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Attention fellow fishermen: If you receive a telephone call from Milwaukee Bucks rookie John Henson, don't hang up.
"They might be like, 'Nah, quit playing,' " Henson said. "But it's something I like doing and it's a hobby of mine. I fish all the time. I love doing it. Even if I don't catch any fish, just to go out there and relax, be to myself or with a family member or friend. It's fun.
"I looked up charters here and all type of stuff, and I found a few things that interest me. As soon as I have a little time, I'm definitely going to check it out."
And a word of advice:
When bragging how your charter always returns with enough fish to feed Henson's entire team, be sure to knock on wood.
It's the 22-year-old's biggest superstition.
"I know if I do not knock on wood, it kind of sticks with me for a little bit," Henson said. "Like, say I'm in a car and you can't knock on wood. It kind of messes with me a little bit.
"Any bad thoughts, or somebody would say something about injuries or something, I always knock on wood."
Henson started knocking during his playing days at North Carolina, where he was named ACC defensive player of the year the last two seasons.
And you can even find him at the BMO Harris Bradley Center bending over to knock on the hardwood court twice for various reasons.
You'll have to look closely, however. His teammates haven't even noticed, yet.
"It's very subtle," Henson said.
Perhaps Henson forgot to knock on wood after his performance Wednesday in a 113-106 overtime loss against the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat.
He went from finishing with 17 points and 18 rebounds in 27 minutes - all season highs - to playing just 78 seconds Saturday in Milwaukee's 93-86 loss to Chicago.
Before the loss to the Bulls, Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles was asked about Henson's breakout performance, which included becoming the first rookie to grab that many rebounds in one game this year.
Skiles said Henson was really active and was playing above the rim, which would warrant more playing time against the Bulls.
"He'll definitely get a look," Skiles said. "He's not going to start or anything, but he'll definitely get a look."
Henson's only action Saturday came in the second quarter and his only stat was one foul.
"It sucks, man. It sucks," Henson said. "It happens; life of a rookie. I'll be all right.
"What can you say?"
Three days earlier, Henson recalled what LeBron James said after Henson fell for his pump fake and got called for a foul.
"He kind of laughed at me and said, 'It happens to the best of us, rook,' " Henson said.
Jennings update: Guard Brandon Jennings traveled with the team to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and is listed as questionable for the rematch with the Bulls on Monday.
Jennings sprained his left ankle with 23 seconds left Saturday and had to be carried off the court by teammates Drew Gooden and Samuel Dalembert.
Afterward, Jennings sat in front of his locker with his foot wrapped in ice and said he would play.
Bucks' Henson adjusts to life in NBA
"They might be like, 'Nah, quit playing,' " Henson said. "But it's something I like doing and it's a hobby of mine. I fish all the time. I love doing it. Even if I don't catch any fish, just to go out there and relax, be to myself or with a family member or friend. It's fun.
"I looked up charters here and all type of stuff, and I found a few things that interest me. As soon as I have a little time, I'm definitely going to check it out."
And a word of advice:
When bragging how your charter always returns with enough fish to feed Henson's entire team, be sure to knock on wood.
It's the 22-year-old's biggest superstition.
"I know if I do not knock on wood, it kind of sticks with me for a little bit," Henson said. "Like, say I'm in a car and you can't knock on wood. It kind of messes with me a little bit.
"Any bad thoughts, or somebody would say something about injuries or something, I always knock on wood."
Henson started knocking during his playing days at North Carolina, where he was named ACC defensive player of the year the last two seasons.
And you can even find him at the BMO Harris Bradley Center bending over to knock on the hardwood court twice for various reasons.
You'll have to look closely, however. His teammates haven't even noticed, yet.
"It's very subtle," Henson said.
Perhaps Henson forgot to knock on wood after his performance Wednesday in a 113-106 overtime loss against the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat.
He went from finishing with 17 points and 18 rebounds in 27 minutes - all season highs - to playing just 78 seconds Saturday in Milwaukee's 93-86 loss to Chicago.
Before the loss to the Bulls, Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles was asked about Henson's breakout performance, which included becoming the first rookie to grab that many rebounds in one game this year.
Skiles said Henson was really active and was playing above the rim, which would warrant more playing time against the Bulls.
"He'll definitely get a look," Skiles said. "He's not going to start or anything, but he'll definitely get a look."
Henson's only action Saturday came in the second quarter and his only stat was one foul.
"It sucks, man. It sucks," Henson said. "It happens; life of a rookie. I'll be all right.
"What can you say?"
Three days earlier, Henson recalled what LeBron James said after Henson fell for his pump fake and got called for a foul.
"He kind of laughed at me and said, 'It happens to the best of us, rook,' " Henson said.
Jennings update: Guard Brandon Jennings traveled with the team to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and is listed as questionable for the rematch with the Bulls on Monday.
Jennings sprained his left ankle with 23 seconds left Saturday and had to be carried off the court by teammates Drew Gooden and Samuel Dalembert.
Afterward, Jennings sat in front of his locker with his foot wrapped in ice and said he would play.
Bucks' Henson adjusts to life in NBA
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For three quarters, the Memphis Grizzlies were out of sync and appeared to be just going through the motions.
But a fourth-quarter rally fueled by a more energetic defense allowed Memphis to overcome its lethargic performance for an 84-78 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
"We knew coming into this game that it was going to be a tough game," said Memphis forward Zach Randolph, who finished with 19 points. "The guys didn't play too well. It was a fight to the end." Marc Gasol matched Randolph with 19 points for the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay added 15 points and Quincy Pondexter had 10, including 2-of-3 shooting from outside the arc, as NBA-leading Memphis (10-2) won its second straight.
Memphis played without starting point guard Mike Conley, who sat out with flu-like symptoms, and his absence was evident within the offense. Jerryd Bayless started in Conley's place, scoring nine points with six assists, while committing three turnovers. The lack of consistency resulted in only 16 assists and a season-low in points for Memphis, which entered the game averaging 100.7 points.
"It wasn't tough. It was just different," Bayless said of the starting role. "I don't play with [the starters] ever. I always play with [the reserves]. It's a much different setting. .I've never really practiced with them either, so it was different trying to get used to that. We won, and that's all that matters."
Anderson Varejao had 15 points and 22 rebounds - including eight on the offensive glass -- and Dion Waiters also scored 15 to lead Cleveland. Daniel Gibson added 11 points for the Cavs, who lost their third straight and ninth in their last 10 games.
The Cavaliers still held a six-point lead with 8:28 left, but Memphis closed the game on a 16-4 run. The Grizzlies outscored Cleveland 22-9 in the fourth quarter.
"We took some bad shots," Varejao said. "We only shot 20 percent, I believe, in the fourth quarter. It was just bad decisions, and then we had to find a way back into the game.
"We are playing as good as them for the whole game, and the last 2 or 3 minutes are where we are losing."
Cleveland had a 41-33 advantage on the boards, while Memphis outscored the Cavs 44-38 in the paint.
The Memphis offense was sporadic at best through the first three quarters, leading to Cleveland holding a seven-point lead at that point. But Memphis opened the final frame with a 12-5 run, tying it at 74 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Pondexter and Gay.
Cleveland wouldn't surrender the lead until Tony Allen hit a pair of free throws with 2:49 left to give Memphis a 78-76 lead.
Randolph's inside basket with 1:29 to play extended the margin to 80-76, but a rebound dunk by Alonzo Gee with 44.5 seconds left cut the lead to 80-78. Cleveland got no closer as Bayless, who was only 3 of 11 from the field on the night, hit a jumper with 24 seconds left then converted two free throws for the final score.
"I believe in myself and I got a good look, so I let it fly," Bayless said of the jumper. "I shot terrible. I didn't play well, and honestly it wasn't me, it was the guys who really picked us back up. It was my fault we got in the hole, and I've just got to play better."
Cleveland used 50 percent shooting and a much more spirited approach than the Grizzlies to take a 47-42 lead at the half. Varejao had 11 points and 12 rebounds at the break.
"He's got a motor," Randolph said of Varejao. "He's non-stop movement. He reminds me of myself a couple of years ago. You've got to give him a lot of credit. He works hard. He's non-stop."
Randolph already had 13 points at the half, and Gasol and Gay had 10 apiece.
While both teams committed eight turnovers before the break, Memphis seemed to be sleepwalking through the motions.
"We should have played better," Gasol said. "We played their game, and we shouldn't have done that."
Memphis came out in the second half and still appeared sloppy, allowing Cavs to build the lead to 10, their biggest of the game. Varejao was getting on the boards, and Cleveland continued shooting at a 50-percent clip in the third.
Allen and Gasol were providing the only energy for Memphis at the midway point of the third quarter as Cleveland maintained a lead of about five points.
Varejao's jumper as the horn sounded at the end of the third gave Cleveland a 69-62 lead entering the fourth -- the first time this season Memphis has trailed at the end of three.
But Memphis clamped down the defense with Allen guarding Waiters and holding the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer scoreless in the fourth, part of Memphis limiting Cleveland to a 4 for 20 shooting touch in the fourth, including misfiring on nine of 10 from outside the arc.
"As I told our guys, we just have got to keep competing like this," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "Sooner or later being in this situation this many times, we will find a way to break through it."
Notes
Memphis caused 18 turnovers, the 116th consecutive game where the Grizzlies have forced at least 10 - the longest such streak in the NBA.
Jeremy Pargo, who played for Memphis last season, is starting at guard for Cleveland with Kyrie Irving out because of a left index finger injury. Pargo finished with nine points.
It was Varejao's ninth double-double of the season. His 22 rebounds were one short of his career high set earlier this season against Washington.
Randolph ended the night with eight rebounds, marking the first time this season he hasn't recorded a double-double.
NBA Recap - Cleveland Cavaliers at Memphis Grizzlies - Nov 26, 2012 - CBSSports-com
But a fourth-quarter rally fueled by a more energetic defense allowed Memphis to overcome its lethargic performance for an 84-78 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.
"We knew coming into this game that it was going to be a tough game," said Memphis forward Zach Randolph, who finished with 19 points. "The guys didn't play too well. It was a fight to the end." Marc Gasol matched Randolph with 19 points for the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay added 15 points and Quincy Pondexter had 10, including 2-of-3 shooting from outside the arc, as NBA-leading Memphis (10-2) won its second straight.
Memphis played without starting point guard Mike Conley, who sat out with flu-like symptoms, and his absence was evident within the offense. Jerryd Bayless started in Conley's place, scoring nine points with six assists, while committing three turnovers. The lack of consistency resulted in only 16 assists and a season-low in points for Memphis, which entered the game averaging 100.7 points.
"It wasn't tough. It was just different," Bayless said of the starting role. "I don't play with [the starters] ever. I always play with [the reserves]. It's a much different setting. .I've never really practiced with them either, so it was different trying to get used to that. We won, and that's all that matters."
Anderson Varejao had 15 points and 22 rebounds - including eight on the offensive glass -- and Dion Waiters also scored 15 to lead Cleveland. Daniel Gibson added 11 points for the Cavs, who lost their third straight and ninth in their last 10 games.
The Cavaliers still held a six-point lead with 8:28 left, but Memphis closed the game on a 16-4 run. The Grizzlies outscored Cleveland 22-9 in the fourth quarter.
