Last night there was some interesting games to say the least. We had comebacks, players going off and a relative upset. As always I will cover those games I saw or had a particular interest in, while having a shortened "shout out" section at the end;
Charlotte v Orlando; Magic really gave Charlotte a pounding in this one. Bobcats pulled it close a few times but there was always the feeling that the Magic could and would pull away when needed. Jameer Nelson scored 8 points in the final 2minutes (6-6 FT) to ice the game. Dwight continues to play through trade rumors dropping 25/17/4 with 4 blocks. He has always given the Bobcats trouble and this was no exception, while Hedo continues his mini resurgence (haha @ Micah for dropping him in fantasy leagues, as I'm sure most did) putting in 15/4/3 with two 3's.
I like this Bobcats team alot, they have talent youth, and stay competitive. Their record is nothing to write home about but they are taking steps in the right direction as DJ Augustin continues to play at a career high level, with a young exciting backup in Kemba Walker. Henderson (aka Hendo) has shown promise all year with a more refined game and additional minutes, pouring in 22 points on the always tricky Orlando defense.
On a side note Diaw got dropped to the bench again in favor of BJ Mullens. Who would have thought that at the start of the year, but with the latter showing an increasingly varied game, Diaw has to make the most of the minutes he is afforded before the ineviatble trade.
Clippers v Jazz; With Cp3 resting again, leaving the helm to Billups, the Clippers struggled. Blake could only muster 10 points as "Lob City" got it handed to them on a plate. Salt Lake City remains a tough arena to go too, with Jazz fans notoriously rowdy and sometimes ignorant (youtube Derek Fisher taunts). The Jazz have quietly put together a 9-4 record out west, with some serious talent in the frontcourt in Kanter/Favors/Millsap/Jefferson and will be a headache as always come playoff time. However the lack of a true scorer in the backcourt or playmaker will be their downfall. But still a typical Jazz season ahead, aiming for lots of victories but no championship games to show for it.
Bulls v Suns; As above another allstar point guard M.I.A, this time also the current MVP in Rose but Chicago showed why they are such a force and handily beat the Suns by 21 points. Nash went for his 25/14 statline we have become so accustomed to while Gortat went for 14/15, with no other real mentions for the Suns.
The Bulls however this team is downright scary most nights as Boozer shook loose for 31 points and Noah chipped in 13/12/3. A versatile, talented frontcourt with Gibson/Asik backing them up is going to be the foundation this defense is built on and will decide how far they go come playoffs.
Luol Deng has to make the allstar team this year. He plays the most minutes on one of the best teams in the league, while contributing in numerous areas. He plays defense on the best wingmen on the opposing team, while scoring and contributing efficiently. If he doesnt make it then the NBA is rigged...oh wait didn't the NBA/Stern already decline trades for power reasons in the summer past, forget I said anything.
Heat v Spurs; Easily the game of the night in terms of sheer excitement and drama for the first 3 quarters before it turned into a blowout late on. The Spurs were up 14 at the half thanks to a midcourt buzzer beating 3 thanks to Danny Green (another spurs steal) and consistant play from Blair and Leonard. Lets just re-read that sentence. On a perennial contender the 3 biggest contributors are 2nd round draft picks. This Spurs organisation know what they are doing.
However come second half the Spurs wilted as Mike Miller (6-6 3's, remember him?), James and Bosh took over. James was everywhere hitting a season high 4 3's while pileing up stats as only LBJ can to finish with 33/10/5. Bosh was nice too, letting loose for a nasty dunk on Splitter and finishing with 30/8/5/4. This Heat team are dangerous finishing 16/26 from long range all while a certain D-Wade rested on the bench. Out east it is clearly between themselves and Bulls with 76ers on their heels.
Spurs however remain a team to reckon with, as Ginobli continues to nurse that hand injury. Just how far they go toward the end of the year will largely count on the continued development of the younger players such as Splitter/Leonard/Blair/Green. And they definately cant have such a lack of effort that Popovich has to call them out as "soft" and "chucking it in".
Honorable mentions - David Lee closed the game out in the 4th for warriors over Cav's, struggling to miss a shot while gathering backbreaking offensive rebounds and ending on 29/9/3.
Houston go as Kyle Lowry goes, as he returns for a modest 13/5/5/3 and carries his team to a win over Detroit. Lowry has been having a breakout year thus far, making the decision to let Aaron Brooks go seem evermore justified.
Nuggets got another win last night, over a tough opponent in the Bucks, as they currently can lay claim to one of, if not the, deepest teams in the league. Now imagine they resign chandler, K-Mart and JR Smith? Sounds like another inevitable failure too me, but none the less a great team to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment