Tag: Denver Nuggets

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Denver Nuggets

San Antonio Radio show fakes Iverson interview… what could go wrong?


Radio Producer: Hey, you know what would be a great idea? Let’s do a fake radio interview with Allen Iverson so we can make him sound like a thug and make ourselves sound racist in one fell swoop!

Radio Hosts: That sounds hilarious! Let’s make sure we mention Mexicans while we’re at it. And weed. Don’t forget weed.

We find most sports radio to be completely retarded and Jeff Vexler and Walter Pasacrita at KTKR down in San Antonio aren’t doing anything to change our minds. Last week, they did a skit of a mock interview with Allen Iverson that Spurs officials called “highly offensive and very inappropriate.” In the skit, Iverson (we haven’t heard the skit itself but are willing to bet dollars to donuts that “Iverson” was speaking in an exaggerated urban accent) talks about providing the Spurs with some weed, looking for sex with Mexican women, and firing a gun into the air to celebrate being picked #1 in the NBA draft.

We thought the Imus situation was completely overblown but these two guys have to be complete idiots to think that skit would fly. You get the feeling that if they had a TV show, they’d do the interview with some guy in blackface as Iverson. Now, some of you might think the world is getting too PC but this skit is offensive not just because it’s borderline racist — even worse, it’s neither funny nor original.

The Spurs won’t revoke the hosts’ press credentials but they are pulling Greg Popovich’s weekly appearances on the station.

Links:
[My San Antonio]: Sports talkers put foot in mouth

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Warriors lose their cool and game two

1. It’s getting hot in here
The series between Dallas and Golden State just keeps getting better and better as the rivalry grows bitterer and bitterer with every dribble of the ball. In game two we saw some real fire between the clubs in a very physical session that was littered with enough trash talk to fill a city dump. And in the end it was the Mavericks who walked away with a 112-99 victory and tied the series at 1-1. Baron Davis got ejected from the game at the end of the third quarter for clapping sarcastically at a call, which basically ended the Warriors chances of leaving Big D with a two game sweep in hand. Then Stephen Jackson took his sweet time leaving the court after he got ejected late in the fourth and gave the refs a nice sized piece of his mind on the way out. But just wait until an arena full of blood thirsty Warriors fans provide the backdrop for a big time game three that could swing momentum into the direction of either team. Hopefully there won’t be any suspensions handed out for the Davis and Jackson incidents or for a brief skirmish that broke out during the third quarter. Maybe all this bad blood stems from the Don Nelson connection but who cares how it originated, it’s producing some freakin’ exciting ballgames; even the one’s that are 13 point blowouts.

2. Carlisle out

In a pretty shocking move, the Pacers decided to axe their coach after the team suffered through a dreadful second half of the season en route to a 35-47 record. Indiana had a horrible season, their worst since 1988-89, and has gotten gradually worse every year under each of Rick Carlisle’s four years. But don’t expect this to be the last thing you hear from Indy this off-season because a complete overhaul could be in store for the Pacers. Stephen Jackson was already traded away and Jamaal Tinsley and Jermaine O’Neal probably aren’t too far behind. Larry Bird is a hardcore winner and he will do anything to get his fix, so a blockbuster deal for Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol could definitely be in the cards. And, well what do you know; Larry Brown is suddenly interested in coaching again.

3. Gimme that game back!
San Antonio was rolling to an easy victory as game two of their series with Denver entered the fourth quarter but the Spurs almost let a late game slip cost them the victory. With 7:16 remaining in the game, San Antonio grabbed a 17 point lead, 84-67, but by the time the clock struck the 45 second mark, the Nuggets were within three points, 88-91, of a 2-0 lead over the three time champs. But the Spurs held on and evened up the series 1-1 after ripping off six unanswered for a 97-88 victory. The defensive focus was targeted on Denver’s duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson after they torched SA for 61 in the first game; in game two they were held to a combined 46 points on 46 shots. This series will be rockin’ in the Rockies on Saturday when these two hook up for game three.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Drew Gooden vs. Washington 32 min, 24 pts (FG: 10-13, FT: 4-5), 14 reb, 2 ast

