Sports

Cavs and Bulls Recovering, Clippers Aiming to Oust Rockets

Published

11 years ago

May 12, 2015

Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, second from left, celebrates with Tristan Thompson, left, J.R. Smith, center, Matthew Dellavedova, and Kyrie Irving, right, after scoring the game-winning basket during the second half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Sunday, May 10, 2015. The Cavaliers won 86-84. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer

There’s been former MVP’s winning games with dramatic buzzer-beating jumpers. There’s been injuries to stars. There’s been a coach getting questioned by his own team.

And now this Chicago-Cleveland series is going to get really intense.

Game 5’s have arrived in the second round of the NBA playoffs, with the Bulls visiting the Cavaliers in their knotted-up series to start tonight’s doubleheader. The nightcap features the Los Angeles Clippers — a franchise that has never won two playoff series in the same year — looking to change that and advance, as they take a 3-1 lead into Houston.

“This is the ultimate adversity right now,” Houston guard James Harden said. “We’ve got Game 5 back at the house and it’s really win or go home. Our backs are against the ball, and we’ve got to show up.”

He’s right, it’s win-or-else time for the Rockets.

It only seems that way for the Bulls and Cavaliers.

Here’s a look at tonight’s games, all times Eastern:

___

Bulls at Cavaliers, Series tied 2-2, 7 p.m., TNT

There’s been more injuries than buzzer beaters in this series, which actually says a lot.

Cavs guard Kyrie Irving has injuries to both legs now, LeBron James is getting treatment on a twisted ankle and the Bulls sound very concerned about forward Pau Gasol’s availability for Game 5 as he tries to overcome the hamstring strain that kept him out of Sunday’s lineup.

“We’re 2-2, we’re back on our home floor, that doesn’t guarantee us nothing,” James said Monday, back home in Cleveland. “But we went up there, we gained back home court, which we wanted to do.”

He’s swearing off replays of highlights, but said he repeatedly watched the play where he turned the ankle in Game 4. It’s achy enough that he needs treatment but isn’t bad enough to keep sideline him.

Then again, James still has one good leg. Irving apparently doesn’t. He’s dealing with a bad foot on one side, knee tendinitis now flaring up on the other.

“It’s just about finding ways to be more effective, especially being out there,” Irving said. “I still can shoot. You still have to respect me out there. It’s not like they can just leave me or anything like that. But I just try to use myself as a decoy and make plays as best I can.”

The Bulls didn’t practice Monday, other than some shooting that didn’t include Gasol.

They’ve already won once in Cleveland in this series, so confidence shouldn’t be lacking. And Derrick Rose has been great, particularly in the last two games — winning Game 3 with a banked-in prayer at the buzzer, then a 31-point effort in Game 4.

But all anyone remembers from Sunday is James capping a 10-for-30 shooting performance with a corner jumper to win Game 4 and knot the series on a play that he called. Cavaliers coach David Blatt wanted James to be the passer, not the shooter.

The Bulls probably wanted that as well.

“We’re disappointed that we lost the game,” Chicago forward Joakim Noah said. “We had our opportunities. LeBron hit a great shot at the end of the game. But we’re right where we want to be and we’re really excited for Game 5.”

___

Clippers at Rockets, Los Angeles leads 3-1, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Modest as this sounds, it’s still significant: The Clippers have already tied a franchise single-season record with seven playoff wins, set in 2006.

If that gets the blood of super-excitable Clippers owner Steve Ballmer pumping a bit more than usual, just imagine what his celebration after the next win could be like.

The Clippers — doormats no more — have three chances to reach the Western Conference Finals. The first crack at reaching the NBA’s Final Four comes Tuesday in Houston, against a Rockets team that looks to be reeling after losing the last two games in Los Angeles by a combined 58 points.

“It’s an accomplishment, but it’s not like our goal,” Clippers forward Blake Griffin said, asked to address what a West finals appearance would mean. “I mean, it is a goal on the way to the bigger goal, the biggest goal.”

Before this past weekend, the Rockets had endured only three blowouts by 25 or more points all season. Then — in the biggest games of their season no less — they got drubbed at Staples Center by 25 and 33 points in a span of about 48 hours.

And while so much of the attention has been on the Hack-a-Somebody scheme that sent DeAndre Jordan to the foul line 28 times in the first half alone in Game 4, the much bigger story is that the Rockets are in major trouble. They need three straight wins over a Clippers team that had one such slide all season — a four-game losing streak in February.

“Now the only thing to do is just go out there and battle,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We’ve got to win a game at home on Tuesday, and then go from there.”

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Independence, Ohio and AP freelance writer John Jackson in Chicago contributed.

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Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 16, 2026

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The deal includes the sale of the Oakland Arena to an unidentified third-party buyer for no less than $100 million, which Bobbitt said was one of the most important aspects of the site’s future redevelopment.

‘This is on the precipice of actually occurring,’ said Ray Bobbitt, buyers’ representative

By Post Staff

After many months of complex negotiations, the Oakland Coliseum development deal is finally nearing an agreement that will open the way for new owners – the African Americans Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) – to revitalize the sports complex and the Hegenberger Corridor in East Oakland.

