M1 Garand Rifle ( My favorite combat weapon )

The M1 Garand (formally the United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1) was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry in any nation. In 1936, it officially replaced the Springfield M1903 rifle as the standard service rifle of the United States military, and was subsequently replaced by the M14 in 1957. However, the M1 continued to be used in large numbers until 1963, and to a lesser degree until 1966.

The M1 was used heavily in World War II, the Korean War, and, to a limited extent, in the Vietnam War. Most M1 rifles were issued to American troops, though many were also lent to other nations. It is still used by various drill teams and is a popular civilian firearm. The name "Garand" is pronounced variously as [gəˈrand] or [ˈgærənd]. According to experts on the weapon, the latter version is preferred.

History and its Detail of how it used and mechanized











one of my favorite weapons of the century.

i like to use this during the airsoft contest hehe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Garand_rifle

The Philippine Commonwealth

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was the political designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth with the United States. Before 1935, the Philippines was an insular area with non-commonwealth status, and before that, it had been a U.S. territory.

The creation of the Commonwealth was envisioned under the Philippine Independence Act, popularly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act as a ten-year transitional government in preparation for full Philippine independence and sovereignty, which was promised through the Philippine Autonomy Act or Jones Law.

It marked the end of the colonial eras as well as the transition of the nomenclature of the Philippines from the plural "Las Islas Filipinas" and "Philippine Islands" of the Spanish and American colonial periods, to the singular, "Philippines", which is a sign of unity, sovereignty, and national identity.

The Commonwealth had its own constitution, which remained effective until 1973, and was self-governing although foreign policy and military affairs would be under the responsibility of the United States, and certain legislation required the approval of the American president.

It featured a very strong executive, a unicameral National Assembly, and a Supreme Court,[11] all composed entirely of Filipinos, as well as an elected Resident Commissioner to the United States House of Representatives (as Puerto Rico does today). An American High Commissioner and an American Military Advisor, were also present in the government while a Field Marshall was in charge of the Philippine Army.

In 1939-40, after an amendment in the Constitution, a bicameral Congress, consisting a of Senate, and of a House of Representatives, was restored replacing the National Assembly.

The History

In December 1932, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act with the premise of granting Filipinos independence. Provisions of the bill included reserving several military and naval bases for the United States, as well as imposing tariffs and quotas on Philippine exports.[14][1] It was vetoed by President Herbert Hoover but the American Congress overrode his veto in 1933 and passed the bill. The bill, however, was opposed by the then Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon and was also rejected by the Philippine Senate.

This led to the creation and passing of a new bill known as Tydings-McDuffie Act, which allowed the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines with a ten-year period of peaceful transition to full independence.


Pre-War
In October 1935, presidential elections were held and candidates included former president Emilio Aguinaldo and Iglesia Filipina Indepediente leader Gregorio Aglipay. Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña of the Nacionalista Party were proclaimed winners, winning the seats of president and vice-president, respectively.

The new government embarked on ambitious nation-building policies in preparation for economic and political independence. These included national defense (such as the National Defense Act of 1935, which organized a draft service in the country), greater control over the economy, the perfection of democratic institutions, reforms in education, improvement of transport, the promotion of local capital and industrialization, and the colonization of Mindanao.

However, uncertainties, especially in the diplomatic and military situation in Southeast Asia, in the level of U.S. commitment to the future Republic, and in the economy due to the Great Depression, proved to be major problems. The situation was further complicated by the presence of agrarian unrest, and of power struggles between Osmeña and Quezon, especially after Quezon was permitted to be reelected after a six-year term.

A proper evaluation of the policies' effectiveness or failure is difficult due to Japanese invasion during World War II.


World War II
Main article: Military history of the Philippines during World War II
Main article: Japanese Occupation of the Philippines
Japan launched a surprise attack on the Philippines on December 8, 1941. The Commonwealth government drafted the Philippine Army into the U.S. Army Forces Far East, which would resist Japanese occupation. Manila was declared an open city to prevent its destruction[16] and was occupied by the Japanese on January 2, 1942. Meanwhile, battles against the Japanese continued in Bataan, Corregidor, and Leyte until the final surrender of United States-Philippine forces on May 1942.

