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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 helped their team make it to the NBA Finals, who bouced back after a less than par performance and who is blogging from Israel.
Gasol and Lakers Best in West Scoring isn't always the key to having a great game. In Game 5 of the Conference Finals between Los Angeles and San Antonio, Pau Gasol nailed 5-of-15 of his shots from the field for 12 points. But no one in L.A. complained as the seven-footer registered a postseason career-high 19 rebounds. If that wasn’t enough, he also logged five dimes and four blocks in the Lakers' Game 5 100-92 win. Defensively, the Spaniard held Tim Duncan to 19 points, as he shot 7-of-19 from the field. Following the game the L.A.'s center told the Los Angeles Times, "Offensively, I didn't have a good night shooting, but I was just persistent in focusing on the defensive end and trying to pursue the ball, chase it offensively and defensively and get better opportunities for my team." With the help of Gasol, L.A claimed the victory, which earned the Lakers a ticket to the NBA Finals.
 Photo: Gasol Heads to NBA Finals
1. Gasol and Lakers Best in West Scoring isn't always the key to having a great game. In Game 5 of the Conference Finals between Los Angeles and San Antonio, Pau Gasol nailed 5-of-15 of his shots from the field for 12 points. But no one in L.A. complained as the seven-footer registered a postseason career-high 19 rebounds. If that wasn’t enough, he also logged five dimes and four blocks in the Lakers' Game 5 100-92 win. Defensively, the Spaniard held Tim Duncan to 19 points, as he shot 7-of-19 from the field. Following the game the L.A.'s center told the Los Angeles Times, "Offensively, I didn't have a good night shooting, but I was just persistent in focusing on the defensive end and trying to pursue the ball, chase it offensively and defensively and get better opportunities for my team." With the help of Gasol, L.A claimed the victory, which earned the Lakers a ticket to the NBA Finals.
Photo: Gasol Heads to NBA Finals
2. Manu Bounces Back from Game 2 Everyone has the right to an off night here and there and in Game 2 of the Conference Finals between San Antonio and Los Angeles, Manu Ginobili used up one of his. The Argentinean scored an uncharacteristic seven points in the 101-71 Game 2 loss. Refusing to remain in a slump, Ginobili had a hot hand in Game 3, shooting 9-of-15 from the field for 30 points. Besides leading the Spurs to a 103-85 Game 3 victory to lessen L.A.'s series lead to one (2-1), the guard's 30 points also gave him 1061 career points off the bench in the postseason, which is the most by any active player. Following Game 3, teammate Fabricio Oberto explained that he expected a solid Manu performance as he told the San Antonio Express-News, "He’s always amazing, like 99.9 percent of the time. So I knew there was a good chance he would bounce back."
3. Duncan Displays His TalentTim Duncan could retire today and still go down as one of the game's greatest. But the Spurs' power forward is far from done and continues to put his talent on display. On the verge of falling into a 3-0 hole in the Conference Finals against the Lakers, Duncan helped to reignite the Spurs as he registered an impressive 22 points and 21 rebounds. According to Stats LLC, the game marked The Big Fundamental's seventh consecutive matchup where he logged at least 14 boards. Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett are the only other active players to have such streaks.
4. Rick Barry Blogs from IsraelLive from Israel, NBA legend Rick Barry is blogging about his experience in Israel. On a trip that has been endorsed by the NBA, through the NBA Cares program, Barry is in Israel along with Julius "Dr. J" Erving, to help the American Friends of Migdal Ohr organization. The organization provides emotional support as well as necessities for orphaned and or underprivileged children. Find out more about Barry's experience by reading his blog on NBA.com.
5. NBA Players Support Relief EffortsIn the wake of the recent tragedies in Asia, including the earthquake in China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, NBA players have taken it upon themselves to assist in the recovery. While many of the league's players have made financial contributions, including Steve Nash, Andris Biedrins and Leandro Barbosa, others have encouraged people to contribute to the relief efforts. Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian have used their voice and fame to educate audiences worldwide of the devastation and communicate the need for support.
 6. Parker Owns Best +/- in MatchupWith Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili playing great basketball in Game 3, Tony Parker kept the party going, putting up solid numbers in the 103-84 win. The French native shot 9-of-15 from the field for 20 points and also contributed five dimes en route to avoiding a 3-0 hole in the Conference Finals against the Lakers. While he may not have been the team's highest scorer, he clearly had a strong presence on the floor as he owned the highest +/- stat in the game at +24. His high +/- stat likely has to do with the fact that he is a key distributor for the reigning champs and the Spurs' success was attributed to an increased amount of ball movement. Duncan explained to the San Antonio Express-News, "We moved around and got the ball moving. It didn’t allow them to load up as much and get ready for what we were doing. We called a lot less plays, moved the ball and let everybody be unselfish and take shots when they were there. "
7. Basketball Without Borders How would you like Hedo Turkoglu to teach you how to shoot a mean three-pointer or David Lee to instruct you on rebounding? For most that would be a dream, but for some that is soon to be a reality. Basketball without Borders Europe, is a youth basketball camp where NBA players and team personnel serve as camp coaches. From June 4-7, top players from 25 different European countries will gather in Istanbul, Turkey to take part in the Basketball without Borders Europe program. Players that will be featured at the camp include, Hedo Turkoglu, Mehmet Okur, David Lee, Mickael Pietrus and many more. Also, stressing the importance of one's character off the court, players and coaches will lead seminars to encourage and discuss education, leadership, character, heath and wellness. The itenerary will allow the NBA along with FIBA and TBF to help develop not only good basketball players but good people as well.
8. Gasol: Assist of the NightHe can score, he can rebound and he can also pass. Pau Gasol has been a triple threat for the Lakers. In Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals, the Spanish athlete logged near a triple double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and six dimes, en route to L.A.'s Game 4 93-91 victory. The former Grizzly, received recognition for an impressive play in the fourth quarter. Ahead by only two points with less than five minutes to play, the seven-footer drew the defense in and then dished the ball to Lamar Odom for the jam. For the spectacular late game play, the Lakers' center received the Assist of the Night honor.
Video:
Gasol: Assist of the Night
9. Duncan: Dunk of the NightThe Lakers may have taken an early lead, finishing the first quarter with a 28-23 lead, but as Tim Duncan collected the last points of the period, he let L.A. know that the Spurs didn't plan on bowing out without a fight. With less than 30 seconds left in the first quarter, the Spurs trailed by seven. The Big Fundamental received a pass for Ime Udoka and threw it down, to finish the opening period on a high note. For the opening quarter finale, the Spurs' power forward received the Dunk of the Night honor. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Duncan may have sent a message with a jam but the Lakers fearlessly responded, defeating the reigning champs 93-91 in Game 4. With the win the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead.
Video:
Duncan: Dunk of the Night
10. Gallinari Could Be a Top 10 PickWe now know who is picking when in the 2008 NBA Draft, but we still do not know who will go where. With the draft a few weeks away, NBA.com has used the sports world's most credible mock drafts to create a consensus mock draft. In the Consensus Mock Draft, going to the Clippers with the No. 7 pick is Danilo Gallinari. The Italian-born small forward is the only international player predicted to be chosen with a top 10 pick. Although he is only 19 years-old, Gallinari has played pro since 2004. Known for being strong on the offensive end, he is predicted to be a solid NBA player, but like many internationally pros will likely need time to adjust to the league.
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