killer that every time we think we know these San Antonio Spurs inside and out, they evolve into something wonderfully different.

Weekend warriors: Michael Chandler, Team Faber lead the weekend with big wins

Though the weekend was dominated by the UFC fights on Fox, there were plenty of other fights over the weekend, including this quick knockout Michael Chandler pulled off at Bellator:

In his first fight since beating Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator lightweight title, Chandler needed just 0:56 to TKO Akihiro Gono. After the bout, Gono said he was retiring from his 18-year MMA career that included bouts in Pride, the UFC, Sengoku and Bellator.

In other Bellator action, Bryan Baker earned a trip to the welterweight tourney final with a decision over Ben Saunders. Heavyweight Damian Grabowski decisioned Dave Huckaba in a bout that registered as less-than-exciting, and Ryan Ford TKOed Luis Santos in the second round.

On “The Ultimate Fighter,” Urijah Faber won the most important event: the Coaches Challenge. He beat Dominick Cruz in an obstacle course that involved the use of a grenade launcher. Afterwards, Andy Ogle beat Mike Rio with a rear naked choke to give Team Faber five fighters in the quarterfinals. Next week, James Vick will face Joe Proctor and Justin Lawrence will take on Michael Chiesa in the first quarterfinal bouts.

At Super Fight League, (go ahead and sing the song) James Thompson beat Bobby Lashley in a unanimous decision. Zelg Galesic scored the weekend’s memorable moment with a flying knee knockout of Doug Marshall.

What was your favorite bout of the weekend? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Amar’e Stoudemire (lacerated left hand) will start Knicks’ do-or-die Game 4 against Heat

Another day, another guy with a busted left hand returning to his team’s starting lineup way sooner than expected. On Saturday, it was Caron Butler playing with a fractured fifth metacarpal in the Los Angeles Clippers’ Game 3 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. On Sunday, it’s Amar’e Stoudemire, who will take his lacerated and stitched-up mitt into a win-or-go-home Game 4 against the Miami Heat.

Rumors of Stoudemire re-entering the New York lineup, which had rumbled for several days, were confirmed just over an hour before the scheduled 3:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff of Game 4. New York enters the contest in an 0-3 hole against the defending Eastern Conference champions; one more loss sends the Heat into the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the Knicks home for the summer.

Stoudemire suffered a bad cut on his left hand when he punched a fire extinguisher case near the locker room of the AmericanAirlines Arena after New York’s Game 2 loss in Miami on Monday night. After missing Thursday’s Game 3 loss, which pushed his seventh-seeded Knicks team to the brink of elimination Sunday, Stoudemire practiced Friday, saying he’s “been blessed” with the capacity to heal quickly and upgrading himself from “out” to “doubtful” for Game 4.

Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson wasn’t hearing that “doubtful” business, though. He said Friday that he thought Stoudemire would play in Game 4, tabbing the Knicks’ $100 million man as a game-time decision. He proclaimed Stoudemire ready to go on Sunday afternoon, though, telling reporters before the game that Amar’e will “he’ll be fine,” according to MSG Network’s Alan Hahn.

“If it opens up, we’ll stitch him back up and play,” Woodson said.

Stoudemire was relatively quiet through the series’ first two games, doing little that was positive or noteworthy on the defensive end (as is customary) and managing just 27 total points on 16 field-goal attempts as the Knicks attempted to force action through a routinely blanketed Carmelo Anthony, with whom Stoudemire has famously yet to jell in any meaningful way during the 14-plus months they’ve shared in Gotham.

Mindful of the largely either-or nature of the Knicks’ offense with both forwards on the roster, optimistic Knicks fans hoped that Stoudemire’s Game 3 absence, which pushed Anthony back to the power forward role in which he thrived throughout the Knicks’ sharp April run, could help the Knicks find some semblance of offensive rhythm and potency. Instead, with New York continually flustered by Miami’s determined fronting of ‘Melo in the post and struggling mightily to find good looks from 3-point range thanks to the Heat’s strong pick-and-roll defense and lightning quick closeouts, Anthony again flailed, missing 16 of 23 shots, and New York as a team went just 4-of-20 from long distance and hit only 31.9 percent of its field goal attempts.

The idea behind not only playing, but starting, Stoudemire less than a week after suffering an injury that was expected to keep him out for the entirety of the first round is simple enough to understand: There’s no tomorrow for these Knicks, and if they’re going to go down, they might as well go down with their biggest and highest-paid guns on the floor.

Even if it means risking further injury to the off hand of the nigh-on-untradeable guy you’re going to be paying $65 million through 2014-15. Even if, in the absence of a legitimately dangerous pick-and-roll point guard (like, for example, fellow wounded solider Jeremy Lin), his insertion into the lineup — and especially into the STARTING lineup, where we’ve got some evidence to suggest he doesn’t operate well alongside Anthony and Tyson Chandler — might not actually make the Knicks a better team. And even if this smells at least a little bit like a P.R.-driven move to coerce New York fans into viewing their one-winged four man as a warrior willing to rush back from injury rather than the guy who has all but taken himself out of the first-round running in two consecutive years.

For whatever it’s worth, as I wrote Friday, I do not believe Stoudemire playing will end well. Then again, I did not believe it would end well anyway, so why not, I suppose? What’s one more ring in the circus among friends?