Buzzer Beater: Earlier this week, Kobe Bryant made an interesting statement when asked about the window closing on his career. He responded by saying “We definitely have to get to that elite level. And we have to get to that level, like, now.” Bryant has been a winner for most of his career and you know that he is just praying for a Shaqless championship ring to go on his pinky finger, so getting bounced in the first round every year is probably not going to cut it for league’s best scorer. Without executing a serious roster overhaul, the Lakers will never reach that “elite level” that Bryant speaks of considering that Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio and Houston don’t look like they’ll be giving up their spots any time soon. So, would Kobe consider leaving Tinsel Town for a more championship conducive environment? Hmmmmm.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: The month long first round has begun

NBA playoff action is fantastic!

1. Home-court disadvantage
Most teams won their home games when the opening round of the playoffs began this weekend, but there was a trio of teams who failed to please the fans inside their own gym and they are now looking to crawl out of a 1-0 hole. New Jersey grabbed a victory from a very inexperienced Raptors team in Toronto, but that wasn’t all that surprising. What was really shocking was that Denver and Golden State took advantage of a couple of Texas powerhouses by utilizing some great games from their stars. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson combined for 61 of the Nuggets 95 points against SA, while Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Stephen Jackson hooked up for 69 of the Warriors 97. These series aren’t even close to being over but for the clubs that dropped game 1 at home, their next game is pretty darn close to a must win.

2. The Big Ticket’s possible big mistake

Nobody in Minnesota is talking, but rumor has it that Kevin Garnett is talking with the Timberwolves management about getting a contract extension. Why, KG, why?! Garnett seems to be the only person, besides the organization and their fans, who is content with him simply wasting away the remaining years of an incredible career as the big brother for a revolving door of lottery picks. Open your eyes Garnett; you might want to think that you can turn this team around but you can only do so much with the garbage that Kevin McHale surrounds you with. Garnett is signed through next year, then he’ll become a free agent, but we suggest that he faces the truth and forces a trade. He might not even have to go very far; the high-priced Jermaine O’Neal is need of a change of scenery as well.

3. Suns are too hot to handle for LA
Kobe Bryant tried to carry the Lakers on in game one of their series against the Suns, and it worked for about three quarters. That’s when the weight became too much, and Phoenix’s team ball offered too many solutions for problem posed by Bryant’s one man show. Bryant had 28 points in the first half but was then limited to just 11 in the second and, if that’s not devastating enough for LA, the team only scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Phil Jackson said that his superstar “ran out of gas” down the stretch as he went 1-for-10 during the final 12 minutes. The odds are already stacked against the Lakers, but if Bryant can’t be stellar in this series then they won’t make it back to Phoenix.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Baron Davis @ Dallas 44 min, 33 pts (FG: 11-20, 3FG: 4-7, FT: 7-8), 14 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Buzzer Beater: Just one game into the post season and Shaquille O’Neal is already complaining about the refs. And he’s not doing it quietly either. “My intention was to come out and be myself, until Eddie Rush derailed me,” said O’Neal. Shaq seems to feel that Ben Wallace was dropping like the flop king Vlade Divac and so he’s going to retaliate in the only way he knows how; by crying. Considering that he’s the biggest, baddest kid on the block, the Daddy sure does whine like a spoiled brat every time he doesn’t get a call. Sad thing is that his rant will probably change the way things get called in the next game. Now it is going to be up to Wallace to adjust his game accordingly or he’ll be the one watching the end of game 2 from the bench, instead of O’Neal.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: The NBA’s call was too sweet to resist

Kevin Durant has millions of
reasons to leave his coach
and school behind.

