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Nathaniel S. Butler
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By Lauren Brill
The Global Top 10 is your weekly guide to NBA global news. In this week's edition find out who made the First All-Rookie Team, who kept their promise and who came through for their team in overtime.
Parker Keeps His Promise Nobody likes a liar. In pursuit to keeping his promise that the Spurs would win Game 4, Tony Parker registered 21 points, eight dimes and six rebounds in the Spurs Game 4 100-80 victory over the Hornets. Distributing the ball well and forcing Chris Paul to commit four turnovers, the French-born athlete had a major impact on both ends of the floor. Although Parker kept his word, he didn't consider forcing the series to at least six games a major accomplishment as he told the media following the game, "We just did our job and won two games and now it’s back to 0-0 and Game 5 is going to be huge. They are going to be at home so they are going to play a little bit better, shoot the ball a little bit better and so we have to be ready for that." The Spurs may not have played as well as they hoped in Game 5, losing 101-79 but when they came home for Game 6, San Antonio put on a show for its fans. Parker again did his part, logging 15 points and four dimes. The Spurs won Game 6 99-80 and now the series will be decided in a Game 7. So can the Spurs handle the pressure? Coach Gregg Popovich explained to the San Antonio News-Express, "NBA players who have gotten to this level, they embrace pressure. Pressure’s not a hindrance. Pressure is a fuel.”
 Photo: Parker Plays With A Purpose
1. Parker Keeps His Promise Nobody likes a liar. In pursuit to keeping his promise that the Spurs would win Game 4, Tony Parker registered 21 points, eight dimes and six rebounds in the Spurs Game 4 100-80 victory over the Hornets. Distributing the ball well and forcing Chris Paul to commit four turnovers, the French-born athlete had a major impact on both ends of the floor. Although Parker kept his word, he didn't consider forcing the series to at least six games a major accomplishment as he told the media following the game, "We just did our job and won two games and now it’s back to 0-0 and Game 5 is going to be huge. They are going to be at home so they are going to play a little bit better, shoot the ball a little bit better and so we have to be ready for that." The Spurs may not have played as well as they hoped in Game 5, losing 101-79 but when they came home for Game 6, San Antonio put on a show for its fans. Parker again did his part, logging 15 points and four dimes. The Spurs won Game 6 99-80 and now the series will be decided in a Game 7. So can the Spurs handle the pressure? Coach Gregg Popovich explained to the San Antonio News-Express, "NBA players who have gotten to this level, they embrace pressure. Pressure’s not a hindrance. Pressure is a fuel.”
Photo: Parker Plays With A Purpose
2. Kirilenko: Right on Time  Sometimes in basketball it's not how you played all night but when you played well. Despite a strong first quarter, Andrei Kirilenko tapered off as the game proceeded. But he didn’t quite go from hero to zero. In fact, the Russian-born athlete played a major role in the Jazz's Game 4 123-115 victory over the Lakers. While the 6-9 forward was held scoreless in the final quarter, in overtime, Kirilenko was back in action. He played tough defense, blocking MVP Kobe Bryant twice before his three-point play that occurred with 35 second left in the extra period. The play helped the Jazz seal the win, which tied the Conference Semi Finals series with the Lakers at two. After the game Kirilenko commented on the challenge of guarding Bryant to the Desert News, as he said, "Whole time you're playing against (Bryant), you're expecting something. You can't really get close. You can't really give him a space, so it's a game. It's like (in a) casino, I always try to guess, and it's like 50-50 you're going to get it." Clearly, Sunday night was the forward's lucky day.
Photo: Kirilenko Gets It Done
3. Duncan Doesn't DisappointIt can't be easy being the leader of a championship squad. Tim Duncan likely feels the pressure to perform as he plays with a target on his back. On Thursday night, The Big Fundamental appeared more than comfortable in his role, making his tough job look simple. The Virgin Islands native registered 20 points, 15 rebounds and six dimes to help his squad to a Game 6 99-80 victory over the Hornets. Forcing the series to a Game 7, Duncan told the San Antonio Express-News, "We’re happy to go back to their gym, and we think we’re a pretty good road team. We’re going to do our best to make a better game of it."
4. Memo is the "Money Man"In Game 4 between the Jazz and the Lakers in the Conference Semi Finals, Mehmet Okur proved just because you are hurt it does not mean you are damaged goods. Playing with a sore Achilles tendon, Okur said to the Desert News, "At moments I couldn't jump, couldn't run." Despite the injury, the Turkish native played strong, logging 18 points, 11 rebounds and five dimes. In overtime the 6-11 center hit a pair of jumpers that provided Utah with a lead that L.A. was unable to overcome. Jazz won Game 4 123-115 and tied the series at two games apiece. In reference to Okur's clutch shots in the extended period, teammate Carlos Boozer told the Desert News, "He did hit two really, really big shots for us in overtime, but Memo's been doing that his whole career in Utah. That's why we call him 'Money Man."
