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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
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
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