Tag: NBA

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NBA General

Around The Rim: The Big Uneasy


1. New Orleans Hor-nots
The Hornets started off the year looking like a team that was determined to make the playoffs. Now, they look more like a team that is simply determined to get off the trainers table. Chris Paul twisted his ankle on Tuesday against Seattle and is expected to miss two more games. Paul is just the latest Hornet to be bitten by the injury bug. Peja Stojakovic is scheduled to miss at least two months after having surgery on his back and David West is expected to miss anywhere from two to eight weeks after surgery on his shoulder. But losing three starters just isn’t enough for this team. Sixth man Bobby Jackson is out until next month due to a cracked rib. The problems continue to mount for the team with no home as they have lost three in a row and eight of their last ten.

2. The Waiting Is the Hardest Part
Now that Allen Iverson has been traded to Denver, who is going to be the next big star to don a new uniform? The answer might be in California where it appears Corey Maggette is ready to leave the Clippers. Recently, Maggette was quoted as saying, “Me and coach Dunleavy, we don’t see eye to eye.” Apparently the team is talking with Sacramento about a trade involving Ron Artest. It is certain that Maggette’s days are done in L.A. but finding a proper trade has been difficult for the team. The Kings want more for Artest and the Clippers don’t want to lose too much of their current squad. This could turn into another waiting game as the Clippers continue to search for a reasonable trade. But at 12-16 and sitting at the bottom of their division, time is definitely not on L.A.’s side.

3. 20/20 Vision
Jason Kidd was fined $20,000 after referring to the referees in New Jersey’s game versus Detroit as “three blind mice.” The comments came after a questionable no-call at the end of the game when Vince Carter and Rasheed Wallace made contact as Carter took what could have been a game-winning shot. Net’s coach Lawrence Frank was not fined after he yelled at the referees after the game. Kidd did not back down from his comments after being fined by the league. Perhaps he had yet to review the tape as it appeared that Carter was more responsible for the contact as he pushed-off of Wallace. Maybe Kidd should be the one to schedule an appointment with an optometrist.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Gerald Wallace vs. Washington 42 min, 40 pts (FG: 15-27, 3FG: 0-2, FT: 10-11), 14 reb, 6 stl, 4 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: Phoenix (19-7) @ Dallas (21-7) It’s a battle between up-tempo and really up-tempo. Dallas is 12-3 at home and has won seven in row while the Suns are attempting to start a new streak after having their 15 game win streak snapped by Washington. Steve Nash returns to Dallas with two consecutive MVP awards as former teammate Dirk Nowitzki is hoping to take the trophy away from his buddy this season. Expect a barn-burner tonight in Big D.

Buzzer Beater: Chris Webber returned to Sacramento last night but there was certainly no home-coming party. Webber struggled throughout the game and ended the night with a pathetic four points on 2-9 shooting in 26 minutes. It seems like Webber would be motivated to step-up his game with A.I. gone and his old team on the schedule. But the poor performances just continue to mount for the former double-double King.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Christmas Comes Early


1. A Lump of Coal for Boston
Paul Pierce has a bum foot and will miss the next two to three weeks of action. Now, if the Celtics struggled to go 10-14 with a healthy roster, the injury would lead you to believe that Boston will begin to make a serious Greg Oden run without their All-Star and his sidekick, Wally Szczerbiak who is out with a sprained ankle. Obviously this is a hard blow for Boston to take right now. Pierce is having one of the best seasons of his career as he carries an inexperienced team, and it’s tough to see how Delonte West or Gerald Green could adequately fill-in for the league’s 10th highest scorer. Looks like Philly’s going to have some competition for worst team in the Atlantic Division over the next few weeks.

2. Denver’s Stocking Stuffer
It’s finally here. After weeks of waiting, Allen Iverson will suit up in a new uniform at his Denver debut tonight when the Nuggets host Sacramento. Of course, it will still be a while until A.I. teams up with Carmelo Anthony, but all that means is that Iverson gets the stage all to himself until late January. Now, the only things standing between Iverson and the Pepsi Center floor are a physical and the residual effects of a severe snow storm. But once Iverson gets the official nod to join the team, no blizzard is going to be able to keep the Nugget faithful from enjoying their Christmas present three days early.