"We took some bad shots," Varejao said. "We only shot 20 percent, I believe, in the fourth quarter. It was just bad decisions, and then we had to find a way back into the game.
"We are playing as good as them for the whole game, and the last 2 or 3 minutes are where we are losing."
Cleveland had a 41-33 advantage on the boards, while Memphis outscored the Cavs 44-38 in the paint.
The Memphis offense was sporadic at best through the first three quarters, leading to Cleveland holding a seven-point lead at that point. But Memphis opened the final frame with a 12-5 run, tying it at 74 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Pondexter and Gay.
Cleveland wouldn't surrender the lead until Tony Allen hit a pair of free throws with 2:49 left to give Memphis a 78-76 lead.
Randolph's inside basket with 1:29 to play extended the margin to 80-76, but a rebound dunk by Alonzo Gee with 44.5 seconds left cut the lead to 80-78. Cleveland got no closer as Bayless, who was only 3 of 11 from the field on the night, hit a jumper with 24 seconds left then converted two free throws for the final score.
"I believe in myself and I got a good look, so I let it fly," Bayless said of the jumper. "I shot terrible. I didn't play well, and honestly it wasn't me, it was the guys who really picked us back up. It was my fault we got in the hole, and I've just got to play better."
Cleveland used 50 percent shooting and a much more spirited approach than the Grizzlies to take a 47-42 lead at the half. Varejao had 11 points and 12 rebounds at the break.
"He's got a motor," Randolph said of Varejao. "He's non-stop movement. He reminds me of myself a couple of years ago. You've got to give him a lot of credit. He works hard. He's non-stop."
Randolph already had 13 points at the half, and Gasol and Gay had 10 apiece.
While both teams committed eight turnovers before the break, Memphis seemed to be sleepwalking through the motions.
"We should have played better," Gasol said. "We played their game, and we shouldn't have done that."
Memphis came out in the second half and still appeared sloppy, allowing Cavs to build the lead to 10, their biggest of the game. Varejao was getting on the boards, and Cleveland continued shooting at a 50-percent clip in the third.
Allen and Gasol were providing the only energy for Memphis at the midway point of the third quarter as Cleveland maintained a lead of about five points.
Varejao's jumper as the horn sounded at the end of the third gave Cleveland a 69-62 lead entering the fourth -- the first time this season Memphis has trailed at the end of three.
But Memphis clamped down the defense with Allen guarding Waiters and holding the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer scoreless in the fourth, part of Memphis limiting Cleveland to a 4 for 20 shooting touch in the fourth, including misfiring on nine of 10 from outside the arc.
"As I told our guys, we just have got to keep competing like this," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "Sooner or later being in this situation this many times, we will find a way to break through it."
Notes
Memphis caused 18 turnovers, the 116th consecutive game where the Grizzlies have forced at least 10 - the longest such streak in the NBA.
Jeremy Pargo, who played for Memphis last season, is starting at guard for Cleveland with Kyrie Irving out because of a left index finger injury. Pargo finished with nine points.
It was Varejao's ninth double-double of the season. His 22 rebounds were one short of his career high set earlier this season against Washington.
Randolph ended the night with eight rebounds, marking the first time this season he hasn't recorded a double-double.
NBA Recap - Cleveland Cavaliers at Memphis Grizzlies - Nov 26, 2012 - CBSSports-com
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George Hill's high-arching shot over Dwight Howard went in with 0.1 seconds left, and the Indiana Pacers withstood Kobe Bryant's 40-point performance and the Lakers' last-minute rally for a 79-77 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
Hill scored 19 points and hit that enormous clutch shot for the Pacers, who won their third straight road game over the Lakers after losing 11 consecutive regular-season games since Staples Center opened in 1999.
The Pacers' sturdy defense stifled the Lakers' up-tempo offense for most of the night, turning the game into an ugly grind before the thrilling finish.
Bryant hit a tying 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds left and produced the 114th 40-point game of his career despite playing with an apparent case of the flu for the Lakers, who dropped to 2-3 under new coach Mike D'Antoni.
David West scored 16 points and Paul George had 12 in the opener of Indiana's four-game road trip.
The Lakers flirted with the lowest-scoring game and worst shooting percentage in franchise history before scoring eight straight points in the waning minutes, tying it at 74 on Howard's dunk with 1:56 to play. After West made one free throw, Howard and Metta World Peace combined to miss four straight free throws, dropping Los Angeles' performance at the line to 23 for 43.
After Hill made a running shot, Bryant hit a 3-pointer in front of the Lakers' bench to tie it.
The Pacers wound down the clock for Hill, who beat Pau Gasol off the dribble and arched his shot over the leaping Howard, who blocked four shots and scored 17 points despite 3-of-12 shooting at the free throw line.
Before outscoring the rest of his team combined, Bryant missed the Lakers' morning shootaround when he fell ill. He spent the day in bed, drinking fluids and listening to Bob Marley, before giving another high-scoring performance, albeit with 10 turnovers and 12-for-28 shooting.
The Lakers returned from a three-game trip for a three-game homestand, their final multigame stretch at home before Christmas. After playing six games in a nine-day stretch earlier this month, the Lakers are clearly running near empty - and they had little to give in the first half against Indiana.
The Pacers jumped to an early lead and hung on to it despite falling into a 1-for-23 shooting slump in the first half, playing more than 12 minutes with just one field goal. The Lakers couldn't take advantage, missing 14 of their 18 shots in the second quarter and repeatedly failing to move the ball at D'Antoni's preferred pace.
Bryant made five of his first six shots, emulating his many strong performances with the flu, but fell into a 1-for-10 slump before getting rolling again late in the third quarter while Los Angeles made a 13-2 run. Bryant had nine turnovers in the first three quarters, but also had 29 points - more than his teammates' combined 28.
NOTES: The Pacers stay in California to face Sacramento and Golden State before stopping in Chicago on the way home from their trip. ... The Lakers handed out bobblehead dolls in the likeness of the late Chick Hearn, their beloved broadcaster who would have turned 96 on Tuesday. ... Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Kaley Cuoco, Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed and Tenacious D band members Jack Black and Kyle Gass watched from courtside.
Read more here: LOS ANGELES: Hill's clutch shot pushes Pacers past Lakers 79-77 | NBA Basketball | Macon-com
Hill scored 19 points and hit that enormous clutch shot for the Pacers, who won their third straight road game over the Lakers after losing 11 consecutive regular-season games since Staples Center opened in 1999.
The Pacers' sturdy defense stifled the Lakers' up-tempo offense for most of the night, turning the game into an ugly grind before the thrilling finish.
Bryant hit a tying 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds left and produced the 114th 40-point game of his career despite playing with an apparent case of the flu for the Lakers, who dropped to 2-3 under new coach Mike D'Antoni.
David West scored 16 points and Paul George had 12 in the opener of Indiana's four-game road trip.
The Lakers flirted with the lowest-scoring game and worst shooting percentage in franchise history before scoring eight straight points in the waning minutes, tying it at 74 on Howard's dunk with 1:56 to play. After West made one free throw, Howard and Metta World Peace combined to miss four straight free throws, dropping Los Angeles' performance at the line to 23 for 43.
After Hill made a running shot, Bryant hit a 3-pointer in front of the Lakers' bench to tie it.
The Pacers wound down the clock for Hill, who beat Pau Gasol off the dribble and arched his shot over the leaping Howard, who blocked four shots and scored 17 points despite 3-of-12 shooting at the free throw line.
Before outscoring the rest of his team combined, Bryant missed the Lakers' morning shootaround when he fell ill. He spent the day in bed, drinking fluids and listening to Bob Marley, before giving another high-scoring performance, albeit with 10 turnovers and 12-for-28 shooting.
The Lakers returned from a three-game trip for a three-game homestand, their final multigame stretch at home before Christmas. After playing six games in a nine-day stretch earlier this month, the Lakers are clearly running near empty - and they had little to give in the first half against Indiana.
The Pacers jumped to an early lead and hung on to it despite falling into a 1-for-23 shooting slump in the first half, playing more than 12 minutes with just one field goal. The Lakers couldn't take advantage, missing 14 of their 18 shots in the second quarter and repeatedly failing to move the ball at D'Antoni's preferred pace.
Bryant made five of his first six shots, emulating his many strong performances with the flu, but fell into a 1-for-10 slump before getting rolling again late in the third quarter while Los Angeles made a 13-2 run. Bryant had nine turnovers in the first three quarters, but also had 29 points - more than his teammates' combined 28.
NOTES: The Pacers stay in California to face Sacramento and Golden State before stopping in Chicago on the way home from their trip. ... The Lakers handed out bobblehead dolls in the likeness of the late Chick Hearn, their beloved broadcaster who would have turned 96 on Tuesday. ... Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Kaley Cuoco, Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed and Tenacious D band members Jack Black and Kyle Gass watched from courtside.
Read more here: LOS ANGELES: Hill's clutch shot pushes Pacers past Lakers 79-77 | NBA Basketball | Macon-com
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Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 102-88 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
Anthony, who sat out the fourth quarter, was 9 of 18 from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds in 30 minutes. The second-leading scorer in the NBA has scored at least 29 points in his last four games, including 35 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-89 overtime loss at Brooklyn on Monday.
New York's Steve Novak added 19 points and Tyson Chandler chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game road losing streak.
Jason Kidd missed his second game in a row for New York with lower back spasms.
Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih each scored 18 points.
The Bucks, who have lost four of their last five games, also got 17 points and seven assists from Monta Ellis.
Milwaukee overcame a 27-point, second-half deficit to beat Chicago on Monday, but there was no rally this time after giving up the first 10 points of the second half to fall behind 68-48 on Anthony's short jump shot with 9:38 to play.
Milwaukee responded by scoring the next seven points, including a layup by Larry Sanders to trim the margin to 68-55 with 7:32.
The closest the Bucks would get was 98-86 with 2 minutes left in the game on a basket by Udrih.
The last time Milwaukee led was 31-30 on a layup by Udrih with 8:25 remaining in the second quarter. New York had a 45-44 edge before using a 9-0 run to take control. It started with a 3-pointer by Anthony.
Three straight turnovers by Milwaukee all led to layups, including one by Raymond Felton for New York's biggest lead of the first half, 54-44, with 55 seconds left.
Notes: New York improved to 5-4 on the road. The Knicks are 5-0 at home. . John Henson made his second start for Milwaukee. The rookie also did Monday for the first time. Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles used his third different starting lineup in three games. He used the same starting five for the first 10 games. . Kurt Thomas also made his second start for New York. He did not play in three of the previous five games. . Three of the next four Bucks' games are on the road.
Read more here: MILWAUKEE: Anthony scores 29, Knicks win in Milwaukee | NBA Basketball | ADN-com
Anthony, who sat out the fourth quarter, was 9 of 18 from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds in 30 minutes. The second-leading scorer in the NBA has scored at least 29 points in his last four games, including 35 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-89 overtime loss at Brooklyn on Monday.
New York's Steve Novak added 19 points and Tyson Chandler chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game road losing streak.
Jason Kidd missed his second game in a row for New York with lower back spasms.
Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih each scored 18 points.
The Bucks, who have lost four of their last five games, also got 17 points and seven assists from Monta Ellis.
Milwaukee overcame a 27-point, second-half deficit to beat Chicago on Monday, but there was no rally this time after giving up the first 10 points of the second half to fall behind 68-48 on Anthony's short jump shot with 9:38 to play.