1. The NBA hooks Durant
Kevin Durant was only at Texas for one year, but that was all it took for the 6-9 forward to become the elite of the Big 12 Conference, as well as the NCAA. Now, Durant has made his intentions public as he threw his hat into the NBA draft pool with the worst case scenario being selected as a second pick. There is no way that Durant can improve on his current standing as the recipient of every major national award while he rewrote the Texas record books. The only question left is if the nation’s other freshman phenom, Greg Oden, will be joining Durant in the upcoming draft. If Oden decides to make the jump, he will probably be selected first by most teams based on his defensive potential, but don’t get fooled into thinking that only the sorry teams will have a shot a the young `ens. Plenty of franchises will be dying to put together deals for this year’s exceptional cornerstone pieces.

2. NJ has pieces, just not the passion

The Nets have got to be one of the most pathetic franchises in recent history. Despite having a starting lineup that is stacked with three of the most athletic players the league has and being in a position where they are close to losing their current playoff spot, the Nets can’t put away the injury plagued Wizards until 30 seconds remain in the game. But regardless of the aesthetic quality of the win, the Nets still came out of the contest with a much needed victory and can now breathe a sigh of relief as it looks like they have virtually secured a post season berth. But if NJ is having trouble putting away a demolished Washington crew, how are they possibly going to handle a healthy Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto or Miami club? Easy answer, they’re not.

3. Bonsai! Bonzi bails
Bonzi Wells left the Rockets high and dry on Monday night when he simply didn’t show up for the team’s road game against the Sonics. Wells reportedly didn’t want to be a further distraction to the team and basically bailed on his boys without even telling his coach what was up. “He’s not here tonight. I don’t know where he’s at. I haven’t talked to him,” Van Gundy said. “I want to make sure he’s safe first.” Don’t worry coach, the only danger Wells faced was a possible brain freeze as he lounges back with some ice cream and a remote control. Wells had been in the dog house all season because of his lack of fitness after he was expected to be the X-factor for the Rockets. But now, he’s just destined to be an ex-Rocket.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Elton Brand @ New Orleans 45 min, 37 pts (FG: 15-23, FT: 7-9), 10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Denver (41-36) @ Utah (48-29) The Nuggets have gained some late season momentum and are now rolling on a six game win streak as they prepare to unleash Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on their playoff opponent. Utah on the other hand needs to grab a victory if they don’t want to be the victim of circumstance by winning their division but losing home-court advantage in the first round to Houston. The Jazz are the only team besides the Lakers in the West who are currently riding a losing streak. With four inexcusable losses over the past week, Utah is definitely due for a dominating performance and their 19-8 home record can only help their cause.

Buzzer Beater: Adam Morrison had a bit of a meltdown during the Bobcats 111-103 victory over the Heat in overtime on Sunday. But it wasn’t an on-court dumb decision that made Morrison look like a fool. No it was an on-bench hand gesture that got the rookie in hot water. Apparently some dude kept calling Morrison “white trash,” and eventually the cry baby, adolescent mustache sporting Morrison shot the bird to the heckler in the stands. The Charlotte big wigs fined Morrison $25,000 for his actions, but you can’t really blame Morrison for getting frustrated. However, you’d expect that he could handle the ribbing because with facial hair like his, teasing should be second nature by this point.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Suns block? SA’s building steam

1. Spurred On
Tim Duncan was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week yesterday after he led the Spurs to a 3-0 record last week by scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while dishing out five assists and blocking three shots per contest. But it was the French phenom Tony Parker who guided SA to their fourth consecutive victory by racking up 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting in a dismantling of the Trailblazers. The Spurs are getting hot at the right time but they are still sitting two games behind Phoenix for the second seed in the playoffs. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if San Antonio catches the Suns before the end of the season because they have a much easier schedule as the year draws to a close.

2. Warriors, come out and plaaay

Golden State made a serious statement last night as they destroyed the Utah Jazz by 24 points, 126-102. And thanks to a Clippers loss to Denver, the Warriors have slid into the eighth and final playoff spot in the West; for now. Home-court advantage for the entire playoffs was also determined by in the Clippers loss as Dallas won their 64th game of the season and guaranteed that they would be spending the majority of every playoff series in their gym. And at the moment, their first round opponent would be the same giant killing Warriors that ripped apart Utah last night. So, is Golden State ready for the Mavericks? Probably not, but it would more entertaining than throwing the sacrificial Clippers to Mark Cuban’s hungry lions.

