Feb

10

Pistons Win 8th Straight, Declaw Bobcats 113-87

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000a22.jpg?

The Detroit Pistons, as of late, have had a relatively easy time with their opponents; during their current homestand, they have soundly beaten the Portland Trail Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks and the short-handed Miami Heat (who hasn’t?).? Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats, they picked up where they left off as they held the Bobcats to 38.9% shooting from the floor, cruising to an easy 113-87 win at Palace of Auburn Hills.

To illustrate how dominant the Pistons were, they took only 9 minutes to build a 27-7 lead; the Bobcats seemed to do only marginally better against the Pistons’ bench, but still trailed 55-38 at halftime.? Charlotte never could reduce the Pistons’ lead back into double-digits, even after Detroit used their reserves almost exclusively.? Detroit’s leading scorer was Tayshaun Prince with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists; Richard Hamilton scored a rather quiet 18 with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.?

Charlotte was led by Jason Richardson with 27 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists; Raymond Felton scored 14 with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.? Nazr Mohammed added 10 along with 8 boards, an assist, 2 steals and a blocked shot.? Detroit (37-13) now flies to Atlanta to face the Hawks Tuesday, while Charlotte (18-33) returns home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Feb

10

Carter Knocked Down, Returns To Lead Nets To Shellacking Of Mavericks 101-82

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

?????????????????????????????????New Jersey Nets swingman Vince Carter, right, goes up with a shot as Dallas Mavericks center Erick Dampier defends during the second quarter of their game, played Sunday. Carter scored 29 points, leading New Jersey to a 101-82 win over Dallas.

Usually if you’re hit by a sharp elbow, you’re down for the count - usually; but not New Jersey swingman Vince Carter.? After receiving an elbow to the head by Dallas Mavericks forward Brandon Bass early in the second quarter, he would return to score 25 points (he scored 4 points prior to the accident), leading the New Jersey Nets to a convincing 101-82 win over the Mavericks Sunday at IZOD Center.

Carter wasn’t doing anything special offensively, having only scored 4 points until the 8:23 mark of the second quarter; that’s when he received the inadvertant elbow from Bass.? He was down on the floor for about 2 minutes, then was taken to the locker room for more medical attention.? Dallas would score the next 6 points to take a 36-25 lead with 6:43 left in the first half.? As the Nets’ Jason Kidd was shooting the first of 2 free throws, Carter returned to action with 5:23 left in the second quarter.?

Kidd hit the second free throw and Carter followed with a jumper and a reverse layup, part of a 20-4 Nets run at the end of the half which featured 8 points by Carter and 5 apiece from Kidd and Richard Jefferson.? The run bridged the end of the second and beginning of the third quarter and was part of a 36-6 Nets explosion that turned a 36-25 Nets deficit to a 61-42 lead.? The Mavericks never threatened seriously after that explosion.

New Jersey was led by Carter with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a pair of blocked shots; Jefferson scored 19 with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.? Sean Williams added 15 with 7 boards and 2 blocked shots, while Kidd recorded a double-double with 13 and 14 assists.? Dallas’ leading scorer was Dirk Nowitski with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists?while Josh Howard?scored 16 with 4 rebounds; Bass from off the bench added 13 with 6 rebounds and 2 assists.? New Jersey (22-29) continues their homstand by hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday, while Dallas (34-16) makes the very short trip to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers Monday.

Feb

10

Nuggets Flat Out Humiliate Cavaliers 113-83

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000a3.jpg?

There have been worse losses in the LeBron James era of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but I would have to do an awful lot of searching in my memory banks(or probably just log on to the Cavaliers website) to figure out where or when. Let’s just say that this was the worst loss of an up and down season, by the reigning NBA Eastern Conference Champions. The Cavaliers were embarrassed by the Denver Nuggets in from of their home fans at the Q Sunday night as they lost 113-83, in a game that was not even as close as the final score indicates. Cleveland fell behind by 37 points. Denver was led by Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and some nice performances from the bench. Cleveland had LBJ, Larry Hughes, and a whole bunch of nothing, as they were never really a threat in this contest.

To?be fair Cleveland has been bitten especially hard by the injury bug right now. Sasha Pavlovic, Anderson Varejao, Drew Gooden,?and Daniel Gibson, all missed the game due to injury. Cavaliers?coach Mike Brown has tried to be creative with his starters and substitutions. Some nights it works, other nights it doesn’t. This was one of the other nights. Cleveland last held the lead at 16-15 with just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter. From then on it was all Denver, all the time. The Nuggets were ahead 35-24 at the end of the first quarter, 63-45 at the end of the half. Denver was up 90-74, at the end of the third quarter, but the fun had barely begun. The Nuggets had players like Von Wafer, and Yakhouba Diawara hitting 2 at the line to put Denver up by 37 points, 113-76, with 2:55 left in the game. Mercifully somehow Cleveland scored the last 7 unanswered points, to cut the final margin to 30.?

Anthony led Denver with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, in the victory. A.I. recorded a double-double with 25 points, a game high 13 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound, J.R. Smith came off the bench and scored 18 points, 5 boards, 1 block, 1 assist. Linas Kleiza also came off the bench scoring 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal.

James scored a game high 30 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and did not play in the fourth quarter. Larry Hughes scored 14 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal. They were the only two Cleveland players to reach double figures. With the win, Denver improves to a record of 31-19, Cleveland is now 28-22.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com?

Feb

10

Meet The New Heat; Same As The Old Heat Lakers Win 104-94

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000a24.jpg?

