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NBA Loud - by Travis

Taking place in Athens is the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men’s Basketball from the 14th until the 20th of July. Team Canada had their opening match with Slovenia, which beat the only other team in Group C winning 88-76 over the Koreans to put themselves in good position to get into the Quarter Finals.

Players of note in this one are the newly acquired Rasho Nesterovic form the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert, unluckily for both they are matched up against one-another, both are steady influences on defense, with good back to the basket games.

No commentary in the game I am watching masked by all the shoe-squeaks picked up by the floor-mic.

Carl English is a player I wanted to see, I haven’t seen him since his Hawaii Rainbow Warrior days. Also included was his subsequent summer league tryout for the Pacers way back. A side note Hawaii has now dropped the Rainbow part in their nickname I am told.

A Uros Slokar sighting a late 2nd round draft pick for the Toronto Raptors. Slokar came over after a year playing pro-ball to fine tune a few things. The Raptors drafted Uros instead of fan favorite pick Juan Mendez out of Canada. Slokar’s status is unknown but he did not impress early as an energy guy looking overwhelmed by the NBA.

A great story in Joel Anthony for team Canada now playing for the Miami Heat, at 6’9” with a wingspan of 7’4” is a hardworking post player with good touch and continues to get better each and every day. For Canada to compete they will need Sammy D and JA to be firing on all cylinders. I can’t help but wonder whether some of these guys could be going for a spot in the NBA with all the summer league action going on. Everyone wants to represent their country but this would mess with their livelihoods.

A quick recap of the first quarter, Canada was unable to setup their interior game the Slovenians kept them on the perimeter where Canada seems to lack playmaking ability in traffic, 27-22 Slovenia at the end of one.

I was under the impression that Andy Rautins was an off-guard, but he mans the point. I am sure that coach/father Leo Rautins see’s him as an extension of himself and lets not kid ourselves without Steve Nash at the point team Canada do not have a solid PG. Andy will be returning to Leo’s old stomping grounds for Syracuse. He is rebounding from knee-surgery to help the Orange after losing the likes of Donte Green to the NBA.

To start the 2nd qtr. Slovenia seems to be taking control with smart decisions. But Canada battles back late with some lucky buckets and key turnovers. Joel Anthony, the lone bright spot for the Canadians. The lefty is too mobile for Rasho and too strong for the smaller guys displaying a soft touch from 15-18 feet out.

Commentary glitches back on just in time for the commentator to miss-name a Canadian as Alex English, the old Denver Nugget legend and current Assistant Coach of the Toronto Raptors. “It’s CARL!” I may be one of the only people who realize this mistake but I can take solace in that fact.

Anthony forces his game but Nesterovic gets a block and steal on consecutive possessions as Canada halts and ends the half losing 41-34. Rowan Barrett the 35 year old veteran now has his shots but for team Canada, just looks like he should be playing at the next level.
In the third Q now, I haven’t ever seen Rasho that irritated at an official that altercation coming due to a botched out of bounds play ending up as a layup at the other end for CAN.
Finally the announcer figures out that he has been calling Carl ‘Alex’ English all game and apologizes accordingly, a savvy guy. Ewwohh! Unlucky as #10 Rautins gets blocked but hits #15 Miha in the Zupans, very unfortunate as Andy catches Zupan with his off-hand.

Perfectly diagrammed play giving SLO the 3pt shot at the third period buzzer, 64-49 Slovenians. I cannot remember the last time I have seen so many steals by players who just slap down on the ball. It makes team Canada look almost amateurish. Settling for long jumpers has been Canada’s Achilles heel, just have not brought it this morning. Dalembert was invincible getting dominated by Rasho. Canada with the full court pressure gets some quick steal to bring this one closer.

Nesterovic checks out with 3:15 left in the fourth a job well done as the captain of his side. Sam checks out just after looking dejected on the bench. This game a foregone conclusion with SLO up by over a dozen with two minutes left. SLOVENIA WINS!!! 86-70, Canada must beat Korea to get into the Quarter Finals. With this win Slovenia gets to the Qtr. Final.

An inside look into a struggle of a game for Men’s basketball in Canada. Thanks for reading this was written by Scott Penny.