3. Kobe goes cold
Like most of the great scorers in league history, most nights Kobe Bryant has got it but some nights he doesn’t. And last night was definitely one night that the league’s top scorer wouldn’t mind forgetting. Bryant was 9-of-30 from the floor in a 115-111 loss to the Nuggets that put the Lakers perilously close to sliding completely off the playoff map. Only two little games separate LA from missing the post season and regardless of what happens over the remainder of the regular season, this will be the most losses for any Phil Jackson coached team with the Lakers currently sitting at 40-38. The Mamba just couldn’t get it going as Denver’s dynamic duo torched LA for 57 points and the team’s sixth straight victory. Nobody wants to get caught playing against that level of firepower in the first round of the post season, and then you throw in a Defensive Player of the Year candidate patrolling the middle in Marcus Camby and you have a serious dark-horse just waiting to grab an early playoff upset.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Ricky Davis vs. Toronto 39 min, 28 pts (FG: 9-17, 3FG: 4-8, FT: 6-6), 3 reb, 8 ast

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Clippers (37-39) @ New Orleans (36-41) With the playoffs just about two weeks away, the final three spots are still technically up for grabs but it’s really the final two that are in the most unstable condition. That’s where the Clippers and the Hornets come in. Both teams are on the outside looking in right now as they try to scratch and claw their way into the post season picture and knock the Lakers and/or Warriors out. It’s great to see this kind of late season head-to-head contests where the winner can take control of their own destiny and watch the battle of wills square off. Without getting too Bill Walton about the matter, let’s just say that it should be a good game.

Buzzer Beater: In a story that goes to show you that NBA ballers are still regular folk too, Michael Doleac’s brother ‘s Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Baghdad as he piloted the aircraft. Everyone ended up being all right but that has got to put game of basketball into perspective for Army 2nd Lt. Kenneth Doleac’s older brother.

“From what I’ve heard from him, it was he and another helicopter flying,” Doleac said. “They got hit, it was just small arms fire, and they ended up going down. He was able to put it down. A couple of his guys got hit, but no one was injured seriously. He was able to put the helicopter down. The other Black Hawk that was with him wound up coming back in a couple of minutes and picking them all up.”

“It wakes you up. You take for granted every day he’s over there flying. To hear that he got shot down was just nuts. Every time you hear a helicopter go down, it’s something bad.”

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Wizard’s blizzard of injuries

Well, now he’s got more time
for bloggin’ and video poker.

1. Agent 0 goes undercover
Washington might be the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but they might as well be sitting on the outside looking in because they are going to make some team the very happy owner of a four game sweep in the first round of the post season. Just days after Caron Butler broke his hand, Gilbert Arenas tore his lateral meniscus and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The Wiz are currently only just one game behind Miami for the division crown but nobody’s going to be cheering in Washington anytime soon as the “there’s always next year” mentality begins to take hold. But it was a great season for Arenas while it lasted as he scored 28.4 points per game to go along with 4.6 boards and 6.0 assists. He also made the All-Star team and threw a wicked b-day bash.

2. Losing ground quick

The Cavs looked dead in the water as their game against Miami was drawing to a close last night, but LeBron James rallied the troops for an 11-0 run to force overtime. However, the extra period would belong to the Heat as they clinched a post season berth while handing Cleveland a devastating loss. The Cavaliers fell all the way to the fifth seed in the East with the defeat after going into the game as the second best club in the conference. If the playoffs began today these two teams would be locking up in first round series with the Heat owning the home court advantage. The only difference between then and now is that the Cavs might have to contend with a well rested Dwyane Wade in the lineup. Cleveland is probably not too thrilled about that possibility, but a Wade/James showdown would be great for the fans.