The names may have changed, but the song remains the same. The Miami Heat right now are a bad basketball team, there is no other way to put it. Two years removed from being the NBA Champions, they are in search of an identity. Why Pat Riley is putting himself through this, instead of opening up a surf board shop on Maui is beyond me! I mean the man has won NBA Championships in two different cities, the ship he’s on right now only resembles the Titanic. Oh Yeah, the “New Look Miami Heat” looked pretty much the same on Sunday losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 104-94.? Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with a game high 33 points, new Miami forward Shawn Marion recorded a double-double in the loss.

The game was a contest for the first 24 minutes of play, after Miami?recovered from their trance like start. Los Angeles scored the first 8 points of the game before Dorell Wright made the first of two back to back baskets. But then Miami got hot, taking their first lead of the game at 16-14, and running it up to 22-16 as Jason Williams hit an outside jumper with 1:45 left in the period. The Lakers closed out the quarter on a 9-2 run to lead 25-24 at the end of the first. Miami would tie the game at 43-43 as Marion hit a short range jump shot with 4:31 left in the quarter. But again the Lakers pulled off an 8-4 run to jack the lead back up to 51-47 as the game reached the half. Los Angeles started the third quarter off on a tear,?as they pulled ahead 74-60. But Miami persevered and were down just 76-73?as Williams hit a trey?with 2:11 left in the period. L.A. once again put some distance between the two teams, going on a 6-0 jaunt to lead 72-63 heading into the final 12 minutes of play. That was it for Miami as they never got any closer than being down?9 points ?in the final quarter.

Kobe scored a game high 33 points in the victory, he had 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals. Lamar Odom recorded a double-double, scoring 15 points, a game high 18 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal, the Lakers’ new cult hero Sasha Vujacic scored 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals. Pau Gasol continues to impress in a Lakers uniform scoring 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block.

Mark Blount who has done better than anyone, could have possibly expected as Miami’s new starting center, had another big game. Blount scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals. Marion in his first game in a Miami uniform recorded a double-double, 15 points,?14 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, Dorell Wright also scored 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. Jason?Williams scored 10 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal,? the other new member of the Heat guard Marcus Banks came off the bench, and scored 7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds in the loss. The Lakers now have a record of 33-17, Miami has the worst record in the Association at 9-40.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com???
??

Feb

10

Pierce & Company Keep Spurs In Corral Celtics Win 98-90

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000a34.jpg?

Paul Pierce scored a game high 35 points, as a depleted Boston Celtics roster held off the defending NBA Champions defeating San Antonio Sunday afternoon 98-90. Boston was without forward Kevin Garnett for the seventh straight game. Boston also got big contributions from Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

After the contest Celtics coach Doc Rivers told reporters that the “Big Ticket” would be out through the All-Star game recovering from his straining an abdominal muscle. NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a press release later on Sunday saying that Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace would replace Garnett on the All-Star roster. Boston was also without starting center Kendrick Perkins who has a balky left shoulder, Perkins said the shoulder popped out of the socket and then back into place, he is listed as day to day.

Spurs took the lead at the end of the first quarter, as they were up 23-20. Although Boston trailed for most of the second quarter,?Pierce hit a 22 foot jumper with six seconds left in the period. Boston?had the advantage as the two teams went to their respective locker rooms at the half up by 2 points?43-41. The two opponents were tied at 48-48 as Tim Duncan laid it?up and in with 8:22 remaining in the third.?But Boston would break ahead, and have a comfortable lead of 68-61 by the end of the quarter. San?Antonio had one more rally left in them, as they closed to?within 2 points as?Ime Udoka laid it up and through the cylinder making it an 83-81 contest, with 3:59? left in the game.?The 2 teams traded?hoops though 89-87, but then the Green Team put some distance between themselves and the?Spurs going?ahead 94-87. San Antonio had nothing left in the tank.

Pierce led all scorers with 35 points, he also had 6 rebounds, 2 steals?in the win. Ray Allen scored 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, Eddie House came off the bench scoring 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist. Rajon Rondo had a double-double, but not in the traditional way, he scored just ?5 points, but had a game high 12 assists, and grabbed 11 boards, “Big Baby” had a nice?game off the bench especially defensively on Duncan, Davis scored 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist.

Duncan recorded a double-double for the?Spurs scoring 22 points, grabbing a game high 14 boards, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal. Manu Ginobili, in for starter Tony Parker who?has missed six straight games with a sprained left ankle, scored 21 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals,?1 block. Michael Finley came off the bench and scored 19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal.?The Celtics?beat San Antonio?in Boston for the first time this decade! In fact their last win against the Spurs in the Bay State came January 8, 1997. Boston is?now 39-9, San Antonio is 32-17.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com???

Feb

10

Rasheed To Replace Big Ticket At All-Star Game

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000a36.jpg?

The NBA announced Sunday that Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace has been chosen to replace Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett in next Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a press release announcing that Wallace had been picked to replace Boston’s “Big Ticket” on the roster of the game to be played next Sunday in New Orleans. Garnett has missed 7 straight games, and Boston coach Doc Rivers had told reporters earlier that the forward would be out until the All-Star game and probably miss the game as well. Wallace will be playing in his fourth NBA All-Star Game. Rivers who is also coaching the team from the Eastern Conference will decide who will replace Garnett in the starting lineup.

? Copyright 2008 thesackattack.com


Feb

10

Kings’ Garcia Out Two More Games

Filed Under Main | Leave a Comment

????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Sacramento Kings swingman Francisco Garcia

The Sacramento Kings will miss one of their offensive weapons for a bit longer; the Sacramento Bee reports that?swingman Fernando Garcia did not travel with the team to Oakland for the Kings-Warriors game Saturday due to a back strain.? It is expected that Garcia will miss the Kings’ next 2 games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, but is expected backafter the All-Star break, when the Kings face the Portland Trail Blazers.? Prior to the injury, Garcia was averaging 12.2 PPG and 3.5 RPG; his career average is 7.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG.

Next Page →