Milwaukee responded by scoring the next seven points, including a layup by Larry Sanders to trim the margin to 68-55 with 7:32.
The closest the Bucks would get was 98-86 with 2 minutes left in the game on a basket by Udrih.
The last time Milwaukee led was 31-30 on a layup by Udrih with 8:25 remaining in the second quarter. New York had a 45-44 edge before using a 9-0 run to take control. It started with a 3-pointer by Anthony.
Three straight turnovers by Milwaukee all led to layups, including one by Raymond Felton for New York's biggest lead of the first half, 54-44, with 55 seconds left.
Notes: New York improved to 5-4 on the road. The Knicks are 5-0 at home. . John Henson made his second start for Milwaukee. The rookie also did Monday for the first time. Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles used his third different starting lineup in three games. He used the same starting five for the first 10 games. . Kurt Thomas also made his second start for New York. He did not play in three of the previous five games. . Three of the next four Bucks' games are on the road.
Read more here: MILWAUKEE: Anthony scores 29, Knicks win in Milwaukee | NBA Basketball | ADN-com
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If there were ever a time to praise the benefits of replay, Warriors coach Mark Jackson found it.
Andre Iguodala's 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded was waived off, and Golden State held on for a wild 106-105 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night after four replay reviews over the final 3.4 seconds.
Iguodala received a cross-court inbounds pass and connected from the left wing with a hand in his face, and Denver players celebrated by running off the court toward their locker room. But the Warriors stayed put and waited on yet another review by officials at the scorer's table - then began their own cheers at raucous Oracle Arena when officials ruled the shot came just an instant after time expired.
"I was very confident that it didn't count," Jackson said. "That being said, I didn't know what the results were going to be, the same way with some of the other calls. Mistakes are going to be made - by players, by coaches, by referees. At the end of the day I'm just thankful we're at a time where we review it. Great camera work. Shout out to the camera man."
Iguodala missed the last of three free throws that would have tied the game with 3.4 seconds to go, but Denver still had two more chances to win.
Officials first went to the replay table to review whether Jarrett Jack had fouled Iguodala in the act of shooting to give him three tries when trailing by three. After he clunked the third attempt off the back of the rim, Golden State's Draymond Green knocked the ball out of bounds to give the Nuggets another possession with 2.1 seconds left - and that play also went to review.
Andre Miller's pass was deflected out of bounds, and officials went to the replay again before ruling the ball went off a Golden State player. Iguodala swished a 3 that would have won the game, but it came too late.
"If I put a stopwatch on ... it seems like the clock started early for me," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "There's nothing to argue about. The camera says it's in his hands."
Jack scored on a driving layup with 1:12 remaining, moments after a critical turnover that could have cost Golden State.
"We were pretty confident on a lot of the calls that didn't go our way throughout the course of the game, so we really weren't sure," Jack said. "Happy that one was able to go in our favor, but it shouldn't have come down to that. We had a couple mistakes, errors down the stretch that we'll definitely try to clean up in practice."
David Lee hit a layup with 2:12 left on the way to a season-high 31 points on 13-of-15 shooting for the Warriors, who earned a hard-fought first win of the season against the Nuggets in the third meeting between the teams in a 20-day span.
Klay Thompson scored 21 points and Stephen Curry had 20 points and a season-best 10 assists as Golden State (9-6) won for the fourth time in five games and moved three games above .500 for the first time since it was 7-4 early in the 2010-11 season. The Warriors also have nine wins in their first 16 games for the first time since 2006-07.
Iguodala finished with 22 points, Danilo Gallinari added 20 points and nine rebounds and Ty Lawson 17 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, who escaped with a double-overtime victory here Nov. 10 before beating Golden State at home last Friday.
The Nuggets used a 13-6 spurt early in the third quarter to build a 16-point lead, which looked an awful lot like the 15-0 run by Denver to start the second half of the last matchup. This time, Gallinari scored five of those points but the Warriors fought back.
"It seems as if we're developing a little bit of a rivalry with them - two out of the three games have been dogfight games," Jack said. "It was almost like an old-school East Coast basketball game, punch after punch after punch. Luckily we got to have the last one tonight."
Iguodala was held to 8 for 17 from the floor after he went off for a season-best 29 points in the last meeting - the most points by an opponent against Golden State this season.
This win came at a good time for Golden State following a dramatic two days in which the Warriors and Andrew Bogut acknowledged the center underwent a more extensive microfracture surgery in April. Both sides are still unclear when the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick will be ready to return on his surgically repaired left ankle that has limited him to four games.
He said before the game he is done predicting when he might be back on the court, while general manager Bob Myers publicly apologized Thursday night to anyone who might have questioned how the situation was handled. He insisted the team didn't intend to mislead anyone by describing the procedure as only to clean out loose particles and bone spurs.
Golden State hit seven of its first nine shots to jump to a 17-5 lead 5 minutes into the game.
Jordan Hamilton hit a 25-footer with 4:21 left in the first half for Denver's first lead on the way to a 60-51 edge at the break after the Nuggets shot 15 for 23 in the period. The Warriors, meanwhile, went 10 of 21 from the floor in the second quarter.
Notes: A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for the daughter of Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who died Saturday at age 23. ... The Warriors are 5-2 at home. ... The Warriors won the season series with the Nuggets (2-1) in last season's lockout-shortened season for the first time since 2004-05. The teams play once more, on Jan. 13. ... 49ers WR Michael Crabtree sat courtside in an all-black get-up complete with dark shades.
Read more here: OAKLAND, Calif.: Warriors hold off Nuggets 106-105 in wild finish | NBA Basketball | The Sun Herald
Andre Iguodala's 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded was waived off, and Golden State held on for a wild 106-105 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night after four replay reviews over the final 3.4 seconds.
Iguodala received a cross-court inbounds pass and connected from the left wing with a hand in his face, and Denver players celebrated by running off the court toward their locker room. But the Warriors stayed put and waited on yet another review by officials at the scorer's table - then began their own cheers at raucous Oracle Arena when officials ruled the shot came just an instant after time expired.
"I was very confident that it didn't count," Jackson said. "That being said, I didn't know what the results were going to be, the same way with some of the other calls. Mistakes are going to be made - by players, by coaches, by referees. At the end of the day I'm just thankful we're at a time where we review it. Great camera work. Shout out to the camera man."
Iguodala missed the last of three free throws that would have tied the game with 3.4 seconds to go, but Denver still had two more chances to win.
Officials first went to the replay table to review whether Jarrett Jack had fouled Iguodala in the act of shooting to give him three tries when trailing by three. After he clunked the third attempt off the back of the rim, Golden State's Draymond Green knocked the ball out of bounds to give the Nuggets another possession with 2.1 seconds left - and that play also went to review.
Andre Miller's pass was deflected out of bounds, and officials went to the replay again before ruling the ball went off a Golden State player. Iguodala swished a 3 that would have won the game, but it came too late.
"If I put a stopwatch on ... it seems like the clock started early for me," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "There's nothing to argue about. The camera says it's in his hands."
Jack scored on a driving layup with 1:12 remaining, moments after a critical turnover that could have cost Golden State.
"We were pretty confident on a lot of the calls that didn't go our way throughout the course of the game, so we really weren't sure," Jack said. "Happy that one was able to go in our favor, but it shouldn't have come down to that. We had a couple mistakes, errors down the stretch that we'll definitely try to clean up in practice."
David Lee hit a layup with 2:12 left on the way to a season-high 31 points on 13-of-15 shooting for the Warriors, who earned a hard-fought first win of the season against the Nuggets in the third meeting between the teams in a 20-day span.
Klay Thompson scored 21 points and Stephen Curry had 20 points and a season-best 10 assists as Golden State (9-6) won for the fourth time in five games and moved three games above .500 for the first time since it was 7-4 early in the 2010-11 season. The Warriors also have nine wins in their first 16 games for the first time since 2006-07.
Iguodala finished with 22 points, Danilo Gallinari added 20 points and nine rebounds and Ty Lawson 17 points and nine assists for the Nuggets, who escaped with a double-overtime victory here Nov. 10 before beating Golden State at home last Friday.
The Nuggets used a 13-6 spurt early in the third quarter to build a 16-point lead, which looked an awful lot like the 15-0 run by Denver to start the second half of the last matchup. This time, Gallinari scored five of those points but the Warriors fought back.
"It seems as if we're developing a little bit of a rivalry with them - two out of the three games have been dogfight games," Jack said. "It was almost like an old-school East Coast basketball game, punch after punch after punch. Luckily we got to have the last one tonight."
Iguodala was held to 8 for 17 from the floor after he went off for a season-best 29 points in the last meeting - the most points by an opponent against Golden State this season.
This win came at a good time for Golden State following a dramatic two days in which the Warriors and Andrew Bogut acknowledged the center underwent a more extensive microfracture surgery in April. Both sides are still unclear when the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick will be ready to return on his surgically repaired left ankle that has limited him to four games.
He said before the game he is done predicting when he might be back on the court, while general manager Bob Myers publicly apologized Thursday night to anyone who might have questioned how the situation was handled. He insisted the team didn't intend to mislead anyone by describing the procedure as only to clean out loose particles and bone spurs.
Golden State hit seven of its first nine shots to jump to a 17-5 lead 5 minutes into the game.
Jordan Hamilton hit a 25-footer with 4:21 left in the first half for Denver's first lead on the way to a 60-51 edge at the break after the Nuggets shot 15 for 23 in the period. The Warriors, meanwhile, went 10 of 21 from the floor in the second quarter.
Notes: A moment of silence was held before the national anthem for the daughter of Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who died Saturday at age 23. ... The Warriors are 5-2 at home. ... The Warriors won the season series with the Nuggets (2-1) in last season's lockout-shortened season for the first time since 2004-05. The teams play once more, on Jan. 13. ... 49ers WR Michael Crabtree sat courtside in an all-black get-up complete with dark shades.
Read more here: OAKLAND, Calif.: Warriors hold off Nuggets 106-105 in wild finish | NBA Basketball | The Sun Herald
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Rudy Gay scored 18 points, Mike Conley and Spaniard Marc Gasol had 17 apiece as Memphis roared past visiting Detroit 90-78 on Friday to improve to an NBA-best 12-2 record.
The hot Grizzlies warmed up for a road test Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs, in a showdown of Western Conference heavyweights.
Greg Monroe had 17 points with nine rebounds for the Pistons (5-12), who committed 22 turnovers.
Elsewhere Antawn Jamison had a season-high 33 points with 12 rebounds, Dwight Howard added 28 points, 20 rebounds and just his second career triple as the Los Angeles Lakers rocked Denver Nuggets 122-103, to improve to 3-3 under coach Mike D'Antoni.
Jodie Meeks fired in 21 points, hitting seven of the Lakers' franchise-tying 17 3-pointers en route to their highest scoring game of the season.
Kevin Durant dropped in 25 points, Russell Westbrook had 23 with 13 rebounds, eight assists and a season-high seven steals as Oklahoma City rolled to their fourth straight victory, 106-94 over Utah Jazz.
Joe Johnson tossed in 22 points as visiting Brooklyn won their fifth in a row, 98-86 over Orlando, who got 16 points from Glen Davis.
Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith tallied 20 points apiece, and the New York Knicks (11-4) remained tied with the Nets atop the Atlantic Division with a 108-87 rout of Washington, who dropped to a league-worst 1-13 record.