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Posted By: Spennies - Category: Games

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Home Court Advantage in the NBA

May 11th 2008 19:16

Someone brought up this topic on a forum the other day and I thought it would be a good one to write about. It's evident that most teams are more successful when they are playing at home. The extreme example would be the Utah Jazz. They lost only four games at home all season. You'd think they would be the best team in the league, but their dismal road record prevented that from happening. What is it that makes a team so good at home and either much or slightly worse on the road?

People attribute this trend to the fans and their alliance with the home-town team. While I do acknowledge the fact that the fans do have an impact, I refuse to believe that the crowd can consistently affect the outcome of a game. Having the fans behind you while you're playing is great, but let's be real for a second here. You're not going to play a whole lot better just because a couple thousand people are screaming your name. It's much more than that. I think professional athletes are too damn good to be affected by opposing team's fans to the point where it would cause them to lose more road games than home games on a regular basis. The only time where I think the fans can directly affect the outcome of a game is when there are a lot of free throws and the game basically comes down to who capitalizes on their free throws. The home team gets silence while shooting FTs, but once an opposing player steps to the line, all they are hearing are noise makers and I can tell that it makes it harder. During the flow of the game, the players are too busy moving and playing to hear the fans. Many players say they can block out any noise while playing, and I believe them. But as I said before, shooting FTs is like being in a different zone. It's just you, the basket and thousands of fans. Whether or not they are on your side can make all the difference.

So if it's not the fans, what is it that causes this trend? I attribute it to a few things. Traveling via plane, train, bus, etc. for extended periods of time wears players out. It disrupts their sleeping patterns; instead of being awake and spending time with their family at 3pm, they would be dead asleep while on the bus. You might not be able to go to bed until 4am and then have to wake up for early practice and a 7pm game. Changing time zones during travel may even make this process worse. You could miss out on three hours of sleep while on the plane if you're traveling from the west coast to the east. All of this interferes with rest and also one's daily habits. If a player has to go to the gym and shoot around at noon everyday before a game, that might not be possible if they are stuck on a bus somewhere. Not being able to prepare the way you are used to preparing can easily lose you a game, which leads me to my next point. When on the road, you usually have to adhere to the practice schedule given to you by the arena/opposing team. The gym is only available at certain times, and if you're not at the top of your game when practice time comes, you're not getting a full practice. A less than solid practice usually leads to a less than solid performance on the court... unless of course you're a superstar and don't need practice (aka. Allen Iverson).

All of these factors lead to one thing, greater fatigue. Come game time, the road time will be more fatigued and/or less prepared than the home team because of the travel, timezone change, changes in rituals/ preparation. It might not be noticeable on the court while watching them, but those extra missed shots and that one or two times a player forgot to hustle back are most likely due to that extra effort they had to exert in order to get to the game location. Don't forget the fact that the road team has to sleep in hotel rooms, and as comfortable as the 5-star beds may be, they're probably not as welcoming as the million dollar cribs these players call home. The home team gets it easy; they wake up in their own bed, go down to the court (whether it be their built-in court or the one at the arena), shoot around, practice at their regular times and then head back home until game time. Rather easy for them... not much effort involved and their game day rituals remain intact. This is why the home team has such an advantage in the NBA and in most other sports.

I guess someone should break the news to the fans that they are not helping their team as much as they thought they were. I'm sure their sheer presence in the arena makes the home-team happy. I think the players would be heartbroken if they came to play one night and saw the stands empty. So, in that case, I guess the fans do help motivate their team...

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Posted By: Travis - Category: Games

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Shaq is Gone! What is going to happen to the Heat/Hawks Replay?

February 11th 2008 08:04

Everyone by now must have heard that the biggest man in the NBA is

Shaquiile O'Neal holding up his Suns jersey.

Yes, Shaq, you're now a Sun, but what about the Heat? Won't anyone think of Miami?!?!?! (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

now a Phoenix Sun? Outside the celebratory slap on the back and whooping – one thing was failed to be addressed with the trade of Shaquille O’Neal: What is going to happen with the Miami/Atlanta replay?

Due to an error made by a Hawks official, Atlanta and Miami have to replay the final minute of their December 19 game. Anyone who is aware of this news would realise that Shaq is a central figure with the shenanigans of the night, because he was the one that was incorrectly fouled out of the game.

So, what is the NBA to do? Firstly, new Miami Heat player, Shawn Marion won’t be allowed to play the game for the Heat, but he is able to suit up for the regular game straight afterwards. However, the big question remains: What about Shaq?

