Utah's reserves were able to do what the starters couldn't for the first 12 minutes; get inside and score on the Denver Nuggets. Paul "The Paper Boy" Millsap led a surge early in the second quarter that got Utah back into Game 3 after a disastrous start, then the Jazz took control of the game and their Western Conference playoff series with a 105-93 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead. Millsap finished with career highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds. Millsap's 18 points in the second quarter gave the Jazz a chance to recover after Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams struggled early. Once Williams and Boozer got going, the Nuggets never recovered in their first road playoff game of the series.
Utah limited Denver's Carmelo Anthony to 25 points and flustered him into five fouls. He also had just four free throw attempts after taking 19 while scoring a combined 74 points in the series' first two games. Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who also scored 25 points, were the only Denver players to score in double figures. Williams finished with a double-double of his own with 24 points and 10 assists and Boozer added 18 points despite missing his first five shots. Wesley Matthews added 14 points and helped pester Anthony into foul trouble for the second straight game and C.J. Miles added 10 points for Utah.
Denver shut down Utah inside through the first quarter, forcing the Jazz into outside shots that usually missed and bounced right to one of the Nuggets, who led by as many as 11 points. Millsap ended that trend with two quick layups and a dunk as the Jazz opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run. He made his first nine shots and finished 11 of 14 from the field for Utah. The Jazz outscored Denver 31-21 in the second quarter, then topped that with 32 points in the third while holding the flustered Nuggets to just 20. Denver's woes slowly built throughout the quarter as the Jazz quickly pounced to stop any rallies, then the Nuggets really lost their composure at the end of the period. Matthews took a high elbow while defending Melo with 1:05 left in the third, sending Denver's frustrated superstar to the bench with his fifth foul. Melo, who had four offensive fouls and fouled out in Game 2, was stuck watching as the Jazz took an 84-68 lead into the fourth quarter and continued surging early in the final period. Utah's lead reached 23 points and even Anthony, who scored 42 in the series opener, couldn't rescue Denver when he returned in the fourth. Game 4 is Sunday in Utah, where the Nuggets will need to win to avoid falling behind the short-handed Jazz 3-1.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The Batlle Of Texas Gets Physical & The Celtics Win A Close One; 33 Days Left
Spurs G/F Manu Ginobli was bleeding profusely after he caught an inadvertant elbow from Dirk Nowitzki, then disappeared into the locker room while leaving a trail of red blotches behind him on the tunnel floor. He didn't know yet his nose was broken. So he patched up his gushing nose with a bandage and came back late in the third. He then scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 94-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The Spurs took a 2-1 lead by surviving the first shot at home from the NBA's best road team. Ginobili was diagnosed with a nasal fracture after the game. He is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on Saturday.
The Mavs have their own problems to diagnose. Nowitzki made good on his vow after the Game 2 loss to hit the looks he got last time, scoring 35 points. He and J.J. Barea jump-started the Mavs back into the game with a 17-0 run in the third quarter that gave Dallas a lead for only the second time in the series since their Game 1 win when Nowitzki had 36 points. Nowitzki had help in that game though; notably from Caron Butler, who had 22 in the victory. Friday night Butler never left the bench in the second half on Friday as coach Rick Carlisle instead went instead with Barea in the backcourt. Butler has gone from being a major force in Game 1 to being nonexistent by Game 3. He made just one of three shots and finished with two points, which comes after he averaged 19.5 points in two games in Dallas.
The Mavs will spend between now and Sunday trying to figure out how to even this series. They can start by figuring out what happened to Nowitzki's supporting cast. Terry scored 17 points and Barea had 14 but Butler, Jason Kidd, and Shawn Marion had 16 points combined. Aside from Game 4, Sunday is also when Duncan turns 34 but so far in this series, he's looked ten years younger. He scored 25 points for the second straight game, and has the Spurs in position to possibly celebrate a commanding lead in this series if they can win on his birthday.
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There was no special play play being diagrammed in the final Boston huddle, no brilliant piece of strategy. Paul Pierce simply wanted the final shot and his coach Doc Rivers let him take it. And with Dwyane Wade watching helplessly from the bench, cramps rendering him unable to put any weight on his left leg, Pierce put Boston one win away from a first-round sweep of the Heat. Pierce dribbled the clock down to 2 seconds, got to his favorite spot just off the right side of the key and nailed a 21-footer at the buzzer Friday night, giving the Celtics a 100-98 victory in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series. No team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit in a series.
But Miami might have even bigger problems. D-Wade hurt his left calf after missing a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left, replays showing he landed on Celtics guard Ray Allen's foot. D-Wade, who had to change jerseys during the game because he was sweating so much, crumpled to the court and was carried off by reserve center Jamaal Magloire and the team trainer, he then chugged a cup of Gatorade after stretching out his legs so he could play if the game went to overtime. It didn't. Pierce saw to that, his final shot capping a 32-point effort. Wade said he didn't think he landed on Allen's foot, insisting a cramp was his only problem. He took intravenous fluids after the game, but said he will play Sunday for game 4.
Boston has made all the plays against Miami this season, winning all six meetings and 14 of the last 15. And when Miami didn't elect to use its "foul to give" in the last 2 minutes, all Pierce had to do was make the shot. For the last play, the Celtics loaded the floor with shooters and ran a bunch of cuts, all of which were merely decoys. Doc Rivers said the play was basically to let Pierce have the ball and get out of his way. Allen added 25 points for the Celtics, who got 17 from Rondo and 16 from KG. Wade finished with 34 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead, yet saw the game and more than likely, the season, slip away. Michael Beasley scored 16 points, Dorell Wright had 15 and Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers added 10 each for the Heat.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
The Mavs have their own problems to diagnose. Nowitzki made good on his vow after the Game 2 loss to hit the looks he got last time, scoring 35 points. He and J.J. Barea jump-started the Mavs back into the game with a 17-0 run in the third quarter that gave Dallas a lead for only the second time in the series since their Game 1 win when Nowitzki had 36 points. Nowitzki had help in that game though; notably from Caron Butler, who had 22 in the victory. Friday night Butler never left the bench in the second half on Friday as coach Rick Carlisle instead went instead with Barea in the backcourt. Butler has gone from being a major force in Game 1 to being nonexistent by Game 3. He made just one of three shots and finished with two points, which comes after he averaged 19.5 points in two games in Dallas.
The Mavs will spend between now and Sunday trying to figure out how to even this series. They can start by figuring out what happened to Nowitzki's supporting cast. Terry scored 17 points and Barea had 14 but Butler, Jason Kidd, and Shawn Marion had 16 points combined. Aside from Game 4, Sunday is also when Duncan turns 34 but so far in this series, he's looked ten years younger. He scored 25 points for the second straight game, and has the Spurs in position to possibly celebrate a commanding lead in this series if they can win on his birthday.
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There was no special play play being diagrammed in the final Boston huddle, no brilliant piece of strategy. Paul Pierce simply wanted the final shot and his coach Doc Rivers let him take it. And with Dwyane Wade watching helplessly from the bench, cramps rendering him unable to put any weight on his left leg, Pierce put Boston one win away from a first-round sweep of the Heat. Pierce dribbled the clock down to 2 seconds, got to his favorite spot just off the right side of the key and nailed a 21-footer at the buzzer Friday night, giving the Celtics a 100-98 victory in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series. No team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit in a series.
But Miami might have even bigger problems. D-Wade hurt his left calf after missing a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left, replays showing he landed on Celtics guard Ray Allen's foot. D-Wade, who had to change jerseys during the game because he was sweating so much, crumpled to the court and was carried off by reserve center Jamaal Magloire and the team trainer, he then chugged a cup of Gatorade after stretching out his legs so he could play if the game went to overtime. It didn't. Pierce saw to that, his final shot capping a 32-point effort. Wade said he didn't think he landed on Allen's foot, insisting a cramp was his only problem. He took intravenous fluids after the game, but said he will play Sunday for game 4.
Boston has made all the plays against Miami this season, winning all six meetings and 14 of the last 15. And when Miami didn't elect to use its "foul to give" in the last 2 minutes, all Pierce had to do was make the shot. For the last play, the Celtics loaded the floor with shooters and ran a bunch of cuts, all of which were merely decoys. Doc Rivers said the play was basically to let Pierce have the ball and get out of his way. Allen added 25 points for the Celtics, who got 17 from Rondo and 16 from KG. Wade finished with 34 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead, yet saw the game and more than likely, the season, slip away. Michael Beasley scored 16 points, Dorell Wright had 15 and Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers added 10 each for the Heat.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Friday, April 23, 2010
J-Rich Torches The Blazers; 34 Days Left
Jason Richardson kept finding himself alone behind the 3-point line, so he jacked up shot after shot from behind the arc. Richardson made eight 3-pointers and finished with a playoff career-high 42 points Thursday night in the Suns' 108-89 victory over the Trail Blazers, which gave Phoenix a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series. Richardson hit his first 3 late in the first half as the Suns built a lead that would extend to 31 points. He made 13-of-19 shots from the floor. The secret to Richardson's success? Portland was so occupied with containing the pick-and-roll combo of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire that they kept leaving J-Rich open to contain those two with multiple defenders so Steve Nash just flitted the ball out to the perimeter every time.
Portland mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, closing within 91-80 after Rudy Fernandez hit three consecutive 3-pointers. But the burst came too late for the Blazers, who suffered a setback when starting forward Nicolas Batum aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return (the Blazers are either cursed or have the worst luck ever). Home-court advantage meant little for the Blazers. The red-clad Rose Garden fans even booed their team as the players left the court with a 66-37 deficit at the break. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 17 points. Andre Miller, who scored 31 in Portland's Game 1 win, was off for the second straight game and finished with just 11. And the home team was dismal from the free throw line, making just 16-of-28 attempts. Stoudemire had 20 points for the Suns, while Nash finished with 13 points and 10 assists.
The Suns jumped on Portland early, quickly quieting the sellout crowd. Nash's left-handed layup midway through the first quarter put Phoenix in front 16-6. The Blazers were hampered by early fouls on both Fernandez and Aldridge. It didn't help when Jerryd Bayless was hit with a technical, and coach Nate McMillan had to signal his team to calm down. Richardson hit a 3-pointer and Leandro Barbosa made a layup to close out the first period with a 34-16 Suns lead. Richardson, who had 29 points in the Suns' Game 2 victory, had 21 in the first half alone while the Blazers unsuccessfully used second-year guard Bayless to defend him. Batum was questionable before the game after hurting his shoulder in the second half of Game 2 when he collided with Nash. But he started, and answered any questions about his shoulder with an early two-handed dunk. But late in the first half, Batum was fouled under the Blazers basket and appeared to re-injure himself. He quickly retreated to the locker room. The injury was of concern because Batum, the team's primary perimeter defender, had surgery on the shoulder just before the season opener and missed the first 45 games of the season.
The Blazers are already thin because of injuries. All-Star guard Brandon Roy tore the meniscus in his right knee and had arthroscopic surgery two days before the playoffs got under way. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla needed season-ending knee surgeries (twice for Przybilla who re-tore his knee after slipping in the shower) and Fernandez had midseason back troubles. Former forward Travis Outlaw, who was traded to the Clippers, sat out for a time with a foot injury. Roy missed more than a dozen games with a sore hamstring earlier this year before the slight meniscus tear was discovered. Even the coach, Nate McMillan, ruptured his right Achilles tendon earlier this season when he and assistant coach Monty Williams were filling in as practice players because the team didn’t have enough healthy bodies to play five-on-five. In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to the Warriors this season and somehow miraculously still made the playoffs in the Western Conference no less. Only Miller and forward Martell Webster played in all 82 games. No team can ever use injuries as an excuse ever again for underperforming after what the Blazers have been through this year (I'm looking at you Raptors). Game 4 is Saturday at Portland.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Portland mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, closing within 91-80 after Rudy Fernandez hit three consecutive 3-pointers. But the burst came too late for the Blazers, who suffered a setback when starting forward Nicolas Batum aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return (the Blazers are either cursed or have the worst luck ever). Home-court advantage meant little for the Blazers. The red-clad Rose Garden fans even booed their team as the players left the court with a 66-37 deficit at the break. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 17 points. Andre Miller, who scored 31 in Portland's Game 1 win, was off for the second straight game and finished with just 11. And the home team was dismal from the free throw line, making just 16-of-28 attempts. Stoudemire had 20 points for the Suns, while Nash finished with 13 points and 10 assists.
The Suns jumped on Portland early, quickly quieting the sellout crowd. Nash's left-handed layup midway through the first quarter put Phoenix in front 16-6. The Blazers were hampered by early fouls on both Fernandez and Aldridge. It didn't help when Jerryd Bayless was hit with a technical, and coach Nate McMillan had to signal his team to calm down. Richardson hit a 3-pointer and Leandro Barbosa made a layup to close out the first period with a 34-16 Suns lead. Richardson, who had 29 points in the Suns' Game 2 victory, had 21 in the first half alone while the Blazers unsuccessfully used second-year guard Bayless to defend him. Batum was questionable before the game after hurting his shoulder in the second half of Game 2 when he collided with Nash. But he started, and answered any questions about his shoulder with an early two-handed dunk. But late in the first half, Batum was fouled under the Blazers basket and appeared to re-injure himself. He quickly retreated to the locker room. The injury was of concern because Batum, the team's primary perimeter defender, had surgery on the shoulder just before the season opener and missed the first 45 games of the season.