Cleveland clipped Atlanta 113-111, Philadelphia topped Charlotte 104-98, Toronto shaded Phoenix 101-97 and Minnesota bounced visiting Milwaukee 95-85.
Also Boston - playing without suspended guard Rajon Rondo, crushed Portland 96-78 while Indiana surged to a 97-92 victory over Sacramento.
Hot Grizzlies enhance NBA-best record - Yahoo! New Zealand Sport
The hot Grizzlies warmed up for a road test Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs, in a showdown of Western Conference heavyweights.
Greg Monroe had 17 points with nine rebounds for the Pistons (5-12), who committed 22 turnovers.
Elsewhere Antawn Jamison had a season-high 33 points with 12 rebounds, Dwight Howard added 28 points, 20 rebounds and just his second career triple as the Los Angeles Lakers rocked Denver Nuggets 122-103, to improve to 3-3 under coach Mike D'Antoni.
Jodie Meeks fired in 21 points, hitting seven of the Lakers' franchise-tying 17 3-pointers en route to their highest scoring game of the season.
Kevin Durant dropped in 25 points, Russell Westbrook had 23 with 13 rebounds, eight assists and a season-high seven steals as Oklahoma City rolled to their fourth straight victory, 106-94 over Utah Jazz.
Joe Johnson tossed in 22 points as visiting Brooklyn won their fifth in a row, 98-86 over Orlando, who got 16 points from Glen Davis.
Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith tallied 20 points apiece, and the New York Knicks (11-4) remained tied with the Nets atop the Atlantic Division with a 108-87 rout of Washington, who dropped to a league-worst 1-13 record.
Cleveland clipped Atlanta 113-111, Philadelphia topped Charlotte 104-98, Toronto shaded Phoenix 101-97 and Minnesota bounced visiting Milwaukee 95-85.
Also Boston - playing without suspended guard Rajon Rondo, crushed Portland 96-78 while Indiana surged to a 97-92 victory over Sacramento.
Hot Grizzlies enhance NBA-best record - Yahoo! New Zealand Sport
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Usually in halftime interviews, NBA players whip out stock phrases that all basically boil down to the same bland sentiment: “This game will be decided by point differential.” But earlier this year, when Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was asked what holes were being exploited in the Miami Heat defense, the league’s bad boy didn’t hold back: “Them complaining and crying to the referees in transition.”
Twenty-six-year-old Rondo isn’t afraid to smack talk—or literally smack—anyone. He’s been suspended three times in the last 10 months. There was the incident where he threw a ball at a referee. Then he chest-bumped another referee. (He blamed it on a “trip” and “momentum.”) Then last week, he instigated a “pushing war” with Brooklyn Net Kris Humphries. Rondo was banned for two games, and Humphries was left searching for a tetanus shot for the lacerations streaking his shoulder.
The NBA likes to say it’s “Where Amazing Happens,” but historically it’s also been where legendary players get scrappy. Michael Jordan perfected the face-push. Larry Bird put in his application for French Lick’s best boxer. So why is Rondo, one of the best players in the league, getting criticized for being “dirty”?
Rondo looks less like a point guard and more like a cartoon Spider-Man with broad shoulders, long sculpted arms, and giant hands. A former football star, he was passed up by 20 teams in the 2006 draft before being picked by the Phoenix Suns and then traded to the Celtics.
He’s had to grow up quickly. In his first full season as a starter in 2007–08, Rondo was an unknown, anchoring a “Big Three” of future Hall of Famers: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. They won the championship. Since then, he’s babysat a Celtics team that increasingly looks like it’s ready for a geriatric home. He’s morphed into an all-star and assist machine. Not only is he fun to watch, he’s even embraced the limelight by doing things like interning at GQ and revealing that he loves Rollerblading. All this without smiling, of course.
Even when the Celtics inexplicably thought about trading Rondo last year, he played better, seemingly fueled by anger. Then there was the historic overtime loss to the Heat, when Rondo played every single minute and had 44 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Even LeBron James was amazed.
Rondo is almost Roger Federer–like. Usually, he’s emotionless. He’ll go through periods where he’s too timid and detached from the game. The next second he’ll slice through defenders at superhigh speed. He gets pummeled, twisted, and tossed around the court by bigger bodies, but you can never tell if he’s even aware that he should be in pain. Rondo’s almost too calm. Until he explodes.
The brawl with Humphries—though no one really needs a reason to smack that guy around—showcased the “Rondo push.” It’s come to be as signature a move as the tear drop and behind-the-back fake. He did it here to Ron Artest. And here to Dwight Howard. And here to Dwyane Wade. He essentially does it any time a friend gets knocked down. Twenty years ago, this may have been fine. But this whistle-happy era is not your father’s NBA. The league has changed since the Malice at the Palace, when fans and players got into a horrific brawl.
But while today’s players retweet each other and hand out pregame high-fives like they were BFFs, Rondo’s philosophy of treating the opposing team like they’re the enemy is refreshing. He isn’t auditioning for the Portland “Jail Blazers.” He hasn’t choked a coach. He’s not throwing brutal elbows. There’s no malicious intent. He’s just keeping it real. But someone should really tell him you just can’t mess with referees.
This edge is good for the NBA. Why not go back to the days of bad boys? You know, guys with massive egos who talk trash about your mother and shatter your ankles (not literally). As Garnett would say, it’s a bar fight. Rondo, with his cockiness and propensity to take on the league’s best in talent and fisticuffs, is the best at what he does. And in case you weren’t aware of that fact, he’ll be happy to tell you.
Rajon Rondo: NBA
Twenty-six-year-old Rondo isn’t afraid to smack talk—or literally smack—anyone. He’s been suspended three times in the last 10 months. There was the incident where he threw a ball at a referee. Then he chest-bumped another referee. (He blamed it on a “trip” and “momentum.”) Then last week, he instigated a “pushing war” with Brooklyn Net Kris Humphries. Rondo was banned for two games, and Humphries was left searching for a tetanus shot for the lacerations streaking his shoulder.
The NBA likes to say it’s “Where Amazing Happens,” but historically it’s also been where legendary players get scrappy. Michael Jordan perfected the face-push. Larry Bird put in his application for French Lick’s best boxer. So why is Rondo, one of the best players in the league, getting criticized for being “dirty”?
Rondo looks less like a point guard and more like a cartoon Spider-Man with broad shoulders, long sculpted arms, and giant hands. A former football star, he was passed up by 20 teams in the 2006 draft before being picked by the Phoenix Suns and then traded to the Celtics.
He’s had to grow up quickly. In his first full season as a starter in 2007–08, Rondo was an unknown, anchoring a “Big Three” of future Hall of Famers: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. They won the championship. Since then, he’s babysat a Celtics team that increasingly looks like it’s ready for a geriatric home. He’s morphed into an all-star and assist machine. Not only is he fun to watch, he’s even embraced the limelight by doing things like interning at GQ and revealing that he loves Rollerblading. All this without smiling, of course.
Even when the Celtics inexplicably thought about trading Rondo last year, he played better, seemingly fueled by anger. Then there was the historic overtime loss to the Heat, when Rondo played every single minute and had 44 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. Even LeBron James was amazed.
Rondo is almost Roger Federer–like. Usually, he’s emotionless. He’ll go through periods where he’s too timid and detached from the game. The next second he’ll slice through defenders at superhigh speed. He gets pummeled, twisted, and tossed around the court by bigger bodies, but you can never tell if he’s even aware that he should be in pain. Rondo’s almost too calm. Until he explodes.
The brawl with Humphries—though no one really needs a reason to smack that guy around—showcased the “Rondo push.” It’s come to be as signature a move as the tear drop and behind-the-back fake. He did it here to Ron Artest. And here to Dwight Howard. And here to Dwyane Wade. He essentially does it any time a friend gets knocked down. Twenty years ago, this may have been fine. But this whistle-happy era is not your father’s NBA. The league has changed since the Malice at the Palace, when fans and players got into a horrific brawl.
But while today’s players retweet each other and hand out pregame high-fives like they were BFFs, Rondo’s philosophy of treating the opposing team like they’re the enemy is refreshing. He isn’t auditioning for the Portland “Jail Blazers.” He hasn’t choked a coach. He’s not throwing brutal elbows. There’s no malicious intent. He’s just keeping it real. But someone should really tell him you just can’t mess with referees.
This edge is good for the NBA. Why not go back to the days of bad boys? You know, guys with massive egos who talk trash about your mother and shatter your ankles (not literally). As Garnett would say, it’s a bar fight. Rondo, with his cockiness and propensity to take on the league’s best in talent and fisticuffs, is the best at what he does. And in case you weren’t aware of that fact, he’ll be happy to tell you.
Rajon Rondo: NBA
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If there is one thing that basketball fans have learned is that when NBA Commissioner David Stern wants something, he usually gets it. And if he cannot get it, he will make those who stop him suffer. Friday, Stern, in an unprecedented and impudent act, fined the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for resting three starters, Danny Green, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, as well as their super-sub, Manu Ginobili. The four players did not make the trip to Miami, where the Spurs did battle with the defending champion Heat, and though Miami went on to win the game 105-100, the focus after the game was squarely on the Spurs.
And that’s unfortunate, considering the Spurs and Head Coach Gregg Popovich did nothing illegal or malicious. No, all that happened was a head coach made a decision to not play some of his players, a move that is well within his right. Given the fact that the Spurs were playing their sixth road game in nine days, Popovich sent the four players home for some well-deserved rest, which served the dual purpose of keeping them fresh for the team’s key Western Conference matchup with the surging Memphis Grizzlies. Ironically, it was Memphis’ head coach, Lionel Hollins, who came to the defense of Popovich’s decision, saying, ”That’s Pop’s decision. I do what I do with my team and he does what he does, and the 28 other teams do the same thing. Each coach has a responsibility to his players and his team.” This is Popovich’s job: to keep his team in the best playing shape possible. He wants to win as much as any head coach in the NBA does (who could forget him asking for “more nasty” from his team in the playoffs last year). Had the Spurs won Friday’s game, they would have gone a perfect 6-0 on the road trip. And it is not as if Popovich hasn’t rested his Big 3 of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili at the same time before. Down the stretch last season, he did just that, even taking a couple games off himself. In fact, when Popovich did it last year in Portland, a fan actually wrote a letter to him, saying that he and his cousin had wanted to see the Spurs’ star players in action. Popovich took the time to answer the letter, sympathizing with the fan, but stressing that the priorities of a coach and the priorities of a fan are different. His priority is to maintain the standards of play for a team he has successfully coached for the last seventeen years, winning two Coach of the Year awards (including one last year) and four NBA titles.
David Stern, on the other hand, has priorities too. His are to make more money for the league and to present a good product to television viewers. Unfortunately, sometimes, like in this particular instance, he oversteps his boundaries. Stern fined the Spurs because, as the NBA’s official statement noted, Popovich did not inform the league that players wouldn’t be traveling with the team due to injury in a “timely way.” This is classic David Stern. He is a tantrum-throwing tyrant, more Caligula than commissioner. His benevolence only stretches to a few teams, mainly his hometown New York Knicks. But this is not an issue of a covert pre-draft workout for Brandon Rush or the way the lottery is executed. The real truth came out when Stern noted that Friday was the Spurs’ only visit to Miami. The fact that this game was also televised nationally on TNT further reveals Stern’s motives. In this case, it’s all about money and image for Stern. Television viewers wouldn’t tune in, he feared, if the Spurs’ marquee players weren’t playing. He reasoned that a game the teams knew was going to be on national television before the season started should be one in which each and every big name plays. This was a big game for him, and he was not about to give it up. He even went as far as to say that the Spurs were doing a disservice to the league and did something that he almost never does: apologized to fans.