3. Spurs rise, Suns set
Tony Parker scored a season-high 35 points as the Spurs held the Suns to just 85 points in a late season victory that showed why San Antonio will be a serious threat in the post season. Phoenix put together a late game run to make it interesting but the Spurs basically imposed their defensive will onto the Suns who average 111 points per game. Tim Duncan and Michael Finley both chipped in double-doubles and SA now holds the best record in the league since the All-Star break by winning 19 of 22 games. With the victory, the Spurs are now only two games behind Phoenix for the second best record in the league and second seed in the playoffs. The Suns are struggling to gain momentum before the season ends after going 6-4 in their last ten games, and should San Antonio catch Phoenix they also own the tiebreaker with a 2-1 record against the Suns in the regular season.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James vs. Miami 49 min, 35 pts (FG: 11-21, 3FG: 2-5, FT: 11-13), 9 reb, 5 ast

Friday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (62-12) @ Denver (38-36) The Nuggets are riding a three game winning streak after knocking of the Sonics, Lakers and Kings since Sunday. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are really clicking as Melo has put up at least 30 points in his last four contests while AI has dished out 20 assists in two games. The Mavericks are rolling as usual and have won nine of their last ten games and won their last game against the Kings despite being without their superstar as Dirk Nowitzki who had food poisoning. This could be a preview of a first round match-up in the playoffs between these two since Denver is sitting just one game ahead of the Clippers for the seventh spot in the West.

Buzzer Beater: The Hornets have been surging of late as they have now won three consecutive games in an attempt to push their way into the playoff pack. Well, that task just got a lot harder after Chris Wilcox delivered a wicked, inadvertent elbow to the face of New Orleans’ most consistent player of the season, Desmond Mason. The elbow broke the nose and cheek bones of Mason and will probably keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. Mason was the only player to start every game for New Orleans this year and averaged 14 points and five boards per contest. Looks like it will be up to Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler to pick up the slack if the Hornets are going to extend their season long enough for Mason to attempt a return.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Time for an intervention?

Hi, my name is Gilbert and I’m
addicted to gambling.

1.  Stick to the video poker
The NBA doesn’t like for their players to gamble.  In fact, they don’t even like them mentioning gambling, and that’s not good news for Gilbert Arenas.  Turns out that Arenas made two separate $10 bets with fans in attendance as the Wizards traveled to play Portland last Wednesday.  Agent 0 bet that he would drain the winning shot in the game but he blew his last second chance to pick up an Andrew Jackson.  Arenas, who admittedly plays video poker during halftime of his games, later wrote about the incident in his blog but the NBA removed the references and gave Arenas a stern talking to about his action on the side.  But losing the bets wasn’t the most humiliating part of the game for Arenas.  The big mouthed superstar guaranteed he would drop fity’ on the Blazers but came up just 31 shy.  Oh, so close.  

2.  Phoenix falters as Bibby bombs
It appears that Phoenix might have put it on cruise control against Sacramento yesterday since they have already wrapped up the Pacific Division and Mike Bibby made them pay for it.  Bibby was an assassin from behind the arc as he made it rain in Pacman-esque fashion, hitting 9-of-12 3-pointers en route to 37 points.  With the loss Phoenix is now just three games ahead of San Antonio for the third spot in the West and the Spurs are getting hot as the regular season draws to a close.  SA got 64 points off their bench in a 120-79 routing of the Sonics last night as the starters got to take a majority of the night off.  In fact, the only highlight of this game came when former NFL quarterback Warren Moon threw a couple autographed footballs into the stands during a timeout.  

3.  That’s all you got?
Hey, four consecutive games with at least 50 points is pretty darn impressive, but unfortunately Kobe Bryant’s scoring streak came to an end last night against the Golden State Warriors.  But nobody can complain about a 43 point offensive outing that resulted in a 115-113 victory.   However, this was the first game since the hot span began that the Mamba struggled to strike.  15-of-33 isn’t horrible but most coaches would be content with forcing Kobe to jack up 33 shots for his 43 points.  Still, no matter how you look at it, 268 points in five games is a mind boggling number to wrap your mind around.  But have no fear, when one streak ends for Kobe it is merely a matter of time before another one begins.  