Quezon and Osmeña were escorted by troops to Corregidor and later left for the United States. There, they set up a government in exile, which participated in the Pacific War Council as well as the Declaration by United Nations. During exile, Quezon became ill with tuberculosis, and eventually died. Osmeña later replaced him as president.

Meanwhile, the Japanese military organized a new government in the Philippines known as the Second Philippine Republic, which was headed by President José P. Laurel. This government ended up being unpopular.

The resistance continued in the Philippines. This included the Hukbalahap ("People's Army Against the Japanese"), which consisted of 30,000 armed people and controlled much of Central Luzon. Remnants of the Philippine Army also fought the Japanese through guerrilla warfare and were successful since all but twelve of the forty-eight provinces were liberated.

MacArthur's Allied forces landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944 and were welcomed as liberators, as other landings followed. Fighting continued until Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945. Estimates for Filipino casualties reached one million, and Manila was extensively damaged .

After the war, the Commonwealth was restored and a one-year transitional period in preparation for independence began. Elections followed in April 1946 with Manuel Roxas winning as the first president of the independent Republic of the Philippines and Elpidio Quirino winning as vice-president.


Independence
Main article: Filipino-American Friendship Day
The Commonwealth ended when the United States recognized Philippine independence on July 4, 1946, as scheduled. However, the economy remained dependent to the U.S.. This was due to the Bell Trade Act, otherwise known as the Philippine Trade Act, which was a precondition for receiving war rehabilitation grants from the United States.

The Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)

The Government of the German Reich and The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, directed by the wish to strengthen the cause of peace between Germany and the USSR . . . have reached the following agreement:

Article 1: The two contracting parties undertake to refrain from any act of violence, and aggressive action, or any attack against one another, whether individually or jointly with other powers.

Article 2: In case of the contracting parties should become the object of warlike acts on the part of a third party, the other contracting party will no longer support that third power in any form.

Article 4: Neither of the two contracting parties will participate in any grouping of powers which is indirectly or directly aimed against the other party.

Article 5: Should disputes or conflicts arise between the contracting parties regarding questions of any kind whatsoever, the two parties would clear away these disputes or conflicts solely by means of friendly exchanges of views or if necessary by arbitrary commissions.

Secret Additional Protocol: On the occasion of the signature of the Non-Aggression Treaty between the German Reich and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the undersigned . . . parties discussed in strictly confidential conversations the question of the delimitation of their respective spheres of interest in Eastern Europe. These conversations led to the following result:

1. In the event of a territorial and political transformation in the territories belonging to the Baltic States (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the northern frontier of Lithuania shall represent the frontier of the spheres of interest both of Germany and the USSR. . . .

2. In the event of a territorial and political transformation of the territories belonging to the Polish State, the spheres of interest of both Germany and the USSR shall be bounded approximately by the line of the rivers Narev, Vistula, and San.

3. This Protocol will be treated by both parties as strictly secret.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/nsr/nsr-preface.html

If the Nazis had maintained their relationship with the soviet union before. surely they almost conquered the whole europe with stalin, mussolini and hirohito's help, hitler almost win the war.

i believe he took himself as an overrated chancellor, he is ambitiously conquering the USSR in able to get his German people some new places to live in. and accquire new territory, with these pact with the USSR he can win over allies.

just a feedback and a summarize of hitler's plan for dominance during the early years of the war.

Larry Brown The Pride of North Carolina

Larry Brown’s long coaching odyssey has finally reached its most appropriate and symbolic destination.



Home.

The fourth-winningest coach in NBA history and universally acclaimed as one of the greatest teachers the sport has ever known, the Basketball Hall of Famer returned to his native Big Apple when he was named the 22nd head coach of the New York Knickerbockers on Jul. 27, 2005.