The Blazers are already thin because of injuries. All-Star guard Brandon Roy tore the meniscus in his right knee and had arthroscopic surgery two days before the playoffs got under way. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla needed season-ending knee surgeries (twice for Przybilla who re-tore his knee after slipping in the shower) and Fernandez had midseason back troubles. Former forward Travis Outlaw, who was traded to the Clippers, sat out for a time with a foot injury. Roy missed more than a dozen games with a sore hamstring earlier this year before the slight meniscus tear was discovered. Even the coach, Nate McMillan, ruptured his right Achilles tendon earlier this season when he and assistant coach Monty Williams were filling in as practice players because the team didn’t have enough healthy bodies to play five-on-five. In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to the Warriors this season and somehow miraculously still made the playoffs in the Western Conference no less. Only Miller and forward Martell Webster played in all 82 games. No team can ever use injuries as an excuse ever again for underperforming after what the Blazers have been through this year (I'm looking at you Raptors). Game 4 is Saturday at Portland.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Bulls Buck The Cavs & OKC Gets Their 1st Ever Playoff Win; 34 Days Left
"M-V-P!! M-V-P!!" this chant wasn't for LeBron tonight, instead the Chicago faithful bestowed the honour upon their hometown hero, Derrick Rose. He later said that he almost fainted after hearing the chorus of chants; but being guarded by LeBron James late in the game didn't faze him at all. And now, the Cleveland Cavaliers can forget about sweeping the Bulls out of the playoffs. Rose scored 31 points, Kirk Hinrich added 27 and Chicago hung on to beat the top-seeded Cavaliers, 108-106, on Thursday night in Game 3 of a first-round series after their 21-point lead dwindled to one.
LeBron scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 after Mo Williams nailed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left. They immediately fouled Luol Deng, who hit the first free throw but missed the second. Cleveland guard Anthony Parker got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer, and the Bulls escaped with the win despite some shaky foul shooting late in the game.
Hinrich, a career 80.9 percent foul shooter, missed two with 26 seconds left and the Bulls up 104-99. LeBron then buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. The Cavs immediately fouled Rose, who missed the first free throw before converting the second to make it 105-102 with 10.1 seconds left. Chicago fouled Anderson Varejao to prevent a 3-point attempt, and he made the first but missed the second. Brad Miller got the rebound and converted both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls hung on for a wild win. They will try to tie the best-of-seven series on Sunday.
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Scuffling through another rough shooting night, Kevin Durant wanted to do anything he could to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling hopelessly behind the Los Angeles Lakers. So he decided to take on the task of defending Kobe Bryant, that's the sign of a great player; even though his offense hadn't been rolling he decided to impact the game on the defensive end. The result? Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk while guarding Bryant to lead the decisive run, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night in the first playoff game in Oklahoma City (Portland and, more so, Seattle fans are probably still crying right now or drowning they're sorrows of what could have been).
Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay. The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series. Bryant scored 24 points to surpass Jerry West's franchise record for playoff scoring, and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. But when it came down to crunch time, shockingly Bryant couldn't deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers' 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.
Undaunted by a raucous sellout crowd, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and were in control until the Thunder roared back with an electrifying run of eight straight points late in the third quarter. The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back from an 11-point deficit set off by Westbrook's right-handed tomahawk dunk. James Harden and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter. Near the end of the game Durant celebrated by thumping his chest and popping his jersey to show off the "Thunder" printed on the front while Westbrook, who scored 27 points, flapped his arms to egg on the screaming crowd. Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
LeBron scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 after Mo Williams nailed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left. They immediately fouled Luol Deng, who hit the first free throw but missed the second. Cleveland guard Anthony Parker got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer, and the Bulls escaped with the win despite some shaky foul shooting late in the game.
Hinrich, a career 80.9 percent foul shooter, missed two with 26 seconds left and the Bulls up 104-99. LeBron then buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. The Cavs immediately fouled Rose, who missed the first free throw before converting the second to make it 105-102 with 10.1 seconds left. Chicago fouled Anderson Varejao to prevent a 3-point attempt, and he made the first but missed the second. Brad Miller got the rebound and converted both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls hung on for a wild win. They will try to tie the best-of-seven series on Sunday.
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Scuffling through another rough shooting night, Kevin Durant wanted to do anything he could to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling hopelessly behind the Los Angeles Lakers. So he decided to take on the task of defending Kobe Bryant, that's the sign of a great player; even though his offense hadn't been rolling he decided to impact the game on the defensive end. The result? Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk while guarding Bryant to lead the decisive run, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night in the first playoff game in Oklahoma City (Portland and, more so, Seattle fans are probably still crying right now or drowning they're sorrows of what could have been).
Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay. The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series. Bryant scored 24 points to surpass Jerry West's franchise record for playoff scoring, and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. But when it came down to crunch time, shockingly Bryant couldn't deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers' 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.
Undaunted by a raucous sellout crowd, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and were in control until the Thunder roared back with an electrifying run of eight straight points late in the third quarter. The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back from an 11-point deficit set off by Westbrook's right-handed tomahawk dunk. James Harden and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter. Near the end of the game Durant celebrated by thumping his chest and popping his jersey to show off the "Thunder" printed on the front while Westbrook, who scored 27 points, flapped his arms to egg on the screaming crowd. Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Spurs Draw Even With The Mavs & Charlotte Loses Handle Against Orlando; 35 Days Left
Knowing he was among the guys Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thought "played like dogs" in the opener, Richard Jefferson bounced back by scoring 17 of his 19 points in the first half to help San Antonio beat the Dallas Mavericks 102-88 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The win ties their first-round series at a game apiece, with the next two games in the Alamo City. Jefferson matched the measly four points he had in Game 1 in like 45 seconds into the game. He was 7 of 9 by halftime, and was at his best during a 12-1 run late in the second quarter that broke the game open for good. He got it started with a fadeaway jumper and a finger roll, then added a reverse layup after the Mavs somehow lost track of him.
While Jefferson was the first-half star the second half belonged to Tim Duncan, scoring 17 of his 25 points in the half, often just in time to break up potential Mavs runs. The "Big Fundamental" also had a game-high 17 rebounds. Mavs All-Star Dirk Nowitzki went from a scorching hot performance in which he hardly missed in Game 1 to hardly making shots for an ice cold Game 2. The Spurs didn't even send multiple defenders at him; merely knowing they were creeping his way threw Nowitzki out of whack. He missed six of his first seven shots, and even missed a free throw after having made 88 in a row.
The Mavericks played their best only after they repaeatedly seemed to have buried themselves. Down 16-5 early, they got within one by the end of the quarter; down 80-60 late in the third quarter they scored 12 straight points; down 13 early in the fourth, they clawed to within five. However, they never led and have now given away home-court advantage. Game 3 is in San Antonio on Friday night, and the folks down there are probably looking forward to seeing, and booing, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who heated up the rivalry in recent days by repeatedly saying, "I hate the Spurs."
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Dwight Howard and Vince Carter haven't played great but they have played good enough to win so far. Carter finished with 19 points, Howard scored 15 (both went 5 of 10 from the field) and the Magic took a 2-0 series lead with a 92-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. The Magic's star combo was less than stellar once again, but took over when it counted most. They combined for 21 second-half points to help Orlando build a 20-point lead and hold on late. Still, they'll have to be better if they want to compete for a title.
Charlotte is simply playing to steal at least one win. Stephen Jackson showed no effects from his hyperextended left knee in scoring 27 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points for the Bobcats. But their 21 turnovers are a big reason they're heading home still searching for the franchise's first playoff win. This one was one of the ugliest playoff basketball games you'll ever see. The Bobcats went more than eight minutes to start the game with only three points and had just one field goal with six turnovers during the stretch. The goods news for them: The Magic were almost as bad early.The first half was a turnoverfest for both teams, and nobody could consistently hit a shot. However, the Magic were 24-for-35 on free throws, while the Bobcats were 13-for-18, simply too large of a margin from the charity stripe.
The Magic put together the closest thing to a run in the first half, and they slowly went ahead 41-30 at the half on Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer. With Charlotte's 14 first-half turnovers, though, they should've been up more. Eventually, they would. Howard used a drop step, spun right and hammered home a rim-rocking dunk over Tyson Chandler that started a big Magic push. He had nine points in the first six minutes of the third before picking up his fourth foul, again relegating him to the bench. Then, Carter took the reins. Orlando's biggest offseason acquisition, Carter sliced his way through the lane for several layups late in the third quarter. He anchored a run that put the Magic ahead 75-55 after three quarters with their entire bench standing, waving towels, shouting and smiling as they pulled ahead big. After Charlotte trimmed the lead to eight with 3:16 left, Carter followed with a jumper. Then Jackson missed a layup, and Jameer Nelson raced down court to convert a three-point play that sealed Orlando's win. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Charlotte.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
While Jefferson was the first-half star the second half belonged to Tim Duncan, scoring 17 of his 25 points in the half, often just in time to break up potential Mavs runs. The "Big Fundamental" also had a game-high 17 rebounds. Mavs All-Star Dirk Nowitzki went from a scorching hot performance in which he hardly missed in Game 1 to hardly making shots for an ice cold Game 2. The Spurs didn't even send multiple defenders at him; merely knowing they were creeping his way threw Nowitzki out of whack. He missed six of his first seven shots, and even missed a free throw after having made 88 in a row.
The Mavericks played their best only after they repaeatedly seemed to have buried themselves. Down 16-5 early, they got within one by the end of the quarter; down 80-60 late in the third quarter they scored 12 straight points; down 13 early in the fourth, they clawed to within five. However, they never led and have now given away home-court advantage. Game 3 is in San Antonio on Friday night, and the folks down there are probably looking forward to seeing, and booing, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who heated up the rivalry in recent days by repeatedly saying, "I hate the Spurs."
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Dwight Howard and Vince Carter haven't played great but they have played good enough to win so far. Carter finished with 19 points, Howard scored 15 (both went 5 of 10 from the field) and the Magic took a 2-0 series lead with a 92-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. The Magic's star combo was less than stellar once again, but took over when it counted most. They combined for 21 second-half points to help Orlando build a 20-point lead and hold on late. Still, they'll have to be better if they want to compete for a title.
Charlotte is simply playing to steal at least one win. Stephen Jackson showed no effects from his hyperextended left knee in scoring 27 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points for the Bobcats. But their 21 turnovers are a big reason they're heading home still searching for the franchise's first playoff win. This one was one of the ugliest playoff basketball games you'll ever see. The Bobcats went more than eight minutes to start the game with only three points and had just one field goal with six turnovers during the stretch. The goods news for them: The Magic were almost as bad early.The first half was a turnoverfest for both teams, and nobody could consistently hit a shot. However, the Magic were 24-for-35 on free throws, while the Bobcats were 13-for-18, simply too large of a margin from the charity stripe.
The Magic put together the closest thing to a run in the first half, and they slowly went ahead 41-30 at the half on Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer. With Charlotte's 14 first-half turnovers, though, they should've been up more. Eventually, they would. Howard used a drop step, spun right and hammered home a rim-rocking dunk over Tyson Chandler that started a big Magic push. He had nine points in the first six minutes of the third before picking up his fourth foul, again relegating him to the bench. Then, Carter took the reins. Orlando's biggest offseason acquisition, Carter sliced his way through the lane for several layups late in the third quarter. He anchored a run that put the Magic ahead 75-55 after three quarters with their entire bench standing, waving towels, shouting and smiling as they pulled ahead big. After Charlotte trimmed the lead to eight with 3:16 left, Carter followed with a jumper. Then Jackson missed a layup, and Jameer Nelson raced down court to convert a three-point play that sealed Orlando's win. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Charlotte.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Suns Blaze Portland & Lakers Keep Thunder At Bay; 36 Days Left
The Phoenix Suns finally rid themselves of the methodical style of play of the Portland Trailblazers and took charge of the tempo in game 2. The Suns played fast and they played on the break. Jason Richardson scored 29 points, Grant Hill made 10-of-11 for 20, and the Suns routed the Blazers 119-90 Tuesday night to emphatically tie the first-round playoff series 1-1. When the capricious Richardson has a night like this, his team almost always wins. Phoenix was 27-4 this season when he scored at least 20 points. Richardson finally got to concentrate on scoring after being freed from the chore of guarding Andre Miller. Coach Alvin Gentry turned to the 37-year-old Hill for that assignment, and Miller managed just 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting after getting 31 in Portland's 105-100 victory in Game 1.
Amare Stoudemire added 18 points for Phoenix and Steve Nash pushed the team from the start and finished with 13 points and 16 assists. Martell Webster led the Blazers with 16 points and Nicolas Batum also scored 12 before leaving with a right shoulder strain at the end of the third quarter. He said he was going to have an MRI on Wednesday but didn't think the injury would keep him out of Thursday's game. The injury-ravaged Blazers already are without leading scorer Brandon Roy for the series.