Hawks general manager, Billy Knight had this to say about the dilemma the O’Neal trade has thrown up. "The league doesn't know. They'll have to make a determination." (Odum, AP, 2008)

Well, way to go, Billy for clearing that up.

Atlanta All-Star, Joe Johnson also added his two cents into the whole debacle. "As far as I'm concerned there's no reason to even bother with the replay…If Shaq's not going to be here, what's the point?” (Smith, AJC, 2008)

The one thing that is for certain is that the game will go on. No, matter what anyone says.

Today’s video is a belated clip of the Suns reaction of the Daddy coming to the valley of the sun.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Phoenix Suns

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Calling Mulder and Scully. There is 51.9 Seconds Missing of a Hawks and Heat Game.

January 12th 2008 12:46

Don’t we all wish that we can re-live specific moments in our lives? Wouldn’t life be grand if we all could do over something that we regretted? Well, the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat get to replay the final minute of their last meeting because of an error made by an official scorer.

The Hawks ‘won’ the December 19 contest 117-111 in overtime at home. So, why do these

Shaq is bowled over with today's ruling from the NBA. (Photo by Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

two teams have to replay the final 51.9 seconds of this game? In a massive oversight, the Atlanta scorer ruled incorrectly that Shaquille O’Neal had fouled out of the game with six fouls, but in actual fact he only had five.

"We're human. We make mistakes," Hawks owner Michael Gearon Jr. said. "There certainly wasn't anything malicious about it. We have one of the most senior scoring staffs in the league. They're good. It happened. There's not much we can do about it." (AP, 2008)

Miami now have one less loss, whilst Atlanta is missing a win. So, the Heat can rejoice – kind of. Their season still is going down the crapper.

"Wait a minute! I picked up a win today, or lost a loss," Heat coach Pat Riley quipped in New Orleans, where the Heat played the Hornets. "I can wake up tomorrow knowing there's one less loss." (AP, 2008)

Atlanta was also fined $50, 000 by the league for their gross negligence in failing to correct the error.

There are actually two units of officials in Atlanta that are supposed to keep tabs on the action, and when discrepancies do arise, they are supposed to consult with one another. Obviously, protocol wasn’t followed this time around, resulting in the re-do.

When O’Neal was incorrectly called for his sixth foul, the Hawks were leading 112-111. So, we can see why Miami filed a complaint.

The ruling from the NBA hurts the Hawks more than it does the Heat. Atlanta is a potential playoff team, while Miami are at the bottom end of the standings.

It’s the second time that a statistical error had occurred during a game in Atlanta in a year, so, we can assume that the league was trying to send a message to the team, and the other franchises in general. Don’t mess up.

On the official league website, the final 51 seconds have been wiped off the records – just like an alien abduction. The status of the game still remains in progress, re-starting after Al Horford’s free-throws.

In what has to be one of the most bizarre occurrences in league history, when the two teams next meet, there’ll be an extra 51 seconds that need to be played, that has some resonance.

In keeping up with the surreal theme of today’s post, here is a video of the top 10 biggest NBA bloopers of 2007.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Atlanta Hawks, Shaquille O'neal

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The Boston Celtics Pwn the Detroit Pistons.

January 6th 2008 12:53

Paul Pierce shows off his Celtic pride. (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

It must feel like New Years Eve every game for the Boston Celtics. They have fun, celebrate, and, er, hopefully don’t kiss each other, but if they did, there is nothing wrong with that either. Today, Boston faced their Eastern Conference archrivals, the Detroit Pistons and beat them, 92-85.

This win was an important one for the C’s and if their after game celebration was any indication, they’ll take the memory of this victory into the postseason if the two combatants ever meet again. Detroit had an 11 game win streak going into this game but it was snapped by Boston, who have now won nine in a row themselves. Incredibly the Celtics have a 29-3 record.

In one of the most anticipated regular season match-ups in a long time, it was Glen ‘Big Baby Shaq’ Davis who proved to be the big contributor for the night for Boston, leading the team with 20 points, including the key layup with 8.5 seconds left in the game to extend his teams lead by five.

“It feels real good to contribute in a big game like this," Davis said. "But we can't get too excited. This isn't the last time we're going to see this team.” (Lage, AP, 2008)

Well, according to Chauncey Billups, the way that Boston carried on after the win seemed like they had just won the Super Bowl. It was a rather extravagant celebration, but it may have meant that Boston now have the psychological edge of Detroit. Than again, we may be reading too much into a game that was played in early January.