In adding the latest chapter to one of the game’s legendary careers, Brown joins the Knicks following a two-year stretch with the Detroit Pistons which resulted in back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships and an NBA World Championship in 2004.

“Larry Brown is not just one of the best coaches in the NBA today, but in its history,’ says Knicks President, Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas. “He has made every team he has ever coached a winner, with a legendary approach to teaching and motivating his players. His value to us as a franchise at this time is immeasurable.”

“I look forward to coaching this team; I look forward to working with Isiah,” says Brown. “I think it’s an unbelievable responsibility to our sport, coaching in New York, because the fans are probably the most knowledgeable, or as knowledgeable as any team in the League. If you play the right way, being in this environment, you help our sport, and I don’t take that lightly. I look forward to the challenge. I know it’s not going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile is supposed to be easy.”

Brown comes to the Knicks with an honor-laden resume reflecting 33 years of head coaching experience on both the pro and college levels, capped with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

With an all-time NBA coaching record of 987-741 (.571), Brown is fourth on the all-time NBA win list, trailing only Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Don Nelson (1,190) and Pat Riley (1,110). His all-time NBA Playoff mark of 100-89 (.529) places him third all-time in League post-season wins behind Phil Jackson (175) and Riley (155).

The 2001 IBM NBA Coach of the Year with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown was also honored three times as the ABA’s Coach of the Year (1973 with Carolina, 1975 and 1976 with Denver). Larry has been a head coach in two NBA All-Star Games, winning each time (1977 at Milwaukee, 2001 at Washington), and is an eight-time NBA Coach of the Month selection (League or Conference; most recently in February 2005 with Detroit). Brown is also the only head coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA Championship (Kansas 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit 2004).

In 22 seasons as an NBA head coach, Brown has guided his teams to eight 50+ win seasons, seven divisional titles, three Conference Championships (Philadelphia in 2001, Detroit in 2004 and 2005) and one World Championship with the Pistons in 2004. He has led his team to the Playoffs in 17 of his 22 NBA seasons.

The eight different pro teams that Brown coached prior to coming to New York averaged an improvement of 8.9 wins over the season prior to his arrival. And each of those teams has followed a credo that has become synonymous with Brown: Playing the Right Way.

“I’ve grown up playing for some incredible coaches, and I don’t think anybody’s ever been as fortunate as I have in terms of the people I’ve been allowed to play under, coach under, or be involved with,” says Brown. “And they all kind of had the same philosophy: You’ve got to share the ball, or play unselfishly. You’ve got to try to guard, make an effort to defend to the best of your ability. You have to rebound the ball, which was an area that was so critical. And they wanted to you play smart and have fun. I’ve kind of tried to let our people understand those are the most important things that I could possibly tell them.”

In an NBA coaching career that began in 1976-77, Brown has piloted the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. Prior to that, he coached for four seasons in the old American Basketball Association with the Carolina Cougars (two seasons) and Denver (two seasons). Brown’s 229-107 (.682) ABA coaching mark - the fifth-highest win total in League history - gives him an overall professional record of 1,216-848 (.589).

The 65-year-old Brooklyn-native has enjoyed similar success in the college ranks, compiling a 177-61 (.744) career mark in seven collegiate seasons with UCLA (1979-80 through 1980-81) and the University of Kansas (1983-84 through 1987-88). He led UCLA to the 1980 NCAA title game, and in 1988 piloted Kansas to its first National Championship in 36 years.

In Olympic competition, Brown was the head coach of the bronze medal-winning Unites States team at the 2004 Athens Games. He was an assistant coach for the 1980 Olympic squad that did not participate in the Moscow Games, and for the 2000 team that won the gold medal in Sydney. As a player, Brown won a gold medal as a member of the 1964 U.S. squad at the Tokyo Games, averaging 4.1 ppg during the nine-game tournament. He is the only US.. male to both play and coach in the Olympics.