Which is funny, because if he had been at the game, he would have witnessed a thrilling, back and forth affair. In fact, even without Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green, the Spurs still held the lead with under two minutes to go, and only in the final minute did the Heat finally take the lead and keep it. Fans were just as engaged as always, raucously cheering Ray Allen’s clutch three pointer with 22 seconds left that gave Miami the lead. Besides, as a Miami Heat fan, do you not go to games to watch LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen? I know that, as a Lakers fan, I don’t go to see the opposing players. I go to see Kobe and the gang. Making the safe assumption that Miami fans wanted Miami to win, is it not to their advantage that the Spurs rested their players? The ultimate goal is winning, and the very people Stern is making out to be Popovich’s victims should be profusely thanking him. Because based on the way the Heat played, had the Big 3 played, the Heat probably would have lost.
Obviously, David Stern does not have the fans’ best interests in mind. He has his image and the league’s wallet in mind. After all, fans both attending the game and watching on television got an exciting contest where the home team pulled the game out late in the fourth quarter; the Heat got a win that they probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise; and the Spurs’ stars got some hard earned rest. But David Stern, Emperor of the Basketball Republic, did not get everything that he wanted. He wanted ratings, and if the Spurs were not going to cooperate, then they were going to pay. So once again, in the twilight of his commissionership, David Stern has shown that he cares more about profits than the game itself. Adam Silver, we longingly look forward to your arrival.
Evan Zemlin-Kisor
Evan Zemlin-Kisor is a communications major at Santa Monica College. A Campbell Hall High School alumni, Evan has lived in places such as Spain, Tanzania and France, though Los Angeles is where he was born and raised (and where he currently lives). H
And that’s unfortunate, considering the Spurs and Head Coach Gregg Popovich did nothing illegal or malicious. No, all that happened was a head coach made a decision to not play some of his players, a move that is well within his right. Given the fact that the Spurs were playing their sixth road game in nine days, Popovich sent the four players home for some well-deserved rest, which served the dual purpose of keeping them fresh for the team’s key Western Conference matchup with the surging Memphis Grizzlies. Ironically, it was Memphis’ head coach, Lionel Hollins, who came to the defense of Popovich’s decision, saying, ”That’s Pop’s decision. I do what I do with my team and he does what he does, and the 28 other teams do the same thing. Each coach has a responsibility to his players and his team.” This is Popovich’s job: to keep his team in the best playing shape possible. He wants to win as much as any head coach in the NBA does (who could forget him asking for “more nasty” from his team in the playoffs last year). Had the Spurs won Friday’s game, they would have gone a perfect 6-0 on the road trip. And it is not as if Popovich hasn’t rested his Big 3 of Parker, Duncan and Ginobili at the same time before. Down the stretch last season, he did just that, even taking a couple games off himself. In fact, when Popovich did it last year in Portland, a fan actually wrote a letter to him, saying that he and his cousin had wanted to see the Spurs’ star players in action. Popovich took the time to answer the letter, sympathizing with the fan, but stressing that the priorities of a coach and the priorities of a fan are different. His priority is to maintain the standards of play for a team he has successfully coached for the last seventeen years, winning two Coach of the Year awards (including one last year) and four NBA titles.
David Stern, on the other hand, has priorities too. His are to make more money for the league and to present a good product to television viewers. Unfortunately, sometimes, like in this particular instance, he oversteps his boundaries. Stern fined the Spurs because, as the NBA’s official statement noted, Popovich did not inform the league that players wouldn’t be traveling with the team due to injury in a “timely way.” This is classic David Stern. He is a tantrum-throwing tyrant, more Caligula than commissioner. His benevolence only stretches to a few teams, mainly his hometown New York Knicks. But this is not an issue of a covert pre-draft workout for Brandon Rush or the way the lottery is executed. The real truth came out when Stern noted that Friday was the Spurs’ only visit to Miami. The fact that this game was also televised nationally on TNT further reveals Stern’s motives. In this case, it’s all about money and image for Stern. Television viewers wouldn’t tune in, he feared, if the Spurs’ marquee players weren’t playing. He reasoned that a game the teams knew was going to be on national television before the season started should be one in which each and every big name plays. This was a big game for him, and he was not about to give it up. He even went as far as to say that the Spurs were doing a disservice to the league and did something that he almost never does: apologized to fans.
Which is funny, because if he had been at the game, he would have witnessed a thrilling, back and forth affair. In fact, even without Duncan, Parker, Ginobili and Green, the Spurs still held the lead with under two minutes to go, and only in the final minute did the Heat finally take the lead and keep it. Fans were just as engaged as always, raucously cheering Ray Allen’s clutch three pointer with 22 seconds left that gave Miami the lead. Besides, as a Miami Heat fan, do you not go to games to watch LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen? I know that, as a Lakers fan, I don’t go to see the opposing players. I go to see Kobe and the gang. Making the safe assumption that Miami fans wanted Miami to win, is it not to their advantage that the Spurs rested their players? The ultimate goal is winning, and the very people Stern is making out to be Popovich’s victims should be profusely thanking him. Because based on the way the Heat played, had the Big 3 played, the Heat probably would have lost.
Obviously, David Stern does not have the fans’ best interests in mind. He has his image and the league’s wallet in mind. After all, fans both attending the game and watching on television got an exciting contest where the home team pulled the game out late in the fourth quarter; the Heat got a win that they probably wouldn’t have gotten otherwise; and the Spurs’ stars got some hard earned rest. But David Stern, Emperor of the Basketball Republic, did not get everything that he wanted. He wanted ratings, and if the Spurs were not going to cooperate, then they were going to pay. So once again, in the twilight of his commissionership, David Stern has shown that he cares more about profits than the game itself. Adam Silver, we longingly look forward to your arrival.
Evan Zemlin-Kisor
Evan Zemlin-Kisor is a communications major at Santa Monica College. A Campbell Hall High School alumni, Evan has lived in places such as Spain, Tanzania and France, though Los Angeles is where he was born and raised (and where he currently lives). H
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Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo scored 24 points apiece, and the Orlando Magic outlasted the Golden State Warriors 102-94 on Monday night for their second straight victory.
A night after an emotional win against former franchise center Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando outscored Golden State 33-25 to pull away in the fourth quarter. J.J. Redick had 10 of his 22 points in the fourth and Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Magic begin their five-game West Coast trip 2-0.
Stephen Curry had 25 points and 11 assists and David Lee added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who were going for the first four-game winning streak of coach Mark Jackson's tenure. Instead, they had their five-game home winning streak snapped as they head on the road for a season-long seven-game trip.
The laboring Magic managed to outhustle and outmuscle the well-rested Warriors when it mattered most.
Redick made a short jumper and a 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 run that put the Magic ahead 82-74 early in the fourth. After Curry connected from beyond the arc, Davis' layup over Lee started a three-point play and an avalanche of Orlando offense.
Vucevic's dunk highlighted the spurt and lifted the Magic to a 98-84 lead that put the game out of reach. Golden State has not won four straight since January 2011, when Keith Smart was still the coach.
The Magic made up for a sluggish start in a little more than a second.
Vucevic converted a driving layup over Jarrett Jack to start a three-point play. With 1.8 seconds left in the first quarter, Afflalo deflected Carl Landry's inbounds pass to Davis, who made a 22-footer at the buzzer to put Orlando ahead 28-27.
Every time the Magic started to create some separation, the Warriors chased them down.
Harrison Barnes blocked Afflalo's layup from behind against the backboard. Klay Thompson dribbled upcourt and finished with a pull-up jumper to give Golden State a 56-55 lead about halfway through the third quarter. Redick scored seven points during an 8-0 run for the Magic before Thompson made a 3-pointer and Landry converted a three-point play to send the game to the fourth quarter tied 69-all.
NOTES: The Warriors are 6-3 at home and 4-4 on the road. ... The Magic play at Utah on Wednesday night. Utah drafted new Magic coach Jacque Vaughn 27th overall out of Kansas in 1997. ... The Warriors recalled F/C Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. Tyler had five points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes of Santa Cruz's 95-79 victory at Reno on Sunday.
Read more here: OAKLAND, Calif.: Davis helps Magic outlast Warriors 102-94 | NBA Basketball | Macon-com
A night after an emotional win against former franchise center Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando outscored Golden State 33-25 to pull away in the fourth quarter. J.J. Redick had 10 of his 22 points in the fourth and Nikola Vucevic finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds to help the Magic begin their five-game West Coast trip 2-0.
Stephen Curry had 25 points and 11 assists and David Lee added 22 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who were going for the first four-game winning streak of coach Mark Jackson's tenure. Instead, they had their five-game home winning streak snapped as they head on the road for a season-long seven-game trip.
The laboring Magic managed to outhustle and outmuscle the well-rested Warriors when it mattered most.
Redick made a short jumper and a 3-pointer to cap a 10-2 run that put the Magic ahead 82-74 early in the fourth. After Curry connected from beyond the arc, Davis' layup over Lee started a three-point play and an avalanche of Orlando offense.
Vucevic's dunk highlighted the spurt and lifted the Magic to a 98-84 lead that put the game out of reach. Golden State has not won four straight since January 2011, when Keith Smart was still the coach.
The Magic made up for a sluggish start in a little more than a second.
Vucevic converted a driving layup over Jarrett Jack to start a three-point play. With 1.8 seconds left in the first quarter, Afflalo deflected Carl Landry's inbounds pass to Davis, who made a 22-footer at the buzzer to put Orlando ahead 28-27.
Every time the Magic started to create some separation, the Warriors chased them down.
Harrison Barnes blocked Afflalo's layup from behind against the backboard. Klay Thompson dribbled upcourt and finished with a pull-up jumper to give Golden State a 56-55 lead about halfway through the third quarter. Redick scored seven points during an 8-0 run for the Magic before Thompson made a 3-pointer and Landry converted a three-point play to send the game to the fourth quarter tied 69-all.
NOTES: The Warriors are 6-3 at home and 4-4 on the road. ... The Magic play at Utah on Wednesday night. Utah drafted new Magic coach Jacque Vaughn 27th overall out of Kansas in 1997. ... The Warriors recalled F/C Jeremy Tyler from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. Tyler had five points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes of Santa Cruz's 95-79 victory at Reno on Sunday.
Read more here: OAKLAND, Calif.: Davis helps Magic outlast Warriors 102-94 | NBA Basketball | Macon-com
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The Washington Wizards posted just their second win of the NBA season Tuesday, overcoming a triple-double by Miami's LeBron James to stun the reigning champion Heat 105-101.
Jordan Crawford scored 22 points and Kevin Seraphin scored 16 points with 10 rebounds as the Wizards notched their third straight victory over the Heat - a streak dating back to late last season.
A.J. Price added 14 points and Martell Webster scored 13 off the bench for the Wizards, who went into the contest with a league-worst 1-13 record.
