Players still have something to prove in Senior Bowl game
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Published:
Jan. 27, 2012 at 07:07 pm
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Updated:
Jan. 27, 2012 at 07:53 pm
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Tags: Game
Thunder-WarriorsGame Review
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) – Kevin Durants double-double of a season-high 37 points and 14 rebounds powered the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors Friday night.
Russell Westbrook had a terrific all-around game with 28 points, 11 assists and seven steals for the Thunder, who own an NBA-best 16-3 record. Serge Ibaka also posted a double-double with a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, while James Harden contributed 19 points off the bench.
Serge was big, the offensive rebounds and his baskets around the paint, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. He can guard small guys. Thats the advantage that we do have. When we want to go with our big lineup, Serge can step out and guard smaller players because of his athletic ability and length he can cover three-point shooters.
Dorell Wright drained six shots from beyond the arc en route to a season-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Golden State, which has dropped four of its last five games. David Lee scored 19 points in defeat.
With 8:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, Klay Thompsons turnaround jumper trimmed the Warriors deficit to 88-85. But Oklahoma City responded with a 12-1 surge, and Nick Collison completed a three-point play at the foul line to put the visitors up 111-96 with just over two minutes left.
[The Thunder] scored 28 points in the last 5 1/2 minutes basically, Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. They have a different motor. Theyre a different animal. We have to learn how to do that. We dont have the luxury to be able to turn it on when we want to. Its a good lesson for us.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 10 in the first quarter, but Golden State pulled even at 50 on a Monta Ellis free throw with 1:57 to play in the opening half. However, the Thunder closed out the second stanza on a 7-2 run, giving them the same five-point lead they owned after 12 minutes.
In the third quarter, Ellis hit a driving layup to draw the Warriors within one at 65-64. Oklahoma City, though, carried an 85-77 lead into the final frame.
Tags: Game
Jazz-MavericksGame Review
Dallas, TX (Sports Network) – Rodrigue Beaubois scored a season-high 22 points to power the short-handed Mavericks to a 116-101 win over Utah.
Lamar Odom added a season-best 19 points and Jason Terry scored 18 off the bench for Dallas, which played without Dirk Nowitzki (sore right knee) and Delonte West (strained right hamstring). Starting point guard Jason Kidd left the game in the first quarter with a strained right calf and didnt return.
Despite the injuries, the Mavericks shot 55 percent and went 11-of-19 from three-point range on the way to their fourth win in five games.
They told me that Jason Kidd was going to be out, so I just wanted to play the best basketball I could play and just wanted the team to win, Beaubois said. Everybody did a great job, we knew Jason Kidd wasnt going to play and we know how important he is to us. Everybody stepped up and that was good.
Brendan Haywood contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Shawn Marion notched 16 points for Dallas, which has won six in a row against the Jazz. The Mavs have beaten Utah in 15 of their last 17 home games.
Paul Millsap scored 20 for the Jazz, who have suffered back-to-back defeats.
Enes Kanters layup had the visitors within two points late in the third, but Terry responded with a three-ball and the Mavs held an 88-82 lead going to the fourth.
Kanter, who scored 12 for the game, hit a short jumper to represent the first points of the last quarter. But the Mavericks then embarked on an 11-2 burst over the next three minutes. Odom capped the surge with a pair of threes.
The Mavs widened the gap to as high as 21 later in the quarter, finishing a 22-5 run.
They shot the ball well from the three point line, better than theyve been shooting in the past especially with Dirk out, Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. Guys made shots tonight. But I thought we played hard. Youve got to give them credit, they made the shots when they needed to and we didnt.
The game was tied at 30 after 12 minutes, but Beaubois had nine points during a big second quarter for the Mavs, who gained a 58-50 edge at the break.
Tags: Game
Bobcats-76ersGame Review
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Bobcats coach Paul Silas wasnt on the court Friday night to see his team lose a season-high seventh straight game.
Ejected during a timeout, he missed the last 2 1/2 quarters of another bleak loss.