Before turning to coaching, Brown enjoyed a five-year playing career in the ABA, averaging 11.2 points. A three-time ABA All-Star, Brown was a member of the 1969 ABA Champion Oakland Oaks. He dished off an all-time ABA record 23 assists for Denver against Pittsburgh on Feb. 20, 1972. As player and coach, Brown was a part of the ABA for all nine seasons of the league’s existence.

After graduating from Long Beach (NY) High School, Brown averaged 11.8 points at the University of North Carolina. Brown’s older brother Herb is also a longtime NBA and college coach, and served on Larry’s staff in Detroit.

Born in Brooklyn on Sep. 14, 1940, Brown and his wife Shelly reside with their son L.J. (10) and daughter Madison (7). The avid golfer also has two daughters, Kristen and Alli, and five grandchildren.

well he is one of the finest coach ive ever seen commanded such teams like detroit and philadelphia, he have iverson's trust during the 2000 season, his club won 54 games and lost to finals 4 games to 1 to LA Lakers.

his coaching system at detroit had been impressive, his field commanding of the team is really balanced everybody are involved including the bench, if you will let him coach the present pistons, they'll be a hell of a team if he still hold detroit

now he resigned from philly; i hope he return to detroit and reconsider his coaching abilities back on 2004 and 2005.

he is a terrific coach theres no doubt about that.

Rick Adelman The Pride of St. Pius X (Downey, California)

Rick Adelman became the 11th head coach in Rockets history on May 23, 2007, returning to the bench after a season away from the NBA. Adelman owns a career record of 752-481 (.610) in 16 NBA seasons as a head coach with the Portland Trail Blazers (1988-1994), Golden State Warriors (1995-1997) and Sacramento Kings (1998-2006). He has recorded the sixth most wins among active NBA coaches behind Don Nelson (Golden State), Pat Riley (Miami), Jerry Sloan (Utah), Phil Jackson (L.A. Lakers) and George Karl (Denver). Adelman stands as one of only five head coaches in league history to win 60 or more games with two different teams. He also holds a career 70-68 (.507) mark in the postseason, as his teams have reached the playoffs 14 times in 16 seasons.

Known around the league as a basketball teacher with an ability to mold a team’s style of play around the strengths of his players, Adelman’s coaching highlights include a pair of NBA Finals appearances (1990 and 1992 with Portland), four trips to the Western Conference Finals (1990-92 with Portland and 2002 with Sacramento) and four division titles (1990-91 and 1991-92 with Portland; 2001-02 and 2002-03 with Sacramento). Adelman has been runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year honors three times (1990-91 with Portland; 2000-01 and 2001-02 with Sacramento). He has also coached the West Team in the NBA All-Star Game on three separate occasions (1991 with Portland; 2001 and 2003 with Sacramento). Adelman has been named NBA Coach of the Month five times over his career.

Adelman’s trademark offenses have finished among the top five in the NBA in scoring on 12 occasions over his head coaching career. He has had three additional teams rank in the top 10 in points per game. His teams have also shown a great balance on the defensive end of the floor. When matched with pace of play, Adelman has had five squads (four with Portland and one with Sacramento) finish in the top five in scoring defense.

Prior to joining the Rockets, Adelman recorded a 395-229 (.633) record in eight seasons as head coach of the Kings. He guided Sacramento to playoff appearances in each of his eight campaigns, compiling a 34-35 (.493) mark in the postseason. Sacramento won 50 or more games in five consecutive seasons (2000-01 through 2004-05) under his leadership, including back-to-back Pacific Division titles in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Adelman became the winningest coach in Kings franchise history with a 94-92 victory at Indiana (3/19/04), surpassing Les Harrison (295) on the team’s all-time wins list.

