Big surprize last night: Raptors beat Spurs at AT&T Center
Posted on December 29, 2007
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“They’re a good basketball team. They’re the defending world champs. And we beat them on this floor,” Raptor’s coach said.
Jason Kapono scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Kris Humphries added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto, which has two games left of its seven-game Western road swing. Jose Calderon also contributed 14 points.
Michael Finley led the Spurs with 20 points and Tony Parker added 15. Tim Duncan scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Spurs shot as poorly as they have all season (23-of-72, 32 per cent) and gave the ball up 19 times as they struggled without super sub Manu Ginobili, who is out with a sprained left index finger.
“We got shots that we usually knock out, and they didn’t go out tonight,”
The Spurs’ 73 points were their fewest this season.
Merry Christmas for Lakers
Posted on December 26, 2007
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Everybody knows that Bryant is one of the best NBA player ever, but last night success of Lakers over Suns (122-115) had come from Andrew Bynum (20 years) - 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“I feel like I could play another game right now,” he said. “I put in all the hard work just for this. It’s paying off. This definitely was one of my better games. Made a pretty big impact, teammates looking for me, wide open a lot of the times and they found me today. So far, perfect Christmas.”
Bryant, who complained about a lack of talent around him, has gotten plenty of help recently and he is thinking seriously now to winning NBA 2007-2008 championship.
Both best Houstons’s players were injuried in loss to Pistons
Posted on December 24, 2007
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Tracy McGrady left in the third quarter Detroit Pistons and didn’t return. He totaled 14 points. Chinese center Yao Ming had to leave the court to receive treatement after a third-quarter collison with teammate Luther Head, and finished with 12 points.
It was another disappointing visit to Detroit for the Rockets, who have lost seven straight on the Pistons’ floor.
Richard Hamilton scored 17 points to lead five Pistons in double figures and Detroit posted their fifth straight victory. Rasheed Wallace’s storming first half put the Rockets on the defensive early. He scored 14 points in the first half as the Pistons took a 51-44 halftime lead, and by the final period the Rockets were unable to mount challenge.
“We pretty much took control of the game in the second quarter and we never really looked back,” said Detroit guard Chauncey Billups. “Except both of their stars went out, but I thought we pretty much had control at that point.”
“We stayed close but the third quarter they really took over the game,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “We didn’t push the ball like we needed to. We walked it up the court. Just had some surges but not consistency throughout the game.”
Nuggets beat Rockets after 2OT (112-111)
Posted on December 21, 2007
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Yao Ming played almost 52 minutes and had 26 points and 19 rebounds, but it was not enough to cover Tracy McGrady absence.
After overcoming everything from the absence of Tracy McGrady to
playing two overtimes in the second game of a back-to-back, the
Rockets could not overcome a last defensive mistake. Nuggets guard
Anthony Carter, who had not attempted a shot since early in the second half, pump faked Bonzi Wells off his feet and with eight-tenths of a second left and nailed a 15 footer to lift the Nuggets to a 112-111 double overtime win over the Rockets on Thursday. “You have to make people shoot over you,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “You can’t go for a pump fake. Sometimes you make mental mistakes, but give (Carter) credit; he knocked down the shot.”
New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-90
Posted on December 19, 2007
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New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-90 Wednesday for its biggest victory of the season until now.
“I didn’t sleep at all (Monday) night, so we’re trying to figure it out and we’re just as baffled, angry, upset as the fans are sometimes about the way we come out and compete,” Thomas Isiah (NY Knicks coach) said. “They kick the stuffing out of one another in practice. We need to see that type of tenacity against the opponent.”
“For me, losing like we’ve lost is very humiliating, and probably the most humiliating experience I’ve had in my life is standing in a soup line and kids from school walking by laughing at you,” Thomas said. “This is the equivalent of that type of humiliation. I don’t like it, and I only know how to fight and work my tail off to get out of it. I’ve fought all my life and I know how to fight.
“As a collective group, it’s a group that has yet to display that type of tenacity. I don’t think there’s a singular person who doesn’t have heart, but again as a collective unit we’re not gritty enough to fight for (it). Until we get gritty enough, you’re not going to get it. There’s a certain amount of fire and toughness that the athlete has to bring to the game.”
The first NBA team who win at Spurs
Posted on December 17, 2007
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Phoenix Suns is the first NBA team this season who beat SA Spurs in AT&T Center. After few years of frustrations, Suns is a complete team and now they have big chances for winning championships this year. This could be a reachable target if the Suns’ players will not have serious injuries. Grant Hill showed his NBA experience and scored 22 points and 7 rebounds. Steave Nash lead the Suns and had 10 assists and 10 points. “Obviously this is a big win for us,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s a good one to take home with us.” “It was a playoff atmosphere. If you get a playoff atmosphere game in December, you know it’s fun to play.” - Amare Stoudemire said. The game was a “last minute to play”. It was tied at 90 with 1:55 to play, then Ginobili’s running jumper put San Antonio up by one, 95-94, but the Suns hit six crucial free throws and the Spurs made mistakes that cost them the game. Bowen missed a corner 3-point attempt and Diaw stole the ball from Ginobili after an inbounds pass, leading to a free throw that made it a two-possession game with 6.8 seconds to go. Nash hit one more foul shot with 6.1 seconds left.
Lakers won 102-97 vs. Spurs
Posted on December 13, 2007
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The defending NBA champion Spurs, loses two straight for the first time this season, played without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Tim Duncan sat out his fourth straight game because of a sprained right ankle. Tony Parker missed his first game of the season with a sprained left ankle.
First quarter was well-balanced. From the second quarter Lakers makes its game. At the end of 3rdQ Spurs take a little advantage 74-72 Right after the 4thQ starts, Manu Ginobili makes his 5th personal foul and the Spurs coach took him away from court. After Ginobili was on the bench, Lakers makes a 29-10 points in the next 7 minutes and never give up the lead.
After Bruce Bowen’s 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 81, two baskets by Vladimir Radmanovic triggered an 18-5 run that gave the Lakers a 99-86 lead with 3:40 remaining. San Antonio scored the final five points after the outcome had been decided. Lamar Odom had 15 points and eight rebounds and Radmanovic added 10 points for the Lakers (13-8). Bowen led the Spurs with 22 points — two off his career high. Brent Berry added 17 points, Manu Ginobili scored 14 and Fabricio Oberto had a career-high 16 rebounds to go with nine points. Lakers center Andrew Bynum picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 4:32 left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 63-59. He left with six points and 11 rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and the LA Lakers won 102-97 for their fourth straight victory. Spurs made 13 shots behind the 3-points line and Lakers made 6.
Heat host Wizards tonight
Posted on December 13, 2007
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The Heat ended its six-game West trip with two victories (against the Clippers and Suns) after losing five straight but still stands at 6-15. The Heat is 2-6 at home. Guard Jason Williams (ankle) is expected to return after a two-game absence. Swingman Luke Jackson, signed on Wednesday, could play tonight. With Dwyne Wade full of confidence Heat will burn up their engines when will host Wizards tonight.
“It’s too much fun getting off to the kind of start we got off to and I just hope that whatever other things that were going on have been lifted,” Heat coach Pat Riley said. “There seems to be a little lighter air to the team. I think they’ve gotten through it and gotten closer together.” Washington, which has won four of its last five, had six players score in double-digits Tuesday in a 102-88 win over Minnesota. From the last 5 meetings played on Miami court, Wizards did not win a single one.