Roy or no Roy though, no team was better than Portland all season in disrupting the Suns' offense. But the Blazers didn't do it this time. Phoenix shot 52 percent to the Trail Blazers' 38 percent. The Suns led by 14 at the half and blew it open in the third quarter. The Blazers had won three of four meetings this season, counting their Game 1 victory that gave them home-court advantage, and didn't allow more than 102 points in any of them. However, the Blazers failed to slow down the NBA's highest-scoring team in this one. The Suns dominated the points in the paint 58-38 and had a 26-12 advantage in second-chance points. Portland trailed 63-49 at the half, and any hopes for a comeback vanished in the Suns' blistering third quarter. The Suns outscored Portland 13-4 to lead 78-58 with six minutes to go in the 3rd. During the run, Nash provided the highlight of the night with a circus shot. The 36-year-old playmaker drove to the hoop and, with his back to the basket, banked the ball in with his left hand. Portland went nearly five minutes without a field goal while the Suns poured it on.
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Kobe Bryant scored 39 points, carrying the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they lost the lead three times, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-92 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference playoff series. Bryant was 13 of 15 from the free throw line, but just 12 of 28 from the floor in front of his dad Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, who sat next to the Lakers' bench. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points and Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws. Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had six points and 10 boards for the defending champions, who failed to sustain a strong start for the second straight game against the Thunder. The series now shifts to Oklahoma City for game 3. History is on the Lakers' side as they are 39-1 all-time when winning the first two games of a best-of-seven series.
The Thunder had the lead 47-45 going into halftime, despite Westbrook picking up his third foul midway through the 2nd quarter. The Lakers were limited to 33 percent shooting, with Bryant going 2 of 7. The Thunder also had nine blocked shots in the half. The Lakers regained the edge in the third quarter, although not by much. Their largest lead was six and it dwindled to 73-69 going into the final 12 minutes. Durant was called for goaltending on the Lakers' last basket of the 3rd quarter or the Thunder potentially would've trailed by two.
The Thunder's defense kept them in the game, as they had 17 blocked shots. The Thunder led three times, but Bryant twice brought the Lakers back, the last time tying the game 88-88 on two free throws. The game was decided at the line over the final 2:20, with the Thunder forced to foul while repeatedly missing from the perimeter. Bryant scored 15 points in the fourth, but sent the crowd into an anguished groan when he missed the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left. He made the second to keep the Lakers ahead 94-92. Durant then missed a 3-pointer and Gasol got fouled, but he also missed the first of two with 7 seconds left, keeping the Thunder's hopes alive. Gasol hit the second, and then Jeff Green, who had 12 points, missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Amare Stoudemire added 18 points for Phoenix and Steve Nash pushed the team from the start and finished with 13 points and 16 assists. Martell Webster led the Blazers with 16 points and Nicolas Batum also scored 12 before leaving with a right shoulder strain at the end of the third quarter. He said he was going to have an MRI on Wednesday but didn't think the injury would keep him out of Thursday's game. The injury-ravaged Blazers already are without leading scorer Brandon Roy for the series.
Roy or no Roy though, no team was better than Portland all season in disrupting the Suns' offense. But the Blazers didn't do it this time. Phoenix shot 52 percent to the Trail Blazers' 38 percent. The Suns led by 14 at the half and blew it open in the third quarter. The Blazers had won three of four meetings this season, counting their Game 1 victory that gave them home-court advantage, and didn't allow more than 102 points in any of them. However, the Blazers failed to slow down the NBA's highest-scoring team in this one. The Suns dominated the points in the paint 58-38 and had a 26-12 advantage in second-chance points. Portland trailed 63-49 at the half, and any hopes for a comeback vanished in the Suns' blistering third quarter. The Suns outscored Portland 13-4 to lead 78-58 with six minutes to go in the 3rd. During the run, Nash provided the highlight of the night with a circus shot. The 36-year-old playmaker drove to the hoop and, with his back to the basket, banked the ball in with his left hand. Portland went nearly five minutes without a field goal while the Suns poured it on.
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Kobe Bryant scored 39 points, carrying the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they lost the lead three times, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-92 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference playoff series. Bryant was 13 of 15 from the free throw line, but just 12 of 28 from the floor in front of his dad Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, who sat next to the Lakers' bench. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points and Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws. Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had six points and 10 boards for the defending champions, who failed to sustain a strong start for the second straight game against the Thunder. The series now shifts to Oklahoma City for game 3. History is on the Lakers' side as they are 39-1 all-time when winning the first two games of a best-of-seven series.
The Thunder had the lead 47-45 going into halftime, despite Westbrook picking up his third foul midway through the 2nd quarter. The Lakers were limited to 33 percent shooting, with Bryant going 2 of 7. The Thunder also had nine blocked shots in the half. The Lakers regained the edge in the third quarter, although not by much. Their largest lead was six and it dwindled to 73-69 going into the final 12 minutes. Durant was called for goaltending on the Lakers' last basket of the 3rd quarter or the Thunder potentially would've trailed by two.
The Thunder's defense kept them in the game, as they had 17 blocked shots. The Thunder led three times, but Bryant twice brought the Lakers back, the last time tying the game 88-88 on two free throws. The game was decided at the line over the final 2:20, with the Thunder forced to foul while repeatedly missing from the perimeter. Bryant scored 15 points in the fourth, but sent the crowd into an anguished groan when he missed the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left. He made the second to keep the Lakers ahead 94-92. Durant then missed a 3-pointer and Gasol got fouled, but he also missed the first of two with 7 seconds left, keeping the Thunder's hopes alive. Gasol hit the second, and then Jeff Green, who had 12 points, missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Atlanta Pounds Milwaukee Inside & The Celtics Stomp Over The Heat; 36 Days Left
High-flying Josh Smith dominated the game inside. While Joe Johnson stepped up from the outside when the Hawks needed him. Atlanta now has a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series for the first time in 40 years. Johnson took control in the fourth quarter to finish off a 27-point effort and Smith finished one assist shy of a triple-double (21 pts, 14 rbs, 9 asts) as the Hawks ran away from the pesky, but outmanned, Milwaukee Bucks for a 96-86 victory in the Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night. Smith is playing as though he's still upset about being snubbed for the All-Star game, when teammates Johnson and Al Horford were selected but he stayed home. He's certainly a player capable of taking control of a series in many ways and is the player that makes this team go, as he demonstrated with his near triple-double, not to mention two blocks and two steals.
The Hawks aren't taking anything for granted, even though they've seemed capable of pulling away any time Milwaukee tries to make a run. Last season, Atlanta blew out Miami in its playoff opener but then lost at home and had to go the full seven games. This time, the Hawks took care of business on their home court. They'll head to Milwaukee on Saturday night with a commanding 2-0 series lead, the first time they've won the first two in a best-of-seven series since the Western Division semifinals in 1970.
Again, the Hawks' balance and size advantage on the inside were just too much for the Bucks, who knew they'd face a huge challenge in this series after 7-foot center Andrew Bogut took a hard fall late in the regular season (seemingly breaking every bone in his arm) and was done for the playoffs. All five Atlanta starters reached double figures for the second game in a row, and the 4 and 5 spots sure took advantage of Bogut's absence. Smith had the crowd on its feet with four thunderous dunks and a couple more above-the-rim lay-ins. While, Horford was nearly as dominant, scoring 20 points, snatching down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots. Johnson then took over in the fourth quarter. After Milwaukee had closed the lead to single-digit range, he buried four straight jumpers, the last of them a 3 from the corner, pushing the Hawks to an 87-74 lead that essentially finished off the Bucks.
Johnson also led the defensive effort against Bucks rookie phenom Brandon Jennings, who followed up a 34-point performance in Game 1 with just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. John Salmons led the Bucks with 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova came up big off the bench with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but Jerry Stackhouse was the only other Milwaukee player in double figures with 15 points. The Bucks shot only 41 percent from the field (37 of 90). The Bucks head home, hoping to turn things around in the next two games. But it seems tough especially considering that they've led only three times in the series (never by more than two points) for a total of 1 minute and 32 seconds.
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No Kevin Garnett? No problem as the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat easily Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the "Big Ticket" out, the "Ticket Stub" filled in. The good-humored but hard-playing Glen Davis was the starter in KG's place while the Celtics' emotional leader served a one-game suspension, as Boston rolled to a 106-77 victory that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called "embarrassing." Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Ray Allen heated up in the third quarter to end up with 25 points. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 29.
With Garnett serving a suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and went aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls. The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics then went on a massive 44-8 run over the next 16 1/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37 with 5:38 left in the third quarter, capped by one of Allen's five 3-pointers in the period. The Celtics never looked back as they led by 25 to 33 points the rest of the way.
Tempers stayed under control throughout the game, just three days after a skirmish with 40 seconds left in Boston's 85-76 game 1 victory led to Garnett's suspension without pay and Richardson's $25,000 fine. Garnett wasn't allowed in TD Garden, but made a prerecorded appearance on the scoreboard above midcourt during a timeout after the Celtics scored 19 straight points to take a 44-29 lead with 2:56 left in the first half. He encouraged the fans and when the scoreboard followed with a "Let's Get Loud" message, they raised their voices. Richardson was booed almost every time he touched the ball. Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
The Hawks aren't taking anything for granted, even though they've seemed capable of pulling away any time Milwaukee tries to make a run. Last season, Atlanta blew out Miami in its playoff opener but then lost at home and had to go the full seven games. This time, the Hawks took care of business on their home court. They'll head to Milwaukee on Saturday night with a commanding 2-0 series lead, the first time they've won the first two in a best-of-seven series since the Western Division semifinals in 1970.
Again, the Hawks' balance and size advantage on the inside were just too much for the Bucks, who knew they'd face a huge challenge in this series after 7-foot center Andrew Bogut took a hard fall late in the regular season (seemingly breaking every bone in his arm) and was done for the playoffs. All five Atlanta starters reached double figures for the second game in a row, and the 4 and 5 spots sure took advantage of Bogut's absence. Smith had the crowd on its feet with four thunderous dunks and a couple more above-the-rim lay-ins. While, Horford was nearly as dominant, scoring 20 points, snatching down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots. Johnson then took over in the fourth quarter. After Milwaukee had closed the lead to single-digit range, he buried four straight jumpers, the last of them a 3 from the corner, pushing the Hawks to an 87-74 lead that essentially finished off the Bucks.
Johnson also led the defensive effort against Bucks rookie phenom Brandon Jennings, who followed up a 34-point performance in Game 1 with just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. John Salmons led the Bucks with 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova came up big off the bench with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but Jerry Stackhouse was the only other Milwaukee player in double figures with 15 points. The Bucks shot only 41 percent from the field (37 of 90). The Bucks head home, hoping to turn things around in the next two games. But it seems tough especially considering that they've led only three times in the series (never by more than two points) for a total of 1 minute and 32 seconds.
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No Kevin Garnett? No problem as the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat easily Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the "Big Ticket" out, the "Ticket Stub" filled in. The good-humored but hard-playing Glen Davis was the starter in KG's place while the Celtics' emotional leader served a one-game suspension, as Boston rolled to a 106-77 victory that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called "embarrassing." Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Ray Allen heated up in the third quarter to end up with 25 points. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 29.
With Garnett serving a suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and went aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls. The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics then went on a massive 44-8 run over the next 16 1/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37 with 5:38 left in the third quarter, capped by one of Allen's five 3-pointers in the period. The Celtics never looked back as they led by 25 to 33 points the rest of the way.
Tempers stayed under control throughout the game, just three days after a skirmish with 40 seconds left in Boston's 85-76 game 1 victory led to Garnett's suspension without pay and Richardson's $25,000 fine. Garnett wasn't allowed in TD Garden, but made a prerecorded appearance on the scoreboard above midcourt during a timeout after the Celtics scored 19 straight points to take a 44-29 lead with 2:56 left in the first half. He encouraged the fans and when the scoreboard followed with a "Let's Get Loud" message, they raised their voices. Richardson was booed almost every time he touched the ball. Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Deron Wills Jazz Past Nuggets And LeBron Doesn't Let The Cavs Lose; 37 Days Left
The Chicago Bulls kept daring LeBron James to shoot jumpers and he obliged. LeBron scored 40 points (15 in the fourth quarter) as the Cavaliers, fueled by a rabid home crowd that booed every move by Joakim Noah, maintained home-court advantage by beating the Bulls 112-102 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
James added eight rebounds and eight assists, just missing a triple double for the Cavs, who led 96-93 with 4:30 left before the league's soon-to-be 2-time MVP took over. When James came off the bench in the fourth, teammate J.J. Hickson touched his fingers to his forearm the same way a baseball manager would to summon his closer from the bullpen. And in came basketball's version of Mariano Rivera (though I still think Kobe is a better closer). He hit a 3 with the 6-foot-11 Noah coming at him and followed with a quick dance move and wink directed at Chicago's talkative bench. LeBron then made two free throws, a layup and two jumpers, scoring 11 straight points as Cleveland opened a 107-98 lead with 1:36 left.
Noah, who drew the ire of Cleveland fans by criticizing the city's lack of downtown activity, had 25 points and 13 rebounds. He has officially become the most hated person in Cleveland history. He dissed LeBron for his lack of professionalism while on the sidelines early in the year and now he just basically said Cleveland sucks. His exact words were, "You like it? You think Cleveland's cool? I never heard anybody say 'I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.' What's so good about Cleveland?" (obviously Joakim has never seen season 1 of 30 Rock) Derrick Rose added 23 points and Luol Deng had 20 for the Bulls, who will head home for Game 3 on Thursday night.