Adelman signed on as the 19th head coach of the Kings on Sept. 17, 1998, inheriting a team that had won only 27 games in 1997-98. The Kings went on to finish with a record above .500 in all eight seasons under his direction. Sacramento’s climb to 61 victories in 2001-02 marked a 34-win improvement over a four-year span, which was the highest jump among NBA teams during that time frame. Prior to Adelman’s arrival, no Sacramento-era Kings squad had registered a winning record, which dated back to 1985-86.

While in Sacramento, Adelman turned the Kings into the highest scoring team in the league by going from an average of 93.1 points per game in 1997-98 to an average of 100.2 points in 1998-99, despite the league average dipping from 95.6 points per outing to 91.6 over the same span. Sacramento continued to increase its scoring to a league-best 105.0 points per game in 1999-2000. Overall, the Kings topped the NBA in scoring for three straight seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01). Sacramento had its streak snapped by finishing second in the league in scoring in 2001-02 (104.6), but still advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

In his first season with the Warriors in 1995-96, Adelman’s influence helped Golden State reduce its points allowed from 111.1 per game to 103.1, which marked the fewest for the franchise in 20 years. In addition, the 1995-96 Warriors outrebounded their opponents (3,458-3,406) for only the second time in 14 seasons. Adelman also reached the career 300-win mark in just 468 games, which at the time was the seventh fastest in NBA history. His 1996-97 Golden State team also improved from 13th to ninth in the NBA in scoring.

Adelman joined Portland’s staff in 1983 under Jack Ramsay and served as an assistant coach until Feb. 19, 1989, replacing Mike Schuler as head coach. In nearly six seasons at the helm of the Trail Blazers, Adelman racked up a record of 291-154 (.654) in the regular season and a 36-33 (.522) mark in the postseason. He twice coached the Trail Blazers into the NBA Finals, qualifying Portland for the playoffs in all six of his seasons. He also led the Trail Blazers to four consecutive 50-plus win campaigns. Adelman still ranks as the second winningest coach in franchise history behind Ramsay.

In his first full season as head coach in 1989-90, Adelman guided the Trail Blazers to a 59-23 record and a trip to the NBA Finals. The following season, Portland won the Pacific Division title behind a league-best mark of 63-19, advancing to the 1991 Western Conference Finals. In 1991-92, the Trail Blazers captured their second straight Pacific Division crown with a 57-25 record and went to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. Adelman recorded his 200th victory in just the 288th game of his career in a 115-90 win vs. Detroit (11/22/92). At the time, no coach in league history had reached the 200-win plateau in fewer games.

Adelman began his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, where his teams amassed a 141-39 record over six seasons (1977-83). Chemeketa won or shared in three Oregon community college championships and one regional title.

As a player, Adelman spent seven seasons in the NBA with the San Diego Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Jazz and Kansas City-Omaha Kings. Selected by the Rockets in the seventh round (79th overall) of the 1968 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds in two seasons as a reserve in San Diego. Adelman was taken by Portland in the 1970 NBA Expansion Draft and was made the first team captain in Trail Blazers history. Adelman actually got his first taste of coaching experience during the 1970-71 NBA season when he led Portland to a victory after coach Rolland Todd was ejected from the game. Traded by the Trail Blazers to the Bulls prior to the 1973-74 campaign, Adelman was again dealt to the Jazz early in the 1974-75 season. Looking for veteran leadership in their run to the 1975 NBA Playoffs, the Kings made a late-season acquisition to obtain Adelman. He retired in 1975 with career averages of 7.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 462 regular season games.

Adelman began his playing career at St. Pius X High School in Downey, California, before attending Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, where he was named MVP of the West Coast Athletic Conference as a senior in 1967-68. After retiring from the NBA, he returned to Loyola to earn a master’s degree in history and then worked for Converse in Southern California for a year.

