Carlisle Is New Mavs Coach

The New York Post has reported that former Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has agreed to terms to be the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle, who has been interviewed by both the Bulls and the Knicks was quickly snagged by the Dallas Mavericks who recently fired head coach Avery Johnson after losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Rivers Disturbed At Fourth Quarter Technical

Boston head coach Doc Rivers was "Disturbed" by how Paul Pierce reacted to fouling out in the fourth quarter of their game 6 match-up with the Atlanta Hawks. Doc Rivers said that it has been a team rule this year that no one should get a technical foul in the fourth quarter because "It's just not enough time to make up for it in the fourth."

Pierce was called for a technical for throwing his headband. According to NBA rules, it is an automatic technical if any player throws a wristband or a headband.

Kobe Bryant Will Be Named MVP

Finally, after 12 years in the NBA, one of the most explosive players in the game's history will finally win his first, and much deserved, MVP award. Reports are saying that he will be awarded by David Stern in L.A. next week. Chris Paul is probably the player who came in second. Paul might have won the MVP award if he was playing like this in other years. His MVP-like season however was overshadowed by Bryant's brilliant handling of the Lakers' trade fiasco, and the way he turned the Lakers around into a championship caliber team.

Coaching Changes in the NBA

Now that some teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, expect that there will be lots of coaching interviews that will happen from now until training camp. Two of the most mentioned names so far have been Avery Johnson, who was recently fired by the Mavs, and Mike D'Antoni, the Suns mentor who many expect won't return next season. Another big name who had already landed a job is Larry Brown. Brown joined fellow former Tar Heel Michael Jordan to try to turn things around in Charlotte.

When it comes to the teams who are looking for coaches, the most watched teams have to be Chicago and New York. New York had interviewed Mark Jackson for the job, but the Bulls also seem interested in the former Knick point guard. However, with recent news that Sam Mitchell might be on the chopping block in Toronto, the Knicks might give it a go with Mitchell. Donnie Walsh, the new boss in New York, loved Mitchell's toughness when Mitchell played in in Indiana for Walsh. Some say that Mitchell might be the one who can make Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph work more.

In Toronto, it seems that Bryan Colangelo would be reuniting with Mike D'Antoni if the Suns decide that they would trash their run-run-run style of play. Steve Kerr had emphasized that the only way to win a championship is through defense. If D'Antoni is fired, there is no doubt that Colangelo would hire D'Antoni and build the new run-run-run team in Toronto.

As for the Bulls, GM John Paxon seems to like Avery Johnson. In some reports, they state that Paxon is leaning towards hiring a former player who was "tough" during his playing years. With that said, Avery Johnson and Mark Jackson would be the most fitting candidates for the job.

The coaching carousel continues in the NBA. No man is safe from the axing of the head offices. Not even coaches who compiled a winning record for the team. For team owners and executives, only one thing is important...win a title.

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Lakers Sweep Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers brought out their brooms in Game 4 of their playoff match-up with Denver as they beat the Nuggets 107-101. This series has been the only sweep of this season's post-season.

The Nuggets tried to get back into the game through the efforts of J.R. Smith. But Smith's efforts weren't enough. Kobe Bryant then took over when it mattered most scoring nine points in a row in the 4th quarter and lead the Lakers to a 107-101 win over the 8th seeded Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers didn't really have a good game, but the Nuggets didn't take advantage of the Lakers' sloppy game. Aside from J.R. Smith, none of the Nuggets seemed pumped up to win this game against L.A.

Hawks Stun Celtics...Again!

The Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics once again by beating them 97-92. Joe Johnson, who gave much praise to rookie teammate Al Horford for their game 3 win, took on the leader's role in game 4. Johnson scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and answered almost every basket the Celtics converted down the stretch. Now, a game 5 is already in the works in a series that many experts believed would not go beyond the fourth game. The Hawks have the worst record among all playoff teams this season. But that didn't hinder them from showing the world that when playoff time comes, regular season records doesn't matter.

Josh Smith added 28 points and a franchise playoff record-breaking 7 blocks for the Hawks, who have the youngest roster in the playoffs today.

After getting blown out in the first two games, Atlanta became a different team on their home turf. Rookie Al Horford got into Paul Pierce's face after making a shot in game 3, prompting the Boston forward to flash a menacing gesture. Pierce was fined $25,000 before the start of game 4. Then in the second quarter of game 4, Kevin Garnett elbowed Zaza Pachulia that prompted a heated forehead-to-forehead argument.

The game started as if the Celtics would blow the Hawks away. But that all changed when Johnson unleashed his scoring prowess. Instead of heading back to Boston with a 3-1 lead, The Celtics go into game 5 - which I don't think Celtics fans had tickets to before game 3 - with the series tied. The most lopsided series on paper, is now the most interesting series in the playoffs. Beating the Celtics on their homecourt will be the ultimate test for the Hawks. They should expect that Joe Johnson will be a marked man. Other players should now step up and contribute if they want an upset to happen in this series.

Jason Kidd Ejected in Game Four

Jason Kidd was ejected in game four of their first round playoff series with the New Orleans Hornets for a flagrant foul 2 on Jannero Pargo. There has been a debate on wether or not the foul was intentional or not. Based on my analysis of the replay, I think Jason Kidd went first for the ball, but when he got hold of Pargo's neck, he slammed Pargo down to the floor. Was the foul premeditated? I don't think so. Did Jason Kidd deserve the ejection? Definitely. This is already a pretty heated playoff series and the NBA doesn't want it to get out of hand. They want it to be physical, but not dirty.

As for game five, I think the Hornets would wrap the series up. And after the final horn, Mark Cuban should think about all the moves he has to do this off-season.

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