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, it was a massive one because both teams had a combined .844 winning percentage going into the contest. This was a heavyweight battle royale on par with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Today’s game was notable as well because for the first time this season none of the Big 3 was the leading scorer. Davis had that honour.

Davis’ performance bodes well for the Celtics because it illustrates how infectious the work ethic that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen bring to every game is rubbing off on their teammates. The scalp of Detroit is proof positive of this fact.

“This was a huge win because we won on the road in a playoff atmosphere against a team that had won 11 straight,” said Paul Pierce. (Lage, AP, 2008)

Boston looked good. The rest of the league should consider wearing adult diapers.

The video subject for today is Baron Davis and his top 10 plays from 2007.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Boston Celtics

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New Years Eve NBA Games Sets Off Some Fireworks.

January 1st 2008 12:04

Hedo Turkoglu game winning shot against the Chicago Bulls.

Hedo Turkoglu...shoots...he scores! Game over! (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

We here at NBALOUD wish all of our wonderful readers a Happy New Year and hope that with a fresh 365 days upon us that it’ll be prosperous and righteous. Although, it’s the eve of a fresh year, doesn’t mean that pro-hoopsters get a night off. Well, they do, but a lot of players still have to put on their safety hats and get to work during the afternoon. Afterwards it’ll be Cristal and groupies.

Let’s begin with MVP candidate, Dwight Howard whose Orlando Magic played an exciting game against the Chicago Bulls. Although, Howard might be getting all the MVP love, Hedo Turkoglu his teammate is also quietly putting together an all-star calibre season.

Hedo actually had a game that was marred by turnovers and poor decision making, but he came good when the Magic needed him the most – crunch time. With 0.7 seconds left in the overtime period, Turkoglu hit a fadeaway jump shot over defensive beast, Ben Wallace to seal the game for Orlando. Well, done big fella. We can bet he’ll have a rocking new year.

Speaking of Ben Wallace, his old team the Detroit Pistons battled the Milwaukee Bucks and slaughtered them 114-69. This was massacre of epic proportions. Kind of like the Brazilian national football team playing against the Solomon Islands.

It was Detroit’s biggest victory win since 2003 when they crunched the pre-Garnett Celtics by 52 points. The ‘D’ is looking threatening for the Eastern Conference title.

Performance of the Day.

Have you our wise and wonderful readers seen the Golden State Warriors play yet? Well, if you haven’t do it now! Do it, because it’ll enliven your lives. Seriously, this writer was once blind, but now can see due to watching the Warriors play. Oops, the scam is up, but the team from G-State are gold.

The Warriors, who aren’t from Coney Island, took out Houston, 112-95. What was most impressive about this victory was Warriors coach, Don Nelson actually got tossed out of the game in the second quarter for arguing against the refs.

Luckily, for G-State, Baron Davis took control of the game scoring 23 points and dishing off seven dimes. It was a masterful display of dominant basketball.

Today’s video is of the top 10 dunks for 2007! Some righteous jams here.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets

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NBA Wars II: Revenge of the Suns.

December 18th 2007 13:19

Anyone versed in last season’s playoffs would remember when Robert Horry of the San Antonio Spurs, floored two-time MVP, Steve Nash with a cheap shot. It turned out to be a pivotal moment, arguably costing the Suns a playoff victory against their arch-nemesis. Phoenix had to return to San Antonio one day – today was the day.

The Suns got their revenge somewhat with a 100-95 win over their rivals, resulting in the Spurs first home loss of the season. There wasn’t nearly as much drama as there was last time they played in San Antonio, but the Suns can feel good about beating their opponents at

Mike Dunleavy was hot, hot, hot. (Photo by Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

home, while overcoming a massive scoring night from Tim Duncan who dropped 36.

"I thought it was a good win for us. We scrapped it out. It wasn't pretty for us in stretches. But we did the job," said Phoenix point guard Steve Nash. "Tonight the effort was there. Somehow we found a way to win over those guys." (White, AP, 2007)

Phoenix can take some satisfaction from this game, but you can bet your bottom dollar that they’d do anything to re-live that moment when Stevie Wonder was maimed on the open court.

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic may be a hot MVP favourite this season, but when matched up against the best player from last season, Dirk Nowitzki, the big German had it all over the young whipper snapper. The Mavericks outlasted the Magic 111-108 with Dirk Diggler scoring 31 to Dwight’s 22.