A native of Lynwood, California, Adelman is a devoted family man and community leader. He and his wife, Mary Kay, who have been married for over 31 years, enjoy playing golf and tennis, as well as spending time with their six children: Kathy and her husband, John, R.J., Laura and her husband, Chris, David, Caitlin and Patrick; and five grandchildren: Mary Kay, Anna, Mackenzie, Emilie and Madison. The entire Adelman family has always shown a great commitment to the community, working closely with local church and charitable organizations. In 2000, Chemeketa Community College honored Adelman by presenting him with the Gwen VanDenBosch Volunteer of the Year Award for his tireless fundraising efforts through his annual Rick Adelman Golf Classic. Each year, the golf tournament provides scholarship funds for a male and female member of the Chemeketa basketball teams.

NBA Coaching Experience: 16 Seasons
College: Loyola Marymount
High School: St. Pius X (Downey, California)
Birthdate: June 16, 1946
Birthplace: Lynwood, California

For me I believe he is one of the best versatile coach of NBA History his years with Portland as he led the team to the NBA Finals by the years 1989 and 1991 season

his coaching ability is such an impressive routine, his field planning on the court is very effective just look how the rockets play so far, they share balls and execute to the basket.

i believe he can win championship if his team has its balance lineup just like the sacramento kings and the trail blazers before.

Hawks Surprise Celtics Again to Even Series

Atlanta 97, Boston 92 (F)



ATLANTA, April 28 (AP) -- The Boston Celtics were supposed to be resting up by now, getting ready for the next round of the playoffs.

Instead, they're headed back to Beantown all tied up with the lowly Atlanta Hawks, who are starting to believe - really believe - they can shock the world.

Joe Johnson scored 35 points, 20 in the fourth quarter, and Josh Smith added 28 points and seven blocks for Atlanta, which surprised the Celtics again 97-92 on Monday night to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

"We took care of our home court,'' Johnson said. "Now we've got to go up to Boston and somehow steal one.''

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Boston.

No one could have seen that coming.

The Hawks had the worst record (37-45) of any playoff team, and they certainly played like it in the first two games at Boston, losing them by an average of 21 points. The Celtics, who won an NBA-leading 66 games during the regular season, came South looking to wrap it up.

Now, it's a best-of-three.

"We've got to find ourselves real quick,'' Boston's Sam Cassell said. "We've got to find our team identity, our team chemistry, we've got to find all that real quick.''

The credit for this Atlanta stunner goes largely to Johnson, who took control in the final quarter. After Smith's jumper put the Hawks ahead to stay 81-79, Johnson scored nine straight points to keep the Celtics on the ropes.

The knockout came when Paul Pierce drove to the hoop and left it short, then tumbled over a cameraman alongside the basket. When the Boston star finally climbed back to his feet, he had a look of disbelief - which pretty much sums up the way the Celtics are feeling about this series.

Smith went to the other end and made two free throws with 26 seconds remaining for 93-87 lead. Johnson - appropriately enough - finished off the Celtics by making two more foul shots with 14 seconds left.

"Basketball is a strange thing,'' Cassell said. "Strange things happen.''

Johnson, who shot just 36 percent in the first three games, finally stepped up to claim his rightful place as Atlanta's go-to player. With the Celtics trapping on the pick-and-roll, he went to coach Mike Woodson with a suggestion.

"I asked him to space the floor and let me go,'' Johnson said. "It worked.''

Added Cassell, "He's their franchise ballplayer, and he showed people why.''

After the blowouts in Boston, the Hawks turned feisty on their home court. Rookie Al Horford taunted Pierce after putting the Celtics away in Game 3, prompting the Boston forward to flash a menacing gesture that drew a $25,000 fine from the NBA shortly before Monday's game.

In the second quarter of Game 4, things really got testy. Kevin Garnett threw an elbow at Zaza Pachulia while going for a loose ball. The rugged Pachulia got right in Garnett's face, going forehead to forehead with the Boston star.

"We all know he's a great player,'' Pachulia said. "He's done a lot of good things for the league. He's a future Hall of Famer. But it doesn't matter when we're on the court.''

The officials stepped in quickly and Woodson charged onto the court to pull his players away. No punches were thrown and no one was ejected, though the officials did call offsetting technical fouls - two on each team - after looking at a replay.