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With Utah seemingly running out of players, Deron Williams carried an even bigger load. Williams had 33 points and 14 assists while chalking up nearly 45 minutes to lead the Jazz to a 114-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. Carlos Boozer, pitched in 20 points and 15 rebounds also; as the injury-riddled Jazz tied the series before it shifts to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night.
Williams and Kyle Korver made two free throws each in the final 11 seconds to hold off the Nuggets, who had overcome a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a 102-98 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the game. And Utah was playing without two of its most experienced playoff performers in forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is out for this series with a calf injury, and center Mehmet Okur, who tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 1 and is done for the playoffs.
Carmelo Anthony was flustered all night despite scoring 32 points just 48 hours after his playoff-best 42-point performance in the opener. Melo made 14 of 15 free throws but was just 9 of 25 from the field and was whistled for four offensive fouls and he fouled out of a playoff game for the first time in his career. Anthony didn't have the open looks he did in Game 1, when he shot over his defenders. This time, Wesley Matthews and Miles were up in his face every time he took a step toward the basket.
Denver is 1-11 all-time when Melo fouls out and he was whistled for his sixth foul with 25 seconds left and the Nuggets down by a point. However, the officials blew the call. C.J. Miles had stepped out of bounds before Melo fouled him, which would have not only kept Melo in the game but Denver wold also have gotten the ball back, but the officials didn't see it and Miles made both free throws for a 110-107 lead. Each of Denver's other four starters finished with five fouls, and the Nuggets had 37 altogether. The slow-down effect of the fouls had Denver off-rhythm all night as they struggled for any sort of fluidity to their game but they were still in it in the end. Too bad some poor officiating at the end dictated who won the game. Honestly though the NBA refs do a solid job every game and they do make mistakes from time-to-time but after all they are human.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
*Again I apologize for the lateness of this post my internet problems have persisted for 2 days but it seems now it's all under control so I shouldn't spill over to the next day anymore.
James added eight rebounds and eight assists, just missing a triple double for the Cavs, who led 96-93 with 4:30 left before the league's soon-to-be 2-time MVP took over. When James came off the bench in the fourth, teammate J.J. Hickson touched his fingers to his forearm the same way a baseball manager would to summon his closer from the bullpen. And in came basketball's version of Mariano Rivera (though I still think Kobe is a better closer). He hit a 3 with the 6-foot-11 Noah coming at him and followed with a quick dance move and wink directed at Chicago's talkative bench. LeBron then made two free throws, a layup and two jumpers, scoring 11 straight points as Cleveland opened a 107-98 lead with 1:36 left.
Noah, who drew the ire of Cleveland fans by criticizing the city's lack of downtown activity, had 25 points and 13 rebounds. He has officially become the most hated person in Cleveland history. He dissed LeBron for his lack of professionalism while on the sidelines early in the year and now he just basically said Cleveland sucks. His exact words were, "You like it? You think Cleveland's cool? I never heard anybody say 'I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.' What's so good about Cleveland?" (obviously Joakim has never seen season 1 of 30 Rock) Derrick Rose added 23 points and Luol Deng had 20 for the Bulls, who will head home for Game 3 on Thursday night.
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With Utah seemingly running out of players, Deron Williams carried an even bigger load. Williams had 33 points and 14 assists while chalking up nearly 45 minutes to lead the Jazz to a 114-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. Carlos Boozer, pitched in 20 points and 15 rebounds also; as the injury-riddled Jazz tied the series before it shifts to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night.
Williams and Kyle Korver made two free throws each in the final 11 seconds to hold off the Nuggets, who had overcome a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a 102-98 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the game. And Utah was playing without two of its most experienced playoff performers in forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is out for this series with a calf injury, and center Mehmet Okur, who tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 1 and is done for the playoffs.
Carmelo Anthony was flustered all night despite scoring 32 points just 48 hours after his playoff-best 42-point performance in the opener. Melo made 14 of 15 free throws but was just 9 of 25 from the field and was whistled for four offensive fouls and he fouled out of a playoff game for the first time in his career. Anthony didn't have the open looks he did in Game 1, when he shot over his defenders. This time, Wesley Matthews and Miles were up in his face every time he took a step toward the basket.
Denver is 1-11 all-time when Melo fouls out and he was whistled for his sixth foul with 25 seconds left and the Nuggets down by a point. However, the officials blew the call. C.J. Miles had stepped out of bounds before Melo fouled him, which would have not only kept Melo in the game but Denver wold also have gotten the ball back, but the officials didn't see it and Miles made both free throws for a 110-107 lead. Each of Denver's other four starters finished with five fouls, and the Nuggets had 37 altogether. The slow-down effect of the fouls had Denver off-rhythm all night as they struggled for any sort of fluidity to their game but they were still in it in the end. Too bad some poor officiating at the end dictated who won the game. Honestly though the NBA refs do a solid job every game and they do make mistakes from time-to-time but after all they are human.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
*Again I apologize for the lateness of this post my internet problems have persisted for 2 days but it seems now it's all under control so I shouldn't spill over to the next day anymore.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Portland Blazes Suns And The Mavericks Beat The Spurs In Game 1 Of The Battle Of Texas; 38 Days Left
Brandon Roy or no Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers give the Phoenix Suns fits.
Game 1 of their first-round playoff series was no exception, and the homecourt advantage the Suns worked so hard to get is history after Portland pulled away over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the game to beat them 105-100 on Sunday night. Andre Miller stepped up in the absence of Brandon Roy and scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career playoff high with 31 points as Portland made Phoenix the only home team to lose in a playoff opener.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Nicolas Batum had 18 for Portland in a game played in the methodical style the Blazers wanted. Jerryd Bayless also had 18 for the Blazers, 10 in the fourth quarter, but missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a shot to tie. Steve Nash's 3-point try was well short, though, and Miller's two free throws iced the victory. Marcus Camby also grabbed 17 rebounds for Portland, two off his career playoff best.
Roy is out for the series after arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Blazers lost Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla earlier in the season. But Portland won two of three against the Suns during the regular season, including a win at Phoenix when the Blazers didn't have Roy. Miller was in his attack mode from the start, but found another gear in the final quarter. The Suns, the NBA's highest-scoring team at 110 points per game, never got into that fluid style. Phoenix shot just 42 percent and was 9 of 24 in the final quarter, including 3 of 13 on 3s.
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Dirk Nowitzki must have been amazed. Even after hitting nearly every shot he took, the San Antonio Spurs still weren't sending defenders to double team or triple team him. So he kept shooting. And kept scoring. Nowitzki made 12 of 14 shots and all 12 of his free throws, coming up with 36 points to carry the Dallas Mavericks to a 100-94 victory over the in-state rival Spurs on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Spurs slowed Nowitzki in the first round last year by swarming him with two and sometimes three defenders but did not employ the same game plan this time around.
Caron Butler scored 22 points and Brendan Haywood added 10 in their playoff debuts for Dallas. Both were part of a major trade in February that turned a good Mavericks team into a title contender. The Mavs rolled into the playoffs having won eight of 10 and five straight. Jason Kidd added 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, and Erick Dampier had five points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio got plenty from its stars Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker. But that was about it. While Duncan had 27 points and eight rebounds, Ginobili scored 26 and Parker had 18 points and four assists. The rest of the club made only 10 of 26 shots. Antonio McDyess was the only other player to crack double digits, scoring 10.
The poor distribution of points was only part of the Spurs' problem. They were outrebounded by eight and gave up 13 offensive rebounds. They had 17 turnovers, leading to 20 Dallas points. They also took just 14 free throws; Nowitzki and Dampier each took 12. The game was tight the first 2 1/2 quarters, with Dallas leading most of the time. Then San Antonio edged ahead and the lead swapped hands a few times but near the end Nowitzki and Dallas pulled away. The Spurs tightened their defense on Nowitzki, but he simply turned into a distributor, moving the ball into areas vacated by the extra guys who came after him. The Spurs took a short flight home to sleep in their own beds and get to work on a new game plan at their headquarters. They have some time to figure things out as Game 2 isn't until Wednesday night in Dallas.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
*note: I apologize for not posting these two posts last night but I did not have internet access as my service provider f@!*ed it up.
Game 1 of their first-round playoff series was no exception, and the homecourt advantage the Suns worked so hard to get is history after Portland pulled away over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the game to beat them 105-100 on Sunday night. Andre Miller stepped up in the absence of Brandon Roy and scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career playoff high with 31 points as Portland made Phoenix the only home team to lose in a playoff opener.
LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Nicolas Batum had 18 for Portland in a game played in the methodical style the Blazers wanted. Jerryd Bayless also had 18 for the Blazers, 10 in the fourth quarter, but missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a shot to tie. Steve Nash's 3-point try was well short, though, and Miller's two free throws iced the victory. Marcus Camby also grabbed 17 rebounds for Portland, two off his career playoff best.
Roy is out for the series after arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Blazers lost Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla earlier in the season. But Portland won two of three against the Suns during the regular season, including a win at Phoenix when the Blazers didn't have Roy. Miller was in his attack mode from the start, but found another gear in the final quarter. The Suns, the NBA's highest-scoring team at 110 points per game, never got into that fluid style. Phoenix shot just 42 percent and was 9 of 24 in the final quarter, including 3 of 13 on 3s.
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Dirk Nowitzki must have been amazed. Even after hitting nearly every shot he took, the San Antonio Spurs still weren't sending defenders to double team or triple team him. So he kept shooting. And kept scoring. Nowitzki made 12 of 14 shots and all 12 of his free throws, coming up with 36 points to carry the Dallas Mavericks to a 100-94 victory over the in-state rival Spurs on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Spurs slowed Nowitzki in the first round last year by swarming him with two and sometimes three defenders but did not employ the same game plan this time around.
Caron Butler scored 22 points and Brendan Haywood added 10 in their playoff debuts for Dallas. Both were part of a major trade in February that turned a good Mavericks team into a title contender. The Mavs rolled into the playoffs having won eight of 10 and five straight. Jason Kidd added 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, and Erick Dampier had five points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio got plenty from its stars Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker. But that was about it. While Duncan had 27 points and eight rebounds, Ginobili scored 26 and Parker had 18 points and four assists. The rest of the club made only 10 of 26 shots. Antonio McDyess was the only other player to crack double digits, scoring 10.
The poor distribution of points was only part of the Spurs' problem. They were outrebounded by eight and gave up 13 offensive rebounds. They had 17 turnovers, leading to 20 Dallas points. They also took just 14 free throws; Nowitzki and Dampier each took 12. The game was tight the first 2 1/2 quarters, with Dallas leading most of the time. Then San Antonio edged ahead and the lead swapped hands a few times but near the end Nowitzki and Dallas pulled away. The Spurs tightened their defense on Nowitzki, but he simply turned into a distributor, moving the ball into areas vacated by the extra guys who came after him. The Spurs took a short flight home to sleep in their own beds and get to work on a new game plan at their headquarters. They have some time to figure things out as Game 2 isn't until Wednesday night in Dallas.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
*note: I apologize for not posting these two posts last night but I did not have internet access as my service provider f@!*ed it up.
Lakers Quiet Thunder And The Magic Survive The Bobcats; 38 Days Left
Andrew Bynum leaned over, his chest heaving, struggling for breath from his first minutes of game action in nearly a month. Other than being out of game shape, Bynum displayed little rust in teaming with Pau Gasol to dominate the middle in the Los Angeles Lakers' 87-79 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their playoff series opener Sunday. Bynum ignited the Staples Center crowd into a frenzy with a monster one-handed "poster" dunk over a defenseless Nenad Krstic in the second quarter that pushed the Lakers' lead to 17.
Gasol scored 19 points, Bynum added 13 and Kobe Bryant had 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting after missing four of the final five regular season games to rest his swollen right knee and broken right index finger. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting in his playoff debut (way under the 30.1 average of the NBA's youngest-ever scoring champion) while former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23 for the young Thunder.
However, Bynum made all the difference for the Lakers. He returned from a 13-game absence because of a strained right Achilles tendon, teaming with fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol to pull down a combined 25 rebounds and deny the Thunder key second-chance baskets. Bynum also tied his career playoff high with four blocks. History is on the Lakers' side against the NBA's youngest team (average age of 25 years and 42 days). When coach Phil Jackson wins Game 1 of any series, his teams are 45-0. Game 2 will be on Tuesday at the Staples Center.
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Dwight Howard was slapped, scraped, pushed, punished and overall abused physically. His frustration overflowed so much that he was sidelined with foul trouble for a majority of the game. Superman was grounded, but luckily for the Orlando Magic, they had Mighty Mouse healthy for the playoffs. Jameer Nelson scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half, and the Magic nearly blew a 22-point lead with Howard out before beating the Charlotte Bobcats 98-89 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday. After missing the first three rounds of the playoffs last year recovering from right shoulder surgery, Nelson is healthy again and ready to redeem his dismal NBA finals performance.
Vince Carter was 4 for 19, finishing with 12 points and fouling out late. Howard had nine blocks but was limited offensively. Gerald Wallace had 25 points, and Stephen Jackson played through a hyperextended left knee to finish with 18 points in the Bobcats' first playoff game in franchise history. Charlotte swarmed and slapped Howard on every opportunity near the rim. The Hack-a-Howard approach left the All-Star with five points and seven rebounds, and he was 1 for 6 on free throws and if the Magic want to continue to win, Howard has to rise above the physical play and he has to shoot a better percentage from the free-throw line. He also has to stay out of foul trouble because the Magic suffered without him.