3. Dreaming of a Green Christmas
Nike appears to be reaping the rewards of having two of the brightest stars in the NBA signed to shoe contracts with them. Thanks in part to the latest kicks associated with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Nike’s quarterly earnings showed an increase in profit by eight percent in the United States and 15 percent in Asia. While eight and 15 percent might not sound like a lot at first, when dealing with a corporation the size of Nike, it can add up to millions. Wade is not directly endorsed by Nike, but he is signed by Converse who is owned by Nike. The juggernaut of the shoe world will be packing quite a punch for some time considering the duo are only in their fourth season and it is merely a matter of time before their faces are etched onto the Mt. Rushmore of the NBA’s newest generation.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Kevin Martin vs. Washington 46 min, 40 pts (FG: 13-23, 3FG: 4-10, FT: 10-11), 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk

Friday’s Game to Watch: Houston (15-10) @ San Antonio (20-6) While Yao Ming has been elevating his game to new heights this season, the Rockets have struggled to find wins of late; especially on the road where they have dropped five of their last eight. And no relief is in sight as they go up against the leagues best team and their 10-3 home record. The Spurs have won nine of ten games, including their current five game winning streak, thanks to a deep squad that has seen five different players lead the team in scoring over the last ten games.

Buzzer Beater: The Heat have been inconsistent this year, to say the least. However, they have managed to be consistently poor against high scoring teams. When allowing 100 points or more, the Heat are a pathetic 1-11. Unfortunately, Miami’s next three games are all against teams that average triple-digit scoring. So, even though Christmas is right around the corner, Miami is not going to be in a giving mood.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Jazz Perform a Late Jam Session


1. Turkish Sharpshooter
With a 21 point lead at the end of the third quarter, Atlanta figured they had stolen a win from a formidable Western Conference foe. But the Hawks didn’t count on Mehmet Okur and company making a furious fourth quarter rally that would bring the Jazz all the way back to win the game 112-106 in Atlanta. With twelve minutes remaining in the game the score was 93-72. Then Okur lead the comeback with 12 points in the fourth, including two big threes with less than two minutes in the game. Okur shot four of five from behind the arc and finished the game with 30 points and ten rebounds to go along with 14,823 broken hearts in Hotlanta.

2. Rare Sprewell Sighting
Latrell Sprewell disappeared from the NBA faster than you can say “choke artist” after turning down an offer from the Timberwolves in 2005. And while, according to Spree, $21 million wasn’t enough money to feed his family, apparently he found the funds to dine out with former Minnesota teammates Kevin Garnett, Trenton Hassell and Troy Hudson in Milwaukee last week. Reports are that Sprewell has no desire to return to the league but maybe New York could change his mind with another ill-advised, over-inflated contract they have become infamous for.

3. Overtime State of Mind
After a blowout loss to Denver which ended with an ugly brawl, New York has responded by playing competitively in their last two contests. On Monday, a shorthanded Knicks squad pulled out a one point win in overtime against an excellent Utah team, and last night they squeaked out a 111-109 victory in double overtime versus Charlotte. While David Lee has been solid throughout the season, he has been especially active since the team received their share of suspensions from the outbreak against the Nuggets. The second year forward from Florida followed up a 17 point, 20 rebound effort against Utah with a ten point, 19 rebound game against the Bobcats that included a buzzer beating tip-in to win the game for New York.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Mehmet Okur @ Atlanta 36 min, 30 pts (FG: 11-17, 3FG: 4-5, FT: 4-5), 10 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: Detroit (15-8) @ Cleveland (14-10) After starting the season with a 2-3 road record, the Pistons have become road warriors going 6-2 since then. Detroit currently sits atop the Central Division, two games ahead of the Cavs. Despite their recent struggles, Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland has provided an edge to the Cavaliers who have gone 11-2 at home. LeBron James is coming off a 37 point, eight assist performance in a loss to New Jersey on Wednesday.

