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Sports InsiderNBA goes all-out to start 2009 pt.2
January 4th 2009 05:45
Golden State Warriors 108
Minnesota Timberwolves 115
Al Jefferson was the difference in this game with 32 points and 10 rebounds. With wins being a scarce for Minnesota, this one is most welcome. They blew a 29-point lead against the Dallas Mavericks just recently and hopefully they have learned their lesson well. In a way, Dallas is much more special compared to Golden State so keeping their lead was not as hard this time. To know that these rebuilding Wolves can create leads even against the likes of the Mavericks is such a welcome development. All they have to do now is to learn finishing games regardless who their opposition may be. They have won 3 of their last 5 games which is a sign that the team is growing up a little.
Denver Nuggets 122
Oklahoma City Thunder 120
It was Carmelo Anthony versus Kevin Durant at the clutch. Both protagonists came through. It just happened that Melo was the one who made the killer blow.
The Thunder made such a commendable performance by stretching the Northwest Division leading Nuggets to a down-the-wire finish. They sure earned the respect of the Nuggets on this one. They are the worst team in the league with a 4-30 record but that game showed that Oklahoma City is capable of being a competitive club under the tutelage of interim head coach Scott Brooks though it will take a lot more time before that will be realized.
With this recent experience, the Nuggets now know that any team has a shot at beating them despite their newfound success with Chauncey Billups. They should be wary of the rest of the field and be consistent in their games.
Sacramento Kings 92
Detroit Pistons 98
Despite injuries to Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons still took care of business and got a win against the Kings solidifying their hold of 2nd place in the Central Division behind the Cleveland Cavaliers at 20-11.
Rodney Stuckey, Detroit's franchise player in the making let loose of 38 points with 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Sacramento sank at the bottom of the Pacific Division at 8-25 with that loss. Hopefully Kevin Martin gets himself back in the starting line-up soon after recovering from his most recent injury. The Kings must somehow make a solid effort to avoid being dead last in their division at most.
San Antonio Spurs 91
Memphis Grizzlies 80
Nothing surprises anybody if the Spurs does their number on a young, up-and-coming team like the Grizzlies. What's surprising is how this Memphis team that once made a strong stand against the same team six days ago would be bullied in the next encounter.
The Grizzlies have lost their 4th straight game. This loss is also their 8th in the last 9 games.
Could it be frustration setting in on this youth brigade?
It's really fun to watch these Grizzlies as they improve and grow together. Part of that fun is how we shall see them rise to the occasion when discouraging, heart-breaking losses come around to test their resiliency. Being at the bottom of the most competitive division in the league is perhaps the most challenging situation for any ballclub to try and succeed from.
Marc Iavaroni will be keeping his job just as long as this current core that he has continues to show improvement. If Memphis will not positively respond, Iavaroni's job security will always be in doubt.
Charlotte Bobcats 75
Milwaukee Bucks 103
Everything went well for the unpredictable Bucks in a night where they faced one of the weaker teams in the league and when Michael Redd is in the mood for nailing a lot of baskets.
Redd had 31 points 18 of them in the 3rd quarter. Charlie Villanueve had 27 points and Richard Jefferson with 18 markers of his own.
At 16-18 the Bucks still find themselves at 8th spot in the Eastern Conference where teams with sub-.500 records can still vie for a playoff spot. If they could somehow make a great deal of separation with the Chicago Bulls and all the other teams down there, playing in the postseason is never farfetched. All it takes is some more consistency.
Philadelphia 76ers 86
Dallas Mavericks 96
The Mavericks had better quit their bad habit of not starting strong. After rallying past the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game from 29 points down, they found themselves behind again this time against the Elton Brand-less Sixers by 12 points in the 3rd quarter.
Dallas has won 3 straight games and was clearly the more talented team compared to their last opponents. The problem is that these Mavericks are prone to such slow starts against mediocre teams that getting beat by much stronger teams right from the start up to the finish is a high possibility.
