NBA Loses Coaching Great Chuch Daly

Chuck Daly, who coached the original Dream Team to the Olympic gold medal in 1992 after winning back-to-back NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons, has died. He was 78. He died Saturday morning in Jupiter, Fla., with his family by his side, the team said. The Pistons announced in March that the Hall of Fame coach had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was undergoing treatment.

He was renowned for his ability to create harmony out of diverse personalities at all levels of the game, whether they were Ivy Leaguers at Pennsylvania, Dream Teamers Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, or Pistons as dissimilar as Dennis Rodman and Joe Dumars.


Chuck Daly left his mark on the Detroit Pistons and the NBA, slowing the tempo and emphasizing defense on the way to a pair of titles. Daly was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches of the NBA's first half-century in 1996, two years after being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first coach to win both an NBA title and Olympic gold.

NBA Playoff Roundup

Boston 96 Final
Orlando 117

Dwight Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Rashard Lewis had 28 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 for Orlando, which played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. He was suspended by the NBA for slapping Eddie House in the back of the head in Game 2. The Celtics have lost three straight on the road and 19 of their last 25 road playoff games


LA Lakers 108 Final
Houston 94

Kobe Bryant scored 33 points in the Lakers' 108-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the series. Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick. Ron Artest, who scored 25 points, was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol in the final minute, the only carryover of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2. Artest was ejected from Game 2 for a verbal altercation with Bryant following Bryant's elbow to Artest's upper chest.

Orlando Takes A 2-1 Series Lead

Dwight Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Rashard Lewis had 28 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 for Orlando, which played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. He was suspended by the NBA for slapping Eddie House in the back of the head in Game 2.

Paul Pierce broke out of his series slump to score 27 points, and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the defending champion Celtics, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to seven before the Magic regained control. G Courtney Lee returned for the Magic with a protective mask after missing the first two games of the series recovering from a fractured sinus. He finished with 11 points in 32 minutes. ... The Magic haven't made it to the conference finals since Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway led them in 1996.

NBA All-Rookie Team Announced

Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and Memphis guard O.J. Mayo are unanimous selections to the All-Rookie team. This should really not come as much of a surprise as both players have played well this season and deserved to be picked.

Rounding out the first team announced Thursday were Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, New Jersey center Brook Lopez and Miami forward Michael Beasley. The second team was headed by Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon, who was joined by Minnesota's Kevin Love, Miami's Mario Chalmers, Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies, Portland's Rudy Fernandez and Charlotte point guard D.J. Augustin.

This years rookies were very good and it looks like the NBA is in good hands for many years to come. Over the last few years the infuse of talent in the NBA has been great and it should grow in popularity as when you have such good talent to watch people turn out.

Dwayne Wade Down, But Not Out By Any Means

When the Miami Heat needed him most, Wade was at his best. Wade scored 41 points, Michael Beasley busted out of a slump with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat stayed alive by routing the Hawks 98-72 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night. The one thing that the Atlanta Hawks have found out about Dwayne Wade is no matter how many times you knock him down he will jump up again. Maybe sometimes not as fast as he would like to, but he will be back.

For Miami heat fans they are glad he is on their side. Wade reminds me of a lot of different players from the past, but not just one certain player. he has great skills, but most of all he is a leader and on a young team that is what you need. Wade has proven without a doubt he is an elite player and does not have to take a back seat to any one in the NBA.

NBA Scores

Monday, March 30th

Orlando 101 Final
Miami 95

Milwaukee 107 Final
New Jersey 78

New York 104 Final
Utah 112


Memphis 114 Final
Golden State 109

Villanova Shocks Pittsburgh

Scottie Reynolds made a half-court dash for a last-second basket to give Villanova 78-76 victory over Pittsburgh and send the Wildcats to their first Final Four since the 1985 team made its stunning run to the NCAA championship. Villanova it seems can be called the giant killer once again as they removed Pittsburgh who was a No. 1 seed. Villanova seems to do well when it comes to playing in the NCAA tournament and they always upset somebody big and this time it was Pittsburgh.

3 Missouri 75 Final
1 Connecticut 82

3 Villanova 78 Final
1 Pittsburgh 76