Sunday’s Player of the Day:  Jermaine O’Neal vs. Chicago 40 min, 39 pts (FG: 15-24, FT: 9-12), 14 reb, 2 stl

Monday’s Game to Watch:  Denver (35-33) @ Detroit (44-25)  The Pistons are the best defensive team in the Eastern Conference but they are going to have their hands full as they take on the high scoring duo of Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.  Luckily, Detroit will have Rasheed Wallace back in their starting lineup after he had to sit out against Milwaukee on Sunday following his 18th technical foul of the season.  Denver is holding on to the 7th spot in the West after Melo racked up 27 points and AI had 18 points and 12 assists in a victory over Cleveland on Sunday.  

Buzzer Beater: In one of the strangest situations in the history of the NBA, Randolph Morris could play a game in the NCAA tournament and a game in the NBA all in the same week.  Morris originally declared for the 2005 draft but was not selected, so he returned to Kentucky and played two more seasons as a free agent who was ineligible to be drafted.  But after Tubby Smith split for Minnesota Morris decided to sign with the New York Knicks and could even see action against Orlando on Monday.  NY is currently only 1 ½ games out of the playoff picture and the sudden addition of Morris could be a big addition for Isiah Thomas and his boys.  Or Morris could be hitting the wall after going through a full college season.  But either way, its gotta be a thrill for Morris.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Third time’s a charm


1. Two down, 14 to go
With a 108-90 victory over the Timberwolves last night, Phoenix won the Pacific Division and has now joined Dallas as the only other team to have secured a playoff spot. Kevin Garnett put up another monster effort for Minnesota but, as usual, he couldn’t get it done by himself and the Suns rolled despite getting only four points and two rebounds out of Amare Stoudemire as he sat on the bench for most of the game with foul trouble. This is the third consecutive division crown for Phoenix but despite their success they can’t seem to get past the Western Conference finals. But perhaps this is the year; the Suns are deeper than they have ever been and unlike last year they should have a healthy Stoudemire to provide the team with an inside presence when it comes time to slow the game down. Unfortunately, the West is as strong as it has ever been with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas all in contention for a Finals appearance.

2. Rocky Mountain roll

It might have taken a while for the dynamic scoring duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony but the Nuggets are now the hottest team in the league after ripping off five wins in a row. Melo put up 30 in Denver’s first win in New Jersey since 2000 and the Nuggets got another 20 from the Answer as the team has finally established some breathing room between themselves and the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. A lot will be determined about this team in the upcoming couple of weeks because the Nuggets have four games left on their current road trip against Chicago, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland before they return home against a struggling Seattle club. Then they have to end the season with difficult games against Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Utah and the Lakers.

3. Big Baby wants to play with the big boys
One year after former teammate Tyrus Thomas made the jump to the NBA, LSU big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis has made his decision to finally make the leap. The 6-9, 290 pounder will forgo his senior year after averaging 17.7 points and 10.4 rebounds and becoming the only player not named Shaq to amass 1,500 points, 900 rebounds and 100 blocks for the Tigers. Currently there’s no guarantee that Davis will be selected in the first round of the draft but if he wants to get paid some legitimate NBA money then he needs to solidify his first round position by performing well at the league’s predraft camp which is held in Orlando at the end of May. Any player selected in the first-round pick will receive a guaranteed three-year contract while second-round players are not so fortunate. Well, we know at least two players he won’t be picked ahead of.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Carlos Boozer vs. Golden State 38 min, 25 pts (FG: 11-18, FT: 3-4), 21 reb, 5 ast

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (55-11) @ Cleveland (41-26) Both teams have the disadvantage of playing in games last night, however the Cavs will have the benefit of their home crowd cheering them on as opposed to Dallas who will be coming off short night’s rest at the local Radisson. LeBron James has his boys surging in the East and the Cavaliers now sit just 2 ½ games behind Detroit for the best record in the conference after winning nine of their last 11 games. Dallas is beginning to recover from a two game skid that was capped off with a heart breaker to the Suns in double OT last Wednesday. But the Mavs have bounced back and now have a three game win streak.