Wallace's free throws trimmed Orlando's lead to 85-80 late in the fourth, and had the Bobcats on the brink of a stunning upset. Howard then returned with a put-back dunk, Mickael Pietrus had a 3-pointer and the Magic eventually went ahead 92-84 to put the game out of reach. Charlotte's gritty comeback attempt at least provided them with some hope that this best-of-seven series might not be so lopsided when it resumes Wednesday in Orlando. That also gives Jackson, who will have an MRI on Monday, an extra day's rest.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Gasol scored 19 points, Bynum added 13 and Kobe Bryant had 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting after missing four of the final five regular season games to rest his swollen right knee and broken right index finger. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting in his playoff debut (way under the 30.1 average of the NBA's youngest-ever scoring champion) while former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23 for the young Thunder.
However, Bynum made all the difference for the Lakers. He returned from a 13-game absence because of a strained right Achilles tendon, teaming with fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol to pull down a combined 25 rebounds and deny the Thunder key second-chance baskets. Bynum also tied his career playoff high with four blocks. History is on the Lakers' side against the NBA's youngest team (average age of 25 years and 42 days). When coach Phil Jackson wins Game 1 of any series, his teams are 45-0. Game 2 will be on Tuesday at the Staples Center.
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Dwight Howard was slapped, scraped, pushed, punished and overall abused physically. His frustration overflowed so much that he was sidelined with foul trouble for a majority of the game. Superman was grounded, but luckily for the Orlando Magic, they had Mighty Mouse healthy for the playoffs. Jameer Nelson scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half, and the Magic nearly blew a 22-point lead with Howard out before beating the Charlotte Bobcats 98-89 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday. After missing the first three rounds of the playoffs last year recovering from right shoulder surgery, Nelson is healthy again and ready to redeem his dismal NBA finals performance.
Vince Carter was 4 for 19, finishing with 12 points and fouling out late. Howard had nine blocks but was limited offensively. Gerald Wallace had 25 points, and Stephen Jackson played through a hyperextended left knee to finish with 18 points in the Bobcats' first playoff game in franchise history. Charlotte swarmed and slapped Howard on every opportunity near the rim. The Hack-a-Howard approach left the All-Star with five points and seven rebounds, and he was 1 for 6 on free throws and if the Magic want to continue to win, Howard has to rise above the physical play and he has to shoot a better percentage from the free-throw line. He also has to stay out of foul trouble because the Magic suffered without him.
Wallace's free throws trimmed Orlando's lead to 85-80 late in the fourth, and had the Bobcats on the brink of a stunning upset. Howard then returned with a put-back dunk, Mickael Pietrus had a 3-pointer and the Magic eventually went ahead 92-84 to put the game out of reach. Charlotte's gritty comeback attempt at least provided them with some hope that this best-of-seven series might not be so lopsided when it resumes Wednesday in Orlando. That also gives Jackson, who will have an MRI on Monday, an extra day's rest.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Celtics Clamp Down Against The Heat And Melo Torches Utah While JR Smith Makes It Rain; 39 Days Left
Kevin Garnett's lack of composure didn't lead to a loss but Miami's did. Boston's emotional leader was slapped with two technical fouls, leading to an automatic ejection after he elbowed Quentin Richardson (kind of unintentionally) in the jaw with 40 seconds left in the Celtics' 85-76 victory over the Heat in their NBA playoff opener Saturday night. The Big Ticket faces a possible suspension and most likely will miss the second game Tuesday night in Boston (David Stern hates fighting). However, KG was remorseful of his lack of composure even though he said he was just concerned about teammate, Paul Pierce, who had fallen in front of the Miami bench and hurt his shoulder and he wanted to clear space around him. Before his ejection, Garnett had played well with 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Heat's loss of composure lasted much longer. Leading 61-47 with 7:02 left in the third quarter, they fell behind 71-68 with 3 minutes left in the third, mainly 'cause they finished with 22 turnovers that resulted in 38 Boston points. Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing D-Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston. Allen also scored a playoff career-high 14 points, and Pierce led Boston with 16. While Richardson added 15 for Miami to go with D-Wade's out-of-this-world stat line of 26 pts, 8rbs, 6 ast, 3 stls, and 2 blks.
Trailing by two starting the final quarter, the Celtics tied the game at 68 on two free throws by Rajon Rondo, who had 10 points and 10 assists. Then the Glen Davis gave Boston the lead for good with an acrobatic layup.Miami followed with a 24-second violation before a tip-in by Davis gave Boston a 73-68 lead. The Heat then missed their next two shots and Rasheed Wallace stretched the lead to six with one free throw. Wade followed with a free throw, but Allen increased the lead to 76-69 with a layup. Michael Beasley then hit a shot for the Heat but any chance they had faded as the Celtics scored the next five points on a dunk by Garnett, a free throw by Davis and a layup by Rondo. It's going to be a scrappy and defensive series but an intense one to watch.
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It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like they did Saturday night. Melo scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith's fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. Anthony, whose previous playoff high was 41 points against Dallas in the second round last year, benefited from the absence of Jazz forward and defensive stopper Andrei Kirilenko, who re-injured his strained left calf in practice Thursday and won't play in the series. So we might see a few more games like this from Melo in this series; he was on a mission and C.J. Miles and Wes Matthews were powerless to stop him.
Although Carlos Boozer returned to Utah's lineup from a rib injury and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles' tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he'll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night. Memo said after the game that he felt something "pop" and will undergo an MRI on Sunday. CJ Miles also missed some time because of nausea after colliding with Chauncey Billups in the second half. He returned to start the fourth quarter but quickly went to the bench with five fouls. He scored 17 points but none after halftime.
Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes, the most he's played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl's two-month absence to fight throat cancer. Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley has run the team in Karl's absence, and on this night, he certainly didn't mind Smith's flurry of fourth-quarter 3-point attempts (something that drew his ire last week when Smith fired up four 3s in the final 2 minutes of a blowout win over Memphis). Smith (20 pts) sank three straight 3s to break open a 90-90 game and give Denver a 99-93 lead. A fourth 3-pointer hit the front of the iron, but Smith grabbed the long rebound himself and sliced through the lane for a finger-roll that put the Nuggets ahead 101-93.
Smith and Anthony combined for 30 of Denver's 38 points in the fourth quarter, giving Dantley a win in his post season debut. Coach Karl recently completed his six-week treatment of radiation and chemotherapy and hopes to return to the bench later in the playoffs if the Nuggets can advance. We will all be praying for his recovery.
Peace and Much Love to Y'all :)
The Heat's loss of composure lasted much longer. Leading 61-47 with 7:02 left in the third quarter, they fell behind 71-68 with 3 minutes left in the third, mainly 'cause they finished with 22 turnovers that resulted in 38 Boston points. Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing D-Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston. Allen also scored a playoff career-high 14 points, and Pierce led Boston with 16. While Richardson added 15 for Miami to go with D-Wade's out-of-this-world stat line of 26 pts, 8rbs, 6 ast, 3 stls, and 2 blks.
Trailing by two starting the final quarter, the Celtics tied the game at 68 on two free throws by Rajon Rondo, who had 10 points and 10 assists. Then the Glen Davis gave Boston the lead for good with an acrobatic layup.Miami followed with a 24-second violation before a tip-in by Davis gave Boston a 73-68 lead. The Heat then missed their next two shots and Rasheed Wallace stretched the lead to six with one free throw. Wade followed with a free throw, but Allen increased the lead to 76-69 with a layup. Michael Beasley then hit a shot for the Heat but any chance they had faded as the Celtics scored the next five points on a dunk by Garnett, a free throw by Davis and a layup by Rondo. It's going to be a scrappy and defensive series but an intense one to watch.
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It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like they did Saturday night. Melo scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith's fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. Anthony, whose previous playoff high was 41 points against Dallas in the second round last year, benefited from the absence of Jazz forward and defensive stopper Andrei Kirilenko, who re-injured his strained left calf in practice Thursday and won't play in the series. So we might see a few more games like this from Melo in this series; he was on a mission and C.J. Miles and Wes Matthews were powerless to stop him.
Although Carlos Boozer returned to Utah's lineup from a rib injury and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles' tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he'll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night. Memo said after the game that he felt something "pop" and will undergo an MRI on Sunday. CJ Miles also missed some time because of nausea after colliding with Chauncey Billups in the second half. He returned to start the fourth quarter but quickly went to the bench with five fouls. He scored 17 points but none after halftime.
Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes, the most he's played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl's two-month absence to fight throat cancer. Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley has run the team in Karl's absence, and on this night, he certainly didn't mind Smith's flurry of fourth-quarter 3-point attempts (something that drew his ire last week when Smith fired up four 3s in the final 2 minutes of a blowout win over Memphis). Smith (20 pts) sank three straight 3s to break open a 90-90 game and give Denver a 99-93 lead. A fourth 3-pointer hit the front of the iron, but Smith grabbed the long rebound himself and sliced through the lane for a finger-roll that put the Nuggets ahead 101-93.
Smith and Anthony combined for 30 of Denver's 38 points in the fourth quarter, giving Dantley a win in his post season debut. Coach Karl recently completed his six-week treatment of radiation and chemotherapy and hopes to return to the bench later in the playoffs if the Nuggets can advance. We will all be praying for his recovery.
Peace and Much Love to Y'all :)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cavs Swat Bulls And The Hawks Soar Past Bucks; 39 Days Left
They've got LeBron James, forget about the 2010 free agency, 'cause right now is all that matters to him and it was evident in the way he played against the Bulls tonight. LeBron who has throughout, his short but spectacular career, played with a mediocre group of surrounding players comes in this year with a team with depth. They've got more size and a bevy of wing players that can provide solid 2-way games, and of course they've got Shaq in the middle. Overall this is a Cavs team that has the swagger of a championship team and even LeBron can feel it this year with this group as they finished with the best regular-season record in the NBA.
Completely healthy and well rested, the Cavaliers took their first step toward an NBA title on Saturday as LeBron led the Cavs with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 4 blocks and Shaq played like he was 10 years younger in a 96-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. Shaq, playing for the first time since tearing a thumb ligament on Feb. 25, had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs won a testy opener between two teams that obviously don't care for each other. The teams, which split their two regular-season meetings, traded words and shoves on more than one occasion. Noah, who said the Bulls would "try to shock the world" in the series, got into it with Anderson Varejao. LeBron and Brad Miller were assessed technicals in the first half following a collision, and LeBron and Luol Deng had a few verbal jabs after the halftime horn.
The Cavs' performance spoiled Derrick Rose's spectacular individual one (28 pts, 10 ast, 7 rbs). Leading 68-46, the Cavs were coasting to an easy win when the Bulls, who have virtually been playing playoff basketball for the past two weeks as they fought for the No. 8 seed, stormed back. The Bulls scored 12 straight and were within striking distance, down 73-60 entering the fourth. Chicago then cut it to 82-75 on Brad Miller's basket, but LeBron converted a three-point play with 2:29 left and Mo Williams (19 pts, 10 ast) followed with a 3-pointer to put Cleveland up 94-81 to seal the game. The comeback may have fallen short, but it gave the Bulls confidence for Game 2 on Monday night in Cleveland.
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For the first half, the Atlanta Hawks did nearly everything right. They made shots. They blocked shots. They dunked and defended and did their best to run Milwaukee out of the building early on. And one half was all they needed Saturday to get off to a good start in the playoffs against a gritty and embattled Bucks squad.
Led by Joe Johnson (22 pts, 7 rbs, 5 ast, 3 stl) and getting production from all their key players, the Hawks blitzed the Bucks before halftime, then survived a lackluster showing over the final two quarters and held off Milwaukee 102-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. The Hawks had mismatches at every position but the point, and took advantage of the gruesome injury that took out Bucks center Andrew Bogut two weeks ago. The home team never trailed, building a 20-point lead in the first quarter and going to halftime with a 62-40 edge.
Milwaukee made a game of it led by Brandon "Young Money" Jennings, who scored 34 points in his playoff debut. But the rookie didn't have nearly enough help against the No. 3-seeded Hawks, making their third straight playoff appearance and hoping to break up the expected Cleveland-Orlando duel in the Eastern Conference. The short-handed Bucks meanwhile were making their first playoff appearance since 2006, and that inexperience showed even though Jennings tried to take matters into his own hands. He went 14/25 from the field and accounted for 37% of his team's points, the highest for a rookie in his playoff debut. But, it's going to be tough for one man to beat the Hawks, who have a balanced lineup and perhaps the best sixth man in the league, Jamal Crawford (17 pts, 5rbs),who played in his first ever playoff game of his 10 year career. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Completely healthy and well rested, the Cavaliers took their first step toward an NBA title on Saturday as LeBron led the Cavs with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 4 blocks and Shaq played like he was 10 years younger in a 96-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. Shaq, playing for the first time since tearing a thumb ligament on Feb. 25, had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs won a testy opener between two teams that obviously don't care for each other. The teams, which split their two regular-season meetings, traded words and shoves on more than one occasion. Noah, who said the Bulls would "try to shock the world" in the series, got into it with Anderson Varejao. LeBron and Brad Miller were assessed technicals in the first half following a collision, and LeBron and Luol Deng had a few verbal jabs after the halftime horn.
