Basketball

Assuming the Indiana Pacers keep the status of George Hill under wraps until game time, expecting D.J. Augustin to start at point guard again while Hill remains out seems prudent. Any news to the contrary will be a pleasant surprise. The Pacers did play four games without Hill during the regular season (not counting the final game of the regular season). The Pacerse were 3-1 in those games which Augustin started, with all three wins at home. The team and Augustin showed up well, too with wins over the Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks. Beating the Grizz and Hawks was indeed impressive as both wins were tight games that the Pacers found a way to close out down the stretch. Obviously, the playoffs are a different beast but that past success is what gives the Pacers confidence they can come up with a winning effort at the Fieldhouse even if Hill isn't available. I'm scrambling to the ballpark this morning, so please add more links to the comments if you see any good stories or updates. Check out the links: Knicks-Pacers Preview - AP Combine Measurement Analysis | NBADraft.net Hill remains “day-to-day,” scheduled to take concussion test late Friday | Pacers Blogs Roy Hibbert thinks the Pacers played like, um, kittens in Game 5 loss to Knicks | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports We Went There: A Fine Mess at Madison Square Garden - The Triangle Blog - Grantland The view from Seattle - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN The arguments for NBA expansion and a new team in Seattle - SBNation.com Like Patrick Ewing did in 1994, Carmelo Anthony can carry Knicks over Pacers - NY Daily News KnicksTape: The D.J. Augustin Effect - Posting and Toasting Knicks and Pacers’ Game 6 Past Dates to 1990s - NYTimes.com Brain Injuries and When George Hill Will Play Next | 8 Points, 9 Seconds NBA playoffs 2013 - Without George Hill, the Indiana Pacers can't close out New York Knicks - ESPN New York

Apr 1, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Austin Daye (5) leaps to defend San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (4) during the game at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 92-90. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports The Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs will battle it out against each other for Western Conference supremacy. The series starts this Sunday. But who will advance? Vytis Lasaitis and David Walker of KJG gave their take on the matchup and what we can expect. Vytis Lasaitis: I think the Spurs will find it very refreshing not having to chase Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson off screens anymore. Memphis is a different opponent in so many ways. First of all, the Spurs will not be able to score as easily, as the Grizzlies play sensational defense. However, defensively San Antonio will also be able to return to their regular positions. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan got abused in high pick-and-rolls against the Warriors, mainly because of the exceptional shooting ability of Curry. Mike Conley has been spectacular in these playoffs, but he is not as big of a threat as Curry in pick-and-rolls. I think the Grizzlies have what it takes to grind San Antonio into the ground, but it should be very close. Memphis in 7. David Walker: Spurs Grizzles is a fascinating matchup. On the one hand you have the monstrous Grizzlies whose front court has already gone through a gauntlet of young, athletic freaks like Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Serge Ibaka, and Kendrick Perkins (just kidding) and have destroyed all of them. San Antonio now has to offer up Duncan, who Pop is bending over backwards trying to not wear out through sheer minutes alone, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw. Safe to say it’s easy to like Memphis’ chances there. On the other hand, Memphis has thrived off playing two very predictable offenses whose second best players where either out entirely or hobbled for most of the series. San Antonio will be the most complex offense Memphis has faced thus far and one that is not reeling from drastic lineup changes (a self-inflicted injury in LA’s case as Vinny tinkered far too much with his rotation). In the end I think Memphis’ offense will finally stall out and the Spurs will give their defense just enough trouble for them to win. Spurs in seven. Don’t forget to “LIKE” King James Gospel on Facebook for the latest news, columns and updates on all things NBA.

Rudy Gobert was the biggest prospect at the NBA draft combine. The center from France stands 7 foot 1/2 in his socks and 7-2 in his sneakers. He has an incredible 7-81/2 wingspan and massive hands. Yet the 20-year-old is a raw talent. He needs to get stronger and polish up his post game in order to [...]

Regardless of what happens this summer, the Bulls' biggest offseason addition will be the youngest most valuable player in NBA history.

MILWAUKEE-Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew will interview for the Milwaukee Bucks vacant coaching position Monday, a league source confirmed Friday.

No Kevin Durant.