Buzzer Beater: How is that every single year Yao Ming is by far the most voted on player when the All-Star game rolls around but he can’t even top the jersey selling charts in his own country? In fact, Yao ranks sixth in jersey sells in China. Even his teammate Tracy McGrady is getting more love than Yao from the Chinese as his jersey was the third most purchased for the 2006-07 season but it is a drop from being the most popular jersey in China last year. So, who is the most popular NBA baller in China right now? Why Kobe Bryant of course, the Chinese just love his in-game Bruce Lee impersonations.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Steve Nash Splash


1. NBA Action Is Fantastic!
Last night’s game between the Mavs and the Suns was billed as the biggest game of the season. And neither team disappointed, as the game went down to the wire and took a pair of overtimes before Phoenix walked away with a much deserved 129-127 victory in Big D. The loss marked the first time this year that the Suns defeated the Mavs as Dallas has now lost consecutive games for the first time since opening the season with a four game losing streak. The Suns are now only three games behind the Mavs for the best record in the league. Has there ever been a less productive 17 game win streak in the history of the NBA? Despite their long run of victories, both Phoenix and San Antonio are right on the heels of Dallas. Steve Nash had an epic performance in the triumph that consisted of big free throws, big threes and big steals in the most important moments of the game as he put up 32 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds. And Nash wasn’t even the team’s most productive player on offense because Amare Stoudemire torched the Mavs for 41 points on 16 of 19 shooting to go with 10 boards. Only 18 more days until Phoenix vs. Dallas IV!

2. Built Ford Tough

TJ Ford has been playing at a spectacular level of late, but last night might have been his best performance of the season as he racked up 18 points and matched that with a career-high tying 18 assists. About the only thing that didn’t go Ford’s way against the Knicks was his half time buzzer beater that was denied by the officials after reviewing the play. With the way the Atlantic Division is shaking out, Toronto has already locked up the division crown and with it a guaranteed home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. But everyone knows that Chris Bosh is the T-Rex amongst these Raptors, averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.38 blocks per game. There are a lot of great point/forward combos in the league right now and these two are right in the midst of the most promising duos out there.

3. This Is Getting To Be Boston Bad
It wasn’t too long ago that Indiana was in the thick of the playoff race with the possibility of pulling down a home court advantage in the first round. Well, those days are long gone now that the Pacers have lost 11 straight, one shy of tying the franchises’ longest streak of futility. Not even the return of Jermaine O’Neal could pull the Pacers out of their funk, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort on O’Neal’s part (24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks) in his first game back after missing three games with a sprained knee. With the loss to Washington last night, Indiana has fallen out of the top eight in the conference and now suddenly faces the possibility of making an early draft selection. Hey, Reggie, are you sure you don’t want to come outta retirement?

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Steve Nash @ Dallas 48 min, 32 pts (FG: 11-25, 3FG: 2-6, FT: 8-8), 8 reb, 16 ast, 1 stl

Thursday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Lakers (33-31) @ Denver (31-31) The Lakers are struggling monumentally at the moment but records really don’t matter when the game sports three of the league’s top five scorers. Denver’s dynamic duo is combining for 58 points per game thanks to Melo’s league best 29.8 points per game average and his partner in crime’s 27.9. But that’s still not going to be enough firepower to count out the explosive one man scoring machine known as Kobe Bryant. One of these games, LA is going to break out of their slump and when they do it will probably be due to a huge offensive outing by the Mamba. Tonight is as good as any to drop another 50 point performance.