5.Gasol Comes Through For LakersKobe Bryant's back may have been stiff on Wednesday night in Game 5 against the Jazz, but his teammate's play was not. Pau Gasol stepped out the shadow of Kobe Bryant and came through down the stretch. With just over a minute left in the matchup, the Jazz trailed by only a single point. The Spanish native stepped up with back-to-back big plays. First he scored a layup to put his team up by three and on the next play he finished a missed three-pointer by Sasha Vujacic, to close the book on Game 5. The Lakers' center registered 21 points, eight dimes and six rebounds en route to L.A.'s 111-104 Game 5 win. Following the game Gasol told the AFP, "Obviously, the game was on the line and we had to just bring out everything we had left. Basically I had to dig inside of me and bring up some energy and some effectiveness."
 6. Varejao is A Force off the BenchNever underestimate the importance of a team's bench. Coming out strong, reserve Anderson Varejao made his presence known on both ends of the floor. The Brazilian-born athlete helped hold All-Star Kevin Garnett to just two points in the second half and logged six defensive rebounds in the game. Offensively, No. 17 contributed 12 points to the Cavs' Game 4 88-77 victory. Following the game teammate LeBron James told the Chronicle-Telegram, "Anderson definitely had his best game of the season. He set it up with his defense first. He really shut down KG in the last quarter by keeping a body on him and not letting him get to the basket or take an open shot. His offense came easy. He’d screen and then get the layup."
7. Stojakovic: Quiet But LethalQuiet but lethal is how some may refer to Peja Stojakovic's performance in the Hornets' Game 5 triumph over the Spurs. Known for his deft shooting skills, specifically from three-point land, the power forward hit only 3-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc for nine points in Game 5. Despite the fact that he did not knock 'em down at the rate that some may have expected, the Serbian native played a crucial role in the squad's 101-79 victory. While he had 11 rebounds on the night, a large part of his play did not show up in the boxscore. Accomplishing the intangibles, Stojakovic attracted the Spurs' defense, allowing more opportunities for his teammates, including David West who had 38 points on the night. Defensively he took on Manu Ginobili, which is no easy task. He held the Sixth Man of the Year to 20 points in 38 minutes. After it was all said and done, New Orleans' coach, Byron Scott explained to the Times-Picayune, "We know how to win even when he's not scoring big points, but also he had 11 rebounds. He did a pretty good job on Ginobili as well. So his all-around game was pretty good last night."
8. All-Defensive Teams AnnouncedIt's May madness! The playoffs are in session, teams are preparing for the draft and players are told the honors they've earned this season. This week the NBA revealed the First and Second All-Defensive Teams. Each head coach in the NBA placed their votes for who they believed deserved the honor. Coaches could not vote for their own players. Of course, two international players made the cut. With 12 First Team votes and nine Second Team votes for a total of 33 points, Tim Duncan received First Team honors. It is the Spurs' forward 11th consecutive season being named to the All-Defensive Team. Duncan's postseason adversary, Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns received some good news this week as well, as he was named to the Second All-Defensive Team. Bell received four First Team votes and 10 Second Team votes for 18 points. So why did each of these international athletes deserve such an honor? The Big Fundamental averaged 8.3 defensive rebounds per game and two blocks per contest, helping his squad take the third seed in a tight western conference. Bell played tight and aggressive defense all season long, helping his team to take the sixth seed in the West. After learning of the honor, Bell, a Virgin Islands native told the East Valley Tribune, "It’s always pretty lofty praise to be considered with people like Kobe and Chris Paul and others that I respect."
9. Votes are in For All-Rookie Teams Thirty coaches voted and now it is official. The results for the T-Mobile First and Second All-Rookie Teams are in. Two international players made the First Team, including Al Horford and Luis Scola. Spanish native Juan Carolos Navarro received the Second All-Rookie Team honor. Horford, a native of the Dominican Republic received the most points (even more than the Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant) with 58. Scola received the third most points with 53. Horford, was this season's most celebrated international rookie. He started 77 regular season games and averaged 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds. Picking it up a notch in the postseason, the former Florida Gator averaged 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and started all seven of Atlanta's matchups. While Horford shined brighter than Scola and Navarro, they have all laid the foundation for a successful future in the NBA.
10. Hedo: A Fourth Quarter Phenom A fourth quarter phenom, Hedo Turkoglu was the fifth-best fourth quarter NBA player in the regular season. The trend carried over into the playoffs on Saturday when the Most Improved Player of the Year scored 13 of his 20 points in the closing period. The Turkish native also hit a clutch three-pointer with three minutes to go to put the Magic up 83-82. Despite playing strong throughout the final quarter, the ball landed in the hands of Hedo on the final play and he was unable to deliver. As a result the Magic lost Game 4 to Detroit 90-89. While he made many great plays throughout the fourth quarter, the last one stayed on the forward's mind as he told the Orlando Sentinel, "You can say it's my fault. I was reading the situation. Maybe I held on to it too much."
Photo: Hedo Heats Up Down the Stretch
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