Lakers Rout Rockets, Make West Finals

(NEWSER) - The NBA fined Lakers coach Phil Jackson $50,000 for complaining about the officiating in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, but the frustrated Nuggets think it was money well spent. They got whistled 30 times in last night's Game 5, and they’re angry, reports Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. “Every player in my locker room is frustrated,” said coach George Karl. More»

Cops vow to jail miscreants as coliseum fills

(NEWSER) - An estimated 150,000 clogged streets in downtown Los Angeles today as the NBA-champion Lakers took a victory lap around downtown, the Times reports. Some 80,000 more jammed the Coliseum for a rally at parade’s end. Police, hoping to avoid the looting and chaos that followed Sunday’s clinching victory over the Orlando Magic, turned out in force. More»

Donaghy charges officials manipulated results to stretch playoff series

(NEWSER) - A disgraced former NBA referee claims that league officials conspired with referees to stretch the 2002 Lakers-Kings playoff series to a money-making seventh game, the Los Angeles Times reports. The allegation from Tim Donaghy came in a letter to the FBI that made broad claims of misconduct and match-fixing among NBA referees and executives. More»

Jazz get a date with Kobe's Lakers in the second round

(NEWSER) - Deron Williams scored 13 of his 25 points in the decisive third quarter, and the Utah Jazz beat Houston 113-91 on Friday to win the series 4-2 and knock the Rockets out of the playoffs in the opening round for the second straight year. Tracy McGrady scored 40 for the Rockets, but fell to 0-7 in playoff series in his career. More»

Anthony, Iverson combine for 31 as Nuggets dig deep hole

(NEWSER) - Once again, the Denver Nuggets couldn't keep their emotions or Kobe Bryant in check. Bryant scored 22 points and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-0 lead in their first-round series, routing the flustered Nuggets 102-84 tonight. The Nuggets are going to have to get more out of their All-Star duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson if they hope to take the series back to the Staples Center. More»