Buzzer Beater: Kobe Bryant feels that the criticism of his play is “insulting.” Phil Jackson referred to the negative media attention as a “witch hunt.” Bryant said that he doesn’t “need to be a dirty player” and doesn’t “want the image of a dirty player.” Well Kobe, if you don’t want to have your integrity questioned then don’t perform acts that bring your integrity into question. The high elbows, the awkward releases and the flailing forearms are occurring all too frequently to be considered anything but intentional. As a highly skilled athlete and one of the greatest basketball players to ever hit the hardwood, Bryant has complete control over his body’s every movement at almost every moment of every game. He can twist, turn, squeeze and shoot all while in flight, but for some strange reason he loses all control of his arms anytime they come near a player’s face? C’mon, gimme a break.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Playoff Picture Begins To Come Into Focus


1. One Down, 15 to Go
With a 13 point victory over the Nets, the Mavericks not only extended their current winning streak to 16 (23 straight at home), but they tied 1982-83 76ers and the 1971-72 Lakers with the fourth best record after 60 games (51-9). And while it was only a matter of time, the Mavs also became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot. And sitting in the front row during the game was a trophy hungry Scottie Pippen who seems more than willing to provide his services to the Mavericks during their postseason run. But how much more talent does Mark Cuban need on one roster? In last night’s game, all five starters finished with double digits in points while two more players came off the bench to score at least ten.

2. Melo Mopes as the Nuggets Nosedive
Allen Iverson seems to be happy in his new Rocky Mountain surroundings but his fellow All-Star is probably not as cheery about his current situation. Denver coach George Karl has been critical of Carmelo Anthony’s selfishness and says that he fails to play smart, team basketball. In fact, Karl is so tired of Melo’s self-centered antics that benching the league’s top scorer is the coach’s next step. As expected, Anthony has been the team’s top scorer for almost every game since returning from his 15 game suspension, but the Nuggets have only won nine of their last 21 games and are in serious jeopardy of falling out of the playoff picture. All the pieces are there but Anthony just hasn’t developed the ability to lead his team, which is exactly what Karl is desperately trying to draw out of his superstar. It would be a ballsy move by Karl, but maybe riding the pine will pain Melo to the point of maturity.

3. Yes, We’re Talking About Practice
So, what do you do when as one of the worst teams in the NBA you suddenly rip off a four game winning streak? Well, if you’re a member of the Philadelphia 76ers then you take in a game of paintball at the local field. Much like a group of ten year olds at a birthday party, the Sixers were running, jumping, diving and hiding from each other on Tuesday as they currently sit six games out of the final playoff spot. Not to be a buzzkill, but shouldn’t these guys be practicing? After all, a four game win streak doesn’t exactly cancel out the team’s 18-38 start to the season.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Kobe Bryant @ Minnesota 53 min, 40 pts (FG: 13-30, 3FG: 3-10, FT: 11-13), 13 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Cleveland (35-25) @ Detroit (37-21) It’s a division battle, a budding rivalry and a showdown between the East’s two best teams all wrapped into one. The Pistons are three games ahead of the Cavs for the conference crown but it’s Cleveland who has won three of their last four games. Nobody has been hotter than LeBron James over the past few weeks but the Pistons notorious defense could put an end to James’ streak. Detroit seems to finally be cooling down (1-2 in their last three games) after going on a run of 15 wins in the team’s first 19 games with Chris Webber. The modern day Bad Boys need to make the remainder of this season count because Chauncey Billups has said that he will consider joining the Grizzlies when he becomes a free agent in the offseason.

Buzzer Beater: Dammit! Kobe did it again, and I’m not referring to his 40 point effort. In last night’s game against the Timberwolves, Bryant delivered a blatant forearm to the head of Marko Jaric on the follow-through of a jumper with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. The scene was eerily similar to the one in LA about five weeks ago when Manu Ginobili took an “unintentional” elbow from the Mamba. Both the players spent significant time crumpled on the hardwood after being hit by the supposedly legitimate release. Bryant might think his cheap shot tactic is smooth, but his intent is obvious and malicious and the scenario is becoming far too frequent. Go get him Stern!