They started the season with 12 straight defeats before posting a two-point win over Portland last week.
James led all scorers with 26 points and also contributed 13 rebounds and 11 assists. However, he missed two three-point attempts late in the fourth quarter.
The Heat never led after the first quarter and saw their six-game winning streak end.
Dwyane Wade finished with 24 points in defeat for Miami, with Chris Bosh putting up 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Heat, trailing by as many as 12 points in the third period, began to whittle the deficit, and Bosh's layup with 6:48 left to play knotted the score at 88-88.
The Wizards, however, held on. Webster's three-pointer made it 93-89 with six minutes remaining.
After James's three-point attempt failed, Crawford made one of two from the free throw line to give Washington a 102-99 lead with 10.3 seconds left.
Crawford made two more free throws to give Washington a three-point lead, 104-101. James was off-target again with a three-pointer in the waning seconds that would have forced overtime.
"It feels good to pull out a win, to know that all the hard work is finally coming through," Crawford said. "We did a great job of switching some things up and had Miami guessing a little bit."
Wizards coach Randy Wittman was delighted that his players were able to come through against a high-profile opponent, that had the backing of many in the crowd.
"I'm so happy for those guys," Wittman said.
The win took a bit of the sting out of Wittman's pre-game revelation that he doesn't know when the Wizards' top player, 2010 number one overall draft pick John Wall, will return.
Wall has yet to take part in a practice this season because of a stress injury to his left knee cap.
Crawford, however, cautioned that the Wizards still have work to do to turn around their season.
"It's just a win," he said. "Now we've got two wins. Let's get some more."
NBA: Lowly Wizards stun Heat
Jordan Crawford scored 22 points and Kevin Seraphin scored 16 points with 10 rebounds as the Wizards notched their third straight victory over the Heat - a streak dating back to late last season.
A.J. Price added 14 points and Martell Webster scored 13 off the bench for the Wizards, who went into the contest with a league-worst 1-13 record.
They started the season with 12 straight defeats before posting a two-point win over Portland last week.
James led all scorers with 26 points and also contributed 13 rebounds and 11 assists. However, he missed two three-point attempts late in the fourth quarter.
The Heat never led after the first quarter and saw their six-game winning streak end.
Dwyane Wade finished with 24 points in defeat for Miami, with Chris Bosh putting up 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Heat, trailing by as many as 12 points in the third period, began to whittle the deficit, and Bosh's layup with 6:48 left to play knotted the score at 88-88.
The Wizards, however, held on. Webster's three-pointer made it 93-89 with six minutes remaining.
After James's three-point attempt failed, Crawford made one of two from the free throw line to give Washington a 102-99 lead with 10.3 seconds left.
Crawford made two more free throws to give Washington a three-point lead, 104-101. James was off-target again with a three-pointer in the waning seconds that would have forced overtime.
"It feels good to pull out a win, to know that all the hard work is finally coming through," Crawford said. "We did a great job of switching some things up and had Miami guessing a little bit."
Wizards coach Randy Wittman was delighted that his players were able to come through against a high-profile opponent, that had the backing of many in the crowd.
"I'm so happy for those guys," Wittman said.
The win took a bit of the sting out of Wittman's pre-game revelation that he doesn't know when the Wizards' top player, 2010 number one overall draft pick John Wall, will return.
Wall has yet to take part in a practice this season because of a stress injury to his left knee cap.
Crawford, however, cautioned that the Wizards still have work to do to turn around their season.
"It's just a win," he said. "Now we've got two wins. Let's get some more."
NBA: Lowly Wizards stun Heat
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Kobe Bryant's ultimate place among basketball's greats may be up for debate. But there is no denying Bryant's spot as one of the all-time best scorers after he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points Wednesday.
Bryant made a slashing right-handed runner in the lane with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter against the New Orleans Hornets, giving him 30,001 career points at just 34 years, 104 days old. Bryant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's previous record of 35 years, 179 days. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored 17 points in the first half against the Hornets.
Bryant joins Chamberlain (31,419 points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292) as the only five players in NBA history to reach the 30,000-point plateau.
"It's just a tremendous honor," Bryant told reporters after finishing with 29 points in the Lakers' 103-87 win. "I don't really know how else to put it. I've just been very, very fortunate."
NBA commissioner David Stern was present at New Orleans Arena to witness Bryant's achievement.
"I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe is, as a talent and a competitor, he's up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest," Stern told reporters before the game. "Kobe has such an extraordinary run playing at the highest level for so long with the championships to prove it in a league that is extremely competitive.
"Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league, and I wish him well for this season and beyond."
Bryant spoke to the commissioner before the game.
"(Stern) said he was in (Las) Vegas when Kareem set his milestone and he just congratulated me and told me that I was one of the best competitors that he's seen in this game," Bryant said. "I really appreciated that. He's done a lot for the game and obviously this kind of being his last in the office and so forth. It really means a lot."
Bryant was the fifth-fastest player -- in terms of games played -- to reach the milestone, needing 1,179. Chamberlain was the fastest at 941 games, followed by Jordan (960), Abdul-Jabbar (1,101) and Malone (1,152). Bryant also was the youngest player to reach the 20,000-point mark.
"That just means he's old. He's played a lot," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni joked before the game. "I think it's great. Not many people can get that achievement. That's something he's earned and deservedly so. That's great."
Four of the five names on the 30,000-point list played for the Lakers at one point in their careers, a fact not lost on Bryant, who has spent all 17 years of his career suiting up for the purple and gold.
"This is a franchise, like I've said in the past, guys whose jerseys hang up in the rafters are some of the all-time greats," Bryant said earlier this week as the milestone was approaching. "Not just greats for the franchise. I don't know if there's any other organization that can say that." The opponent was also special for Bryant, as the Hornets were the team that drafted him in 1996 before then-Lakers general manager Jerry West acquired Bryant in a deal for Vlade Divac.
"The irony," Bryant said. "It's funny how sports always seems to kind of have that connectivity in some shape, form or fashion. It just kind of always seems to come full circle."
Bryant, 34, looked younger than his years as four of his 10 field goals came on dunks the day after he played 35 minutes in a road loss to the Houston Rockets.
"Just the legs feeling fresh," he said of the dunks. "I really challenged myself to do a lot of recovery today. Even more than I normally do, to try to get ready for this back-to-back game. My legs felt great as a result."
Several players with ties to Bryant checked in with congratulations for the five-time champion via Twitter.
"Congratulations to the best scorer in the planet, mate and friend, Kobe! for joining the 30.000 points club!! Huge accomplishment!#Kobe30K," wrote Pau Gasol, who was at the game but did not play because of knee tendinitis.
"CONGRATS 2 THE GREAT KOBE "BEAN" BRYANT 4 DROPPING 30,004 POINTS OVER HIS CAREER AND STILL COUNTING," wrote Shaquille O'Neal, who teamed with Bryant to win three rings despite a tumultuous relationship with the Lakers' star.
Said Bryant: "I think now, honestly, I don't know why I'm still working as hard as I am after 17 years. I mean it's just that I enjoy what I do and I think that's the thing that I'm most proud of -- every year, every day working hard at it. That's a lot of years, a lot of work."
Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers becomes youngest player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points - ESPN Los Angeles
Bryant made a slashing right-handed runner in the lane with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter against the New Orleans Hornets, giving him 30,001 career points at just 34 years, 104 days old. Bryant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's previous record of 35 years, 179 days. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored 17 points in the first half against the Hornets.
Bryant joins Chamberlain (31,419 points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928) and Michael Jordan (32,292) as the only five players in NBA history to reach the 30,000-point plateau.
"It's just a tremendous honor," Bryant told reporters after finishing with 29 points in the Lakers' 103-87 win. "I don't really know how else to put it. I've just been very, very fortunate."
NBA commissioner David Stern was present at New Orleans Arena to witness Bryant's achievement.
"I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe is, as a talent and a competitor, he's up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest," Stern told reporters before the game. "Kobe has such an extraordinary run playing at the highest level for so long with the championships to prove it in a league that is extremely competitive.
"Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league, and I wish him well for this season and beyond."
Bryant spoke to the commissioner before the game.
"(Stern) said he was in (Las) Vegas when Kareem set his milestone and he just congratulated me and told me that I was one of the best competitors that he's seen in this game," Bryant said. "I really appreciated that. He's done a lot for the game and obviously this kind of being his last in the office and so forth. It really means a lot."
Bryant was the fifth-fastest player -- in terms of games played -- to reach the milestone, needing 1,179. Chamberlain was the fastest at 941 games, followed by Jordan (960), Abdul-Jabbar (1,101) and Malone (1,152). Bryant also was the youngest player to reach the 20,000-point mark.
"That just means he's old. He's played a lot," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni joked before the game. "I think it's great. Not many people can get that achievement. That's something he's earned and deservedly so. That's great."
Four of the five names on the 30,000-point list played for the Lakers at one point in their careers, a fact not lost on Bryant, who has spent all 17 years of his career suiting up for the purple and gold.
"This is a franchise, like I've said in the past, guys whose jerseys hang up in the rafters are some of the all-time greats," Bryant said earlier this week as the milestone was approaching. "Not just greats for the franchise. I don't know if there's any other organization that can say that." The opponent was also special for Bryant, as the Hornets were the team that drafted him in 1996 before then-Lakers general manager Jerry West acquired Bryant in a deal for Vlade Divac.
"The irony," Bryant said. "It's funny how sports always seems to kind of have that connectivity in some shape, form or fashion. It just kind of always seems to come full circle."
Bryant, 34, looked younger than his years as four of his 10 field goals came on dunks the day after he played 35 minutes in a road loss to the Houston Rockets.
"Just the legs feeling fresh," he said of the dunks. "I really challenged myself to do a lot of recovery today. Even more than I normally do, to try to get ready for this back-to-back game. My legs felt great as a result."
Several players with ties to Bryant checked in with congratulations for the five-time champion via Twitter.
"Congratulations to the best scorer in the planet, mate and friend, Kobe! for joining the 30.000 points club!! Huge accomplishment!#Kobe30K," wrote Pau Gasol, who was at the game but did not play because of knee tendinitis.
"CONGRATS 2 THE GREAT KOBE "BEAN" BRYANT 4 DROPPING 30,004 POINTS OVER HIS CAREER AND STILL COUNTING," wrote Shaquille O'Neal, who teamed with Bryant to win three rings despite a tumultuous relationship with the Lakers' star.
Said Bryant: "I think now, honestly, I don't know why I'm still working as hard as I am after 17 years. I mean it's just that I enjoy what I do and I think that's the thing that I'm most proud of -- every year, every day working hard at it. That's a lot of years, a lot of work."
Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers becomes youngest player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points - ESPN Los Angeles
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Kobe Bryant's entry into the 30,000-point club on Wednesday served as another reminder of just how much the 34-year-old has poured into his basketball career.
If you want to feel old, take a look at Kobe's first career NBA points from 16 years ago. Then think about all of the baskets, headlines and championships he has generated since then. It's difficult to envision just what Bryant's life will look like after his playing career is over, but it's hard to imagine him fading from the basketball world entirely. Might Bryant follow Michael Jordan's lead by calling shots as the owner of a team?
"I don't know if ownership is really the right thing for me," Bryant said in a video interview with Bloomberg News. "I'd go crazy. If a player misses a game because he has a broken fingernail, I'd lose my mind. I wouldn't be able to take it."
