The two remaining Atlantic teams in the postseason continued their second-round battle last night, with the Celtics dominating the Sixers in Philadelphia to take a 2-1 series lead. While we wait for the series to resume on Friday night, here are a few items of interest from the Atlantic Division:
- Deron Williams and his wife are currently on a vacation in Russia, home of Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes that the trip could bode well for Brooklyn's chances of re-signing Williams. Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, on the other hand, says Nets fans should feel good about the team's chances, but not because of Williams' trip to Moscow.
- In December's sign-and-trade with the Mavericks for Tyson Chandler, the Knicks gained the rights to Greek forward Georgios Printezis. Marc Berman of the New York Post examines New York's chances of bringing the Olympiacos star to the NBA next season, and concludes that it's a long-shot for a Knicks team that's already restricted by the salary cap.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld discusses those cap limitations, noting that the new CBA could make things for teams like the Knicks, who have a lot of money tied up in long-term contracts. The Bulls and Lakers are other clubs who could be affected.
- Watching the Sixers this postseason, it's easy to see why they were frequently rumored to have interest in a scorer like Monta Ellis, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.