The Cavs' performance spoiled Derrick Rose's spectacular individual one (28 pts, 10 ast, 7 rbs). Leading 68-46, the Cavs were coasting to an easy win when the Bulls, who have virtually been playing playoff basketball for the past two weeks as they fought for the No. 8 seed, stormed back. The Bulls scored 12 straight and were within striking distance, down 73-60 entering the fourth. Chicago then cut it to 82-75 on Brad Miller's basket, but LeBron converted a three-point play with 2:29 left and Mo Williams (19 pts, 10 ast) followed with a 3-pointer to put Cleveland up 94-81 to seal the game. The comeback may have fallen short, but it gave the Bulls confidence for Game 2 on Monday night in Cleveland.
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For the first half, the Atlanta Hawks did nearly everything right. They made shots. They blocked shots. They dunked and defended and did their best to run Milwaukee out of the building early on. And one half was all they needed Saturday to get off to a good start in the playoffs against a gritty and embattled Bucks squad.
Led by Joe Johnson (22 pts, 7 rbs, 5 ast, 3 stl) and getting production from all their key players, the Hawks blitzed the Bucks before halftime, then survived a lackluster showing over the final two quarters and held off Milwaukee 102-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. The Hawks had mismatches at every position but the point, and took advantage of the gruesome injury that took out Bucks center Andrew Bogut two weeks ago. The home team never trailed, building a 20-point lead in the first quarter and going to halftime with a 62-40 edge.
Milwaukee made a game of it led by Brandon "Young Money" Jennings, who scored 34 points in his playoff debut. But the rookie didn't have nearly enough help against the No. 3-seeded Hawks, making their third straight playoff appearance and hoping to break up the expected Cleveland-Orlando duel in the Eastern Conference. The short-handed Bucks meanwhile were making their first playoff appearance since 2006, and that inexperience showed even though Jennings tried to take matters into his own hands. He went 14/25 from the field and accounted for 37% of his team's points, the highest for a rookie in his playoff debut. But, it's going to be tough for one man to beat the Hawks, who have a balanced lineup and perhaps the best sixth man in the league, Jamal Crawford (17 pts, 5rbs),who played in his first ever playoff game of his 10 year career. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Your 2009 World Series Champions.
No no, we haven't gone back in time, ya'll haters don't have to re-live the horror *cough*JabberWocky*cough* Kidding! The Yankees had their home opener today and prior to the game against the Angels, they (finally) received their championship rings! They look GORGEOUS! Like seriously really really good. MLB put up a bunch of pictures but it looks much better on a Yankee hand, so here's Swish with it and another and another. I know for one I would definitely say "I do" if proposed to with that beauty!
And I want to share a video of the ring ceremony (which I can't embed apologies) because you not only see the core four receiving their rings (and Derek being freaking adorable with Yogi!), you get to see the classy-ness that is the Yankee organization as Hideki Matsui, who now plays for the Angels, receives his ring then is promptly NOM NOM NOM-ed by the Yankee boys who were his teammates not too long ago! Too cute for words seriously. Also, before the ring ceremony, Derek gave Hideki a fake ring as a joke! Boys will be boys =)
And, of course, to top off such an amazing ceremony, the boys win it 7-5 (though it should've been a shut out game...still hate Park and my hatred for Abreu has not died either, but I do forgive Robertson). Andy Pettitte looked 37 years YOUNG with SIX scoreless innings pitched and SIX strikeouts. Then the shaky middle relievers came in and gave up 5 runs, before Mo solidly shut it down to get the save. Derek also got his first home run of the season (before Alex and Tex I might add)! All in all, it has been a great day for the Yankees and Yankee fans (so ya'll haters can suck it!) =)
In other news, @KeithOlbermann is now on Twitter and believe me when I say I am obsessed with his tweets. I cannot stop reading whatever he's tweeting! I can only hope he replies to my crazy comments one of these days (though I doubt it since I always end up just retweeting him and telling him I may be a stalker...)
And Iron Man 2 is out in 23 days! Less than a month woo!!
Until next time! (new sign off? I still like GNGL better but haven't used it in awhile...)
- Franny.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Duke Are NCAA Tournament Champions!!! :)
OH MY GOODNESS!!! that's what everyone was screaming repeatedly at their television sets down the stretch of one of the greatest National Title games of all time (and probably the best one of this decade). It didn't matter if you were rooting for Duke (like @DynastyJL and I were) or if you were rooting for Butler (like the majority of people) we were all probably screaming the same thing after every play in the last five minutes of the game. And what a game it was.
You thought it was going in, didn't you? I did. I thought when Butler's Gordon Hayward rushed up the right sideline with the ball, and teammate Matt Howard completely leveled Duke's Kyle Singler with a crushing blind-side screen, which left Hayward suddenly clear at midcourt and he went off his left foot yet still balanced and extended his right arm for a shot in textbook fashion to send a prayer through the air and toward the hoop... I thought it was in.
As soon as it left his hand I just saw it like it was in slow motion and I thought to myself "it's gonna go in, in a tournament like this one it just has to go in 'cause it would be the storybook ending". It was gonna be the basketball world's revenge on Duke and Christian Laettner for stealing the title 18 years ago at the buzzer. It was gonna be "Hoosiers 2: The Butler Bulldogs". I thought that shot was going in for every small school out there that never had a chance to get to the national championship. I thought it was going to be the greatest game-winning shot in basketball history to climax the greatest NCAA Tourney in history.
As the ball descended with marvelous accuracy, it looked like it was going to go glass-net-floor. And then it missed. Off the Glass-off the rim-to the floor. No soft, fairy-tale landing in the nylon for the hometown Hoosiers, instead it was a dose of cold reality, Duke wins 61-59. Most of the 70,000 fans on Butler's side let out an "Ohhhhhh," and the Duke players piled onto forward Kyle Singler at center court. What a way to end the season, even if America's favorite underdog came up a little short. Duke fans like myself let out a collective sigh of relief and sat back for minute to comprehend that Hayward actually missed, before going crazy.
They won with some clutch shooting, including Singler's 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range, and went 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the second half until Zoubek's intentional miss. Constantly called soft, they won with a mean streak, most evident when Lance Thomas took down Hayward hard to prevent an easy layup with 5:07 left. The refs reviewed the play and decided not to call it flagrant (one of a hundred moments in the game that could have swung the momentum).
A disappointing ending for those who wanted to see the "Hoosiers" sequel play out in real life. Butler, though, may have proven its point nonetheless. Teams with mega-money from power conferences aren't the only ones that win in college sports, especially when it comes to basketball. Nothing proves that better than the NCAA tournament. March Madness is a great event that stayed great into April this year.
It has never been better for Duke, which won a different way this season. There were no superstars on this team, just a bunch of solid players who may end up in the NBA not with lottery-pick money in their pockets (exept for maybe Singler), but with the label of being a national champion forever. That's always the goal in Coach K's program, and the fact that the Blue Devils hadn't been to the Final Four since 2004 didn't go unnoticed down on Tobacco Road, especially while North Carolina won two championships over that span. But while last year's champions, the Tar Heels, rebuild, Duke is the standard for next season.
Everyone thought the perfect ending would be for Butler to win in its hometown, but the Blue Devils also have history in Indianapolis. It's the place where they won their first championship, with Christian Laettner and Grant Hill at the helm, back in 1991. It's also the city where Nolan Smith's late father, Derek Smith, led Louisville to a championship in 1980. Some might call that a Hollywood ending, too.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
You thought it was going in, didn't you? I did. I thought when Butler's Gordon Hayward rushed up the right sideline with the ball, and teammate Matt Howard completely leveled Duke's Kyle Singler with a crushing blind-side screen, which left Hayward suddenly clear at midcourt and he went off his left foot yet still balanced and extended his right arm for a shot in textbook fashion to send a prayer through the air and toward the hoop... I thought it was in.
As soon as it left his hand I just saw it like it was in slow motion and I thought to myself "it's gonna go in, in a tournament like this one it just has to go in 'cause it would be the storybook ending". It was gonna be the basketball world's revenge on Duke and Christian Laettner for stealing the title 18 years ago at the buzzer. It was gonna be "Hoosiers 2: The Butler Bulldogs". I thought that shot was going in for every small school out there that never had a chance to get to the national championship. I thought it was going to be the greatest game-winning shot in basketball history to climax the greatest NCAA Tourney in history.
As the ball descended with marvelous accuracy, it looked like it was going to go glass-net-floor. And then it missed. Off the Glass-off the rim-to the floor. No soft, fairy-tale landing in the nylon for the hometown Hoosiers, instead it was a dose of cold reality, Duke wins 61-59. Most of the 70,000 fans on Butler's side let out an "Ohhhhhh," and the Duke players piled onto forward Kyle Singler at center court. What a way to end the season, even if America's favorite underdog came up a little short. Duke fans like myself let out a collective sigh of relief and sat back for minute to comprehend that Hayward actually missed, before going crazy.
Kyle Singler scored 19 points and Brian Zoubek rebounded Hayward's miss with 3.6 seconds left (the first of two chances Butler had to win it) to end Butlers bid for a real-life "Hoosiers" sequel. The "Big Three" (Singler, Jon Scheyer (15 points) and Nolan Smith (13 points)) won the Big One for coach Mike Krzyzewski, his first championship since 2001 and fourth overall, tying Coach K with Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp for second place on the all-time list.
Butler (33-5) shaved a five-point deficit to one and had a chance to win it, when its best player, Hayward, took the ball at the top of the key, spun and worked his way to the baseline, but was forced to put up an off-balance fadeaway from 15 feet. He missed, Zoubek got the rebound and made the first of two free throws. He missed the second one intentionally, and Duke's title wasn't secure until Hayward's desperation heave at the end bounced out.
It was a fitting game to end one of the most memorable tournaments in history, filled with close games, upsets and underdogs; the kind of tournament that some (like me) fear could be history if the NCAA goes ahead with an expansion to 96 teams, something that is very much on the table for next year.
It was the closest margin of victory in a title game since Michigan defeated Seton Hall 80-79 in 1989 and only the 11th title game in history to be decided by 2 points or fewer. Playing against the Bulldogs and working against a crowd of 70,930 with very few pockets of Duke fans, the Blue Devils persevered although never leading by more than six but also never falling behind after Singler hit a 3-pointer with 13:03 left for a 47-43 lead.
The Blue Devils won with defense. They held the Bulldogs to 34 percent shooting and contested every possession as tenaciously as Butler, which allowed 60 points for the first time since February. Zoubek, the 7-foot-1 center, finished with two blocks, 10 rebounds and too many altered shots to count. He also came out to trap the Butler guards and disrupt an offense that was already struggling.They won with some clutch shooting, including Singler's 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range, and went 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the second half until Zoubek's intentional miss. Constantly called soft, they won with a mean streak, most evident when Lance Thomas took down Hayward hard to prevent an easy layup with 5:07 left. The refs reviewed the play and decided not to call it flagrant (one of a hundred moments in the game that could have swung the momentum).
A disappointing ending for those who wanted to see the "Hoosiers" sequel play out in real life. Butler, though, may have proven its point nonetheless. Teams with mega-money from power conferences aren't the only ones that win in college sports, especially when it comes to basketball. Nothing proves that better than the NCAA tournament. March Madness is a great event that stayed great into April this year.
It has never been better for Duke, which won a different way this season. There were no superstars on this team, just a bunch of solid players who may end up in the NBA not with lottery-pick money in their pockets (exept for maybe Singler), but with the label of being a national champion forever. That's always the goal in Coach K's program, and the fact that the Blue Devils hadn't been to the Final Four since 2004 didn't go unnoticed down on Tobacco Road, especially while North Carolina won two championships over that span. But while last year's champions, the Tar Heels, rebuild, Duke is the standard for next season.
Everyone thought the perfect ending would be for Butler to win in its hometown, but the Blue Devils also have history in Indianapolis. It's the place where they won their first championship, with Christian Laettner and Grant Hill at the helm, back in 1991. It's also the city where Nolan Smith's late father, Derek Smith, led Louisville to a championship in 1980. Some might call that a Hollywood ending, too.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Monday, April 5, 2010
National Title Preview
Of course. This is the only way it could end.
The most dramatic, theatric, heartwrenching, and in some ways most curative NCAA tournament in many years (maybe ever) has to come down to this. It seems the basketball gods have decided, it has to end with an overdog-underdog matchup of epic proportion.
Duke versus Butler for the national championship. This is better than any movie script, and y'all know which movie I'm talking about.
Duke, is known as the program with everything, high academic ratings as well as high athletic standards in most sports but none more so than basketball; they are perfectionists in everything they do be it school or sports. Butler, is known as the program with a nice doggy mascot, a program playing in the shadows of Indiana and Purdue and in the late '70s Indiana State.
Duke, playing for its fourth national title in 19 years, is the most accomplished program of the past quarter century, playing in a title game for the sixth consecutive decade and 2nd time this decade. Butler is playing for its first title in school history after decades of never even dreaming of a NCAA tournament bid.
Duke, coached by Mike Krzyzewski, owner of an Olympic gold medal and three championship rings and 76 NCAA tourney victories, trying to become the third-oldest coach to win a title. Butler, coached by Brad Stevens, was mistaken for a player by Lucas Oil Stadium security last week, and a mere 70 NCAA wins behind Coach K, trying to become the second-youngest titlist.Duke, led by its six McDonald's All-Americans. Butler, with its 10 homegrown Hoosiers. Duke will play the role of uber-villain on Monday night against the fresh faces from the little school just 6 miles up the road. If you thought people were predisposed to root against Duke before now, the dislike just went off the charts past the atmosphere and into another galaxy.