If Rick Carlisle and his players drop such bad habit, it will be almost impossible for them to become better as the season gets along.
Los Angeles Clippers 98
Phoenix Suns 106
As of this moment the Suns are still unsure of themselves whether they have attained or realized the type of identity that the team should be brandishing. For one thing, they aren't that easily pleased by themselves. Despite this win, they felt that they have won with a massive blowout. Claiming that they played bad in the last 3 quarters of this game, they know that they have a lot to work on.
Guess the only one who knows is themselves. So much self-evaluation as far as Phoenix is concerned.
New Orleans Hornets 92
Portland Trailblazers 77
The usually sturdy home team Blazers aren't that tough with Brandon Roy in the sidelines.
David West had 25 points and Chris Paul registered 17 points 11 assists and 7 rebounds to lead the Hornets to a lopsided win against the Blazers at the Rose Garden.
The Hornets can now be found atop the Southwest Division with their 20-9 mark and has won their 4th straight game in a row.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are trying to keep themselves straight until Roy rejoins them again. They are 2nd in the Northwest Division at 20-13 behind the Denver Nuggets.
Utah Jazz 100
Los Angeles Lakers 113
Just say how to survive this.
Kobe Bryant blasts you with 40 points. Pau Gasol attacks you with 21. Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom comes off the bench combining for 26 points.
Looks like too much for a hurting Jazz team that's missing Carlos Boozer and are playing on the road against the best team in the Western Conference who are still on a high after beating their arch-rivals for a little payback.
Not to worry though when it comes to Utah. It's still a long season and they can surely recover to at least salvage a playoff spot. With the emergence of the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers in the Northwest Division, it would be more difficult for them to breeze through this season. Boozer must get himself back in the line-up though if the Jazz will make one of those torrid winning runs that the exhibited last season. Utah has a veteran core that is definitely capable of such and a coach in Jerry Sloan who knows what it's all about when it comes to winning important games in the long run.
Photos by AP
Minnesota Timberwolves 115
Al Jefferson was the difference in this game with 32 points and 10 rebounds. With wins being a scarce for Minnesota, this one is most welcome. They blew a 29-point lead against the Dallas Mavericks just recently and hopefully they have learned their lesson well. In a way, Dallas is much more special compared to Golden State so keeping their lead was not as hard this time. To know that these rebuilding Wolves can create leads even against the likes of the Mavericks is such a welcome development. All they have to do now is to learn finishing games regardless who their opposition may be. They have won 3 of their last 5 games which is a sign that the team is growing up a little.
Denver Nuggets 122
Oklahoma City Thunder 120
It was Carmelo Anthony versus Kevin Durant at the clutch. Both protagonists came through. It just happened that Melo was the one who made the killer blow.
The Thunder made such a commendable performance by stretching the Northwest Division leading Nuggets to a down-the-wire finish. They sure earned the respect of the Nuggets on this one. They are the worst team in the league with a 4-30 record but that game showed that Oklahoma City is capable of being a competitive club under the tutelage of interim head coach Scott Brooks though it will take a lot more time before that will be realized.
With this recent experience, the Nuggets now know that any team has a shot at beating them despite their newfound success with Chauncey Billups. They should be wary of the rest of the field and be consistent in their games.
Sacramento Kings 92
Detroit Pistons 98
Despite injuries to Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons still took care of business and got a win against the Kings solidifying their hold of 2nd place in the Central Division behind the Cleveland Cavaliers at 20-11.
Rodney Stuckey, Detroit's franchise player in the making let loose of 38 points with 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Allen Iverson and Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Sacramento sank at the bottom of the Pacific Division at 8-25 with that loss. Hopefully Kevin Martin gets himself back in the starting line-up soon after recovering from his most recent injury. The Kings must somehow make a solid effort to avoid being dead last in their division at most.