It was a game of contrasting fortunes for the biggest, and most talented men on the court, with Howard starting off hot, then cooling significantly after the first quarter, while Nowitzki was non-existent at the beginning, but finished strong, scoring 11 of his 31 in the fourth quarter.

Today’s most exciting game was between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks which went to double-overtime. The Cavs have been on a massive losing streak of late, losing eight of their last nine outings. So, they needed a win in a big way.

Who else would come to the rescue of Cleveland but LeBron James. The King was big time, scoring 31, but he got a little help from Zydrunas Ilgauskas who scored the first six points in the second overtime period. Props to the Big Z.

Performance of the Day.

Mike Dunleavy has had a career resurgence after being traded to the Indiana Pacers, and his new badass identity came to the fore today against the New York Knicks. We’ve exhausted the English language in describing how bad Gotham City’s team is, so we won’t bother anymore.

As you may have guessed, oh, wonderful, reader, New York lost to Indiana, 119-92. Well the final scoreline suggests it was a massacre really, with Dunleavy leading the way.

Indiana’s star player today tore the hearts out of the Knicks, scoring 22 points in a pivotal third quarter. New York once again displayed their basketball ineptitude.

Following the coverage of our lead game, here is Robert Horry’s hit once again on Steve Nash from last season’s playoffs.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Indiana Pacers, Lebron James

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Corey Maggette gets Crazy Like Seal.

December 17th 2007 12:42

Corey Maggette is full of highlights. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Call in Rage Against the Machine because there was a battle for Los Angles today between the two teams from la-la land. There isn’t much competition as to who dominates the games and hearts between these two franchises. Kind of like Barcelona and Espanyol in the Spanish La Liga? Who? The other Catalan team! Didn’t know one existed did you, dear reader?

The Lakers have been stellar and are Hollywood, while the Clippers are the valley. No, offence to those who reside in the valleys of L.A.

Kobe Bryant was the headline act, but he was close to being a no show after injuring his groin in their last game. Well, Kobe isn’t the type to let a little groin problem get in the way of his basketball, scoring a very handy 32 points.

Although, the Lake Show won 113-92, it was Corey Maggette who provided the most memorable highlight when he made a bank hook shot from 48 feet away. "It was a crazy

Greg who? Brandon Roy is da man for Portland! (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

shot," Bryant said. "It was a lucky shot. He's a strong dude, man." (AP, 2007)

Boston Celtics win…Boston Celtics win…Boston Celtics win…

It’s getting a tad predictable isn’t it? Dominating on the defensive end, the Celtics matched their longest winning streak in 14 years. Boston is also 20-2 for the season, and the last time they managed such an opening stanza – they won the championship.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett did the damage as usual overcoming the Toronto Raptors, 90-77.

The Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the league and they showed off their shot stopping chops for the world to see.

"Our philosophy is that defence is going to win games for us," Garnett said. "We're trying to have the defence fuel the offence, and it's been working." (AP, 2007)

In all honesty, it would be great if the Celtics had another championship year because their star trio deserve at least one title.

Performance of the Day.

Who needs, Greg Oden? The Portland Trail Blazers certainly aren’t missing their number one pick if Brandon Roy keeps on ballin’ the way he has. Last season’s Rookie of the Year had 26 points and 11 assists in a starring role.

Portland deposed of the Denver Nuggets, 116-105. The Blazers were mighty impressive in this game because they also overcame a hot shooting night from Allen Iverson who scored 38 points.

A.I. may have got his, but it is Brandon Roy who is our performer of the day.

Today’s top 10 plays are on show. Watch Maggette’s crazy basket.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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B-Dizzle, Sizzles for G-State!

December 15th 2007 09:14

Boston is once again an intimidating place for opposing teams to visit, as the Celtics remain unbeaten at home. The latest victims of a Beantown beatdown were the Milwaukee Bucks who lost to the Celts, 104-82.

Paul Pierce scored a season high 32 points, with Kevin Garnett adding a lazy 15 points, whilst grabbing seven rebounds. Boston’s star trio was missing Ray Allen with an ankle injury, but it

Sorry, Chris Wilcox, your performance was grand, but Kevin Durant photos brings in the hits. (Photo by Terrence Vaccaro/NBAE via Getty Images)

didn’t matter, the Celtics still rule their roost.

The 12-0 unbeaten stretch matches the team’s second best start to the season at home, and who is going to bet against them on continuing this streak?