So until tipoff, we have the perfect script. After that, we'll see how long it holds up. If Duke plays the way it did Saturday night in demolishing a tough West Virginia team, or if Butler is too battered from its brawl with the equally embattled Michigan State, the plot will collapse right after the opening tip. It would be last season's title mauling all over again, another home-state overachiever being bulldozed by an ACC powerhouse.
The Blue Devils were simply brilliant in dismantling the Mountaineers 78-57. They made 13 of 25 from behind the arc, had 20 assists, and only six turnovers. They frustrated West Virginia leading scorer Da'Sean Butler into a 2-for-8 shooting night before he went down with what is now being reported as a torn ACL (please pray for his speedy recovery).
Butler, on the other hand, played only well enough to win 52-50. They staggered to the finish line missing 19 of 25 second-half shots against the Spartans, including all seven from 3-point range. Forward Matt Howard went down with a mild concussion and played only 15 minutes. Point guard Shelvin Mack played just eight second-half minutes because of dehydration and severe cramps in both thighs. Even star Gordon Hayward was sporting a fat lip postgame. Howard and Mack are questionable right now while Hayward will most definitely play but the loss of the former 2 could be too much for Butler to overcome if they can't play.
They will have to keep Duke off the glass. They will have to make more than one of every three shots if they want to win. But Duke isn't taking Butler lightly. Coach K correctly pointed out Saturday night that Duke's institutional memory of its title runs pretty well stops with him. The players on this years team are in their first Final Four, same as Butler's. And he also made sure to declare that Butler is a good team and not a Cinderella; stating how they have won 25 in a row and have beaten top programs in Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State.
By seeding, there have been bigger underdog-overdog matchups in NCAA title game history. In 1985, Villanova was a No. 8 seed and Georgetown was a No. 1. But those two programs were both Big East schools of similar background, funding and profile. And in 1983, when No. 6 seed North Carolina State shocked Phi Slama Jama Houston, NC State owned a national title from the previous decade and membership in the ACC; not the Horizon League.
This is totally different. The closest comparison could be 1979. Indiana State of the small Missouri Valley Conference against Michigan State of the Big Ten. But the Sycamores had Larry Bird and were an undefeated No. 1 seed and there are no Larry Legends on this Butler squad. The Spartans, with Magic Johnson, were a six-loss No. 2 seed. Hardly a true underdog-overdog matchup but the matchup is similar in the sense that the small school of Indiana State took on the big program of Michigan State.
So feel free to flip back, through the record books as far as you can and find the comparison that strikes you best. The Texas Western-Kentucky final, in 1966? (that inspired the movie Glory Road) The Loyola Chicago-Cincinnati final, in 1963? Knock yourself out. Rest assured it will be a game unlike any my generation has ever seen and if Butler pulls off the upset (I hope they don't) it could be our generations ultimate underdog winner.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Red Sox And Yankees Kick Off Opening Night Of Baseball
The Red Sox stressed run prevention and defense as they built their team for this season. In the off-season they picked up some pitching in John Lackey and 3 position players known more for their defense in 3B Adrian Beltre (who I predict will have a breakout year), SS Marco Scutaro, and OF Mike Cameron. Then it began and they looked like the BoSox of old as they won with run production.
Kevin Youkilis had three extra-base hits, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer and the three new starters brought in for their defense had big nights with the bat as Boston rallied to beat the defending champion New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night (In Yo Face Franny!! :).
The signings of OF Mike Cameron, 3B Adrian Beltre and SS Marco Scutaro were part of what general manager Theo Epstein called the "run prevention" approach after a poor defensive season by the club last year. But the trio went a combined 5 for 9 with three RBIs. And it's not like they totally suck at the plate, they're actually quite good but all of them played for consistently bad teams so went under the radar.
Beltre, a 2 time gold glove winner, hit 48 homers and drove in 121 RBI's in 2004 with the Dodgers and since then has consistently, with the exception of last year, hit 20+ HR's and 75+ RBI's every year for the Mariners. The 37 year old Cameron, a 3 time gold glove winner, is no slouch at the plate either. And if you think his age is a problem, in the last 4 years Cameron has hit 20+ HR's and 70+ RBI's. What about Scutaro? he's the worst of the 3 at the plate but he has driven in 60 RBI's in each of the past 2 seasons and hit 12 HR's for the Blue Jays last year, not gaudy offensive numbers but he drew 90 walks last year and had an OBP of .379 as well as a batting average of .282 so he does get on base. Though he isn't the most talented of the 3 at the plate he is certainly the most patient.
New York took the early lead but Boston erased a 5-1 deficit against CC Sabathia in the first night opener in the history of 98-year-old Fenway Park. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers (the latter on his 1st at bat as a Yankee) off Josh Beckett to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second. It was 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Scutaro singled and Pedroia tied it with an opening-day homer for the second straight season.Youkilis then doubled with two outs, went to third on Damaso Marte's wild pitch and scored when the left-hander's high pitch bounced off Posada's glove for a passed ball.
Pedroia added an RBI single in the eighth. Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning to get the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.Yankee newcomer Chan Ho Park recorded just two outs while taking the loss in his Yankees debut. The right-hander was charged with three runs and three hits.
Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez got a warm greeting when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The real starters didn't do as well. Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his second poor opening-day start since he joined New York for a $161 million, seven-year contract. Beckett allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was the worst of five Opening Day starts for the right-hander, who had allowed just four runs in 22 2/3 innings in his previous four.
It was a classic see-saw battle between the two bitter rivals and a fantastic way to officially open the season.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
**Note: If anyone wants to join our Fantasy League of ESPN.com send us your email address at arbitraryopinions@gmail.com and we will send you an invite to join the league; the season ending winner will win Madden '11 if it comes out by season's end or any game of their choice worth a retail value of $70 Cdn. (before taxes) the cutoff date to join is April 13th**
Kevin Youkilis had three extra-base hits, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer and the three new starters brought in for their defense had big nights with the bat as Boston rallied to beat the defending champion New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night (In Yo Face Franny!! :).
The signings of OF Mike Cameron, 3B Adrian Beltre and SS Marco Scutaro were part of what general manager Theo Epstein called the "run prevention" approach after a poor defensive season by the club last year. But the trio went a combined 5 for 9 with three RBIs. And it's not like they totally suck at the plate, they're actually quite good but all of them played for consistently bad teams so went under the radar.
Beltre, a 2 time gold glove winner, hit 48 homers and drove in 121 RBI's in 2004 with the Dodgers and since then has consistently, with the exception of last year, hit 20+ HR's and 75+ RBI's every year for the Mariners. The 37 year old Cameron, a 3 time gold glove winner, is no slouch at the plate either. And if you think his age is a problem, in the last 4 years Cameron has hit 20+ HR's and 70+ RBI's. What about Scutaro? he's the worst of the 3 at the plate but he has driven in 60 RBI's in each of the past 2 seasons and hit 12 HR's for the Blue Jays last year, not gaudy offensive numbers but he drew 90 walks last year and had an OBP of .379 as well as a batting average of .282 so he does get on base. Though he isn't the most talented of the 3 at the plate he is certainly the most patient.
New York took the early lead but Boston erased a 5-1 deficit against CC Sabathia in the first night opener in the history of 98-year-old Fenway Park. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers (the latter on his 1st at bat as a Yankee) off Josh Beckett to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second. It was 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Scutaro singled and Pedroia tied it with an opening-day homer for the second straight season.Youkilis then doubled with two outs, went to third on Damaso Marte's wild pitch and scored when the left-hander's high pitch bounced off Posada's glove for a passed ball.
Pedroia added an RBI single in the eighth. Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning to get the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.Yankee newcomer Chan Ho Park recorded just two outs while taking the loss in his Yankees debut. The right-hander was charged with three runs and three hits.
Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez got a warm greeting when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The real starters didn't do as well. Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his second poor opening-day start since he joined New York for a $161 million, seven-year contract. Beckett allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was the worst of five Opening Day starts for the right-hander, who had allowed just four runs in 22 2/3 innings in his previous four.
It was a classic see-saw battle between the two bitter rivals and a fantastic way to officially open the season.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
**Note: If anyone wants to join our Fantasy League of ESPN.com send us your email address at arbitraryopinions@gmail.com and we will send you an invite to join the league; the season ending winner will win Madden '11 if it comes out by season's end or any game of their choice worth a retail value of $70 Cdn. (before taxes) the cutoff date to join is April 13th**
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Final 4 Recap
In the first game of the Final 4 the underdog Butler Bulldogs, in their quest for their first national title visit, took on the embattled Michigan State Spartans who a year ago lost in the national title game to North Carolina. It was a hard-fought game that was all about defense, and Butler did not disappoint the hometown fans in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Gordon Hayward had 19 points and nine rebounds, including one with 2 seconds left that sealed the game. The small school of 4,200 students looked nothing like a mid major team, taking down another of college basketball's biggest names with a 52-50 victory over Michigan State in the Final Four on Saturday night.
Michigan State (28-9) has been living on the edge all tournament, ravaged by injuries and squeaking through game after game, and this night was no different. After trailing by as much as seven in the second half, Draymond Green made a pair of free throws to pull the Spartans within 1 with 56 seconds left.
On the following Butler possession, Ronald Nored missed a jumper, and the Spartans got the rebound. However, Hayward wouldn't give the driving Green an inch on the defensive end, forcing him to put up an awkward layup that didn't come close. Nored scooped up the rebound, and Green had no choice but to foul him, ending the big fella's game. Nored, who had been just 3 for 12 from the line in the tournament, made both, and the Bulldogs had a 52-49 lead with 6 seconds to play.
After a timeout, the Spartans inbounded the ball and Butler was all over them, choosing to foul rather than take a chance on the Spartans getting off a 3. Korie Lucious made the first and intentionally missed the second for an offensive rebound opportunity but Hayward came up with the ball to seal the victory and set off a party that Indiana hasn't seen since tiny Milan beat Muncie Central for the state title in 1954, the real-life inspiration for "Hoosiers."
They might just have to make a sequel if Butler wins the National Title. No team has won the national title in their home state since UCLA in 1975, when the Final Four was down the road from Westwood in San Diego but Butler has a chance to do it. And the entire Hoosier state is along for the ride as Butler continues it's improbable run. Indiana and Purdue may be the state's traditional basketball powerhouses, but it's little Butler that's providing the shining moments now.
So who would Butler play in the final? That would be decided between another feel-good team in the West Virginia Mountaineers, looking for their first National Title bid since 1959 when Jerry West led them to the final where they eventually lost 71-70 to Cal (just a short history lesson), and the Duke Blue Devils, who were looking for their first bid since 2001.
Jon Scheyer scored 23 points Saturday night to lift Duke, the team so many folks love to hate (I LOVE them though), to a 78-57 victory over a tough West Virginia squad and set up a meeting against tiny Butler. A classic matchup of big vs. little, with the national title on the line.
Still, Butler is a No. 5 seed which isn't truly Cinderella-esque plus they're riding a . But in a tournament where nothing has been predictable, the Blue Devils (34-5) were the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. Their trip, however, wasn't totally expected. Duke had gone six long years since its last appearance and hasn't been to the final since winning it all nine years ago (against another 5 seed in Arizona which was led by NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson) a veritable century by Tobacco Road standards. Now, this group of Blue Devils has a chance to give coach, Mike Krzyzewski, his fourth national championship which would tie him with Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp for 2nd on the all time list of most NCAA championships and 6 behind John Wooden's incredible 10 at UCLA (I don't think that record will ever be broken).
It was an inspiring journey for West Virginia as Bob Huggins returned to West Virginia to bring an elusive title back home to a state that loves its flagship school like few others. But any chance of that ended with 8:59 left, when the Mountaineers' star, Da'Sean Butler, twisted his left knee and, to add insult to injury, got called for a charge as he crumpled to the ground. The sequence left him writhing in pain under the basket and his coach, the Huggy Bear, came out to the floor, first to yell at the refs, then to kneel down and tenderly cup the head of his star (the player who, more than anyone, made this run possible) in one of the most touching moments in NCAA tournament history. The injury deflated the whole West Virginia team (it deflated me and I was going for Duke I can only imagine what his teammates were going through) as they finished the game sort of disjointedly yet still giving it their all.
Duke stayed on a road that could lead to the school's fourth championship despite the lack of a true superstar, there are no Christian Laettners or Shane Battiers or Grant Hills on this squad. Instead, this is a group of humble players who do what they do well and fill their roles perfectly for a program that routinely has been dissed across America as being too arrogant.
The Duke-bashing came up again, this week, on several fronts; including the retraction of an illustration of Coach K on the front of the Indianapolis Star sports section with horns and a target scribbled onto his head.
Coach K's response to all the hate? "If you want to hate us because we have kids who go to school, graduate, play solid, team ball and win a lot, go ahead."