Buzzer Beater: Tim Duncan proved once again why he will forever be remembered as a horrible free throw shooter. Along with Shaquille O’Neal, Duncan has dominated opponents from everywhere on the court. Everywhere except the charity stripe. Last night against Memphis, Duncan was a perfect 8-8 from the field but he was a pathetic 5-10 from the line. Big men are notoriously bad free throw shooters, but once a percentage dips below 65, it’s probably time to resort to a more effective granny shot. While it’s quite embarrassing, at least there’s nothing underhanded about it.

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NBA General

Around the Rim: What Does the Future Hold?



One way for Iverson and Melo to coexist

1. Weapons of Mass Destruction
Plenty of questions surround the trade involving Allen Iverson and the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, with the suspension of Carmelo Anthony, we have to wait until January 20 to see the new look Nuggets. But if the league’s top two scorers can mesh together, Denver could have the best starting five in the NBA next season. The question mark in the lineup will fall on the power forward spot and the health of Kenyon Martin. However, should K-Mart return to his old form, this would be one of the most powerful and explosive lineups in the game. Iverson, J.R. Smith, Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby; now that’s a versatile group of starters. The general concern is about how this trade will play out this season, but the true potential for both teams involved will not come to realization until next year.

2. LBJ Hits the Wall
Reports from Cleveland say that LeBron James’ body is wearing down and, while he won’t admit it, he’s become tired and fatigued of late. While his statistics don’t indicate any problem, it seems he is lacking the same explosion. And, frankly, who can blame him? He’s fourth in the league in minutes with 40 a game, and he has to carry the weight of a struggling team on his back every single game. Perhaps no individual player does more to contribute to his team than James. Sure, he’s only 21 years old but he played a full season that went into the playoffs last year and spent his entire summer with Team USA before returning to preseason workouts. LeBron probably does need rest, but it’s not coming anytime soon as James made a three year commitment to USA Basketball.

3. Suns Are Hot
With a 17 point win over the Raptors last night, Phoenix set a franchise record by recording their 15th straight victory. And the Suns are only going to keep improving as their young stud Amare Stoudemire continues to progress after having microfracture knee surgery. Coach Mike D’Antoni was slow to give Stoudemire too many minutes earlier in the season, but since inserting him into the starting five, Stoudemire has not disappointed. His numbers continue to grow with the team’s streak as he is averaging 21.2 points and 8.9 rebounds during December. As far as the team’s win streak is concerned, it could increase to 18 before the Suns face a tough Mavericks team on December 28.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Amare Stoudemire vs. Toronto 28 min, 28 pts (FG: 11-14, FT: 6-6), 10 reb, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Phoenix (18-6) @ Denver (14-9) Phoenix rides a 15 game winning streak into the Mile High City as the Suns will look to take advantage of a depleted Nuggets roster. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith will not be playing, but it’s possible that Denver’s newest player might. Allen Iverson could make his debut in a Nuggets uniform tonight, but according to his agent he probably won’t. If A.I. doesn’t suit up, you can still see history be made as the Suns could tie the 1991 Portland Trailblazers for the fifth longest winning streak.

Buzzer Beater: Kobe Bryant fouled out for the first time in over a year last night in a 94-89 loss to Chicago. His sixth foul capped off a miserable 6 of 19 shooting performance. Without Lamar Odom in the lineup, the defensive minded Bulls cast were able to concentrate their efforts onto Bryant. Chicago continues to prove that with a focused Ben Wallace in the paint, the Bulls are able to shut down even to leagues most potent scorers.

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Denver Nuggets

Iverson traded to the Nuggets



Iverson Nuggets jersey will be #1

Well folks, it’s done. Iverson has been traded to the Nuggets for Andrew Miller, the expiring contract of Joe Smith, and two No. 1 draft picks in the 2007 draft. By NBA rules, the name Joe Smith must always be preceded by “the expiring contract” so that people can understand why anyone would trade for him.

The Sixers get the Nuggets first rounder and the Dallas first rounder and it’s likely neither will be a lottery pick. However, with the way they’re playing, the Sixers will absolutely get a high lottery pick. Of course, the prize pick should he decide to come out would be Ohio State’s Greg Oden. The Sixers also get some cap relief in the next two years as Joe Smith and Chris Webber come off the books and they can focus on rebuilding.