Ah, it looks like the young Seattle Supersonics is getting their act together with another win. This time it was the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves who fell on the Sonics sword, 99-88.

Seattle got a balanced effort from a number of their players with Chris Wilcox leading the pack scoring 19 points and snatching 11 rebounds. Veteran Sonics player, Kurt Thomas used all his experience adding a further 18. Kevin Durant, Luke Ridnour and Damien Wilkins all hit double digits also. Well, done guys.

Oh, guess what? The Sonics have a little winning streak on the road going on with their second win in a row.

LeBron James and Kevin Garnett may be leading the MVP talk, but don’t count out Orlando’s, Dwight Howard, whose Magic team took out the Charlotte Bobcats, 103-87.

Dwight Howard had another mammoth game with 33 points and 18 boards, while sending a shiver down the collective spines of his Charlotte opponents. Howard was so nasty that he made Darth Vader look like Ned Flanders. True, all the Bobcat players started adding ‘diddly’ to everything they said because of Howard.

Adding more flavour to the Howard ice-cream, the big man for Orlando recorded his 20th double-double, leading the league in this statistic. Want more numbers associated with Dwight? You should include four blocks as well for the night.

Performance of the Day.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best arena to watch basketball in the NBA is in Oakland. Not only is O-Town an awesome basketball city, but the Golden State Warriors play the most exciting style of ball in the league, and their fans are loud as a Motorhead concert. The way the Warriors ball, makes the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain look organised!

Today the Los Angeles Lakers rolled into town with a swagger because they have pwned the Warriors of late. However, things were about to change today with G-State pipping the Lake Show, 108-106.

Los Angeles dominated the first half of the game, but the home team came roaring back with a vengeance in the third on the backs of Al Harrington and Monta Ellis. G-State’s star, Baron Davis was a non-factor in the third because he had five fouls, so he had to sit out till crunch time.

However, when the fourth quarter rolled around, the Baron came to life hitting the decisive 3-point basket with 16 seconds to play in the game. It was an exciting and breathtaking performance from B-Dizzle. Take a bow, champ!

Today’s video displays Baron to full effect. Word!

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant

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The New York Knicks Suck, but are still Money.

December 13th 2007 10:11

A losing franchise in the Mecca of basketball, poor leadership, overpaid players and a massive sexual harassment payout, you’d be forgiven in thinking that the New York Knicks franchise wouldn’t be worth that much these days. In fact, it would be safe to believe that the team from Gotham wouldn’t be worth anymore than the Reykjavik curling team. If you held that belief, you’d be wrong.

According to Forbes, who compiled a list of the most valuable NBA franchises, the New York

Please, give Shawn Marion some much needed hugs. He needs the love. (AP Photo/Roy Dabner)

Knicks have become, believe it or not, the first pro-basketball franchise to be worth $US600 million! The average NBA franchise is worth $US372 million, which is a rise of six percent in a year.

Basically speaking, basketball is serious business.

Pro-hoops is arguably the third most popular sport in the U.S. but it is generating more cash due to larger gate receipts, a huge television deal, and the fact that the spending on players is tightly regulated.

Although, the Knicks are the most valuable team in the NBA, they also have the largest operating losses due to big spending on players, and an $US18 million buyout of former coach, Larry Brown’s huge contract.

Still, the Knicks suck.

Now, onto the actual game of basketball. Well, at least the the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons game, and, also, the Utah Jazz battling the Phoenix Suns, which funnily enough, were the two games on television today.

Somehow. Against all odds. The Houston Rockets managed to defeat the Detroit Pistons, 80-77. So, what’s the big deal from this game that has necessitated such a dour introductory sentence? Well, Houston was horrible from the free-throw line and almost blew the game. They stunk! It was a painful performance of futility from the charity stripe.

The team collectively began their shooting ‘streak’ by missing 14 of their first 15 free-throws. It got slightly better from there when they ended up making 6-for-22 (6 percent) from the line for the night.

It was u-g-l-y, but the Rockets still managed to beat an excellent Pistons team!

Yao summed up the sentiments of his team perfectly: "Oh, man. We can lose a game because of that," Yao said. "Tomorrow, I'm going to come here and shoot at least 100 free throws. It's almost like you give away free points and give away a game." (Duncan, AP, 2007)

Performance of the Day.

