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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images A few games into the playoffs, Lionel Hollins and the Grizzlies are best at getting to the line. The Clippers are winning a reputation as some of the league's most consistent and spectacular floppers, which m...

Geoff Calkins of The Commercial-Appeal: Sometimes, life - and basketball - imitates Saturday morning wrestling. The Memphis Grizzlies did a little pile driving of their own Wednesday night, coming off the ropes to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 105...

Welcome to Year 6 of the TrueHoop Stat Geek Smackdown.

Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: Playing in the Crescent City for the first time since the Hornets were eliminated in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last April against the Lakers, Chris Paul made his only appearance of...

Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: "Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's message was consistent throughout the regular season and Eastern Conference playoffs. It's not changing for the Finals. His defense roared through the first three rounds of the postseas...

Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: "The Heat played with a purpose. A playoff-like purpose. This historic return home for one of the NBA's greatest might have become his biggest victory to date. He came out of this not only with the reassurance th...

Ron Borges of the Boston Herald: "The Big Three owe The Little One big time because yesterday he was Big Time. Were it not for the peerless four quarters played by Rajon Rondo at the Garden, the Cleveland Cavaliers might well be at home tomorrow nigh...

Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic: "Los Suns avoided a public relations nightmare. They shook off the jitters and beat the Spurs at their own game, scratching out a 110-102 victory in Game 2. They seized control of a Western Conference showdown, an...

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Who knew that the Orlando Magic would end up taking another day off? They certainly couldn't have expected it to be this easy or their play to be this crisp once they blew off the cobwebs. But with their game i...

Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Here's what's ugly. John Paxson hired Vinny Del Negro two years ago, even though Del Negro had never coached a game at any level. A lot of people wondered about that. Paxson assured all doubters that this was ...

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "There were those long arms, digging underneath Carlos Boozer, wrapping around the basketball, flinging it back toward redemption. There was that feathery touch, the ball lightly dropping through the rim, the s...

Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News: "The Spurs pushed the Mavs to the brink of playoff elimination with a 92-89 win Sunday night at the AT&T Center. If it weren't so pathetic, it would be sad. This isn't about effort or desire or any ...

Zach Lowe of CelticsHub on Ray Allen's role in the run that broke the Heat: "Ray's value goes well beyond his three-point shooting percentage. And if you ever doubt that, you can do two things: 1) Look at Ray's plus/minus stats, which have been by f...

Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer: "The Cavaliers do indeed have a lot of depth and an impressive list of former All-Stars. But when there's trouble in a playoff game, it still is quite an advantage to have the Most Valuable Player on the roster. L...

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images Anyone doubt this man -- fresh off scoring 42 -- is ready to star in a fascinating playoff series? I've long wondered what NBA owners and executives talked about in the hallways at board of governors' meetings. ...

Welcome to Year 3 of the TrueHoop Stat Geek Smackdown.