Lunes, Mayo 6, 2013

SPORT Andrew Bogut's Golden State Warriors lose NBA thriller to Spurs


 

Chicago Bulls stun Miami Heat in game one

Chicago Bulls stun defending champions Miami Heat on the road in game one of their second round playoff series.
Andrew Bogut
Golden State centre Andrew Bogut, right, and San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard go after the ball during game one of their NBA playoff series. Picture: Darren Abate Source: AP
GOLDEN State suffered a heartbreaking 129-127 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in game one of the second round of the Western Conference playoffs today.
A three-pointer by Manu Ginobili with 1.2 seconds left proved to be the game-winner, finishing off a Warriors squad that led by as much as 18.
The Warriors got 44 points and 11 assists from Stephen Curry, who played 58 minutes. But the Warriors' defence couldn't stop the Spurs onslaught. San Antonio point guard Tony Parker scored 16 of his 28 points after the third quarter to lead the Spurs to the come-from-behind victory.
The Spurs closed the fourth quarter on an 18-2 run to send the game to overtime.
In today's other game, Nate Robinson led the injury-hit Chicago Bulls to a stunning 93-86 upset win over reigning champions Miami Heat in the opening game of their NBA second round series.

"We've been hit all year with a lot of different things, but I like the mental toughness of our team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "This is just one game."Robinson finished with 27 points and nine assists for the Bulls, who snapped the Heat's 27-game winning streak during the regular season and have now handed them their first loss in their last 13 games.
Robinson played with 10 stitches in his mouth after hitting his face on floor. He left the game to get medical attention but returned later.
"It was just a hustle play that went wrong," Robinson said. "You have to play through it."
James had 22 of his 24 points in the second half for Miami, which lost its third game in its last 44 going back to February 3.
Miami will also host game two on Wednesday in the best of seven series.
The Heat, who had been idle for the past week, looked rusty down the stretch and the Bulls scored the last 10 points.
The Heat's superstar trio of James, Wade and Chris Bosh combined for just 12 points in the opening half, their lowest first-half total of the season.
The Bulls bottled up James late in the fourth as they appear to have developed a formula this season for beating the mighty Heat.
"Our offence was not as fluid and efficient as it normally is, and you have to give credit to their defence for that. We need to show more poise, patience and aggressiveness," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said.
After Chicago ended Miami's 27-game winning streak during the regular season, James complained about the Bulls physical play, especially the defence of Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson.
James didn't have to contend with injured Hinrich on Monday, but he did have his hands full with the rest of the Bulls' balanced attack.
On top of missing Hinrich and injured former MVP Derrick Rose, Luol Deng also didn't play against Miami with complications from a spinal tap procedure.
Deng, 28, underwent the spinal tap last week to rule out meningitis.
The complications from the procedure led to further problems. Deng reportedly had to return to a Chicago emergency room on Sunday morning after being released from the hospital Saturday.
Injuries aside, the Bulls showed their depth as five players finished in double figures, including forward Gibson who came off the bench to score 12 points.
Jimmy Butler had 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who held a commanding 46-32 advantage on the glass and a 17-8 edge in second-chance points.
Since the 2005-06 season, the teams have met in the playoffs four times, including a Chicago series sweep in 2007. The Heat won in 2006 and 2011.
AFP