The Nuggets, well, they get Allen Iverson to score 31 points per game while Carmelo Anthony is out for his 15 game suspension and hope that when Melo gets back, the two will mesh their #1 and #2 league scoring averages. George Karl must think he can control Iverson after speaking to his buddy Larry Brown.

Here’s some analysis of the deal from around the web:

[Philly.com]: Another great athlete leaving Phila. too soon

[Denver Post]: Woody Paige: This gift will keep on giving

[Yahoo]: Steve Kerr: A win-win situation

[Sportsline]: King didn’t get his men, but Miller’s not bad trade filler

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Carmelo-Dramatics


1. Denver’s Expedition
Well, not too many people saw this coming. While missing four players to suspensions from the brawl in New York, including the leagues leading scorer, Denver rallied around the team’s veterans and defeated Washington 117-108. Earl Boykins put up 29 points, Andre Miller had 27, and Marcus Camby finished the night with 25 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks to fill the void left in the absence of Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. The also managed to keep Gilbert Arenas in check with only 23 points after he lit up the Lakers for 60. Good job Denver, only 14 more games to go.

2. Points Taken
With only a week left before Christmas, David Stern was in the giving spirit on Monday as he handed out 47 games worth of suspensions and $1 million in fines to the Knicks and Nuggets. In doing so, he eliminated the league’s leading scorer from competition until January 20, 2007. Now, the NBA’s two best scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson are at home watching and waiting for their returns. The two combine for 62.8 points and what’s ironic is that the duo might be on the verge of teaming up. If the trade is still going to happen, Denver would love to get Iverson suited up sooner rather than later thanks to Melo’s moronic eruption.

3. Just Another Day at the Office
As amazing as his season has been so far, Jason Kidd is beginning to actually make getting a triple-double boring. Kidd now has six triple-doubles on the season and 81 in his career as he put up 10 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in a 105-97 defeat of Golden State. That gives him four triple-dips in his last seven games. So, for anybody that’s keeping score at home, that’s six for Kidd and four for the rest of the league. Unfortunately for Kidd, his spectacular play still can’t make New Jersey respectable in a pathetic Atlantic Division.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Marcus Camby vs. Washington 34 min, 25 pts (FG: 9-13, FT: 7-10), 17 reb, 5 ast, 7 blk

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Lakers (16-8) @ Chicago (14-10) The Bulls are as hot as any team in the NBA right now. They’ve won 11 out of their last 12 games, including four in a row, and they own a 10-2 record in Chicago. The Lakers are playing on the road for only the eighth time this season. Kobe Bryant has been abusing defenders to the tune of 43.7 points per game since Lamar Odom went down with an injury. Tonight shouldn’t be any different as Bryant will look to fly in the house that Jordan built.

Buzzer Beater: At 36 years old, Alonzo Mourning is still getting it done in the paint. Last night against the Hornets, Zo played like he did when the Hornets were still in Charlotte. Mourning contributed a solid 11 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in the game as he continues to fill in for the injured Shaquille O’Neal. While the Heat has never lost faith in their former franchise player, Mourning’s level of production has to be unexpected to say the least. No matter how many players dunk on Zo’s head, he remains a viable defensive force for Miami.

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NBA General

NBA comes down hard on Melo for MSG brawl

It didn’t take long for David Stern to hand out his fines and suspensions for the brawl that took place on Sat night between the Nuggets and the Knicks. In case you missed it, 10 players were tossed from the game after a hard foul from the Nugget’s Mardy Collins on JR Smith sparked a crazy brawl. Here’s the video of it. You can see the Carmelo does the most damage during the fight.

Stern gave Melo a 15 game suspension for sucker punching Mardy Collins. Here’s the rest of the suspensions:

  • Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith: 10 games
  • Mardy Collins: 6 games
  • Jared Jeffries: 4 games
  • Jerome James and Nene: 1 game for leaving the bench

The Knicks and Nuggets organizations were both fined $500,000 each for putting a black eye on the NBA.