They're without a single superstar, but with an emotional center in Nolan Smith, who finds himself back in the city where his father, Derek, led Louisville to a championship back in 1980. Derek Smith died of a heart attack at age 34, when Nolan was 8, and the Duke guard is just coming around to talking about it. Given Smith's history, a title in Indianapolis would only be fitting. There's another team, the hometown Butler Bulldogs, who could make an argument for the same thing though. May the best team win.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Gordon Hayward had 19 points and nine rebounds, including one with 2 seconds left that sealed the game. The small school of 4,200 students looked nothing like a mid major team, taking down another of college basketball's biggest names with a 52-50 victory over Michigan State in the Final Four on Saturday night.
Michigan State (28-9) has been living on the edge all tournament, ravaged by injuries and squeaking through game after game, and this night was no different. After trailing by as much as seven in the second half, Draymond Green made a pair of free throws to pull the Spartans within 1 with 56 seconds left.
On the following Butler possession, Ronald Nored missed a jumper, and the Spartans got the rebound. However, Hayward wouldn't give the driving Green an inch on the defensive end, forcing him to put up an awkward layup that didn't come close. Nored scooped up the rebound, and Green had no choice but to foul him, ending the big fella's game. Nored, who had been just 3 for 12 from the line in the tournament, made both, and the Bulldogs had a 52-49 lead with 6 seconds to play.
After a timeout, the Spartans inbounded the ball and Butler was all over them, choosing to foul rather than take a chance on the Spartans getting off a 3. Korie Lucious made the first and intentionally missed the second for an offensive rebound opportunity but Hayward came up with the ball to seal the victory and set off a party that Indiana hasn't seen since tiny Milan beat Muncie Central for the state title in 1954, the real-life inspiration for "Hoosiers."
They might just have to make a sequel if Butler wins the National Title. No team has won the national title in their home state since UCLA in 1975, when the Final Four was down the road from Westwood in San Diego but Butler has a chance to do it. And the entire Hoosier state is along for the ride as Butler continues it's improbable run. Indiana and Purdue may be the state's traditional basketball powerhouses, but it's little Butler that's providing the shining moments now.
So who would Butler play in the final? That would be decided between another feel-good team in the West Virginia Mountaineers, looking for their first National Title bid since 1959 when Jerry West led them to the final where they eventually lost 71-70 to Cal (just a short history lesson), and the Duke Blue Devils, who were looking for their first bid since 2001.
Jon Scheyer scored 23 points Saturday night to lift Duke, the team so many folks love to hate (I LOVE them though), to a 78-57 victory over a tough West Virginia squad and set up a meeting against tiny Butler. A classic matchup of big vs. little, with the national title on the line.
Still, Butler is a No. 5 seed which isn't truly Cinderella-esque plus they're riding a . But in a tournament where nothing has been predictable, the Blue Devils (34-5) were the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. Their trip, however, wasn't totally expected. Duke had gone six long years since its last appearance and hasn't been to the final since winning it all nine years ago (against another 5 seed in Arizona which was led by NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson) a veritable century by Tobacco Road standards. Now, this group of Blue Devils has a chance to give coach, Mike Krzyzewski, his fourth national championship which would tie him with Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp for 2nd on the all time list of most NCAA championships and 6 behind John Wooden's incredible 10 at UCLA (I don't think that record will ever be broken).
It was an inspiring journey for West Virginia as Bob Huggins returned to West Virginia to bring an elusive title back home to a state that loves its flagship school like few others. But any chance of that ended with 8:59 left, when the Mountaineers' star, Da'Sean Butler, twisted his left knee and, to add insult to injury, got called for a charge as he crumpled to the ground. The sequence left him writhing in pain under the basket and his coach, the Huggy Bear, came out to the floor, first to yell at the refs, then to kneel down and tenderly cup the head of his star (the player who, more than anyone, made this run possible) in one of the most touching moments in NCAA tournament history. The injury deflated the whole West Virginia team (it deflated me and I was going for Duke I can only imagine what his teammates were going through) as they finished the game sort of disjointedly yet still giving it their all.
Duke stayed on a road that could lead to the school's fourth championship despite the lack of a true superstar, there are no Christian Laettners or Shane Battiers or Grant Hills on this squad. Instead, this is a group of humble players who do what they do well and fill their roles perfectly for a program that routinely has been dissed across America as being too arrogant.
The Duke-bashing came up again, this week, on several fronts; including the retraction of an illustration of Coach K on the front of the Indianapolis Star sports section with horns and a target scribbled onto his head.
Coach K's response to all the hate? "If you want to hate us because we have kids who go to school, graduate, play solid, team ball and win a lot, go ahead."
They're without a single superstar, but with an emotional center in Nolan Smith, who finds himself back in the city where his father, Derek, led Louisville to a championship back in 1980. Derek Smith died of a heart attack at age 34, when Nolan was 8, and the Duke guard is just coming around to talking about it. Given Smith's history, a title in Indianapolis would only be fitting. There's another team, the hometown Butler Bulldogs, who could make an argument for the same thing though. May the best team win.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Friday, April 2, 2010
Dayton Flyers Are Tournament Champions...Of The N.I.T.
Dayton players danced in jovial and expressive fashion at midcourt and then lingered on ladders as they cut down the nets at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. Forgive the Flyers for taking a little extra time to soak it all in. They're not accustomed to championships, or any trophy ceremonies for that matter, as the North Carolina team they had just beaten.
Marcus Johnson, looking like a modern day Dan Patrick :P, scored 20 points and Dayton denied last year's NCAA national champs yet another title in their illustrious school history, topping the Tar Heels 79-68 Thursday night to win the National Invitation Tournament.
Relying on depth, defense and some clutch 3-point shooting (obviously they were channeling their inner DP), the Flyers took home their first title in 42 years and handed North Carolina one more disheartening loss at the end of what has to be the worst season in a LONG time for the Tar Heels (Duke all the way!!!).
Reserve guard Paul Williams added 16 points for No. 3 seed Dayton (25-12), which bounced back from a disappointing regular season of its own (should have made the NCAA tourney this year as a 6-9 seed) to win its third NIT title and first since 1968 under coach Don Donoher. Picked by a majority of analysts to win the Atlantic 10 Conference, the athletic and experienced Flyers faded late in the season and missed the NCAA tournament before turning things around and finishing on a high note.
And while Dayton has been a regular in this event (this was Dayton's 22nd!! appearance in the NIT 2nd only to St. Johns' 27), it was strange to see North Carolina in the college basketball consolation tournament this year. One of the sport's true heavyweights, the Tar Heels own five NCAA national championships, including an 89-72 victory over Michigan State in last year's title game. Tom Izzo and the embattled Spartans are back in the Final Four, set to play Butler in Indianapolis on Saturday. Meanwhile, North Carolina was left to chase a consolation prize following a 16-16 regular season wrecked by injuries, leaky defense and a string of embarrassing losses. The blue bloods from Tobacco Road do have one NIT title though, which came in 1971.
The Tar Heels also fell short in their attempt to grab a somewhat perplexed piece of college basketball history. A victory would have made them the first team to follow up an NCAA national championship with an NIT crown the next year. And with officials discussing expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams as soon as next year (please don't let this happen NCAA), this could be the last NIT ever, an event with a rich history that dates to 1938. The NIT was the premier tournament back in the day but after the mid '60s or early '70s (it's debatable) the NCAA tournament supplanted the NIT in terms of crowning the true national champion.
If this is indeed the last NIT ever it was a fitting way to end it, a small-conference team beating a perennial powerhouse. Though an oldschool mash up of Dayton vs. St Johns wouldn't have been bad either. All in all the NIT was fun to watch this year and I'll be sad to see it go. Here's hoping the NCAA decides to keep the NCAA tourney at 64 teams so we can keep watching NIT basketball at Madison Square Garden.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Marcus Johnson, looking like a modern day Dan Patrick :P, scored 20 points and Dayton denied last year's NCAA national champs yet another title in their illustrious school history, topping the Tar Heels 79-68 Thursday night to win the National Invitation Tournament.
Relying on depth, defense and some clutch 3-point shooting (obviously they were channeling their inner DP), the Flyers took home their first title in 42 years and handed North Carolina one more disheartening loss at the end of what has to be the worst season in a LONG time for the Tar Heels (Duke all the way!!!).
Reserve guard Paul Williams added 16 points for No. 3 seed Dayton (25-12), which bounced back from a disappointing regular season of its own (should have made the NCAA tourney this year as a 6-9 seed) to win its third NIT title and first since 1968 under coach Don Donoher. Picked by a majority of analysts to win the Atlantic 10 Conference, the athletic and experienced Flyers faded late in the season and missed the NCAA tournament before turning things around and finishing on a high note.
And while Dayton has been a regular in this event (this was Dayton's 22nd!! appearance in the NIT 2nd only to St. Johns' 27), it was strange to see North Carolina in the college basketball consolation tournament this year. One of the sport's true heavyweights, the Tar Heels own five NCAA national championships, including an 89-72 victory over Michigan State in last year's title game. Tom Izzo and the embattled Spartans are back in the Final Four, set to play Butler in Indianapolis on Saturday. Meanwhile, North Carolina was left to chase a consolation prize following a 16-16 regular season wrecked by injuries, leaky defense and a string of embarrassing losses. The blue bloods from Tobacco Road do have one NIT title though, which came in 1971.
The Tar Heels also fell short in their attempt to grab a somewhat perplexed piece of college basketball history. A victory would have made them the first team to follow up an NCAA national championship with an NIT crown the next year. And with officials discussing expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams as soon as next year (please don't let this happen NCAA), this could be the last NIT ever, an event with a rich history that dates to 1938. The NIT was the premier tournament back in the day but after the mid '60s or early '70s (it's debatable) the NCAA tournament supplanted the NIT in terms of crowning the true national champion.
If this is indeed the last NIT ever it was a fitting way to end it, a small-conference team beating a perennial powerhouse. Though an oldschool mash up of Dayton vs. St Johns wouldn't have been bad either. All in all the NIT was fun to watch this year and I'll be sad to see it go. Here's hoping the NCAA decides to keep the NCAA tourney at 64 teams so we can keep watching NIT basketball at Madison Square Garden.
Peace and Much Love to Ya :)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Countdown to May 7!!
Greetings all (at the stroke of midnight, which isn't a coincidence because I've been sitting on this completed post for 15 minutes...and now I realize that the post time is when I created this post and not when I publish it...time well spent)! As I haven't posted anything substantial lately, I present to you a Countdown to May 7!! What's happening on May 7th? Honestly, if you don't know then I judge you for life, but I will explain anyway because I am a kind blogger (unlike those mean ones, you know, the ones over at Red State really...and HuffPo gets snarky...ANYWHO). There are 35 days until IRON MAN 2 comes out!! *LOUD CHEERS*
If I didn't have school, don't doubt that I wouldn't watch Iron Man every day until the sequel comes out, because if I didn't have school, I would have for real, seriously. To further explain to those non-movie-goers, Iron Man 2 will star THE Robert Downey Jr (and if you don't know the extent of my love for him you can crawl back into your cave because society doesn't want you) as well as Don Cheadle (who replaced Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes), that Wrestler dude who loves dogs, that chick who's married to Ryan Reynolds, and of course, the lovely blonde lady who will reprise her role as Pepper Potts. OH and of course director Jon Favreau will be back as Happy Hogan!
I'm going to try to update as often as possible between now and IM2 (as much as my work/study load will allow) because I'm pretty much following everything that's happening. Instead of trying to explain the awesomness to you (not that I should need to, just the title itself is enticing enough), I leave you now with links to the various trailers available:
And the newest one that I am unable to embed for reasons beyond my mental capacity (I'm sure Tony Stark would be able to do it, if only he were here with me...and real...)
ALSO THE WEBSITE IS UP
AS WELL AS STARK EXPO 2010
Apologies for the weird size of the youtube embeds, just click it to open it up nice and big to enjoy its HD goodness. Ok, I have over-excited myself at such a late hour, I shant be sleeping tonight. Guess what I'll be doing? (hint: It involves my Iron Man dvd...)
- Franny.
BTW I have revived the TWITTER account @ArbitraryO, follow and I will update I promise!
If I didn't have school, don't doubt that I wouldn't watch Iron Man every day until the sequel comes out, because if I didn't have school, I would have for real, seriously. To further explain to those non-movie-goers, Iron Man 2 will star THE Robert Downey Jr (and if you don't know the extent of my love for him you can crawl back into your cave because society doesn't want you) as well as Don Cheadle (who replaced Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes), that Wrestler dude who loves dogs, that chick who's married to Ryan Reynolds, and of course, the lovely blonde lady who will reprise her role as Pepper Potts. OH and of course director Jon Favreau will be back as Happy Hogan!
I'm going to try to update as often as possible between now and IM2 (as much as my work/study load will allow) because I'm pretty much following everything that's happening. Instead of trying to explain the awesomness to you (not that I should need to, just the title itself is enticing enough), I leave you now with links to the various trailers available:
And the newest one that I am unable to embed for reasons beyond my mental capacity (I'm sure Tony Stark would be able to do it, if only he were here with me...and real...)
ALSO THE WEBSITE IS UP
AS WELL AS STARK EXPO 2010
Apologies for the weird size of the youtube embeds, just click it to open it up nice and big to enjoy its HD goodness. Ok, I have over-excited myself at such a late hour, I shant be sleeping tonight. Guess what I'll be doing? (hint: It involves my Iron Man dvd...)
- Franny.
BTW I have revived the TWITTER account @ArbitraryO, follow and I will update I promise!
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