Well ... yeah. We weren't really prepared for this level of self-awareness, but he's right. If Bryant saw himself fit to micromanage the Lakers as a player, just imagine what he'd be like if he had absolute power of an NBA franchise.
And it appears Bryant wants to make sure the Lakers are in good hands when he leaves.
"Especially now at this stage of my career, you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you feel a sense of pride," he said. "I've played for this organization but I want to see this organization be successful when I'm gone. It's about helping them and doing whatever I can to help them set themselves up for the next generation."
Maybe "honorary general manager for life" will be a real title by the time Kobe calls it quits.
Kobe Bryant pumps brakes on future as NBA owner
If you want to feel old, take a look at Kobe's first career NBA points from 16 years ago. Then think about all of the baskets, headlines and championships he has generated since then. It's difficult to envision just what Bryant's life will look like after his playing career is over, but it's hard to imagine him fading from the basketball world entirely. Might Bryant follow Michael Jordan's lead by calling shots as the owner of a team?
"I don't know if ownership is really the right thing for me," Bryant said in a video interview with Bloomberg News. "I'd go crazy. If a player misses a game because he has a broken fingernail, I'd lose my mind. I wouldn't be able to take it."
Well ... yeah. We weren't really prepared for this level of self-awareness, but he's right. If Bryant saw himself fit to micromanage the Lakers as a player, just imagine what he'd be like if he had absolute power of an NBA franchise.
And it appears Bryant wants to make sure the Lakers are in good hands when he leaves.
"Especially now at this stage of my career, you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you feel a sense of pride," he said. "I've played for this organization but I want to see this organization be successful when I'm gone. It's about helping them and doing whatever I can to help them set themselves up for the next generation."
Maybe "honorary general manager for life" will be a real title by the time Kobe calls it quits.
Kobe Bryant pumps brakes on future as NBA owner
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Oklahoma City Thunder notched a comfortable 114-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, highlighting the gap that had grown between the teams since they entered the season among the co-favorites.
Oklahoma City's win was matched by victories for the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs as the trio continued to set the pace in the early stages of the new campaign.
Thunder's Kevin Durant had 36 points and Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half as the hosts burst out to a 19-point lead.
NBA scoring leader Kobe Bryant had 35 points to help the Lakers whittle that back to four in the final minute but they could get no closer.
Los Angeles dropped to a humbling 9-11 record, with three key players out because of injuries.
San Antonio never trailed in cruising to a 114-92 win over the Houston Rockets, with six players in double figures and matching their season high in 33 points.
Tony Parker topped the score sheet with 17 points and seven assists.
James Harden had 29 points for Houston. It was his first game in San Antonio since helping Oklahoma City beat the Spurs last season in the Western Conference finals.
The fans certainly remembered Harden, who was booed heartily during pregame introductions and every time he shot a free throw.
Memphis stayed atop the standings on winning percentage, moving to a 14-3 record with a 96-89 win over the struggling New Orleans Hornets.
Rudy Gay tied a season high with 28 points while former Hornets first-round draft choice Quincy Pondexter did the same with 16 points for the Grizzlies.
Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers and Brian Roberts each scored 15 points for the Hornets, who were within one possession of tying or leading several times in the fourth quarter but still fell to their 11th loss in 13 games.
The Golden State Warriors moved within half a game of the lead in the Pacific Division with a 109-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets, who slipped three games behind Atlantic Division leader New York.
David Lee had 30 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, including six straight points to break open a game that was tied midway through the fouth quarter.
Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half as the Warriors made it five wins from six games.
Joe Johnson scored a season-high 32 points for the Nets, who dropped their third straight and are now only half a game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers closed on the Nets and moved a game clear of Boston by beating the Celtics 95-94 in overtime.
Evan Turner, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds, made the last basket with an off-balance shot with 3.9 seconds left. Boston guard Rajon Rondo had a chance to snatch back the lead but he slipped and his ankles buckled on the last possession.
It was a bad end to a good game by Rondo, who had 16 points, 14 assists and a season-high 13 rebounds.
It was similarly close in Indiana, where the Pacers suffered a 92-89 defeat by the Denver Nuggets.
Denver led most of the second half but found itself in an 85-82 deficit with 3:32 left. That's when 36-year-old Andre Miller took over, scoring eight points during a 10-0 spurt that turned it around for the Nuggets.
Indiana had a chance to force overtime, but George Hill's 3 bounced off the rim. Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points.
The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons for the 16th straight time but had to work to do so, edging the hosts 108-104.
Joakim Noah had career highs of 30 points and 23 rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed by 17 points in the second quarter.
Unlike the Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks did not let an early lead slip, building a 13-point lead after one quarter to 25 after three and then beating the Charlotte Bobcats 108-93. Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 21 points and Marquis Daniels had season highs with 18 points and six rebounds. Charlotte has lost six straight.
The Utah Jazz put in an even-more complete performance, routing the Toronto Raptors 131-99 with 13 3-pointers.
Paul Millsap had 20 points and Enes Kanter added 18 in his first career start as the Jazz improved to 8-1 at home.
In other games, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-73, with Kevin Love notching 36 points and 13 rebounds; the Atlanta Hawks downed Washington 104-95 to keep the Wizards winless on the road; while the Sacramento Kings were 91-82 winners over the Orlando Magic.
NBA | Oklahoma City Thunder Beat Los Angeles Lakers... | Stuff.co.nz
Oklahoma City's win was matched by victories for the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs as the trio continued to set the pace in the early stages of the new campaign.
Thunder's Kevin Durant had 36 points and Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half as the hosts burst out to a 19-point lead.
NBA scoring leader Kobe Bryant had 35 points to help the Lakers whittle that back to four in the final minute but they could get no closer.
Los Angeles dropped to a humbling 9-11 record, with three key players out because of injuries.
San Antonio never trailed in cruising to a 114-92 win over the Houston Rockets, with six players in double figures and matching their season high in 33 points.
Tony Parker topped the score sheet with 17 points and seven assists.
James Harden had 29 points for Houston. It was his first game in San Antonio since helping Oklahoma City beat the Spurs last season in the Western Conference finals.
The fans certainly remembered Harden, who was booed heartily during pregame introductions and every time he shot a free throw.
Memphis stayed atop the standings on winning percentage, moving to a 14-3 record with a 96-89 win over the struggling New Orleans Hornets.
Rudy Gay tied a season high with 28 points while former Hornets first-round draft choice Quincy Pondexter did the same with 16 points for the Grizzlies.
Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers and Brian Roberts each scored 15 points for the Hornets, who were within one possession of tying or leading several times in the fourth quarter but still fell to their 11th loss in 13 games.
The Golden State Warriors moved within half a game of the lead in the Pacific Division with a 109-102 win over the Brooklyn Nets, who slipped three games behind Atlantic Division leader New York.
David Lee had 30 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, including six straight points to break open a game that was tied midway through the fouth quarter.
Stephen Curry scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half as the Warriors made it five wins from six games.
Joe Johnson scored a season-high 32 points for the Nets, who dropped their third straight and are now only half a game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers closed on the Nets and moved a game clear of Boston by beating the Celtics 95-94 in overtime.
Evan Turner, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds, made the last basket with an off-balance shot with 3.9 seconds left. Boston guard Rajon Rondo had a chance to snatch back the lead but he slipped and his ankles buckled on the last possession.
It was a bad end to a good game by Rondo, who had 16 points, 14 assists and a season-high 13 rebounds.
It was similarly close in Indiana, where the Pacers suffered a 92-89 defeat by the Denver Nuggets.
Denver led most of the second half but found itself in an 85-82 deficit with 3:32 left. That's when 36-year-old Andre Miller took over, scoring eight points during a 10-0 spurt that turned it around for the Nuggets.
Indiana had a chance to force overtime, but George Hill's 3 bounced off the rim. Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points.
The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons for the 16th straight time but had to work to do so, edging the hosts 108-104.
Joakim Noah had career highs of 30 points and 23 rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed by 17 points in the second quarter.
Unlike the Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks did not let an early lead slip, building a 13-point lead after one quarter to 25 after three and then beating the Charlotte Bobcats 108-93. Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 21 points and Marquis Daniels had season highs with 18 points and six rebounds. Charlotte has lost six straight.
The Utah Jazz put in an even-more complete performance, routing the Toronto Raptors 131-99 with 13 3-pointers.
Paul Millsap had 20 points and Enes Kanter added 18 in his first career start as the Jazz improved to 8-1 at home.
In other games, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-73, with Kevin Love notching 36 points and 13 rebounds; the Atlanta Hawks downed Washington 104-95 to keep the Wizards winless on the road; while the Sacramento Kings were 91-82 winners over the Orlando Magic.
NBA | Oklahoma City Thunder Beat Los Angeles Lakers... | Stuff.co.nz
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Dwyane Wade scored 26 points and LeBron James added 24 as the NBA champion Miami Heat snapped a two-game losing streak on Saturday with a 106-90 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
Wade connected on nine of 12 shots from the floor and James added seven assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who had suffered back-to-back losses to the lowly Washington Wizards and the red-hot New York Knicks.
Chris Bosh contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Ray Allen and Shane Battier scored 11 points each for the Heat.
Ryan Anderson scored 24 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost three straight and are the worst in the Western Conference.
The Hornets, coming of a loss to Memphis on Friday, were also without Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon.
James, who had a triple-double in the loss at Washington and almost had another in a losing effort against the Knicks, made nine of his first 10 shots. He notched his 23rd straight game – dating to last season – with at least 20 points.
The game was the second of a six-game homestand for the Heat. On Monday they host the Atlanta Hawks, who beat Memphis 93-83 on Saturday to remain a half-game behind the Heat in the Southeast division.
NBA: Heat end skid with win over Hornets | Inquirer Sports
Wade connected on nine of 12 shots from the floor and James added seven assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who had suffered back-to-back losses to the lowly Washington Wizards and the red-hot New York Knicks.
Chris Bosh contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, while Ray Allen and Shane Battier scored 11 points each for the Heat.
Ryan Anderson scored 24 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost three straight and are the worst in the Western Conference.
The Hornets, coming of a loss to Memphis on Friday, were also without Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon.
James, who had a triple-double in the loss at Washington and almost had another in a losing effort against the Knicks, made nine of his first 10 shots. He notched his 23rd straight game – dating to last season – with at least 20 points.
The game was the second of a six-game homestand for the Heat. On Monday they host the Atlanta Hawks, who beat Memphis 93-83 on Saturday to remain a half-game behind the Heat in the Southeast division.
NBA: Heat end skid with win over Hornets | Inquirer Sports
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NBA Game Time crew's discussion on New Orleans Hornets' owner Tom Benson possibly changing his team's name to Pelicans.
Video: Could New Orleans' NBA team become the Pelicans?
Video: Could New Orleans' NBA team become the Pelicans?
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Basketball and the Internet, it seems, are a match made in digital heaven and the NBA recently continued its social media dominance by reaching a major YouTube milestone: 1 billion total video views on its official channel.