Meanwhile, Isiah Thomas is coming under heat because he appears to tell Carmelo Anthony prior to the flagrant foul by Collins, “Hey, don’t go to the basket right now. It wouldn’t be a good idea. Just letting you know.” They didn’t get Anthony but maybe that’s why he was so heated during the brawl. Zeke told him he was going to come after someone and the Knicks did. Anthony confired that’s what Isiah said to him and reported it to league officials. However, Stern said that he had no definitive information about what Isiah said when handing out punishments. Still, there’s no question that Isiah meant it as a threat. Isiah is a terrible coach and a punk. He always has been. In his playing days, he’d hide behing Bill Lambeer but now he gets to hide behind a suit.

Links:
[Yahoo]: Anthony suspended 15 games, no suspension for Thomas

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NBA General

Around the Rim: Purple and Gold vs. Black and Gold



Uglier than the Sabres uni?

1. Must Be the New Uni’s
Washington guard Gilbert Arenas has been extremely flammable this season and last night he decided to torch the Los Angeles Lakers by scoring a franchise record 60 points. The Wizards have now won eight out of their last ten games. Last night was the fifth time this season that Arenas has scored at least 40 points and it only took him a half to do it. He had 43 points after halftime, including the overtime. Arenas had been struggling to score on the road, but in his last three road games he has averaged 43.3 points. And Arenas wasn’t the only hot player on the court as Kobe Bryant went off for 45 points, including 7 of 11 from behind the arc.

2. Cheap Shot
Carmelo Anthony recently donated $1 million to a recreation center in downtown Baltimore. The facility’s goal is to help kids find a healthy alternative to the criminal element that plagues the area. While the center has a gym and offers sports and recreational activities, it is unknown if there is a ring set up where children can practice throwing sucker punches just like their hero. Maybe they offer classes in how to back peddle as the league’s leading scorer has been doing since his pathetic behavior in the Garden. After watching the video, it’s obvious why Anthony is in the NBA and not a pro boxer. He’s a flyer, not a fighter.

3. Back on Top
It took a while for somebody to catch the Jazz who started off the season so hot, but the league has a new best team. San Antonio has been consistently winning and now owns the NBA’s best record at 19-6. With the best road record in the league, the Spurs have been able to hold on to the Southwest Division’s top spot for the entire season despite impressive winning streaks from both Houston and Dallas. San Antonio has the best defense as they only give up 90.6 points per game and, unlike other seasons; the Spurs are averaging over 100 points a night. The Spurs have a solid core that has been together for several years and they have a ton of playoff experience together. Throw in the teams trademark defensive capabilities and they are a team that will be hard to beat in the postseason. Injuries could be the only things to slow this team down in 2006-07.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Gilbert Arenas @ Los Angeles Lakers 49 min, 60 pts (FG: 17-32, 3FG: 5-12, FT: 21-27), 8 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl

Monday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (17-7) @ Sacramento (10-12) This match-up might not have the intensity that it use to, but it is still a great rivalry. The Kings have been sporadic this season and you can never be sure which team will show up, but when they play at their best they can hang with any team in the league. Dallas is building on new winning streak after struggling for a bit after they won 12 in a row. The Mavericks’ role players have been the ones to excel recently as Josh Howard and Jason Terry have picked up their scoring.

Buzzer Beater: Pau Gasol is finally back and while his numbers aren’t up to his old standards, he is showing why he is so important to his team. Gasol is one of the most complete seven-footers in the league. The only column this guy doesn’t fill up on a stat sheet is three-pointers. Gasol can single handedly make Memphis a playoff team again. Obviously, this season is out of the question but if he can be 100 percent for next year then Memphis will be back on the NBA map.

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NBA General

Where will Iverson end up?



Looks good

The question on everyone’s mind is: where will Iverson end up? Well, here are the latest rumors and conjectures from around the league:

Philly Inquirer: “A source indicated last night that Denver was willing to part with center Nene as part of a package for Iverson and that George Karl had expressed no problems with coaching Iverson…The Nuggets would also be willing to deal injured forward Kenyon Martin, but the Sixers have no interest in the surgically susceptible forward. Martin is out for the year following a second microfracture knee surgery in November and still is due $59.75 million after this season.”

NY Daily News: “One of the deals King was strongly considering is with Golden State, for point guard Baron Davis, center Andris Biedrins and a third unidentified player. In addition to Iverson, the Warriors would get backup center Steven Hunter. While a source close to one of the players involved called the deal “done,” the Sixers remain quiet about where they will be sending Iverson.”