San Antonio Spurs 91
Memphis Grizzlies 80
Nothing surprises anybody if the Spurs does their number on a young, up-and-coming team like the Grizzlies. What's surprising is how this Memphis team that once made a strong stand against the same team six days ago would be bullied in the next encounter.
The Grizzlies have lost their 4th straight game. This loss is also their 8th in the last 9 games.
Could it be frustration setting in on this youth brigade?
It's really fun to watch these Grizzlies as they improve and grow together. Part of that fun is how we shall see them rise to the occasion when discouraging, heart-breaking losses come around to test their resiliency. Being at the bottom of the most competitive division in the league is perhaps the most challenging situation for any ballclub to try and succeed from.
Marc Iavaroni will be keeping his job just as long as this current core that he has continues to show improvement. If Memphis will not positively respond, Iavaroni's job security will always be in doubt.
Charlotte Bobcats 75
Milwaukee Bucks 103
Everything went well for the unpredictable Bucks in a night where they faced one of the weaker teams in the league and when Michael Redd is in the mood for nailing a lot of baskets.
Redd had 31 points 18 of them in the 3rd quarter. Charlie Villanueve had 27 points and Richard Jefferson with 18 markers of his own.
At 16-18 the Bucks still find themselves at 8th spot in the Eastern Conference where teams with sub-.500 records can still vie for a playoff spot. If they could somehow make a great deal of separation with the Chicago Bulls and all the other teams down there, playing in the postseason is never farfetched. All it takes is some more consistency.
Philadelphia 76ers 86
Dallas Mavericks 96
The Mavericks had better quit their bad habit of not starting strong. After rallying past the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game from 29 points down, they found themselves behind again this time against the Elton Brand-less Sixers by 12 points in the 3rd quarter.
Dallas has won 3 straight games and was clearly the more talented team compared to their last opponents. The problem is that these Mavericks are prone to such slow starts against mediocre teams that getting beat by much stronger teams right from the start up to the finish is a high possibility.
If Rick Carlisle and his players drop such bad habit, it will be almost impossible for them to become better as the season gets along.
Los Angeles Clippers 98
Phoenix Suns 106
As of this moment the Suns are still unsure of themselves whether they have attained or realized the type of identity that the team should be brandishing. For one thing, they aren't that easily pleased by themselves. Despite this win, they felt that they have won with a massive blowout. Claiming that they played bad in the last 3 quarters of this game, they know that they have a lot to work on.
Guess the only one who knows is themselves. So much self-evaluation as far as Phoenix is concerned.
New Orleans Hornets 92
Portland Trailblazers 77
The usually sturdy home team Blazers aren't that tough with Brandon Roy in the sidelines.
David West had 25 points and Chris Paul registered 17 points 11 assists and 7 rebounds to lead the Hornets to a lopsided win against the Blazers at the Rose Garden.
The Hornets can now be found atop the Southwest Division with their 20-9 mark and has won their 4th straight game in a row.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are trying to keep themselves straight until Roy rejoins them again. They are 2nd in the Northwest Division at 20-13 behind the Denver Nuggets.
Utah Jazz 100
Los Angeles Lakers 113
Just say how to survive this.
Kobe Bryant blasts you with 40 points. Pau Gasol attacks you with 21. Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom comes off the bench combining for 26 points.
Looks like too much for a hurting Jazz team that's missing Carlos Boozer and are playing on the road against the best team in the Western Conference who are still on a high after beating their arch-rivals for a little payback.
Not to worry though when it comes to Utah. It's still a long season and they can surely recover to at least salvage a playoff spot. With the emergence of the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers in the Northwest Division, it would be more difficult for them to breeze through this season. Boozer must get himself back in the line-up though if the Jazz will make one of those torrid winning runs that the exhibited last season. Utah has a veteran core that is definitely capable of such and a coach in Jerry Sloan who knows what it's all about when it comes to winning important games in the long run.
Photos by AP
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