May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) hugs Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) after Spurs win over the Warriors for game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors 94-82 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports In what was another historic night in San Antonio Spurs history, the silver and black defeated the Golden State Warriors, 94-82. With the win the Spurs eliminated the Warriors, and punched their ticket to a second straight Western Conference Finals appearance. The appearance is also the Spurs 8th in the Tim Duncan era, and 12th in franchise history. Since there was no basketball to watch Friday night, I decided to re-watch Game 6 of Spurs/Warriors, while I wrote a retro diary of the game like I didn’t already know the outcome. We’re doing this slideshow style, so use the arrow keys to move between each quarter. Hope you all enjoy it! 1st Quarter, 11:40 remaining: Tiago Splitter just blew a layup after Harrison Barnes’ presence scared him or something. I’m already reaching for some vodka. 7:55 Parker penetrates deep into the paint, draws a triple team around him, passes it to Green in the corner for three. Everyone on the Warriors bench yells to distract him, except for Richard Jefferson. Swish. Green turns back to the Warriors bench with a smirk. My heart melts. 7:32 Duncan steal leads to Kawhi fast break. I jump out of my chair expecting Kawhi Leonard to destroy Steph Curry’s soul…then he does some weird hopstep that Curry gets his hand on and draws a jump ball call. FURIOUS. Kawhi knows he can jump over Curry’s short a**, right? 7:19 #TiagoSplitterBlownLayUpCount: 2. 6:06 Mike Breen says, “Let’s listen to Mark Jackson.” I promptly mute my television until his huddle is over. 2:30 Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen talk about how Cory Joseph requested to be sent down to the D-League, just to get some playing time. The Spurs refer to their Austin Toros squad as an opportunity and not a “demotion.” It’s been said before, the Spurs are the only team in the NBA that use the D-League the way it’s meant to be. And it’s obvious when guys like Green and Leonard or front office personal like Pop and R.C. make the drive to Austin to watch and support them. It’s one big family. And the rest of the NBA should take note. 1:26 Boris Diaw posting up Draymond Green, spins baseline under the basket, and reaches his arm around Green and Carl Landry, passing it to Splitter for the open layup. Beautiful assist by Bobo the Land Walrus. Spurs 21, Warriors 19. End of first quarter.

All Times EDT

Here is the reality of the NBA Draft Combine: It doesn’t matter that much. It’s one small piece of a big puzzle. This isn’t like the NFL draft where a good or bad combine can really move a guy on draft boards. The reason is pure numbers — in the NFL every year more than…

The Hornets might not be gone from the NBA after all. According to a CBSSports.com report, the Charlotte Bobcats are in the process of claiming the name that resided in the city with the Charlotte Hornets from 1988-2002. The name traveled to New Orleans when the franchise relocated, but recently became available when the Crescent City's NBA team ditched the Hornets moniker for the more apropos Pelicans. It's a move that, if it comes to fruition, will be a hit in the Queen City. Between a terrible on-court product, a bitter taste from the loss of the Hornets and a general malaise toward the Bobcats franchise narcissistically named after founder and previous majority owner Bob Johnson, Charlotteans have had a tepid-at-best relationship with their current NBA team. Since arriving in Charlotte, the Bobcats have made one playoff appearance and have a short but profound record of making poor personnel decisions. But the Hornets – man, the Hornets. Now that's a different story. The basketball-crazed city fell in love with the franchise that arrived in 1988. Even when the team stunk, fans showed up and made noise. And after a few years, the Hornets actually got good. Fans sold out the 24,000-plus seat Charlotte Coliseum for 364 consecutive games as the team with the iconic teal-and-purple color scheme won games with Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues. But then it fell apart. Larry Johnson hurt his back, Alonzo Mourning took his talents to South Beach and the city grew frustrated with owner George Shinn, who became involved in a sexual assault trial involving a Hornets cheerleader and later made demands on the city to build a new arena. The Hornets left town in 2002 and were replaced with the Bobcats two years later. The magic has not returned. Basketball fans in Charlotte have clamored for the return of the Hornets since New Orleans started to discuss a name change. Majority owner Michael Jordan has been studying the business side of bringing the Hornets name back to the city; if the wheels truly are in motion to do so, there will certainly be a, ahem, buzz around the return of a beloved friend. But a color scheme and Hugo the Hornet won't be enough to get Charlotte fully behind its NBA franchise. After a decade of miserable basketball, Michael Jordan's top priority is finding the next Johnson-Mourning tandem. If the Bobcats keep losing like they do, bringing back an old nickname won't mean squat. Jason Owens is an editor at Yahoo! Sports and still has a promotional jersey signed by Kelly Tripucka from his childhood in Charlotte.