On May 28, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a non-binding agreement to dispose of the County’s portion of the complex for $115 million in a deal with AASEG, with a closing date set for June 30.

“People are seeing that this is on the precipice of actually occurring,” said Ray Bobbitt, founder of the AASEG and an East Oakland native. “People feel that this needs to happen for Oakland, for East Oakland in particular,” Bobbitt said, as reported in the East Bay Times.

The agreement would transfer ownership of the 112-acre Coliseum complex property, which was owned 50-50 by Alameda County and the City of Oakland, to Oakland Acquisition Company, which is AASEG’s real estate wing.

The County’s approval marks an important step in the sale of the property, even though concerns about environmental liability remain. Under the terms of the non-binding agreement, the county will pay $115 million to Coliseum Way Partners, the corporate entity of the Oakland Athletics that had previously purchased the county’s half of the property for $85 million.

AASEG will then pay $115 million to the County in three annual payments, with 5% annual interest paid on any outstanding balance, according to the term sheet.

AASEG already negotiated a purchase of the city’s half of the property for $125 million in 2025, awaiting the sale of the county’s half.

A strong supporter of the sale, Supervisor Nate Miley said he was not “breaking out the champagne” until the sale was final. This is not perfect, but it is good.

“It’s good because the County ends up with more money,” Miley continued. “It’s good because an African American team takes ownership of the property, and they’ve got a lot of potential in terms of what they want to do with the property.”

A remaining disagreement between Alameda County and the AASEG involves environmental concerns.

AASEG wanted a “carve-out” for environmental concerns so that it would not face liability for the release of groundwater into San Francisco Bay without a permit. Obtaining a permit could be time-consuming and expensive, requiring the need for consultants, studies, and an oversight process by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

County supervisors unanimously supported the non-binding agreement without the carve-out, though Bobbitt said delaying or excluding the carve-out creates timing risks for the project.

“The motion is to accept the terms as presented, excluding the carve-out,” Board of Supervisors President David Haubert said. “Noting that it’s a non-binding term sheet and terms can always be discussed going forward. It’s been pointed out that that could affect the deal, timing, which we’ve been at this for nine years, but what’s a little more time?”

“The arena represents an anchor of the site,” said Babbitt. “This arena … has become a pop culture mecca, and the opportunity to enhance that and expand that is critical to the overall process.”

Speaking at the Board of Supervisors meeting, Miley explained the County’s reasoning behind some of the complex negotiations. He asked interim County Counsel Andrea Weddle:

“In layman’s term’s who’s on the hook for the environmental (cleanup)” under the current deal with the Oakland A’s?

“When the county with a former board entered in the deal with the (A’s), we took on all of the environmental obligations,” Miley said. “Since then, we’ve learned a lot more about the environmental conditions of the Coliseum.”

“If we do a deal with Coliseum Way Partners (the A’s), we remain on the hook,” she said. “If we do a deal as we’ve currently structured with OAC (AASEG), we have eliminated some or hopefully all (or) as much as we can of that liability and aligned our deal with the terms of the city.”

Bobbitt, despite his concerns, supported the nonbinding agreement. He said the public has waited nearly a decade to come to this point.

“The community support has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’ve used a lot of P-words: patience, perseverance, persistence. And we’ve just had to do it, and we understand how complex this has been.”

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Alameda County

Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors

Seth looked comfortable in his new uniform, seamlessly fitting into the Warriors’ offensive and defensive system. He finished the night with an impressive 14 points, becoming one of the team’s top scorers for the game. Seth’s points came in a variety of ways – floaters, spot-up three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, and a handful of aggressive drives that kept the Oklahoma City Thunder defense on its heels.

Published

7 months ago

December 4, 2025

Oakland Post

Seth Curry is a point guard on the GSW team.Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

Tuesday night was anything but ordinary for fans in San Francisco as Seth Curry made his highly anticipated debut as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. Seth didn’t disappoint, delivering a performance that not only showcased his scoring ability but also demonstrated his added value to the team.

At 35, the 12-year NBA veteran on Monday signed a contract to play with the Warriors for the rest of the season.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came before Seth even scored his first points. As he checked into the game, the Chase Center erupted into applause, with fans rising to their feet to give the newest Warrior a standing ovation.

The crowd’s reaction was a testament not only to Seth’s reputation as a sharpshooter but also to the excitement he brings to the Warriors. It was clear that fans quickly embraced Seth as one of their own, eager to see what he could bring to the team’s championship aspirations.

Warriors’ superstar Steph Curry – Seth’s brother – did not play due to an injury. One could only imagine what it would be like if the Curry brothers were on the court together. Magic in the making.

Seth’s debut proved to be a turning point for the Warriors. Not only did he contribute on the scoreboard, but he also brought a sense of confidence and composure to the floor.

While their loss last night, OKC 124 – GSW 112, Seth’s impact was a game-changer and there’s more yet to come. Beyond statistics, it was clear that Seth’s presence elevated the team’s performance, giving the Warriors a new force as they look to make a deep playoff run.

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Barbara Lee

WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

1 year ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.