The Knicks might be overrated and overblown, but you cannot say the same thing about Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns. Steve Nash may have been the toughest mofo on the court today after chipping a tooth, but it was the Matrix who had the Suns humming. Plus, Stevie Wonder already gets enough love from the public and this space.

Shawn Marion was all over the place, scoring 26 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking five shots. The Suns broke a two game losing streak, beating the Utah Jazz, 103-98.

In honour of the Matrix, here is a highlights clip of the most underrated player in the NBA.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash

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Allen Iverson has All the Answers.

December 7th 2007 10:16

This year’s slogan for the NBA is ‘where amazing happens’, and today’s performances is proof positive that pro-basketball is indeed, fan-tastic!

First up is the exciting contest between the Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves, which on paper isn’t too crash hot of a match-up, but the ending of the game was indeed eventful to say the least. In the final 46.7 seconds of the game the lead changed hands five

Joe Johnson for the game. It's good!!! (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

times! Three of those lead changes coming in the last 10 seconds alone!

Marko Jaric for the T-Wolves seemingly made two game winning baskets, the last coming with 2.2 seconds left to play, Minnesota 89, Atlanta 88. However, there was still enough time for some last minute heroics and Joe Johnson from Hot-lanta came to the rescue with a buzzer beater. Game over. Hawks 90-89.

Today’s game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat should have been a contest between an old Jedi Master and a young apprentice in Shaquille O’Neal, and Greg Oden. Sadly, the basketball loving public was robbed of this battle when this year’s top draft pick was cruelly felled by a season ending knee injury.

Still, this was a ripper of a game with the Blazers showing the world that they’re heading in the right direction in the development of their franchise. Reigning rookie of the year, Brandon Roy had a superb game with 25 points, with Travis Outlaw adding a further 20.

Dwayne Wade for the Heat had 21 points, 10 boards and nine assists, which looks impressive on paper, but in reality this was a struggle for Flash, who isn’t still up to par. Wade tried hard, but it was to little avail as the M-I-A fell to 3-10 with Flash in the line-up. Shaq once again had a bad performance scoring a lowly eight points in a foul plagued filled performance.

Performance of the Day.

The Big Aristotle may have seen his best days behind him, but another veteran who was predicted to falter at this stage of his career has proven the naysayers wrong with blinding basketball. Allen Iverson is his name, and playing electrifying games, is his, er, game.

A day after scoring 51 points, The Answer once again led the Denver Nuggets with a 35 point, 12 dime performance. This game was arguably better than his effort form yesterday because as impressive as scoring 51 is, he only managed two in the final quarter.

A.I. wasn’t going to waste another sublime game, doing everything possible to get his team over the line against the hard as nails, Dallas Mavericks. And you know what? Iverson did get it done, with Denver stomping their foes, 122-109.

In honour of our performer of the day, here is a classic, Iverson video where he goes on a tirade against the concept of practice. It is one of the best videos you’ll see of a basketball player that isn’t on-court related.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Atlanta Hawks, Allen Iverson

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Golden State are so Hot, they Make the Scoreboard Catch Fire.

December 3rd 2007 11:42

The G-State Warriors light up the scoreboard, literally. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

The marquee match-up between the two leading lights of the Eastern Conference didn’t turn out the way many would expect for such a big game. Firstly, LeBron James was still missing through injury. Also, a mid-afternoon start saw both a listless Boston crowd and Celtics performance combine for one unappealing package. In an uninspired game the Celts beat the Cavs, 80-70.

Ray Allen paced Boston with 20 points, but Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each scored under 10 points! It must be stated that it is a very impressive effort that the Celtics still won with two of the big three firing blanks. On the flipside, this also illustrates how desperately the Cavs need King James in uniform as well.

Boston remains undefeated at home this season, thus far, and has notched up their 14th win as well. Why would this seemingly benign stat be of any importance? Well, it took their 56th game last season to win their 14th game. What also must be remembered is that there are 82 games in an NBA season. So it took over half of the basketball year to reach the milestone they have notched up so quickly this time around.

Last year’s team would also have been blown away by a LeBron-less Cavs. How times have changed.

Backcourt running mates, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups both blew up for the Detroit Pistons, scoring a combined 37 points on 12-of-19 shooting. When the two Piston all-stars are playing such good ball, they don’t usually lose, and today was no exception as they crushed the New Jersey Nets, 118-95.