To celebrate its massive achievement, the league put together the video mashup above to show off some of its most viral, Internetty moments since becoming the first sports league to launch its own channel in 2007. There's LeBron James and Shaq in an All-Star dance-off, Brian Scalabrine explaining his "White Mamba" nickname, Dwight Howard yelling unintelligibly with his mouth full, and an assortment of trick shots, slams and buzzer-beaters. The mashup is embedded above and worth two minutes and 46 seconds of your time. So why is the NBA so popular on YouTube? Smart marketing and great content. High-flying dunks are among the greatest highlights the sports universe is capable of producing, and basketball allows its players' personalities to shine through like few other sports.
The NBA announced a plan last November to stream more than 350 of its minor league games live on YouTube, but is socially dominant on other platforms too. It claims more than 325 million combined likes and followers for official player, team and league pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Chinese networks Sina Weibo and Tencent. In May, the NBA became the first sports league to reach 5 million Twitter followers, and now has more than 6.3 million.
Which NBA videos have been the biggest hits on YouTube over the past five years? Funny you should ask! Here's a countdown of the 10 most popular: mashable-com/2012/12/10/nba-billion-youtube-views/
To celebrate its massive achievement, the league put together the video mashup above to show off some of its most viral, Internetty moments since becoming the first sports league to launch its own channel in 2007. There's LeBron James and Shaq in an All-Star dance-off, Brian Scalabrine explaining his "White Mamba" nickname, Dwight Howard yelling unintelligibly with his mouth full, and an assortment of trick shots, slams and buzzer-beaters. The mashup is embedded above and worth two minutes and 46 seconds of your time. So why is the NBA so popular on YouTube? Smart marketing and great content. High-flying dunks are among the greatest highlights the sports universe is capable of producing, and basketball allows its players' personalities to shine through like few other sports.
The NBA announced a plan last November to stream more than 350 of its minor league games live on YouTube, but is socially dominant on other platforms too. It claims more than 325 million combined likes and followers for official player, team and league pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Chinese networks Sina Weibo and Tencent. In May, the NBA became the first sports league to reach 5 million Twitter followers, and now has more than 6.3 million.
Which NBA videos have been the biggest hits on YouTube over the past five years? Funny you should ask! Here's a countdown of the 10 most popular: mashable-com/2012/12/10/nba-billion-youtube-views/
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The NBA announced late Tuesday Raptors center Amir Johnson has been suspended one game for throwing his mouthpiece at official David Jones in Toronto's game Monday against Portland.
The incident happened when Johnson tried to grab the ball following a free throw but Jones wouldn't let him have it. The two awkwardly tussled with the ball, Jones hit Johnson with a technical, then a second and then Johnson threw his mouthpiece in frustration, hitting Jones in the back.
“I think [it was childish] between both of us,” Johnson said after the game, according to SI.com. “We were both wrestling with the ball. That was kind of childish. We both either could've let it go or anything. That part was childish. Plus, on my part for reacting that way.”
"He turned his back; I really wanted to know what happened," Johnson said. "Nothing was said. I lost my cool right there. I never had any problems all the eight years I've been in the league. I never argued with a ref or did anything wrong. From there, I just lost my cool.
Johnson, 25, apologized after the game.
“I'm going to accept the consequences,” Johnson said. “Whatever happens, happens. I apologize if I hurt anybody or I did anything wrong. It is what it is.”
The incident happened when Johnson tried to grab the ball following a free throw but Jones wouldn't let him have it. The two awkwardly tussled with the ball, Jones hit Johnson with a technical, then a second and then Johnson threw his mouthpiece in frustration, hitting Jones in the back.
“I think [it was childish] between both of us,” Johnson said after the game, according to SI.com. “We were both wrestling with the ball. That was kind of childish. We both either could've let it go or anything. That part was childish. Plus, on my part for reacting that way.”
"He turned his back; I really wanted to know what happened," Johnson said. "Nothing was said. I lost my cool right there. I never had any problems all the eight years I've been in the league. I never argued with a ref or did anything wrong. From there, I just lost my cool.
Johnson, 25, apologized after the game.
“I'm going to accept the consequences,” Johnson said. “Whatever happens, happens. I apologize if I hurt anybody or I did anything wrong. It is what it is.”
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To Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony is the toughest cover in the NBA. Tougher, even, than LeBron James.
"For me, yeah," Bryant told Stephen A. Smith in an interview Wednesday.
"He’s always been a player that I enjoyed guarding the most," Bryant said. "He was the most difficult because of his size and his speed." Bryant added that Anthony's shooting range, ability to drive to the rim and score in the post make him one of the most lethal offensive weapons in the NBA.
"Melo does it all and he’s as strong as a bull," Bryant said. "For me, I weight (180 pounds) soaking wet. Going up against that bull, man, it’s fun but it’s extremely challenging."
Bryant will face the challenge of playing Anthony and the Knicks on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Bryant, who loves playing at the Garden, knows he'll be facing an improved Knicks team.
The Knicks are off to a 16-5 start, their best in nearly 40 years.
Watching from afar, Bryant believes they can contend with the Heat for the Eastern Conference title this season.
"I believe so, because they believe it," he said. "They believe that they belong on that stage now. Whether or not they can overcome that remains to be seen. But they believe they can."
"When I watch them play, they play with a belief," Bryant said. "They believe that they deserve to be in this championship conversation. They’re playing with a conviction that wasn’t there before."
Bryant was asked if Anthony belonged in the early-season MVP conversation.
"Oh, for sure. Is that even a question? I don’t think that’s a question," Bryant said.
D'AN WILL BE 'DETERMINED' AT MSG: Bryant's normally the headline act at the Garden, but that won't the case on Thursday night.
The bigger story is Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since he resigned as Knicks coach last March.
Bryant believes D'Antoni will be 'determined' to walk off the Garden floor with a win.
"We’re stepping into a city that was very stressful for him. (He) left on a sour note. So I’m sure he has a lot of determination to win this ball game," Bryant said. "And we have the determination to win a ballgame."
The Lakers are 4-8 under D'Antoni. The Knicks are 34-11 in the regular season since Mike Woodson took over the team.
TICKETS AREN'T CHEAP: According to the website Tiqiq.com, which tracks ticket prices on the secondary market, tickets for Knicks-Lakers are Thursday are astronomically priced.
The current average ticket price is $567.01, which ranks as the 4th most expensive game in the NBA this season. The average price for this game is 71.57% above the Knicks' cumulative home average ticket price of $330.48. The highest priced ticket listed is in VIP Courtside 12 Row AA for $26,000.
"For me, yeah," Bryant told Stephen A. Smith in an interview Wednesday.
"He’s always been a player that I enjoyed guarding the most," Bryant said. "He was the most difficult because of his size and his speed." Bryant added that Anthony's shooting range, ability to drive to the rim and score in the post make him one of the most lethal offensive weapons in the NBA.
"Melo does it all and he’s as strong as a bull," Bryant said. "For me, I weight (180 pounds) soaking wet. Going up against that bull, man, it’s fun but it’s extremely challenging."
Bryant will face the challenge of playing Anthony and the Knicks on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Bryant, who loves playing at the Garden, knows he'll be facing an improved Knicks team.
The Knicks are off to a 16-5 start, their best in nearly 40 years.
Watching from afar, Bryant believes they can contend with the Heat for the Eastern Conference title this season.
"I believe so, because they believe it," he said. "They believe that they belong on that stage now. Whether or not they can overcome that remains to be seen. But they believe they can."
"When I watch them play, they play with a belief," Bryant said. "They believe that they deserve to be in this championship conversation. They’re playing with a conviction that wasn’t there before."
Bryant was asked if Anthony belonged in the early-season MVP conversation.
"Oh, for sure. Is that even a question? I don’t think that’s a question," Bryant said.
D'AN WILL BE 'DETERMINED' AT MSG: Bryant's normally the headline act at the Garden, but that won't the case on Thursday night.
The bigger story is Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time since he resigned as Knicks coach last March.
Bryant believes D'Antoni will be 'determined' to walk off the Garden floor with a win.
"We’re stepping into a city that was very stressful for him. (He) left on a sour note. So I’m sure he has a lot of determination to win this ball game," Bryant said. "And we have the determination to win a ballgame."
The Lakers are 4-8 under D'Antoni. The Knicks are 34-11 in the regular season since Mike Woodson took over the team.
TICKETS AREN'T CHEAP: According to the website Tiqiq.com, which tracks ticket prices on the secondary market, tickets for Knicks-Lakers are Thursday are astronomically priced.
The current average ticket price is $567.01, which ranks as the 4th most expensive game in the NBA this season. The average price for this game is 71.57% above the Knicks' cumulative home average ticket price of $330.48. The highest priced ticket listed is in VIP Courtside 12 Row AA for $26,000.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are the leading vote-getters, while Jeremy Lin has a chance to bring Linsanity to the NBA All-Star game.
Lin was running third among Western Conference guards behind Bryant (639,419 votes) and Chris Paul (353,603) when the NBA released the first All-Star balloting update of the season Thursday. Lin was a little more than 55,000 votes behind Paul as he tries to gain a starting spot for the Feb. 17 game in his home arena in Houston.
Lin, an Asian-American who became a worldwide phenom last season while playing for the New York Knicks, has struggled in his first season with the Rockets but remains popular in Asia and figures to benefit from this being the first time fans can vote via social media.
James had 641,348 votes. Carmelo Anthony was second among East frontcourt players and Kevin Garnett was about 7,500 votes ahead of Chris Bosh for the remaining starting slot. Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo led East guards.
Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin led in the race for the West frontcourt spots.
Voting continues through Jan. 14 and starters will be announced Jan. 17.
LeBron, Kobe lead NBA All-Star Game voting
Lin was running third among Western Conference guards behind Bryant (639,419 votes) and Chris Paul (353,603) when the NBA released the first All-Star balloting update of the season Thursday. Lin was a little more than 55,000 votes behind Paul as he tries to gain a starting spot for the Feb. 17 game in his home arena in Houston.
Lin, an Asian-American who became a worldwide phenom last season while playing for the New York Knicks, has struggled in his first season with the Rockets but remains popular in Asia and figures to benefit from this being the first time fans can vote via social media.
James had 641,348 votes. Carmelo Anthony was second among East frontcourt players and Kevin Garnett was about 7,500 votes ahead of Chris Bosh for the remaining starting slot. Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo led East guards.
Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin led in the race for the West frontcourt spots.
Voting continues through Jan. 14 and starters will be announced Jan. 17.
LeBron, Kobe lead NBA All-Star Game voting
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2006/12/07
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The Heat, down by 11 at halftime and by seven with just under two minutes remaining, stormed home thanks mainly to Ray Allen who scored the last seven points to push the Heat to 10-3 on the season and 6-0 in Miami.
Allen coaxed in a lay up and drew a foul with 1:32 remaining for a three-point play and then gave the Heat the lead with 18 seconds left with a three-pointer.
Cavaliers guard Jeremy Pargo had a chance to send the game to overtime but Dwyane Wade blocked his late shot.
LeBron James top scored for the Heat against his former team with 30 points while Chris Bosh added 23 and Wade 18.
The Cavaliers had eight players in double figures, led by Pargo and Dion Waiters with 16 each, but the impressive team performance still was not enough, dropping them to 3-10.
"First of all, Cleveland played a very good basketball game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters.
"They did enough to put themselves in position to win but our guys absolutely relish those moments in the fourth quarter, the competitiveness of a close game.
"We need to get out of here quick as we can before they put more seconds on the clock."
NBA: Heat overcome Cavaliers to remain unbeaten at home | Reuters