Golden State of Mind: “One of our sources in close touch with an Eastern Conference scout said that the last thing they heard was that the Warriors upped their offer to Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Ike Diogu and a 1st rounder for Allen Iverson and presumably some other 76ers players. It’s not clear whether this heavy offer was made before or after Bucher’s earlier TV report that the Warriors were out of the running.”

Boston Globe: “With the asking price for Allen Iverson too high, the Celtics‘ interest in the former NBA MVP may have cooled, according to league sources. Boston knows what Philadelphia wants, but is reluctant to put certain players, and possibly draft picks, on the table. Gerald Green and Paul Pierce are off limits. And Al Jefferson may have joined Green and Pierce as players executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge will not deal.”

Detroit News: “Minnesota: The Timberwolves appear to have fallen to the end of the line. Randy Foye has some value to the Sixers, but apparently that’s where the intrigue ends for King.”

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NBA General

Around the Rim: It’s Showtime!



Out for a month+

1. Lame-ar Odom
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently leading the Pacific Division by ½ game. Now that Lamar Odom is expected to miss at least a month of action, the Lakers can expect to fall a bit in the standings. Phoenix is finally getting going after a slow start and the Clippers are playing unusually bad compared to recent years. Both will try to take advantage of the Lakers misfortunes, but Kobe Bryant will have something to say about that. For some reason, I don’t think Kobe will have a problem hoisting up an extra eight to ten shots per game. But Odom was the team’s leading rebounder and assist man, that’s a role that will probably not be taken over by Bryant. The Lakers will have a difficult time continuing their winning ways without the team’s second best players as they go on the road for 15 of their next 25 games.

2. Artest’s Advice
Allen Iverson got some support from someone else who knows what it’s like to demand a trade and then have to wait for the process to unfold, Sacramento King Ron Artest. The NBA’s bad boy said that he can sympathize will Iverson during this ordeal, but he also said that A.I. should get the trade over with as soon as possible and get back onto the court. Artest sat at home for nearly a month before Indiana shipped him to Sacramento. But if Artest is hoping that Iverson will join him with the Kings, he might want to think twice. Team owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, both said that the team was not interested in a trade for Iverson. But, then again, the two high-rollers also said Artest wouldn’t be coming to Sacramento either. The next day, Artest was posing for pictures in his new Kings jersey.

3. Golden Nuggets
Where does Golden State keep getting these guys? First it was Monta Ellis. Then it was Andris Biedrins. Now, it’s some guy named Matt Barnes. Not to say that these guys aren’t good to begin with but, Barnes has averaged 4.3 points and three rebounds per game over his past three seasons in the league. Last night, however, Barnes exploded against Sacramento for 32 points and 11 rebounds. Baron Davis is doing a great job of distributing the ball to these relative unheard-of’s, but the credit has to be given to coach Don Nelson. Nellie has always been superior at getting the most out of his talent. This year in Golden State has proven no different. Unfortunately, you can squeeze every drop of game out of this roster and they’re still going to miss the playoffs.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Matt Barnes vs. Sacramento 44 min, 32 pts (FG: 13-22, 3FG: 6-9), 11 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Lakers (15-6) @ Dallas (14-7) Dallas has been struggling of late after running off a 12 game winning streak. They are 2-3 since then but can find comfort in the fact that they are 8-3 at home. Los Angeles has been mediocre on the road this season where they are 3-3. This will be the first game for the Lakers without Lamar Odom and you can expect to see a show from Kobe Bryant in his absence. Don’t forget that last year Kobe scored 62 against Dallas, and he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter.

Buzzer Beater: Scott Padgett sure does know how to bum out a home crowd of 18,392. Last night with 1:16 left in the game, Padgett went to the line with two shots and his Rockets trailing the Lakers, 94-92. Padgett proceeded to brick both attempts which lead to an eventual 102-94 loss for Houston. If he plans to ever average more than 12 minutes per game, he has to produce when given the opportunity to do so. However, after that showing, he had better get comfortable on the bench. Enjoy riding the pine, Padgett.