"I don't take anything from anybody,'' Pachulia said. "The message was, 'We're right here. Even if we lose, it's not going to be easy.'''

Ray Allen led Boston with 21 points, and Garnett added 20. But, after playing with so much confidence during the regular season, the Celtics must fight off the inevitable worries about a monumental playoff flop.

"Give the Hawks credit,'' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "This series hasn't started yet, because no one has won a road game. It's a tough loss for us, but we get a chance to take it back to Boston and see what we can do.''

Smith set an Atlanta playoff record with seven blocks, the last a key swat on Garnett after he backed down in the lane, looking for the easy shot, with just over 3 minutes left.

"It's time to shock the world,'' the public address announcer screamed to the sellout crowd of 20,016.

Boston started like it was going to be a blowout.

The Hawks missed four shots and turned it over three times before finally hitting their first field goal of the game, Smith's 20-foot jumper with just under 7 minutes left in the first. Boston, on the other hand, hit six of its first seven shots - four from outside the 3-point arc - and built a 16-3 lead before the Hawks knew what hit them.

The NBA's youngest playoff team was on the ropes, but it didn't fold. Atlanta closed the period on a 20-3 run, taking a 29-24 lead to the second quarter.

The Hawks led 51-48 at halftime, only to put themselves in another hole with a dismal third quarter. Standing around on offense and doing little to create shots, Atlanta was 6-of-17 from the field, missed all seven of its 3-point attempts and turned it over seven times, giving Boston plenty of easy baskets.

Garnett scored nine points in the period to lead the Celtics, who went to the fourth with a 75-65 lead.

But the Hawks bounced back again. Johnson shot 7-of-10, including a couple of 3s, and Smith scored 12 points in the final period.

Boston missed nine of its first 10 shots in the final period.

"We had too many breakdowns,'' Rivers said. "But give them credit. They're athletic, and they're good.''

Coming off an unexpected 102-93 win on Saturday, the city was fired up about its long-ignored NBA team. Woodson said he noticed some motorists flying Hawks flags on their cars as he drove to Philips Arena, something he hadn't seen in his four years as coach.

Former owner Ted Turner even showed up for the first time in years, sitting at courtside and waving a white Hawks towel.

Maybe he'll be back on Friday.

Yep, there will be a Game 6 in Atlanta.

Notes: Smith broke the Hawks playoff record of six blocks shared by Tree Rollins and Dikembe Mutombo. ... Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was at the game. ... Boston was called twice for defensive 3-second violations, and Johnson hit the free throw each time. ... Horford had only four points, but he did grab a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Celtics are about to face their fierce enemy so far it is atlanta, the cavs also facing the same thing and the pistons, but if the celtics failed to maintain the series. they'll fall into the series and atlanta will take the game, i believe the Celtics are not yet sure of the Hawks Series, both Cleveland and Boston have to secure their spot in able to go up and make it on NBA Finals once again.

in the west also, Lakers are taking the gamble, so far and san antonio too, with Utah whose making things clear against Houston, they have the reason why they should be at the second round these teams have balance lineup and balanced chemistry.

well, lets just watch the playoffs and predict.

hopefully all NBA fans would love the playoff match ups.

God bless our Teams!!

The Beginning of the Magical Triumph of Orlando

Orlando 102, Raptors 92




ORLANDO, Fla., April 29 (AP) -- Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saw something different about Dwight Howard heading into the playoffs.

The 22-year-old All-Star, usually the team's biggest jokester, suddenly got serious. So did his already-impressive numbers.

Howard had 21 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks -- his third 20-20 game in the series -- and the Magic advanced to second round for the first time in 12 years by beating the Toronto Raptors 102-92 in Game 5 on Monday night.

"There was a different demeanor from him," Van Gundy said of his young center. "Dwight is a fun-loving guy and he likes to fool around. There are a lot of times during the year, not bad, but a lot of times during the year where I've got to try to bring him back to being serious when we're preparing.