Lou Williams scored 17 points, Jrue Holiday had 15 and the Philadelphia 76ers easily handled Charlotte, 89-72, leading wire-to-wire and by as many as 30 points.
Silas was ejected as the game got out of hand, tossed after receiving two technical fouls during a timeout in the second quarter while his team trailed by 21.
The Bobcats, who are an NBA-worst 3-17, continue to deal not only with the frustration of losing, but also with injuries to some of their best players.
Gerald Henderson returned Friday from a one-game absence because of a bruised lower back, scoring seven, but DJ Augustin missed his third straight game with a toe injury and DJ White sat with a left knee contusion.
Shorthanded, the Bobcats lost their fourth straight game by at least 10 points after staying within single digits in their previous three losses. They also had a six-game losing streak earlier in the season,
This seasons not going like we expected, said Henderson, and the only way that it can go is up. So thats the kind of attitude that we got to have.
The Atlantic division-leading Sixers, meanwhile, avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
A very good win for us tonight from the standpoint of I really like the way we came out defensively and were very aggressive, said Sixers coach Doug Collins. We really moved the ball well in that first half.
Coming off an overtime loss to New Jersey on Wednesday, they opened with a 14-3 run sparked by Jodie Meeks three-pointer and never looked back. Holiday scored the last seven points of the burst, including a three to cap it.
Meeks finished with 14 points for Philadelphia and Thaddeus Young had 10, while rookie Kemba Walker scored 14 to lead the Bobcats.
The Sixers held Charlotte to 21.1 percent shooting in the first quarter and had a 23-10 lead at the buzzer.
They continued to pour it on, scoring a season-high 36 points in the second quarter. Silas was ejected after the Bobcats took a timeout while trailing 46-25.
Meeks hit both technical free throws, ending an 18-4 run that pushed the lead from nine points to 23 with 4:48 remaining in the first half.
The Sixers led 59-37 at the break, shooting 56.1 percent in the first half, and carried a 26-point lead into the fourth quarter. They went ahead by as many as 30.
Tags: Game
Pacers-CelticsGame Review
Boston, MA (Sports Network) – Temporarily, the Celtics may not have Rajon Rondo or Ray Allen in the lineup, but they still have Paul Pierce.
As the Pacers cut Bostons lead to two in the third quarter, Pierce put the team on his back, netting 17 of his 28 points in the stanza as the Celtics took down Indiana, 94-87, for their fourth straight win.
We had unbelievable energy, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said. We thought the key was to force them into playing versus our half court defense. Thought we did that.
Pierce also added 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics.
Rondo sat out his fifth consecutive game due to a wrist injury, while Allen missed his third straight contest with a jammed left ankle.
But Pierce has really stepped up in their absence, averaging 23.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds over his last five outings — including Friday nights game.
Danny Granger netted 21 points to lead the Pacers, who went 1-of-19 from beyond the arc.
We had a lot of great looks that didnt go down, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. Some of that was their defense. You have to credit their defense, they shut Orlando down twice, they shut us down tonight. We didnt play a good game and you have to play a good game to beat this basketball team in their building.
An 8-2 Pacers spurt to start the second half, capped by David Wests jumper, trimmed Bostons lead to 44-42.
But Pierce poured in nine points as the Celtics countered with a 15-4 run to increase the advantage back to double-digits, 57-46, midway through the third.
Boston took a 71-61 lead into the fourth.
I like to come out in the third quarter and be aggressive, Pierce said. I focus on trying to get better as the game goes on.
The Celtics led by as many as 16 in the final stanza as the Pacers were unable to rally down the stretch.
Chris Wilcox had six points as Boston led 23-17 after the first quarter. The Pacers turned the ball over six times in the opening stanza.
Boston used a 10-0 run in between the first and second quarters to take a 27-17 advantage with 10:51 remaining in the half. Bostons bench provided the spark, going 4-for-4 from the field during the spurt.
West nailed a jumper at the first-half buzzer to cut Indianas deficit to 42-34 heading into the locker room. Boston held Indiana to just 30 percent shooting from the floor in the opening half.