Both Hamilton and Billups have been hampered by injuries in the first month of this season and it has been a rare sight for the two guards of the ‘D’ to play such beautiful basketball. Unfortunately, for the Nets they combined wonderfully today.

"It's fun to play like this," said Billups. "We're moving the ball well, and that's the key for us."

Like, Dr. Claw in relation to Inspector Gadget, the Nets will be seeking revenge on the 'D' next time they meet. (Image from wikipedia)

(AP, 2007)

New Jersey’s triple-threat also played inspired basketball, but the Pistons proved to be far too kick ass on this occasion. In the words of Dr. Claw: “We’ll get you next time, Detroit. Next time!”

Speaking of teams that got their behinds handed to them on a platter, the struggling Miami Heat was annihilated by the Denver Nuggets, 115-89.

Any semblance of a contest was thrown out the window when Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Allen Iverson did whatever they pleased to the Heat. To make matters worse for Miami, Shaquille O’Neal had a season-low six points.

Shaq scoring six points was once unimaginable. Now, the nastiest baller on the planet isn’t as frightening as he once was.

Performance of the Day.

In a rarity for the prestigious NBALOUD performer of the day, we’re handing out this plaudit to the whole Golden State Warrior team! Not only did they utterly humiliate the Seattle Supersonics 109-96 in their home. G-State was so hot, that they literally made the scoreboard catch on fire!

How many teams can boast that? Well, the Warriors probably can’t be held accountable for a spotlight on the main scoreboard lighting up, but their hot performance may as well contributed to the maiming of the scoreboard.

Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington led the way for the Warriors with 20 points apiece. Whilst, Baron Davis chipped in with a solid 14 point, eight rebound and nine assist performance.

Carmelo Anthony would probably have gotten the performance of the day nod if the Seattle scoreboard didn’t light up like a firecracker during Chinese New Year. However, to make amends to ‘Melo, today’s video is of his ad for the Air Jordan kicks he rocks.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Games, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors

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Dwight Howard is the New Beast of the East.

November 29th 2007 11:31

LeBron James may be one tough mofo, but it doesn’t mean that he isn’t

All males on earth should hate Tony Parker, but how could you? He plays such beautiful basketball. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

human. Afterall, kings have been executed in the past don’t you know by ‘lesser’ mortals! In Cleveland’s loss today to Detroit, James sprained his left index finger in the second quarter when the basketball serf named, Nazr Mohammed went for a judo chop and hacked the king.

With the king missing, the Cavs were no competition for the tough Pistons who beat them 109-74. Once, LeBron copped the injury, a lot of the lustre went missing from the game because it marked the first time he returned to the Palace since torching the ‘D’ in the playoffs.

Richard Hamilton and Co. ran riot all over the Cavs and there was nothing they could do about it. Cleveland is a mediocre team without the king and it showed.

Speaking of injuries to key men, the Toronto Raptors lost both Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani to leg problems. The Raptors did beat the Memphis Grizzlies 103-91, but it came at a cost. Anthony Parker and Jose Calderon both filled the hole left by their more esteemed colleagues, but make no mistake, Toronto’s fortunes lie with Bosh.

Tony Parker continues his charmed run in life by playing excellent basketball today. Mr. Eva Longoria scored 29 points and dished off 11 assists in helping his team crap all over the Washington Wizards, 109-94.

The Frenchman did all his damage in the second half when he dropped 20 on the hapless Wizards, whilst getting his teammates involved in the process. Manu Ginobili chipped in with 19 and Timmy Duncan added a further 16. The Spurs were just too much for a Gilbert Arenas-less, Wizards squad to handle.

Coach Avery Johnson first came to Dallas and gave the squad a new identity when Don Nelson left, and it breathed new life into the Mavs. However, they have been highly inconsistent this season thus far.

Suffering from a three game losing streak, Dallas desperately needed a win and with Minnesota coming into town this should have been a relatively easy victory on paper. It didn’t quite work out that way.

Dwight Howard is the best big man in the NBA. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Dirk Nowitzki played his usual high standard of basketball with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but the Mavs still made it heavy going. Al Jefferson for the T-Wolves was a big speed bump for the Mavs with 31 points and 14 rebounds. However, Dirk Diggler got nasty and with the help of some heavy 70s bass music was money, scoring eight points in the final five minutes. Dallas victorious 109-103.

Stephen ‘Action’ Jackson proved his value once again when he hit some massive 3-point baskets down the stretch to help