"I did not have to say one word, from the start of preparation for this series all the way through," Van Gundy said.

Howard's game said it all. And with Orlando's usually steady 3-point shooting on the fritz, his inside power was enough to pull them through.

"He's a phenom; he's the best center in the league," said Raptors star Chris Bosh, who was guarded by Howard all game. "He's probably the strongest guy in the league, and he knows how to use his body. It doesn't surprise me at all. I've seen him play this whole series, I've seen him play this season."

Bosh, who posted career playoff highs of 39 points and 15 rebounds at Toronto on Saturday, had 16 points and nine rebounds Monday. Howard frustrated him down low into 7-of-19 shooting, and Bosh picked up a third-quarter technical foul after the Magic star muscled past him for a layup.

T.J. Ford and Carlos Delfino both scored 14 points for the Raptors, while Jason Kapono had 13 and Jose Calderon 12. Delfino added seven rebounds and Ford had five assists.

"We knew in the regular season that every time we played the Orlando Magic that you've got to score, and we just couldn't score," Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "We didn't make enough shots."

The Magic will play the winner of the Detroit-Philadelphia series, which is tied 2-2, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Keyon Dooling's free throw after the technical on Bosh put the Magic ahead 73-66 with just under a minute left in the third quarter, and Orlando kept that cushion until midway through the fourth. Delfino hit a jumper and Bosh made two free throws in four trips to the line, plus a hook shot over Howard, to draw the Raptors within 84-82.

The Magic, who shot the fourth-best percentage in the NBA from 3-point range this season, struggled again from long range (9-of-32), but made them when it counted. Keith Bogans and Jameer Nelson each hit one and Howard added a layup as the Magic answered with an 8-0 run over 3:13 to open a 92-82 lead, then its largest of the game.

It was enough room to let them coast.

"We've depended on the 3 all year. It's going to make us or break us," Bogans said. "Coach just tells us to keep shooting them and don't stop."

Nelson scored 19 points for Orlando and Rashard Lewis had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu just missed a triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, while Maurice Evans scored 12 points and Bogans added 11.

Orlando hadn't won a playoff series since 1996, when Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway led the team to the Eastern Conference finals. The Magic played 28 postseason games in the intervening years, winning only eight.

Howard grinned broadly, still unable to believe it was true.

"It's just an unbelievable feeling," he said. "We did something I feel that hasn't been done here in a while."

Orlando looked good early, taking a 10-2 lead on 3-of-5 shooting, but the Raptors guards took over for the rest of the first half. Calderon fueled a 10-4 run with two 3-pointers to close the first quarter up 26-22, and Delfino scored eight straight points in the second quarter. The Magic drew to 44-43 as the Raptors went 2:20 Raptors without scoring -- a period in which Lewis had nine points -- but Ford scored six straight on two jumpers and two free throws to keep the Magic from regaining the lead before halftime.

Toronto's Jamario Moon, who strained his groin in the third quarter Saturday and didn't return, started for the second time in the series. He had six points in the first quarter on two quick 3-pointers but just two more the rest of the way.


Notes: The NBA announced earlier in the day that Turkoglu was its most improved player. ... Orlando is 4-0 all-time in Game 5s at home. ... Toronto's bench outscored the Magic's all five games - by a lot. The margin was 39-20 on Monday, and 149-75 through the first four games. ... The Raptors lost their last five games on the road. ... Tiger Woods and Chicago Bulls F Drew Gooden watched from courtside.

The Magic had done a terrific job of entering the 2nd round, Turkoglu had done a terrific job this year he really deserves the credit for being an outstanding player for the club by winning the most improved player award, his skills had led the magic into its magical triumph vs toronto, well the raptors did their best, they should keep doing that in able to improve the team's terific record.

2nd round match up

WHo ever win in Detroit and Philly will face Superman and The Magic

God Bless us all Magic and Pistons Fans!!