Tags: Game
Nets-CavaliersGame Review
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Deron Williams recorded a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists as the Nets held off the Cavaliers 99-96 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Kris Humphries, who left Fridays shootaround with an illness, fought through it scoring 18 points and pulling down 11 boards. Anthony Morrow added 22 points and six rebounds.
The Nets have now won three of four, closing out a three-game road trip. New Jersey returns home Sunday to take on Toronto.
Kyrie Irving led the way for Cleveland scoring a career-high 32 points including 21 in the fourth quarter. Antawn Jamison added 20 points and six rebounds and Ramon Sessions scored 11 off the bench as the Cavaliers dropped their fifth game in the last six tries.
Obviously not happy with the way the game went, said Cleveland head coach Byron Scott. It started from the beginning of the game. I didnt think we came out with the energy that we needed. In the last quarter, we played with tremendous energy…but we cant play that way. Thats way too late. If we dont come out and play aggressively and with that type of energy from start to finish, were going to keep having these up and down type games.
Cleveland will travel to Boston in its next contest on Sunday.
The Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 17 in the fourth, had the margin down just six with 24.9 seconds to play.
Sundiata Gaines missed two from the line for the Nets, and Anderson Varejaos deep two with 16.9 seconds left put his team down 97-93. Video replay confirmed Varejaos toe was barely touching the line.
The Cavaliers were forced to foul and Morrow calmly hit two free throws to ice the victory for the Nets.
A meaningless three from Irving counted as time expired to make the final score closer than the game really was.
Back-to-back Jordan Farmar layups gave the Nets a 25-18 lead with 3:03 left to play in the first frame and the quarter ended with the Nets leading, 30-20.
The guys played hard and came out with a lot of focus early in the game. I think we set the tone for this game in the first quarter, said New Jersey head coach Avery Johnson.
Neither team was able to get it going in the second until a Humphries layup with 3:26 to go sparked an 11-0 run for the Nets. Irving stopped the run with four consecutive points, but the Cavs entered halftime trailing, 47-37.
The Nets, who entered the game leading the NBA in three-pointers made, found their stroke from outside in the third as they hit five of their eight three- pointers to take a 72-61 lead entering the final stanza.
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Raptors-NuggetsGame Review
Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Rudy Fernandez poured in 23 points to lead four teammates in double-figures as the Denver Nuggets topped the Toronto Raptors, 96-81 at Pepsi Center.
Danilo Gallinari dropped in 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Nene finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who extended their winning streak to six games. Andre Miller finished with 13 points and matched a season-high with 12 assists to go with six rebounds.
Im feeling good, Fernandez said. I needed this game for my confidence. Im very happy about the game.
The Nuggets were also without point guard Ty Lawson, who sat out with a sprained ankle.
Leandro Barbosa paced the Raptors with 19 points, while Jerryd Bayless had 18 and James Johnson donated 16 points. Aaron Gray had a big night on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost nine of their last 11.
Toronto also played its first game without forward Andrea Bargnani, who will be out indefinitely after aggravating a calf strain in a double-overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Denver came out on fire in the first quarter, ripping off a 16-2 run to start the game before a running jumper by Johnson finally stopped the run with 3:08 left in the opening 12 minutes.
The Nuggets continued to make shots, shooting 55 percent in the frame. Gallinari led the offensive outburst with three treys and nine points.
Miller capped the quarter by nailing a 60-foot three-pointer at the buzzer to put Denver ahead 28-12.
The Nuggets continued to hammer Toronto in the second quarter, shooting 57 percent from the floor and outscoring the Raptors, 26-20.
Fernandez finished with 10 points in the frame and the Nuggets took a 54-32 lead into the locker room.
Trailing, 67-47, with 5:47 to go in the third quarter, the Raptors stepped up their game, using an impressive 27-13 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters to get the deficit all the way down to 80-74 with 9:37 to play in regulation.
Gallinari stopped the run with a jumper and Fernandez nailed a trey on the Nuggets next touch to push the lead back to 85-74 with 6:10 left in regulation and they cruised the rest of the way.
You have to believe you can win right from the jump ball, Raptors head coach Dwayne Casey said. Thats the challenge I issued our guys after the game tonight. I didnt see the belief in their eyes.
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Hawks-PistonsGame Review
Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) – Joe Johnson scored 30 points, including a game-tying three-pointer in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 107-101 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Marvin Williams added 22 points and eight rebounds, while Josh Smith had 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in the Hawks third win in four games.
Greg Monroe paced the Pistons with 22 points and 11 boards in Detroits 13th loss in its last 15 games. Brandon Knight contributed 20 points and a career- high eight assists, and Jason Maxiell scored a season-high 19 points off the bench in defeat.
We take every loss personally, not just a close loss. I think every loss is a personal loss, Knight said. You just dont favor one over the other, but this one will hurt a little bit more.
Atlanta trailed 68-63 entering the fourth quarter, but opened the frame with a 7-2 swing to knot the game at 70.
The Pistons, though, scored the next eight points to jump ahead again.
Detroit held at least a three-point lead over the next seven minutes until a pair of Austin Daye free throws put the Pistons up 85-76 with 1:47 to play.
After the teams traded buckets, Williams sank a shot from beyond the arc to cut the deficit to three with 33.5 seconds left on the clock.
The Pistons Rodney Stuckey then had the ball roll out of bounds off his arm after a scramble on the ground, giving the ball back to the Hawks.
Johnson took the ball and set up on the top of the key on Atlantas ensuing possession. He then turned his back to the net before throwing up a turnaround jumper that dropped into the net for the game-tying shot with 1.9 seconds left.
Knights three-pointer at the buzzer bounced wide high off the glass to force overtime.
The extra period belonged entirely to the Hawks, as Atlanta opened overtime with a 12-2 run capped by back-to-back treys by Williams and Smith to jump out to a 99-89 lead.
Detroit could not get any closer than six points from there and the Hawks made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off a late push by the Pistons.
We were relentless. We never gave up, said Johnson. Even when things didnt look so bright for us, we hung in there, stayed with each other, stayed mentally tough, stayed with the game plan and were able to pull a big win out.
Detroit made just 6-of-23 shots from the floor in the first quarter, but held a 17-15 lead as the Hawks committed nine turnovers in the opening frame.
The Pistons never trailed in the second quarter and after five consecutive points by Williams tied the game at 29, Detroit closed out the half on a 17-6 run to take a 46-35 lead into the break.
Atlanta battled back with a 17-6 run to get within one, 56-55, with 4:00 to play in the third, but Detroit scored 12 of the next 20 points and took a 68-63 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Tags: Game
Its Pro Bowl weekend! WOOOOOOO! As though the Pro Bowl isnt exciting enough as it is, the NFL has actually found a way to improve upon its annual all-star game. This year, the league will allow players to tweet before and DURING the game. Yes. Really. There will be computer access on the sidelines. It will be amazing.
What might NFL players say during the game? Here are some tweets you will probably see:
• Who you all got in this game? AFC or NFC?
• Someone tried to tackle me. Its the Pro Bowl!! Cut that out. SMDH.
• Some celebrities here. Seeing lots of guys from those discount double check State Farm commercials. Pretty cool.
• Wait. So its a different time in Hawaii right now than it is in the rest of the country? Crazy.
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The New York Knicks lost to the Miami Heat on Friday night (Jan. 27), despite hitting 18 three-pointers in the game. Now the team has to travel to play the Houston Rockets in the second game of this short road trip. This is a Houston team that can get up and down the floor pretty quickly and will become a defensive nightmare for the Knicks.
Houston is 11-8 on the season and has one of the best point guards in the league running the team. Kyle Lowry is averaging 15.5 points, 8.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds a game and seems destined to make the Western Conference All-Star team. He is doing a great job at setting up teammates Kevin Martin and Luis Scola for success and the team has been playing very well when he is on. Samuel Dalembert is the new center and he could present a pretty big challenge for Tyson Chandler to stop (no pun intended). The leading scorers are Martin with 20.1 points per game and Scola with 15.6 a night
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